A70 vs.s200 construction,etc.questions

[celticchrys]

Hello everyone, I'm new to this board, and am heavily
considering buying a canon digital camera in the near future.
I've been using a Kodak DC-215 1 megapixel digital
camera with 2x optical zoom and a metal body for a few
years. Other than that, I have an old 35mm SLR that I use.
I want to upgrade to a higher resolution camera without
paying a fortune, and I've been looking at the s200. I already
have CompactFlash cards lying around, and I want a camera
that uses them. I like the small size of the s200, but the A70
caught my eye, and being able to use add on lenses sound
fantastic, as does being able to choose manual settings and
manual focus if I wish.
The s200 I saw in a store looked very sturdy, but I have
read conflicting reviews of the A70 stating alternately that the
camera is metal, or plastic in construction. What is this
camera made of? Is it sturdy? I've dropped my Kodak
DC-215 more than once over the years and it's kept on
ticking. If the A70 is too terribly delicate it may not be for
me. I'd appreciate input on its construction and image quality
from people who have/use this camera. If you wouldn't
recommend this model, what other comparable model would
you recommend in terms of CF card, normal
batteries/resolution/price?
Thanks a bunch,
Chrys

[FLL Diver]

I went through a similar search a few months ago trying to decide what camera to get. First, go to

http://www.powershot.com/powershot2/comparison/index.html

This allows you to compare the cameras side by side.

I ended getting the A70 for the following reasons.

- The A70 is a 3.2 mp camera, the S200 is a 2 mp camera - a better comparison might be the S230
- the A70 has more shooting modes than the S200
- the A70 accepts easily obtainable NiMH rechargable AA baterries - this gives the camera a little more bulk with the battery enclosure, but I think this allows a better grip and steadier shots
- longer focal length has a 3X optical zoom versus teh 2X of the S230
- more creative control with aperature and shutter priority modes
- faster shutter speed
- faster shooting speed
- more metering options
- the A70 has the ability to accept additional lenses

Using AA batteries the A70 is a slighly larger and heavier camera, but it still fits comfortably in my pocket. The body of the camera is both metal and plastic.

As an aside, I moved up from a Kodak DC230 and what started me looking at Canons and Olympus was being able to reuse my CF cards and not having to invest in a new memory format. I liked the compactness of the Canons combined with the feature sets.

Hope this helps.

Marc