Looking for digital camera- I know pretty much next to nothing about them

[hrlslcbr]

I just look at the A610 and and S2IS today, and came to the same conclusion. The Fuji 5200 is better than both of these canon. I will ended up paying extra for xD, but save on camera, and end up with a better camera.

Keep in mind that the fuji has a 'slower' lens (a smaller aperture, so you need to use a slower shutter speed) than those 2 canon cameras, and that the S2 IS has image stabilization.

[jagabo]

A minor detail -- the Canon S2 IS lens cap falls off easily.

Fry's had the Panasonic FZ4 (last years model, 12x zoom, 4MP) on sale for US$200 last weekend. We picked one up just for the zoom!

[hrlslcbr]

A minor detail -- the Canon S2 IS lens cap falls off easily.

Fry's had the Panasonic FZ4 (last years model, 12x zoom, 4MP) on sale for US$200 last weekend. We picked one up just for the zoom!

Last year I was thinking of getting either the FZ4 or the A610 I have now, and sometimes I wish I had that 12x zoom and image stabilisation...

CaZeek: What will be the main uses of the camera (indoors, a lot of macro, etc)?

[lordsmurf]

Lordsmurf's comment is typical to people with small real life exposure to digital photography (unless we talk about really El-cheapo cameras)..

I've been working seriously with cameras for more than a decade, with professional photo credits that include the Associated Press. I'm fully skilled in color, slide and B&W 35mm, as well as digital. I was using digital cameras back when Kodak was the only maker, and you measured by raw pixels because nothing even came close to 1MP. I've been using Adobe Photoshop since v3 was new. My current camera is a Nikon D1 (that I would like to replace with a Nikon D2H when I can budget it in), using Nikkor AF-S lenses like the 80-200 f/2.8, 17-35 f/2.8 and a 35-80 f/2.8. Also have a Nikon F5 for film. Have a number of other lenses and bodies, even some P&S cameras, but they're not worth mentioning.

Small real life experience? Hardly.

Again, a good camera is not determined by MP. That is one factor, but as long as you pass a threshold of 3MP minimum, you should be fine. If you plan to print many large images, 8x10 or maybe even full-page tabloid, you may want to get 4-6MP to insure finer detailing. Of course, consumer inkjet printers will probably lose most of that detail anyway, even a 600-1200dpi ink printer is incapable of retaining the full detail. You would do better to test them for noise ratio (especially in varied lighting situations), as well as optics, zoom, and features. Smaller things like battery type are also a good secondary factor to think about. One feature I find extremely valuable is the ability to manually set your white balance, though I don't know how often that exists on P&S cameras.

At the end of the day, camera is only half the battle. It takes a good photographer to actually get the picture. The camera is only the tool, so make sure you have one that meets all your needs, and can perform to your abilities in the field. The worst feeling in the photo world is missing a shot because your camera is holding you back.

[gadgetguy]

My $.02.
Assuming a good make of camera...
Higher MP allows you to crop and enlarge, which can be a real benefit for the amateur with a P&S camera.

[InXess]

Lordsmurf's comment is typical to people with small real life exposure to digital photography (unless we talk about really El-cheapo cameras)..

I've been working seriously with cameras for more than a decade, with professional photo credits that include the Associated Press.

That is what made me wonder. I don't know a photographer that wants to shoot with less. I know that you can take a good picture with a disposable camera but never seen anyone using them consistently.

I didn't intend to question either your knowledge or exposure to digital photography but rather to shake a tree after reading your comment which in my opinion was quite detached from reality, more so in your case. As you know cameras are quite important to photographers ... and who shoots with less MP nowadays?

[lordsmurf]

Not everybody can afford to spend $5000 each time a "new and improved" body comes out. The only camera that can outperform my D1 would be the D2H, in the Nikon line. Canon only has 1-2 as well, but of course I'm far too invested into Nikkor lenses to change. But pro lines and consumer lines are not the same, so let's not sidetrack this thread too much.

A 2.75MP Nikon D1 dSLR will have zero problems outperforming a 8MP consumer P&S. It's just no contest, more MP or not. The pro camera may not have quite as many finite pixels, but the D1 image quality is going to be, hand down, much better than the P&S. The P&S will not have any of the control, features or optics of the dSLR.

Among P&S cameras, MP is just not that big a deal.

This is not much different than capture resolution with home videos. That 720x480 is not going to be any better than 352x480 if you're only working with consumer VHS materials to start with.

Your P&S is pretty much inferior in every way possible. A few extra MPs tossed onto the CCD or CMOS is not going to make a big difference. This is why MP has largely become a marketing gimmick the past few years. Add hidden "interpolation" MP res, and you're about where scanners and inkjet printers are.

I have a color laser that is "only" 1200x600dpi, but it looks better than any of those so-called "high res" inkjet printers that tout 1200x1200 or better.

Numbers just don't make a product sometimes. P&S MP is one of these times.

[jagabo]

Remember that total pixels increase with the square of the resolution. To get twice the resolution of a 3 MP camera requires a 12 MP camera (with better optics too). The real resolution difference between a 4 MP camera and a 6 MP camera isn't that much -- only about 20 percent.

Once you get beyond 3 or 4 MP I find that more zoom is perferable to more megapixels. 12x zoom can resolve 4 times the detail of a 3x zoom. That's like having 16 times the MP (only when you zoom in obviously).

[Seeker47]

If you're talking still camera this site has in-depth reviews:

http://www.dpreview.com

Quite right. This is one of the best sites devoted to digital cameras I've seen to date. In depth reviews that are knowledgeable and seem to be untainted by commercialism; forums that range from novice to those who take their photography very seriously.

[JSB1]

Not sure if these deals are dead yet... I can't access their forum at work (THE MAN keeping me down).

Canon S2 IS 5MP Digital Camera $304 Shipped (+tax)

http://www.slickdeals.net/#p7153

Dell Home has a Canon S2 IS camera for $399 less 15% coupon 167W91$MR5FHFT (3000 uses) less $35 coupon from eBay for $304. Shipping is free.Cheapest on Pricegrabber is $350. Thanks mcgrady

Other cameras which this coupon applies to (prices after 15% and $35 coupon where applicable):

Canon A520 $170
Canon A610 $211
Canon A620 $297
Canon SD30 $304
Canon SD450 $254
Canon SD500 $304
Canon SD550 $304
Canon S80 $389

We have the Canon S1 IS here at work I I LOVE it! 10x optical zoom with IS rocks!

JSB

[Paul_G]

Depends on what you want from a digital camera.

I just wanted something small and cheap, ended up with a £50 medion digital camera. The pictures it takes are fantastic and shows you dont have to spend silly amounts on a camera for every day home use.

[edDV]

For P&S size, the Canon S60 and S70 offer top photophile performance and would fall in the middle of that price range. Tradeoff is a bit of bulk.

The tradeoff for the smaller cameras like the ELFs include:

- narrower zoom range.
- wide end of the zoom is far less wide. Not a problem if you can walk through walls
- less capable flash
- fewer buttons resulting in deep menu selections for common needs
- smaller batteries
- smaller LCD viewfinders
- sometimes elimination of optical viewfinder (needed in sunlight)


Not to say a SLR isn't nice, but a SLR usually is left at home in a fancy camera bag. The S-xx series fits in the front pants pocket, if not the shirt pocket.

My SLR is still a 35mm Nikon but it seldom gets to leave the closet.

[SingSing]

I went down to store put a sd memory into a Canon S2IS, took a few pictures, with/without flash, wide/zoom. The pcitures look okay on the LCD.

I went home and put the jpeg pictures on the PC. The 640x480 pictures look okay. Odd things is pictures without flash look okay, Pictures with flash look tinted yellow. ( This is happened with A520 too ).

The 5M pictures has the same flash/tint issue, plus most of the picture taken with zoom len extended look fuzzy when I look at the pictures at 100%.

This is not the camera for me. Even it is on sales at Dell at $329.00, tax free, and ship free.

[jagabo]

I went down to store put a sd memory into a Canon S2IS, took a few pictures, with/without flash, wide/zoom. The pcitures look okay on the LCD.

I went home and put the jpeg pictures on the PC. The 640x480 pictures look okay. Odd things is pictures without flash look okay, Pictures with flash look tinted yellow. ( This is happened with A520 too ).

Did you check the white balance setting? Someone may have set the white balance for use under the store's fluorescent lighting. This would cause pictures taken with the flash to be yellow.

The 5M pictures has the same flash/tint issue, plus most of the picture taken with zoom len extended look fuzzy when I look at the pictures at 100%.

There is usually not enough lighting indoors for 12x zoom unless you use a tripod.

[SingSing]

Does the anti-blurr, image stablisation can only handle certain situation with a superzoom ? But superzoom is mostly needed for outdoor photo !

Fuji can always figure out the right white-balance, and Sony get just a little bit too gray for me.

I set the canon S2 to auto everythings, The un-flash photo get the right picture. The Flash picture get the yellow tinted outcome. White-balance does not affect flash, becuase the camera suppose to know about ITS OWN FLASH, doh.

Should I use a white card to set white balance or one of the settings, will I get it perfect most of the time ?

I did not have to deal with these "doh"s before, most likely never have to.

[InXess]

Image stabil. is there to help with telephoto (there's a limit to what it can do). You shouldn't be using any white card to set the balance, c'mon!.
This IS a "doh". Imagine carrying a piece of paper everywhere "just in case". Looks like flash is not too powerful and usually yellow cast is a low light issue. Check it again but if both Canons have it in all likeliness it is not a "coincidence". Buy something you really like. I still think that Canon S80 is the best buy in that price group.