just playing...I love my new camera

So I bit the bullet and purchased a new camera. A NICE camera. I had so many different people tell me to just spend the money, that I wouldn't be happy otherwise. So upon several recommendations, internet research, various photography blogs etc...I finally found my new baby.
Canon powershot sx50 hs.Canon PowerShot SX50 12.1MP 50x Optical Zoom Black Digital Camera (Google Affiliate Ad)
I have taken it disc golfing and gotten amazing action shots. I have taken awesome"point and shoot dummy"pictures, and the lens and zoom on this are amazing. I have found my poor cars to be the most willing subjects for me to test out upon. They are so patient. I pull out the camera and there is a visible and audible response, like "here we go again". So here are a few shots of "my babies", Rusty and Skittles.

The detail on these are amazing.  So thank you everyone for your recommendations, comments and thoughts.  (These were taken in my bedroom with no flash, from 10 feet away and have not been edited in any way. )

I need a new Point and Shoot Camera. HELP!

OK, so as many of you know, I am planning a really cool trip to Arizona and Southern Utah. This is one of those "Once in a lifetime" deals (well twice, I did this trip as a teenager almost 25 years ago) and I don't want to miss a thing. I m kind of wanting to do a photo journal experience and blog about it.

Here's my problem. I have a REALLY REALLY REALLY just "ok" camera. (sanyo t1495)
<<------------------------- p="">
 I guess it is my fault, really, I bought it on clearance at Walmart.  It was only 79$ and is a 14mp point and shoot digital camera. Nothing special.  I thought "Hey it's 14mp and it's on clearance. This sounds like a good idea to me!"

CONS:
It takes Good pictures.  GOOD...not great. Decent. But I don't want decent. I want great.

It has 14 million "settings" I can choose from.  Water. Sunset. Sunrise. man. woman.pets.night sky. mountains.  So every time I want to take a picture of something specific, I can go all the way into my menu, choose presets and toggle one of these special functions and it will automatically set to ISO and Aperture/f stop thingamajig. Those pictures tend to turn out really nice, it is just a matter of  toggling those settings. What happens when I need to do something fast because I don't want to miss a shot, but here I am stuck trying to get my functions together? I wound up with a missed shot, or a crappy shot because I didn't pick the setting I wanted(or mis-picked)

I can only set the ISO speed manually. It wont allow me to set my own shutter speed, my own aperture etc.

And if I have it on Auto, everything turns out kind of grainy and just "blah". Unless it is a decent day outside...not too bright, not too cloudy. Then they are great. But lets be honest. Southern Utah and Arizona in the middle of July. It is going to be bright. It is going to be hot. These auto photos don't stand a chance.

PROS:
 it takes fantastic Macro function photos. I get crisp, clean gorgeous detail, which is one of the reasons I got that camera in the first place. (photographing my jewelry, flowers and other things close up)

, it is slim, easily pocketed and lightweight.

If I do use the preset settings, the photos really are nice.

it is easy to use, point and shoot and it is pretty idiot proof as far as what buttons to push and how to get into menus etc.

It has a tripod mount  and a great self timer.


WHAT TO DO??

So here's my dilemma. I am sure I will be taking close up macro photo settings of the various cacti and flora, so that camera is a plus. However I am not going to be wanting to fiddle with my speeds and presets every time I take a picture. That camera is a con.


HELP!
 I need a new POINT AND SHOOT camera that will take good pictures both normal and macro.  I need something that I wont have to fiddle with a whole heck of a lot. Something I can just point and shoot.
I am not wanting anything with a zillion lenses to tote around.  I am not wanting something that I have to have a PhD in engineering to figure out how to use. I want a camera that is lightweight and not too bulky.
Something that I can take photos of the night sky while in the desert, yet the next day be taking photos of waterfalls, animals, kids, hoodoos and more.

AND most importantly, it needs to be affordable. My budget is NOT very flexible these days.

I would like something with a minimum 10mp.

So any point and shoot recommendations would be greatly appreciated.  And please no foreign language spam to some questionable website with knockoffs of purses, shoes, tablets etc.

THANKS IN ADVANCE!

My Latest Find at Bob Evans

have really been loving my new camera. it is a Kodak Easy Share Z1275. The 12megapix make it a more "serious camera" without the "serious pricetag". It is priced under $200. Very affordable.

I have been toting it around with me wherever I go, snapping random pictures. With spring making an entrace here down south, the flowers and trees are blooming. So most of my pictures are outdoors and nature. I have really been trying to learn about the different functions. I have been using the Macro function and playing around with shutter speeds.

ANYHOOOOO....


Every Other Saturday morning we take the kids to Bob Evans for Breakfast. They love the pancakes there, and it is a fun family time for us.

After we were done eating, we stepped outside. Finn decided he had to go to the bathroom, so my husband took him. Peter and I waited outside and kind of wandered around. At the side of the building was a Tulip Tree. (Also known as a Saucer Magnolia or Japanese Magnolia)

It was really beautiful. I pulled out my trusty camera and took a few pictures. I was surprised at how well they turned out. I turned on the macro function and reduced the shutter speed.

I had to do very little to it in photoshop. I am thinking about uploading to to a stock photography site and see if anyone would purchase it. Maybe print some off and make them into a card. I dont know. I really love these pictures. And I really LOVE my camera.

I find that by practicing out in the real world with real, live and uncontrollable objects, my pictures in a controlled setting with a lightbox are turning out much better. I find that the more I practice and learn and use, the better photographer I become, which in turn can really help my business.( Especially on Juried Entry Craft Shows.)

So my(amateur) advice to burgeoning etsy artists..get to know your camera. Take it out into the real world. Play with the settings. Find out what you can about the different functions. Read through the owners manual. DEFINITELY learn to use the macro function. Not only will your everyday pictures surprise you, but you will carry what you have learned into your business as well.

Good luck and happy shooting!