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Hello again
thanks to those of you who responded, I have been recommended a Olympus SP-560UZ as it has a ISO of 6400, this is very good apparently, but I am a little unsure on what and ISO is. Has anyone used this camera, or can anyone explain what a ISO is exactly and whether is effects the quality at all.
Thanks!

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ISO is a variable number that you can set on your camera and it refers to a camera's sensitivity to light. Generally, the higher the ISO number the more sensitive your camera is to light. This allows you to use a higher shutter speed and in turn lessen the chance of blur due to camera movement.

While this is good, not all cameras handle high ISO/low light equally. The penalty you pay for higher iso's (like above ISO 400-640) is increased noise in your photograph. In digital cameras, noise can be exhibited as a graininess similar to "snow" on poor tv reception, or in extreme cases, purple splotches.

So now that I've rambled on about noise and iso more than you probably ever wanted to hear, one final suggestion. There are several websites that review camera equipment and can possibly give you and idea how the camera you are considering stacks up. I haven't used the model you are considering, but I have an older Olympus digital slr that I really loved. So check out the ratings and enjoy shooting!

__________________
Jim Pope
Visit my gallery at www.borrowedlight.net

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I can't vouch for this camera but I have a five year old Olympus 5050Z (point and shoot) that does very well in poorly lit areas and also handles bright windows well too.

Sheila.

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