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Re: Cheapest Digital Camera with Manual settings?
Old 01-11-2005, 01:20 AM   #5 (permalink)
2112
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That would be the Canon PowerShot A85 or A95. You get full manual controls over everything, even 3 different metering options which not even the Digital Rebel features. I have the A75 and its really great but the 85 (4 MP) and 95 (5 MP) are even better and image quality on all is excellent. I would put up the extra $60 and get the A95 for $350, you gte more MPs plus and flip out and rotating LCD. You can find very detailed reviews here:

A85

A95

If you are too lazy to read all that info, here is the conclusion of the review.

Offering a complete range of auto and manual exposure controls, the Canon PowerShot A95 is perfect for novice users and experienced amateurs alike. The full automatic controls keep things simple for novices, while offering the opportunity to gradually step up to more control. Plus, the range of preset exposure modes ensures that less-experienced photographers will get good pictures in difficult shooting situations. The 5.0-megapixel CCD captures high quality images, quite suitable for printing as large as 11x17-inches, or 8x10 with heavy cropping while maintaining very good detail. The compact design should fit well into a larger coat pocket or purse, and the lens design protects it when closed, while keeping the camera body smooth and low-profile. In addition to the range of exposure controls, a menu of creative effects makes the Canon A95 fun too. Like the A70 before it, the A95 is marketed and priced as an "entry level" camera, but its features and capabilities extend far beyond that category. If you're looking for an inexpensive camera that you can grow with (and that shoots excellent photos as well), the Canon A95 could be the camera for you.

The PowerShot A95 is one of the few digital cameras that just seem to get everything right, with very few weaknesses. In virtually all respects (color, resolution, image noise), its images are good to excellent, and its range of features and capabilities is hard to beat for the price. Its 5-megapixel CCD and good-quality lens deliver sharp images with good color and little distortion. At the same time, it manages to make just the right tradeoff between image noise and sharpness, delivering plenty of the latter, with very little of the former. (A difficult balance for any camera, and one that many models get wrong.) Its combination of automatic and manual features make it very approachable for novices, but interesting for experienced users, the net result being a camera that will satisfy a broad range of interests and provide a good path for novice users to expand their photographic horizons as their experience grows. Other features like its excellent battery life and nifty tilt/swivel LCD are added bonuses. Bottom line, if you're looking for a great "all around" digicam for either individual or family, the Canon PowerShot A95 deserves serious consideration.
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