Well, I hope my comment about not being interested in anyone's personal experience wasn't too big a turn off! Anyway, after several more hours of searching the web, I still feel the Yashica T4 Super is the best bet. Now I just have to find one somewhere! I am still willing to explore any feedback you offer!

Hi Carla, you know, patience is a virtue :) let me know when you find some... I could use it too!

I actually bought a Yashica T4 Super D (the reviews seemed very good!), but it konked out on me before I even went thru one roll of film. There's a 1 year warranty on it, so I still need to contact them about it.

Anyway, here's a link for you. Let me know how it turns out!(Hmm... for some reason they don't cover the Yashica brand at all. If I find another link, I'll post it.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Active Buyer's Guide -Point & Shoot Cameras

Oh, Lore, I hate to hear that! I thought I had it all figured out, too. *heavy sigh*

Maybe I should just close my eyes and pick one.

No really, you're on the right track! It's probably just this one that was a dud. The Carl Zeiss lens that Yashica uses is rated highly. I had one many years ago that gave the most brilliant pictures. But when I was shooting the Blue Angels, I accidently took a picture of the SUN and THAT did it in.
The only thing I'm wondering about, is, when I bought the T4 just before summer, it was offered at two different places... (QVC and aafes.com) now they no longer carry it. I Know this isn't helping, much, but in case you can't find a T4, have you seen the other Yashica? It's ergonomically designed, and in your price range.

Good luck and don't give up hope! Your ideal camera is out there Somewhere.

Here is a link that might be useful: Yashica camera

Hi there Carla. When I saw this topic, I couldn't believe how up my alley this question was. For the last five years, I've been working in selling cameras while going to school. Our store stresses superior product knowledge and I pride myself in keeping up to date on the camera market. Basically, I'm familiar with about 90% of the non-professional cameras on the market.

Anyways, sorry for tooting my own horn there. The Yashica T4 is an excellent camera (I own one!). Lore hit the nail on the head in that it's all in the Zeiss lens. The T4 Super Date should run you around $200, about half of it's value being in the lens. The only other P/S camera that might come close to it is the Olympus Stylus Epic (make sure it's the one with NO zoom, and an f/2.8 lens). We did a side by side comparison of the two when the Olympus first came out and we couldn't really tell the difference. You may also want to consider upping your price range to get yourself an SLR camera. While spending more money doesn't GUARANTEE you better pictures, SLRs do tend to do a better job than P/S's.

Lastly, Consumer Reports is probably one of the worst places to do research on cameras (though they did rate the T4 #1 for like 4 years straight). The problem is that they rate a small sampling of the cameras on the market and definately miss out on many models, both good and bad. Second, they rate cameras every 2-3 years, while in those off years, just reprint an old report with the updated models and just assuming that the new models are EXACTLY like the old ones. Good places to look are in photo magazines, though they don't "rate" as much as they just list them all and describe them. You kinda have to dig to find the actual tests they do. I'll try to dig up some URLs for you. I hope that helped for now... :)

Thank you, Ken, that helped so much! Could you explain to me why fixed lenses are better than zoom? Does it really make that much difference? I have used a Canon Sureshot Zoom S for years and thought it was doing a good job, but lately the shutter has been sticking and truthfully I am just ready for a new camera! About the SLR's, won't I have to take a class or something to learn how to use one? I am so intimidated by SLR cameras! And size and convenience is a big concern for me. Thanks, everybody! Keep that input coming!

Well, the idea behind fixed focal length cameras being better than zoom cameras is that zoom lenses have more elements that make up the lens. The camera moves these elements back and forth to give you the zooming effect. The thing is, the more layers of glass the light is going through before it reaches your film, the more chances that it could be affected in a negative way (no pun intended :). I'm not saying that they can't make good quality zoom lenses. It's just that your lens is as good as your lowest quality element. As for whether it makes a difference or not, probably some but not a huge difference. To tell you the truth, I would have to say that the #1 thing that makes the difference in your pictures is how steady you hold your camera. I know it sounds like "duh! no sh*t, sherlock" but most people don't do a good job of holding it still when they think they are. The instant gratification of digital cameras taught me that.

As for SLRs, no, you do not have to take a class. They're pretty much all automatic (as well as all manual, or some degree in between). Yeah, it helps to know what the different settings will do for you but you don't need to know that before hand to use SLRs. They're all pretty user friendly, the only drawbacks are the size and convenience.

Hi- to add to the confusion...I had a Minolta Freedom camera for years that I LOVED.

Carla, I was in the same boat several months ago, wanting to look into a new camera but was very intimidated by the many cameras to choose from. I went into the local, reputable, camera store and told the saleswoman what i was looking for (shooting my kids at sports) and she took me right to the Canon Elan II e. She explained everything, spent a lot of time with me, and I felt very comfortable with her knowledge. I would advise going to talk with a reputable dealer and getting hands on with the camera before you buy it. The Canon Elan II e is an SLR and gives you the freedom of manual and automatic settings. Needless to say, I love it... Good luck! :-)

Just a little advice, in my experience, if you are planning to use your camera for pictures of people and not so much places, the further the flash is from the lens the less red eye. I hate red eye and had a difficult time finding a camera that didn't give me as much.

Can you believe there isn't a camera shop in this little one-horse town?? I am going to have to drive to Memphis to find one.

Susi-I have the Elan II E also. It is a magnificent camera. Needless to say, I LOVE MINE TOO!!!!Have you tried Kodac Max 400 film in it yet? This has turned into being my favorite film.

Pam, I, too, like the Kodak Max 400 speed film. Since I just recently bought the Elan II e I am still experimenting with it and how to use it. Have you calibrated your eye yet? Isn't that cool?!?! :-)

Yes! I have one with MY eye and one with glasses on. Have you used the al servo focus yet? THAT is cool. I find with action shots I'd rather turn off the eye controlled focus and let the camera do the work. I also added the 28mm-135mm lens with image stabilizer. AND the 380EX flash. I'm a picture taking maniac with this set-up! Suzi, you will notice the more you use your Elan the better it gets.