Canon Powershot 12.1 camera

[Bowhunter]

I was considering buying my son a Canon Powershot camera for Christmas. He is a novice at taking pics and was wanting something where he could take a little video as well as still shots. Is this a good camera for the money?

[Pardes]

I was considering buying my son a Canon Powershot camera for Christmas. He is a novice at taking pics and was wanting something where he could take a little video as well as still shots. Is this a good camera for the money?

I would strongly suggest the SX20 since it's easy to take good photos immediately yet there are enough features to challenge him as he gains experience. It's lightweight, very portable and might make a young man feel more serious with something that looks like a small dslr and not like a girlie :) point and shoot. And of course the video is great so he could experiment with a lot of things without such a hard learning curve as with a high end dslr.

[RadAL]

I recommend the A650IS... even though its a bit old, they are still retaining their value, for good reason... i recently just got a 2nd one... for 300 shipped free from ebay... with all the stuff in it. But i'm sure you can get/find one under 400.

[Graphyfotoz]

I 2nd the SX20!
He will love it's fool proof features and it does wonderful video.