Fuji S5500 vs Canon S1 vs Panasonic Z3

[Xax]

Hi, First of all, sorry for my mistakes in english cuz Im from Spain and I´m learning english so I dont speak it very well, lol.

Well, I´m thinking to buy a nwe camera with a good zoom, around 10x so Im reading a lot of reviews and I dont know what camera should I buy.
I like a lot the Fuji´s camera cuz its designed like a reflex camera, but I dont know if the photo´s quality is so good :confused:
I like aswell the other cameras, so I am so confused about what camera should I buy lol.
Finally I´ll buy the camera that takes better quality of pictures, so please, could you help me??????

Thanks for all,
Alvaro.

[tonyimp]

I am not sure what the S5500 is. I do have first hand knowledge of the the S5100.
Of these cameras, the S1, S5100 and FZ3, without a doubt, the best stills come from the FZ3.

Fuji S5100 -
I bought and then returned the S5100. It is fast, but has a tough time focusing. Fit and finish are excellent on this fuji. It has no image stabilizastion. The zoom ation on the lens is slow. AF was hit or miss, I lost one out of five shots.

Canon S1 -
In the store, I played with the S1. It felt like a toy. It was slow. The guy at the store said they were prone to breaking (flip out lcd, delicate flas). Movie mode is excellent, however.

Panasonic Fz3
I now own the FZ3. It takes outstanding stills. Movie mode is not good. fit and finish is excellent. This is the camera I chose.

Happy hunting.
Tony

[John_Reed]

Hi, First of all, sorry for my mistakes in english cuz Im from Spain and I´m learning english so I dont speak it very well, lol.

Well, I´m thinking to buy a nwe camera with a good zoom, around 10x so Im reading a lot of reviews and I dont know what camera should I buy.
I like a lot the Fuji´s camera cuz its designed like a reflex camera, but I dont know if the photo´s quality is so good :confused:
I like aswell the other cameras, so I am so confused about what camera should I buy lol.
Finally I´ll buy the camera that takes better quality of pictures, so please, could you help me??????

Thanks for all,
Alvaro....the S5500 is marketed in the U.S. as the S5100, which was reviewed on this site earlier, if you haven't read the review. (Tony mentioned having owned an S5100 before returning it.) The FZ3 has a wider wideangle (35mm vs. 37mm) and a longer telephoto (420mm vs. 370mm) than the S5500, and it has image stabilization, allowing you to capture sharp shots throughout its zoom range under light conditions where the Fuji's captures would be blurry. As for the Canon S1, it compares to the FZ3 for image stabilization, but it also has a shorter zoom range, just like the S5500, and if you look at the FZ3 review at http://www.dpreview.com, you'll see a detailed image resolution comparison between the S1 and the FZ3, demonstrating the latter's superior image quality. But whichever camera you choose, enjoy it!

[NeoteriX]

I agree, the Fujifilm which its black rubber molded casing and everything has legitimate SLR like looks -- it's probably the nicest looking long zoom point and shoot camera on the market.

However, in terms of image quality and functionality, I believe there are only two players in the market -- Canon's S1 and Panasonic's FZ series. Image stabilization is very important with long zoom cameras, and I would prefer less megapixels in the sensor versus not having image stabilization.

In the end, like someone else mentioned, I would actually see if I could hold the cameras in my hands. I held the FZ3/15/20 the other day for the first time... For me and my larger hands and long slender fingers... the Panasonic cameras are ergonomic nightmares for me, they just did not feel good to hold.

[Rhys]

Canon S1 -
In the store, I played with the S1. It felt like a toy. It was slow. The guy at the store said they were prone to breaking (flip out lcd, delicate flas). Movie mode is excellent, however.
Tony

I have a Canon S1. I've used it extensively both in Britain and in America. It was a gift from my girlfriend and it's absolutely fantastic. I don't see any parts that are prone to breakage. I must admit that the colour (silver) makes it look a bit naff and uncameralike. Having said that, I find it takes phenomenal photos and phenomenal videos. I don't often use the flip-out LCD nor do I often use the flash.

My only gripe about the flash is that in some of the auto modes, it pops up automatically and won't go back down and stay down until I change modes. Itis also a swine to push down. It has to be pressed quite hard until you hear a faint click.

As for the LCD, as long as you're gentle with it, I see no problems. The trick is to remember that it swivels through 270 degrees and not 360.

[Xax]

First Thanks to all of you for the posts,

So as I can see the image quality of the Fuji´s camera is not so good........I have seen the reviews of those cameras and in all of them, the best camera is the Panasonic Z3 but I dont know If I should buy it cuz it has got more noise than the rest.........Is this real???

And one more thing, is the image stabilizator very important with a good light???

Thanks, alvaro.

[roxbury29]

Hello, I asked all the questions too
take a look at them in person -

I purchased the Canon s1 is

I love it - great movies and awesome pics
also dont really use the flash.
show a few short movies at the circus with my kids(video not allowed)
they came out great - you can zoom in the movie mode too ( big plus)
also the pics in medium lighting were good too..



and the Image stabil.. is very nice for long zoom shots -
without it they would definetly be blurry



good luck!!

[tonyimp]

I would like to revise my unfair assesment of the S1.
The model I reviewed in the store had a broken flash that would not pop-up. This could easily have contributed to the slow AF/metering times I saw in the store model. Obviously others with this camera are satisfied.
As I stated before, I am a huge Canon fan; I wanted to like the S1, and was disappointed when I tested it.
It is likely that my local retailer is doing Canon a dis-service by continuing to demo a model that was broken.
In retrospect, I probably was not in a position to offer an objective opinion on the S1. I wish I had taken more time to test out a fully functioning model.
But, as I said before, I am very happy with the FZ3 stills.
Thanks All
Tony

[Rhys]

It is likely that my local retailer is doing Canon a dis-service by continuing to demo a model that was broken.
Tony

It sounds more like the manager had made a poor decision along the lines that as demo models get hammered, it's better to wreck just one camera and not several as it'd dent his profits.

The flipside to that argument is that if he demos only damaged stock, his customers will not have a high opinion of him or his cameras. They will look at the cameras there and go somewhere else to buy - somewhere that has a working camera.