Help me decide between these 6 cameras?

Question

I've spent hours shopping around and reading reviews, and narrowed my camera choices down to 6 cameras.

Right now, I'm in the "I just need a camera that I can point and shoot" zone for the standard family pictures etc, however I would like to get a lot more into photography, and so I'd like one that has decent capabilities on the manual side too for when I get more into that. Time lapse photography seems cool too.

Here is the list:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_a700%2Ccanon_s3is%2Ccanon_a620%2Csony_dsch2%2Cpanasonic_dmcfz7%2Cfuji_finepixs5200z&show=all

If that page doesn't work, it's between the Canon A700, A620 or S3, Sony DSC-H2, Fujifilm S5200 or Panasonic DMC-FZ7.

Right now, I'm leaning towards either the Canon A700 or S3, but all opinions are appreciated. The A700 would be good because it's pretty darn compact and easy to carry around, but the S3 seems to have a lot more capabilities. I'm very confused, please help :)

Answer 1

Haha, with stereo sound! The same old 640*480 video mode and tinny sound... but now in STEREO! Wow, that's amazing!
Ahem... what you have here, Dan, is a case of analysis paralysis. I checked out the A700 and the S3 on http://www.steves-digicams.com/hardware_reviews.html and they agree that both are great. Regarding the S3, they confirm my own experience with a Nikon prosumer (the Coolpix 8700) that the camera is versatile but not anywhere near as responsive as a digital SLR. That's one thing the extra $100 WON'T get you.
It seems to me that the A700 matches every important feature of the S3: 6MP, a lens that starts at f/2.8 (vs. f/2.7), good image quality up to ISO 400 with ISO 800 if you need it, aperture-priority mode, exposure compensation, etc. The only real difference is the zoom range and Image Stabilization. The A700 does 35-210mm (about as long as you can zoom without needing IS or a a tripod), and the S3 gives you IS with extra reach up to 432mm.
So is the extra zoom worth $100? That depends on your shooting style. If you want to take snapshots of chipmunks in trees, the S3 is your camera. But for every day stuff and street photography, the A700 is good enough. I'd get the A700.

Answer 2

The A700 would be good because it's pretty darn compact and easy to carry around, but the S3 seems to have a lot more capabilities. True. But, I'd choose between the S3 or the A620, as the pixel count is a bit higher in the A620. I always said that the lens quality mattered more than the pixel count, but let's assume the A700 and A620 have the same glass. The A700 offers ISO 800, but I'll bet it's pretty noisy. Between those two, I'd buy the cheaper camera and buy a 1 GB SD card with the money "saved" on the camera. For family shots, though, the image stabilization of the S3 is awfully attractive. Plus, I think you are right that the S3 would be more like a "real" camera when you want to bridge the gap between this camera and the digital SLR that you know deep in your heart that you really want anyhow.

Answer 3

I recently bought a Canon S3 and took it on a vacation trip. I was amazed at the pictures it took. The 12 power optical and 4 power digital zoom make it possible to take almost any photo you could imagine. Distant objects can be zoomed in to look like you are right there and you also have the ability to take movies complete with stereo sound. This camera is very easy to use and the overall size seems just right. The only drawback that I have found so far is that the LCD view screen is hard to see clearly in bright outdoor conditions. I think this is common and I think using the view finder with an after market sun shield would probably solve the problem. I got mine at beachcamera.com and paid $417 including shipping. I had thought about the S2 but decided to spend the extra $100 for this camera.

Answer 4

Canon would be my favoured brand.
The Canon A620 is a great camera that takes excellent quality photos and has full manual controls...I would buy it over the A700 because it has better battery life and has the vari-angle (flip out and twist) LCD screen which folds back into the camera when not in use...therefore protecting it from scratches without the need for adhesive LCD screen protectors.
If you want more zoom capabilities(12X as opposed to 4X with the A620), then the Canon S3 IS with 12X optical and manual control, video with stereo audio...is the one to get.

Answer 5

I don't think you can go wrong with any of these cameras. If you're looking for a point-and-shoot, I would agree that any Canon is a safe bet, and I'm a fan of the best glass/lens vs. the highest megapixels or featureset. I just went through the review and evaluation process for a digital myself, and ended up with the Sony Cybershot CSC N1. I'm extremely happy with the picture quality, durability and battery life.

I'm a huge fan of Sony cameras and preferred paying a preimum for the ultra-compact case for travel in foreign countries where a big camera is a target on your forehead. The best prices out there are J&R and B&H Photo in terms of big brands, but if you trust the grey market onlne dealers to get ship you product, you can save a few more bucks.

I hope this helps.

Answer 6

379 is an insane price for a digital SLR that shoots raw. When dealing with megapixels you have to realize sensor size. 12 megapixels is A LOT of megapixels to jam on such a small sensor of the P&S Canon and you will start seeing a lot of noise even at ISO 400. Not the case on the D40. Also the Canon is 1.1 fps NOT 11!!

Answer 7

try the canon eos 20 or 30 good for hobbist and pro kinda pricy or nikon coolpix series great for the money and shoot video and audio length depends on how big flash card is

Answer 8

None of those. Sony makes an upgraded version of the DSC-H2.

The DSC-H5 is a big improvement and is better than all of those cameras.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Sony/sony_dsch5.asp
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/sony/dsc_h5-review/

Answer 9

go for the Canon, A620~ It's the best Camera for the money

Answer 10

I cant agree more with Dr, Sam.