Here were my main areas of concern while I was trying to decide on whether to buy this camera (they'll probably sound familiar) and how my actual experience stacked up against my concerns:

1. "Low" resolution of 2 Megapixels:

Unless you plan to blow your shots up to poster-size, 2MP is ideal. Don't get caught up in the "my MP is bigger than yours" race, as another reviewer said 2MP is the sweet spot for photos. Just leave the camera at its max settings and it's perfect, the file size is reasonable yet you'll still get every amazing detail. For example, I took a shot of my cat and you can see every hair and every whisker, even a little bit of "sleepy stuff" in the corner of her eye since she had just woken up from her nap. And this was just the third shot I took after removing it from the box. Yes, it's that good.

2. "Not enough zoom":

I'll admit, this was a huge issue for me. I was bound and determined that i wanted a camera with a higher zoom capability, like one of the Olympus 10x models. But actually having gotten a chance to use it, i've found the zoom capability, while nice, isn't the holy grail I thought it would be. Certainly not enough to spend a couple hundred dollars more to get.

3. Size -

The photos make the camera look tiny. I thought it might be better to get a bigger camera with big Tonka-toy buttons and that it would be easier to handle. Don't worry, the camera feels great in my hands, and i'm over six feet with big stubby fingers. I'm sure it will fit your hands just fine as well.

4. Other competing models in the Canon line:

This was another problem area. The A-series and G-series cameras all seem so good, that i wanted badly to get one of the more fully-featured (and expensive) models like the A80 or G5 to make sure i wasn't missing out on anything. And looking back now, most of the features I thought would make a huge difference don't seem to matter now. What seems important to you now when you're trying to make a buying decision probably won't be when you're actually out there using the camera. Out in the field, you'll want something which is relatively straight-forward and not tediously complex, but flexible enough to change a setting if absolutely necessary. This camera offers exactly that.

Trust me, when you're out in a picture taking environment, you're not going to be telling yourself (or wanting to tell your photo subjects), "hold on for a couple minutes while I put on the wide-angle lens."

5. Controls and the learning curve:

For a novice, the controls look a bit intimidating. And they can be, if you don't read the manual at all or spend any time going through the settings. But thankfully, the camera controls are well set-up, intuitive, and easy to learn. Yes, you can start shooting straight out of the box, but if you spend as little as 15-30 minutes reading how to operate the controls before you begin, it'll be well-worth your time. That won't be enough to learn everything the camera can do, but is enough to get you started on the right foot, and will put you weeks or months ahead of the game. I spent about 20 minutes learning about my camera after I got it, and my first pictures already looked better than the ones my father takes with his Canon G5 that he's owned nearly a year but never bothered to read the manual for.

THE BAD:

Shutter lag is perhaps my biggest gripe. Depressing the shutter fire button half-way focuses the camera, then depressing it the rest of the way fires the shutter. There's a brief but noticeable lag between depressing the button and the photo being taken, perhaps a half-second or so. Not a huge issue, but sometimes annoying, and can definitely get frustrating if you're trying to get just the right shot of a non-cooperative subject. Like with my cat, I'd wait for the exact moment when she was looking at me, I'd press the button, and the lag meant that she was no longer looking at the camera when the photo actually gets captured. I'm sure it would be more of the same if you were trying to take photos of an infant or child. Not a deal-breaker, but it can make for some frustration.

Inserting batteries in the dark can be a pain, unless you have memorized the pattern for which batteries go in which direction. Again, not a huge issue, but can be frustrating.

CONCLUSION:

If you're trying to decide between the A60 and either another manufacturer's offering or another Canon A-series, get this camera. This is a better camera than the competing Nikon, etc. and if you're thinking you'll need the additional features or MP of a more expensive model, you likely won't. If you did, you'd know that already and wouldn't be looking at this camera. So save your money and get this instead, it will MORE than meet and surpass your needs. You'll be very happy you did. I already have my Dad thinking she should switch cameras with me, and considering his costs about triple what mine did, that tells you that this little gem is a winner.

Along with the camera, the box includes an industry standard puny 16MB Compact Flash card, that should be immediately replaced, and four alkaline batteries. The battery life is very good; the camera can operate for several days of heavy use without replacement. Nonetheless, I recommend Ni-MH Rechargeable batteries, which provide an even longer life. The included `Zoom Browser EX' software very easy to use and incorporates some fairly powerful features.

If you don't want to spend much money and want an easy to use digital camera with great image quality, look no further than the Canon PowerShot A60. However, if you want a camera that can take larger photos and has more powerful features try the Canon S45, S50, or the Canon G3. If you want a smaller camera you might want to consider the Canon S400 or the S200.

I bought 8 NIMH-rechargeable batteries plus charger as well as an AC-adapter. ( I shouldn't have bought the AC-adapter; the rechargeable long-life NIMH batteries are sufficient.) I also bought a Simpletech 128MB CF card since the CF card that came with the camera was good only for a handful of shots. The 128MB-CF card will go a long way since I've started taking 1-megapixel pictures. [ 1MP pictures are easier to send via email] I've also used the picture "editor" software for cropping and to reduce red-eye; learning how to do these things was easy.

I am extremely pleased and I highly recommend the Canon A60. Picture-quality is superb; the menu system is straightforward and user-friendly. The more-commonly used options are easy to remember and use and result in high-quality pictures. Moreover, there is more to the camera (macro-photography, movies, "stitching" for panoramic shots) to challenge one's creative photography cravings. [ But do remember: it is necessary and most useful to read the well-written manual. ]