which canon mid level camera would be best for indoor flash shots?

Thanks Brenda,

I guess I am not sure what a mid-level is either. I do not think I need a 10 MP camera. In the A-series I have been looking at the canon A610 or A540. I was also interested in the SD700 IS, S2 IS or S3 IS. Any thoughts or do I only get the one question?

Hi Mary,
It's no problem, I can definitely help. Sorry it took me a few days to get back to you... it's been busy over here in my world. =)

Generally speaking you probably don't need 10MP- it definitely won't hurt you to have it, but it will up the price of the camera and it won't be necessary unless you're printing HUGE photos, or you're a graphic artist, or something to that extent.

You asked about indoor flash shots. If that's what you're looking for, I would avoid the A540 for one reason: it has a very slow flash recovery time. What that means is, after you take a shot with the flash on, the camera takes a long time (sometimes up to 9 or 10 seconds) before it is ready to take another one. Same issue happens with the A710 IS. Don't get me wrong, both are fantastic cameras, and if you're not planning on shooting quick shots in succession this won't be a big deal. But for example if you want to photograph fast-moving children, and you use the flash a lot, I think that you would find this recovery time issue to be frustrating.

The A610 seems to do considerably better- not sure why, since it has the same processor, it just seems to be improved in other areas and it recycles flash at about 5 seconds between each photo. That's still not very speedy, but it's way better. The SD700 IS is even speedier and recovers in about 2 seconds even with the flash. Do watch out for fragile screens on the Elphs though.

The S2 and S3 are amazing cameras, and they offer a lot of creative control, manual settings etc. If you're interested in learning a lot about digital photography those might be really good investments. They are a pretty far leap from the A-series, mainly due to their large zoom and manual capabilities. How interested in creative control are you- would you rather just point and shoot?

I hope that helps a little... and feel free to ask as many questions as you want, that's what we're here for. =)

Thanks so much for your help :)

I have the S30 for 5 years and the LCD no longer works. I am looking to upgrade and like the A710 IS for the IS and 6x optical zoom. I understand the flash and it may be due to the 2AA batteries not 4 that are in the A610. Any thoughts on the S60 or S70? This is my last question I need to purchase a camera for a Disney trip soon. Thanks, Mary

Is the flash and red eye still ok with the A710 IS?

Hi Mary,
The A710 IS really is fantastic- you can tell by the reviews here that people are loving it. You are most likely exactly right about the two AA batteries being part of the issue. The image stabilization helps hugely on this camera, especially because it's a wee little thing. If the flash recovery time doesn't bother you, this is a great camera for a trip- the long recovery time is truly the only complaint I've heard about this one that holds any weight as far as I'm concerned.

If you're using flash, you may have some issues with red eye occasionally, but the A710 IS isn't the worst offender by far. It has a red eye reduction system too- the kind where there is a 'pre flash' before the photo is taken so that people's eyes adjust to the light before the real flash happens. I've found this feature to be effective myself.

Also, I suppose with the image stabilization, you could make the argument that you will need the flash less. Even in semi-dim indoors you can turn the flash off and let the camera use a slower shutter speed to capture the shot, since the IS will keep the image steady/ avoid shake. Something to consider. The IS is a big plus as I'm sure you know.

The S60 and S70, I don't know much about other than they offer lots of creative control and are mostly known for their very high quality lenses which produce really good images. Small bodies, wide angle lenses, quick and snappy. Might also be worth looking into.

Thanks for all your help :)

IS THE G7 MUCH BETTER THEN THE A710?

DOES IT PAY TO GET THE G7 RATHER THEN THE A710?

Hi Jay Jay
It really depends on what kind of camera you're looking for. The obvious difference is size, the A710 is slimmer (and better looking) while the G7 is bulkier, but in terms of image quality and everything else you're looking at very comparable cameras. One big thing is that the G7 offers the option of external flash. If that isn't major for you, I would take the A710 considering the price difference.

THANKS, BRENDA P

EVEN THOUGH THE G7 HAS A METAL CASING (THE A710 IS ALL PLASTIC)
THE G7 HAS RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES (THE A710 USES 2 DOUBLE-A BAT.)
THE G7 HAS THE NEW DIGIC III PROCESSOR
THE G7 HAS iSAPS with Advanced Noise Reduction and Face Detection AF/AE
THE G7 HAS 10 MEGAPIXELS
THE G7 HAS SOME NEW COATING ON ITS LENS
THE G7 HAS MORE MEGAPIXELS ON ITS LCD SCREEN
THE G7 IS JUST THE NEWEST & MOST UPDATED IN ITS CLASS!

TRUE I DON'T NEED THE EXTERNAL FLASH & I'M NOT IN TO PHOTOGRAPHY
BUT SHOULDN'T I GO WITH THE NEWEST ONE?
AFTER ALL I DON'T BUY A NEW CAMERA EVERY YEAR (ONLY AFTER THE OLD ONE BRAKES!

DO YOU STILL THINK I SHOULD GET THE A710?

Jay Jay, everything you've mentioned here are good points about the G7. Here are some things to consider about the A710:

-The A710 body is not all plastic, rather it's a mix of metal and plastic. The G7 is considerably tougher, but some find it slippery and hard to hold onto, and the A710 is lighter and more compact (this is one of those areas where it depends on what you're looking for in a camera, small size or ruggedness?)

-The A710 can use rechargeable NiMH AA batteries- cheaper than the G7's battery pack, and totally rechargeable. Also makes the camera lighter.

-The A710 also has iSAPS, plus 9-point focus and flexi-zone... different offerings than the G7, but not necessarily worse.

The main thing here is that the G7 has advantages, but whether or not they are worth the price difference is totally up to you and your shooting needs and preferences.

What you should keep in mind is that these are two different series of cameras, the A-series and the G-series- as you said the G7 is the newest in its class, but the A710 is kind of a different class. Thus the G7 will offer things that the A710 doesn't, and the A710 will have a few advantages too.

My recommendation of the A710 is based on the facts that it's cheaper, and it's easier to handle due to its small size, yet it still offers many of the same things- creative manual control, image stabilization, etc. In my opinion, image quality from these two cameras is remarkably comparable. That means that one of them doesn't have noisy images, or a bad lens, or anything else that might disturb your picture quality. Yes, even with more megapixels in the G7 you won't notice much difference in quality unless you are blowing your photos up very large.

Nobody wants you to buy a new camera every year. Can I suggest going to the store and handling both of them? That might decide it for you right there... sometimes you can read all the reviews in the world and not know what camera feels best to you until you try them out.