Canon SX10 or Nikon P90

we are looking at buying a new camera and have decided not to get a digital SLR, rather get a digital extended zoom. we haev always used Nikon but the Canon looks great as well....which is better for a Novice Photographer? Mostly vacation pics, kids B-Day parties and such. No portraits, etc.

I suggest the Canon SX10. Canon's making some of the best cameras right now, but it's probably in a horse race with the P90. And I'm hoping that Nikon has made improvements over the P80, as it suffered from heavy noise in low light situations.

I am not sure.
I bought the Nikon P90 last week, and I think it is doing well so far.
It's my first camera, and it probably isn't so great for a beginner.
I am learning a lot from professional photographers I know though, and it's helping.
The user's manual that is included is quite confusing though...
That's why I just get help from friends.
The Nikon P90 is SUPER amazing for macro close-ups, that's all I can say.
I really haven't done many pictures of people.... it's a very hard-to-use camera.
When I say this, I mean, it has so many things/settings. I didn't know a lot about photography, especially Aperture, ISO, Shutter speed, and what settings to use in what lighting conditions. So confusing! I see better reviews on the Canon SX10, but I'm satisfied with my first camera for now. Hope this was somewhat helpful, although I'm no pro!

The comparison is apples to oranges or simi-pro to high zoom. If most of your shooting is outside for sports or long range shooting choose the P90. If most of your shooting is family and close settings the best is the G10. The G10 will also take any of the made-for-cannon external flash units which give the G10 the win for family and friends settings. The digital Zoom on the G10 is about as good as the zoom on the P90. Any close range shooting the win goes to the G10. The 14.4 megapixals in the G10 make it the overall winner.

I was debated between the two. You get more camera with the P90, and it seems to do better in less lighted environments, however, if you are looking for a good camera that takes not only good pictures, but also has HD video, then Canon SX10 may be the way to go. I am debating about going back and giving Canon a shot.

Please note that the SX10 does not do HD video. The SX1 does. The difference is in the sensor.

The SX10 likely will still do better video than the P90, unless the P90 does HD- I don't know if it does or not. The SX10 will have good zoom and auto or manual focus when recording a video. Pictures can be taken during a video also, but this will cause a skip in the video. Also, SX10 has two microphones to record CD quality audio in a left and right channel, which is very good for concert recording. Trust me.

Well, frankly, saying that the digital zooms of both cameras are the same isn't saying much. Digital zoom only serves to explode the existing pixels at the farthest end of the focal length (think enlarging a xerox - it gets fuzzier when you do). The results are exacerbated camera shake, artifacting, and washed out color. Digital zoom is albeit worthless and should be turned off no matter what camera you use.

And you can get better results simply by cropping and enlarging your image in software.

WOW! readers beware. I'm getting a little off subject here, however. I'v been working in the graphic printing field for nearly 25 years. 10 years better, digitally. i deal with digital images all day. i agree that the two cameras in question are quite comparable in features and price. don't have either, that's why I'm here myself. What i wanted to point out was a comment made earlier. I'm not bashing, just trying to set the facts straight. these two cameras boast about the zoom, because the zoom is a big deal. (the optical zoom that is). your not stretching pixels with optical zoom! your optically enlarging an image before it is captured. The statement "you can get better result by enlarging your image with software" is completely incorrect. Once the photo is taken, that image is fixed on the grid of pixels. if you enlarge an image in software, there, you stretch your image. It will get grainy/jagged soft edges. Software enlarging is what digital zoom does if not worse. so, correct don't look at what digital zoom a camera has. you need to look at its optical zoom capabilities. just like the old film SLR cameras. those cameras with the huge lens that can zoom in on a fly across the field and then capture its image on film media. Now its the same way, optical zoom enlargement captured on todays cameras, on the cameras image sensor CCD instead of film. Now how good the CCD sensor and lens of your camera will determine on how clear and color correct your image will be. Going back to pixels for a moment. Lets say your image is 200 X 200 pixels. you can resample it to make it 400 x 400. but all you did was, taken a 1 pixel in a sense, and divided it into 4, EXAMPLE: draw a square box and divide it into 4 squares. the square was blue. Now the square divided in four is still blue and over all still square. in an overview of an entire image. the original pixel may pick up attributes from the original pixel next to it in a conversion. But what that does. it starts to soften and blur you original image and start to give you jagged edges if you blow it up (Enlarging it). Can you blow up an image? Don't let me frighten you on a new revelation. yes you can enlarge an image ( 10%-20% at most). but with great limitations do to stretching pixels in software or the cameras digital zoom. i would agree that camera shake will be amplified when zooming in. just think of when you use binoculars! If applicable use a tripod. Joe

Joe, my point was that you'd get a better result enlarging or zooming the image instead of relying on the digital zoom, which only serves to explode the pixels beyond the focal length of the optical zoom. You have to contend with the zerox enlargement phenomenon as well as camera shake. This, is a fact.

In software, you have greater control, don't have to deal with camera shake, and can enhance the image with a combination of sharpening tools, color enhancement, and various plugins. You'll still deal with exploding the pixels, and I should've have been more clear about that. But never at any time did I say you could make the image better than the image itself when recording the picture. I said that given the choice between manipulating the image in software and relying on digital zoom, doing it in software gives a better result.

Tell me how that's wrong?

I still can't decide between the Canon G10 and the Nikon P90 - I looked at them both yesterday and although initially sure I wanted a G10 I was impressed with the features on the P90. Researching the P90, I found that purple fringing was stated as a bad point. Help please!

SX10 is way better in image quality and build.

Yes, SX10 is way better in image quality and build and ease of use compared to P90. I have had P90 for few days. Though I am new to digital photography, but still I can say the image quality is not as good as it should be on P90. And if compared to sx10 its worse really. Its now finally asumed that sx10 has be best picture quality amongst the superzoom cameras. The only thing to keep in mind is that one should use it to the best possible way. Otherwise it is not going to deliver much.

I've used both Canon and Nikon, and it really comes down to which one does the best job for you. They are both good cameras. I have 3 Nikon cameras and one of them is the new P 90, and it is a great camera. The color is great, no fringing, no grainy pics. I agree with others as to not using digital zoom, just the optical zoom; unless it's a matter of dire necessity. Although I no longer shoot professionally I still lean toward Nikon because of their dependability.

What Joe said is correct.... HOWEVER, he mis-read the previous post.

Joes comments refer to DIGITAL zoom....
DeRuvo was talking about OPTICAL zoom.....

Disregard any DIGITAL zoom information about any camera.. period....

OPTICAL is all that matters..... your PC can do the rest.

Hi, is Jay from San jose ?

I agree with Dave...disregard DIGITAL zoom information about any camera. Digital zoom degrades image quality so do NOT use it...ever.