Need help picking a new compact camera

[jandi]

Hello,

I've been happily using a Sony DSC-W1 for the past two years. Unfortunately, the camera recently died and fixing it will cost $300, which makes me consider instead buying a new camera. I've been looking at reviews at plenty of sites, and have come across some interesting models, but the amount of information is overwhelming, and I'm confused as to which camera to pick.

What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Up to $600

What size camera are you looking for? I'm looking for a small camera I would be able to carry on my pocket, jacket or purse.

How many megapixels will suffice for you? Well, my DSC-W1 had 5MP, and that was more than enough. Most of the pictures are for viewing on a computer or printing at 4x6 anyway, with occasional larger prints.

What optical zoom will you need? Standard, 3x-5x

How important is “image quality” to you? 8. I'm particularly picky with noise.

Do you care for manual controls? Some manual control would be nice. I often take night shots, and have survived so far using preset modes on my old camera, but would like to play a little with camera controls now :)

What will you generally use the camera for? Pictures of pets (small dogs), social events (groups of people, often in indoors and not always well lit places) and landscapes.

Will you be making big prints of your photos or not? No

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos? Yes

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos? yes (dance shows)

Are there particular brands you like or hate? I've printed a few pictures some friends took with HP and Pentax cameras and the quality was way below my Sony camera. I liked my Sony camera because it was really fast and snappy (at least compared to other cameras when I bought it). Fast is a good thing since my little dogs move way too fast.

Are there particular models you already have in mind? I was looking at the upgrade model for my deceased camera, the Sony DSC-W70, and while the design is very compact and stylish, the switch from AA batteries to a proprietary battery doesn't make me happy. And since it uses the MS Duo, my old MS is worthless, so I don't mind switching to a camera that uses the cheaper SD or XD formats. The Canon A630 also looks quite interesting, although I'm not sure if it's too big and clunky (hard to tell just from pictures) along with the Fuji F30 and the Canon A710 IS. Kodak C875 also looks nice. At this point I've read so many reviews that I'm completely confused.

Do you need any of the following special features?

One of my main concerns is battery life. AA batteries would be nice, although a proprietary battery with a far better battery life could be ok.

Image stabilization could be nice, but I'm not sure I really need it, since I've never used it before. I did notice I used to get blurry pictures on low light conditions, but I don't know if image stabilization would help with that.

While I don't need a completely weatherproof camera, and most certainly I won't be submerging mine, I've noticed that battery life on my old camera used to be terrible on really cold conditions. And I'm not sure if the cold weather and snow had to do with the demise of my poor Sony.

Rotating LCD would be really nice (one of the reasons I set an eye on the Canon A630). I tend to take quite a few self-portraits.

[bascom]

I'd say you have identified the best point and shoots: Canon A630, A710, Fuji F30, Kodak C875. What about Sony 100?

I have an A610 and enjoy it. It fits in my jacket but is a bit heavy.

[jandi]

The first camera I set my eyes on after mine died was exactly the W100, however, there didn't seem to be many differences in terms of quality with respect to the W70, with a steep difference in price. The only thing that threw me off from it is that it no longer uses AA batteries. I guess that limits my options further.

The A610 has a similar size to the A630 right? I think that is my first choice right now, the rotating LCD seems really handy. If it is not too cumbersome to carry it along, I might as well go for it. I don't expect to carry it on my jeans, but if it fits properly on a small bag or the jacket, I'll be a happy girl.

I guess right now I'm torn between the A630 and A710. How important is IS? I survived without it before, although I did experience some problems with focus at some points (but also I read online that blurry images was a problem of my beloved W1, so it might have not been just me). Does the bigger grip make it easier to hold the camera steadier? If I keep using a lower resolution most of the time (3MP), would that compensate for the bigger zoom on the 710?

Thanks so much for your help, with so many models available it's tough to pick a camera. I miss mine.

[MatthewCollin]

I love my new A710. The IS is actually pretty handy, I definately knew it was working when I first started using the camera. The video mode is especially nice with the IS. There are more than enough manual controls to keep you happy. I especially like how using the autofocus will enlarge a portion of the image on the screen to help you get the focus just right. A lot of people are impressed with the color accent feature too. I've never used a Canon camera before I got the A710 (I had an old Sony), but I still found it very easy to use. Menu's and settings are simple and straightforward. As for size, I don't think it's terrbly big at all, but I'm coming from a camera that came out sometime in 2001. It'll easily fit in my coat pocket.

Drawbacks so far are just minor quibbles:

It eats regular alkaline batteries like they were candy. I just ordered a Powerex universal charger with 4 2700mah batteries.


The 16mb SD card that comes with it is a joke for a 7mp camera. Can only hold about 4 pictures at the largest size and finest quality.


Not the prettiest high-ISO pictures, but that's not a very big issue since I usually keep it on 80 or 100.

The LCD resolution is not very impressive and the viewfinder is not the best, but at least it's there.


I was originally considering a Sony DSC-W70, but I wanted more manual control. I also looked at the Canon A630, but I wasn't sold on the angled LCD (went without one for years, so it's not like I'll miss it) and the A710 is a smidge smaller...and nicer looking IMO. When I saw that the A710 could be had online for around 300 dollars, I was sold.

*EDIT* To give you an idea of size, I pulled these from their respective reviews at DCResource.

Sony DSC-W1 3.6 x 2.4 x 1.4 inches (W x H x D)

Canon PowerShot A630 4.3 x 2.6 x 1.9 in.

Canon PowerShot A710 IS 3.8 x 2.6 x 1.6 in.

[pkcmd1008]

Matt I have been looking at both the 710 and 630/640. How is the shutter lag on the 710??

[SpecialK]

I recently posted this to a couple other similar requests...

I have a Canon A620 (now replaced by A630/A640) which I really like, particularly the rotating LCD which changes the way you take pictures. You do not have to put the camera up to your eye and announce the fact you are taking pictures. You can just have it near waist level and look down at it. Much better to catch candid shots of people, who normally get self conscious, or frown, when they see a camera pointed at them.

The camera is more suited to use outdoors as it has pretty bad redeye common the the Canon A series.

It also has full manual controls, some semi automatic "scene" modes, and of course full "auto", and can make up to 9 minute movies with a 1 gig card.

The A630 has enough megapixels, and if you don't want to operate your camera from your computer (like in a small studio setup) then the lack of "remote capture" is a non-issue.

The A630 has no IS. However, I never noticed a problem with the A620 under normal circumstances. Remember to brace the camera against a doorway, pillar, or on a table, and or use the viewfinder to help minimize shake when needed. Holding the camera at arm's length is the shakiest way to shoot.

The A710 IS may be a better choice if you want IS, but no rotating LCD :-(

Canon has a "stich" mode that when used in conjunction with the provided software allows you to put join photos together. There is a technique to it and "your results will vary". However, Canon makes a conversion lens for about $80 (wide) or a bit more for telephoto, which require an adapter mount. These reduce image quality just a bit but still acceptable. Cheaper alternatives are not so good. You must use your zoom lens at full wide (or telephot) and no zooming, however.

[MatthewCollin]

Matt I have been looking at both the 710 and 630/640. How is the shutter lag on the 710??

I don't notice it much at all. But hey, I'm coming from a 5 year old camera, so ofcourse I'm going to think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. :p

I say, if the rotating LCD is something you'd really like to have, go for the A630 and save yourself some money for a new SD card or some nice batteries. Plus, the fact that it uses 4AA's instead of 2 means you'll get more shots out of it before the batteries call it quits.

If the thought of a 6x optical zoom and IS is more tempting, try the 710. You probably won't be dissapointed with either of them.

[cgl88]

Given your requirements/bias for self-portraits, the A630 is something that will benefit you more than the 6x and IS. This is coming from someone who took a few (but not a lot) of 'hit and miss' self-portraits with the nicely designed Sony T11 (5mp).

This advice is coming from someone who is looking for a manual non-slr camera: I've looked at the A-series/SDxx's, G, and some of the Sony's.

For the A710 I have read the flash takes a while to re-charge and then the screen is blank! That sounds annoying, but I don't know if the A630 is any better. The A710 is called the poor-man's version of the G7. I like the G7 but it has red-eye (what compact doesn't?). Then again, red-eye is easily fixable in software.

[jandi]

Thanks all for your suggestions. I think I'm going to go for the A630. The rotating LCD is very alluring. :D

[flippedgazelle]

For the A710 I have read the flash takes a while to re-charge and then the screen is blank! That sounds annoying, but I don't know if the A630 is any better. The A710 is called the poor-man's version of the G7. I like the G7 but it has red-eye (what compact doesn't?). Then again, red-eye is easily fixable in software.

The A6x0 cameras recharge from flash very quickly in comparison to the A710. The A710 uses only 2 battereis, whereas the A6x0 series uses 4, hence the much faster recycle time.

[cgl88]

Good to know. Thanks!
If the A6xx's had IS and better screen resolution (i'm spoiled by the Sony LCD), it would be a no-brainer pick them over the A7x's. However, in some ways the IS is a bit of a marketing ploy because a tripod or some basic camera techniques (using a way for support) negate the benefits of IS.