[Phantom]

Reposting this from indiatree v1.0, since there were quite a few good suggestions over there which might help other newbies like me

I am a newbie in digital camera.
Anyone can tell me which one should be a good buy for basic photography.
Also what is the difference between the powershot Axxx and SDxxx series ??

Quote

1. canon or sony: let me start by giving the standard reply- both brands will allow you to take great photographs. both companies have a good history of digital point and shoot (pns) cameras and work well.

2. broadly speaking, the canon A series is a compact camera with more manual settings whereas the SD series is ultracompact with relatively fewer manual settings.

if you see photography as purely a documentary tool, and dont forsee becoming a photography addict Wink then the SD series is a great buy. its ease of use and small size imply that it can be used by the whole family. if you feel the need for more control over your photography, I would suggest buying the A series. this will allow you to change aperture/shutter speeds and also various other functions. at the same time it also has full auto features, and hence basic photography is not a big hassle.

you could look up some digital photography forums like


http://www.dpreview.com/
http://www.steves-digicams.com/
http://www.imaging-resource.com/

After checking the reviews. I have shortlisted to the following 4. But am unable to decide between them Sad

Canon PowerShot S80
Canon PowerShot SD600
Canon PowerShot A700
Canon PowerShot S2 IS

Can anybody advice as to which one should I go for ??

Quote

powershot SD600- ultracompact is the one good factor, the image resolutions are great.
however you lose out on aperture/shutter priority settings, end up with the least zoom factor.

powershot a700 and s80- compact cameras, great image resolution. a700 has a more versatile telephoto lens whereas s80 is better at the wide angle end for landscapes. the former is 6mp and the latter 8mp. however in my opinion you should not worry about this too much. anything above 5 mp is enough unless you want to print large posters.
both have manual controls and will allow you to indulge in your hobby.

s2is- this is a prosumer camera with a huge lens- 12x zoom and is the most versatile of the lot. the Image stabilsation really helps at the telephoto end. although this choice has the least mps at 5, this shouldnt be much of a problem. the flip out lcd panel is really helpful. in other cameras you cannot shoot at odd angles.

if you have the budget for any of these cameras, I would suggest the s2is. the only drawback is the bulk-size of this camera. it wont fit in your pocket. on the other hand, if you want it to be a sleek fashionable thing and do not want to fuss about aperture and shutter settings, I would suggest going for the sd600 for its ultracompact sleek look.

Quote

I have the S2 IS and I've been really happy with it. The huge zoom is great, although the image quality noticeably degrades at the highest zoom setting.

Image Stabilization: Here is an indoor shot taken in a very dark room with no flash or tripod.

Zoom: This picture of the moon was taken at max zoom (48x).

One of my favorite features is that there is no warm-up time. The lens opens immediately and there is no lag between when you press the button and when the shutter fires.

I haven't used any of the other cameras on the list, but the S2 IS is a great all-around camera. I'll probably still get a DSLR because I want the fully manual capabilities, but for travel or when I don't want to carry extra lenses, this one is perfect

Thanks a lot for all your suggestions.. Anybody else out there who has any comments about S80 ??

[Phantom]

PD, you can do better than this one liner here .. I have seen your comments on IM about cameras and your command over this subject.. c'mon dont hold yourself back

[Phantom]

Paagla Dashu, on May 4 2006, 10:49 AM, said:

ok - ask me your questions.

First - list yoiur needs - what do you really need to do with the camera in order of must have to nice to have.

second - list any brand preference or bias you may have

third - have you shortlisted any cameras - and have you read the reviews?

fourth - what is your budget range?

fifth - what are you undecided about? or what is your dilemma?

Ok here are the things you asked

first- I just want to click some snaps while indoor or outdoor, landscapes.. etc. nothing in particular.

second - I have heard more about Canon so inclined more to that.

third - I have shortlisted 4 cameras

Canon PowerShot S80
Canon PowerShot SD600
Canon PowerShot A700
Canon PowerShot S2 IS

fourth - budget is $450 max.

[Phantom]

Thanks a lot for your inputs Kashi and PD. I read in a review somewhere that Canon cameras are not weather resistant and so taking pics in a foggy or humid weather might harm the camera ?? Is it true ??

[Phantom]

This is from the India Canon website :

Model   Recommended Retail Price


Digital IXUS 750   INR29995.00
Digital IXUS I Zoom   INR25495.00
EOS 1D Mark II N   INR279995.00
EOS 1Ds Mark II   INR519995.00
EOS 20D   INR99995.00
EOS 30D   INR84995.00
EOS 350D   INR56995.00
EOS 5D   INR229995.00
PowerShot A410   INR8495.00
PowerShot A420   INR9995.00
PowerShot A430   INR11995.00
PowerShot A530   INR14995.00
PowerShot A540   INR19995.00
PowerShot A620   INR23995.00
PowerShot A700   INR23995.00
PowerShot G6            INR37995.00
PowerShot S2 IS   INR32495.00
PowerShot S80            INR32995.00

[jyoti]

Again, carrying over from the discussion previously, I just bought the Canon A620 and love it. I still really enjoy my film camera, but I am very impressed as far as digital cameras go. I still have a couple of things I haven't quite figured out how to do, but I am out of town for two weeks and didn't bring the manuals! They're probably still sitting on the couch, waiting to be packed up.    

(PD: That is, by the way, why I never replied to you on IM. I hadn't gotten the chance to check out the stuff you told me about b/c I don't have my manuals with me! But, I'll be home Tuesday and will have lots of time to play then, so I'll let y'all know how it goes.)

--Jyoti

[radz]

Phantom:The prices are high as it comes with tax.
Why dont you try http://www.jjmehta.com/,
you can send mail to them for prices,they can deliver the cam BLR too.

[Somnath]

jyoti, on May 4 2006, 08:11 PM, said:

......I don't have my manuals with me! But, I'll be home Tuesday and will have lots of time to play then, so I'll let y'all know how it goes.)

--Jyoti

Canon A620 manual?

It may help you, need not to wait to reach home: http://alpha02u.c-ws...let?SV=WWUCA900

Or
http://consumer.usa....0&modelid=12072

[Phantom]

radz, on May 5 2006, 03:20 PM, said:

Phantom:The prices are high as it comes with tax.
Why dont you try http://www.jjmehta.com/,
you can send mail to them for prices,they can deliver the cam BLR too.

Hey Radz, where were you ??? Missed you in Delhi meetup.
Was waiting for you to reply on this thread
Anyways, Better late than never.
So, I was actually thinking of getting the camera from US.
Will I get the warranty here in India on the purchase in US ??

[radz]

Phantom:Sorry coun't make it Delhi meet up,was out of town.
Yes you can buy cam at USA,just make sure it has international Warranty.
US and India price  are almost same.

Phantom, on May 5 2006, 04:08 PM, said:

Hey Radz, where were you ??? Missed you in Delhi meetup.
Was waiting for you to reply on this thread
Anyways, Better late than never.
So, I was actually thinking of getting the camera from US.
Will I get the warranty here in India on the purchase in US ??

[Phantom]

radz, on May 5 2006, 04:52 PM, said:

Phantom:Sorry coun't make it Delhi meet up,was out of town.
Yes you can buy cam at USA,just make sure it has international Warranty.
US and India price  are almost same.

Nope, they are not.
Canon powershot a620 is available with jjmehta.com in INR 18,250/-
while the US rate is $246 at buydig.com which comes down to approx. Rs. 12000/-

So its 30% less prices

[Indojinguy]

radz, on May 5 2006, 11:50 AM, said:

Phantom:The prices are high as it comes with tax.
Why dont you try http://www.jjmehta.com/,
you can send mail to them for prices,they can deliver the cam BLR too.

Nice to see that the Delhi IM photo-wali has made it to IT. Welcome Radz.  

[Phantom]

Thanks PD, for the warning. I will have one of my friend from US bring it down for me.

[Balan Vinod]

Phantom,

Would suggest a Canon, and it also depends on the amount of money you can spend. If you are a beginner, I would suggest a Film Based SLR which is not automatic. This would enable you to expertise in basic stuff and then you can go on the high end stuff.

Balan

[Phantom]

Naah, Singapore and Malaysia are slight off-bases for SW engr
But anyways, thanks for your suggestions.

[Hyderabadi]

Phantom, on May 5 2006, 07:31 AM, said:

Nope, they are not.
Canon powershot a620 is available with jjmehta.com in INR 18,250/-
while the US rate is $246 at buydig.com which comes down to approx. Rs. 12000/-

So its 30% less prices

Phantom, here's a resource you could refer to if you want to have it purchased in the US, store reviews, product reviews etc., by actual users : http://www.resellerratings.com/

On BuyDig.com : http://www.resellerr...seller2065.html

On Canon A620 : http://shop.reseller...nkin_id=3056829

Needless to say, resellerratings.com is a commercial site too!

[bloodypeasant]

I have recently bought a Canon A620 and am totally pleased with it. The picture quality is very good and I have blown a couple up to A4 size and have been pleased with them. The camera is solid and relatively large and heavy which suits my rather large hands and being a recent convert from a total SLR system the A620 feels like a camera as opposed to a cigarette case. I felt it was important to have a viewfinder which of course the A620 has and indeed it is very very difficult to see the digi screen in bright sunlight. Exposure delay is negligible and it has a wealth of manual overides and nifty functions. Surprisingly I have found myself using the video function more than I thought I would. My only criticism at this point after a month of use would be the rather flimsy battery and USB lead covers.

[jafid]

I have been using a Powershot S80 for the past few months. The 28-100 mm wide angle lens on this camera is a big plus. The picture quality is quite exceptional. Although a bit pricy, this is perhaps the closest you can get to a digital SLR in the compact camera range. The basic camera comes with a 32 MB SD Card. You would need to go for atleast a 1 GB SD card, which can store about 250 pictures at the highest resolution. The user interface is very intuitive and it offers a variety of shooting options in the auto mode.

[larki]

jafid, on May 13 2006, 11:44 AM, said:

I have been using a Powershot S80 for the past few months. The 28-100 mm wide angle lens on this camera is a big plus. The picture quality is quite exceptional. Although a bit pricy, this is perhaps the closest you can get to a digital SLR in the compact camera range. The basic camera comes with a 32 MB SD Card. You would need to go for atleast a 1 GB SD card, which can store about 250 pictures at the highest resolution. The user interface is very intuitive and it offers a variety of shooting options in the auto mode.

What about micro lens??  I want to have a wide angle and micro for real close ups.  Like within 3 inches??
How does your camera handle that??  Did you buy it in Delhi??

[jafid]

S80 does support a Digital Macro mode that allows you to shoot close-up of subjects - 1.6 inches to 1.4 feet from the lens. I cannot comment on the quality of the pictures though, I haven't tried this myself. A friend brought the camera from the US.