I can't imagine another compact digital camera that can perform like this one. The macro and super macro modes are awesome. Granted, this is not a camera that can do all things for all people. But for my purposes, it is magnificent. I do a lot of wildflowers. I'm also looking forward to utilizing the far end of that ultra zoom to capture the birds at my feeder. I'm not a sports photographer, so the fps bothers me not at all. There are also other shortcomings, like no off camera flash capabilities; since I don't do weddings any more, that's not much of an issue either. I understand that the 3200 and 5000 ISO is a marketing gimmick. But an ISO of 100-400 suits me just fine. Obviously, this camera is not intended for professional work. I challenge anyone to come up with a better buy for your money.