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View Full Version : Need advice - Canon S3IS or Fuji F30


marvins4
05-21-2006, 12:50 PM
I have never posted here before, but there seems to be a lot of knowledgeable people on this board, and I am hoping for some help.

Okay, I know this seems like an odd comparison, but here is my situation:
I bought a Canon G6 awhile ago and I loved it. It takes excellent pictures, but I found myself without it more often than not. I have two small kids and it was just too big and bulky to throw in my purse or the diaper bag. So I decided to buy a small camera instead. I decided on an sd550. The 550 is capable of taking excellent photos but I was a little disappointed because a fair number of them were ending up blurry. Since I do get some great pictures, I am pretty sure it is hand shake and not the camera. Unfortunately, hand shake is something I can't do much about since I usually have a baby on hip while shooting.

After using my 550 for awhile, I realized that my G6 is much slower. I really like the zoom and the OIS on the S3, so I figured I would just keep my sd550 for travel and have the S3 as my main camera. Then I started reading about the F30 and am wondering if it will not only solve my quick kids and hand shake issues, but also eliminate the need for two cameras.

I prefer AA batteries and sd memory but am willing to give those up if the picture quality is great. I also really like the thought of ultra zoom but can probably manage without it. My usage will be mostly kids, vacations, etc.. but would like to do some macro and landscape also. I don't often make big prints but do crop a lot and would print large if I took something that was frame worthy.

Opinions???

Sorry to be so long winded. Thank you to those who stuck around long enough to read the whole thing!

marvins4
05-21-2006, 12:52 PM
Also, I do want manual controls. Something I didn't really think about when I got the sd550.

Thanks

coldrain
05-21-2006, 01:19 PM
Hmm... why did you think of the S3 IS in the first place? Because of the IS?

The F30 of course is a fine camera, but will not offer the same amount of tele zoom the S3 IS gives you. The canon SD700 also offers IS, and is a bit smaller than the F30. Both cameras will be a good choice to eliminate your handshake problem.

marvins4
05-21-2006, 01:33 PM
The S2 IS got such great reviews and people seemed to love it. That is why I looked into the S3. I love the fact that it has 12x zoom and OIS, and I love Canons. But I would still prefer a small camera that fit my needs. The 700is is also very tempting, but no manual controls. Also, majority of my pics are indoors with less than optimal lighting. Basically, I guess I am wondering if high ISO would compensate for not having OIS.

Thanks

coldrain
05-21-2006, 01:53 PM
Less than optimal light means longer shutter times. Longer shutter times makes blurry subjects if they move. No IS will help that.... so, then for that you best get a camera that plays well with higher ISO's, the F30.

For shakey hands, the IS is good... and for longer shutter times of STATIC subjects.