Well....Which Camera?

[VoX]

Hey!

I've been looking at digital cameras, and ran across this site (awesome site, thanks!) and have been looking at the Canon PowerShot A620.

I'm 17 yrs old, Junior in high school. I need a digital camera that is small, can take some "beating" (as in, used roughly (i.e. outdoors)) and takes good photo quality. My brother has a Canon Elf and loves it. So I've seen how a smaller camera is going to be more efficient in my case. The camera would be used for everything, from scenery shots, to camping with my family, to sports, to skiing, motorcycling etc. I'd be used a lot.

I also like editing pictures (Photoshop CS) and using Adobe Premier etc. so photoqualty is kinda a big deal of me. I just want something that would fit in a pocket or my backpack etc without taking huge amount of space.

Lastly, I'd like to keep it down below $450. Even less then that. Or is it worth to save up more and get a better camera?

Thanks so much. I appreciate any suggestions and comments.

[coldrain]

The A620 is a lot of camera for the money, the A610 also is a very good camera (just with 5mp instead of 7mp). You can not drop it on its lens, but other than that they are quite rugged.

[JTL]

The Canon A620 is also very expandable...with tele and wide conversion lenses, close-up lenses...even an underwater case available...It will take you a long while to out-grow it, if ever...

[VoX]

Thanks for all the help. A620 looks like a good camera. How's the image quality? And...do you have to hold it real still to get a clear picture, or would it have something like Fuji's Antiblur or Image Stabilizer (or is it that big of deal)? The reason I ask this, is that I'm going to be moving a lot taking pictures (i.e. motorcycle) and so...

Well, the more I look, the more I want. I was looking at the Canon PowerShot S2 IS (which I can get for $400) or the Canon A620 (which I can get for $320).

The S2 has 5.0MP while the A620 has 7.4MP (*confused*). Are mega pixels that big of deal with image quality? I realize since the S2 has awesome optical zoom, maybe mega pixels aren't as important?

I want a camera with the ablity to take awesome pictures, yet not sacrafice the size. The S2 looked quite a bit bigger? Will the A620 fit in my pocket, or would it be a little too big for that. If I can't fit a camera in my pocket, would the S2 be that much of a problem then with size? This thing is going to be crammed into bags and backpacks etc, so it's still gotta maintain some physical integrity (lol).

Should I just stick with my first choice, or would the S2 really boost my fun?

Thanks so much,
VoX

*edit*

Oh, one more thing, I'll be getting close up shots (of anything really) and the S2 had an awesome Macro mode, so that really was a bonus. How's the A620 macro?

Back with another idea - How's the Canon SD550 ($400)? It's small, compact, with good image quality? Which, out of the other camera's I've discussed, work the best for my application?

Some days, I'll want to drag it along on trips etc., but other days, I want to get serious and take senery photos or real close ups and edit pictures etc.

Thanks again.

[Donato777]

Hello VoX,
I own the SD550 and I love the image quality. It is ultracompact, solidly built (metal vs. plastic) and has a nice large LCD 2.5 - plus it is so easy to use, you can figure it out just by practicing a little with it - and yes it is very much a pocket camera.

I bought the A610 (same size as the A620) for my sister and she loves the image quality. It is larger, though, than the SD550 and made of plastic. Still, it is a sturdy model, but not one that I would call a pocket camera. Ditto for the S2SI - a great 12x UZ, but definitely not a pocket camera.

I guess it also comes down to whether or not you want alot of manual controls. If you do, then the SD550 is not for you. It is strictly a point and shoot ultracompact with very few manual controls. There are lots of scene modes that all work well.

So you have to decide whether you want a camera that fits in your pocket and offers excellent image quality, or a larger one that will give you the image quality, but is not exactly a pocket camera. The A620 will certainly fit in your backpack (not your pocket). The S2 should also, but you will want to have a soft case for it and a place for any accessories you buy.

One model that you have not mentioned is the Panasonic Lumix FZ5. IMHO, Panasonic makes the best ultrazoom cameras. Read the review at dpreview.com and you will be impressed. Here are some reviews:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicfz5
http://www.photoxels.com/panasonic-fz5-review.html
http://www.megapixel.net/reviews/panasonic-fz5/fz5-gen.php
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2005_reviews/fz5.html

For a list of reviews for every camera model go here to Photoxels.com Review Matrix - it will save time doing a search:
http://www.photoxels.com/reviews-matrix.html

I own it and I love it. Like the S2, it is a 12x UZ but it's much more compact in size, without sacrificing image quality due to its outstanding Leica lens and image stabilization. Battery life is great and it is easy to use. I just bought a Schneider Xenar 0.7x wide angle lens for it, so now I can shoot from 25mm - 432mm. It makes a great all around use camera and it is smaller than its competition - the S2 and the Sony H1. It uses SD memory cards like Canon. And the best thing is that you can buy it now for only $339.06 SHIPPED from www.6ave.com - http://www.6ave.com/product.jsp?x=DMCFZ5S&zipz=11001 (this is where I bought mine for more $$$, and had it in hand in just three days.) You can use the extra $$ for accessories. :D

JM2C - hope this helps you! Let us know what you finally choose.

Donato

[VoX]

Thanks for the reply and all the help Donato.

The Panasonic Lumix FZ5 looks like an excellent camera. You said it was more compact then S2? If I'm not going to get a pocket camera, size isn't the hugest of problems then, as you have more room in a backpack then your pocket.

Maybe I should begin with the SD550 and maybe in a year or two I can get a S2 or that FZ5.

I'm just starting with photography, so I'm not sure how efficient and useful I'd make the manuel controls, yet I'd love to play around with them and do a lot of image effects and editing on the computer.

I'm at school, so when I get home, I'll keep looking and reading on the cameras.

Again, thanks so much for the help. I really appreciate it.

[Donato777]

You are very welcome, VoX. This is fun, isn't it - even for someone who is old enough to be your father!

Yes, the Panasonic FZ5 is much more compact than the S2. That was a deal-breaker for me - the compactness of the FZ5 vs. the bulkier and larger S2 - plus the price difference! Again, the FZ5 is not a pocket camera, although in a pinch you probably fit it into a large coat pocket without a problem. The advantage of this model is its 12x optical zoom lens and image stabilization system. What this means is that you can stand far away from your object and zoom in very close and still get a sharp photo. I especially like it to shoot wildlife, the moon (!), and surprise shots of people when they are not looking. (You can stand a good distance away and zoom in. I have surprised my sister in the morning in her curlers like that, much to her chagrin.) Again, the FZ5 is a great little camera to "grow into" if you are just beginning in photography.
If you don't care about that right now in your life, then the SD550 will certainly do the job, as long as you are aware of its limitations. All the best to you, VoX. Oh, to be 17 again and know what I know now! LOL

[Severin]

All of the cameras you are looking at should be good cameras for you. I debated between the FZ5 and the IS S2. The S2 takes AA batteries, so does the A620. I think this is a great advantage. Also are you interested in movie mode, this might be something to consider as some cameras are better for movies than others. Otherwise all of the cameras you metion should be good. I don't think you could really go wrong with either a Canon or Panasonic.

[JTL]

The lack of manual focus was the "deal breaker" for me with the FZ5...no manual focus, no hyperfocal focusing...a huge disadvantage...plus don't underestimate the value of the S2's swivel display. It creates the ability to get shots not possible with the FZ5...just making sure all points are represented. :)

[VoX]

Thanks for all the help. There's a huge variety and massive amount of choices to make with all these digital camera's out there...it's hard! (lol)

Right now, I'm leaning toward the S2.Well first off, I like the way it looks..lol Even though the size factor on the Panasonic is really a huge bonus, I'd like the manuel focus. Also, my uncle has the flip screen and I've messed with this camera...and I love it (he has some older Canon, with a screen similar). I'm one of those people that sneak around corners and take wierd angle shots and get people in there natural state...hahaha, so the flip screen is a bonus. But then that SD550. A pocket camera would sure be nice. Also, video mode would definatly be a huge factor. How is the Panasonic video mode? The S2 didn't look too bad and same with the SD550 (according to their reviews). Also, I'm probably going to get up right in people's faces (in an abstract sense) lol. I would like a real close macro mode. The S2 you could get as close as you could with the lense and they'd still show up clear.

I just really want a digital camera. My brother is graduating from the Airforce Academy this year, and he gets 60 days leave - so we're going to go motorcycling through Mexico together. I just want a camera so I can take pictures of everything and remember it all. He has a Canon Elf (SD450), but I just don't think it's quite fair if he takes all the pictures of me and everything he sees. I just want pictures from both points of view.

Yeah, I'll use the camera for everything, but this is what's inspiring me spend the money right now, lol. I'm just debating whether to buy a ultra compact, or get a bigger, more manuel type camera...

Do you guys find yourselfs taking more pictures with the ultra compact ones then the larger, more bulker cameras? Or is it just a matter of toting it around your neck all the time?

Thanks again for all your input. I sincerely appreciate the help.

[Donato777]

OK JTL,
I don't want to get into one of those "my camera is better than yours" discussions like we sometimes see in these forums, but I will play the Devil's Advocate. You are quite right about manual focus and the swivel LCD but I have not found that the FZ5's images suffer without manual focus. In fact, if you read dpreview.com's comparisons of the S2 and FZ5 image quality, you will find that the FZ5 actually comes out on top, although admittedly not by a super wide margin.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons2is/page8.asp
Perhaps unsurprisingly, there's very little difference between these two similarly-specified cameras when it comes to detail (though the Panasonic FZ5 has does slightly better in terms of edge to edge sharpness).

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons2is/page9.asp
At ISO 400 noise has become a serious issue for both cameras, though the effect of noise reduction on detail is much more pronounced in the S2 IS image than the FZ5. Luminance noise is measurably lower in the Canon image, but even a cursory glance at the shadow areas shows that per-channel (chroma) noise is much higher, producing a speckled effect that is prominent enough to show in even fairly small prints. Canon's aggressive noise reduction has produced a very soft overall result that means I'd recommend only using ISO 400 when you really have to - thankfully with such an effective image stabilization system this shouldn't be too often.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons2is/page14.asp
The S2 IS is certainly capable of pulling plenty of detail out of our test chart - it's one of the best in its class in terms of pure resolution, though they're not the cleanest results we've ever seen, with visible moiré at fairly low frequencies and a tendency for jagged diagonals (not something we really spotted in real-world shots). We also found that diffraction effects mean resolution starts to drop off fairly quickly at apertures of F7.1 and smaller.


CONCLUSIONS:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons2is/page15.asp
"Good resolution..."
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicfz5/page11.asp
"Excellent resolution..."

The S2 has a superior movie mode and is an excellent camera in many, many respects, but it would appear from the above review that the lack of manual focus on the FZ5 is not a " huge disadvantage," since the image quality of the FZ5 does not suffer without it, and in fact produces "excellent resolution and detail...with very sharp results." Isn't that the bottom line when using any camera - image quality?

[JTL]

You are quite right about manual focus and the swivel LCD but I have not found that the FZ5's images suffer without manual focus. Manual focus or the lack thereof has NOTHING to do with image quality. What would ever give you the idea that it did? Did you care read what I said about hyperfocal focusing? It is a fact: you can not use hyperfocal focusing on the FZ5. Now that fact may not be important to you, but it is a fact none-the-less. And, I assure you, it is important to some...especially those who specifically use that technique, or who ever care to use that technique as they explore photographic technique in general. Got an FZ5...whoops, can't do it! But like anything else, if you are not aware of the technique, then I guess you would never miss it. Just like if you never had a prime filet, you might think chuck was tender. ;)

[Gosepe]

I have an FZ5, my brother has an S2.

I'm no professional at all! But in my absolutely non scientific experiences the FZ5 has a small edge when taking photo's. With my FZ5 say 9 out of 10 pictures are fine, with the canon a bit less. Also the canon sometimes has purple edges, something I only see in my FZ 5 photo's after serious cropping. But my conclusion is that these differences are very small.

One thing that's more important to me is that shutterlag on the S2 is noticable, while there's none on the FZ5. I've checked out some reviews but none mention it. Maybe it's a defect on my brothers camera?

The S2 has extra features: manual zoom, swivel display, color swap. Also it's has a fantastic movie mode, while the movie mode on the FZ5 is really, really bad. Also the zoomlens moves faster then on the FZ.

Both are pretty bad in low light.

The FZ5 is cheaper. With the canon you need a fast 1 gb card (it will hold 11 minutes video wich is very little), while with the pana you will do fine with a fast 512 card (aprox 200 pictures at highest setting).

So what you should decide is do you want the extra functions and are they worth the extra money? If I would have to choose again I couldn't because I like both very much. Think I would wait for an ultrazoom that has image stabilization and high ISO for low light situations (FZ6, S3-IS, FZ40, fuji).

Anyway, if you get one of these two you will love it!

[VoX]

Hey, I don't mean to cause any flamage or harsh feelings. I know there's a lot of opinons about photography (well...anything) and so I just want to know what those are. Thanks guys for all your input and help.

Well, I think I've narrowed it down. I'm either going for the SD550 or the S2. Now, the FZ5 was a good choice, it just wasn't going to work exactly for what I'd use it for. (#1. Not was good movie mode. #2. No manuel focus #3. Looks (lol, I know, bad reason))

Would the SD550 take very good action shots? I mean...shots at going 80mph or so? (I ride a ...umm, crotch rocket, and so taking pictures of...errmm...whatever lol, well...) Also, how good is the burst mode?

It's just so hard between the two. The size of the Elf for the image quality is really a HUGE bonus, but then I want the manuel settings etc. and the zoom.

Another question about the S2 - can you buy like...a backpack case for it? Something that I could carry on my back with a motorcycle?

Thanks!!