Whew....what a day at the office. I work at a small university and the students are just now returning from holiday and we ARE NOT READY for them to return!!!!! But, we will be....we always are. Gosh....I can't believe its been nearly a year since I posted this message. Anyhoo, the camera is a good friend and pal now and not so new anymore. When I posted this message I had been using regular batteries, not rechargeable...hey, I was a total novice!!!! They lasted for about 50 pix...LOL. Got a charger and some rechargeable Everreadys the day after my post....gotten 5 more since then. Just got a new charger and more new batteries for Christmas, too. So....now I want the 1.5 teleconverter lens and some other goodies. This little point and shoot seems to do a pretty decent job with birds....had my doubts in the beginning. My brother-in-law is into photography big time and said it was a "so-so" camera but probably not really good for wildlife photography. For petes sake; I wasn't trying out for National Geographic.....I just wanted a "good enough" camera so I could take a decent picture of a bird and take it to someone and ask, "Do you know what kind of bird this is?".....And it does that....and more. I've gotten some pretty decent shots with it and am totally satisfied with the camera. I still haven't played with a lot of the settings and haven't really experimented with the video taking part yet. But, I'm happy with the results. My husband also got me (in addition to those much needed new batteries and charger) a Canon Selphy photo printer so now I can print some of my own photos. Its a pretty neat little gadget and really simple to use.....(and it was on sale!!!) I am quite pleased with this little camera. The only drawback for me is the bulk of the camera. Sometimes I wish it was a little more compact and easier to slip in and out of a cargo pocket. Other than that its perfect for what I want it for and takes pretty good pix. Now to see if the old budget will let me get that converter and lens. Gail....thanks so much for the heads up on the eBay items....in fact I'm heading there now to check out some things. Bob....your crow is beautiful....especially navigating to the suet log. I love crows....we have 5 that sorta "hang out" here in the neighborhood, you know, just terrorizing the Coopers and the Red-tails....what a treat when their around. Thanks to you both....... ~Kathy~

They are awesome!!!!! You can buy boxes with them already mounted. Ive had mine 5 years and still working like a charm! The only thing you cant do with it is MAKE somebody nest in it! Mine was empty last year :(

Thanks dadoes, My husband just called from where my son is filming and said that they finally got it uploaded. They had to borrow someone else's camera, and then they were able to upload the film to the computer for editing. Yes, I meant a cassette, and yes, the camera and computers have a firewire connection. We still don't know why the big camera wouldn't let the upload happen......but I think you might be right about needing some software. Unfortunately, his T-Com instructor had never used this model, and probably didn't even know you needed the software. As a last resort, they borrowed someone else's little home camera, and it allowed them to upload it to the computer.......so all is well. Crisis averted! Although my son will be up all night editing.........but that's better than not being able to do it. Now on to the next crisis. ;) Thanks for your help.

Thanks for the thoughts on the camera. We have decided to get our daughter the new Canon SD 630. With hubbies employee discounts we where able to purchase the camera on line at Crutchfield for $219.99, which includes free shipping, a free case and a free memory card. We agree that canon is a far better camera than the casio and the canon was not that much more than the casio. Cheapest on that one was $169. info specs on camera are as follows: Details: » 6-megapixel effective recording » 3" color LCD viewscreen » 3X optical/4X digital/12X total zoom » Touch Control Dial for convenient camera operation » DIGIC II image processor for true-to-life color reproduction and fast response » 35mm equivalent focal length: 35-105mm » top JPEG resolution: 2816 x 2112 » 16:9 widescreen photo mode (2816 x 1584) » Fast Frame Rate movie mode offers up to 60-frame-per-second video with sound » macro focus mode (minimum distance 1.2") » 9-point autofocus (with selectable 1-point autofocus mode) » My Colors in-camera custom color settings » 9 scene modes, including Fireworks, Kids & Pets, Snow, and Indoor » sensitivity (film speed equivalent) settings » extended ISO sensitivity range for low-light shooting without flash » built-in flash » PictBridge-compatible for direct photo printing » lighted Print/Share button » Exif 2.2-compliant » high-speed USB interface » NTSC/PAL mono audio/video output » 3-11/16"W x 2-5/16"H x 15/16"D » weight: 5.1 oz. without battery and media » warranty: 1 year » Want more peace of mind? Extended Service Plans Available Supplied Accessories: » 16MB SD memory card (holds about 4 photos at the highest picture quality setting) » rechargeable lithium ion battery (NB-4L) » AC battery charger » audio/video and USB cables » wrist strap » software CD-ROM (PC and Mac®)