"From the specification sheet, the Casio QV-2900UX sounds like a sure-fire winner: 2.1 Megapixel, 8X optical zoom, full manual controls, Microdrive support, and BestShot mode for under $500. While I appreciate all those very nice features, there are two negatives that are deal breakers for me: the lack of an optical viewfinder, and the less than stellar photo quality. Obviously if you like the feature set and are pleased with the photo quality, then you should ignore my recommendation. But if you're looking for a 'big zoom' camera, I'd pay a little more for something better."