"The C-700UZ offers a lot for the money, a big 10x optical zoom, packed full of creative controls it offers the keen amateur a lot of options. Although its list price is US$700 it's already available for around the web at US$650. This camera's biggest problem though must be its bigger but more capable brother the C-2100UZ which has now dropped to around U$750, for that you get a better 10x lens plus image stabilization and an AF assist lamp."