Choosing between two cameras - opinions please

Hi, everyone. Got my BA degree today, and am now in the position to buy a digital camera. I have narrowed my choices to two cameras: Canon Powershot A60 (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_a60.asp) and Pentax Optio 30 (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Pentax/pentax_optio30.asp).

They are both priced basically identically, so that isn't a consideration. The Pentax was put on the market about a year later than the Canon, but I have never ever heard anything about it, the Canon has done very well in the tests. With the Canon I have had some experience and am generally very happy with it, it suits the purpose of photographing models quite adequately. The Pentax, however, has a 2 cm macro range as opposed to the 5 cm of the Canon and also has some interesting shooting modes. The Canon, on the other hand, has more manual adjustability it seems. This is as far as I can take the cons and pro discussion by myself :) Click the links for more detailed descriptions, also it's possible to compare the cameras side by side.

So which one would you choose and why. Also any sharing of experience that any of you have had with any of these cameras is very welcome. Thanks.

Canon All the way. Pentax in digital aren'T very good at all (nice 35mm, but no digital)

:-\ you can't save up a little more for a Canon Powershot 500 or 600?

Ah well, I'd still go with the Canon, the entire Powershot line is great.

I have an A70 and its great...I want an A80 now :)

Go with Canon..I got a Powershot S50 and the quality is just great overall with canon.

Canon A80 is the best camera for the price with now, then come Nikon Lines

dpreview.com

Without a doubt get the Canon....might want to look more into the A80 though IF you can afford it....has some nice features including the swivel screen which will make your screen alot safer and not make you worry about caring for it as much and allows for some shots you might not normally get with the plain screen.

I am currently using the A40 and still love it...great little camera. and I think the manual settings will be good for you taking tight shots where a flash would kill the shot.

Next inline after Canon would be Nikon...personally I wouldn't buy anything unless it was 1 of theses 2 companies.

Next cam for me will be the Digial Rebel :biggrin:

I can post a few pics of the canons abilities if you are interested.

I have Canon A70 (A60 = 2MP, A70 = 3MP, and A80 = 4MP, other than that they're pretty much the same). No regrets at all with my camera. You won't be disappointed with the macro either...

Murray

I'd go with Pentax, its specifications are much better, plus its a newer camera. Canon makes good cameras, but you can't argue with numbers.

I'd go with Pentax, its specifications are much better, plus its a newer camera. Canon makes good cameras, but you can't argue with numbers.

Quality can't be measured by number......

there is much cheapier cam at 5Mpix than the Canon. Number aren't everything

Quality can't be measured by number......

there is much cheapier cam at 5Mpix than the Canon. Number aren't everything

It can be measured by numbers, indeed. I'm not talking about $$$ numbers, I'm talking resolution, effective pixels, lens parameters, focus range/depth, shutter speed and stuff like that. This particular Pentax camera is better according to numbers - that is all I'm saying. MUCH better.