SD450 vs. F10 digicams - LCD fragility

I'm planning to get a digicam for my wife as a gift. I had planned

for a long time to get her a Canon A610, but we happened to be in a

store together and I casually showed her a couple cameras ... the

A610 was "too bulky," she would like something smaller. So much for

my plan!

 

One of the things I liked about the A610 was the flip-around LCD,

for protection as much as any other reason. I read so many comments

about the LCDs getting broken, especially (it seems) on the Canon

SDxxx series, so I'm wondering if anyone has any feedback on the

relative fragility of the LCDs on the Canon SD450 and the Fujifilm

F10, which are two of my top choices after narrowing down the field.

Any other comments or suggestions, aside from the LCD, are welcome

as well.

Phillip,

 

I'm fairly sure that none of the Canon SDxxx cameras have a flip LCD screen, so I don't understand how they get broken. They can break, but not from a twist or a jam of the hinge, since they don't have a hinge, unless the newest SDxxx have hinges. I know the SD450 doesn't have a flip LCD.

 

But, I had the same problem with my daughter-in-law. I thought that the A610 and A620 were very nice cameras. There were many aspects that I thought were much nicer than the camera she decided on... the Canon A520. She also didn't like the size of the A610 or A620.

 

So, there you go... and you won't convince her otherwise, either. I figured, she's the one that's going to be using it, so who am I to judge what she wants.

 

But, I have an SD400 and really like it for my "stick in the pocket, just in case I see something" camera.

 

I still don't know much about the Fuji's.

 

//Chuck

Go with the F10.

 

The most of the Canon "A" series cameras have plastic bodies

while the F10 is all metal and very compact. It fits in my back

pocket opposite my wallet like a deck of cards.

 

My local Walmart has both cameras and the A620 and other

plastic bodied Canon demos have not withstood the heavy

amount of handling from Walmart customers. The little plastic

lens flap gates that are suppose to cover the lens when the

barrel zoom retracts are in pieces inside the lens barrel and

another Canon has its plastic lens barrel face completely broken

off with the lens barrel stuck in the full extended position. Both

are inoperable.

 

The F10 is still in one piece and operable.

I was sitting on a chair on a concrete patio with my family taking some shots when I got distracted and my F10 slipped out of my hands. It bounced once, flipped and bounced again... cringe! The body (and LCD) looked fine, other than a few marks on the corners of the chasis, but my main concern was the lens. Had I knocked any of the gears or elements out of alignment? A month and a half onward and everything is still coming out like the day I bought it. I feel I was lucky, and didn't drop it smack on top of the lens. Regardless, it's a sturdy little thing.

Ooops, just saw the date on the post. Which one did you go with, and how is it working for your wife?