Canon's S3 IS vs. Sony's H5: Which Is Better?

These extended zoom cameras are getting a lot of praise. Which one is right for you?

From DCHQ - Oct 12, 2006

One of the more popular questions amoung users in our Q&A section involves two of the more popular extended zoom cameras: the Canon S3 IS and the Sony H5. In many ways, they are very similar cameras. Both have powerful 12x optical zooms, and superior manual controls for advanced users. The reviews from users who have bought the cameras are also quite comparable. The S3 IS and H5 both rate in the 4-star range among users, with the H5 slightly edging out the S3.

One DCHQ user, Carlos, described the H5's superlative 3.0-inch LCD screen, which beats the S3's LCD by a full inch. "I couldn't stress enough the importance of having a decent and LCD screen to instantly view your results and see if you may want to make some adjustments," says Carlos, "The LCD screen is large, and it seems that what you see on it is actually what you get. So I don't even use the regular, tiny viewfinder, I only use the LCD screen. The LCD screen uses a lot of power, but that's not a problem because those AA batteries are cheap."

S3 users aren't so enthusiastic about their camera's LCD brightness. "Even under moderate daylight (cloudy sky) I am unable to view the screen to make camera adjustment," says one user, "Yes, the brightness is set to bright but this shows little improvement. Batteries are fully charged." Nevertheless, there are still plenty of people happy with their purchase. Another user praises the S3 IS's ability to capture high-action sports shots, saying "If you have kids, grandkids or are involved in sporting activities this is an excellent camera. My wife was really thrilled with the video I took of her dressage riding and my son-in-law and I were both amazed at the video/still quality of shots I took of his son playing T-ball."

When it comes down to it, there seems to be far more consensus among H5 owners that their camera is extremely fantastic. Owners of the S3 IS have some gripes, mainly in how the camera isn't much of an upgrade on the existing S2 IS, but if you're brand new to this class of camera, that shouldn't be an issue.

To be torn between these two very good cameras is a good thing. The variety and high-quality of the digital camera market make for good competition, and that competition has led both Sony and Canon to produce two powerful and potent options. Take a closer look at the user reviews for both the Sony H5 and Canon S3 IS. All the information you need to differentiate these cameras is right there, contributed by real people who have owned and used these cameras. There's bound to be a user in there that addresses your concerns, and if there isn't, there's always our Q&A section, where plenty of Digital Camera users are waiting to help you out.