Unlike some other cameras that only have an LCD viewfinder, the Canon A60 has an optical viewfinder. This is essential because the LCD on a camera drains batteries very rapidly. By using the optical viewfinder to compose shots, battery life will be many times longer.

I required a minimum of 1024 x 768 resolution (1 megapixel). This is the most common resolution used by my website visitors. The actual images on the website are about 300 x 400 to minimize bandwidth. However, if the shot is taken at a higher resolution, the clarity of the image is better and the image can be cropped to fit in web pages and to fix off-center compositions. The Canon A60 has two megapixel resolution, or 1600 x 1200, which was sufficient for this purpose. I chose the Canon A60 model over the A70 model because the A70's sole benefit of a 2048 x 1536 maximum resolution was not worth the nearly $100 extra cost.

I did not need any higher resolution, as I do not do high-end photography and I rarely print out images. If I do print out images, the 1600 x 1200 pixel resolution results in a 5 1/3" by 4" print size at the common printer resolution of 300 dots per inch (dpi). This is quite sufficient for the occasional printout, and yields a print size which compares to a normal film camera. The three to five megapixel cameras would generate images that I would have to resize downward for the web, and would result in poster-size print sizes that I would never use.

I wanted to stay between $200-$400 for my camera, because at this price, I avoid paying for cutting edge electronics whose value depreciates, but I still get high quality optical components that have enduring value. I know that this price range limits me to consumer grade cameras, but since I am an amatuer, this does not bother me. Finally, if the camera is lost or stolen, I can rest easy knowing I have not lost a fortune.