Help me choose a camera

[TravelingGal]

Date: 12/1/2009 12:49:04 PM
Author: thing2of2

Date: 12/1/2009 11:05:56 AM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 12/1/2009 9:50:24 AM

Author: thing2of2

Jas, I just asked and it''s a Canon G10. The photos it takes are amazing! I tried to get him to sell me his for cheap so he could get the newer version but he won''t go for it! Apparently the newer version (G11) isn''t as good as the G10. (According to reviews.) If you have any specific questions about the G10 I''ll be happy to ask him!

T2, the G series apparently was great. The S90 is in the same class of cameras...it apparently does everything the G11 does, but it''s even more compact.

Good to know-thanks TGal. I might go cheaper than the S90 and get the SD940 because my husband has a Canon Rebel DSLR. I can''t decide...I''m getting into my ''Well I''m spending $250, I might as well spend $400 to get the best one!'' thinking.

Is there any place that has a good return policy with no restocking fee? Maybe you can get both and test them out? Or get the cheaper one to start and see if you are happy with it. Unless you are going to fiddle a lot with the settings, etc, the 940 might be just fine.

If you don''t mind flash photography, you don''t need the S90. I just dislike direct flash from P&S...a lot!

 

[Allison D.]

Date: 11/30/2009 7:59:15 PM
Author: NewEnglandLady
I love the Canon Powershot S90IS. I bought one a couple of years ago for a photography class after weeks of research. It took truly amazing pictures in all lighting conditions. I was always most impressed with how it performed in low-light conditions. A few weeks after buying it I stupidly left it at Yankees Stadium and didn't hesitate to buy a second. It's not a slim as a typical P&S, but it really does take much better pictures and is easier to tote around than an SLR. I dropped my second S90IS in the water at the beach last summer and decided to get something a little cheaper since I have bad camera karma. I replaced it with a Canon Powershot A590 and regret that decision. The A590 doesn't take pictures that are nearly as good, so when this one breaks I'm going back to the S90IS. I'm not a good enough photographer to justify getting an DSLR (yet), but in my opinion the S90 is a great compromise between a cheaper P&S and an expensive DSLR.

NEL, if I recall correctly, I think you had the S5, not the S90. We both had the S5 at the same time, and the S90 wasn't released until this past August. The S90 is smaller like a traditional P&S and isn't as big as the S5 you and I had.

Date: 11/30/2009
Author: TravelingGal

Yup, but for taking pics indoors with kids, my SD doesn't cut it at ALL. I wonder if the S90 would be better since it lets more light in and has faster shutter speeds (I think?)

For the vast price difference and what I hear her saying she wants to do with it, I think the S90 might be more expensive (almost double the price of the SD1200) without gaining much at all.

What I focused on in her post is her portability requirement (if the camera was bulky, she wouldn't take it with her), so I'm presuming it's more for pictures outside on the go instead of in the house....and if that's the goal, I believe the P&S will accomplish that.

The S90 settings aren't that huge an advantage over the current SD model; there is a *slightly* lower aperture setting (2.0 instead of 2.9), and the shutter speed difference is negligible. (1/1600 vs. 1/1500). The key difference is ISO - the S90 has a significant wider ISO range (think film speed - faster film requires less light), but as you pointed out earlier, the higher the ISO, the more noise involved, which diminishes photo quality/saturation.

All that would be fine if the S90 were comparable in price to the SD1200, but it's nearly double the cost at $400. If she's going to spend that much, another hundred or two gets her into a DSLR, so I don't see the sense in getting the S90.

Tgal, I think we're actually saying the same things. P&S isn't gonna cut it as an indoor camera; that really needs to be DSLR to get decent photos. But as a take-along camera, I think the SD series would be a good blend of price and functionality for non-indoor photos.

By the way, there is a way to boost light/speed on the small P&S cameras, too......the exposure compensation settings can be your friend. It allows you to override the camera's auto settings by saying "I need more/less light" and the camera will adjust from there. I've used this on my small SD850 to shoot early morning sunrise conditions with fairly low light. Also, the "kids and pets" setting on most P&S camera will reduce a bit of the shutter lag - certainly not all, and not nearly as superior as a DSLR, but enough to get better pictures outdoors.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Date: 12/1/2009 2:48:55 PM
Author: Allison D.

Date: 11/30/2009 7:59:15 PM
Author: NewEnglandLady
I love the Canon Powershot S90IS. I bought one a couple of years ago for a photography class after weeks of research. It took truly amazing pictures in all lighting conditions. I was always most impressed with how it performed in low-light conditions. A few weeks after buying it I stupidly left it at Yankees Stadium and didn''t hesitate to buy a second. It''s not a slim as a typical P&S, but it really does take much better pictures and is easier to tote around than an SLR. I dropped my second S90IS in the water at the beach last summer and decided to get something a little cheaper since I have bad camera karma. I replaced it with a Canon Powershot A590 and regret that decision. The A590 doesn''t take pictures that are nearly as good, so when this one breaks I''m going back to the S90IS. I''m not a good enough photographer to justify getting an DSLR (yet), but in my opinion the S90 is a great compromise between a cheaper P&S and an expensive DSLR.

NEL, if I recall correctly, I think you had the S5, not the S90. We both had the S5 at the same time, and the S90 wasn''t released until this past August. The S90 is smaller like a traditional P&S and isn''t as big as the S5 you and I had.

Oh my gosh, Allison, you are absolutely right. I just had to laugh out loud at myself for posting all the wrong info. on this thread and not even realizing it. Jas, please ignore everything I''ve said about the S90 I don''t have the S5 anymore (I threw it out when I ruined it) or I probably would have realized I was posting about the wrong camera. So sorry!!!

 

[Allison D.]

Date: 12/1/2009 3:36:01 PM
Author: NewEnglandLady

Date: 12/1/2009 2:48:55 PM
Author: Allison D.


NEL, if I recall correctly, I think you had the S5, not the S90. We both had the S5 at the same time, and the S90 wasn''t released until this past August. The S90 is smaller like a traditional P&S and isn''t as big as the S5 you and I had.

Oh my gosh, Allison, you are absolutely right. I just had to laugh out loud at myself for posting all the wrong info. on this thread and not even realizing it. Jas, please ignore everything I''ve said about the S90 I don''t have the S5 anymore (I threw it out when I ruined it) or I probably would have realized I was posting about the wrong camera. So sorry!!!

Hee hee - I figured. No worries at all......it''s certainly an EASY thing to be confused by when they use model numbers that all sound alike. I had a friend asking me for months which camera he should get for his desired shooting conditions, and he went to Best Buy around SIX times. EVERY time he went, I''d get a phone call - "hey, WHICH model number was it again?"

I do have to agree that the S5 was a great camera - still tough for low light indoor shots, but anything else was great and it did have a much easier time freezing the action on the sports setting. I still have mine, but I''ve been thinking of reselling it; since I moved to the Nikon DSLR, I don''t really use it anymore and it''s a waste.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 12/1/2009 3:36:01 PM
Author: NewEnglandLady

Date: 12/1/2009 2:48:55 PM
Author: Allison D.

Date: 11/30/2009 7:59:15 PM
Author: NewEnglandLady
I love the Canon Powershot S90IS. I bought one a couple of years ago for a photography class after weeks of research. It took truly amazing pictures in all lighting conditions. I was always most impressed with how it performed in low-light conditions. A few weeks after buying it I stupidly left it at Yankees Stadium and didn''t hesitate to buy a second. It''s not a slim as a typical P&S, but it really does take much better pictures and is easier to tote around than an SLR. I dropped my second S90IS in the water at the beach last summer and decided to get something a little cheaper since I have bad camera karma. I replaced it with a Canon Powershot A590 and regret that decision. The A590 doesn''t take pictures that are nearly as good, so when this one breaks I''m going back to the S90IS. I''m not a good enough photographer to justify getting an DSLR (yet), but in my opinion the S90 is a great compromise between a cheaper P&S and an expensive DSLR.

NEL, if I recall correctly, I think you had the S5, not the S90. We both had the S5 at the same time, and the S90 wasn''t released until this past August. The S90 is smaller like a traditional P&S and isn''t as big as the S5 you and I had.

Oh my gosh, Allison, you are absolutely right. I just had to laugh out loud at myself for posting all the wrong info. on this thread and not even realizing it. Jas, please ignore everything I''ve said about the S90 I don''t have the S5 anymore (I threw it out when I ruined it) or I probably would have realized I was posting about the wrong camera. So sorry!!!

I thought this might be the case...I read the s90 just came out in summer, but hadn''t had time to go back and double check!

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 12/1/2009 2:48:55 PM
Author: Allison D.

Date: 11/30/2009
Author: TravelingGal

Yup, but for taking pics indoors with kids, my SD doesn''t cut it at ALL. I wonder if the S90 would be better since it lets more light in and has faster shutter speeds (I think?)

For the vast price difference and what I hear her saying she wants to do with it, I think the S90 might be more expensive (almost double the price of the SD1200) without gaining much at all.

What I focused on in her post is her portability requirement (if the camera was bulky, she wouldn''t take it with her), so I''m presuming it''s more for pictures outside on the go instead of in the house....and if that''s the goal, I believe the P&S will accomplish that.

The S90 settings aren''t that huge an advantage over the current SD model; there is a *slightly* lower aperture setting (2.0 instead of 2.9), and the shutter speed difference is negligible. (1/1600 vs. 1/1500). The key difference is ISO - the S90 has a significant wider ISO range (think film speed - faster film requires less light), but as you pointed out earlier, the higher the ISO, the more noise involved, which diminishes photo quality/saturation.

All that would be fine if the S90 were comparable in price to the SD1200, but it''s nearly double the cost at $400. If she''s going to spend that much, another hundred or two gets her into a DSLR, so I don''t see the sense in getting the S90.

Tgal, I think we''re actually saying the same things. P&S isn''t gonna cut it as an indoor camera; that really needs to be DSLR to get decent photos. But as a take-along camera, I think the SD series would be a good blend of price and functionality for non-indoor photos.

By the way, there is a way to boost light/speed on the small P&S cameras, too......the exposure compensation settings can be your friend. It allows you to override the camera''s auto settings by saying ''I need more/less light'' and the camera will adjust from there. I''ve used this on my small SD850 to shoot early morning sunrise conditions with fairly low light. Also, the ''kids and pets'' setting on most P&S camera will reduce a bit of the shutter lag - certainly not all, and not nearly as superior as a DSLR, but enough to get better pictures outdoors.

That is what I wonder Alj...whether she will get her money''s worth on the s90.

I''ve been playing with the exposure settings on the canon 850 and I guess I''m just spoiled by even the most basic modes of the D40.

Jas, I agree with Alj in that you have to really think about what you are taking. If most of your pics are outside the house, the DSLR isn''t going to do you any good if you don''t want to carry it.

 

[Jas12]

Tgal and Alison--thanks you guys. I have decided not to go the DSLR route this year. My dad, who only takes an occasional outdoor picture, is going to buy my sony off me for a tiny price.
I am just going to replace it with a P&S and then in a couple years, when both kiddies are running around, we''ll take some time to learn about and purchase a DSLR. Alison, i think you are right, i won''t get my money''s worth on the S90 and really, i just want something to grab and go now. i am only home when DS is sleeping so i need portability first and foremost.

Now, i am going to throw one more option out there. A friend, who is into photography mentioned that the Olympus Stylus 7010 just came out and she likes the reviews. I''ve read a few and they are goo. The price point is good (240 in canada) and the features are better than what i would expect for that price (7x optical zoom for ex.) . What does everyone think of Olympus in general?
I am off to read about it a bit more.....oy, and i thought i was set on a canon (why do i do this to myself???)

 

[Jas12]

forgot to add: I went to Future Shop today and looked at the Canon 940 and the Olympus 7010. Technical stuff aside, both are sleek and identical in price. The clerk said she''d choose the Olympus over the Canon b/c of the zoom and she thought it was a more user friendly interface. Her opinion is really not playing into the equation though, we only spoke about it for a few minutes....

 

[mrssalvo]

jas, i''ve been following along. I don''t have any advice b/c I''m hoping Santa brings me a Nikon D3000 for Christmas. I''ve have a Sony Cyber shot and it''s done a great job for us in general, but my 16 year old daughter has the Nikon d40 and her pics are so much better than mine. I always make her bring her camera if we are going on some kind of family outing. Of course, she''s a very gifted photographer so that could have something to do with it too

. anyway, it really wasn''t until recently that I became discontent with my current camera and am willing to tote around a bigger one for the better pics. But, I do love the ease of my small point and shoot. I usually keep it in the diaper bag so I''m always prepared for a kodak moment and if/when I do get the bigger camera I will probably still keep my P&S for those types of situations. Good luck, I''m sure you''ll find the right one.

 

[Allison D.]

Date: 12/1/2009 4:44:42 PM
Author: TravelingGal
That is what I wonder Alj...whether she will get her money''s worth on the s90.

I''ve been playing with the exposure settings on the canon 850 and I guess I''m just spoiled by even the most basic modes of the D40.

Jas, I agree with Alj in that you have to really think about what you are taking. If most of your pics are outside the house, the DSLR isn''t going to do you any good if you don''t want to carry it.

Oh, of course - the pics from a small P&S with a small sensor are rarely going to produce the kind of popping results that a DSLR will, so it doesn''t surprise me that results on the P&S will pale in comparion.

However, they are much better than the result of *no* pictures because one didn''t want to drag the beast around. LOL.

I''m in your camp, by the way - I''ve become so spoiled by the DSLR that I''m more willing than previously to drag a bit more equipment around. But, there are times when the P&S still makes more sense, and I''m glad to have both.

 

[Allison D.]

Date: 12/1/2009 8:17:42 PM
Author: Jas12
forgot to add: I went to Future Shop today and looked at the Canon 940 and the Olympus 7010. Technical stuff aside, both are sleek and identical in price. The clerk said she''d choose the Olympus over the Canon b/c of the zoom and she thought it was a more user friendly interface. Her opinion is really not playing into the equation though, we only spoke about it for a few minutes....

In comparing these two cameras:

Both are in the 12MP range, both have some image stabilization on board, and both have similar aperture/shutter speed values (though the Olympus has a slightly faster upper shutter speed at 1/2000 vs. 1/1500; this comes into play with moving children. ) Both have a 2.7'' LCD screen and proprietary batteries.

The Olympus does offer more zoom capability (5x; 28-196mm) than the Canon (4x; 28-112mm), and normally that would be a more important factor for me. However, with both camera being 12MP, there''s enough density to crop after the fact without losing a ton of image quality.

The Canon has more metering options (which affect how the camera reads light), more flash flexibility (fill flash, turn off flash, etc) and adjustable white balance, none of which are on the Olympus. I''m not sure how compelling those would be to you, though; if you don''t see yourself doing anything other than ''set it and forget it'' on one setting, they are pretty much a wash.

 

[October2008bride]

Another good thing with going with a Canon is if you are planning a Canon DSLR eventually, you can get used to the Canon interface and also have all of the extras (cords/SD cards etc) work for both.

Honestly, I think you won''t regret a powershot for a P&S camera. I''ve had mine for 4 years and it still works perfectly well and we bring it on every trip so that we don''t have to pull out the big momma for every little quick snapshot.

 

[Jas12]

Allison, thanks, that''s what i came across in the comparison too. The olympus that i looked at has a 7x zoom. the Canon a 3x. Does it make much of a difference? Seems like a big leap from 3 to 7...
i just wanted to make sure i didn''t overlook something else major. Seems like there is no ''perfect'' camera out there--just need to pick and choose the features and functions that meet my needs the best....

October--that''s a good point about having the gear etc. Didn''t think of that!

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 12/1/2009 10:35:03 PM
Author: Jas12
Allison, thanks, that''s what i came across in the comparison too. The olympus that i looked at has a 7x zoom. the Canon a 3x. Does it make much of a difference? Seems like a big leap from 3 to 7...
i just wanted to make sure i didn''t overlook something else major. Seems like there is no ''perfect'' camera out there--just need to pick and choose the features and functions that meet my needs the best....

October--that''s a good point about having the gear etc. Didn''t think of that!

I think zooms are crappy on point and shoots, so I wouldn''t really care about that. I don''t know much about olympus except they made good cameras in their day.

Here''s a thorough review of it though....

http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/default.asp?newsID=4123&p=2

 

[Allison D.]

Date: 12/1/2009 10:35:03 PM
Author: Jas12

Allison, thanks, that's what i came across in the comparison too. The olympus that i looked at has a 7x zoom. the Canon a 3x. Does it make much of a difference? Seems like a big leap from 3 to 7...

The Canon telephoto zoom is 4x, not 3x, if that matter to you, versus the 7x olympus. The digital zoom is 5x on the Olympus vs. 4x on the Canon.

There are advantages and disadvantages to a longer zoom. It allows you to be further away from kids and still get close shots, so you're more likely to catch them when they don't realize they're being photographed. However, the more you zoom, the more distortion you can get and the more that movement (handshake, etc) can affect the crispness of the image, so that's a consideration too.

I've never shot with an Olympus, so I can't give first hand feedback on the quality of images their products would produce. However, given your experiences (disappointments) with the Sony, if I were in your position, I'd probably find more comfort in the tried/true. There's a reason Canon dominates the P&S segment of the market (3 or 4 of the top 10 models are Canon), so if I were looking for a more secure bet, I'd go Canon or Nikon. I've had experience with both and have to say I feel Canon has the edge in the P&S market.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 12/2/2009 1:08:16 AM
Author: Allison D.

Date: 12/1/2009 10:35:03 PM
Author: Jas12

Allison, thanks, that''s what i came across in the comparison too. The olympus that i looked at has a 7x zoom. the Canon a 3x. Does it make much of a difference? Seems like a big leap from 3 to 7...

The Canon telephoto zoom is 4x, not 3x, if that matter to you, versus the 7x olympus. The digital zoom is 5x on the Olympus vs. 4x on the Canon.

There are advantages and disadvantages to a longer zoom. It allows you to be further away from kids and still get close shots, so you''re more likely to catch them when they don''t realize they''re being photographed. However, the more you zoom, the more distortion you can get and the more that movement (handshake, etc) can affect the crispness of the image, so that''s a consideration too.

I''ve never shot with an Olympus, so I can''t give first hand feedback on the quality of images their products would produce. However, given your experiences (disappointments) with the Sony, if I were in your position, I''d probably find more comfort in the tried/true. There''s a reason Canon dominates the P&S segment of the market (3 or 4 of the top 10 models are Canon), so if I were looking for a more secure bet, I''d go Canon or Nikon. I''ve had experience with both and have to say I feel Canon has the edge in the P&S market.

Agree. I had a Nikon P&S once and will not go back to Nikon. I did go Nikon for DSLR though.

 

[Allison D.]

Date: 12/2/2009 1:12:41 AM
Author: TravelingGal
Agree. I had a Nikon P&S once and will not go back to Nikon. I did go Nikon for DSLR though.

I had a Nikon P&S, too - it was an early model Coolpix, and it was great for what I wanted at the time. However, the Canon far exceeded my expectations and now, I won''t go back either.

I agree on Nikon for the DSLR, though. When I road-tested both, there were actually features I preferred more on the Canon EOS (i.e. LCD for shooting, ease of menus), but the Nikon just felt better in my hands and smoother operationally (the Canon felt more like a toy). I''ve been exceptionally pleased with Nikon''s DSLR model and would stick with it.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 12/2/2009 1:18:29 AM
Author: Allison D.

Date: 12/2/2009 1:12:41 AM
Author: TravelingGal
Agree. I had a Nikon P&S once and will not go back to Nikon. I did go Nikon for DSLR though.

I had a Nikon P&S, too - it was an early model Coolpix, and it was great for what I wanted at the time. However, the Canon far exceeded my expectations and now, I won''t go back either.

I agree on Nikon for the DSLR, though. When I road-tested both, there were actually features I preferred more on the Canon EOS (i.e. LCD for shooting, ease of menus), but the Nikon just felt better in my hands and smoother operationally (the Canon felt more like a toy). I''ve been exceptionally pleased with Nikon''s DSLR model and would stick with it.

Well, now that I''ve bought some lenses, I''m going to have to stick with it!

I had the coolpix too...hated that thing.

And I picked the Nikon DSLR pretty well almost solely because it felt great in my hands. I found the Canon Rebel grip awkward.

sorry for the threadjack Jas!

 

[hihowareyou]

I don''t think anyone has mentioned them but the Panasonic Lumix range are excellent for point and shoot options. I borrowed my dad''s while on holidays in Paris a few years ago and the pictures it took were really amazing.

As many people have said. Indoor and low light images are not the best out of a P&S camera, though outcomes can be improved by using a tripod.

Some advice I got when buying a camera was to explore all the settings on a a P&S camera and once you feel limited then graduate to a DSLR. Most P&S cameras let you fiddle with ISO settings, white balance, etc. I have a lot of friends who jumped straight into the DSLR range but they only use it on automatic settings anyway. I''m looking at getting a DSLR soon because I feel I''m reaching the limits of what I can do with my P&S but I''ll still keep and use the P&S as it is convenient in terms of size and ease of use. DSLR camera isn''t something that I''d just throw in my bag when going out on whim for example.

 

[Jas12]

I''ve decided i am going with the Canon. I do trust the quality and i was temporarily lured by the seductive lens in the teeny body of the Olympus ,but i am back to reality

. Plus, it was on sale for 200, but no longer.

So my choice for canon is the 940--which got the best review for ''best all around pick'' according to the site Tgal directed me toward.

You guys can carry on talking about ther best DSLR''s. It''s interesting, and i''ll be looking for your help when i make the big DSLR purchase. (i was checking them out yesterday too, but had to tear myself away. ha.)

 

[fieryred33143]

Date: 12/2/2009 10:44:23 AM
Author: Jas12
I''ve decided i am going with the Canon. I do trust the quality and i was temporarily lured by the seductive lens in the teeny body of the Olympus ,but i am back to reality

. Plus, it was on sale for 200, but no longer.

So my choice for canon is the 940--which got the best review for ''best all around pick'' according to the site Tgal directed me toward.

You guys can carry on talking about ther best DSLR''s. It''s interesting, and i''ll be looking for your help when i make the big DSLR purchase. (i was checking them out yesterday too, but had to tear myself away. ha.)

LOL Jas I went to Best Buy yesterday and tested all the cameras including the DSLRs. It''s like trying on a wedding dress outside of your budget, only I can''t custom make a DSLR

 

[diamondsrock]

I think you''ll be very pleased with the canon! Great buy.

 

[geckodani]

I would just like to add a belated thank you to Jas for starting this thread, and for everyone who contributed. You saved me from buying a Coolpix.

 

[TravelingGal]

FYI, for those considering a DSLR, Amazon has a cheap listing by Cameta Camera (reputable vendor) for 499 for the D3000, kit lens, 8 GB SD class 6 card, bag, cleaning kit and other goodies. 17 bucks shipping but it''s still a great deal. It was $519 when I was looking at it for a friend and came down while I was on the link, so definitely a fresh hot deal!

 

[geckodani]

Date: 12/2/2009 10:44:23 AM
Author: Jas12
I''ve decided i am going with the Canon. I do trust the quality and i was temporarily lured by the seductive lens in the teeny body of the Olympus ,but i am back to reality

. Plus, it was on sale for 200, but no longer.

So my choice for canon is the 940--which got the best review for ''best all around pick'' according to the site Tgal directed me toward.

You guys can carry on talking about ther best DSLR''s. It''s interesting, and i''ll be looking for your help when i make the big DSLR purchase. (i was checking them out yesterday too, but had to tear myself away. ha.)

Jas - Have you gotten your camera? Is it working out for you? I''m about to purchase the same one and was just curious.