canon s3is

I have always only owned a point and shoot camera but was after something a
bit better without going to the expense of a DSLR.
The canon s3is has had some pretty good reviews in the net, but are there
any other comparable cameras I should also be looking at.

Cheers
GH

On Mar 9, 9:55 pm, "gehdac" wrote:
I have always only owned a point and shoot camera but was after something a
bit better without going to the expense of a DSLR.
The canon s3is has had some pretty good reviews in the net, but are there
any other comparable cameras I should also be looking at.

Cheers
GH

Try Canon G7 or Panasonic Lumix FZ50

gehdac wrote:
I have always only owned a point and shoot camera but was after
something a bit better without going to the expense of a DSLR.
The canon s3is has had some pretty good reviews in the net, but are
there any other comparable cameras I should also be looking at.

The Panasonic FZ7 or its replacement, the FZ8. The new Olympus SP-550UZ
is also worth a look--it's very new so no reviews that I know of but on
paper it's excellent--it's also a little more expensive, in the same
price range as the Panasonic FZ50, which would be another good option.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

"gehdac" wrote in message
...
I have always only owned a point and shoot camera but was after something a
bit better without going to the expense of a DSLR.
The canon s3is has had some pretty good reviews in the net, but are there
any other comparable cameras I should also be looking at.

Cheers
GH

Ray? Ray? Where are you?

This is your cue to tell him the Kodak has a better viewfinder!

Ray? You OK?

/m
;-)

(J. Clarke) wrote:

The new Olympus SP-550UZ is also worth a look--it's very new
so no reviews that I know of but on paper it's excellent

I bought one on impulse about ten days ago to replace the Canon S1 in my
camera repertoire. It's a nice camera in many ways (28mm wide end,
fairly compact [squeezes into a big jacket/coat pocket], good LCD,
adequate EVF, IQ usually perfectly acceptable, lovely ergonomics, good
battery life) but I'd recommend waiting for some thorough, objective
reviews from people who know a lot about cameras before buying one.

All superzooms are a compromise, and the 550 is no different.

Andrew McP

I also am considering a replacement for my S1 and decided that the
Panasonic FZ50 would fit the bill. However, NO swivel LCD and NO
compact size like the S3, features I am not prepared to give up.
How long must I wait for the 'perfect' replacement?...
- gA

Andrew MacPherson wrote:
(J. Clarke) wrote:

The new Olympus SP-550UZ is also worth a look--it's very new
so no reviews that I know of but on paper it's excellent

I bought one on impulse about ten days ago to replace the Canon S1 in my
camera repertoire. It's a nice camera in many ways (28mm wide end,
fairly compact [squeezes into a big jacket/coat pocket], good LCD,
adequate EVF, IQ usually perfectly acceptable, lovely ergonomics, good
battery life) but I'd recommend waiting for some thorough, objective
reviews from people who know a lot about cameras before buying one.

All superzooms are a compromise, and the 550 is no different.

Andrew McP

(gA) wrote:

However, NO swivel LCD and NO compact size like the S3, features I
am not prepared to give up.

Swivel LCD gives you a choice of approximately 1 camera. :-)
Like you I considered the FZ50, but it's size and smeary images (on a
1600x1200 screen) put me off. It did, however, lead me to buy a K100D in
the January sales for almost the same money. If you're going to have a
big camera, it may as well be a good, if less flexible one!

However that still left room for a more portable/flexible camera and I
hoped the 550 would be it. As it turns out I just don't seem to be able
to fall in love with it... which may well be my failing, not the camera's.

Andrew McP

(gA) wrote:

How long must I wait for the 'perfect' replacement?...

Forever? :-) When it comes to small sensor cameras we're up against the
laws of physics and the imagination & budget of the designers. I suspect
this means we'll be playing this game for a long time to come as
manufacturers vie for our attention and cash.

Andrew McP

On Sat, 10 Mar 2007 07:21:49 +0000, Moro Grubb of Little Delving wrote:


"gehdac" wrote in message
...
I have always only owned a point and shoot camera but was after something a
bit better without going to the expense of a DSLR.
The canon s3is has had some pretty good reviews in the net, but are there
any other comparable cameras I should also be looking at.

Cheers
GH

Ray? Ray? Where are you?

This is your cue to tell him the Kodak has a better viewfinder!

Ray? You OK?

/m
;-)

Sorry, that one slipped by me for a moment. As he says - before buying an
EVF camera I would certainly recommend you look through the viewfinder of
several models. AFAIK the resolution on the s31s EVF is about 110k pixels
and looks very blocky. The Kodak EVFs use a 237k pixel EVF which, IMHO, is
much cleaner. The Kodak P series will also save as raw, tiff or jpeg - I
believe the s31s only does jpeg.

"ray" wrote in message
news
On Sat, 10 Mar 2007 07:21:49 +0000, Moro Grubb of Little Delving wrote:


"gehdac" wrote in message
...
I have always only owned a point and shoot camera but was after something
a
bit better without going to the expense of a DSLR.
The canon s3is has had some pretty good reviews in the net, but are
there
any other comparable cameras I should also be looking at.

Cheers
GH

Ray? Ray? Where are you?

This is your cue to tell him the Kodak has a better viewfinder!

Ray? You OK?

/m
;-)

Sorry, that one slipped by me for a moment. As he says - before buying an
EVF camera I would certainly recommend you look through the viewfinder of
several models. AFAIK the resolution on the s31s EVF is about 110k pixels
and looks very blocky. The Kodak EVFs use a 237k pixel EVF which, IMHO, is
much cleaner. The Kodak P series will also save as raw, tiff or jpeg - I
believe the s31s only does jpeg.


That said, I have the S2 IS, and have been very satisfied with it. It takes
great pictures in full daylight, has all the focal lengths you might
reasonably need in one portable package, and with IS the longer lengths are
actually usable without a tripod. Where it falls short is in lower light,
but then you're going to have to get a DSLR of you want better low-light
performance.

As regards the EVF, this is one of its advantages over an SLR of you wear
reading glasses, as I do. With the diopter adjustment, I can review shots,
work through the menus, etc without having to reach for my spectacles. While
the 110k EVF resolution is not luxurious I certainly haven't found it to be
a problem, and unless you plan to spend hours wandering around with the
camera pasted against your face, shouldn't be the deciding factor.

The equivalent Panasonics also come well recommended, and have the advantage
of a focusing ring on the lens barrel, so you might want to look at those
before making a final decision. But I unreservedly recommend the Canon.

HTH

/M