Amazon Customer
First, I’m not a professional photographer and can’t justify spending thousands of dollars on a camera. Over a six month period I created a spreadsheet with specifications on almost 60 different cameras. I knew that Nikon was expected to release their P1000 camera and I was waiting for that. But at almost $1000 I had a hard time justifying it. So, I decided on the Minolta MN35Z. This replaces my Canon SX20IS that was released in 2009. I just got back from a Mediterranean Cruise including visits to the Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s Basilica. I took almost 1000 pictures. It is easy to get good pictures with almost any camera when outdoors and with good light. But when indoors like the museum and Basilica it is more difficult as would be expected. The Basilica is so large that a flash will not reach far enough. But, I did get good pictures if I was very careful holding the camera steady. With lower light the camera wants to take longer exposures so any movement will make a blurry picture. I have a tripod but in a crowded room and with so many pictures it just was not practical carrying it around. That would definitely help. This is a lightweight camera and the menu system is easy to use. At $195 it is a good camera. Yes, I would like the features on the Nikon P1000 and I still may get it one day, but this was a good selection to carry around on vacation with a lot of walking. If you are looking under $500 you need to take a close look at this one. Take a couple hundred pictures before anything important experimenting with manual and automatic settings. Experiment with various exposure times and the many scene options.