S50 or A80 New Digital Camera Buyer Dilemma

[raziel055]

Hey guys,
I'm a new digital camera buyer with an interest in creative photography. I have read many reviews and narrowed my choices down to the Canon A80 and the Canon S50. I know both are very good cameras with full manual modes, however the S50 has a few more advanced features and a better movie mode. I know I will not need a 5 mp camera however it also supports both jpeg and raw formats, while the A80 only supports jpeg. However the A80 has a swivel screen lcd. I also like the look and feel of the A80 a little better and the fact that it has 4 expandable lenses. I would like to hear from owners of either camera and their experiences with their cameras.

I would go for the A80 because it is cheaper, but i found a legitimate website online that has the S50 for only 12 dollars more before shipping.
I know its ultimately up to me but I would just like to hear some of your opinions on how your cameras have worked for you and if the RAW file format is worth it...because I know it gives you a little more creative freedom. Thanks, looking forward to what you have to say.[/b]

[CanonAndy]

You have definitely done your research, and if you have narrowed your choices to two cameras, you should be satisfied with either one.

I have the S50 and have shot about 1200 images to date. Its a solid camera, and my images consistently gets compliments from other P&S owners. I have only used the RAW images 3 or 4 times, so I can't say its a must have...

The only thing I am confident of is that every day you don't own either one, you are missing photo opportunities. Flip a coin, get one in your hands, and start shooting!

CanonAndy

[PeterS45]

The 2 most important differences are shooting in RAW-mode with the S50 and the metal casing. I dropped my S45 once and nothing was damaged, but I heard of someone dropping his A80 and the plastic casing cracked. The A80 has the advantage of using AA-batteries.

[raziel055]

Thanks guys, I went ahead and purchased the S50 today from dell.com, it should be here next week i can not wait. I found it for about the same price as the A80 so I thought it was an offer I could not refuse. Plus I have heard some similar stories about the A80 breaking easily, in one case the camera split into 4 pieces. I am somewhat prone to dropping my cell phone from time to time and I know sooner or later it may happen with the camera so I might as well go with the better casing. Thanks for the replies I can't wait to start shooting!

[shiningstardv]

Raziel,
Just out of curiosity, why did you buy the S50 and not the S45 since you said yourself that you weren't going to need a 5MP camera? Just wondering what your reasoning was. Thanks!

[pradeep1]

Blissful ignorance = A80
Skillful Learner = S50

RAW is very useful. No flip out LCD on S50 is awful.

I have purchased both and have used them extensively and feel that if you are buying for casual shooting, A80 is ideal. S50 just has more to offer in terms of control and the extra 1MP.

For most of my friends, I suggest they buy the A80. For most of the geeks on these forums, I suggest they go for a G5. If you look at my previous thread, you can pick up the G5 pretty cheap now a days.

Here's the S50 for under $350

http://www2.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?ref=pricegrabber&sku=CNPSS50