Hi all new here.
I am looking for something for basic family use... taking pics of the kids, during school plays, at the park etc..... the camera would RARELY in an ideal world leave the auto mode.. although I want to learn more being a busy mommy takes up most of my time ad patience.
Here is what I would like in a camera...

* Budget - $250-$300
* Good clear pictures - wont' be printing larger than 5x7 maybe occasional 8x10 but I want to occasionally crop the photos
* Easy to use in variety of settings inside and out - mostly will be in auto mode - although the option to control some stuff may lead me to learn more about photography which I have been wanting to do
* Good Zoom - 10x at least - can't always be in the front at school plays etc when I have other little ones that require a quick exit...
* Wide angle
* Small size - so I can put in purse or diaper bag and not add a lot of weight
* Movie mode is a nice bonus but doesn't need to be HD as I don't even own an HD TV - Zooming in movie mode is a real bonus - so it can double as a video cam

So here is how I see it

* Fuji F70 ($250) - I like it because of the size and the EXR functions seem attractive and it seems to be getting good reviews. The screen is not as clear as the some others.. but my bigger concern is the pic quality rather than the screen quality.. I can live with not a great screen if the pictures are good. Also no HD mode again not a big deal. This is the one that henry's recommended, but they had it on special so that might be why...
* Canon SX200 ($330) - 12x zoom instead of 10x, Also has HD video - not sure if it zooms while doing video - some reviews say it does and some don't. There is an annoying flash that pops up even when you don't use it and can't be put back down as long as camera is on. A little more than I want to spend but if it is heads and shoulders above the others I am willing to spend a little more.
ok guys give your thoughts... unfortunately when I went to look at cameras there was no store that had both with batteries able to turn on. It was always one or the other had dead battery.