Most of them do- in fact, a better question might be which cameras don't offer continuous shooting. Some of them perform better than others, though, and it always helps to have a high-speed memory card (plus a camera that's capable of using it) to get the most out of continuous shooting. What other factors are important to you, or what cameras are you considering? I can try to tell you more about their continuous shooting modes if you have a few models in mind.

The continuous shooting mode (called Burst mode on lots of cameras) is available on most models; it's just a question of how well they handle. Luckily, cameras today are getting faster and faster... the regular (non-burst) mode of many of today's digitals is probably faster than the Burst mode of cameras from just a few years ago.

I'm tempted to point you towards the Canons just because I think you're going to get better image quality for a cheaper price. Nothing against Fuji- I just know for a fact that the Canons will give you good performance. Really, any of the ultra compact Canons, the SD-models, etc., will probably suit you. I would choose one of the fairly new ones that comes with the Digic III processor, which results in faster performance.

You might really like the SD750 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). It is getting fantastic reviews, it's an ultra compact, and it has a Burst mode that Canon claims can fire 1.7 frames per second. According to a review I read, it actually fires faster than that (the reviewer pulled off 10 shots in 5 seconds). You can click in Burst mode for as long as you still have memory (unlike some cameras, whose Burst modes limit you to a certain # of shots). This camera is also fast in regular, non-continuous mode, with shutter lag at fractions of a second, and about 1.5 seconds between photos (a little slower with the flash on).

No problem at all! And yes, that means that you can keep shooting as long as you have room on the memory card. Some cameras will only let you take a certain number of burst-mode photos in a row, but this one (and most newer ones) do not have that limit. So as long as you have memory to store the photos, you can keep going.

In terms of memory, most cameras have a really small amount of internal memory built in, but you should also buy a memory card. They come in a wide variety of sizes- 256mb or larger should be plenty to hold lots of photos. This particular camera can use high-speed cards, which will make your burst mode work even better. I'd recommend a card called a SanDisk Ultra II SD card (the Ultra II means high speed).

Let me know if you have further questions!

Hi. I ended up buying the Sony w-80 and I love it! On burst mode, I never miss a shot. I got the bests pics of my kids at the pool. Was confident that when I pushed the shutter, I would get the shot and I did. Very easy to use camera and w/ tax I spent $265. Tiny little thing too. Fits right into my pocket. Has very neat features...not necessary...but fun...like a musical slide show. The battery is expensive and so is the card but both came w/ the camera. Hopefully they last and I won't have to replace them any time soon. I really recommend the Sony!

Get the Sony Cybershot w-80 from Walmart or Staples. Try it and if you don't like it return it. Those 2 places do not have restocking fees! Walmart is 30 days...Staples is 14...Nothing to lose!

Hi Kik. I know I just replied to you over here:
digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... 

But having read your reply on this thread, I figured I'd jump in and add to my other response by saying: a sporting event is a good example where 2.3 fps may come in handy rather than 1.5. As I said on the other answer, it depends on what you want to capture. If you want an action shot of a football player, think of it this way: if it takes him five seconds to run down the field, then with the Canon S5, you would get about 7.5 shots. With the S3 you'd get more like 11.5 shots. (Note that the fps aren't exact numbers, just those released by the manufacturer, but are pretty accurate).

So, whether or not that's fast enough will depend on what you want. A few shots of the guy running in various positions on the field? The S5 will do it. But if you need a specific shot or want to capture every expression he makes, you'd need the S3.

That is a REALLY lame example, and probably really obvious, but I am having trouble explaining it in a way that makes sense. =) Let me know if that helps.

Ha! I wouldn't say 'ditzy,' it sounds like you're doing a LOT of research on this! Which is great.

I'm going to hop over to the other thread since you asked some great questions over there, and hopefully we can pin this down for you. =)

digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... 

Hi Jocelyn,
You're right- I miss that tight response of film cameras as well. =) But the mechanism of a film camera is slightly different (just a physical movement inside that opens/ closes to expose the film) whereas on a digital you're dealing with an issue of light striking what is basically a computer chip/ sensor (rather than old-school film), and that sensor has to do things: pass the image thru color filters and convert the image from light waves into an electronic signal. So, basically, all of these mechanics take more work than just the act of light striking film, so there's always going to be a slight delay while the camera revs up to do this when you push the shutter button.
The good news is that technology is ridiculously fast now, and in the past DSLRs were famous for super-fast response time due to their advanced build; but nowadays even most point & shoots are coming in with fractions of a second of delay time. So... what I'm saying is, you may not be able to find a digicam with NO delay, but you can get very, very close to it.

I suggest the Canon. In my opinion, it's a good idea to steer clear of SONY, as they tend to force their customers into proprietary technologies such as the memory stick, their own spin on formatting, and a host of others which the Canon won't do. Canon relies on SD cards, which are pretty much the standard in point and shoot for memory cards. This means you can use any you happen to currently have and they are much cheaper than memory sticks. You can also use them in other technologies like PDAs, DMPs, and even mp3 players, whereas that memory stick is only going to be used in another SONY.

Additionally, again IMHO, SONY is an electronics company. Canon makes cameras. That's all I really need to know. Stick with the company with focus.

I'll also toss another model into the ring if you don't mind. I am currently testing the Olympus SP-550UZ ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) and have so far been quite pleased with the results. 7.1 MP, 18x zoom, image stabilization and some great scene based program features including a 15fps burst mode. This is great for sports photography.

It also has in camera editing features such as cropping, sepia and black/white alerations, nite modes, super macro mode for REALLY close up shots, panoramic guides for shooting multiple shots to stitch into a panarama, even a mode for shooting documents.

I'm really enjoying it. If I had to complain, however, I have found the menu structure wanting and difficult to use on the fly. But other than that, it's a top notch camera.

Two other points. I have found a great website ( imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP...  ) for comparing camera models. Input both models and compare identical photos taken with each.

But in the end, it may just come down to going down to the camera store and holding both of them. Getting a feel for how they fit in your hand. In the end, you can read all the reviews and solicit all the opinions you want, but the bottom line comes when you hold it, frame it, even shoot with it. That'll pretty much tell the tale. And many camera stores have a rental program.

I had the Canon digital Rebel XT and loved it and sold it to buy the the Olympus SP-550 UZ and after taking about 800 pictures with it, I found the time between shots to be slow and the picture quality to be rather soft. Also the 15fps brings the 7.1 meg down to around 1.5, just to let you know. I sold it and will buy the Canon S5 when it comes out. Stick with Canon, you won't regret it.

Actually, Marco, that's not entirely accurate. The FPS MP size varies depending on the size of the available memory. So large card larger MP size. I have some great shots that I took on burst which are easily close to the max 7.1 size. It all depends on your available memory space.

But I do agree with you on the shutter lag, however. That's why when I need to get a shot, I rely on the burst mode and with experience, you can anticipate a good shot and get it.

The downside about the teleconverter, Ali, is that you will lose some light (about a stop) and picture clarity in the process, which is what you are fighting against with a soft photo. It's just the nature of the beast.

I'm thinking for you the Canon Digital Rebel XTi may indeed be the way to go. Granted, it's committing to an SLR format, but for what you get and the speed of the shutter, it's a truly superior option.

Concerning the S5; has anyone seen a published (or from experience or on-line reviews) "shot to shot" time (not burst mode)?

Thanks.

Sean, I'm getting the Canon S5 instead of the Sony H9 for several reasons, many of which mentioned here already. What hasn't been mentioned is that the S5 has time-lapse photography and the H9 does not. That could be a lot of fun for you and your kids.

On the other hand, as to video capability, the H9 outputs HD video and the S5 doesn't -- but I think the S5 lets you make longer movies.

Canon S5 v. Sony H7 and Sony H9 ( dpreview.com/reviews/compar...  )

Zeniu, good comprehensive review. Have you posted that?

The think I really don't like about SONY is that they are obsessed with locking their customer base into proprietary technologies. And the Memory Stick is a perfect example of it. All things being equal between the H9 and a comparable camera, I'd go with another camera just because of that, personally.

Well, I am definitely not an expert, but I have found in reading reviews that Canon is the way to go. Also, with a Sony I'm pretty sure you can only use Sony mem. cards etc. It's nice not to be tied down to one brand. I've seen the canon s3 in action...very good camera.

I have learned a bad thing about the S5 that contradicts what they say in their press releases, and I'm going to reverse my decision about buying the S5 because of it (even though I need that extra half-inch of LCD pretty badly). Please indulge me because I'll be making this identical post in three or four relevant threads on this site. I wrote directly to Canon to ask about the confusion regarding whether the S5 still has the time-lapse photography option. Here is their response, verbatim, with ▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪ for redacted info:"
Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2007 14:39:55 -0400
From: Canon Support - PowerShot <ps@cits.canon.com>
To: "Lisa S." <▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪>
Reply-to: Canon Support - PowerShot <ps@cits.canon.com>


Dear Lisa S.:

Thank you for writing to us. We value you as a Canon customer and appreciate the opportunity to assist you. ▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪

I am sorry to say that the S5 IS does not have a Intervalometer in it the only way it will function like this is with the Self Timer function in the camera described on page 29 in the Advanced Camera User Guide and page 18 of the Basic User Guide. The limitations of this is that it will only delay up to 30 seconds and take from 1 - 10 Shots.

Instead with the S3 IS Intervalometer it will delay from 1 minute to 60 minutes and 2 - 100 Shoots this is described on Page 29 and 84 in the Advanced Camera User Guide.

Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance with your
PowerShot S3 IS.

Thank you for choosing Canon.

Sincerely,

Joshua
Technical Support Representative"
So, although many side-by-side comparisons will show the S5 and S3 both having timelapse ability, it's just not true in the practical sense of, say, watching a flower unfold over several hours.

Thank you, Kik. Yes, I'm the one who's peering through her granny glasses to try to see the LCD. :) On the hand thing, I had to smile because I am a woman with very large hands, and I thought the S5's larger size might be more comfortable! The S3 is just a tiny bit cramped for me -- not much, certainly I can live with it. Thanks for the answer and the encouragement.

Hi James D.

First of all, thanks, I just wanted to share my first hand experience with this camera.

Chris,

To assess hot pixels you have to take some shots of a uniform background (ie: white or gray wall) in a uniform lighting condition, under various settings of the camera, usually varying the ISO settings. View the pictures on your computer monitor, in full resolution, and zooming in also helps. Scroll the picture around and inspect it carefully. A hot pixel will stand out from the rest of the surrounding pixels by being of much greater intensity usually bright blue, purple, or green. Sometimes the pixels can be red as well. A cold pixel on the other hand will look like a completely black dot - also different than all the other surrounding pixels. The bad pixel should scroll with the rest of the picture on your monitor, otherwise the bad pixel you're looking at is on your monitor, and not the camera's ccd. In my case the bad pixel was very visible at ISO 80, and not so much in the higher ISO settings because those produced too much noise that blended with the bad pixel.
In terms of all ccd sensors having the same noise levels, the answer is: All ccd sensors have different noise levels. Even when you compare identical in spec ccd's from the same camera model you'll find that they produce slightly different results. It is almost impossible and surely not justifiable financially in the manufacturing process to achieve identical signal to noise ratio on all ccd chips. Cameras vary sample to sample, and batch to batch - just like cars, and yes occasionally you can get a lemon.

I suggest sony. Just for the better pictures, preformance and better design. Try the H7 - its more stable, withouth the rotating screen.
I was amazed from sony quality, and selected after testing. Good Luck

I would keep them in a similar category.

And on the other hand, this site has given a A rating for H7 and A- rating for S5.

Hello!

I am looking for a the best digital cam that's cheaper than an SLR...zoom is what I am looking as the biggest feauture, and I need sharp photos, because I use the photographs to make bookmarks, which I sell. Mainly I take foliage, sunset/sunrise, and pet photos, and was looking at the Sony H7, but today began looking into the S5...which do you suggest I go for...also, is there another I should consider?

Thank you.

Hi, I am from Sri Lanka, and I am to buy DSLR like camera and I set my eyes in few models, mainly, Canon S5is, Sony DSC-H7 and Olympus SP-550-UZ. (18x). However finally I narrowed it to H7 and S5, the reason was 2 friends, Vishkid, flickr.com/photos/vishkid/  (Cybershot DSC-H5)
and Anuradha, flickr.com/photos/anuradha/  (Powershot S3is). However there other good cams such as Olympus, Nikon Coolpix, Fuji etc, worth considering. But who has time?

I have been consulting pros such as Colombo G, Cool boy who strongly advised to go for a DSLR, unfortunately, my budget is as half the cost of a DSLR. However, I noted few important points in the process, posting here, which may useful to prospective Photographers.

Vishkid : You gonna buy a new cam? I really think it's better to go for a DSLR - even a start-up level one like Nikon d40x or canon 400d. The camera I'm thinking of getting is a Nikon DSLR - the D80.

Me : DSLR is outta my budget dude, and even if I go for a DSLR, it wud cost another $250/ for a tele zoom of that 15X range, that H7 has.

Vk : LOL .Yeah you're right. Apart from the DSLR + kit lens prices I mentioned below you will need to invest in another piece of glass (at least one).
You will get a 18-55 lens with the camera (18-135 in the case of d80 kit I mentioned) and a separate 70-300 will cost $250. Also you hv the hassle of changing lens when switching from wide to telephoto. So it's worth your while to invest in H7/H9/S5IS .. if you don't need the additional flexibility of DSLR (yet).

However, it's not the tools, it's the talent. There is no harm in investing on better tools. But if you ain't got talent, no tool can make it better ... just have a look at some flickr accounts - there are guys with D200's and 5D's who take no better photo's (or even worse) than you and I.

Even with prosumer, you'll be spoiled for choice these days. There are so many to select from. Basically from what I hear Canon S5IS is also worth a look if you're looking at a zoom cam.

DSC-H5 is a super-zoom SLR-like camera. It has pretty good reviews along with H1 and H2. I think it's one of the best Sony digi-cams.

However it's now old and is replaced by H7 and H9 which hv better resolution and zoom but the reviews are mixed. dpreview.com/reviews/specs/... 

It seems that H9 offers better photo's (H7 too with lesser screen and less some functions) than S5IS but actually does a lot of in camera post processing(PP). This was discussed in the forums I've been in and is generally considered bad. The original photo's taken from both camera's are more or less the same (both supposedly uses the same Sony sensors and Carl Zeiss lenses!) but Sony H9/H7 does more PP and S5IS is more authentic. Agree that H7 is more value for money than H9 so H9 is out.

Considering S5IS and H7, I'm more biased towards the H7 as I'm a Sony fan. And the fact is that H5 was MUCH better than S3IS and nothing really impressive has changed in S5IS.

So in terms of features H7 wins hands down. But I still see a lot of negatives in terms of Sony jpeg creation and compression method in-camera ... I have seen H7 pictures and they are really nice.

So your choice is a hard one .. but if I were to chose I just might go for Sony with all it's supposed' picture quality issues.

Colombo Guy : check out the Canon Powershot 5IS too... personally I like the 5IS better than the H7. But the H7 is also a good cam. But canon is a better camera than anything else. Sony is standard electronic goods manufacturer who came across cameras in the process. but canon has a very good name for cameras on their own right.

Me : But you know that Sony is the biggest Digital Camera manufacturer at present. They have developed a lot and all SE phones are with Sony cams and they deliver simply superb quality in that range.

Main reason for me to go for the H7 was 15x opt zoom, and super CCD sensor, compared to S5 12X and normal CCD.

Colombo Guy : The zoom difference between S5 and H7 is like 50mm. I mean both have an over 400mm (35mm eqvi) lens. u'r not going to shoot wildlife all the time. So I guess that makes small difference. Besides if you want a super zoom just buy a 2x converter :) I’m definitely for the Canon 5IS. the photo quality is brilliant.


Finally, the decision making time :

Considering the picture quality to be equal or almost equal…

1. Cost : S5 is about $100 more than H7, for the Canon name.

2. S3 has a hot shoe to supports external Flash guns. This doesn’t mean I am gonna spend another $500 for a Flash, but this extension gives the idea of its capacity.

3. S5 uses SD cards, and AA batteries, which are much cheaper than Sony memory stix (double cost of SD Cards) and Sonys’ NP-BG1 rechargeable battery will cost around $60/

4. Stereo sound track in video recording. (yeah, I gm gonna shoot some action films)

5. Last but not least, the S5’s Vari-Angle LCD display, very versatile, simply great.


Finally everything has pros and cons, there are lot comments on the net on these and in a site H7 has a A rating and S5 has A- rating. And I am sure to miss H7s’ 15X opt zoom.

Hi, Click. For me, the choice between the Canon S3 (NOT THE S5 NO NO NO) and the Sony H7/H9 boiled down to the fact that you can take time-lapse photography at any interval (2 minutes-60 minutes) for a period of DAYS if you want to, whereas the "time-lapse" on the Sony doesn't deserve the name: no more than ten shots, no more than thirty seconds apart.

The Canon S5 LACKS this ability, which the Canon S3 has. Canon took a step backwards there, in order to cram in some other ability which I do not need and do not want (probably the slightly better movie mode). I wish the S3's screen were larger than 2.0", but I'll live with it to get the excellent time-lapse (which they call "intervelometer").

And I agree with James DeRuvo: I've had Sony before, and I'm sick of being robbed and plundered by the prices on their proprietary batteries & memory.

Hoorah!!!!
Happy to see S5 coming above H7 in the HQ ratings...

Zeniu, I think Canon's thinking on this matter is that they want those with higher expectations to make the move to a full blown DSLR - which would allow the expectations to grow with the shooter's experience. You certainly can't blame them for that as the S5 is in the transitional category between P&S and DSLR. And I agree with this.

The good news is that in the near future, more camera companies will be putting DSLR chips into their p&s lines to get rid of shutter lag and improve performance. So perhaps that S6 will have it.

Meanwhile, here's a few tips for improving your performance with the S5:

1. Prefocus. Hold down the shutter half way to get a prefocus of the image you're shooting. When it changes, prefocus again. This will speed up your camera's performance during picture taking since it won't have to autofocus before it shoots the shot.

2. Use faster SD cards. Yes, there are faster cards and it does make a difference in writing the image file to the card. This is especially key if you're taking multiple or burst images.

3. Fresher batteries. Use alkalines at least. But I recommend using high energy batteries designed for digital photography. Varta is a good brand. They are usually sold in camera shops, are long lasting (because they are sold in small quantities) put out alot of energy.

4. Shoot in "sports" modes when you're in situations that require action. Night or available light modes when in night time settings. These presets can help in speeding up your shots, rather than the camera taking a split second to evaluate the conditions of the lighting.

5. Go manual. If you are manually focusing, particularly in darker settings, you can constantly refocus the image as things happen. Also, the infrared does have a range and if your image is out of that range you can end up with the camera's "best guess" or infinity setting which may not help. You can also go manual on fstops and shutter speeds as well, getting more light faster when you choose.

6. Go with a shallow depth of field.

7. Pan with the action. You can create some pretty cool shots by panning with your shot, focusing on your subject. This will create the effect of your subject in sharp contrast to the blurry background.

8. Use a flash - even in day time. This will "freeze" the image and cause your subject to "pop" in the shot. However, flash is only designed for limited range and can dissipate outside of about 20-25 feet unless you're using a zoomable flash.

9. Stick with 100-400 ISO. Going higher will cause more noise/grain in your shots, particularly in darker settings.

10. Faster lenses will also help. The 4stop settings are as such that the lower the fstop settings on your lens, the faster it is. So going with a faster lens will put more light on the image quicker.

I don't. I happen to agree with the sentiment that it reduces quality. It affects sharpness and causes a loss of light of about 1-2 stops.

Hi, i'm very confused between the canon S5 IS & the canon G9. Which series is better?

qte :
The Canon PowerShot S5 IS is a worthy successor to last year's S3 and it is arguably the flagship Canon PowerShot (though some may disagree) since it has an overall better feature set than the G7. There are some negatives about the S5 highlighted above but which camera is entirely perfect? Overall, I have no problem giving my recommendation and thumbs up to the Canon PowerShot S5 IS for those who want a very good ultra-zoom camera which has almost every feature you need, at a reasonable price too. If a capable all-in-one (good still image mode and impressive movie mode) camera is what you need, the S5 IS is absolutely it.


dpinterface.com/reviews/can... 

I am ready for an upgrade from the first Sony Digital Cyber Shot (a remarkable camera still) it is a 1.6 mega. I have been watching the Canon S5 IS and comparing it with the Sony DSC-H9. My first serious camera was a Canon Rebel 35 mm.
The Canon seems to be the preference, my only objective is I have a Sony Viao notebook that has a slot for the Sony memory stick: which I find convenient to show pictures I have taken when traveling.
My other objective is the fact that the Canon uses 4 AA. I am a young 68 yr old and take a LOT of pictures of grandchildren and landscapes. Is it worth changing to the Canon?? I have held both cameras; and both feel good in my hand. The old Sony has never let me down, but lets face it; time for a new one, the shutter speed is really slow although the pictures are remarkable. I need a good zoom, a quick shutter, and a auto focus.

I meant FZ8 not FZ7 in my reference to the panasonic in my previous post.

hey any idea ragarding sony H3. I am thinking of buying either Sony H3(new release) or Canon S5IS..I am a bit confused.Sony H3 has 10x optical zoom with 8 MP.Its a relatively small camera with respect to Sony H7 and Canon S5IS...Please advice..I need a camera with good zoom minimum 10X which can deliver good quality picture..Advantage of H3 is that we can keep it in pocket.

I already own the Canon SLR D10 and use an additdional Canon 70-300 zoom for sports and such as well as a dedicated flash for this camera- obviously a great camera and no problems. However, if I could find an alternative at times that would be less cumbersome, I would be interested.

How much drop off will I get with the S5IS Canon- is it worth the purchase for weight and hassle factor issues?

I have both, but if I could only have one, I would go for the Canon for ease of use and image quality. I like the custom mode and custom button as well. Also, it uses standard sd card and AA batteries.

I like the sony when i need longer flash range or if I am taking shots that I do not want to edit later on. Sony has a shorter black out in between shots. Sony compresses the picture file too much though leaving it with a soft appearance. That is the sony's only major flaw in my opinion.

If you can afford it and plan on taking low light shots, you should go for a dslr. I like the Nikon 40, 40x or d80 depending on your budget. D40 can be had for a song. Check out amazon.

I love the super zooms (s5 is, dsc-h9) for everything but low light shooting situations. For low light, you need a dslr.

Anyway, Canon has the edge for me.

is olympus s550 worth going for instead of canon s5IS...plz let me know...thanks...

Does anyone know about the shot to shot time with flash? Sometimes my H5 is killing me. I am trying to decide between the H9 and S5.

I have a comment about Sony forcing their customers into proprietary technologies. Why is it a big deal to buy a 50$ 2Gb memory stick? I never use my camera's memory card for my palm and mp3 player, because I buy a memory card for each of them. I think this is not something I consider when buying a camera. Just buy a dedicated memory card for your camera and thats it.

I am a canon and sony executive dealer i have found out there is more demand for the s5 than the sony h9, and the sony h9 has more problems and has more complain and other than that sony memory sticks are very expensive and not so good like the other sd cards.

All I really want is to be able to take a SHARP clear photograph. I now have a Fujifilm E900 that has been a disappointment in picture sharpness as compared to an earlier model. Also a Kodak Easy Share which too is not near as clear as the early Fuji. Much earlier days I had the SLR cameras which were great, but the days of my darkroom etc. are long gone. I do not want to get into the very expensive interchangeable lens DSLR thing.....

So... Canon H9 or Sony S5. The Olympus is nice too but its macro did not look very good when compared side by side with either the Sony or Canon at that great site listed above for side by side comparisons.

Another quick question. Why do the blow ups of the Fujifilm appear to be clearer? Does the huge pixel number actually blur or smooth the image?

fz50 is too big...

Thanks for your responses. Since posting my question, I've been reading various reviews and see that both models are interesting but may have certain characteristics which bother me. I like the zoom and familiarity of the Olympus SP-550UZ (I currently have a discontinued Oly C-750), but all reviews indicate some noise and color smearing in certain lower ISO levels in all these models.
Also, I am somewhat confused how the Canon S5 has a rating, even though it hasn't been released yet?

I'm in the USA and I think I'll wait a little longer and see how the S5 fares.

If low noise is a consideration, skip the FZ50. Like all Panasonics, it's pretty noisy compared to current standards and over aggressive noise reduction results in lost detail when engaged. the Canon is far better in this area.

Hi Kik,
<a href="forums.dpreview.com/forums/...  is a fantastic run-down of the differences between them. Make sure to read the whole thread, as there are a few corrections made to that list in later posts.

As you can see there are some changes that are good, some that are not so good. Whether it's worth it really depends on what features are most important to you.

No problem. The 1.5 fps does still count as continuous shooting, and depending on what you want to shoot, it may or may not be fast enough. While a drop from 2.3 fps to 1.5 fps is pretty significant in camera terms, 1.5 fps is still fast enough to capture, well, some things, especially when you consider that in NON-continuous mode, many cameras can take a second or more just to process one shot. So firing 1.5 shots a second is a good function. But 2.3 shots a second is a better one.

The S5 continuous shooting mode does have a nice perk that the S3 doesn't, which is the auto focus, that keeps the moving subject in focus continously while you fire.

So really, the continuous shooting issue will depend on what you want to shoot. Do you have a specific need for the c.s.? If so, maybe I can help you determine if the S5 would be fast enough to meet it.

Brenda, you have been so helpful. I'm just a mom who wants to capture different athletic events that my kids are in ....swimming, football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, etc. I was all pumped up to get the S5, but then realized that the cont. sh. wasn't as good as the ones my friends have in the s3. I like to scrapbook and just take a lot of shots of family activities. I want a good digital camera with great zoom. I have a dinky little hp that takes a long time to write to the card (is that a card problem?). Anyway, my camera is just for athletic events, and school concerts, prom, high school football games, dance recitals, water skiing, etc. I'm no pro, just want something worth my money. What kind of benefits does the hot shoe give me? Does that feature make it worth the extra money over the s3? Thanks again - you've been so helpful. Oh yeah, also like to take pix of family vacations, etc. Hope that helps you to give me further advice! :) Is it true that the s5 won't be out for another month or so? Thanks.

Thanks. :) I guess some extra thoughts on brands would be ok. ( Although my husband keeps saying-just order it and be done with it!)I was kind of looking at the sony h7, but I don't like the fact that you have to use only sony memory cards etc. Thank you so much for your input. I'm disappointed that Canon wouldn't make the s5 just a little bit better. Are the movie recording capabilities the same in both s3 and s5, cuz I'd prob. use that a lot too. I still am debating...about the hotshoe...yeah, don't really know that I'd even buy one of those. I'm the type that would prob. just spend another 300 in 5-7 years or so for a new camera...I tend to "wear them out" by using them so much. How much are those flashes to add to the s3? Cheaper than the speedlites? Also, does the fact that the s5 has 3200 iso mean it's faster or anything? I don't even know what that means. Haven't checked the digital glossary on that yet. LOL. well, thanks again and thanks in advance for replying to me yet again.
Oh one more thing. does the s5 have the capabilities of more zoom with an added lens? Can the s3 do that too?

Hi Kik,
In terms of other brands, you're right on the H7, the memory cards can get expensive and are less convenient than the ones for the Canon. The touch screen is kind of a pain for some people too- neat function, but can get covered with fingerprints. If I pointed you towards another brand, it would probably be one of the Fuji ultra zooms. Although those will also have the same issue with memory cards as the Sony, so if that's a factor for you, again, Canon may be best here.

Movie modes in the s3 and s5 are different from each other, and I think this is one area where the s5 did a good job. s5 offers Face Detection technology in movies, which can recognize and focus on human faces automatically, and it can also record longer videos than the s3. If you had a large enough memory card, you could record a 32 minute video where the s3 would only give you 8 minutes on the same card. There may be a tiny reduction in quality of the video with a length like that, but nothing you'd notice.

One caution on that though: if the thought of recording a 32 minute video is exciting, you might want to consider whether you really want your camera to do that or if you'd rather use a separate video camera (higher quality) for clips of that length! It is really up to you, and it'll depend on what you record and how long it usually is. But yeah, I think s5 movies= better.

For the s3 to have a separate flash, you'd need to purchase what's called a slave flash/ bracket. It's complex, but basically because the flash can't hook directly to the camera via a hot shoe, you have to buy a 'bracket' as well that fits around the camera and plugs into it somewhere else, often the tripod hole, and has its own trigger. Basically it's like attaching a totally separate functioning unit (the flash) to the camera and having them work together. Not as handy as a Speedlite and not as cheap, but they do still work if you really want one. Here are some links about them:
<a href="photography-on-the.net/foru...  with an S3</a>

<a href="buy.com/prod/Canon_HF_DC1_H...  flash for sale</a>

Hmm, what else? The ISO on the s5 goes up to 1600, not 3200, as far as I know; but that is still higher than the s3, which goes up to 800 I believe. But that isn't something to get too excited about, because here's what it is: the ISO is kind of like film speed on a regular camera. You know how you can use 100 speed film outdoors in the sunshine, but if you want to shoot inside, you use something like 400 speed film? ISO does the same thing, more or less. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive the shot is going to be to light, thus a higher ISO is good for shooting in dark conditions. But, on these cameras as well as on almost all digitals, an ISO of 1600 is going to be REALLY, really grainy. Being able to capture light indoors means you sacrifice some image quality, and although in theory a sensitivity of 1600 is nice, you would probably almost never use it because the photos would be unusable. The highest ISO I try to use in any condition is 800, which is grainy enough as it is; so the s5 offering the option of 1600 is likely an option you wouldn't use anyhow.

Both cameras can take optional lenses, so no tie breaker there. =)

I hope that helps. Let me know how you're thinking re: s3 vs. s5. And I can definitely help you find a 'teenager' camera, but what do you mean by decent zoom? Finding something pocket-sized with a good zoom can sometimes be tricky, as the longer the zoom the larger the camera.

Yeah, you know, I'm thinking at this point you could go either way on this. I try to give a definite answer, but if it makes you feel any better, Canon fans all over the planet right now are trying to make the same decision you are. =)

On the one hand, the s3 is cheaper, has a better continuous mode, and has many of the same functions as the s5 for less $. On the other, the s5 has the better movie mode and the hot shoe. But if you use a camcorder anyhow and won't use external flash much, then those improvements may be negligible. And the faster continuous mode of the s3 might be nice for you.

Here are a few links to people discussing this same decision, maybe some of their opinions will sway you:

forums.dpreview.com/forums/... 

photographyboard.net/forums... 

forums.dpreview.com/forums/... 

For your other camera, I can't think of any that quite fit your criteria. The Canon G7 has the zoom and pixels you want but is quite a bit above the price range you gave, and it's pretty bulky too. The A710 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) may be pretty close, although it's somewhat pricier than what you mentioned, it does have the zoom and pixels and is nice and small. Read the user reviews on that one, though; the major thing to beware of is that that camera has a serious issue with lag time between photos if you are using the flash.

If that doesn't work, maybe you can compromise a little and go for something like the new A570 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) or the A550 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), (4x zoom). Is a smaller zoom acceptable, or would you rather pay more/ have a larger camera for the full 6x?

You're very welcome. Check out the Canon A series and the SD series (the SD800 IS is gorgeous and has a neat wide angle lens). All are easy to use and pretty compact.

Let me know if you have further questions, always happy to help. And let me know what you decide on for either camera. I'm curious now! =)

Yes, the S3 offers two continuous modes- standard (about 1.5 avg.) and high speed (2.3). The S5 can only shoot at 1.5, I believe.

The 8mp is also causing some people to grumble because of the fact that it has the same size image sensor as the S3, which only has 6mp. I think this is probably what you saw that said something didn't change, they were referring to the sensor size. For best image quality, a large amount of pixels should go with a larger sensor. Think of it this way: the pixels are stored on the sensor. The more pixels you try to cram onto that sensor, the less improvement those pixels are going to offer to the image quality, as the pixels don't like to be crammed all into one small space. So the S3 and the S5 having the same size sensor means that the S5 has more 'cramming' going on. Many people (me included) believe that manufacturers do this as a sort of cheap upgrade. They can market a camera with tons of megapixels, but if they don't bother to upgrade the sensor, it won't give you that great of an image. I don't necessarily think that's what's happening with the S5- 8mp on a 1/2.5 sensor isn't THAT bad, and I don't see Canon as the type to pixel-cram for marketing purposes- but that is why people are complaining. If I were you, I wouldn't use those two extra mp as a deciding factor between the cams.

Excellent breakdown of the issues. That looks to be exactly what you're faced with. Based on that list, I'm still leaning S3 for you. When you shoot sporting events, are they mainly indoors or out? Have you ever had need of a stronger flash in the past?

I see excellen comments here but I beg to differ with one reply from Brenda P. "The 8mp is also causing some people to grumble because of the fact that it has the same size image sensor as the S3, which only has 6mp. I think this is probably what you saw that said something didn't change, they were referring to the sensor size. For best image quality, a large amount of pixels should go with a larger sensor. Think of it this way: the pixels are stored on the sensor. The more pixels you try to cram onto that sensor, the less improvement those pixels are going to offer to the image quality, as the pixels don't like to be crammed all into one small space. So the S3 and the S5 having the same size sensor means that the S5 has more 'cramming' going on. Many people (me included) believe that manufacturers do this as a sort of cheap upgrade."

I believe that more pixels crammed within a sensor of the same size than less pixels will improve image quality because image pixels will be smaller - that is less grainy. Though naked eyes may be unable to see the difference between 6Mp and 8Mp without magnification it should make a big difference when printing or projecting in large size. Just imagine two 15 inch LCDs one with 640 x 480 pixels and another 1024 x 768 pixels. They have same size but the picture resolution is quite different.

Thanks Lisa, that is a nice feature...but worth the extra money?
Lisa, sounds like you've been researching also.
Any advice on which way to go...s5,s3? Maybe waiting for user reviews would be the best answer...although I too have a trip coming up.
Thanks again.

Bharat,
Not quite. The issue with more pixels on a small sensor means that the pixels will be smaller, as you've said, but smaller pixels actually leads to more grain, not less.

Smaller pixels have a lower dynamic range and less volume, thus less photon capacity and a weaker light signal, resulting in noisier photos. Here's a good explanation of how this works:
cambridgeincolour.com/tutor... 
another one:
outbackphoto.com/dp_essenti... 

I think what you may be getting at, though, is the fact that an enlargement made from the S5, with more pixels and the same sensor, may be better than one from the S3 because more pixels means that the noise that DOES exist will be 'enlarged less' since there are more pixels to use. And that's true (see the end paragraph of that first article I linked for a better explanation of that, I am not doing a very good job of explaining it).

I think advanced photographers who expected a better upgrade from Canon are the ones complaining about this. In my opinion, the average shooter will not notice much image quality difference between these cameras either way.

Brenda,
Now I need some battery and memory card advice. Size, write speed, battery charger and battery brand....the best bang for my buck. :)
Thanks

Brenda,
Does that help?... It helps TREMENDOUSLY! Thank you...I sure hope you're getting paid for this advice! LOL. Once again, thanks! What i-net provider would you recommend? I'm sure I'll hit Walmart too, but if you know a good I-net with fast cheap shipping, let me know!
Thanks again!

Hi Brenda,

I have been thinking about the resolution issue for awhile. If one takes a pixel and divides it into quadrants, that would be the same as going from a 2MP sensor to an 8MP sensor, in the same x-y space.

Now the pixels on the given 2MP are huge (compared to the 8MP version), and therefore would be more accurate at determining the intensity and color of the light. But the smaller pixels would be [i]mostly[/b] accurate as well--due to ISO testing that is designed to give minimum threshholds.

So even if the 8MP pixels are only accurate 75% of the time, one still gains an increase in resolution.

Brenda,
Accessories question:

How are the Lexar mem cards...lexar platinum II......ALSO, can you take a mem card out of an hp camera and use it in canon? Would you have to re-format or are they just interchangeable?

Hi Kik,
Lexars seem fine as long as they're the right type (SD obviously); I've used them in the past with no problems, although not as often as I've used Sandisk. But they're plenty reputable.

Switching the card from one camera to another, even if they're the SAME brand, often means you have to reformat. So be careful about that, since if you DO reformat it will erase the card. Best to have separate cards for each camera if possible to avoid any weird errors/ lost photos.

Thanks Brenda, I was kind of wondering about that.

just noticed that the S5 Continuos shooting mode is slower than the S3. Could the reason be that in Continuos mode of the S5 produces clearer pictures with face detection causing it to be slightly slower than the S3 which does not have DIGIC III face detection. The S5 produces higher quality images in Continuos Mode. Rick from San Diego.

Super zoom is anything BEYOND 12x. Doesn't the S5 have only 12x zoom, like the S3??

Rick, I don't know the answer to the yellow-dog-eye question.

Richio and Nancy, the S5 and the S3 both stop at 12X but I think most reviewers have been using "anything past 10X" as their superzoom definition.

Brenda, O Wise One, do you happen to know if the S5 has a remote shutter capability that does NOT involve hooking up a laptop between you and the camera? The S1 had a remote shutter; the S3 does not, except for some weird laptop setup, which strikes me as useless.

For Lisa Small - Just ran into this on dpreview.com:

The PowerShot S5 IS comes bundled with the following Canon Software:
RemoteCapture Task 1.7 (Windows and Macintosh) for PC controlled remote shooting.

So i would guess theres no remote shooting option without PC. At least i didnt see it in the article even in the S5 accessories section.

Hi Ivan,

Perhaps the degradation is due to the 'face detection' computations/focusing as well as the extra computing needed to transfer the extra pixels from the sensor to the memory card. Logically, turning down the compression factor (to use less compression but more storage) should help the throughput, since the compression logarithm also eats up computing cycles.

Thirdly, turn off the LCD. Geesh, that's just one more job that eats up the time-between-shots. QUESTION: Do these labs that test these cameras use ideal parameters, or just everymans-everyday settings?


Rich

Hi David,

When making photos with smaller resolution, one simply can't ignore pixels unless one is going from say, 8mp to 2mp (unlikely). To keep the same aspect ratio on a strictly "use 'em or lose 'em" basis, you would have to use the square root of the original megapixels.

Hence apparently there are algorithms in place to make a more modest reduction in the number of megapixels emplyed. Such computations involve averaging the values of surrounding pixels. Does this increase photo quality? I assume you mean does a "dumbed-down" S5 shooting at 5mp produce better photos than a 5mp camera shooting at the full 5mp?

Interesting scenario. The resolution of the two photos in the above example obviously would be identical. The only change is the extra 3mp, theoretically "being put to good use" in the algorithm. The only possible advantage I can see from this comparison is that the 8mp camera MIGHT have an increase in the ISO rating.

Rich

So you mean a firmware hack lets you do RAW files. I heard that Canon had RAW in the S1, but dropped it in the S2 and S3. I assume it is not a part of the S5, either?

Hi... I have a Canon PowerShot A400 and am looking to upgrade. I was leaning towards the S5 because of the ISO 1600 (I was told you needed these high settings to take moon/star scape's) but after reading these posts I am wondering if the S3 would be better...(and cheaper!) The only other features I really need are those to take animal photos and to take macro shots.... Do you have any advice?

And I just read that there was some kind of limit on the amount of photo's you can take in an hour? I'm confused...is this only in "High Speed Burst" mode? or can you only take 30 picts per hour?

David: I noticed you're referring to pixels on the LCD, whereas the quality issue is occurring with pixels on the image sensor, which is different. Rather than try to explain it myself, I'm going to point you to this link:
forums.popphoto.com/camera/... 
which is quite possibly one of the best explanations of the pixel size issue I've ever read. You might find it helpful.

I have not heard many quality complaints about the S3 physically. Maybe one person talking about how the camera body was not very tightly sealed, but definitely not complaints to the extent that we typically hear them when a camera has true build issues.

Christa, you said "And I just read that there was some kind of limit on the amount of photo's you can take in an hour? I'm confused...is this only in "High Speed Burst" mode? or can you only take 30 picts per hour?".

I think I'm the one who confused you by talking about timelapse. That's totally different from burst. First, in the high speed burst, the S3 will take 2.3 frames per second (FPS). The S5 is slower, and will take only 1.5 FPS.

Second, you can take any number of photos you want to in an hour with either camera. No limit, just as Brenda already told you.

Third, my complaint was that the S3 timelapse function is excellent -- you can take photos anywhere from one minute to sixty minutes apart, and you can take as many as you want, even setting the camera up to take time-lapse photos over several days if you want to. So far, so good.

But the S5 changed that completely and now, you can take photos only from thirty seconds to one minute apart, and you can only take ten shots -- so you can only photograph ONE five-to-ten minute span, and that's it, no more unless you set the whole thing up again. This makes it useless for a flower unfolding, for clouds across the sky, for hot-air balloon launches, for birdfeeder surveillance, etc. etc. That's the limit I was talking about.

For your other questions: The photos download from the S3 in JPG format. The tilt/swivel LCD is of course breakable if you work at it, but it's not all that fragile and the advantages are HUGE, especially if you're holding the camera up high for group shots, or down low to get pictures of plants or babies crawling, etc.

And finally, no, the macro/super macro feature is not at all hard to use. You press the button for macro, let go, and take your photo. You press the button a couple of extra seconds for super macro, let go, and take your picture. You're not trying to hold the button down while taking the picture.

Hi everyone, based on everything I have read in a couple of posts regarding S3 vs S5 I ended up purchasing an S3. I just received it yesterday and have been playing around with it trying to figure out all of the features. I did notice one problem while using the movie playback feature and I was wondering if anyone else did as well. While in playback I could hear a loud whistle... not sure if it's user error or something the camera does. Any ideas?? Thanks

PS love all the posts it really helps us beginners.

Thanks you all so much. I think I will be getting the S3. The deciding factor was from a reviewer on the site where I submit my photo's (deviantart.com) if you's the photo's I've squeaked out of the Powershot A400 are here: fior-labhair.deviantart.com... 
Anyway here is what finally convinced me to go for the S3:
"I haven't really had a huge problem with noise. The s3 has an ISO range of 80 to "Hi" [which I think they said was supposed to be 800]. I do start getting some bothersome noise at around ISO 400, but the vast majority of that can be controlled in NeatImage pretty reasonably. I use ISO 80 almost all of the time [with zero noise], and up to ISO 200 when I really need to. With the lens capable of f/2.7, you can use ISO 80 handheld in most situations with no problems.

The differences between the S3 and S5 are:
S5 has higher resolution [again, the sensors are the same size, so you're likely going to get more noise w/ the s5]
S5 has higher ISO - up to ISO 1600; I feel pretty confident saying that you won't get a useable image at that ISO, anyway.
S5 has the face detection; that could be important if you do a lot of portraits.
S5 has capability of external flash use; that could also be important if you do a lot of flash photography - I personally don't.
S5 has 1/2" larger LCD screen; not a huge deal to me, either
S5 is slightly heavier and slightly larger.

Otherwise, they are identical. I really see no reason for my own personal use that I would need/want the S5 over the S3 that I have. I don't do much pos-processing at all on my photos because, having used film since I was a kid, I want to get it right the first time around. I don't enjoy sitting in photoshop for extended periods of time making things look better. Sometimes it's fun, but mostly I'd rather be out shooting. ;) I do the bare minimum when I have to; levels, some color balance, and converting to black and white when I think the photo would benefit from that. I don't even do very much cropping in post-process; most of the frames I've shot are as-seen."

Now I just have to save the $$ and I can order. :D

Hi Rick,

Question: Do you know how well the eneloops keep their charge in a hot car? I like to keep a camera handy; sometimes I have to (or accidentally) leave a camera in the car in the sun. I would love to find a battery that keeps its charge even in a hot car.

This is for kik's earlier q. Its a little out of your listed price range, but you might want to look at the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3K 7.2MP . It has a 10x zoom in a compact body. I'm no expert on it, but I know some people who picked it up were happy with it. Thanks to everyone on this thread, this is a lot more helpful than reading spec comparisons. I think I'll go with the S3 now. Hope you find this useful.

Great answers.
I'd been looking info last month, i wnat to change my LUMIX FZ-7 and i get so confused... Like kik says, "You get more info, you get deeper and sometimes, you get more confused"

Until last month i was a click to get a S3, when i found the S5, i guess that i get similar doubts like a lot of photo enthusiats that i read about.

OK, i need to thank to BrendaP for the GREAT and no scarce comments. Definitly those comments and answers are a important factor to my choice.
Thanks goes as well to LisaSmall who answer and explained the "Time lapse" thing, that feature seems awesome =)

on Summary, for my, for my hobbie related needs, the S3 is cheaper and have better features that the S5, except the HotShoe and 2.5"LCD (i'm gonna miss the 3" LUMIX Screen).

Thks again

For "soccer pics":

There are a lot of great hi-zoom cameras on the market now. I've always liked Fuji cameras, even though I'm using a Pentax dSLR now. The Fuji FinePix S700 offers a budget-conscious alternative to existing megazoom cameras. It's a fairly small camera that packs a 10x optical zoom lens and a 7.1 MP sensor. With full manual control over all shooting settings as well as full auto, you can take advantage of the S700's wide ISO and shutter speed ranges to ensure you get sharp, clean images. You can find one for as low as $195 at www.buydig.com Hope this helps a little. I'm sure there are many other opinions out there, but it will be hard to beat this Fuji on price and quality.

the best camera for this purpose is panasonic lunix ls60/70
the quality of the lens is vital as is the quality of the marco
i have used a lumix camera for marco photos
flickr.com/photos/stevemcca... 

For Canon cameras, 'burst' mode is known as 'Continuous Shooting mode'.

If you check the specifications, in <a href="dpreview.com/news/0705/0705...  review for example</a>, the 'Continuous shooting' capability of S5is is 1.5 fps until card fills.

Best way to go is Nimh Batteries. They are cheap and can be recharged hundreds of times. Be sure to get the batteries with a capacity of 2500 mah or more. Sony brand are very good an cheap.

You might like to try the new ENRLOOP type from Sanyo which retain their charge for longer time and don't require to be charged in the first use.

Both are available at Amazon.

Well, I am definitely not an expert, but I have found in reading reviews that Canon is the way to go. Also, with a Sony I'm pretty sure you can only use Sony mem. cards etc. It's nice not to be tied down to one brand. I've seen the canon s3 in action...very good camera.

According to the specs the S5 does not have an external flash shoe.

You should definitely buy the 580 EX 1 or 2 flash. I have the HF- DC1 external flash. It works extremely well especially in virtual darkness. The true test is gonna come when you have to evaluate flash power vs distance. As well the cameras settings and knowledge of what to use when and how play significantly in your results. Focusing is key but external flash is priceless. That underpowered flash the camera comes with is almost cliche by now. 580 EX speedlite's make more sense in this case. make the right choice or you will be searching for combination after combination everytime the lighting isn't favourable.

The S5 does in fact have a hot shoe (the S3 did not). All the above responses cover what you were asking but I wanted to add one thing I did with mine and that was to buy a flash trigger (which is quite inexpensive) that allows a flash to be triggered off camera.

I find this use amazingly versatile for putting the flash just where I want it and allowing me to move to alternate shooting angles.

Canon makes one called the ST-E2 which will fire a 580 EX remotely, but (as I am somewhat cheap) I found some triggers on ebay that work perfectly and I'm using inexpensive flashes in manual mode with great results.

Here's a link to where I bought mine and I've been using mine for over 6 months with no issues whatsoever.

stores.ebay.com/Gadget-Infi... 

I'm not all that camera literate but I can tell you that I just got my Canon S5 IS yesterday. I really wanted a digital SLR but decided that I needed something a little smaller since I'm moving to Germany and will be doing a lot of traveling with it. I didn't want to have to lug around different lenses. My brother in law just got a Nikon D40 (his father got the D40x but unfortunatly wasn't here) so I took pictures from both cameras and got them developed. I'm VERY picky on image quality (I'm trashing my Kodak because of my pickiness) and wanted to compare the two to see if I should really be getting a digital SLR. After getting the pics developed and comparing them I was surprised to find that I like the image quality of the S5 much more than the D40! The Nikon's pics looked digital to me. They were kind of flat and void of texture. The Canon's pics had crisp solid lines and beautiful colors! One example of this would be that hair in a Nikon pic seemed more like a solid mass where the Canon hair pics show every single hair.
I hope this info is helpful! :c)

The S3 supposedly has a flash range of .5 to 5.2 meters at wide angle (less at telephoto, up to 4 meters or so). This isn't the strongest out there, but attaching the HF-DC1 slave flash trigger helps. According to reviews, the Panasonic FZ8 is one of the stronger ones, at 0.3 - 6.0 m at wide-angle and 1.0 - 5.4 m telephoto (dcresource.com/reviews/pana...  So technically, yes it is possible to get (more or less) 20 feet without an external flash, but I suppose if you wanted the Canon over the Panasonic, the purchase of an external flash trigger might be worth it, if that makes sense.

Flash recycle on the FZ8 is supposedly not that bad, surprisingly what with the strength of it. Tests are saying about 2.8 seconds according to a Google search, which is quite respectable all things considered.

The only thing I would caution against on this camera is perhaps a lack of image quality, especially next to the Canons. I've had quibbles over Panasonics in the past because their image sensors tend to be noisy once the cam gets over 5 megapixels, and this one is no exception- in fact, some reviewers have claimed that noise is visible as soon as you pass ISO 200. What's more, the camera's built-in noise reduction system is apparently very "painty" and results in an overly smooth somewhat blotchy image.

Now, I've not used it. I've seen plenty of shots from it and read plenty of reviews, though, and this seems to be a recurring theme. This is also something that, interestingly, seems to be subjective- I can see it in some samples, other people say there is no such problem. Something to consider and weigh for yourself before you buy.

Here are some reviews that mention this issue:
dpreview.com/reviews/panaso...  (go to last page, Conclusion, to read the Pro/ Cons list)

dcresource.com/reviews/pana... 

livingroom.org.au/photolog/... 

Hi Mike,
If you're not printing large- and, more importantly, if you don't do a lot of low-light no-flash shooting, then yeah, the Panasonic will probably not be a problem. It's the low light shots where the graininess really drives me nuts; I'm a big fan of low light no flash shots, so I always lean towards cameras that are strong in this area.

If the size of the LCD is a major issue, you should also check out the S5, which has a few glitches (slower burst mode is the main complaint) but otherwise is a slightly upgraded version of the S3, complete with a larger LCD screen. Might be a good alternative to the S3. <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  a huge discussion going on right now on S3 vs. S5, if you're curious. I know most people in that thread are choosing S3, but if the LCD size is a big concern and you don't mind about the slight disadvantages the S5 has, the S5 might work for you.

Re: the image sensor, the 1/2.5" is the size of the sensor, which is the electronic "chip" that records the image. In really basic terms (this is also discussed within that S5 thread I just linked to), the more megapixels you cram onto the same size sensor, the smaller each megapixel is, and the less light it can collect, the less color range it has, etc.- thus, if you have a 7mp camera and a 10mp camera and they have the same size sensor, the 7mp may actually give you a better image because it has larger megapixels/ less 'cramming.' The Panasonics don't really have an issue with cramming/ sensor size as much as they have an issue with just plain not-that-great sensors, in my opinion. Just like Fords are built different than Chevys, Panasonics' sensors have not impressed me much with their build/ design quality in handling light.

Having said all that, as I said above, if you don't shoot many dim light shots and you don't print very large, the noise issue of the Panasonic may not even be an issue.

I hope I haven't confused you more. =)

Hi Mike,
This gets a little technical for me as well, but I can refer you to this guide:
dpreview.com/learn/?/key=se... 

that's a great explanation of what those numbers mean. Hope that helps!

I have an S2 (planning on upgrading to the S5) and use it for fire scene photography on a regular basis...I have had no issues with the flash that can't be taken care of by a good photo-editing program. On a night time scene I shoot at ISO 400, shutter priority. While the flash may be RATED at 5 meters, I've shot night pics that were pushing twice that and gotten a usable image.

The S2 is also great for natural light shots at fire scenes...the image stabilization does wonders!

Simple. 640 x 480 @ 30 fps is your best setting if you want to watch it on tv or via dvd.

LP is long play. This will increase recording time, but cause the quality to suffer to VHS quality or worse.

320x240 @ 60 - good for internet videos, will begin to artifact or blow up if trying to burn to DVD.

Hi Newbe (n00b? ;]),

1. White balance is a setting that will help you get even exposures across a wide variety of lighting types. This wikipedia article ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color...  ), and this article from another site ( cambridgeincolour.com/tutor...  ), do a good job of explaining the technical details, but what it basically boils down to is that different kinds of lighting (incandescent vs. fluorescent, sunny vs. cloudy, can cause different colors to show up differently on film. White balance compensates for that change in what's known as "color temperature" to produce an image that looks roughly the same under incandescent light as it does under fluorescent light, etc etc. Luckily, most modern digitals' Auto white balance settings are very effective and you should rarely have to venture into the manual settings. That said, if you're looking to give your image a very specific cast, you can use the auto white balance or some of the manual presets to change the way it comes out.

2. For general point and shoot shooting, auto ISO is going to be fine, especially if you're in good light (outdoors in bright sunlight). When it gets darker, the auto ISO will select higher and higher ISO settings to make the imaging sensor more light-sensitive. This has the side effect of causing more image noise. In other words, higher ISO settings are worse for image quality, though they might produce a more even overall exposure. You can combat this in the manual settings by choosing a slower shutter speed and a wider aperture (f-stop), though that can lead to the blurry images which are another evil of low light shooting.

Hope this helps!

The main thing, when choosing a camera, is what features you want and which ones are you willing to sacrifice. For a good view on both these cameras, check out steves-digicams dot com site. He rates cameras as well as tell you about all the features and their functions. I bought the S3 and kinda wished I'd waited for the S5 but...oh well!

which camera gives a better photo quality canon G9 or canon S5 IS? I'm really confused

Gee, what exactly are classes 2, 4 and 6? I mean the transfer rate figures.

Since the S5 has the new(er) Digic III brain, my guess is that you want the fastest SD card available.

You could google.

Here are a few sites I frequent:
imaging-resource.com/MFR1.HTM 
usa.canon.com/templatedata/... 

Rich

From personal experience I would recommend the Canon S5. DIGIC III processing in the Canon will give you lighting fast pictures, especially for a non-SLR camera. The Ultrasonic motor that Canon uses for the lens is also very fast, quiet, and power efficient. The hot shoe for a flash is a nice option as well. The Canon S series cameras are also renowned for their movie mode. As a person that works in retail, all of the Canon S series cameras have been very popular and big sellers for us with good customer feedback. Hope this helps!

Jeff -- Auto mode and Program mode are similar -- both use their best guess about the scene to set an appropriate exposure and focus. Program mode, however, lets you override various settings the camera has made, for example shutter speed, aperture, etc. In Auto mode, the camera tries to make it impossible to take a "bad" picture and doesn't let you change most things. In program mode (or any of the "creative modes") you're free to decide to change what the camera thinks is best.

One of the best ways to learn your way around the camera is to use the program mode and take a bunch of shots of the same subject, adjusting shutter speed, aperture, ISO and so on, then comparing the results.

i'm not sure why you're limiting yourself to just the s5 and the s3. it seems like one of the ultra-compact point and shoots would match your needs and save you a lot of money. if you aren't going to be using the manual/creative mode or the hot shoe getting a camera with those options is just going to add to your cost. a number of small point and shoots have nice big displays now and are very fast. you usually lose out on some zoom capability but end up spending a lot less than the s5. i think you could spend less than $200 and get something to meet your needs and be small enough to always have with you.

hope that helps...

ah, thats too bad. you're being driven to a higher price. i don't know the S3 IS but i own the S5 IS and i can tell you one important feature with an extended zoom is image stability. and the s5 has great image stability. when full zoomed in i can take very sharp, crisp pics. the s5 also has a 'face detect' auto focus mode that is great for finding face and focusing on them and not unimportant fore or background in your pics. you probably wanted to hear "just save your money and buy the s3", sorry :) the s5, i think, has some important features and improvements you might want.

RAW to an amateur, is something nice to have but not an absolute necessity.

Given a picture, on it's own and without comparison, professionals can probably pick up a lot of points where improvements can be made, whereas most amateurs won't be able to do the same.

Pictures taken in RAW can then be further processed in the computer, if need be.

Most amateur enthusiast will just do simple adjustments provided by ' free softwares ' or at best by Photoshop. In this sense, amateurs won't be missing out by not having this mode.

What does Sony mean when they say that the camera does not have RGB? (Sony's Digital H9)

Probably those who believe in it will protest out loud if I say it is a waste of money to buy extended warranties.

The fact is, warranty basically covers fault of manufacture and any manufacturing fault there is should appear in the first few months of use, if not within a year. Once you find there is nothing wrong in the camera within the first year, the rest is careful handling and storage and it will give you a few more years of good service.

Digital cameras are expensive to repair, no doubt about it. But it is also getting cheaper if the current trend is any indicator to go by and used digital camera has very low market value.

In a few years time, you wouldn't spend $99 to repair a camera that probably can only fetch you below $200 or $150. And advances in digital camera technology is so fast that by that time, you probably would opt for something else, may be S7, S8 or S9 if the series is to be maintained.

Just bought the S-5 at Best Buy and opted for the 4 years @ $99. This covers human error damage - getting the camera wet or a drop on the floor could result in a claim against the coverage. I was sure to ask that should work on the camera be necessary, it would be my camera returned and not a re-manfg. They advised it would be my camera and if not repairable a replacement would be granted. Also, there was some mention about cashing the warranty if I no longer wanted the coverage - I really didn't pursue this line with the staff at the store.

Well, if the extended warranty covers user caused accident, then it's a choice on your part in whether you are a clumsy person who tends to drops things, whether you tend to pass your camera around during gatherings and let your friends play around with it, which would undoubtedly give rise to more accidentals drops, or if you are a very careful person who always handle with care and possibility of your camera meeting with an accident is virtually 0.

On manufacturing defects or faults, I'm not sure about Canon in other parts of the world, but Canon in Malaysia will cover manufacturing / product defects whether or not it is still under warranty! My little A70 has met up with its creator 3 times already after it warranty expired due to a manufacturing defect, and I'm happy to say that Canon Malaysia has taken responsibility for it each time, although a hassle, I will applaud Canon!

I would try this camera out at a store to make sure the zooming noise doesn't interfere with the microphone while recording. The audio still works, but you'll have to see if there's an audible whirring during playback. I don't think there is, and my father has the S3IS that doesn't cause a problem. But just to be on the safe side.

Have you considered the S3IS? You say MP isn't a huge deal to you. Read the review. My dad has the S3IS and it's awesome.

dpreview.com/reviews/canons... 

Neither camera supports RAW format and both have 12x optical zoom and image stabilization. The S3IS also offers a limited 2.3fps continuous shooting mode. The S3IS is about $150 cheaper, too :)

ISO400 is fine with either camera. It's ISO800 where you wouldn't want to use it for pictures larger than 4"x6", and that's subjective. If you have the flash on indoors when you're in low-light, you can easily get away with ISO100-ISO200, and there won't be any blur. Without flash, you'll probably be pushed to ISO800 on any camera, and that's not a good thing on many cameras anyway.

IMO, the S5IS is not worth the $450 price tag. You're in the price range for more professional cameras like the EOS or Rebel, which are much better for the money. Check out the S3IS, the review and at a store. Let me know what you think.

Lg, the S3 also has the add-on slave flash, Guide#18, that doubles the range of the already good flash. That would make total flash distance almost 60 feet. The zooming is very quiet, and autofocus and shutter release is responsive.

Anyway, if you don't mind spending the $450 on the S5IS, you won't be disappointed with the responsiveness of the shutter. If you question it at all, though, just go to a store and check it out yourself.

At least with the S5IS, you get the higher MP resolution for better sharpness, a larger (2.5") LCD (which lowers the battery life, unfortunately, although 450 shots/charge is still good), ISO1600 (which is pretty much useless, but the ISO800 is a little better), and up to 4GB of video recording size. Opt for the 2,500 mAh rechargeable batteries, and get a SDHC memory card so your shot-to-shot times are reduced as much as possible.

Also, the S5IS does have manual focus, and actually has a dedicated button for it. I think it's more like the "manual" zoom, though, where the button is pressure sensitive, the harder you push it, the faster it focuses. It's still manual, though, but not as analog as you're probably thinking.

Yes, dark shots at low ISO will have a long shutter lag, in order to filter in enough light to process the image. If you increase the ISO in dark shots and use ISO80/100/200 for good lighting, you'll never see a .5 second delay. Even with my SD800IS, I can set my camera on a table and let it shoot at ISO80 in low-light, and the shutter will be open for at least a few seconds. If I move it to ISO800 on my next shot, it's less than a second. Same thing applies here.

The manual focus will be as quick as you're able to focus it yourself. The Sports and Kids scene select shots would put your shutter speed (again, in good light) to about 1/20, or .05.

When they say average, they have to consider all test modes, including, like you mentioned, dark shots. Otherwise, people may sue :)

It's definitely understood that you're wary about buying something this expensive without getting your hands on it. Wait for a test model at a store. You'll at least be able to learn how responsive this camera is in normal light. No amount of reviews or opinions will fully answer your question like time with the camera will. Best of luck.

Canon S5is does accept filters, including polarizers. The only difference between S5is and your C5060 lies in the retractable lens with a built in lens cover.

Without built in lens cover, you can attach the filters directly on the front of the lens in C5060 whereas with a lens cover, such attachment is not possible.

To solve the problem, S5is has an adapter which looks like the one shown in the picture at <a href="cgi.ebay.com/LENS-ADAPTER-T...  site</a>

The adapter locks on to the S5 body and forms a housing around the lens, so that movements of the lens is not hindered.
Filters are then attached to the front end of the adapter.

The same web page also shows the S5is filters that you mentioned.

I'm not sure if works on movie mode, but the FinePix S8000fd does have face detection that finds up to ten faces and ensures proper exposure. The FinePix F50fd has it, and it will even detect faces at various angles which is rare. Nikon's Coolpix has face detection as well, as does the Casio Exilim line which incorporates a combination of face detection technology and the auto-tracking AF system to lock in the focus.

I can't say for sure, but it would seem to me that it would work in video mode, unless it locks it out like zoom capability is. But since most lock out autofocus functions as well as zoom once you hit record, it may be hit or miss.

Well, I'd make sure that if the zoom mode works in the S5700/S700, it has audio. Because usually if you have zoom for video, you lose the audio. I don't know of a digital still camera that offers both.

Fotoconnection.com has no friends here. They have a bad wrap and are not to be trusted. This comes straight from the editors here at DHQ.

Some of the shady things they do ... price switching, selling of "gray merchandise" (with no us warranty), heavy handed upselling, rude customer service. So be warned.

Customer comments on the forums around the net, mostly. When you screw customers over, word gets around. ... and, suffice it to say the old addage is true, if you do a great job, people will tell one or two people, if you do a terrible job, people tell EVERYBODY. And then it gets to the editors who then confirm the stories.

But I'd have to defer to our editor here code named "Camera" for the details.

Jan, GET YOUR CREDIT CARD COMPANY INVOLVED. They will charge back the price and you'll get that refund much faster. I hope you sent the camera back certified mail with a return receipt at the very least so you can verify delivery. With operators like this, you almost have to think like them to avoid being taken to the cleaners.

I'd also make complaints to the Federal Trade Commission, various state and local consumer protection agencies as well.

For technical comparisons, go to imaging-resource.com/MFR1.HTM 

Josh - thanks - went to local store and put it through the test as best i could. they really tried to push me towards the 30D ($1500). Maybe someday. they really did not understand what the capabilities of the S5 are; just keeped talking about how good my pictures would be if i would go ahead and spend an extra $1000. Friend of mine just bought the S3 so i took it to our local NFL team trainging camp. had no problem stopping action. Just played with the ISO settings some when I had the zoom fully extended. Compared the pictures vs. the ones i took last year with my 35mm Canon EOS Elan. Color was equal or better with the S5. Only a trained eye could detect any difference in the sharpness of pictures. And for the pics that needed it, i just tweeked the color, croping, etc.
Cashed in rewards points and will be picking up the S5 within 6 weeks. thanks again.

Maybe the S5 works well for sports pictures if you are experienced enough to effectively use the manual settings. I bought the S5 as an upgrade for my Olympus 720 for taking pictures of my kids soccer games. My 3Mp Olympus works fine and dandy in the sports-mode setting as long as I use a tripod (no IS). The soccer pictures that I took with the S5 on a mostly sunny day in sports-mode setting were all very, very grainy and didn't begin to approach the quality of my 720. I took the camera back the next day. Either it was defective or Canon sports-mode sucks.

I myself don't have the S5IS. My father has the S3IS and loves it. The images (you can change the sharpness defaults) are on the soft side, but the color saturation and color tone are great. I will send you to a great site where they have HUNDREDS of pictures from the S5IS, and let you see for yourself the type of pictures you can get, from amateurs and professionals alike. Happy hunting!

flickr.com/search/?q=s5is 

P.S. Unless you want to go manual on more functions, and want to buy interchangeable lenses and get near $1000 for a camera, the S5IS will most likely be perfectly fine for you. It even has the optional external flash if you end up wanting to keep going with photography. The only big caveat is no RAW mode. But JPEG compression is fine.

Matt, I'd love to see some images you have taken with your s5 so I can see this problem first hand?? Thanks for your advice.

The S5IS is a nice camera. Would you consider the S3IS? It's cheaper, and has less MP for the same CCD, which would make low-light shots a little less noisy. The S3IS also has a faster continuous shooting speed, which would help for your sports shots. The S5IS has face detection and an increased movie clip length, in exchange. It also gives you the same 12x optical zoom.

The Fuji S5800 has a 10x zoom, which you could get just as easily from the Panasonic TZ3. The CCD is the same size as the S3IS or S5IS, making the Fuji's known low-light superiority not come into play on this model. The continuous shooting is also the slowest, at only 1.3fps.

I'm more and more a fan of Fuji... but not for this camera. Of the two, the S5IS is better. With a slight nod to the S3IS. Although, if you don't mind the lower continuous shooting speed, and will manually increase the default sharpness, and don't mind sacrificing image detail for noise reduction... the S5IS is great, too. It's just not the upgrade I was hoping for from Canon.

You'd probably need a slave adapter ...

I have a S5 and I love it. I have taken lots of pictures and videos and have no problems. Shutter lag has not been an issue at all. However the flash takes a moment if you do a couple of rapid shots. However even my speedlight would take a moment or two to charge after a couple of shoots. I upgraded to a one gig and two gig memory card. I also purchased two sets of batteries, 1750 and 2650 with a slow charger. I think both are needed if you want to really enjoy the camera. So add a memory card and two sets of batteries to your total cost.

Pat, I think you're looking at a digital SLR like the Canon Digital Rebel XTi or a Canon 40D. There's also the Nikons. For you, doing nature and astral photography, the lens is going to be key and both Canon and Nikon are the best in the biz. Of course, astral photography is usually done through a telescope, so you'll need to talk to your nearest Celestron or Mead dealer on that.

Frankly, I don't know why you would need a high speed motor drive for taking stellar photography. When you shoot pictures of the night sky, you want to take your time, setting up that camera on a tripod or even attached to a telescope with long - 30 seconds - 10 minute exposures. You don't need a high speed drive for that kind of photography.

Now, if you're shooting athletic events, you bet. But for the kind of photography you're talking about, it's kinda like recommending buying a Lamborghini to drive your kids to school where the school zone speed is 20mph or less. What's the point?

Hello karin , I believe your camera has the 58mm lens. they are listing a 58mm CPL for the S5 IS camera.You don't need any thing but the lens. They range in price about 35.00 ish on up . Shop around. Yes you can get an off brand, just see what size lens (mm) you have and get the same filter size. Teleconverters are fun , the pictures may not be as nice as they would be with a longer lens. But hey sometimes they are an inexpensive alternative to an expensive lens you may not use too often. Try one then if you decide you need a long lens step up. you may be just as happy with the teleconverter.

You will need a conversion lens adapter "LA-DC58E" sells for around $50. It will cover the retracting lens and allow you to screw on a 58 mm polarizer filter. I purchased a circular polarizer, UV filter, lens cap, and carrying case for $17.50 by Crystal Optics

Let me put it this way Karin, I just bought the Canon UV haze filter which screws on to the LA-DC58E lens converter. The thing is if the camera's lens never gets dirty, it never needs cleaning. It cuts out significant amounts of glare during day and night. The colours I am getting have never been better. The converter costs about $29 US right now and the lens filter cost me about $12 US. The results are priceless. I am getting the teleconverter and the close up lens next. This camera focuses extremely fast and this is the first time pictures at night have been this fantastic. IS works like a charm when I need to take pics without flash at night to obtain highlights and special backlighting effects.

Hi, I got an S5

You can set the timer for 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,15,20,30 second delay and 1 thru 10 repeated shots. Hope this helps.

Oh , there it is . Haha . More like "Only Answer" . No one tried . But thank you , it accomplished a purpose .

Hi Leslie,

The Sony H9 and Panasonic FZ18 might fit the bill. They are in the same class as the S5 and actually outclass it in some respects (though I still prefer it over them).

Out of curiosity, why don't you want a 4-AA camera?

Good luck!

Leslie,

No, the Canon isn't equipped to take the kind of rechargeable LiIon batteries you're talking about. However, it can handle CRV3 single use LiIon batteries, which are pricey but which do last quite a long time.

I'm not going to tell you that you're wrong, because it sounds like you're speaking from personal experience regarding your issues with AAs, but I can say that every digital camera I've owned (from the first Canon Powershot to my current Pentax K100D dSLR) has used AAs and I've never had an issue or any sort of performance gap to cameras powered by lithium batteries. I've used 2500mAh NiMH batteries up until very recently, when I switched to Sanyo Eneloops, which have the high power of NiMH rechargeables but don't self-discharge like they do--pretty awesome batteries.

I understand your concern over weight and whatnot, but I think you're maybe a little off-base on your concerns with processing time and charging time--in my experience they're quite similar to lithiums in those regard (and as far as I know battery type--except in the sense that you need enough charge to power the processor--has nothing to do with photo processing speed).

Hope this helps!

Well, from what I can gather, the Speedlite 380EX is a dedicated flash for the Elan II and Elan IIe. It was also discontinued in 2001.

Sorry, but all I can tell you is what Canon states it's used for. And the fact that it's been discontinued for 6 years means you'll have to look on eBay or similar cites for it. Should it work? In theory, sure. Will it? Are you willing to pony up the cash to find out? You could contact Canon support to see what their thoughts are, but chances are they don't support it anymore.

IF you can find it. Like I said, the camera has been discontinued for 6 years now. At best, you'll find a used on at a camera store. But new ones? Highly doubtful. Good luck.

What you are talking about is basically to shoot under Aperture mode. Yes, this camera can do the trick The minimum aperture for this camera is only f8. Go for it.

This camera takes absolutely razor sharp head shots, I have been taking portrait shots from day one. You can try the aperture mode as mentioned above or go for the manual mode which is quite simple to use. The extended zoom/ image stabilizer combination has been instrumental in obtaining perfectly focused shots with colourful, vibrant, blurred backgrounds without all the noise when you enlarge.

Here is an in depth article on depth of field for digital cameras.

I'll try again for the article on depth of field for digital cameras:

wrotniak.net/photo/tech/dof... 

To clarify - the aperature needed for the portraits you describe with shallow depth of field which blurs as much as possible everything except the portrait subject is the largest opening of the iris which is the smallest f-stop number such as f2.8 (SLR's go down even to 1.4).
The focal length typically recommended is 70-100mm for portraits.
That means the shutter timing will be the determining factor of the light exposure so it may vary all over the place depending on the light level.

Then you should consider the compact point and shoot camera for the ease of your traveling. This Canon S5IS may be too bulky for your traveling. Do consider Canon Ixus 850 or 950IS. This has all the functions you wanted.

Laura,

Canon A640 / 630 would be a good bet for you.
as u r a beginner, you may soon learn the fotography gimmicks and u may want one camera with manual controls and features.

these canons will serve the purpose very well.

Enjoi.

It all depends on how you handle the camera... any electronic equipment will be the same. If one mishandle it most of the time, the life span of course will be shorter. If you are worried about the life span of zooming, try to follow the guideline when zooming... wait for it to zoom all before you zoom back, etc...

Did Canon advertised 10,000 shot lifespan?! Well, that definitely is a shocker, since I'm thinking of using my camera for like at least 5-10 years. Not sure how many shots I'll be able to reach by then. I hope I get to Matt's 3-5 times the advertised life! Ha!

Well, for us 3rd country inhabitants, I think we'll still be using it! ha! It's the monetary factor, even though new tech might be available, it'll take time for it to be economical for us! So Matt, I hope I get your 3-5 times advertised life! haha!!!

old film on the sunset ride,

Lets look together for our S5 to follow us to our sunset! ha! Although I would think that film cameras and digital cameras are different things so far as the life span is concern!

Sound serious here... your problem could be due to many reasons. Amongst the reasons are :-

1. Focusing object..did you partially press the button to allow the camera focus before full press down
2. Lighting of the object
3. Settings that you have accidentally changed - in this case, suggest you reset the setting.
4. Did you accidentally set wrong ISO?
and so forth.... too lengthy to discuss here...

What I suggest is you set your camera to auto mode and shoot an object under a good sunlight... if the picture still not sharp... guess you might want to call Canon technical support.

Thanks for your reply.
I am comparing my shots with my earlier Nikon P5000.
I am not getting crisp, sharp pictures even in daylight. is this an issue with Barell Lens cameras like S5?

I have not tried using flash. i will try that too.

Has sharpness got anything to do with IS and AF setting?

please help. thanks again.

Check out this tutorial
nyfalls.com/article-photogr... 

Hi, I have the S3 (not S5), and you should be able to very sharp photos under most circumstances. Based on using the S3, set the ISO at no higher than ISO 200; higher than that and it starts to get grainy. Then, make sure the setting for JPEG size is the Largest available (L); the smaller the JPEG size, the less data there is in the photo, and the grainier it will be as you enlarge it or look at it on a computer screen. Next, make sure you are reasonably close to your subject, if other than a landscape or building. The farther away you are, and if you are presumably zooming in, you are going to lose detail. I find that if you are within 20 feet of what you are shooting, you should get a good, sharp photo. It's also the case that bright sunlight seems to enhance the detail in S3 photos; I assume this would apply to the S5 as well. If you are not getting sharp photos after setting it to ISO 200 (or lower), and setting it to the largest JPEG size, there is probably something wrong with the camera; but you should go to a reputable photo store first, and ask them to look at what you regard as too soft. They may have better experience at how to judget the outcomes. I hope this helps.

Yes.. Canon S5 is the one you are looking for.. it is a bit bulky but good with Macro shots as it has super macro shots of 0cm! Otherwise, you can consider other range of Canon Powershots... a bit compact but allows you to extend with macro len, this would mean you would need to spend additional of the lens.

If we're talking about the same Fuji S9000, it has a 28mm-300mm 10.7x optical zoom, not an 18x. The S8000fd has 18x zoom, but it's really 13.89x optical at the long end (they start multiplying from the low end 27mm instead of 35mm to make it seem like more).

The Fuji S9000 is a good camera, but it's the size of a dSLR and tries to be one. It even has RAW mode, with each picture taking nearly 10 seconds to process! And continuous shooting is poor. And pictures using flash can take quite a while between pictures. You can read about it here if you'd like: S9000 - steves-digicams.com/2005_re... 

I'd still prefer the S5IS over this one.

Keep in mind, that you get the 13.89x optical zoom as well as the 28mm wideangle. This does make it more versatile than the S5IS, so don't discredit that completely.

And yes, the high quality movie mode and included zooming make this nearly a digital camcorder as well. It's a great camera (try out macro mode, too). Read here for everything about the S5IS: dpreview.com/reviews/canons... 

You should also check out pictures of the S5IS at www.flickr.com. Just search for "S5 IS" and you'll have hundreds to look through. Enjoy :)

The S5IS wideangle probably isn't as good as the Fuji 9000 because... the S5IS doesn't have it :-D hehe. And yes, very few cameras allow zoom in movie mode, which is a flat-out shame. Fortunately, both the S3IS and S5IS has an ultra quiet zoom motor that makes this possible. I think this is incorporated into its price, but it's something I would demand in my own ultrazoom camera. Again, just me :)

Fortunately, as well, the S9000 has the zoom ability during movie mode, as well! Almost makes your choice more difficult, doesn't it? hehe

Biggest drawback... the F9000 doesn't have image stabilization!!! At the long end of the zoom, you'll have a difficult time not inducing some motion blur without it. I just have a problem with the F9000 trying to be so much like a dSLR that it fails as a point-and-shoot and dSLR at the same time.

Again, I'm not saying that the S9000 is a bad camera AT ALL. It's just that RAW mode takes forever to shoot in, which makes it more uesless than beneficial... the high-quality low-ISO (ISO200 and below) is wonderful for bright shots outside, but full zoom on even a cloudy day might have problems, and if you're trying to shoot something in lower-light without a flash (without a tripod)... forget it. But I'm not saying to not get the S9000. I'm simply suggesting you weight the pros and cons (poor menu system, no dedicated RAW button but instead hidden deep in the menu system, no image stabilization, small LCD screen and high noise reduction at ISO400 and above...).

I think you made the right decision. And for $339 (no tax/shipping, I'm guessing?), that's actually a great price. Just a quick rundown of all the great stuff you get again:
1.) Optical zoom during movie mode! You won't realize what you're missing until you use a camera that doesn't have this feature.. it's well worth paying more for, as this camera now doubles up as a video camera.
2.) Great macro mode: Focus to within 1/2" of the subject. And if you have problems with focusing on something, just focus on something else, fix the focus and go back to your subject. Easy as that.
3.) Great outdoor pictures: In good light, ISO200 and below, you're going to be getting the best pictures of any camera in its class. Only in extremely sunny pictures will you possibly see highlight clipping or chromatic aberration (purple fringing), and that's only if you're looking for it and blow your pictures up to bigger than 8x10".
4.) Beautiful skin tone on portrait shots and with people in general: You may need to adjust white balance under tungsten lighting, but in all other respects you should get dead-on skin tone of people you're taking pictures of. The flash works very well, and rarely causes overexposure.
5.) 12x zoom!
6.) Great battery life. Yes, the hassle of "AA" batteries are there. But just get 2 sets of "AA" batteries, 2,500 mAh NiMH preferrably (Energizer, Sony or Royovac are best, in that order) and a battery charger, and you'll be all set for hundreds and hundreds of pictures between charges.
7.) 8MP: You can blow up pictures to well above 8x10" without any loss of detail. Just make sure you shoot all your pictures at highest detail (heck, with memory cards this cheap, why wouldn't you?!)
8.) Point-and-shoot: Canon's user interface (yes, it's arguable, but I'm sticking to it!) is easy to use and simple to navigate. You won't be stuck staring at your camera trying to set something while the picture you wanted to take moves right on by (with a little practice, of course :))

No, you'll be happy with the S5IS. I think the only annoyance I have is the lens cap that you have to manually put on vs the lens automatically closing upon shutoff... and maybe flipping up the flash when you want to use it (I actually like this feature, because too often the flash goes off when I didn't want it to, like at weddings! OOPS!)

I'll be happy to look at your pictures and, if necessary, help you try to fix any problems you're having. Just post back on this thread, and I'll be tagged for your post :) Enjoy!

Don't waste your money on the S5IS if you already have the S3IS!!!!! Don't get me wrong, it's a great camera, but it's not something to upgrade to from the S3IS.

If you're willing to spend the money, definitely go for the Rebel XTi. It has the manual options you're looking for, the ability to improve your skills and let you grow into the camera, a fully bevy of lenses to choose from, and great picture quality and performance. The EOS 400D is something you'd want to look at. The kit lens is OK, but you may want to just get the body and buy a really good, flexible lens (like 28-70mm or thereabouts) because I guarantee you'll end up tossing the lenses once you get better with your photography skills. However, if you just want to get the lens (it's only about $90 when you consider the kit price vs. body price), that's fine, too, because you'll get $90 use from the lens before you upgrade.

I can't tell you enough that a dSLR like the Rebel XTi is by far the better way to go than the S5IS.

Don't worry... S5 has the ability to zoom in and out during video recording and it will auto focus when you shift your object to another focusing object. I wanted to buy a video cam initially but finally settled down with this one... in fact the video quality is much better than those 800 pixels video camera can produced.

I curretnly have a S5200 fuji Finpix with 5.1MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Zoom but the only thing I dont like is for concerts I cant adjust the zoom after filiming starts - now te only thing I see wrong with this one is that technically we are not allowed to take videos at concerts I go to but with my Fuji I can because it doesnt have anything like this pull out screen on it - does this HAVE to havr the screen pulled out or can I tke the videos through the regular lens finder so I dont get caught :)

Thanks
Oh and if anyone has any other suggestions for this type of zoom video feateur for another camera please suggest that too since I want to compare but this was the only one I was able to find so far. But I do like the higher MP and Zoom on this one - I would consider the same zoom and mp as the Fuji but if i am going to upgrade (for the third time in so many years) - I might as well get better zom and more MP

So either this one or anything else anyone knows about and can suggest - thanks

I know that polarizing filters can be used in conjunction with other enhancement filters like UV filters. Since the S5IS is a Canon product, I would suggest contacting Canon tech support at 1 (800) 828-4040 or even via E-mail at usa.canon.com/consumer/cont...  (click on Support by E-mail under Tech Support). You should have an answer within 48 hours. If you have a certain brand you're interested in using with the S5IS (e.g. Sigma) you can also contact that manufacturer directly, as well.

I'd like to give you a guaranteed yes/no to your question, but it will depend on what you end up choosing. Best of luck!

This is a prosumer and not SLR. You can only attach converter lens but not changing the lens like what SLR can do. For prosumer, you can attach either telephoto converter, allowing you to zoom further, or macro lens allowing you to get a close up shots. Some macro converter comes with wide angle as well, which allow you to take a wider angle picture.

This is the recognized issue for S5IS. My guess for this lens cap issue is to avoid damaging the lens in case you forget to remove the lens cap when you are excited to shoot some picture. I have a couple of times, turn on the camera without removing the lens cap.

You can of course buy other available lens cap in the market to replace it. I would normally hold the lens cap with my thumb when putting into the beg... this way, the lens cap would not drop off. Try it..it is effective.

The way I found to avoid the lens cap from falling of was to cut a small THIN "O" ring and place it on ONE side of the inside cap. This will keep it closed and still allows the cap to pop off when it is turned on.

Tigervyh,
These types of "O" rings can be found in hardware stores such as Ace or True value. The overall diameter is 1/2 inch and the ring itself is 1/8 to 1/16 of an inch and made of silicon or rubber. I use the 1/16th. The ring can be any length really as they are cut to fit. Because they have a natural curve to them, I placed a piece between one side of the cap lens cover and the adjustable plastic insert and this curve holds them in place. Do NOt use any type of glue to secure them as this will damage the cap.I only use it on on side so as not to interfere with the lens motor. I tried both sides and it was far to tight. The cap will still pop off if forgotten. The "O" rings can sometimes be found in varying lenths and diameters and a single "O" ring will cost about 2-3 cents each. I put several pices in my camera case in the event one falls out. They are, after all, not secured. I hope this explanation is more help than harm.

Tom

Got another possibility---I took my Dremel tool with a mini saw blade and took off some of the shoulders at the two push buttons and took a VERY small cut on the inside edge of the clips so there would be a little more grip on the edge....This allows the cover to stay engaged but will still pop off if you panic for a shot and forget to remove it in the heat of the moment.....removing some of the shoulder enables the clips to exert a slight bit more pressure on the lens....

Tigervyh has the right idea. Buy the lens adapter from lensemateonline. You can then add a filter and a standard lens cap with a cap keeper. I did this for my S1 IS and my S2 IS and it works beautifully.

Without the adapter, you have to shut off the camera to attach the lens cap. With the adapter, you can put on the cap without the lens retracted. This way, the camera is on and ready for your next shot, but the lens is protected from dust, dirt, fingerprints, rain, etc. You will hardly ever have to clean the camera lens--just the clean the filter when necessary. You can also use a polarizing or other filter, which is not possible without the adapter.

The adapter can also be used with either a wide angle lens or telephoto lens, available from various sources, including lensmateonline. (No, I don't work for lensmateonline!)

Besides all that, I think the camera looks a lot better with the adapter mounted.

The Canon Ex-series Speedlites work best with the S5, and automatically sync up with the camera. If you want to stay with the Sunpak, then you'll have to go into the camera settings and set everything up manually under external flash options, I believe. My recommendation would be just to go with the EX-Series speedlite, for example the Canon 430EX.

This is apparently a firmware issue with the DigiFlash 2800. See forums.dpreview.com/forums/...  . According to that writer, TOCad will upgrade teh firmware if you pay to send teh unit to them.

Any camera is a good buy ... this would much depends on your photography skills... but of course this camera equipped with some manual functions, enabling you to take better shots compared to those present point and shoot camera... can consider!

Ed, this camera is a great buy, the pictures are sharp, but over this camera I would recommend the Sony H9. It has one touch burst which is very useful for fast moving shots like flips, and also has a detachable screen so if the cheerleading is outdoor, the sun won't get in the way of the LCD screen, and you can take shots from several viewing angles. Also, it has a digital viewfinder, which is great for taking pictures. The manual controls Gilbert referred to are things like ISO settings, Exposure, white balance, which are the most used. Almost every camera at this price range and higher has this. So, because of these reasons I would recommend that Sony H9, but if you still go with S5, you will still be very happy with your pictures. Hope this helps, if you have any other questions feel free to ask.

Canon SD870 is a compact point and shoot camera. Since you mentioned your hubby hand is big, Canon S5IS would definitely fit his hand well as the size almost similar to SLR camera available in the market.

S5 is not SLR camera... As such, there should be no pictures life expectancy if you take good care of the camera. You can shoot as many as you can....

What you have read is not true.

Well...the pictures life expectancy only affect SLR because SLR is adopting lens reflecting way to capture the image.... as such u will hear flipping noise when taking picture using SLR. In constrast, this S5 is capturing image using computer chip, no lens flipping involved here... as such there is no picture lifetime. To learn more about SLR and how it works... google for it.

Have you tried resetting the camera? This is a fairly easy procedure which involves either going into your setup menu and choosing "reset," holding down the menu key for 5 seconds, or, removing the batteries for a few minutes. It may be that the firmware loading got corrupted and the camera just needs to be "rebooted," which is something that turning it on/off won't accomplish. But after which, you should have the camera reset to factory default settings.

Another tip is to go to Canon's website ( usa.canon.com/consumer/cont...  ) and look for firmware updates. Download and install them.

Also, remember that with point and shoot cameras you have a certain amount of shutter lag as the camera refocuses and shoots the shot. This can also be that the time it's taking is not only to focus for the shot and choose settings, but if in flash conditions, charging the flash's capacitors. You can cut this down by prefocusing your camera before taking the shot and panning with the action as it occurs. That way the camera is already set and ready to go.

thanks for the help.

AT,

I would definitely opt for the Canon S5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). The longer zoom and the ability to purchase an adapter tube for different lens adapters make this the better choice for a safari. I had an S2 for a while and loved it, but graduated up to a dSLR. You might think about that if price is not a concern. Good luck and happy shooting.

Andrew

I was thinking of getting the G-9, then I started checking the Rebel XTI, it came with 2 lenses, bag, card, etc for $950, would getting the G-9 and adding 2 lenses be the same as having the Rebel, I know there slightly larger, but does the quality offset the higher price and weight, any help would be appreciated. Thank You

I would have to agree with Larry on his comparison of dSLRs to point and shoot cameras. I love my dSLRs and have found a good 18-200mm lens that cost me a few extra dollars, but I've found I need to carry less lenses with it. I still have other lenses as back-up though. I also have a 6 year old Canon SD230 that works great for simple situations.

To really decide what you want, you have to look at your budget and how much time you want to invest into photography. If you have the funds and the time, I would definitely recommend purchasing a dSLR with a couple good lenses. Good luck and happy shooting.

Andrew

Sorry, I don't know about the Opteka lens, but you can dig through the Canon non-SLR forum at dpreview.com and probably find someone who does. Just don't start hanging around over there and leave HQ since this is my favorite forum and I wouldn't want to be the cause of your leaving other than temporarily. :)
I just know you are going to enjoy your new G9!
Larry

Well, the thign with LiOns is that as they age, they lose their effectiveness and begin to slowly die off. They're great in the beginning, but after about 2 years, you need to replace them. AAs, well, at least you know where you stand and with a good set of 2500MHV rechargables, you can rival the LiOns any day.

But "liberal LCD" screen use will kill just about any battery.

You bet. We're happy to help.

BTW - If you're happy with the answer you received, you can simply click on "Mark for best answer" bubble and it will place the question in the "Answered" category for all to see. Thanks for posting it and Good luck!

Tyler,

I'm outlining the major specifications for the three cameras in the following order: Canon SD950 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), Canon SD 870 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), Sony T70.

- Megapixels:
12.1 vs 8 vs 8
The extra resolution will be noticable in large poster print sizes, if you're not printing over 8x10" or just placing the photos online, you won't see much difference between the 12 and 8 MP.

- Optical zoom:
3.7x vs 3.8x vs 3x
I'm a big fan of optical zoom. The more you can get the better. Digital zoom will cause you to lose resolution, so I try not to use it at all. In the case of these cameras, the difference in optical zoom isn't that big.

- ISO Range:
80-1600 vs 80-1600 vs 80-3200
There is a bit of an argument about the pros and cons for a higher ISO setting. While you do get more noise or "graininess" with a higher ISO setting, you get a lot better performance in low light settings. I like the higher settings and just use some software, PaintShopPro, for noise removal after transferring to my computer.

- Manual Exposure Capability
yes vs no vs maybe
The Sony gets a maybe because it is not specifically called out on camera's specification site ( sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/st...  ) but it does site step increments for exposure control. This leads me to think you can control the exposure level manually. I like this because you can adjust the camera to do what you want it instead of just auto settings.

- Image Stabilization:
yes vs yes vs yes
This is a great feature to have in low light settings and/or if you have shaky hands.

- Face detection technology
no vs no vs yes
While this may sound neat, I've heard some issues with this. If your subject isn't smiling, the technology doesn't work as well.

All in all, I like the Sony T70 the best. The ISO 3200 setting really does it for me. I also like some of the other features that come with the camera like widescreen capability and the smile technology sounds very interesting (takes pics automatically when the subject smiles or laughs). I'd be interested to see how that works, but the camera seems pretty functional beyond the tech stuff as well. Good luck and happy shooting.

Andrew

Tyler,

I'm glad we could be of assistance. Please come back to DCHQ ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) with any more issues or questions. Happy Holidays.

Andrew

Kelly,

ISO settings are comparable to film ISO settings. These numbers refer to how much light is exposed on film in a certain amount of time. The higher the number, the more light. They actually have a one to one ratio. For instance, ISO 1600 will allow twice as much light in as ISO 800. In film, its how fast the silver halides change when exposed to light. The settings in digital cameras were made similar for an easier translation from traditional film photography.

One thing to be aware of with higher ISO settings is the increased "noise" issue. Higher ISO settings do cause a greater amount of graininess in the photos. This can be reduced with noise reduction options in photo software like Paint Shop Pro and Photoshop.

To sum it up, higher ISO settings let you take more visible pictures in low light situations.

Andrew

Sebi,

From the choice of the three cameras outlined below, I liked the Sony T70. What are you trying to do with your camera? You can see some differences in top rated compact cameras here ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) for a better idea.

Andrew

Lu,

Some of the Canons have face recognition technology, but not all. Thank you for pointing out my error above though. The Canon SD950 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) and the SD870 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) both have Canon face detection technology. I have heard its not the best when people don't have a big, teethy smile either.

The Canon SD950 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) does have manual exposure control, not focusing though.

Sebi,

You should be able to get all of that and more. Something like the Panasonic Lumix TZ3 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) might be a great option for you. It is small enough to fit in your pocket, has an amazing 10x optical zoom for better close ups, and a wide angle lens (28mm equivalent) that will help with your landscape type photos. It also has some settings that enhance low light photos without a flash (image stabilization and higher ISO functionality). You can also pick it up for around $200 right now, so that is well below your budget, but still has all the functionality you're looking for.

Andrew

Hi Andrew,

I have a plan of buying a camera and for some reason i hold canon as better compared to sony,as snaps out of canon are really good, can you suggest me the best one in the canon brand,major features which i look for are :
1. good amount of optical zoom with IS
2. More Pixels
3. manually configurable
4. pretty good memory slot
more over my craze for camera being good is, when i zoom on to the picture on my PC, the pixel should be clear and the picture should not get blurred for a good fare amount of zooming

I have an eye on A570 IS , A590 IS, SD870 IS and SD1100 IS.
Kindly suggest me the best one,as this camera is one i am looking for from long time.

Will look on for your valuable reply

I have compared canon 870 with panasonic fx35, some review at <a href="hightechwebs.blogspot.com/&... 

I go for canon 870 due to it is wide angle, and better image quality, also partly becos of its large lcd screen.

rv2843,

You pretty much hit the nail on the head. If you want high quality pictures buy a Canon.

Also for the people buying a camera based solely on the Mega Pixels read this. 6mpixel.org/en/? 

mak
The image size will depend on how much detail there is in your picture. If you take a shot of a blank wall the size will be much smaller than if you take a picture of grass. If you take 10 pictures of with different subject matter, they will all be different sizes on your computer.

Enlarged pixels or extra bits of digital data scattered throughout a photo. Often a result of enlarging a photo until you start seeing the individual pixels.

Digital noise comes from two main sources. The first being the inherent noise in the camera's sensor. This is exacerbated by heat buildup on the chip from multiple exposures or long exposures, or by having many photosites clustered onto a small chip. Digital SLR's have less noise than point and shoots cameras because the image sensors are much larger. The second source of noise is from the ISO rating. The ISO setting amplifies the signal through the chip, much like turning up the volume on your stereo. With the volume at 3, you can't hear the noise in your stereo, at 10 you hear the hiss through the speakers. This is amplification noise.

Noise Ninja and Neat Image do a good job of making it less noticeable, and in some cases almost eliminate it altogether.

You can only zoom in so far before you start seeing the individual pixels which you can not get rid of.

Well, I think A Camera depends on what matches your requirements. For Example :- Is it too big to catch or too small. Just check photos or just go in a camera store and check it out for yourself. I am not saying advises are bad, but the advise is what the advisor thinks personally, not what you think


Thank You,
Rosh

Check this out:

resellerratings.com/seller_... 

Also here:

nextag.com/Camera+Addict~28... 

Good Luck with your purchase of this fine camera. Larry

Fabulous, Kevin. Part of the "fun" of photography is figuring out all the goodies over time, and the S5is has lots of goodies to play with.
Enjoy, and thanks for the points. Larry

I am personally happy with Canons and would choose the S5is which fits your budget and has 12X zoom.
However, in fairness I will list the other cameras which fit your criteria:
Canon SX100is
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18
Sony DSC- H7 and H9
Olympus SP-560 UZ
If you click on the "Resources" button at the bottom right hand corner of this page you can find pro reviews of the cameras.
I predict when you're done with your research you'll be sold on the Canon S5is unless you really need more than 12X zoom.
Best wishes and good camera hunting, Larry

Elsie,

This camera does come with a Macro mode, so that is perfect for the types of shots you're looking to take. I had an earlier version of this camera, the S2 IS, and it worked great for Macro photography. I would definitely recommend getting a good tripod with the camera for these extreme closeups to avoid any camera shake. No matter how still you hold, the camera will still pick up the slightest movement. If this camera is in your budget for these types of photos, I'd say its a great buy. Good luck and happy shooting.

Andrew

These Canon cameras are rated at macro as close as 1cm from the front of the lens which is almost as good as the S5is --
A720is and SX100is.
With any camera taking extreme macro close-ups you will do well with a tripod AND using the built in camera self timer (set at 2 seconds to save time compared to setting it to 10 seconds). The self timer eliminates the camera motion caused when you push the shutter button.
Larry

Tigervyh has a strong point Elsie. IF you are only going to use this camera for closeups of serial numbers and want to save some considerable money, you could buy a used camera such as the G5 or S2is and do fine with it. However, if you want a good camera for general use that ALSO will be used for the macro ability, then get the S5is and get started enjoying it.

A,

You can get great outdoor pics with this camera. I used to have the S2 IS, and took some great outdoor photos with it (see the links below). While I now use a Canon Rebel XTi ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ), I would still recommend this style of camera to the casual photographer that wants a little more power in their shots, and it will definitely out-perform your Mavica FD95 in picture quality. While the Rebel line is a great set of cameras, you have to have some budget built up for the lenses you'll want to get.

One thing to note though, the lens on your Mavica was a 6-60mm optical lens, while the S5's ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is a 36-432. They are 10x and 12x respectfully, but you have to look at the widest angle of the lens to calculate the maximum focal length (60 is 10 times greater than 6 and 432 is 12 times 36).

I hope this has helped. Good luck and happy shooting.

Andrew

Tam,

Larry has been compiling a list on cameras with optical zoom during movie capture: -

Here is the list of Digital P&S Cameras which zoom optically during video:

Canon PowerShot S5is
Kodak EasyShare Z712is
Casio Exilim EX-V7
Fuji Finepix S700
Sony DSC-H5
Sony DSC-H9

On capturing excellent picture quality in low light, well I'm a Canon S5is owner, and I'll say that S5 won't suit your need in low light settings (i.e. using ISO higher than ISO200), unless you have plenty of time to post-process your JPEGs on a computer.

On this note though, what sort of low light situations are are talking about?
Do you need to shoot in high ISO settings, or will you be ok shooting at longer shutter exposure?
Are you going to shoot with flash?
If your subjects are mostly stationary, then S5 will be ok.

Noise will be very apparent in ISO above 200! But this could be reduced with software. S5 employs very little on camera noise reduction, so noise will be high, but the resolution is also high.

On video quality, S5 is still the best at the moment!

Tam,

I would agree with Larry on this. If you want quality video, go with an actual video camera. Point and shoots have the option, but its not their main function.

Andrew

I am considering the Canon S5, would a Flash help with this noise, I have to use Macro for Ebay pictures so will be needing an external flash or would a large light work better above abject. I am undecided after reading every review on the internet. I would like to go with the S3 just because less MG causes less noise but want the extra Video, Also looking at Panasonic FZ8 7.2 MG but can not for the life of me find out if Video will go to 4GB card or stop at some point. And as you mentioned can't zoom in Video with the Panasonic or S3

using flash will give you extra light and this will help reduce noise... it will also allow shorter exposures and lower ISOs... all these are really good... but using a flash might cause some some of its own problems...as Andrew also has said... and besides, its that artificial look and uneven lighting that may give your photo an unwanted look...the effect varies with the type of subject... but everything depends on you and what type YOU would like your photo to be... so u need to try it out urself and then decide on ur preferences according to the results... :)

Teri,
Lighting objects for eBay can be very tricky. You might want to even try placing 3 lights -- one left, one right, and one above. This worked well for me.
At many stores you can also find a "photo box" which is just a frame covered with light white cloth (easy to make one yourself too). This diffuses the light sources so as to avoid any bright spots and reflections. I used a couple of tea towels from the kitchen and it worked great.

Teri,
Great work on the light tent instructions!
You'll find your camera has different settings for different light sources (fluorescent vs incandescent vs daylight etc.)
I've found that mixing incandescent and fluorescent 50-50 gives a nice result. I also tried all the different settings for
light source on my G9 and chose the best one for the lighting setup I had made. It really makes a lot of difference too.
For eBay pictures, adjust your exposure setting to be a little too light since the pictures get slightly darkened when
eBay puts them online (I don't know why). eBay even says to do this so your pics won't be too dark when viewed online.

I'm not up on the video aspect so much.

Teri,
Your S5is camera manual will clear up a lot of your "basic 101" questions. Adjusting exposure setting is a simple way to tell the camera that you want the pictures to be lighter or darker. That way, even when using automatic exposure settings, you can retain control of the light/dark aspect of the photo. You camera will also have exposure settings for the flash unit to accomplish the same thing -- light/dark. Beyond that, you will get to have manual exposure control if you choose to go outside the automatic settings to Aperture or Shutter control. I would suggest getting used to the P (for programmed) and A (for automatic) settings first before moving on to the A (or Av for Aperture) and T (or Tv for time value or shutter time). You'll have a lot of fun AND make a lot of friends with your photography hobby. You're right when you write that we all enjoy helping each other out. I certainly get a "kick" out of it. Just take it slow and steady so you don't get frustrated. There is a lot to learn so just remember that it will take time and experience. The goal is to have lots of fun along the way.

That's the way to do it!! ;)
Enjoy!

There are some P&S's that can focus down to 0cm. In my view, though, if you're planning on doing macro photography, you could invest in a DSLR with a dedicated Macro lens. Particularly when you're making a website to sell your product. You want to catch the color, clarity and vibrancy of your product. You'll also want to invest in a light box to properly present and light your product for shooting. Hammacher has a very affordable all in one kit for that purpose.

Last thing you want is to try and save some money but sacrificing the quality you want by going with a point and shoot. IMHO of course.

Thanks for the answers. It really helped!

Hi Bharath,

First of all, u must have a clear idea of what a wide angle lens is. It is a lens that is actually having a wider "angle of view" than the normal 35mm view. A larger angle of view means, obviously, more subject matter can be covered in a picture.For example, when u are standing close to a very large subject, like a mountain or a large building, u won't be able to get the entire subject in a single picture by using a normal lens, as parts of the subject will remain out-of-view of the lens. Using a wide angle lens can be the solution, it has wider viewing angle and will cover more of the subject.Extreme wide lenses, known as fish-eye lenses, even allow 180 degrees angle of view. In optics, as you decrease the angle of view, you move from the wide end towards the telephoto end of the viewing angle, and you end up magnifying a particular part of what you were originally viewing, but naturally the outer parts of that view gradually keep going out... In the extreme end, you will be taking a big and magnified picture of a small or distant subject.In professional photography, this is done by using a seperate telephoto lens.
However, to make things easier,special lenses called "zoom lenses" are designed, where the angle of view can be changed by moving internal parts of the lens.This eliminates the need to use seperate wide and telephoto lenses for different angles of viewing, and using the same lens u can move either from wide-to-normal or normal-to-telephoto or moderate-wide-to-moderate-telephoto. A single lens that allows u to zoom throughout the entire range of viewing angle, that is from extreme wide to extreme telephoto, is only theoretically possible, as it is practically impossible to manufacture such a lens due to optical constraints and factors such as distortion. Since there is no such thing as a "perfect" lens, all lenses suffer from issues like distortion and aberration. The most common distortion for wide angle is the barrel distortion in which straight lines tend to bend outwards, that is in a direction away from the centre of the photo, and that for the telephoto angle is the pincushion distortion in which straight lines tend to curve inwards towards the centre of the photo. However lenses which are meant for a particular viewing angle only can be more specifically designed to combat a particular type of distortion. since zoom lenses have a long range of viewing angle it suffers from different types of distortions, and is also very difficult to overcome them as you can not design the lens keeping only one viewing angle in mind.So almost all of the megazoom cameras like the S5IS suffer from distortion problems more or less.The S5 is otherwise a very good camera, and Canon's(also Nikon's) picture QUALITY is very good, but if you really want such a long zoom range(12x), I'm afraid u'll have to compromise on these factors a bit. And if you don't want that, then my advice will be to go for a lower zoom one.There are many nice models in canon with zoom <= 6x.
As for a seperate wide angle lens, u won't be needing that for NORMAL conditions, but u can try one sometimes later, depending on other factors- your need, your budget etc... But for amateur photography, if you want REALLY REALLY good pictures, then these "point-and-shoot" cameras are of no use, and you MUST go for a SLR. They are a bit bigger , heavier, and are difficult to carry, and also cost a bit more, but there's absolutely no comparison in picture QUALITY. In case u are interested, Canon's lowest priced model, the EOS350D is a GREAT camera, and is also very good for beginners. And a wide lens does NOT reduce picture quality, for heaven's sake NOOOOO!! but about the "worth" part, well, these extra lenses are quite costly, for obvious quality reasons, and what's the use of a great and costly lens without an equally great camera to benefit from its powers?? Buddy, these small consumer cameras speak no quality, and if you must invest on such great lenses, getting a SLR first is the obvious criteria, otherwise, I don't think its worth the money...

I hope I've been able to answer your query, at least to some extent....

Happy camera hunting... :)

For the wide lenses, noooooo they DON"T reduce picture quality. Nothing like that. But these specialized lenses, be it wide or telephoto, are expensive due to obvious quality reasons, and if you are really interested in such photography, first get a SLR buddy, these small cameras are way inferior in picture quality compared to a SLR. A SLR is bigger, heavier, costlier, and less user friendly, but the picture quality is just AWESOME!! So if you are planning to buy wide angle lenses for a point-and-shoot camera like the S5, the LENS is worth but it doesn't make much sense as the CAMERA itself is not worth that!!
In case u are interested in an SLR, Canon's cheapest and simplest model, the EOS350D(also known as the RebelXT in the U.S.) is a GREAT camera.

I hope I've been able to answer your query, maybe to some extent.
Happy camera hunting... :)
-Abhi.

Thanks man...
I don't have much practical knowledge about these things, I don't even own a camera(I'm planning to buy a SLR...), but I have great interest in these things and these are just some concepts that I have aquired from various sources from various helpful and knowledgeable people...

Hi Ram,

I am not aware of the current street price in India, but I know thhis shop called Mercy Electronics(Adyar,Thiruvanmiyur signal, and other locations) which provides really good prices... However, this is if you want it "without papers" , for waranteed product, I think the prices are going to be similar in all shops, and for that you can try out the various shops at Spencer plaza...

And I hope you have read well all the reviews and resources available on the net before deciding on your product... Because specs are not everything, and should not be relied entirely upon...

Hope I cud help...
-Abhi.

whre i buy canon s 5is camera in india or jaipur please give me address of shop where it is availble

It's not in the manual, it's not in the list of available accesories. Canon makes a remote, but I'm thinking it doesn't work on the S5.

The S5is has no infrared sensor for input from a remote. Most current digital cameras are the same. Some, such as the Canon G9, do allow remote control via USB linkage to your computer. I'm hoping some enterprising person will come up with a widget which makes use of the USB control to trigger the camera with a standard IR remote, but not yet.

We're happy to help. Thanks for posting it.

My son-in-law is an avid amature photographer and told me that was the only solution, but I was just hoping!!! Thanks!

@Larry: The CHDK website ( chdk.wikia.com/wiki/USB_Rem...  ) has some info on how to make a simple remote, although it can only operate the shutter. I've never tried it, though.

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

With 4 2700mA AA cells it lasts very well. Not used it for long enough to use a charge in 1 go. I took 100 photos + 20 bits of video (30 sec to 4 mins) and some flash work over a 2 hour band practice, then looked at the images on a TV for 20 mins. It still is happy after the download to the PC. I like the 4 x AA and if you are stuck you can get some dry cells.

Been consistently getting 300+ shots (with photo reviews, flash shots every now and then, etc, normal operations) with my 2700mAH GP NiMH, and also got around 250+ with my set of Eneloop fresh from the pack (before charging).

You should enlarge your deciding factor when it comes to buying a camera though, both camera you are considering have many different pros and cons!

Further to Aditya's note,

I must mention that Canon does not recommend using Lithium AA's for their cameras! Only go for NiCd, NiMH or normal AA batteries.

hi aditya,

check this out and you will find the best camera,

popphoto.com/cameras/4836/s... 

with regards,
upendra sharma

hello k
in your price range the best camera is the panasonic fz8 with 12x zoom.
panasonic build quality is very good.