Cannon Powershot A650 or Sony Cybershot H3...Extended Zoom preferred ??

Cannon Powershot A650 or Sony Cybershot H3...Extended Zoom preferred ??

These two cameras are really different... the A650IS has 12MP vs. the H3's 8MP. The H3 is bigger and has 10x optical zoom, while the A650IS only has 6x.... the entire performance specs of the cameras are going to be biased in favor of the H3 because of the resolution (time between shots, continuous shooting speed, etc.).

What is it that you want in a camera? It doesn't seem like compactness is an issue. If you want to compare directly with the H3, consider looking at the Canon SX100IS. If you want a smaller camera, but still has zoom, then consider the Panasonic TZ3. I personally am not impressed with the A650IS... there's just not enough upgrades beyond the 12MP resolution to warrant spending $380 on it. For that price, you can spend less on a Canon S5IS.

Look into the Canon SX100IS and Sony H3. Both are good cameras, with good performance and picture quality, and the zoom it sounds like you're looking for. They're both SLIGHTLY larger than the Canon 650IS, and more than $100 cheaper. I would go with the SX100IS personally, because I'm not a fan of Sony and I like Canon's noise reduction and image stabilization better. They both have good video ability... I don't recall if the Sony H3 allows optical zoom, but I know the SX100IS doesn't. But the Canon picture quality is better, higher ISO's are better, and I just think it's overall a better camera. I strongly suggest checking it out and seeing what you think :)

If you are considering the H3 I would wait a few weeks because it is being replaced with a new model called the H10. The big question about the H10 that I haven't gotten answered yet is will it have a tilting LCD? Sony's website claims it will, but people that handled a pre-release version at the recent PMA convention say it did not. Anybody who has used a camera with a rotating/tilting LCD never ever wants to go back to a camera without one.

That is why I would choose the Canon A650 over the H3. With its rotating LCD taking pictures is a joy. For example you could have the A650 hanging at your waist from a strap, and just by rotating the LCD you can take a candid shot without lifting the camera from your waist. Have you ever needed a shot in which you needed to be 8 feet tall, like shooting over a crowd in front of you? With the A650 you just rotate the LCD and hold the camera over your head. Similarly you can set the camera down on the ground and get a shot by rotating the LCD without you having to lay down.

The A650 has far more manual settings than the H3 and you can add a smart, dedicated flash, or buy a case for underwater shooting, or add a telephoto or wide angle lens (with a converter). 6X versus 10x? The A650 has a 4X digital zoom in addition to the 6X optical zoom. With those extra pixels from its 12MP, the digital zoom doesn't have nearly the drop off in quality as others with fewer mega pixels. As such that means the A650 has an effective 24X zoom range. All in all the A650 is a great camera. That's why so many camera websites rate it among the highest of all cameras in its class.

But the Sony has a shorter recycle time between shots, is a more handsome and smaller camera. The H10 will have an enormous 3 inch LCD, while the A650 has only a 2.5. As I mentioned, Sony's website claims the H10 will have a tilting LCD. To me that is worth waiting for rather than getting the H3 which it will replace.