Which Digital Camera?

[BryanB]

My current digital camera and camcorder both broke in the same week!!!  They almost cost as much to repair as to replace.  I need one that is good for the family pictures, but also can pack in the woods and zoom in on the animals.  I also loved my Macro setting for really close shots.  Any ideas?  I would also like to spend less than $500.  Oh yea, if I could still use my curent SD memory cards that would be great.
Bryan

[Falk]

I am really happy with my Olympus C-740 Ultra Zoom - since 3 or 4 years now! I payed 350.-Euros ($420.-) then. Should be really cheap as second hand now.

Only 3.2 Megapixle BUT:
10 times OPTICAL zoom and a very good marco. Shoortest distance about one inch! All features CAN be set manually if one prefers to do so. Important if you want to take a pic through some brush - when the AF will go crazy.  You'll know that. It's easy to handle and was able to survive two trips to South Africa. Videos can be taken until memory is filled up.

Negatives:
-----------
XD-cards, which are expensive
model C-740 is without micro = no sound on videos (C-730 has one)
NO thread for any filter lenses

[jeff w]

check a couple digital photography websites--fred miranda.com  or digital photography review.com---plenty on info/comparisons given.