I Finally Decide and Get a Canon PowerShot

While I looked long and hard at finding a used Nikon D40, Canon Rebel EOS XT, or Pentex K100D, my need for portability and adaptability-- a camera that I would always have with me and one that would also take videos-- tipped the balance in favor of a non-DSLR for me-- for now. So I started looking for something with as many as possible of the following attributes: lots of settings, including full manual standard SD memory card AA batteries at least a 5 mega-pixel chip Apparently, the image quality the chips delivered had leveled off at about 5 MP, with not much difference in further tweaks the manufactures had done to get 6 or more mega pixels of information on them. I finally decided that the Canon PowerShot A-series met all my conditions, and I set out to a large electronics store to see a A-570is that was on sale-- then to the second-hand section of a large camera shop. There I found what seemed to be a super deal on a Canon PowerShot S2is-- so cheap that I snapped it up and was out of the shop without even testing it. But before I was home I was having second thoughts as the Canon 'S' series cameras are nearly as large as a DSLR-- then I found that the sensor was dead. I was actually relieved, both that it was guaranteed and that I wasn't stuck with something that I wasn't totally happy with. I got my money back and instead chose a used six-megapixel PowerShot A540 at an equally good price. It was actually less, so I got a high-speed SD card, some rechargeable AA-batteries and charger and a camera case to wear on my belt-- since the PowerShot isn't really shirt-pocket size. Next: Using My New Baby