Nikon 5900 or Canon A95?

[itspunds]

Budget

* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? $250-300
Size

* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?
Small would be better
Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you? 5.1

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify) Standard

* How important is “image quality” to you? 10

Do you care for manual controls? Too many manula controls should not spoil the image quality.

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for? Outings, marriage like ceremonies etc

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not? Occasionally yes

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos? May not be

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos? No

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate? I like Canon, Nikon, Sony

Are there particular models you already have in mind? Canon A95, Nikon Coolpix5900

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD) Not Required

[Rex914]

Since you don't care for manual controls, the Nikon is the better choice here. But if you ever think that you will come across tricky situations (low light, action, anything that's not ideal), think again. Being able to set the aperture and/or shutter speed will mean the difference between capturing the photo and not.

[itspunds]

Since you don't care for manual controls, the Nikon is the better choice here. But if you ever think that you will come across tricky situations (low light, action, anything that's not ideal), think again. Being able to set the aperture and/or shutter speed will mean the difference between capturing the photo and not.


Thanks a lot for your reply. Tell me how important is the manual settings? Also, which camera gives better image quality under normal circumstances?

[Rex914]

Specifically, having manual controls helps indoor, in low light, at night, anything where lighting is poor. If lighting is poor and flash isn't a viable option (too far from subject, not allowed to use flash etc.), you would choose a faster shutter speed and bump up ISO (sensitivity), so your shot isn't subject to camera shake. Manual controls also make it easier to blur out the background should you desire that effect (You would use Aperture Priority in this case).

I originally chose my camera 5 years ago not knowing anything about manual controls, and I have regretted the purchase ever since I learned what they could let me do. I shoot the vast majority of my photos in the non-ideal settings I have just described, and having manual controls makes the differences between a successful batch of shots and no shots at all.

When it comes down to decision time, the major differences between the two models are in speed and size. The Nikon is a bit smaller and lighter. It is also a bit snappier because it's running off a newer processing system. But the A95 has the rotating LCD and the controls. Choose the one that suits you best...

[Warin]

I prefer the Nikon images, but that is highly subjective (and I am a Nikonian!). What I find is the green to red to blue balance on the nikon is generally better, with deeper reds when in the same field as bright greens. What I need to do is a few shots of snooker balls on a table to show what I mean. Perhaps I will borrow an A95 and a 5900 from work and do just that :) I also like (in Canada at least) the two year warranty on the Nikon, and the fact that you dont have to shell out for rechargable batteries right off the top, like you will have to with the A95

Manual controls wont allow you to capture a shot beyond the capabilities of the camera. No one is going to be able to hand hold a camera at a 1 second exposure, and expect everyone in the frame to hold still long enough to get a perfect blur free shot. However, if you want to do a long exposure of a city skyline, the Nikon just isnt going to do as good of a job as the Canon. In about 95% of situations, the average user will use auto controls on a point and shoot camera. I have a significant number of customers who are on their second or third camera from the shop I work at who have never taken the camera out of the straight P&S auto mode, even to use the portrait or landscape presets.

But, yoU need to decide for Yourself which oNe wIll best fit the style of photo you want to taKe... but in the end yOu caNt go wrong with either of these fine cameras.