anti-blur or IS?

[browercreed]

I am trying to choose a new digital camera, and all these specifics are confusing me!! I will NEVER use anything but the "auto" button. I mostly use it for "posed" family pics and scenery. So do I need the cheaper kodak with anti blur or the more expensive canon with IS? I would like to have one with a larger zoom but know that would call for an external flash for it to be useful. What are "noisy pics"? I have decided I need a viewfinder - I think.
How would you get what I want in one small package? Until I came to this forum, I didn't realize there was so much to know about taking a simple snapshot and I don't know any of it!

[David Metsky]

Which Kodak and which Canon are you looking at?

Anti-blur generally pushes the ISO value higher, allowing you to shoot at a faster shutter speed than you would be able to do otherwise. IS counteracts the shake in your hands and lets you take sharp pictures at slower shutter speeds.

But the devil is in the details. If your subject is moving (like kids or animals) IS doesn't help much. Your hands will be steady, but since the shutter speed is slow your subject may be blurry. Anti-blur can push the ISO higher, but many cameras get very "noisy" at high ISO, making the images look grainy.

So, what do you expect to be shooting pictures of? If it's kids in motion, look at the Fuji F30 which has the best low light action capabilities of any compact cameras. Otherwise I think the Canon (A710 IS?) will give you better results than nearly any Kodak.

-dave-

[browercreed]

I had my mind all made up and was going to buy the canon sd 700, but I began to read all kinds of complaints about the LCD screen scratching and breaking. I spent some time at Best Buy comparing and saw the kodak c743. That's when the confusion set in! I'm not looking for the perfect picture because I'm not sofisticated at all in this department, but would like the camera to take pics fairly fast and be clear. I won't be taking many "kid" shots just mostly "posed family photos". The camera needs to be easy to understand and use since I can tell this really isn't my cup of tea, but I want to save some memories.
Thanks for your help.:)

[JLV]

The Kodak C743 is lower level of Kodak’s cameras. That said, it should fit your needs very economically. With a 3 times zoom you don’t really need a IS. As you want a simple to operate camera to take posed family photos, this should be adequate for you. Have fun.

[David Metsky]

I wouldn't worry about the LCD breaking. All cameras have this problem to some degree, and while there were some valid complaints about the LCDs in the SD400 and SD500, those problems seem to have gone away with new LCD designs.

In low light, without flash, neither camera will be fantastic at taking fast and clear shots. I suspect the Canon SD700 IS will be better in this respect because of higher usable ISO. It also has a slightly longer zoom and the IS. Both should take pretty nice shots with flash and/or good light, and based on the photo galleries online I'd say the Canon also has the edge there. But this is at twice the cost.

You might be better off with the Canon A540 over the SD700. It's a bit bigger and easier to hold, costs about the same as the Kodak, and has manual controls if you someday want to get a little more into photography.

-dave-

[browercreed]

Thanks for all your help. I really liked the sd 700 even though it was more expensive because it was smaller. I don't mind the extra cash because this will most likely be my first and last to buy! ha! I just worried about the LCD, but if this is a problem with all of them then it doesn't matter.
Thanks again! :)

[David Metsky]

I just worried about the LCD, but if this is a problem with all of them then it doesn't matter.
Just to clarify, it is possible to break any LCD by dropping it. The problems reported with the Canon SD400 and SD500 were that their LCDs were breaking without any serious impact; just breaking.

People have extrapolated that to the entire SD line, but I don't think that has been supported by the evidence. There were many reports of broken LCDs with the SD4/500, there are few with the other models which have different LCDs. So I think that problem has been addressed by Canon and I wouldn't consider it an issue.

You still need to take care not to drop any camera.

-dave-

[browercreed]

I have almost read this entire forum over the last few days it seems, and there was a lady who had dropped her sd 700 only a short distance and it cracked. So she was complaining and thinking this might have happened to others. That's where I got my information so it just might be a freak thing and not a common problem.
Thanks!:D

[tim11]

......there was a lady who had dropped her sd 700 only a short distance and it cracked. ....

How 'short' is that short distance? And was it on the sand or hard concrete? ;)

[David Metsky]

As Tim said (or implied) most people have no idea how fragile LCDs are. They expect them to survive serious abuse; any LCD can break if you drop it.

My SD300 has been dropped dozens of times (in its padded case) and is still going strong 2 years on. I have a feeling that most cameras would have ended up with a broken LCD from the drop in question.

-dave-

[Paul79UF]

I wouldn't worry about the LCD breaking if you exercise reasonable care with the camera.

I've dropped my old Canon Powershots (S100, S200, S230, and SD110) more than a few times, sometimes from above my head onto a concrete floor.

I know that my new SD700 will be more fragile because of the large screen but it feels really well put together and solid, so I'm not worried about it.

To protect the screen from scratches, get one of these plastic lcd protectors - http://www.cutecamcase.com/lcd.html If the protector gets scratched/dirty, just replace it or remove it to reveal the like new LCD for selling it.

I'd say go for the SD700 I've really enjoyed the camera. The IS is definitely a big help.

[browercreed]

Well I went back to see exactly what the lady said(see below), but I think I'll go with the sd 700. I'll look for that screen protector like you said. Thanks so much everybody for helping me settle my mind on this. :)


"murphys law dictates that i drop the bag -- that my camera was in-- onto the granite floor of my home!!...less than a 2 ft drop mind u...the camera was also in a soft case...when i take it out to view my pictures, the LCD is supremely cracked, just like that! waaah i thought they solved this problem since i heard similar news about the sd550. do u know if canon addresses this issue? btw my sony ericsson s710i was also in the dropped bag... unlike the canon the lcd doesnt have beveled sides to soften the blow and it fell lcd screen side first...and survives intact. wtf?~~~~~~ sorry im just HEARTBROKEN...

has this happened to anyone who has owned either the sd700, 630, 550 or 500? I heard that they were suposed to improve upon the durability of the LCD screens with all models after the sd700. also how hard was it to get canon to replace the LCD under warranty.

any help would be greatly apprecaited. also how much does it cost to fix a screen? everything else works...

[tim11]

Less than 2 feet, inside a bag and inside a soft case - and supremely cracked. :D
Sounds like SUPREMELY exaggerated. Maybe the person forgot to stress that the camera was wrapped up in a padded bag 5 feet thick. :D
It doesn't take a rocket scientis to figure out that something like an LCD doesn't crack without reason... or I wll read my Harry Potter book again.
If logic applies, LCD will only crack when it suffers 1) excessive sudden impact, 2) prolonged stress caused by bend or 3) in the case of design flaw, suffering from material expansion (in extreme weather).

I'm not a scientist but if LCD cracked supremely it is the result of impact. If it cracks from stress the crack won't be 'supreme' but maybe just one or two lines of cracks.
Back to that 2 feet drop in question, one would have wondered. What else was in the bag?

[David Metsky]

has this happened to anyone who has owned either the sd700, 630, 550 or 500? I heard that they were suposed to improve upon the durability of the LCD screens with all models after the sd700. also how hard was it to get canon to replace the LCD under warranty.
She dropped the camera on granite. Canon will not replace that under warrenty. It's difficult to take stories written on the net without a few grains of salt. The problems with the SD400 and SD500 were LCDs breaking without any impact. Those problems seem to have gone away when they updated those models (SD450, SD550).

Any LCD can break due to impact. They're not really designed to survive abuse, and no camera maker can guarentee that if you drop your camera onto a hard surface that it will survive. It's a reality that every digital camera owner has to deal with.

I've had three digital cameras that I took hiking, skiing, mountaineering, etc. They've all been dropped several times (almost always while in their cases) but have all survived. Sure, there are a few scratches on the LCDs but plastic protector would have prevented that. I'll get one for the next camera I buy. You have to accept some risk, these things happen. If you are really concerned, buy the insurance.

As a rough rule, if the camera is new it is worth replacing a broken LCD. I'd expect to pay over $100. If the camera is a year old or older, I'd buy a new camera.

-dave-

[tim11]

"murphys law dictates that i drop the bag -- that my camera was in-- onto the granite floor of my home!!...less than a 2 ft drop mind u...the camera was also in a soft case...xxxxxx the LCD is supremely cracked, xxxxxx btw my sony ericsson s710i was also in the dropped bag... xxxxxx. wtf?~~~~~~ sorry im just HEARTBROKEN...


hmm........ how did the keyword got by without my attention in the first place? :confused:
Sony Ericsson S710i (http://www.phonescorporation.com/spec/sony-ericsson_S710i-2122.php) weighs 137 grams (i.e. 4.8 oz).

Would you use a hard metal piece weighing 4.8 oz to hit a Canon LCD - soft case or not? That was what striked the LCD - that S710i . The mystery has been solved.

Just take care of the camera. If you can't help putting it in your pocket or bag, make sure there is nothing in there to compete for space.