Why do people often recommend the Canon Powershots when there are so many better choices?

Question

There are several commonly available cameras in the under $400 range, or even under $200, with better optics that take much better pictures and are easier to use than any of the Canon Powershot series. Even so, people keep recommending this fragile, difficult to use, easy to break camera with really mediocre optics. There are several other cameras that are so much better that cost much less and don't break because they do not have fragile knobs sticking out of the case. Further, the Cannon optics are blurry when compared to any but the worst of the cameras at a given price point because the Cannons do not have F-stops higher than 5. All the processing or mega-pixels in the world will not give a better image without better optics offered by a higher F stop. Higher F stop almost always means better optics which translates to a much sharper clearer image with more depth. What is wrong with these people? Why to they flock to these cheezy Canons? Marketing? Ignorance? Fad?

Answer 1

"Higher F stop almost always means better optics which translates to a much sharper clearer image with more depth."

There is no basis in fact for such a general statement. Nor is there any basis in fact fro saying that Canon Powershots have no higher f-stop than 5. You are showing your own ignorance to make these claims.

When you see a chart showing the aperture range as f/2.8-f/4.9, this does NOT mean that the smallest aperture is f/4.9. This is the MAXIMUM aperture at the extremes of the focal length. In fact, if you were to generalize, you could say that the smaller those numbers - both of them - the better the lens.

I just looked through some random shots from my SD900 and I have determined that the aperture ranges from f/2.8 to f/8.0 at the wide end (7.7 mm) and from f/4.9 to f/14.0 at the tele end (23.1 mm). The reason that we do not see apertures in the f/22 neighborhood is because the lens diameter is so small in the first place. This problem would be inherant in ALL point and shoot cameras, because the lens size is relatively small.

Please see the second chart on this page: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/stats.asp The fact that 35% of all people seeking information about cameras at one of the leading review sites on the internet were inquiring about Canon tells me that it is something more than marketting hype.

Please click on the pencil icon under your question and choose "Add Details" to tell us which brands you recommend that have better optics, better pictures and are easier to use. I'm dying to know.

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It's been 3 days and I don't see any additions... Seriously, I'd love it if you can answer MY questions.

Answer 2

I believe it is just spread around by sales people (among other people). I always hear them recommending Canons even when the customer doesn't know what they need in a camera. To add to that, they do have good sensors. I tested an A630 against my D40 and in sufficient light, it did pick up slightly more detail than my D40 (but I should state that even though the difference is there, it is not very pronounced.)
Although it is true that the smaller the aperture, the sharper the image, it seems that their lenses are sufficently sharp at the larger apertures that they're compared to other cameras.
There is also a difference in different Powershot models, there are budget models as well as more high-end models, so it can really depend on which Powershot model you're referring to. I think that the A640 is over-hyped, and a model often recommended on Yahoo Answers. I would admit that the user experience on the A630 is not so great, particularly Canon's infamous menu systems, as wells as the plastic build of the body.
And perhaps, even stereotyping. Canon seems to be the default option in many cases. (I think of the Fujifilm F40 fd as an alternative to the A640.) You'd have to go out of your way to get a Fujiflim. And Canon's SD1000 seems to be everybody's camera. Which may be why it's easy for answerers to recommend Canons, just because they're every man's camera.

Answer 3

alot has to do with marketing too...if you look how much canon markets itself compared to fuji or kodak or panasonic you will see it is impressed into people.
I myself bought a fujifilm finepix s9100 and i am glad i did the research on the camera. i spent a few weeks researching and when you read the reviews, don't go by the expert reviewer...most of the time they get the camera and then use it for maybe 2-3 days and the most a week. Read the reviews of the users and read the ones where they have had it for more then a week. i can not stand the users who just get the camera and then post a review that same day saying the camera is horrible. then they say they are going to return it the next day? It takes time to know how to use the camera the right way and also you need to read the manual.
The fujifilm finepix s9100 you can find on the net for around the 350 and up mark...this camera is for the advanced users. 9.0mp 10x zoom (28-300mm) fixed lens so you wont get dust on the lense. this has all the manual controls a dslr has but here is the great thing about it...no need to buy lens that will weigh more then this camera and no need to put your back out trying to lug it all around.

Answer 4

I have purchased 3 Canon PowerShot digital cameras. I used dpreview.com to do a feature search and only the Canon PowerShot series had all the features I wanted. I wanted to have more control over my exposure; therefore, I searched for a camera with shutter priority, aperature priority, and full manual exposure.

Answer 5

If you say it over and over....Canon Powershots just sounds so good but its really not when you compare it to other cameras and that is probably the only kind of Camera they actually know about. They want to feel important and like they know something when they really don't.

Answer 6

they are dumb..
or they just want ppl to own the same model/brand as them..
i dont care what ppl own..
i will always reccomend sony
they have alot of options..
go for sony..