Olympus Camedia C-5050 Zoom Digital Camera

There is no other camera I am aware of under $1200 that comes close to these features. I needed the studio flash connection, manual controls, and the super-macro; the rest is gravy. The learning curve is steep, perhaps impractical without printing out the full manual included on CD only. It has a Chevy lens and Lamborgini controls--it does everything but get up and walk. All zoom lenses compromise the extremes of focal length to some degree, and the best performance is in the middle; this one works well. I looked at the usual suspects, F717, 7i, and Coolpix 5700, none matched the economy (higher ticket prices, memory sticks, and exotic batteries). Any of the four cameras will provide excellent performance under most conditions; I made my decision based on the plush feature set of the C-5050.