SD990 vs sx 200 Which would u choose?

[loychristmas]

I need to buy a small compact camera to take with me to Italy. What one would u reccomend?

[Jon]

I'd go with the SX200, I think. It has a noticeably wider field of view at the wide end and while the greater telephoto reach may not seem important for that particular use it will be handy. It also offers HD video (720 lines) if you like. The extra couple of MP of the SD990 aren't all that big a deal although all else being equal, I'd prefer to have the optical finder it has rather than be forced to rely on the LCD of the SX200 for composition. LCD displays are notoriously hard to see in bright sunlight.

[prcrstn8]

I'll join Jon in not recommending either one except to point out the obvious - the 990 is considerably smaller, will actually fit in a shirt pocket. The 200 will not.

[hnikesch]

I have the 990 and use the optical finder. The camera has the same sensor as the G10 and the images (with good lighting) are as good as my Pentax SLR it also has a fast f2.8 lens vs. the f3.4 on the 200. The sensor size, lens speed and body size are why I chose the 990 but they also limit the zoom range on the camera.

[loychristmas]

Hmmmm, I am going to use this after Italy as well so i dont want to base it just on that. Is $332 a good price for the sd990 with an 8gb memory card and screen protector?

[Jon]

Seriously, in Italy, you'll want the wider angle of the SX200. And aside from the optical finder, the SD990 doesn't offer anything the SX200 doesn't. It's bigger, but it's better for what you need. And you're going to find even the SX200 isn't always wide enough.