Great little camera with 10X Zoom

Author's Rating:

Pros: 10X zoom, image stabilization, face detection, movie mode, 8 Mp, big LCD, clear buttons.

Cons: no viewfinder, no neckstrap

The Bottom Line: 
I love the camera because of the 10X zoom with image stabilization, 8 Mpixels and ease of use.

Author's Review
I did several months worth of reading online before purchasing the Canon PowerShot SX100 IS. I actually purchased it after first trying the Canon S3IS, which I found to be too bulky for my needs.
I have now owned the SX100 for about 4 months, and love it. I have taken it on two trips, used it at the zoo, a wedding and several sporting events. As a novice photographer, I truly am amazed at the shots I've gotten. I attribute it to 4 main features. The 10X zoom, the face detection, image stabilization, and the 8 Megapixels. I was able to zoom way in at both the wedding and at the zoo that have blown people away. The face detection worked even on the zoo animals, for fantastic focus and the image stabilization kept the long zooms from coming out all fuzzy. I am so impressed with what I can end up with even after cropping my images. The can still be printed and look fantastic and sharp.
The camera also has a movie feature, which I have used as well. The sound is better than I expected, and downloading them is easy too. The program that comes with the camera for downloading and editing is great and easy to install and use. I didn't even need my son to help me! I did buy a SDHC (6) card , that's a high capacity card which hold lots of photos, movies and makes the camera cycle to the next shot faster. I am happy about that because before I got the HC card it seemed to take a few seconds longer than I was comfortable with to prepare for the next shot if I used the flash.
The manual is fairly easy to understand, for an electronics manual that is! I am happy with the layout of the dials, and ease of use. I had read alot about that, and think it's one of the best for that. There is more information than I use available on the LCD screen, but I am sure it is very valuable for more experienced photographers. The info isn't confusing or in the way, so thats not a problem.
My complaints are few. I wish it had a viewfinder, despite the nice LCD screen. I like looking through a viewfinder, especially in strong sunlight. I must say though, my previous camera was an Olympus, and this screen is SO MUCH BETTER. The other item I wish it had is an neck strap. It has a wrist strap, but I much prefer the security and ease of a neckstrap.