Canon PowerShot A640 or Canon Powershot S3 IS? beginner.. help me!?

Question

I am a beginner.This will be my 1st digital camera.I am searching a good digital camera for beginner around this price. I heard Canon PowerShot A640 is a good camera for a beginner with 10mp but Canon Powershot S3 IS have a higher rating.I dont really know which specification to consider in buying a camera beside the mp.Help me?

im using it for scenery, candids, events,sports and bird watching. no specific actually. the price range $250-300.The size if possible should be portable and easy to bring it around but it not a big deal for me.i want to learn several technique for taking photo from this camera so it must have manual function.but not to difficult for beginners.

Answer 1

I have an older Canon PowerShot A620 (7.1 mp I love my camera!), and the A640 is definitely an upgrade!

The A640 and S3 IS are two different sized camera, the A640 being a compact. (though not a sub compact). They both have that awesome and helpful vari-angle screen.

You may have already seen this on the A640:
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_a630_a640-review/

And this on the S3 IS:
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_s3-review/index.shtml

Yes, the A640 has auto modes, and you can also manually program your own settings. Great for a beginner. My thought is, this will be your first digital camera, it will NO DOUBT, not be your last. Get the A640 as your first and compact digital camera. It can do everything you want in regards to the type of shots you are planning to take.

As the technology on digital cameras is continually improving and upgradings with new features, (and the prices coming down), you'll eventually come across another, newer Canon model with the latest and the greatest features. Maybe a DSLR which would have a bigger camera body.

But whichever you decide to purchase, you can't go wrong with either one! Good luck!

Answer 2

I am with Morey on this one, instead of either of the models you mentioned, consider the Canon Powershot A710 IS.

This is an excellent camera, better than either of the other models, especially for a beginner, and it has Image Stabilization (that is what the IS stands for after the A710).

I looked into the A640; but decided on the S3 IS myself; however, I am an experienced photographer, and the S3 requires some knowledge of photography and techniques to get the most out of it, even though it's considered a "point n shoot" camera. While you certainly could learn to use it, and quickly; overall, I think the A710 IS is a better camera, with better photo quality. So unless you really need a 12x zoom for some reason, take a close look at the A710 IS.
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Here is a comparison page for the three cameras:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/CAMDB/compare_results.php?sections%5B%5D=1108§ions%5B%5D=1109§ions%5B%5D=1026&submit=Compare
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.EDIT:
After looking at the comparison ... perhaps the A640 is a better buy ... since it has a larger sensor ... you can't go wrong on any of these. It also has a larger pixel count. So perhaps you are good considering the A640 ... go with it!

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Answer 3

They are two different types of cameras. The S3IS is fine- but it's getting a little long in the tooth (that means it's an older model). the S3 has a big zoom lens, so it would be a possible choice if you want a big zoom (bird watching, sports, candids). the A640 is fine, but more pixels isn't always better. Look at the A570 or A710 which both have image stabilization, the 710 having a longer zoom.

Other than being a 'beginner' you haven't specified your needs, price range, size preference or use. There are many different cameras on the market. Hard to choose one for you unless we know more

Answer 4

Check out this comparison page. Click on "In-depth review" and "Read Owner Opinions" for each camera. Be sure to note that the reviews are many pages long so you don't stop after page one. Check the sample images, also, which you should access from the individual review and not the "Samples Gallery," because they are easier to find there. You can enlarge these to full size images if you click on the file name shown below the picture. You will have to then put your cursor in the white space to the right of the picture and click once. After that, you can pass your cursor over the image and it will turn into a magnifier. Click it as a magnifier once and the image will go to full size and you can really examine the detail or look for artifacts like fringing or noise.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_a640%2Ccanon_s3is%2Ccanon_a710is&show=all

I like Morey's suggestion of the A710-IS as well. At least it is worthy of consideration.

However...

I'd choose the A640 out of this group for "theoretic" image quality. It has a sensor that is twice as big as the other cameras. Look at the samples and see what YOU think. There is a lot to be said for image stablization, too...

Answer 5

Personally I would strongly recommend the S3-IS. The S3-IS will win hands-down when it comes to styling, features and the wonderful Zoom.

The S3 IS is a very good camera which provides very crisp photography experience to even beginners. As you graduate you will realize that the S3-IS comes as close to an SLR camera and it will make your transition from amatuer to a professional (or skilled) photographer very smooth and enriching.