And you being able to spout your racist hatred should also be illegal.

There are Islamic states all over the map. What is wrong with a Jewish state? Do you want to repeal the Vatican?

Larry, I'm sure you were in the military. How does it feel to be on sentry duty, totally isolated, with the enemy surrounding you?

You have that option even if the digital zoom is set, because you can see in the viewfinder when you are at the limit of the optical zoom. Digital zoom on this camera so far has very little noise.

There is a mode that shuts it down in 2, 5, or 30 minutes. It is called "Power save start time" and is at the bottom of #2 in the Setup menu. I suggest going through all of the menu areas and playing with it. There is so much to learn.

This is addressed to Silver. First, that is one of the names of my family. Second, although I am NY born and raised, I bristle when someone says that Repubs are conservative right wing bible thumpers. That is the kind of blatant hate and racism that you are supposed to reject! You are no longer thinking, but you are knee jerk reacting to criticism, because you do not have much of a leg to stand on. I was a Dem, until living in the Chicago area showed me the ways of the Dem organization. Now I'm a Repub living in AZ. If you ever have the opportunity to be responsible for making a payroll, keeping people employed, etc. you will understand Repubs. Also, gov't is great, as long as it keeps to it's intended responsibility, and leaves me alone!!

In the Custom Settings part of the Menu, look for zoom setting (which is the top of #3) Your choice is Optical Zoom, Clear Image Zoom (2x) or Digital Zoom. Choosing Digital Zoom gives you the most control as you can see where you are in the viewfinder.

Well you answered my reply in that a viewfinder does not help you. Therefore, the Nikon you mentioned is a very good point and shoot camera. The pictures I took with my 120 were all sharp using the auto settings.

I had a Nikon L120, which is the older version of the 820. One factor that you should think about (re:your impairment) is if you have one eye better than the other and would be better using a viewfinder. This level of camera does not have that.

After reading the above comments, you can see the real travesty that Obama has brought us. It is his divide and conquer strategy that turns Americans of all stripes against each other. That is the disease we have to rid ourselves of next election. We need a leader, who loves America, and represents all of us. It is possible, after all the Russians have found their man!

In 2002 or so I bought a Sony F-717 digital camera. After several years of on and off use, it suddenly died. I found a repair shop in town and they took the camera in for diagnostics of about $75.00. They contacted Sony and Sony paid for the repair based upon a recall several years old. My cost was only the $75. I was grateful that it was covered, and remained loyal to Sony products. But the original post has a different experience, and that is valid also. Therefore the poster should weigh the pros and cons and decide for themselves whether to trust Sony again. But there is a difference between product performance, and customer service, between repair shops, and Philippine based telephone reps. Sort out the situation prior to calling for a boycott!!

I bought the RX-10 and I am taking it on vacation in two weeks. I am not a pro, but have shot over the years for business, and advertising purposes. I am more of an artist, and that is why I shoot. I get my painting ideas from my photography. This camera has every bell and whistle that a DSLR has, and actually more. Since the lens is "fixed", it is called a "bridge" or a "point and shoot" camera. But the weather proofing, and not needing to change lenses will be great when I am on safari, etc. Also this camera can digitally crop far beyond the 200MM range. I don't believe that a DSLR will allow that, so you have to have the lens equivalent. Most other "Bridge" cameras have the digital zoom, but this camera has a bigger sensor and better lens pairing. That combination gives image quality that is amazing. I have had Nikon film and digital cameras, but I like the images I get from Sony!!

Many of the shots that are done in the Synagogue are done prior to the service. Some should include the family standing before the Ark where the Torahs are stored. The Rabbi usually has to open the Ark, but that should not be a problem if you speak with him first. Otherwise, most of the above comments are accurate. There is no reason for any specific religious affiliation of professional photographers!!

I was in St Pete last summer. The only place I remember that you could not photograph was the "Amber Room" in Catherine's Palace. The rest of the palace I was better served with wide angle shots. On the other extreme, at the summer palace I did use my zoom to observe the distance from the sea to the palace along the canals and fountains. Since I was with a private Russian Guide, i was not subject to worrying about the crowds.

I recently purchased the new Sony RX-10. This is a "bridge" camera that is every bit as sophisticated as a DSLR, except that it has a non-removable lens. The lens is large, and allows a lot of light to come in through the entire zoom range (f2.8). This allows the camera to take great low light photos. It has so many bells and whistles that I am still learning, and will be for quite awhile. I can honestly tell you that I was willing to spend a lot, for the camera I wanted, and this fit the bill, including being weather sealed.