Canon PowerShot A620/A700 vs. Sony DSC H2/H5 (and others).

[Suze]

* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible.
Not more than $500

* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?
I like the bigger ones because they are easier to grip with one hand.

* How many megapixels will suffice for you?
5 or more

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)
My main subjects are my kids, close up, far away, in between. Would ultrazoom be overkill? At the same time, I'm sure I'd enjoy playing with it. . .

* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)
7 or 8. I don't need pro-quality images, but mediocre ones will just bug the crap out of me.

* Do you care for manual controls?
Yes. I don't want to go backwards from where I am now (Canon PowerShot S30).

* What will you generally use the camera for?
Pictures of kids and events. I enjoy taking close-up shots of objects, too. Architecture / old barns. I use my camera almost every day to document my life and the world I see around me.

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?
Only occasionaly do I make prints that are larger than 8 by 10.

* Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
Yes. A lot of the shots of my kids are indoor shot. One of my kids is very fair-skinned and flashes tend to wash him out, so a camera that does well in low light interior shots is important to me.

* Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
Yes. I prefer shooting action rather than posed shots.

*Are there particular brands you like or hate?
I have a Canon and am happy with it. I like the idea of staying in the Canon family just because of my familiarity with their set-up. However, if there's a camera that is better-suited to my needs that is not a Canon, I will glady switch. I really like the Sony Cybershots H2/H5 and it gets a good review from Jeff, but it's not on his favorite list, but makes me wonder what I'd be giving up.

* Are there particular models you already have in mind?

Canon PowerShot S3 IS
Sony DSC-H2/H5
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30 (because it's one of Jeff's favorites)

Have also been looking at the Canon Powershot A520 / A700

*(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)
Image Stabilization, especially for low light.
I want to be able to add extra lenses.
I like the rotating LCD, but it's probably not a must-have.

Thanks so much for any input. My head is about to explode from trying to decide. :lol:

[Suze]

OK, just read a couple of the other threads from people considering similar, if not the same, cameras. These have definitely provided more insight.

Sony issues:
Would you agree that the 3" LCD of the Sony DSC H5 is going to eat batteries?
Is having to use only the Memory Stick a real drawback?

Just as an aside, I was looking at some pictures taken by the Canon PowerShot A700 on Flickr yesterday and they were phenomenal . . . Crisp & clear. He had taken shots of a variety of subjects -- mostly city scenes, but some botanical stuff, too.

I would welcome any advice as it relates specifically to what my particular uses of the camera would be (as mentioned at the top of the thread.)

Thanks, again! :)

[bascom]

Only you can decide if high zoom is worth the extra size and cost. No you don't need it for most of your kids shots, but yes it's fun to play with.

For low light consider the Fuji F10, F30, and S5200. Also, the Pana FZ7 and TZ1 hasve IS and high ISO but they tend to be noisy.

If you want a swivel LCD the Canon's are the only ones I know of < $400. You said you only need 5MP so how about the A610 instead of A620? S2 is good for zoom with IS.

You mention the A620 in your title, but the A520 in your OP, and S620 or S700 in your signature. Did you mean A620 in all cases? There is no S620. There is an SD700 but I think you mean A700.

Yes Sony H2/H5 are nice but MS cards are a drawback.

Aslo, I'll add the Kodak P850 which has 12x zoom with IS for only $300, but not high ISO.