Wow -- excellent specs, James!


The world has changed a lot since those Sony Mavica cameras -- I remember ones that wrote to floppy disks, and then they made ones that write to Cd's. Neat idea, but these days pretty outmoded :-) And the good news is that today you'll probably have to pay only about 1/2 of your $1000 budget to get a good camera.


It sounds to me like you would want something more than a compact model. Almost any of the mid-priced cameras we list on DigitalAdvisor will meet your specifications for detail and color, and almost all will "just work" if you use their USB connection to a computer running Windows XP or recent Mac software.

But I think there's a trade-off between ease of use and the requirement to photograph documents and components. The issue here is lighting: smaller cameras, especially the really small ones tend to have underpowered flashes. Also, having a flash that is a few inches away from the camera lens can help a little, but almost all on-camera flashes result in flat looking photos. You may have noticed that wedding and other pro photographers have flashes mounted off to the side of the camera -- this allow the flash to cast a little shadow which tends to bring out shapes and contours.


The other issue is the close-ups of documents and parts. These need light, and on-camera flashes also tend to be bad in close-up situations because they either over-light and/or light unevenly.


In all these cases, a long zoom lens will help. For the close-up shots, the camera does not have to be so close, which gives the flash a chance to spread out evenly. In these cases, I strongly recommend a tripod which will ensure you get sharp images (and make sure the camera you choose has a tripod mount).


For the lighting issues, a zoom will help a little, as well. But you may find that many problems can be solved by buying an external flash that mount on a "hot shoe" on the camera. Flashes that tilt and swivel can allow you to bounce light off walls, or ceilings, or even a piece of white cardboard to dramatically improve the look of pictures. External flashes are no harder to use than built-in flashes and all cameras have built-in flashes for normal use.


So some suggestions:


<ul>
<li>
<a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  target="_blank">Panasonic DMC FZ30</a> is well regarded, but maybe not so easy to use. I like this choice because it has nice optics, gets good reviews, and has a hot shoe for mounting a flash if you decide to later.
</li>
<li>
<a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  target="_blank">Kodak EasyShare Z612</a> is part of Kodak's very well regarded EasyShare line -- they have done a lot of work to make it easy to get good pictures and to get them onto the computer. This camera does not have a hot shoe, but has a pop-up flash which can help with the lighting issues I mentioned. Also consider the just released update to this, the <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  target="_blank">Kodak EasyShare P712</a> which does have the hot shoe.
</li>
<li>
The <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  target="_blank">Fuji S5200</a> is a little less expensive and has a pop-up flash.
</li>
<li>
And I think I would be remiss to exclude the <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  target="_blank">Canon S3 IS</a> <i>except that people don't seem to be happy with it at all!</i>. The S2 was one of the first long zooms that had image stabilization and got raves -- the S3 is getting panned!
</li>
</ul>


I hope these ideas get you headed in the right direction!

Tom

The S3 IS takes 'AA' batteries, not a Lithium-ion rechargable, but that doesn't mean you can't purchase rechargavle NiMH 'AA' batteries. You definitely should.

Canon gives the S3 IS's closeup/macro specs as follows: macro: 3.9 inches to 1.6 feet/10 to 50 centimeters (wide); super macro: 0 to 3.9 inches/0 to 10 centimeters (wide)

I assume by 'auto stability,' you're looking for some means to reduce shakes and blurs common in high zoom cameras. The 'IS' in S3 IS stands for Image Stabilization, and will do just that.

The S3 IS has two burst/rapid modes, 'high-speed' and 'standard.' The high-speed burst can snap 2.3 frames per second. The standard burst shoots 1.5 fps

Check out our S3 IS product page! Click below!
digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... 

The Sony H5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) has gotten consistently high ratings from many people, whereas the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) has disappointed many users (which is a surprise, since the S2 IS was well liked). So users have spoken and said the Sony is a better camera.

You might compare these with other Extended Zoom Digital Cameras ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ).

There is ne reason to feel that S3IS in anyway is lesser than H5. Apart from 3"LCD (2" in S3 but variangle), use of 2 batteries (4 in S3) & 7 megapixels (6mpx in S3) there is no handicap in S3. H5 beats S3 to a little extent at medium level og ISO senstivity and the advantages end up there. S3 has fantastic image stablization, excellent scene selection modes (most beginners will find them extremely useful), swapping of colours, my colour, excellent feature of switching between movie and still pics and vice versa. The image quality is tremendous & there is no perceptible difference in the images of H5 & S3IS. When you come to price, S3 beats H5 and it all depends on your pocket if you wish to pay extra for 1 mega pixel and 1" of LCD go ahead and buy Sony. To me Canon remains a favourite at this price.

The differences between the S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) and S2 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) are rather slight.

Going with the S2 IS could save you some money (check the link above), too. Don't feel like you absolutely have to buy the latest version.

Following are the main differences:
1. S3 is 6 MP while S2 is 5 MP
2. ISO setting in S3 is different than that of S2
3. Canon claims that S3's shots are sharper

The S3 IS records videos in the AVI format.

Have you tried simply importing the videos the old-fashioned way over USB using the camera's included software?

Well, I have the Canon G6 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) and am very disappointed. I found it slow to focus, lousy zoom, low max-ISO, and not anything like my dSLR (Canon 10D).

I borrowed an S2 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) from a cousin this summer, and found that it was very similar to my G6 in its functionality, but had a great zoom and image stabilization and seemed a little faster, even. The S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) has a larger LCD than the G6 and still has the flip out screen (the new Canon G7 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) does not have a flip-out screen), although the 2" flip out screen on the S3 IS is a little small by today's standards.

If I were to do it over again, I would definitely get the S3 IS over the G6 or G7. The G7 looks pretty nice, but I love zoom, personally.

Poor color quality is usually due to low light or improper white balance. In auto mode the camera can get confused especially if you are in doors but the room is being lit with sun light. Indoor and outdoor light have a different color temps indoor being more red-orange and outdoor or sunlight being more blue. You best bet it is to not use auto mode in these situations and manually set your white balance in the menu for the given situation. The camera is not broken just so you know.

The website for Canon in Germany is canon.de/.  I would try there- if they don't have the manual available for download, they should have a customer service number you can call and ask to have a manual sent to you. Hope that helps!

Leah,

I own a <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  PowerShot S2 IS</a>, and love it. I did find it limited when I progressed in my photographic exploration though. I found myself wanting a larger optical zoom and more ability to change the manual settings more and have moved on to the <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  Digital Rebel XT / Canon 350D</a>, which you can get used for under $500. For the types of shots you want to take, I think the <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  PowerShot S2 IS</a> or the <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  PowerShot S3 IS</a> would work for what you want to do though. The <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  PowerShot A640</a> is still a smaller camera at only 4.3 x 2.6 x 1.9 inches and 8.6 ounces.

Andrew

Leah,

The main differences between the two cameras are as follows:

S2 S3
MegaPixels: 5.0 6.0
Movie Mode fps: 30 60
Print/Share Button: no yes
LCD Screen: 1.8" 2"
ISO: 50-200 80-800

The Canon PowerShot S3 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) also offers more flexibility with the special effects for pictures, white balance settings, and shooting programs as well. Personally, I like the ability to customize your white balance and the larger range of ISO settings is particularly nice in low light settings. The Canon PowerShot S3 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) offers that while the Canon PowerShot S2 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) does not.

Leah,

You will see some graininess as you go to a "faster" speed ISO, but it isn't that bad from what I have seen. You can also reduce it with software like PaintShop Pro and PhotoShop. Thats the beauty of digital photos. I have used up to 1600 ISO and don't see a lot of issues.

As for the movie mode question, I don't use it at all anymore. If you want to move into more high quality lenses, you might want to invest in a digital SLR camera ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). You can get them new for under $500 and used on bid sites for even lower.

Andrew

Peter,

The Canon.de website does not have the usermanual for the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), but you can get the German drivers and software here ( de.software.canon-europe.co...  ).

Basically the Canon Powershot S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is more of a zoom camera. It has twice the soom of the A710 at 12x optical, but it has one less megapixel wich really doesn't matter all that much. One MP isn't going to make a world of difference.

The Canon Powershot a710 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is more of a user friendly camera and it is more highly reviewed by consumers. It is slightly more powerful in terms of megapixels as mentioned before but they are very similar cameras. If you want to powerful zoom is say go with the S3 it is the only really notable difference.

Hi, I noticed that your question hasn't been responded to yet. Are you still looking for an answer? If so, I recommend you re-submit it on www.DigitalCamera-HQ.com, so it will have a better chance of being noticed. These days it looks like most questions are being answered within a few days. Good luck!

I would go for either the S2, or for the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ); both are fine cameras. The S3 is very new, but solid reviews are coming in with equally strong praise as for the S2. I wish I had either of them because of their IS and zoom abilities.

$350 - $500
Amazon.com has a GREAT price!

I would recommend cruising over to this page ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). You will get a listing of the best prices, with shipping, from a variety of vendors. Pay attention to their seller ratings, and read customer reviews so you know other's experiences with the company before you consider purchasing.

This is a very good question because these are similar cameras. They both have high megapixels (6-7.1) and excellent zoom (12x optical on both). They also have plenty of manual functions so you can customize your shots. They are also in the same price range. I would have to go with the Canon if you aren't planning on blowing the pictures up and print extremely large. Plus the image stablization on the Canon is super important especially when zoomed in at 12x. Value wise Canon is your best bet.

Is S2 IS available in market? If yes, then other than higher megapixels what is the major difference? If there is no much difference can anybody suggest if its wise to choose S2 IS over S3 IS. Thanks.

Thank you. I shall follow suit. Cheers

I actually had both the Sony H5 and Canon S3IS at one time and took pictures with both and did in depth comparisons. I have spent alot of time to give you accurate info in real life situations, not in a 'staged area'. And in my opinion the Canon is much much faster and much much easier to use and tyhe quality also nery good. Just the H5 startup time alone will leave you frustrated when you really want a quick shot. The operation of the S3 is almost instant, the video mode w/stereo sound is unmatched (H5 can't come close, it's in mono), S3's battery life is unbelievable, it uses SD memory and the continous shooting mode is awesome! The buttons I actually found to be quite logically placed and the seperate ISO button and the Video Snap button are ingenious and great features for a good camera to have. But I will say in Sony's defense the H5's photo quality is very close if not ever so slightly better than the S3. And as far as noise at higher ISO's: the S3 retains more detail with slightly higher noise while the H5 has slightly less noise but detail is lost (indicating the in-camera noise reduction is stronger in the H5 taking away some detail) By the way you will never want to use the ISO 1000 setting on the H5 (trust me on this) but with the S3 you can use the ISO 800 photos; just be prepared to use some Noise Reduction and sharpening software like Photoshop to 'clean them up'. The macro mode quality in the H5 is actually pretty close to the S3, except for the zero distance tolerance the S3 has! And the edge to edge detail and focusing is ever so slightly better in the H5. The H5 screen is very nice but really sucks the juice right out of the 2 batteries Sony thought would be enough for it (even with rechargables) Bottom line: Overall the S3IS will win hands down and with a little "photoshopping" here and there the results can be quite impressive. What really impressed me the most were the full moon shots I was able to get at full zoom, the focusing is very good and detail very impressive even with digital zoom used. Also the fireworks shots I was able to get are unmatched and super-clear. I owned the Sony H1 and the operations and results are very close to the H5. But the H5 would be the camera of choice if only the Canon S3IS weren't around! I Hope this helps would be buyers.

Fantastic. Can anybody tell me if there is red eye correction on S3 ? Thanks

A good contender in this is the Kodak P712. I own this camera and it's awsome. Faster click to capture than the Canon or Sony. Runs on a lithium battery, not AA's and uses an SD card. Very good quality picts, with a very easy to use interface.

Recently made the H5 vs. S3 decision and bought Canon,
primarily because it was cheaper, used SD card, and felt much better in my hands.
So far - very pleased with it !

The S3 has a higher avail. shutter speed, faster continuous shot mode, better Image stabilization system, much higher battery life, is smaller and has a top notch stereo video mode with a movie snap button that can be pushed anytime to shoot video clips (w/zoom). These are all things anyone who is doing sporting events(or anything else) should seriously consider. Also see my (Matt) more extensive response on 10-23; I have done in depth side by side comparisons on both of these cameras. The H5 strengths in a nutshell are slightly better image quality and bigger, but non-swivel 3" screen. But overall the S3 wins out everywhere else hands down... Hope this helps.

The LCD resolution/usablity is not as bad as some people make it out to be. And being able to swivel it to avoid 'sun' washout and get awkward photos is a real blessing! Yes 3" is better than 2" but another way to look at it is that its just another inch of screen the sun can glare off of.

Get the S3IS if you can afford the difference in cost compared to the S2IS. The noise levels (grain) are much lower in the S3 (+ ISO 800 vs. 400) and it is 6MP vs. 5MP (S2) So you can crop a little more or make larger prints. And lastly the screen is 2" vs. 1.8". Again the reviews out there make it sound like these are just slight differences - but they are huge! (except for the screen) Or wait for the S4IS to come out!?

There is more noise at high ISO's with the DMC-FZ7, the macro mode is not near as good as the S3 and the stereo video mode is nowhere close to the S3 and it doesn't have the swivel screen or the color representation that Canon is known for. The Canon has one of the longest battery lifes of any mega-zoom on the market. Rechargeable AA's are quite convenient and last just as long as a dedicated single cell. So there really isn't a difference in longevity anymore like there used to be, AA's are just as good and much much cheaper and easier to find.

Just want to remind you, I'm a first time buyer, so I know nothing... accept for what I read in the reviews, so please correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks Matt, I agree, the Canon wins hands down when it comes to video mode and the DMC-FZ7 is noisy at high ISO's. There's a review on www.digitalcamerainfo.com that's not that positive about the Canons battery life and say the DMC-FZ7 has a advantage in macro mode as well. Please have a read and tell me know what you think...

digitalcamerainfo.com/conte... 

Are Kodak any good? from the discussions I've read I get the feeling they're not very popular

I'm considering purchasing Panasonic FZ8 and S3IS. Could anyone give me some recommendation? Btw, not sure when S4IS will come out!!

I think Canon's explanation for this error is that it means there may be sand or dirt trapped in the lens. I believe that this is really similar to the E18 error that some users are experiencing; I think that with the newer cameras the E18 error message has been changed to thi Lens Error message.

If your camera is still under warranty I would absolutely call Canon. If they refuse to cover it, there are a few things you can try:
e18error.com/repair.html 

Simple-
Yes, I am operating my recently purchased S3 IS with a 2GB Sandisk Ultra II SD card, with great camera-to-PC transfer speed. The Ultra II i bought is a 66x speed card, which means it will transfer at roughly 9Mb per sec. -Also, this card will allow continuous shooting at max speed till full or my batteries waver. Also, do believe i have read in a forum of someone using as large as a 4GB card, but i cannot personally verify that!
Hope that helps-
Happy Shooting!!!

I'm pretty sure the S3 IS only comes in black. Sorry.

There is no such thing as a good digital zoom as all a digital zoom does is blow up and "interpolate" an images pixels, causing more artifacting. You're better off just taking the picture and then using photoshop to do it.

Optical zoom, my friend. That's what you want to focus on.

I would agree with you, Camera. Good choices.

What would be a good choice for a lower price?

Hi Adila,
What price range are you looking for?

The idea "very good zoom" means different things to different people. For example the Canon Powershot S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) came to mind as I was reading your question (that might be a good one to check out), but 12x zoom may be rather heavy-duty for your needs. It also makes the camera bulkier. It does have good battery life and a good movie mode, though. Is that the kind of camera you are thinking of or did you have something different in mind?

There are some other zooms available- there is everything from 2.4x ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) to 10.7x ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  )... however the ones you mentioned are the most common, and I think anything over 6x is going to be bulky.

The A710 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) may be a good choice for you, but the one caveat is that it can only hold 1GB of movie which is about 8 minutes' worth depending on what resolution you're at.

The SD800 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) has 4GB of movie storage and is another one you should consider- it does have a wide angle lens, but some people really like that. It also has fewer manual controls, so if you like to adjust aperture, focus etc. you may want to look elsewhere. The A710 allows you to manually set everything but focus, I believe.

Talk about zooms gets really slippery and confusing fast. Wide angle capability like the new Canon offers (and the Fuji), is really a great feature! It allows for very dramatic scenery photos, and is good for capturing scenes of people in action in an environment. In fact, if you look in any National Geographic, or even Time magazine, most of the "jaw-droppingly" good pictures are shot with a wide angle setting. For portraits, you want a less wide setting, generally in the middle of most zoom ranges. Many people are excited by a 10x or 12x zoom capability, but unless you are shooting field sports or wildlife, the long range of the zoom is seldom used, and is difficult to use.

Dennis,

You might look through the settings to see what resolution you are taking photos at. If you don't have it set on the larger format with the fine or superfine setting, you can get lower quality pictures. I own a Canon S2 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) and have had no issues with quality of photograph with the settings set in the manner above. I hope this helps.

Andrew

I have this camara and you can buy a High-Power flash that mounts on the side using the tripod socket. The model is High- Power Flash HF-DC1 Sold Separately. The lens is not changable however there are several adapters that will attach to it for different kinds of shooting. These are the different typs listed in the manual. Wide Converter WC-DC58A, Tele-converter TC-DC58B, Close-up Lens 500D, Conversion Lens Adapter LA-DC58E (the Wide Converter and Tele-converter require this adapter to attach to the camara), Lens Hood LH-DC40. Thread diameter is 58 mm.

Tha S2 have 5 megapixel sensor while S3 have 6. S2 have 1.8 inch LCD and S3 have 2 inch LCD. S2 have silver colour and S3 is black metallic.
That's it.

Peter,

There are a few differences in the two cameras listed below (the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is listed first). Any specification that is comparable is not listed.

-Megapixels: 6 VS 10
-Zoom: 12x optical zoom / 4x digital zoom VS 6x optical zoom / 4x digital zoom
-Manual Focus: yes VS no
-ISO settings: ISO 80-800 VS ISO 80-1600
-LCD Size: 2" VS 2.5"
-Battery type: 4 x AA VS lithium-ion

The pluses of the Canon G7 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) are the higher megapixel count for better resolution photos, the higher ISO range for low light settings and the included lithium-ion battery for longer life. Its size makes it more portable as well.

The pluses of the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) are the larger optical zoom for further distance shot, an option to add converter lenses with an adapter, and a manual focus capability for more artistic shots. You can buy after market lithium-ion or Ni-MH rechargeable batteries for improved life as well. You will also pay at lot less for this camera.

The final decision is up to you and what you want to use your camera for. If you just want to use it for everyday shots, and have it with you, the Canon G7 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) might be the better choice. If you want some flexibility and artistic range, the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) might be what you want to go for, or maybe even a dSLR ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) camera if you want to broaden your skills even more. Good luck and happy shooting.

Andrew

Anuj,

The Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) has a resolution of 6 megapixels while a handy-cam uses a 0.68 megapixel resolution. You will see hand over fist improvement in the quality of the photo if you are printing it at even a 4x6 print size.

Andrew

Yes. The S3 has a night mode. I have only taken a few pictures using the night mode. ( I have only had this camera for 3 days.) It seems to take good quality pictures in night mode.

Yes you can select between a whooping 21 languages. Do you believe they even have Ancient Greek (just kidding). It really does have 21 language options though.

The Canon EOS dSLR cameras ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) would be a great fit for you. The lenses from your film-in camera transfer seamlessly, so you won't have to spend as much money with the transfer. You just have to ask how much you want to spend and what capability you want out of the cameras. As nice as the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is, you will probably just find it limiting.

Andrew

No it can not be physically moved. The image may reverse when the camera is tilted over but i am not sure, and it doesn't sound likely.

Looking at this class of camera I wanted fast reaction time, good color balance, least amount of digital artifacts, and good zoom performance. Reading and asking about, I ended up with the Canon S3 IS. I think this is an outstanding choice in this type of digital camera (and great movies too!). It is definitely an "Editor's Choice" class camera.

I also own a Canon S50, so I know how well they construct their cameras. I might go to the Nikon in the digital SLR class, but I'm happy with the price/performance of the S3 IS - if fact, if this camera holds up to its promise, I might not need to move up to a dSLR!

Jose,

Unfortunately, the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) does not support RAW formatted pictures.

Andrew

I haven't tried the Panasonic camera, but I love my Canon S3 IS. I have had it for just under a week now and it is easy to use. The picture quality is great, you can take a still picture while shooting a video. In my opinion, this is a great camera.

I purchased my S3IS from Office Depot. They price matched it for $249.00. It by far was the best deal for the money spent.

For cultural reasons, there will be an S51S, not an S4. But this camera will not be available until the middle of 2007. If you want to wait until then, this is really up to you. My guess is that the improvements will be incremental; there may some increase in picture quality but the current camera is already excellent

Hi,

Unfortunately, since about the beginning of 2004, Nikon has significantly backed off on their production of "super macro" lenses for their CoolPix line. There are only one or two models that dip even close to the 1" focal range (the CoolPix 4800, most notably, has a 1/3" range), but those are either severely outdated or hampered by other defects that keep them from coming near the top of their class.

There are, however, options from other manufacturers. Most notably, Canon has recently come out with several models with a super macro mode that allows you to essentially touch the subject to the lens glass (for an effective 0" focal length). Models that make use of this capability include the S2 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) and S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), which are pretty much top of the line in several other areas as well. The higher-end models in Canon's A-series (A700 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) and up) also offer an impressive macro mode at about 1/3" (1cm) focal range. The Sony CyberShot H2 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) and H5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) also offer this functionality, well under the 1" range.

Hope this helps a bit!

Spooner,

Of the three you listed, the Kodak P712 seems to offer the best feature set and the most up-to-date technology. It has the most manual controls, a hot shoe for an external flash, and a 12x stabilized zoom. However, early reviews indicate that it has a lot of trouble with noise at ISO 200 and above. This means it might have trouble in low light, and frankly almost all non-SLR digitals struggle with it to some degree.

The SP-500 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) was almost out of date when it first hit the market, and it's well over a year old now. It doesn't offer stabilized zoom like the other two, and it has issues with soft pictures and focus hunting in low light. I'd put that one out of your mind right away.

The FZ7 is a solid performer but like many of the other cameras in the FZ line (and from Panasonic in general) it too has higher than average noise at all ISO settings, and particularly 200 and up. I'd say it comes in second to the Kodak here.

You may also want to consider the Canon S2 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) and S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), as they're in the same general range as the cameras above. The Canons generally do a little better with noise, and they are very solid performers all around (probably good enough to rival or beat the Kodak above). Happy hunting!

Like I said, it's a solid performer and I'm sure you'll be happy with it. Enjoy!

You get the best you are going to get from a digital camera, for the most part, there are some digis that shoot HD and 16:9 like the Panasonic Lumix LX2 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ).

But the Canon S3 IS has a video image size of 640 x 480 at 30 / 15fps, with picture in movie mode, aka you can take a picture while recording, at high quality.

Page 12 of the of the manual ( usa.canon.com/consumer/cont...  ) shows how to shoot in Macro mode. IN that mode, you can get as close as 3.9 inches. But there's also a SUper Macro Mode, which gives you from 0-3.9 inches.

Considering batteries alone, I'd opt for the Canon S3 IS, as the Panasonic Lumix FZ7 uses a proprietary battery that costs way more than the AA's you can find most anywhere. Other than that, the two cameras are nearly alike in specs. I'm a Canon guy from way way back to their first 35mm SLR cameras and have always been amazed at their ability to keep chugging away thru thick and thin. I feel you can't go wrong with their products.
By the way - DO buy the camera in plenty of time to learn it's functions before leaving! Terrible to be fumbling with controls, etc. while nice shots are passing you by. . . Good luck.

You might want to consider the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), as it has a good zoom and burst mode, as well as a flexible vari-angle LCD screen. If you're looking for an older model, consider the S2 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ).

The reason camcorders can do 20x optical zoom is that they have relatively large bodies... the lens doesn't have to expand because it goes back inside the body of the camcorder. Photo cameras are built thin and small for ease of use, and thus have less physical space in which to manipulate the lens. That's why they never get beyond 12x.

Yep! Although I can't imagine why you'd want a camera that didn't use easy-to-find batteries when they started to die on you. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7 has similiar specs to the Canon S3 IS and uses it's very own proprietary battery. And it probably costs a whole lot more than 4 AA rechargables will to replace.

Leigh,

To get the closest zoom with the best clarity, I recommend using just the optical zoom. The Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) has 12x optical zoom as does the Sony H5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). You won't see a differenence in the optical zoom in these cameras.

Andrew

You shouldn't have any trouble using this camera in the rain. You could, perhaps, place a ziplock around it just to be on the safe side, but it's salt water that bricks electronics, not rain drops. As for dust, that's an entirely different story. It's always a good idea to minimize exposure in dusty environments. especially lenses.

The Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is a more professional style camera with a lot of control. I am a big fan of it especially if you are going to use the maunal settings like manual focus and exposure. This is nice because you can really get the image you want with out the camera making all the decisions for you. Plus 12x optical zoom is awesome! Your family will never look so good. You can takes pics of the inside of their noses with this camera.

Now I personally love the Sony W100 and recommend it a gread deal, and I think if you are looking for a more compact camera to do these things then it is the best way to go. It has a lot of features and maunal controls too, and it truely is pocket size. And the fact that it comes in black is just cool. The issue for you is that it takes Memory Stick as all Sony cameras do.

S3 IS is my suggestion. Amazing camera, check out the user reviews.

G7 all the way. It has great built-in features, and can be fitted with extra lenses should the need arise.

The dSLR ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) cameras do not come with movie mode. To get something similar to the Canon 350D ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) you will have to drop down to an extended zoom camera ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) like the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ).

Andrew

You do have the option to add lenses on these cameras as well with a lens adapter. Feel free to let me know if you have any more questions on them.

Andrew

I would definitely go for the S3IS. I have the Canon G6 and the only cases I really need the viewfinder vs LCD are in very bright sun; The S3's eyepiece for the EVF solves that. Yes, EVF can be a little jumpy, but it's pretty good these days.

I think you'll find any of the cameras easy enough to use in auto mode. The S3 is looking to be a nice follow-on the the well loved S2. Go for it!

Roger,

I assume your wide angle lens for the G1 is the WC-DC58, as that's the one Canon built especially for it. Unfortunately, Canon has opted to create a new wide angle lens for the S2 and S3 IS, designated WC-DC58A. They've similarly created new versions of the other two add-on lenses and the lens converter that's necessary to mount them.

These lenses seem very similar in purpose and result, but I wouldn't suggest a blind buy on the off chance they might fit. You may want to contact Canon's customer service to ask.

If you want a hot shoe for your flash, I'm afraid the only options in the Canon camp are the next models up the line from your own G1. All G-series models have the hot shoe, though your wide angle lens won't be good with any of them besides the G2. If you expand your range to encompass other brands, the Panasonic FZ20 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), FZ30 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), and FZ50 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) all feature hot shoes, and are relatively similar feature-wise to the S3 IS.

In this case, both megapixels and zoom are important for different reasons. Let me break it down:

Megapixels are often used sort of unscrupulously by advertisers to hook consumers. While it's true in general that more megapixels is better, they aren't the end-all-be-all of digital photography. First of all, in recent model years many manufacturers have turned to a practice called "pixel cramming." This means that when they release a new model, they simply force more pixels onto the same size sensor chip, which results in higher digital "noise" in the pictures. However, the right resolution paired with a correctly-sized chip will of course result in beautiful pictures. The principal advantage of higher-megapixel cameras is the ability to make large prints of photos while retaining fine detail, and this is crucial for the kind of landscape photography you're talking about.

I think that zoom is more important than megapixels here, though. Mega-zoom cameras (generally 10x optical or greater) truly allow you to get up close and capture that detail that the megapixels will eventually record. You want to make sure that you stay away from digital zoom, as it will distort your pictures far more badly than any pixel cramming ever could. Look for cameras with large optical zooms paired with quality lenses. Additionally, many manufacturers offer cameras with stabilized zooms, meaning they compensate for your hands shaking or other environmental issues in order to produce a sharper image. I myself own a Canon Powershot S2 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), which features this kind of technology, and I can tell you that it works spectacularly well.

I'm going to assume that you're not interested in going pro with a digital SLR. Outside of the pro realm, there are really three main options for high-MP, stabilized long zoom:

the Canon S line (S2 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ))
the Panasonic FZ line (FZ4 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), FZ5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), FZ30 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), FZ50 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ))
the Sony H line (H2 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), H5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ))

All of these cameras have their minor pluses and minuses, but in truth they're all fine machines and all of them would suit your purpose. These are all semi-bulky, SLR-like cameras. You haven't stated here whether you have a preference as to size, but there are also smaller cameras that have similar megapixel and zoom ratings. The reduction in size usually comes at the cost of a reduction in features (fine control over camera settings, etc). Some of these smaller cameras include the Nikon Coolpix S10 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) and the Panasonic Lumix TZ1 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ).

Steven,

The Canon <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  and <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  IS</a> will do quite well with outdoor action photography in good light. The long, stabilized zoom would be very helpful with shooting airplanes in flight, though you may find their focus lag to be a small bump in the road. In my experience (I own an S2 IS), they take up to half a second to "lock on" to their subject if it's a significant distance away. You'll have to learn to anticipate your shot a little, something you wouldn't have to do with a film or digital SLR.

The picture quality, however, is fantastic, and they both have tons of manual control features to help you get the best out of your rig.

There are several cameras that are similar to the S2 and S3 (huge, stabilized zoom) that you might want to consider. Panasonic offers their Lumix FZ-series (<a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  and Sony offers the CyberShot H-series (<a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... 

Hi,

In a situation like this, macro focus is the most important factor. Currently, Canon is the class leader in macro capability, with several cameras that allow you to focus on objects that are actually touching the lens. Of course, in many situations this isn't exactly helpful as the lens blocks out light, but with the proper lighting the capability is astonishing. Models that make use of this feature include the Powershot S2 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) and S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). Several other Canons allow macro focusing as close as 1cm, including the Powershot G7 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), A630 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), A640 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), A700 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), and A710 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). All of these are fantastic cameras and will serve you well.

If Canons aren't your thing, nearly every major manufacturer offers models with decent macro modes--there are dozens that can do the job you need them to. If you have other things to take into consideration when making your choice (price, megapixels, zoom, etc), you can let me know and I'll try to narrow your choices further. However, all of the models I've listed above are excellent. Good luck!

Both cameras are a good bet; I would go with the S2 in your case. The S2 is last year's model, so is slightly less "up to the minute". But it was a wildly successful product, loved by many people; the S3 is a minor upgrade. The additional lenses are a nice bonus, and will allow your daughter to express her creative energies even more. RefurbDepot has the S2 IS for $250 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) -- these are often a good bet; essentially new but for less money. Instead of the lenses, you might consider buying a tripod, which (in my experience) can help a photographer refine her eye by carefully composing and focusing.

A true optical viewfinder is cost prohibitive on non-SLR extended zoom cameras; the viewfinder would have to accurately mimic the zoom and focus of the lens using a different optical path. Even on low-zoom cameras, parallax and other issues make optical viewfinders a difficult proposition; what you see through the viewfinder is not what the lens sees. This year's crop of cameras all have viewfinders with TFT displays that are very fast and responsive, and are exactly what the lens sees. The only thing better is an SLR, where you are looking through the lens with glass ... but then you give up the image preview of the LCD. The S3 IS is a good bet.

Sandeep,

I've listed the major differences in the cameras below (in the same order you have them listed above), as well as what those differences mean.

-Megapixels: 7.2 VS 6 VS 6
More megapixels will give you sharper photos. It will also allow you to print larger photos without clarity loss.
-ISO Range: 80-1000 VS 80-1000 VS 80-800
A larger ISO number will allow you to take photos in lower light situations. You can experience graininess in the photos at higher ISO levels though. Just as a note, a photo taken at ISO 200 will be twice as bright as the exact same photo taken in ISO 100.
-LCD Size: 3" VS 2.5" VS 2.0"
A larger LCD will make it easier to preview photos on the camera. Take note that this will use your batteries up faster.

All the cameras come with movie mode and sound, use AA batteries, and have both auto and manual focus and exposure settings. I would recommend purchasing rechargeable Ni-MH or lithium ion AA batteries for any of these cameras for longer battery life. Alkaline AA batteries will leave you highly disappointed. The optical zoom on all the cameras is also the same (12x). I don't recommend using the digital zoom at all, because it causes a loss in clarity to the photo. Each of these cameras can also use additional lenses if you purchase a lens adapter.

For what you want to do with the camera, I would recommend the Sony H5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). It has the largest resolution at 7.2 MP, which will give you the most clarity and color capabilities in your shots. This is coming from a long time Canon user too.

Andrew

Sandeep,

I've only used Canon's for video and have been extremely happy with them. As for shooting in different modes and experimenting, both cameras have manual functions. All and all, I would pick the Sony H5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) over the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) because of the greater resolution and the wider ISO range. Good luck and happy shooting.

Andrew

David,

All the cameras are a great buy. You have to ask yourself what you want to do with the camera to truely decide between them. I've listed the major differences below in the same order you have them listed above.

-Megapixels: 5.1 VS 6 VS 6
-Optical Zoom: 10x VS 10.7x VS 12X
-ISO Range: 80-1600 VS 100-3200 VS 80-800
-File Format: JPEG and RAW VS JPEG and RAW VS JPEG

All the cameras come with manual focus and exposure capabilities, use AA batteries, and take movies with sound, so you will not lose out there. The higher resolution (more megapixels) photos will come out clearer when printing and enlarging. More optical zoom will get you closer to your subject. You should be able to use detachable lens converters (with adapters) on all these cameras if you want more. Your larger ISO numbers will give you better shots in lower light settings. You can see graininess in your photos when going to a higher ISO setting, but that can be corrected with photo software on your computer. The RAW photo capability will give you the ability to take photos that are even larger (when converted on your computer) to get good poster size prints and more. This type of use will take up more memory on the memory card and your computer though. Personally, I would go with the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) because I am comfortable with the Canon user interface on their cameras.

If you still have trouble deciding, you might go into a retailer to see how the cameras feel in your hands. Making sure you like the weight and feel of them is important too. If it isn't comfortable in your hands, that will will show in the photos you take. Good luck and happy shooting.

Andrew

Hi Dale,

It looks like your question got cut off, but based on the number of questions I've gotten on this topic, I'm going to guess that the three you were going to mention were the Panasonic FZ7, the Canon S3 IS, and the Sony H5. I suppose the FZ50 might sneak in there, or maybe a wildcard Olympus or Kodak, but these are essentially the big competitors.

And, honestly, they're all very good cameras. Each has its little quirks, and one might have a slight edge over the others in one performance category (the H5 has the highest resolution, for example), but really they're all pretty comparable.

Can you give me a more specific set of criteria for what you're looking for in your camera (and tell me if I'm right or wrong on my guesses--hah)? If you don't have any more exact wants/needs, my best recommendation is to go to your closest retailer (Best Buy is a good bet) and try each model out in your hands. It's usually the best way to figure out for sure which model is right for you. Good luck!

Well, hah, I guess that teaches me for being presumptuous. :)

Okay, let's see... this is still difficult. All are extremely well-rated by pro reviewers and users alike. The FZ7 has the most "cred" by far, sharing its bloodline with its much-loved big brothers FZ30 and FZ50. It's even got a perfect 5-star rating over at Amazon after 37 reviews. But the other two have over 4.5 star ratings themselves.

On a tech level, they're all very comparable. The S5200 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) loses the most here as it has the fewest megapixels (by one), the smallest zoom (by 2x), and the smallest LCD (by 0.7"). Perhaps most importantly, it lacks optical image stabilization (which the other two feature), which means that at the long end of the zoom it's going to be very difficult to get clear shots without resorting to a tripod.

My personal instinct is to go with the FZ7, but honestly you should try to get your hands on both it and the Z612 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) before making a purchase. Both cameras will give you great shots and both are easy to use, so ultimately it'll be the way the camera feels in your hand that will seal the deal. I'd also recommend giving the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) and the Sony H5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) a look. They both stack up well against these two, in terms of both features and price. Good luck!

One thing to bear in mind however is that the s5200 has the best high ISO performance/lowest noise of the lot. Thais can make up a lot for IS and is in many ways more versatile.

It depends on how to buy it. People all over the world are getting smart enough to understand that it is cheaper to buy technology over the Internet or using friends or relatives who live in the US or Canada for example. Many of the online merchants are International and ship the camera to almost anywhere in the World. Shipping cost would increase the price a little bit but it will still be much cheaper than to buy it from a local store. United Arab Emirates and India are both classified as "civilized" countries so I don't think it would be problem with shipping. Customs fees usually don't apply either. If you need to know more then please specify your question.

Hi Bridget,

yes, it sounds familiar. Nothing is wrong with your camera or computer. The problem is just the fact that the email service providers limit the size of the file you can send. And video files are always huge! Even if your own personal email service allows very large files to transfer then it still does not mean that you can send those huge files. Because the recipient's service may block it. So you need to find out 2 things: 1. What is the maximum size of the file that your email service allows to send out. 2. what is the maximum size of the file that the recipient's email service allows to receive.
If you can tell me which email service provider (like Yahoo, Hotmail etc.) you and the other person have then I can probably help you to find out how to solve the problem.

Right, it can certainly be a different reason why your computer freezes. If you have an access to another computer you may try to send your file from it. It would be also good to know what is your connection speed and what is the uplink speed into the specific email server. To upload a large file may take hours or even all day just because the receiving server is very busy. Try to email a picture file that has size at least 3MB and see how fast it goes through. Then at least we can get an idea about the uplink speed.

Since there are hundreds of cameras available in this price range it would be impossible to recommend just few models that you might like. But I can still suggest what features the camera should have so you can just have an idea what to look for. So, I would want to have the following options: optical zoom at least 4x, macro capability, optical viewfinder, manual focus option, aperture or/and shutter priority control, availability to use lens attachments. Camera with all those capabilities will give you more options to learn and improve your photography skills. It also allows to get better results in more difficult situations like fast moving objects, low light condition, macro etc.

Hi Rey,

The cameras you've mentioned are all serious contenders, but I would say that in the non-SLR class, the clear winner is Panasonic's Lumix FZ50 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). Following that link you'll find a little debate over wildlife photography (one negative comment and one rebuttal), but overall the feature set on the FZ50 outclasses the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), the Sony H5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), and the Fuji offerings by a country mile.

That said, if you want true manual control, additional lenses, and really stunning image quality you're going to want to bump up a price class to the digital SLR range. The cameras mentioned previously are all under $500 (some are even under $300). Once you step up to the SLRs, though, you're talking $600+. Of course, for your money you also get a substantial increase in quality and options.

Most digital SLRs can use lenses from film SLR cameras. This means that if you've been shooting on film with Canon lenses, you can buy a Canon dSLR and snap those babies right on. There are several new entry-level dSLRs that would appeal to the wildlife photographer. Among these are the Sony Alpha a100 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) (which features image stabilization built into the body), the Canon Digital Rebel XTi ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), and the Nikon D40 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). All of these cameras come in under $1000 with a kit lens, and all of them are compatible with their brand's film autofocus lenses (the Sony accepts Konica-Minolta lenses).

Hope this helps!

My chief reason to say no to the Fuji is that it uses the proprietary fomat of xD memory cards. Slower and more expensive. Of the two Canons, I think that both will serve your needs rather well with image stabilization, SD card storage, however, while the SD800 has a slight edge in MP, the S3 has a much better optical zoom range which I believe gives it the overall edge.

I would buy the S3 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) because I think it's a fantastic camera. It does use AA batteries, but if you buy NiMH rechargeable AAs (about twenty bucks total for a set plus charger) they will last plenty long.

The S3 does take some time to learn how to use properly- of course, you can set it to Auto and just go, but you get much better photos if you learn to use the settings a little- but once you learn it, your photo quality is excellent. The Kodak, while perhaps easier to use, delivers photos that I personally think are "overprocessed" looking, and it doesn't seem to have the 'eye' for focusing in Auto and Macro modes that the Canon does.

The Kodak DOES offer RAW and TIFF file formats... a BIG plus in its favor, but I'd STILL go with the Canon.

In terms of the flash, the S3 can use the Canon flash HC-DC1 apparently; shown here:
buy.com/prod/Canon_HF_DC1_H... 

Hope that helps.

There's one reason I would say "no" to the Fuji. It uses a proprietary xD media card. That means you would end up having two separate media cards for both your cameras. That's a hassle. Course, your 20D uses compact flash, so that's largely a wash, I guess.

My recommendation is another Canon, either the S3IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), or the A710IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). Both have some manual control, good low light, IS. Sadly, they don't capture RAW.

RAW options include the Kodak EasyShare P712 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) that also has manual control.

Bell, that's a good marketing line, but is it true?

Well, that's certainly putting the proof in the pudding! Well done Gadgetster.

Hi Suzy,

Unfortunately, there aren't really any digital SLRs out there that match your specifications. The lowest price you'll find for a new (non-clearance) SLR is $550-600. These will, if you're lucky, come with a 18-55mm lens (wide angle to mild telephoto). Unfortunately, the real sticking point here is that no (and I mean absolutely no) digital SLR includes a movie mode. This is because of the way SLRs work--a mirror reflects the image you're seeing to the viewfinder and flips up when you press the shutter release. Since SLRs have no live preview LCD, and since you can't see anything through the viewfinder when the shutter is open, you would have no idea what you're filming with a dSLR in movie mode. There's a good discussion of this problem here ( dcresource.com/forums/archi...  ). So, in short, no movie modes on dSLRs.

However, there's a whole class of digital cameras that are "SLR-like", a term that's generally used in relation to their size/shape and range of manual controls. These often have huge zooms, optically stabilized lenses, tons of manual options, and so on. In terms of movie modes, the best of these is Canon's S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), which features 640x480 movies at 30fps. The video quality is seriously amazing, and you can zoom in and out while recording. The only downside is that video recording is limited to 1gb files, which equals about 9 minutes of footage at the highest video quality setting.

Other cameras to consider are Sony's H5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), Panasonic's FZ50 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), and Fuji's S9000 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). Good luck!

Hi David,

I don't think you should have any reservations selecting the FZ50 from among its peers. It is by far the most powerful camera in its class. I myself have used it, Sony's H5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), and Canon's S2 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) (which is by all accounts extremely similar to the S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), if not a little superior on the image front). The FZ50 was a pleasure to use, and felt the most solid and SLR-like in my hands. I didn't notice any problems with noise that detracted significantly from its use, and definitely not any greater noise than I saw on the other models I mentioned.

That said, under your $600 limit there are several digital SLRs (with kit lens) that you might want to consider. The Pentax K100D ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), for example, can be had for $578 (with lens) at Amazon. The Nikon D50 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) can be had for a similar price (cheaper with a shorter range lens). The Canon Rebel XT (350D) ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is also in this range. Without a lens, each of these cameras is under $500 (some close to $400) and you can probably find decent used lenses on eBay and the like. Of course, with a memory card and other accessories (not to mention inevitable extra lenses) you'll end up over $600 eventually, but it's something worth considering. Finally, the Pentax K110D ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) (same as the K100D, minus built-in image stabilization) is an incredible $432 after a $50 rebate at Amazon, with lens.

All of that said... if you want to stay out of the SLR realm, the FZ50 is a fantastic choice.

Good luck!

David,

If you're asking about the pixels' relationship with image quality, that depends on several things. First of all, dSLRs will always provide better image quality than non SLRs because their imaging sensors are much, much larger. A typical 6MP sensor in a non-SLR, for example, is about 5.76 x 4.29mm. Meanwhile, the 6MP sensor on the K100D is 23.5 x 15.7mm (basically 4x as large). What this means is that each pixel receptor is given more room and therefore more light, which means lower image noise and the ability to capture higher quality images at high ISO sensitivities.

Furthermore, higher megapixel numbers doesn't necessarily imply better image quality. Sometimes, manufacturers will cram more pixels onto the same size sensor (for example, putting 8 million pixels onto a sensor the same size as the non-SLR 6MP sensor above). This does the opposite of what the SLRs' larger sensors do, increasing noise at higher ISO sensitivities and generally lowering image quality. The main advantage of higher resolution in consumer digitals is the ability to make larger prints.

In short, I wouldn't worry about it too much, so long as the image quality is good.

David,

13 seconds sounds like a ridiculous exaggeration by any standard, and $130 for any 2gb SD card is a huge ripoff. I'd check sites like newegg.com or even amazon.com for much more reasonable deals. Take a look at this one ( newegg.com/Product/Custrati...  ), for example.

It sounds to me like the salesperson is trying to scam you. I'd avoid whichever store that was entirely and do your shopping from reputable internet merchants. I've personally used both newegg and amazon with great results.

Good luck!

Oops sorry guys that was OLYMPUS SP510UZ not 150

Thnx 4 ya response mate.. Well after posting this topic, I went thro 2 of the latest cams, Nikon s10 and Sony dsc h2. I like the Sony but it looks beyond my budget,, nikon also looks cool and well within my budget. Now can u help me deciding about the Nikon s10?

Thnx again mate.. Can u help me regarding S 10's battery? It doesnt have easily available AA type batteries.. Im worried 4 its battery life.. Also help me knowing about Sony dsc H2. How it is Performing and especially is it worth buying it at that high price? Tho Im new to digital cams, really interested in Photography,, want to take some cool close up pics of Kids, Flowers, Birds, Beaches, nature etc. If I feel its worth at that high price, I may try to extend my budget some how.. All I need is a vv good cam worth every penny of my HARD EARNING MONEY

I know what you're saying, because buying a digital camera is always a bit of a gamble- and no digital cam lasts forever, but it's nice to feel like you're getting one you're going to like for a long time.

The S10 uses a lithium-ion; about 300 shots per charge average, which is pretty good. If that one's still in the running for you, I would say don't worry about the batteries. I prefer AAs myself but the lithium ion with this one is decent.

The H2 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is an excellent camera. The image quality is really good, handling is nice and quick, and it's got great battery life and a nice flash ... my only real issues with this camera are that it doesn't handle itself as well as it could in low light situations (some graininess), and sometimes colors/ highlights seem a little overblown. It also has issues occasionally with chromatic aberration at high zooms- this is fairly common with all extended zooms, it's the purplish fringing around contrasty objects that can sometimes be seen. I also think the movie mode in this camera leaves a little to be desired, but I don't know how important that is to you.

You've mentioned the things you like to take pictures of but I'm curious, what features are important to you? Do you need a large LCD? Do you have to have a lot of zoom? Do you want the option for manual control, or would you rather just point and shoot at all times?

I am really tempted to point you to the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), which in my opinion is the H2 only better, but it is more expensive as well.

Let me know what is important to you and maybe we can help narrow this down a little more.

I saw many cams, Sonydsc S500, dsc W5, Canon A430, A540. All these definitely suits my Budget. But I thought having a good digital cam is a Big plus in life. Some Other cams like Sony dsc w70, dsc w100, Canon A630, A 640, A710Is have 7, 8 megapixals. In my Opinion having a heigher Megapixals is a waste with out a good Zoom n latest unique features.. So I increased my budget. By now I think my mind is Open to you

I agree with you regarding the megapixels and zoom thing. And I think a nice zoom is a majorly underrated feature on most digitals. I'm always surprised that 3x and 4x zooms are so popular.
I dug up some H2 sample photos too:
dpreview.com/gallery/sonyh2... 

You're welcome. Definitely post back, let us know how the H2 works out. If you want to call my attention to a post just put my name in the question somewhere and I'll definitely see it. I'll send you an email as well in case you have further questions, no problem.

The size of the sensor matters too- lots of lesser cameras cram more megapixels on a lesser image sensor, and sell the camera to unknowing people who don't realize that a lot more goes into image quality than just megapixels. Luckily people are learning more and this trend is slowing down nowadays.

Let us know how the H2 goes- <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/forms/...  a link</a> if you want to write a review after you've tried it out!

I think you'll be happy with this one. The image sensor sensor (basically, the thing that captures the image and records it inside the camera) on the H2 is great for this amount of megapixels and gives nice quality images. Let us know how it goes.

Yup, I sent it.

Brenda I dint reveive ya email ya.. Send it again Plz

Mate Last evening I went to the cam shop again and did play with both of them. I agree with you regarding Canon. It has a good LCD and clarity I think. But felt a little bulky and unable to hold it Properly. Also Canon supplying Non rechargable batteries.. So I have to Purchase them and a charger aswell, which adds more on pocket. It comes with a 2 years Warrenty. No service station or Company showroom. Im not sure wther that shop keeper will supply Original Memory card and can give good after sales service. Now coming to Sony, it is small, light and fits perfectly into my hands. I felt really confident of holding it properly. Sony is supplying 2 rechargable batteries and a charger along with the cam. It comes with a 3 year warrenty. The main reason which is pushing me towards Sony is that the company has a big Showroom and a Service Station aswell in my city and we can expect these people to be honest regarding sales and after sales services. If Canon scores 90/100 points, I think Sony will Score 85/100. Well, honestly in my Opinion we or I can say, I have many more good reasons to choose Sony at the cost of those 5 points. Mate my email ad is vasu_vzg@yahoo.co.in

PS- check your junk mail folder, I sent the email again.

Brenda P, I got a doubt.. Will STUDY SHOT (Optical Image Stabilization) on h2 work while recording Video??

Hello. I was wondering if someone could give me some advice on which camera to buy. I wanted a small one that I can carry around with me easily. I was deciding between the Canon Powershot SD800 IS, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX07 , Panasonic Lumix TZ1, Fuji FinePix F30, and Canon PowerShot A710 IS. I have no idea how these cameras really performed and was hoping someone could help. I really want good optical zoom and IS but I also want it to take good quality pictures. I would greatly appreciate any advice. Thanks

Hi Vasu, glad it is working for you so far. Image quality is great on that camera.

Rob, the ones you mentioned are definitely each good cameras in their own way but they have some distinct differences. For example:
SD800 IS= good all-around performance, neat wide angle lens, maybe not the best in low light but pretty good
Panasonics= excellent bargain for price, possible graininess issues in very low light (depends on if you're blowing images up, etc.)
Fuji F30= excellent low light performance, lack of manual control
A710 IS= great image quality, some slow operation times when shooting with flash

As you can see, it will sort of depend on your needs/ preferences as a photographer. Can you give me a few more details on what is important to you/ what kind of shooting you plan to do?

Lorii, its hard to get a Pocet sized cam with 10x zoom I think.. Try Nikon s10. Auto focus, 10xzoom, Image stabilization. It is not really small, but smallest in 10x zoom range..

Hi Joseph,

I think the clear choice for best ultrazoom camera is the Panasonic Lumix FZ50 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), which unsurprisingly has the DCHQ Editor's Choice award for Most Powerful Extended Zoom Camera. It's fast, ruggedly built, and has a feature set that no other camera in its class can match, not even the more popular Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) and Sony H5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) (which are both also very good cameras, no doubt).

The FZ50 has a 12x optically stabilized zoom, a very nice 10 megapixel sensor, allows for both JPEG and RAW capture, has a full manual mode to rival some SLRs, and it comes in at under $500.

Hope this helps!

If you don't mind a camera that doesn't allow much manual control (basically a point and shoot), I highly recommend the Fuji Finepix F30 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). It's the best camera at this particular user/ price level when it comes to taking great low-light shots. If you want something a little more complex, look at the Canon Powershot S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). It also takes good low light shots, and has a very strong zoom, image stabilization, and full manual controls if you're in the mood to control your own settings.

Hi Jim,

First of all, I wouldn't recommend purchasing a Nikon Coolpix 8400 this late in the game. The camera is well over two years old at this point and has been replaced by many better cameras. The reason the prices you're seeing for it are so high are probably owing to the fact that it's no longer in production (scarcity = value, I guess).

If you're looking for a SLR-like camera, the class leaders right now include the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), the Panasonic FZ50 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), the Sony H5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), and the Kodak P712 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). All of these cameras feature long (usually 12x) optically stabilized zooms, at least six megapixels, and tons of manual controls. Each is under $500. I'd check them out instead of considering the 8400. Good luck!

First of both cameras are made by very reputable brands that made high quality products that are reliable so you don't have to worry about that. Also both have easy to get accessories especially using the link on the cameras individual page on this website. As for taking great fast pictures with ease I would have to recommend the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) because of the quality of the lens and the great image stablization. Both are very similar carmeras thought so I honestly feel you would be happy with both. Check out the reviews to make your final decision.

Hi Mike,

The smallest I know of are the Canon S2 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) and S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), which have a "super macro" mode which allows you to focus on things that are actually touching the lens glass. I have the S2 IS, and I can attest to this ability. Of course, when you get that close to the lens, the lens itself can block out your light source.

Good luck!

Hi there,
My vote would go for either the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) or the G7 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). If image quality is top on your list I would personally go with a Canon over a Panasonic. Some might disagree but the more I look over sample images, the more I am finding that the higher end Panasonics (over 5 megapixels) do have something of an image noise problem.... not so bad at smaller sizes but if you take a photo in twilight and you want to blow it up this could cause some difficulties. I think Canon wins in terms of all-around image quality.

Between the S3 and the G7, it's a pretty close call. I typically recommend the S3 because of the fact that it has a fantastic movie mode, but you mentioned that this isn't a factor, so at this point it's kind of up to you. The S3 has a flip-out LCD and a better zoom, but a few less megapixels (however, still enough to most likely do whatever you want). The G7 has an optical viewfinder and probably slightly sharper photos during zooming. The S3 has a few issues with softness and vignetting at full zoom (this isn't a reflection on the camera's quality; just a fact of life with a DSLR-like cam with this much zoom power). I'm not sure how important zoom is to you, but you might want to keep that in mind- the G7 has 6x zoom that should be sharp all the way up, the S3 probably loses some sharpness around 8 or 9x.

Both Canons offer manual options (I think the S3 offers more) and both have image stabilization. If I were you, I would weigh these factors: how important is zoom? and how do I like to shoot, with a flip-out LCD or with the option of an optical viewfinder as well as a flat LCD? And that should lead you to the right camera.
Hope that helps!

Hi Mark,

These are all good choices, and they're all quite comparable with one another. My personal preference is for the S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), as Canon's image quality is--to me--by far the most lifelike and clear. However, I almost want to recommend you get the older S2 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), which is significantly cheaper and not that much improved on by the S3 IS. In fact, many reviewers and users liked it better.

Frankly, though, you'd do well to get any of these cameras. They all have small areas where they shine over the others (the S3 has by far the best movie mode, the P712 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) has Kodak's trademark smooth user interface, and the Sony has a huge screen) but in general they're pretty comparable. I'd suggest going in to a major electronics store and trying as many of them out in your hand as possible. That's the best way to make a choice, always.

Good luck!

I recently faced the same choices (only I also thought of Panasonic), and ended up getting the Canon, so far I'm quite happy with it. What put it over the top was the swivel screen and feature that allowed you to shoot a video while shooting pictures.
Sony was a close second, I had a Sony before S3 IS for 3,5 years and was very pleased with its performance. I actually see the fact that Sony uses its own memory card as a huge plus - never did I have a problem with its memory sticks, and the very first memory card I got for a Canon died on me 3 days later, so I believe that by making their own memory cards, Sony are better able to control the quality. Unless you own or plan to own more than one camera, and one of them will not be a Sony, it's not an issue at all.
Kodak never seemed like quite a match to the other three options to me, so I eliminated it rather early on.

I haven't used it but I have read that this camera is capable of handling a 4gb card. They most likely have not officially tested 4gb and that's why they don't recommend them, but as long as you format the card once you put it in the camera you should be OK. Of course, I usually stick with 2gb myself (and just buy multiples of them) because I'm paranoid about a card error- with two smaller cards you can't lose all of your photos with one technical glitch. But that's my personal preference.
Good luck!

The macro range for this model is as follows:

Macro: 3.9 in.-1.6 ft./10-50cm (WIDE)
Super Macro: 0-3.9 in./0-10cm (WIDE)

You need to be at wide angle when you shoot in super macro mode. That may be your problem. Also recommend you use a tripod when doing so to prevent camera shake.

Hi, I noticed that you haven't marked any replies as the "best answer." Are you still looking for an answer? If so, I recommend you re-submit it on digitalcamera-hq.com  so it will have a better chance of being noticed. These days it looks like most questions are being answered within a few days. Good luck!

According to the Canon Knowledge base, in order to attach any converter type lens, you also need to use the optional Conversion Lens Adapter LA-DC58E. Or that your after market lens isn't very clear in it's glass. You may need to rely on manual settings as well.

Forgot to mention that I DO have the lens adaptor. Without it you can't attach a separate lens, at least to my knowledge...

Nancy, the technical specifications for these cameras are almost identical. The S3IS has only very few specs. that are slightly better (resolution, ISO, LCD size) but in my opinion the total difference would not be worth more than $20-30. So if the S3IS is way more expensive then I would suggest you to go for the S2IS.

Bob,

Both cameras are reliable, but, personally, I would go with the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). The optical zoom capabilities (10x vs 6x), the more manual settings, as well as its capability to use additional lenses (with an adapter) make it a much more versatile camera. Good luck and happy shooting.

Andrew

I was undecided between the 710, S3, A640 and S2. I ended up with the S2 and I LOVE it. It's only 5 MP, but the pictures are beautiful. I did up to 8x10's, with indoor pictures, and they are perfect. Just some insight for you.

Hi Janet,

These are both very good cameras, but for me the S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is the clear winner for what really boils down to one reason: price.

You're going to be paying quite a bit more for the G7 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), and you won't be getting that much more in return. In some areas, you'll be getting much less. The main benefits that the G7 has over the S3 IS are in terms of megapixels/sensor size (10MP to the S3's 6MP, and a larger sensor) and size/weight (it's almost 5oz lighter and nearly half as thick). The S3 on the other hand has twice the zoom (12x to the G7's 6x), a still very reasonable sensor, a very cool flip-out & rotate LCD, and it takes the ever-convenient AA batteries (get some rechargeables and you're ready to go).

I own the S2 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) and love it. For macro photography it's flat out amazing, especially in super-macro mode, which offers a minimum focal length of 0cm. Yeah, that means you can essentially focus on something that's touching the lens. It produces great up close shots of flowers. Here ( img61.imageshack.us/img61/4...  )'s one I took last summer in New Mexico. The S2 is pretty much exactly the same camera as the S3 (one fewer MP and that's about it).

Hope this helps, and good luck!

Basically you are looking for a faster camera. One that can take snaps quickly and effectively. Most people new to digital cameras are surprised there slow reaction time. I can suggest two cameras that are a step above point and click models that have fast reaction and shutter speeds. The Sony H5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is a favorite camera for those looking for a powerful camera that is not as complex or expensive as a SLR. It is very nice machine and will certainly solve most of your issues. The Canon s3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is a another similar camera that is fast and high quality. You should check out the user reviews for both of these cameras and see if an interest you. To truely get the speed you are looking for a dSLR might be the only perfect solution, but that brings more money and experience into the picture and I feel that these two models have what you are looking for.

Good Luck!

Hi, thanks both for your replies. I guess the technical term for what I'm looking for is "burst mode". Can you make suggestions as to which camera to buy which will give me this feature? Both the above mentioned models are still out of my price range....

Susanne Hein, I recommend Konica Minolta Z6, may be within your budget. I am using Z3 which has excellent burst mode, macro, telephoto, autofocus. You may not be able to find this camera soon because Sony has bought over Konica Minolta's camera business. They may stop production of it because Sony has the H5. If you cannot afford Z6, get a Z3, should be cheaper by now.

Hi Judy,

The smallest cameras you'll find with a huge zoom are the Panasonic TZ1 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), the Kodak V610 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), and the Nikon S10 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). The problem here is that the smaller you make the cameras, the harder it is to make their big zooms function well. The smallest of these, the V610, is also the worst-rated, and that's no coincidence. Smaller cameras have slower zooms, a harder time focusing when zoomed in, and tend to have much more shutter lag. All three of these cameras get bad marks from pro reviewers like dpreview.com for their shutter lag and slow/poor-focusing zooms. This is exactly the kind of problem you don't want when you're trying to shoot animals in motion on safari.

I think that you'd be much better served by choosing a slightly larger camera with better performance. If you'd like further assistance selecting a larger, better camera, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Good luck!

Judy,

The cameras I listed above all feature 10x optical zooms. Strangely, the cameras of the next level up in size tend to be 6x zooms. Of these, there are several very good options available. The best of these is the Canon A710 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), which has a 6x optical zoom with a very good image stabilization system (compensates for shakiness in your hands) and a nice 2.5" LCD. It's got a very good 7.1MP sensor, too, so you'll have plenty of room for cropping if need be. Most importantly, it's a very quick performer. It's quick to focus and quick to shoot. The A710 IS is probably the best compromise between size and power.

Larger compact digitals like the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) and the Sony H5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) offer 12x stabilized zooms and very quick operation, but they cost quite a bit more and are much heavier and larger.

Hope this helps a bit.

Hi,

There are many cameras these days that match or exceed the specs of the HP 945. The Fuji S5200 you've selected above is one of them. Others include the Canon S3 IS, the Sony H5, the Panasonic FZ50, and the Kodak P712.

The Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is a 6MP camera with a 12x optically-stabilized zoom. It features a nice flip-out & swivel LCD screen, a great macro mode (can focus on things actually touching the lens), and an absolutely beautiful video mode, along with signature smooth and accurate Canon picture quality. It uses AA batteries, which means you can use rechargeable AA NiMHs.

The Sony H5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is a 7MP camera with a 12x optically-stabilized zoom. Its LCD is fixed, but also huge and of great resolution (3" at 230,000px). Like the Canon, it uses AA batteries (though only 2, where the Canon uses 4). It uses Sony's proprietary memory stick, which might be a turnoff to some.

The Panasonic FZ50 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is a 10MP camera with a 12x optically-stabilized zoom. It's the only one of these cameras to use a 1/1.8" CCD sensor, though it needs the extra space for all those pixels (the others use a 1/2.5" sensor). It has the feel that's closest to a SLR, and size and weight to match, about 8oz heavier than the next closest. Like most Panasonics, it has issues with excessive image noise in low light, but in good conditions it can produce amazing images. It uses a proprietary lithium ion battery pack.

The Kodak P712 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is nearly identical in its specs to the Sony H5. Users seem to love it, and it's the smallest and lightest of the cameras here. It has a very ergonomic design, and trademark Kodak ease of use. Like all of the cameras here, it's capable of producing very, very good pictures. Like the Panasonic, this camera uses a proprietary battery pack.

You can get a full rundown of these cameras' specs side by side here ( dpreview.com/reviews/compar...  ).

There's really no clear recommendation between these cameras. I personally love my Canon S2 IS and would recommend the S3 IS based on that alone, but the truth is that all four of these models are very comparable. I'd recommend going to your local mega-electronics store and trying as many of these as possible in your hands.

Good luck!

I know what you mean on the size issue. Seems like even the "big" cameras are getting smaller and smaller these days. The FZ50 is much bigger than the S3 IS and H5, so I'd really recommend checking that one out.

The K100D ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is a very good camera--probably the best value-oriented entry-level SLR out these days (along with the K110D ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), which is exactly the same minus the in-camera image stabilization). Being an SLR, you'll be able to buy additional lenses for it, as well as external flashes and other accessories that (with a few exceptions) you couldn't use with the above cameras. The down side is, of course, price. The camera itself is more expensive than the cameras above, and then you factor in the price of additional lenses (the kit lens is good, but you'll eventually want to upgrade) and it's much, much more expensive.

Any dSLR will outclass any non-SLR digital in terms of image quality--it's just a question of how much you want to spend to get that quality.

(You might also want to check out the Nikon D50 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), which should be in a similar price range with the K100D.)

Hope this helps.

Hi Christina,

There are only four Canons with image stabilization, and only two of these are truly compact.

The S2 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) and S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) are bigger cameras (not as big as SLRs, not as small as the A and SD series). They're very powerful cameras, (5 or 6MP sensors, 12x optical zoom, fast and intuitive operation) have good continuous shooting modes, very long battery life, and a class-leading video mode (in terms of quality). Unfortunately, the compression mode that they use for video is pretty inefficient--the longest you can get from these cameras at top quality is 8-9min per gigabyte. The S2 IS is limited to 1gb video files, while the S3 IS is unlimited (but obviously you're limited by your total card size--4gb or less). The S3 IS can shoot at 2.3 frames per second in continuous drive mode.

The SD800 IS and A710 IS are smaller and less powerful, but still very good.

The SD800 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is the smallest image stabilized Canon. It's got a 7MP sensor, a 3x optical zoom, and the same image stabilization as in the S2 and S3, and a nice wide angle lens (28mm). It lacks most manual settings and is essentially a point and shoot camera. It can shoot 1.7 frames per second in continuous drive mode.

The A710 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is slightly larger than the SD800 IS. It's got a 7MP sensor and a 6x optical zoom. Unlike the SD800 IS, it offers full manual controls and has a sweet flip out and swivel LCD screen (as does the S3 IS). It can shoot at 1.7fps in continuous drive mode.

Hope this helps!

Hi Ben,

The A710 has a fixed LCD, it doesn't flip out.

The flash can be too bright if you are too close. Blurred-that can haeppen if you puch the button too fast.

i think i have the same problem with the lemon theory, my nikon s3 is acting weird..i can see the pictures that i have already taken but when i want to take a picture the screen is just black and when i try to take a picture, well its JUST BLACK. is there like a reset button or something that can change this, help plz

Rapid sequence of shots is normally known as 'continuous shooting' or 'shooting in burst mode'.

Canon S3is not only can do this, it does it very well indeed at a rate of 2.3 frames per second.

If capturing sports sequences is the ultimate objective of the average sports fans, S3is will be a good camera to own because of it's high shutter speed (1/3200 sec), high continuous mode of 2.3 frames per second and built in image stabilization capabilities.

Hi Jacob,

Honestly, I think the S3 IS is the better camera here, and I'll tell you why:

Two words: image stabilization.

A super zoom camera without image stabilization is sort of like a sniper rifle without a sight. You'll shoot a lot, but you definitely won't get a hit as often.

The S9100 is a very good camera in many respects. It's got a great sensor (one of the largest, physically speaking, in a consumer camera), has 3MP on the S3, and a semi-wide angle lens (28mm to the Canon's 36mm). However, unless you plan on shooting a lot with a tripod, the Fuji's 10.7x optical zoom is going to be sort of useless. At full zoom without image stabilization, hand movement is going to blur a large percentage of your shots.

The S9100 also has significant issues with image noise at the higher ISO settings, and seems to have a sort of crappy JPEG compression algorithm (some artifacts in images). The S3, in my opinion, produces the cleanest shots in its class, and its video mode is also unbeaten.

Hope this helps!

Nayana,

What is the thread width on your scope? The LAH-DC20 lens adapter ( amazon.com/Canon-LAH-DC20-A...  ) for your camera has a 58mm thread width. You can purchase step-down or step-up adapters to make your scope fit.

Andrew

Nayana,

With a 28mm thread width, you can still combine it with your lens adapter with the use of a series of step-down rings. These rings are about $4 each and you'll need more than 5 to get from 58mm to 28mm. Any photos you take with this set-up will also look like they were taken through a hole in the wall because of the narrowing of the scope. I would not recommend doing this for quality photos.

Andrew

There are two camera I will suggest that can take on the specific requirements you are looking for. One is the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) and the other is the Sony H5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). Both of these cameras are super fast and have 7.2 MP sensors with 12x optical zoom. This is what you are looking for. These camera are kind a middle ground between point and shoot cameras and really serious pro SLRs. In a way I feel it is the best of both world, power and ease of use with high quality stills tacked on. Either one is a great buy.

I suggest checking out each cameras individual user reviews to find which one suites you best, but honestly you can't go wrong these are suburb machines.

Good Luck

Try the sports mode. That will freeze the action, also turn on the IS if you haven't done so already.

FZ50 and S3is are pretty close in specifications with FZ50 winning in having manual zoom control, 10 megapixel sensor and saving images in RAW files but losing out in noise and bulkiness.

There are fans of both camps and the debate is evident in forums such as the one below :
forums.dpreview.com/forums/... 

The general impression is if you are not frequent users of ISO 400 and above, FZ50 will be a good alternative to dSLR.
Otherwise, you may want to consider Sony H5 or Canon S3is.

This subject has got many people interested, and also puzzled, judging from the number of postings in the forums on the subject.

The general impression is FZ50 has better features, but lose out on noise level, bulky and higher priced.

S3is on the other hand has lower megapixel sensor, but lighter, more handy and cheaper.

If you do not use extreme zoom often , like the 300mm to 400mm range, you could be better of buying an affordable dSLR like Pentax K100D ($419 with lens) because the bigger sensor promise you much better quality pictures than either of the above. Price wise both are not cheap, FZ50 is $444 and S3is is $350. After all, you have already have an S1 and moving up to S3 is not much of an upgrade.

Hi,

Unfortunately, you're going to find that pretty much all consumer non-SLRs have issues with low light shooting--focus hunting (i.e., the camera's autofocus system takes a relatively long time to lock onto the subject) and image noise are the biggest concerns.

The S3 is above average when it comes to image noise in low light... certainly better than the competition from Panasonic and comparable with that from Sony. You can see some example night shots here ( dcresource.com/reviews/cano...  ).

Honestly, though, there's no consumer camera out right now that entirely eradicates the issues inherent to night/low light shooting. If you were to step up to an entry-level dSLR (the Nikon D40 and the Petax K100D being good budget-conscious choices) you'd benefit greatly from their much larger imaging sensors.

Bottom line: the S3 IS is a very good camera, and about the best you're going to get in its class when it comes to low light shooting, but it might still have some issues.

Hope this helps!

No problem, hope the camera you settle on serves you well. :)

Holy cow, really? Mine is an old Sears model I bought new in the 80's. I believe it has Pentax mounts but it's been so long since I've used it. The camera died years ago but my lenses, including my zoom are pristine. I'll have to pull it out, take a look and check into that some more.

I did a quick google search on the swapability of the lenses but only found a general no so I quickly gave up that idea. Perhaps to soon. You're the man, Ben. Thanks

Ben... You're right. My lenses will work with the K100D.

This quote is from the specifications page for the camera "Compatible with any Pentax K-mount lens ever produced and any Pentax screw-mount lens with optional adapters"

Like I said, You're the man!

This just couldn't be any better. Not only will I have a better camera for $100 less but being able to use my film SLR lenses means I'll end up with a $1500+ setup in the process.

I dreamed of a digital setup comparable to my 35mm but I never thought I'd be able to do it. Wow.... my hobby is reborn. I can't thank you enough. I'm going to check out some cameras and see if I can't step up a notch from entry level.

Wow.... really. You have no idea how long I've wanted this or how much I've missed it.

Thank You!
Christy

For a start, you only need a 2 gig SD card and a battery-charger kit.

The camera comes with 16 MB SD card which is hardly sufficient for everday use. A 2 gig Sandisk card will be more appropriate for your purpose.

For battery and charger , Canon CBK4-300 AA Battery and Charger Kit will be a good start although later on you might want a 1-hour charger.

Canon PSC-75 Deluxe Soft Case will be most useful because it is custom made for S3is.
For me, I usually put my camera in a bigger camera bag with paddings on at least 2 sides to protect the camera from accidental impacts while leaving sufficient space for an external flash, lens tissues, lens cleaning fluid and one or two other small items like spare batteries.

Patricia,

I'd recommend the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). It has all the features you're looking for at just over $300 online retail. I'm sure you can find it for even less on eBay ( search.ebay.com/canon-s3-is...  ). I hope this helps.

Andrew

If he loves the Canon he has now, sticking with the same brand is a great idea. The user interfaces are almost exact, so that will make the camera easier to use for him. The major differences between the two cameras are listed below (Canon A710 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) listed first).

Megapixels: 7.1 vs 10
- More megapixels create sharper images when they are printed or displayed on a computer screen

Optical zoom: 6x vs 4x
- More optical zoom allows photographers to get "closer" to their subject. Digital zoom will distort photos, so I don't take much stock in it.

Batteries: 2 AA vs 4 AA
- I personally don't like using AA batteries in a camera unless I use NiMH rechargables. They last longer, and I always carry an extra charged set in case they run out. You can get 4 with a charger online or at a retailer for around $20.

Personally, I would pick the Canon A710 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) because it has more optical zoom. I like the ability to zoom more. The resolution difference in the megapixels won't really show up that much unless you're blowing the photos up to poster size or cropping a lot of the photo out before printing. Good luck and happy shooting.

Andrew

The Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is also a good camera with terrific zoom (12x optical). The 6MP resolution will still yield great photos for printing up to 8x10" and even larger depending on the resolution you use. It is a larger camera though, so it will need a case or bag to carry around. Another advantage of the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is the fact that you can use external conversion lenses with the correct adapter. I like it for the zoom, but its not as portable as the other two.

Andrew

I would say you need to manually change the settings. There is a way to sync an external flash to the camera, but it is a specially designed flash that connects to the camera. Using strobe flashes will create more light, and the camera might not properly communicate with them. I would recommend using the manual settings with your ISO at 80 or 100. You can customize your white balance as well to get the best exposure level. If you have a way of turning your strobe lights on to get a reading by the camera and lock in the level you want, that would be the best way to set it. If not, you'll have to manually bracket your shots by setting it at different levels with each photo until you find the right setting for you. Good luck.

Andrew

The Panasonic Lumix FZ8 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is a great new camera but I find the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) to have better image stablization features, even though it does have 1 less MP. The canon has better around and proved itself. Check out the strong reviews.

Thanks alot ...Joe

and i wait for us to see the link!

i have the fz8 and i took the fz8 and s3 is side by side compared them online with specs and in person and i like the fz8 10x better. its much much lighter, more features are easier to use and more accessible, and i just thought it was better and more practical.

"I've always been a fan of the Canon digital cameras"
... me too. I have a Canon A620 (fantastic cam!), and I had the same doubt. I investigated very much, saw many photos of both and bought the FZ8. The photos of S3 are very bad, colors washed without definition, those of the FZ8 are much better. The Pana's noise is sometimes a problem and the Venus III is always the bigger one. So shoot raw whenever possible. I am very happy with the purchase.

RW. As for your doubt with the Li-Ion battery. do not be afraid! I bought 2 separate batteries(made in china dough) and I shot 1.150 shot's one ful day at a party with bursts shots and a lot of zoom action and at down also flash; movie made also. The original battery I did not used. hope to give you some trust.

you're asking me to choose between a leica vario-elmarit on the fz8, and whatever they have on the canon? i'd go with the leica anytime, specially if you want a 200% blowup. if you shoot in raw, you wouldn't have noise problems even in the iso 800 range, hand held at f/4. and 1/15 sec low light conditions.

You have to lift the flash manually, and there's also a button to select flash on or auto-flash. That gives you lots of control over you flash options.

Hi Laurie,
The big difference between these two cameras is that the Nikon D40 is a true digital SLR camera whereas the Kodak has a fixed lens. Are you looking for a DSLR or would you be happier with a more compact and lighter point and shoot? There is a side-by-side comparison of the two cameras <A HREF="dpreview.com/reviews/compar... 
Out of the two, I personally prefer Nikon, but once you step into the world of DSLR then you are talking about buying better lenses than what comes with the camera, filters, tripods, flash units etc and that can get expensive and may not be what you're looking for.
I've never had a Kodak but if you have used them before and you like the brand then I would advise you to go with the Kodak in your position.
As an alternative compact slr-like camera that is great for catching fast action and for general all-round purposes I would recommend the <A HREF="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  Powershot S3 IS</A>. It is highly-rated on all the major sites and I think it would suit your needs perfectly. Also has excellent video capture with stereo sound if you wanted to shoot clips of your son playing Lacrosse.
Hope this helps,
Mark

Hello,

this camera is not a SLR so you can not change lenses. You might be able to attach a tele converter that will extend your zoom 2 times or 1.4 times for example. Those devices usually work OK but you will need to increase the shutter speed and it means that the light condition has to be really good.

Try a company called lensmate (google it) they have what looks like some good products. I will probably buy their stuff when I get my s3. They also have sample pics thru the various lenses. Mark

I'm not sure what the preset shutter speed is for the "sports" setting on this camera, but it may be to long. The best thing you can do is set the camera to shutter priority "TV" and then select the fastest shutter speed, which is 1/3200th of a second on this camera. That should give you a nice sharp shot.
Good luck!

I've got the S3 IS as well so I'll try and talk you through it step by step. There are two options so I'll give you the more straight forward one first:

<u>Sports Mode</u>
1) Look at the large dial on top of the camera to the left of the "off" button. It starts at "C" then goes "M", "AV", "TV", "P", "AUTO" etc. Further round there's a picture of a man and it looks like he's standing on one leg (he's supposed to be running), that's the "Sports" mode. Turn the dial so that the man lines up with the white dash mark to the left of the dial.
Now the camera is in "Sports" mode and the settings are ready for you to take pictures of things moving.

<u>Shutter Priority Mode</u>
2) If you take a picture of the racing cars (or anything else you can find going really really quickly:)) using "sports mode" and the pictures still come out blurred, try this:
Back to the dial and turn it so that "TV" lines up with the white dash on the left. Now the camera is in "Shutter Priority Mode". On the LCD screen towards the bottom left of the screen you'll see numbers. It could be 0"5, 1/4, something like that. Press down to go right on the directional pad (above the "set" and "menu" buttons), and every time you push right you'll notice the numbers changing. Keep pressing it until it says 1/3200. This is the fastest shutter speed for the camera and should be able to freeze the fastest of actions.

Until next saturday, just try shooting anything that moves really fast:) Let me know how you get on.

I want to say, your not the only one with this problem. I too don't understand the shutter speed. I own a kodak z730 with video mode. Can any body advise me of a book or website to understand. I like taking pictures of up close flowers and nascars on the track. My E-Mail is 57dreamin@prodigy.net. I need help!

I have found out that to stop speed you can use the TV setting and that seems to work pretty good for me as long as it is not dusty. If it is dusty I catch the dust with the shutter speed being so fast. When I took the pictures at Road Atlanta I used this speed at 1/3200 and I was stopping sprint cars in thier tracks. The sports mode works good when they are not as fast like during hot laps and stuff. But if you are shooting cars not on dirt tracks I would use the TV mode. Also the concerts are good in the tv mode also. Let me know if this helps. Also you can see some of my race photos at www.myspace.com/kkmomof2. You can e-mail me at picturesbykk@yahoo.com I would love to see some of the work you have done

The main thing you need to learn, to photograph anything moving is to pan the camera. That simply means the camera moves (you rotate at the hips) the speed of the camera will basicly reduce the speed of the object and you wil get a clear picture. As for bumping shutter speeds up. THe dirt tracks in Georgia are way to dark and dusty to shoot a real fast shutter speed so be sure to spend a little money on a powerful flash, shoot at the flash sync speed for your camera and keep your camera moving. It is not something you learn overnight, but with alot of practice you will learn it. Also you can pratice with cars on the highway; even though a race car is traveling @ about 100mph in the straight a ways, he is going alot slower in the corners, and he will almost stop when the his speed in the camera speed match, giving you basiclly a still shot.

I'd be very leery about doing this. Most brand cameras don't allow other brands' lenses on their cameras. If you don't get a direct answer on here, try going to a camera shop like Ritz and show them the camera and lens you're interested in and get an educated answer out of them. I personally wouldn't even consider it. But I have an original Pentax camera with Pentax lens, so who am I to say? :)

Both answers help. Thanks for input. I will stop by my local camera shop and talk to them. I have a local sony store which has the lens in stock, maybe I will stop in and take a look. I believe the lens was designed for H2-H5-7 & 9 (58mm) I have the lensmate 58mm adapter (Which is really nice) and had read somewhere that the sony lens was a good one. again thanks Mark p.s. if i had any points i would split them up between you for your responses.

Agreed. That's what we're here for.

The problem with continuous shooting and flash is that the flash capacitors have to recharge. So, shooting more than one shot with the flash on presents a problem because it takes about 10 seconds to recharge that capacitor. As such, it's probably a setting in the firmware which prohibits it, I'm guessing.

However, although I recommend using the flash in daylight to make your subjects "pop," there's something afoot if your pictures are under exposed in daylight conditions.

I suggest you reset the camera back to it's factory default settings. That may solve the issue for you.

To reset the S3, press menu in playback mode, go to the settings tab (3rd from the left) and at the bottom of that menu, you'll find the option to Reset All. Hope it helps.

hello and congratulations
may i suggest the following link
flickr.com/photo_exif.gne?i... 

helllo kk
may be this will help
digital-photography-school.... 

Here's what I found as a possible solution on the ZoomBrowser Ex site ( made a document out of the information I found on the site, but I don't know the address anymore, that's why I'm copying the information here - sorry that it's so long...):

Printing dates on images imported to the computer (with Canon printers)

Printing dates on images imported to the computer using ZoomBrowser EX and Easy-PhotoPrint

Note:
   -    ZoomBrowser EX from the supplied Solution Disk must be installed on your computer for this operation.
   -    For information on how to import images to the computer, please refer to the Related Information at the bottom of this page.
   -    These instructions show how to print one image on one sheet of paper as an example.

1. Double-click the ZoomBrowser EX icon on the desktop.

If the ZoomBrowser EX icon is not displayed on the desktop, click the Start button, then All Programs or Program, Canon Utilities, ZoomBrowser EX, and then select ZoomBrowser EX to start the program.

2. The main window of ZoomBrowser EX opens.

Select a folder that contains the image you are printing.
Click Print.
Click One Photo per Page Print.

If the following message appears, click OK to close the window. This message appears when Easy-PhotoPrint supplied with Canon printers is installed on your computer.

3. If Easy-PhotoPrint is installed, the following window appears.

Make sure the Select Images is selected.
Select the image you are printing. Press the Ctrl key to select multiple images.
Click Open Easy-PhotoPrint.

If Open Easy-PhotoPrint ( ) does not appear in the window above, or Easy-PhotoPrint is not installed on your computer, please refer to the Related Information at the bottom of this page "Printing dates on images imported to the computer (with non-Canon printers)", and use ZoomBrowser EX for this operation.

4. Easy-PhotoPrint starts.

Specify the number of prints.
Click the Paper Selection tab.

5. In the following window, specify the printer, the paper size, and the paper type. The settings that appear differ depending on the printer being used.

Specify the printer you are using.
Select the paper size.
Select the paper type.
Click the Layout/Print tab.

6. In the following window, specify the date and the border settings.

Specify the border settings and image layouts in Layout.
Click Date.
Make sure the date is set.
Select Preferences from the File menu if you are changing the location, the font size, or the font color of the date in the print.

7. In the following window, specify the date settings.

Select the location, the font size, and the font color of the date.
Click OK.

8. Return to the Layout/Print tab. Check the preview, and then print the image.

Check the actual image to be printed in Preview.
Click Print to start printing.

This completes the process for printing dates on images.

Specify the date/border settings and print directly from the camera (for PictBridge)

Connect the camera to the printer and print directly from the camera

Note:
-
To select items from the camera's LCD monitor, press the button to the left, right, top, or bottom ( ), and then press the FUNC SET button ( ) to specify the item.

-
Screens or menu listings may differ depending on the model being used.

-
These instructions show how to print one image on one sheet of paper as an example.

1. Connect the camera to the printer.

Connect the interface cable to the camera's DIGITAL terminal.
Connect the other end of the cable to printer's USB terminal.

2. Turn the printer's power on.

3. Turn the camera's mode lever to (playback), and then turn the camera's power switch on.

4. Display an image to print on the LCD monitor.

Make sure that the [SET] icon is displayed in the upper left corner of the LCD monitor, and then press the camera's (FUNC SET) button.

5. The screen for specifying the print settings appears.

Select [Date] for adding the date.
Set the number of prints.
Select [Paper Settings], and then press the camera's (FUNC SET) button.

6. The screen for setting the paper size appears.

Select the paper size, then press the camera's (FUNC SET) button. In the image shown above, the [4 x 6] size is selected.

7. The screen for setting the paper type appears.

Select the paper type, and then press the camera's (FUNC SET) button. In the image shown above, [Photo] is selected.

8. The layout (border) settings screen appears.

Select the layout type, and then press the camera's (FUNC SET) button. In the image shown above, [Bordered] is selected.

9. Return to the print setting screen.

Make sure that the settings are correct.
Select [Print] and press the camera's (FUNC SET) button to start printing.

This completes the camera settings for printing images with dates or borders.

What to do when two overlapping dates appear in prints

When printing images using the Postcard Date Imprint mode, two overlapping dates may appear on the printed image.

If there are overlapping dates on the printed image as shown above, please refer to the following information.

1. Connect the camera to the printer with the interface cable supplied with your camera.

Connect the interface cable to the camera's DIGITAL terminal.
Connect the other end of the cable to the printer's USB port.

2. Display an image to print on the camera's LCD monitor, and then make sure that the date appears on the image.

3. Make sure that the camera's (Print/Share) button lights up, and then press the button.
The button will blink and the printer will start printing the image.

When printing after setting the number of prints or print effects

If the icon appears on the upper left corner of your camera's LCD monitor when connected to the printer, use the following instructions to print the image.

1. Display an image to print on the camera's LCD monitor.
2. Press the camera's (SET) button to display the print settings screen.
3. In the print settings screen, select [Off] for the date printing option.
(If the date printing option is set to [On] at this point, two overlapping dates will appear in prints.)

4. Select [Print], and then press the camera's (SET) button.
The camera's (Print/Share) button blinks and the printer starts printing the image.

If the or icon appears on the upper left corner of your camera's LCD monitor when connected to the printer, use the following instructions to print the image.

1. Display an image to print on the camera's LCD monitor.
2. Press the camera's (SET) button to display the print settings screen.
3. Select [Style] in the print style screen, and then press the camera's (SET) button.

4. In the print style settings screen, select [Off] for the [Date] setting.
(If the [Date] setting is set to [On] at this point, two overlapping dates will appear in prints.)

5. Press the camera's MENU button to return to the print settings screen, then select [Print], and then press the (SET) button.
The camera's (Print/Share) button blinks and the printer starts printing the image.

I don't think that's possible... Maybe someone else can help... Anyone?

also what compact digital cameras have a viewfinder like a regular film camra has

The Canon S3 IS has an electronic viewfinder which takes a little getting used to. I haven't seen any of the higher zoom digitals without the electronic viewfinder (as opposed to the optical viewfinder found on regular digitals). You can avoid delays by turning off the Review option in the menus. I had the Olympus C750US (10x optical zoom) prior to this camera, but it had significantly more lag between shots. Put this one into burst mode with Ultra SD cards and it is incredibly fast with no lag. Also takes great movies!

Well here's the thing. When the S5 price drops, you'll be asking the same question about the next model, and the next after that.

It really depends on if YOU think the upgrades are worth it. Surely it'll have a beefed up MP, and IS. But outside of that, I say if price is a motivator, no real need to wait for it, there will always be something newer and better over the horizon.

The main difference is the flash.
Night snapshot uses flash and night scene does not.

Normally for flash photos, the shutter speed is synchronized to capture the flash light at a fixed figure. At night, this would render the background pitch dark unless the shutter speed is slowed down and this is exactly what the night snapshot does.

Night scene is taken even with a slower speed so that distant objects, like a light building, will be perfectly exposed.

According to Canon, the MAC requires no driver so there should be no issues with hooking it up to the mac. But you know what? The hassle of trying to troubleshoot this is really a waste of time.

My recommendation is that you invest $10 in a USB memory card reader. Plug your SD card into it and your mac will read it as a drive. Then it's a simple drag and drop onto your mac and you can use any program you want to manage your photos. Then delete the photos USING THE MAC and you're back to shooting pictures.

File management is much better suited to your computer while letting the camera do what it does best, take pictures.

Hazzah! You may still consider investing in the USB Card reader though. it's alot more convenient than you might think.

Sounds to me like you're quality setting is on low. Try going into the setup and set the camera on high quality. If that doesn't work, then I'd try doing a complete camera reset to the restore factory defaults. This will put you back on high quality and restore the default settings.

As for the software you're using, try using Picasa 2 by Google ( picasa.google.com/  ). It's free and will allow you to do some great photo management options including removing redeye, adjusting contrast and lighting, and adding great effects. And you shouldn't have to deal with a "black frame" around it.

It's tricky to find a compact that also has a swivel LCD and a good zoom, since those features tend to make the camera bulkier. All I coud think of was the Canon S3 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), which only has 6 megapixels (but should still be plenty for practically any use), and that's kind of a bulky cam. The A640 is nice but has no image stabilization.

Sure, it's possible. You'll probably need a "T" adapter to do it, but it's not uncommon to use an adapter to hook a camera up to a scope. Check out Bushnell's website for a Camera Adapter #78-0050.

No ideas here. Maybe you could return it to the store? But it sounds like you are past that time period.

Well I decided to give batteries another look. I went and bought some 2000mAh Eneloop cells. That did the trick. The camera behaves normally again.
The moral of the story is you need batteries of at least 2000mAh and they need to be of a reputable brand.
Doug

although great deals are to be had there, I would guard against the counterfeit battery issue with cheap batteries.

wise choice, Doug. it's always good to go with high capacity cells.

The instructions for the camera suggest always deleting pictures through the camera's "delete all" feature in the menu. I suggest that you try putting the card in the camera again, and try to do a "quick format" through the menu.

Then be sure to delete only the the camera's menu, NOT in your PC.

I have had a recurring (a few months) similar problem since I got the camera. I had it a few days and the SD card was scrambled. They gave me a new SD card. Yesterday after 'Erasing all' the SD card was unreadable for mine and a friend's Canon camera. At home the card reader couldn't read the SD card. I read a few forums on the Internet and discovered that there is a problem with the S3IS in which it can corrupt the FAT file of your SD memory card. BTW: There is no formating menu item when the SD card is corrupt - not on my camera.

In short - Camera 'Erase All' initiated my problem. I am hopeful that Canon will assist me as I have been a loyal Canon customer because I thought they stood behind their products.

In my web search, I have been lucky because my problem was the 'erase all' - none of my pictures were affected. A few people had this occur with the images still on the SD card. If someone reading this has the same problem - there is a program to recover data from a memory card:

artplus.hr/adapps/eng/dpr.htm 

yes. Just copy them back, just ass you copy them from the sd to computer.

Hi Niki,

Well, as you hinted at in your question there are pros and cons to both:

The S5 is slightly smaller and lighter than the Digital Rebel, doesn't require multiple lenses, has a longer zoom than the kit lens for the Rebel. It's sort of a handy all-in-one solution.

On the other hand, the Rebel is much quicker (pretty much instantaneous in terms of shutter release, and doesn't require pre-focusing to be quick, as the S5 does). Furthermore, it will perform better in less-than-ideal lighting conditions, and much much better in low light (like a gymnasium or an evening football/soccer/baseball game). On the whole it's not that much heavier or larger than the S5, and the kit lens is good for many shooting situations. Photo quality will be better than with the S5, no question.

Honestly, I get enough people here who are dissatisfied with non-dSLRs' performance in low light ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) that I would seriously suggest you consider the Rebel or another lower-end dSLR.

Hope this helps!

Yes, teleconverter lenses work. My dad has this camera and a converter. I'm not sure if you need a special conversion lens before adding the teleconverter on:
amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN... 

As you can see, other reviewers think the same. Best in good light, of course.

You can if you are using a Windows PC.

In movie maker, load your video, scroll to your photo spot, then click on tools, then "take picture from preview". Presto.

I did find a listing online for an MR-5 Infrared Remote Controller for Canon for less than $20. However, as Canon doesn't list an IR remote in it's accessories for this camera, I have to think that an IR remote simply isn't available. It may still work, but the firmware of the S3 may not permit it.

Thanks to both. I finally found a "contact us" with Canon link and was told me the same thing.

My son suggested I simply use the timer mode to get away from giggling it during a X 12 (or whatever) exposure!

Phil Kearney

A small tripod comes in handy for this.

If your prices are the same as in the U.S. (a lot of countries have high luxury taxes for electronics), then you can figure this camera will cost you about 12,000 indian rupees (about $290-$300).

Well I think you have to ask yourself if this is even the right camera style for you. Are you going with point and shoot shots or are you going to get more into photography as a hobby? If you're unsure, we have a first time buyer's guide ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) which will help you to focus on what you're really looking for.

Now onto the camera itself. Looking at the nearly 1,000 user reviews, and seeing it consistently scores between 4/5 stars or higher, I think that having only 8 negative reviews is pretty darn good. There will always be those who are dissatisfied for one reason or another. That may be due to lofty expectations, improper use of the camera, or even getting a lemon - that happen from time to time.

However, the e18 error. That's a pretty common issue with Canon ultra zooms, and even some ultra zooms in particular (though they don't call it an e18 error). There's an entire website ( e18error.com/  ) devoted to this. In a nutshell, Canon E18 error happens when the lens gets stuck while trying to extend. The camera will beep a few times and the LCD will display a little E18 in the lower-left corner. The lens gets stuck in the extended position, and refuses to move either to focus the lens or to retract when powered off.

Should it happen to you, and if your camera is still under warranty, the best thing you can do have Canon should fix it. In fact, before you buy, you may want to check with your credit card company to see if they offer an extended warranty benefit. Many do. That will increase your warranty repair time should it ever creep up.

If your camera is out of warranty, the one thing you can try is to If you gently, and I do mean GENTLY push against the lens with the PALM of your hand as you turn it on, it may cause it to depress back into the camera. If that doesn't work, and you can't reset it or turn it on/off several times, then you may have to send it in for a repair estimate anyway.

One last thing - the S3 has been replaced by the S5 and it's getting even better reviews than the S3. So I think you're safe with either, quite frankly.

Taking action shots in general is difficult to master. Taking action shots in very low-light is even more impossible. In order for a camera to incorporate enough light into a picture, the shutter needs to remain open much longer. In an action shot, when shutter speeds need to be as high as possible, long shutter speeds just aren't acceptable. If your subject is more than 10-15 feet away from you and you use a flash, the light likely wouldn't be strong enough to increase the shutter speed enough to take a non-blurry picture. As a compromise, the camera will increase the ISO sensitivity to improve light performance. And that's what causes the noise.

I'm afraid there's not much you can do about this issue. I believe there is an external slave flash for the S3IS you could purchase that would double the intensity of the flash, possibly allowing you to produce higher shutter speed shots at lower ISOs that would alleviate your problems. But as it stands, you're always going to have a difficult time with low-light action.

Well, probably not in the camera. Some have a cropping feature, but to zoom it and save, I don't know of one. You can use photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop Elements to do it.

If there's an external slave flash for the S3IS (which there is), you can do whatever you'd like with it instead of carrying it around manually or attaching it to the side. If you want it on top of your camera and want to start messing around with the housing, that's a risk you're going to have to make the decision on. It would be difficult to do, not just to avoid cracking the camera housing, but also to make sure you don't cover up or destroy the pop-up flash the S3IS already provides.

I would never attempt this. And the side-mounted slave flash shouldn't have a horribly biased flash distribution anyway. Think hard before attempting this...

One thing you may want to consider is an LCD Camera light that attaches through the tripod mount. Camera Bright ( camerabright.com  ) Makes some very interesting ones that are quite powerful.

Trisha,

When in "large/fine" mode, you can take approximately 1.5 shots per second. When in "high-speed" continuous shooting mode, you can take approximately 2.3 shots per second. You can find other information like this on page 147 of the camera's user manual ( gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/090000...  ). Good luck and happy shooting.

Andrew

C,

You're going to want a camera that can handle faster moving shots. To get the shutter speed you want, you might have to opt for the more technical extended zoom cameras ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) or even a dSLR ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). If you want to try a point and shoot camera, and you liked the way your Canon performed, I would recommend the Canon A720 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). The user display will function much like that of your old S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) and it has image stabilization as well, to avoid camera shake in lower lighting situations. It also rates over 4 stars ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) (out of 5), based on over 60 reviews on this new camera. I hope this helps.

Andrew

Sports mode is a good option. I'd also practice prefocusing and panning with the action. Prefocusing is where you push down half way on the shutter to engage the auto focus. As your child moves, refocus. Doing these two things can lessen any shutter lag by as much as 80%.

There's also the S3's two continuous modes. High-speed: approx. 2.3 fps and Normal: approx. 1.5 fps.

You're talking about image stabilization?

Try this canon website page:

usa.canon.com/consumer/cont... 

Also download Picasa2 for free complements of Google. Its great, easy to use and FREE.

Larry

Vicky,

I like the Canon S5 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) better for a number of reasons:

- Higher resolution (8MP vs 6MP)
- Newer DIGIC III Image Processor
- Higher ISO capability
- External flash shoe (like a SLR)

These features do make the S5 a more attractive camera. If you like your S3 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) though, and budget comes into question, you might just stick with it. If you want to expand your photography skills and try some new things you can try the S5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) or even move up to a dSLR ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). Good luck and happy shooting.

Andrew

Thanks for replies, I have been looking at SLR's but do not think I really want to do that yet, even with a base model, the start up costs are quite high, and I am not sure that I cannot achieve very similar photographic results with an S5 as would be achieved with an entry level SLR. Please expand on your experiences....

It all depends on when and where you take your photos! With the S5 or similar camera models, you can still get very good results if you take your photos with good lighting conditions, ie outdoors or even room with plenty of bright natural lighting. But when it comes to low lighting conditions, then you'll have very noticeable deficient results as compared to entry level SLR.

This is mostly due to the very small sensor size in this range of cameras, where the CCD would require much more "effort" to capture sufficient light source. So in order to try and reduce this deficiency, the camera makers introduce higher ISO capabilities, but all this does is let you capture more and more noise in your photos.

If you are serious in learning photography and wish to be able to take great photos in a wider range of shooting conditions, even an entry level dSLR is well worth the money if you could afford it. The Nikon D40x with a kit lens would only set you back less than double the cost of getting the Canon S5IS.

Benefits the S5IS would give you over dSLR for now are: -
1. Higher Zoom range (36mm - 432mm equivalent)
2. Movie recording with stereo sound, and optical zooming during recording
3. A swivel LCD
4. Very good Macro shooting (you would require a dedicated Macro Lens for dSLR)

My experience with my S5 so far is that it takes great picture outdoors with good light (I should say when ever the camera can shoot without flash at ISO 80 hand held). It's also good for enthusiasts who like to shoot at high zoom like shooting the moon etc (but that is not usually why people buy a camera for).

Well, it depends on what you need, if say you do not need the 12x optical zoom and the zooming while taking video, and you would not want to spend too much on a dSLR for now, I would suggest you go for the Canon G9! That camera will give you much better photographic results!

G9, it's not a comparison, G9 is way better with its photo output. Most important is that it has RAW capture. There also a flash hotshoe. You should think of G9 as an SLR without the changeable lens! ha! It is what the professionals are opting for as a backup to their SLR?!

On the other hand, there have been a few reviews out there that pointed out some bad points about A650IS, so it would seem to be better to keep away from this model if you don't mind not having the swivel LCD.

If you can afford the G9, it's one of the best point and shooter in the market (if not the best!) Only a dSLR can beat it for the photo quality!

We're glad to help Vicky. Good luck and happy shooting.

Andrew

Even if it were a button trick, the reset would have wiped that setting, so that wouldn't be it.

It may if there's a defect. What you'll need to do is contact Canon and request and RMA return (crucial to use this term). Tell them the problem. Explain that several of your school's cameras are experiencing this problem and you would like to have the camera replaced do to product defect. They may want to have you send it in for evaluation and repair estimate. You may or may not want to do this. But be very clear with them that you believe this is a product defect very similar to the faulty CCD issues that plagued the S1IS. Remind them that you are a STUDENT and use this camera for school.

Good luck.

Mine broke too! I need it to be fixed!

hello becky
read this
wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2... 

We get this often. Try this website www.e18error.com. It is pretty helpful. Essentially, it may have gone out of alignment off the rails slightly.

There's an entire website ( e18error.com/  ) devoted to this. In a nutshell, Canon E18 error happens when the lens gets stuck while trying to extend. The camera will beep a few times and the LCD will display a little E18 in the lower-left corner. The lens gets stuck in the extended position, and refuses to move either to focus the lens or to retract when powered off.

If your camera is still under warranty, the best thing you can do have Canon should fix it.

If your camera is out of warranty, or if Canon refuses to repair it for free, the one thing you can try is to If you gently, and I do mean GENTLY push against the lens with the PALM of your hand as you turn it on, it may cause it to depress back into the camera. If that doesn't work, and you can't reset it or turn it on/off several times, then you may have to send it in for a repair estimate anyway.


But understand that the average cost of a camera repair is around $180. As such, it may cost more to repair than it is really worth. The rule of thumb is that if the estimate for repair is north of 50% what you paid for it, you're better off taking that money and buying a newer and upgraded model.

Reset by removing batteries for a few minutes and then replacing them and restarting camera. Otherwise, read in manual under "Resetting camera to default settings".
Also, with the lens out look directly at the lens and be certain there isn't a lot of dust on the lens surface.
Best wishes.

Are you talking about maybe a dark patch on some of your photos? If so, there could be spot of dirt, or some dust on the inside or outside of your lens, causing the light not to shine through and leaving a dark patch on your image. Try using a microfiber cloth and some water to see if you can clean the lens and take out a spot, but be careful.

None are listed in accessories. There are two different interface cables, but an RC, doubtful.

There is some debate online surrounding this. My belief is that no, they're not, since Canon says they're not compatible. Other places that say yes are those that sell memory and I would sooner trust Canon's word on this one.