newbie here needing some serious advice..

[mcclaine]

Hiya all, new here, actually been reading through most of the reviews and posts here and at dpreview and cameralabs but couldnt solve what i've in mind..

first of all, i am looking for a camera. the first one that came to my mind was FZ-18, with good IS, zoom and AE/AF lock.
however, as i seldom venture outdoors much except in a moment of inspiration *or craziness*, i can't expect to go around lugging the FZ-18, which, though not as bulky as normal DSLR, is still quite hard for me to shove in a pouch without risking scratches.

that's why i need some help in deciding a decent camera that i can carry around with at least 30mm. Which immediately excludes G9 that i went through too. and at the same time, could someone advise me whether using AA batteries operated cameras are advisable?
usage : min 5 hours a week
timing : both during the day and sometimes during evening sunset period and bbqs at night
optical zoom : decent enough *I'm not gonna stick my hand into the lion's cage and ask the lion to say cheese, so maybe enough to zoom about 20-30 metres?
stabiliser : a must! I had hand injuries so sometimes my hands will tremble slightly
budget : SGD$700


hope to hear advice soon, thanks!

[teebs]

Originally Posted by mcclaine Hiya all, new here, actually been reading through most of the reviews and posts here and at dpreview and cameralabs but couldnt solve what i've in mind.. first of all, i am looking for a camera. the first one that came to my mind was FZ-18, with good IS, zoom and AE/AF lock. however, as i seldom venture outdoors much except in a moment of inspiration *or craziness*, i can't expect to go around lugging the FZ-18, which, though not as bulky as normal DSLR, is still quite hard for me to shove in a pouch without risking scratches. that's why i need some help in deciding a decent camera that i can carry around with at least 30mm. Which immediately excludes G9 that i went through too. and at the same time, could someone advise me whether using AA batteries operated cameras are advisable? usage : min 5 hours a week timing : both during the day and sometimes during evening sunset period and bbqs at night optical zoom : decent enough *I'm not gonna stick my hand into the lion's cage and ask the lion to say cheese, so maybe enough to zoom about 20-30 metres? stabiliser : a must! I had hand injuries so sometimes my hands will tremble slightly budget : SGD$700 hope to hear advice soon, thanks!

If you are considering Canon, the below models are suitable for you. All using AA batteries:

1) Canon 720IS - 6X Zoom, 8 MP
2) Canon SX100 - 10X Zoom, 8MP
3) Canon S5 IS - 12X Zoom, 8MP

Using AA batteries is generally ok. For my S3 IS I can get ard 200 odd shots on Alkaline batteries.

[mcclaine]

hiya teebs,
but from what i see, they're around 35-36mm, do you have any you'll recommend for around 30mm?