Recommend an Ultra-Zoom under $300?

[Dario D.]

Hi all. It's that time again :D Time to find help in choosing my next upgrade. Can anyone recommend a camera that can zoom at least 8x under $300?

I started with a DiMAGE Z10 ($180, GREAT camera for the price). Then, I recently stepped up to what I have now - a Lumix FZ7 ($300, another great cam), but am having some problems with the slightly muddy image quality, and would like to know if I should have gone elsewhere.

For under $300, can anyone recommend a better cam? I did this once before, looking for advice here, and that's when I ended up with the Z10, which was a GREAT cam for the price.

Thanks :)

[Aidenswarrior]

canon s2 Is is like $279 right now. has 12X and IS

[MaxZoom]

canon s2 Is is like $279 right now. has 12X and IS
Agreed ,if you want at least x8 and under $300 the S2 is your best option. Personally I'd stretch the extra $50 to an S3 (I did already) to get ISO800 and the extra 1MP and some other minor improvements, but the S2 is at a great price point right now.:)

[JustShootin']

For under $300, I would have to agree that it's the S2, hands down!

[Saudidave]

Hi all. It's that time again :D Time to find help in choosing my next upgrade. Can anyone recommend a camera that can zoom at least 8x under $300?

I started with a DiMAGE Z10 ($180, GREAT camera for the price). Then, I recently stepped up to what I have now - a Lumix FZ7 ($300, another great cam), but am having some problems with the slightly muddy image quality, and would like to know if I should have gone elsewhere.

For under $300, can anyone recommend a better cam? I did this once before, looking for advice here, and that's when I ended up with the Z10, which was a GREAT cam for the price.

Thanks :)

I had an FZ7, sold it, then bought an S3IS because my daughter became interested in photography and started night classes. My FZ7 produced great images, not muddy at all. The images from the FZ7 are very similar in quality to those from an S3, so I'd see no advantage in upgrading to an S2 at all. It would be a total waste of good money. The S3's images are marginally less noisy, but we are talking a few per cent, maybe 10% at most The S3 is heavier and better built, but we had the FZ7 for 9 months and it was showing no signs of wear when it went on ebay.It's a great digicam - stick with it until things have progressed further - an S2 would be a sideways move. (Sorry Canon heads - I love them too, check out my signature!)

[JustShootin']

To be honest, I didn't know what the Lumix FZ7 was until I just read some specs on it. I agree, there would probably be no real advantage in moving from it to the S2.

[Pasukun]

Most definitely Canon S2 IS.
If you could afford little more.. go for the S3 IS.

[Dario D.]

To be honest, I didn't know what the Lumix FZ7 was until I just read some specs on it. I agree, there would probably be no real advantage in moving from it to the S2.
Hmm, I agree. Thanks Saudidave and JustShootin'. I guess I'm already at the top of the ladder for the $300 range then.

And thanks all :) I read a review of the S2 on DCResource [this review] (http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_s2-review/) and it seems to be right on par with my FZ7, give or take a few things (like battery, for which I prefer the FZ7's Lithium Ion batteries over AA... but that's just me, as some others prefer the opposite).

Again, thanks for the help, all :) Very helpful in determining what to do in this situation.

[mishnogram]

I shopped those two cameras when I decided on the S2. To me, the AA's were a huge seller and the one thing that the FZ7 does not have is the great movie mode. Handling wise, I really prefered the S2 over the FZ7 but the panasonic has such a nice leica lens. In outside shots, I think it takes better shots than the S2.

[Dario D.]

The FZ7 also has a great 640x480 30fps movie mode, but yes, the S2 captures GREAT sound in comparison, according to the DCResource sample movie.

[DDKnight]

Hi all, I'm new

I just wanted to say I picked up the S2 (love it!) on Dell about 2 weeks back, it was $255.. someone looking for the S2 keep that in mind and check Dell.


DDK

[eccles]

The Sony H2 is also worth a look for those seeking a big zoom camera. I don't know how U.S. prices compare with the Canons but it's quite a bit cheaper than the S3 in the UK.

[Mgw189]

I also have an S2IS and I have to say its a great camera. Besides the fact of the 12x optical zoom it also has a bunch of advanced settings that you may not get with other p/s out there. It also has super macro mode which is a pretty cool feature if you like macro photography.

Sample of a Super Macro Image 100% crop of a boxwood leaf. Not the best picture but its a start.
http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/6708/img8044snowmacroeq5.jpg

There are some other photos that I have taken with my S2 here http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=2645945&postcount=4

[Saudidave]

I also have an S2IS and I have to say its a great camera. Besides the fact of the 12x optical zoom it also has a bunch of advanced settings that you may not get with other p/s out there. It also has super macro mode which is a pretty cool feature if you like macro photography.

Sample of a Super Macro Image 100% crop of a boxwood leaf. Not the best picture but its a start.
http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/6708/img8044snowmacroeq5.jpg

There are some other photos that I have taken with my S2 here http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=2645945&postcount=4

If you read the thread you will see that the OP has an FZ7 which is just as good in most respects as an S2/S3 (I've got an S3/had an FZ7) and he has agreed that changing it for an S2/S3 would be a pointless waste of money.

[eccles]

@Saudidave, you're right of course but I wouldn't mind betting others will look at this thread given its title. So despite the OP answering his own question, further input from owners is still useful for others. However, duplicating large photos in quotes is not so useful and merely wastes bandwidth.

[Dario D.]

@Saudidave, you're right of course but I wouldn't mind betting others will look at this thread given its title. So despite the OP answering his own question, further input from owners is still useful for others. However, duplicating large photos in quotes is not so useful and merely wastes bandwidth.
Actually, if the image source is the same, it doesn't waste bandwidth. Your computer only downloads each image once, even if there are 10,000 instances of that image on a page.

And I don't know why you think I answered my own question, unless you meant something else, and didn't mean it in a negative way. I couldn't have come to the conclusion of sticking to my camea without the insightful input from others.

[riley1]

just a heads up that dell small business currently has the S2 for $227.96 + tax

[Saudidave]

@Saudidave, you're right of course but I wouldn't mind betting others will look at this thread given its title. So despite the OP answering his own question, further input from owners is still useful for others. However, duplicating large photos in quotes is not so useful and merely wastes bandwidth.

I agree regarding duplication of large photos - that was unintentional and I was not aware of how to remove it once posted. However an even greater watse of bandwith are the massive number of posts that are placed, where it is obvious that the poster hasn't read the thread and duplicates replies or replies incorrectly, as in this case. Furthermore, replies such as happened here, where a reccomend isd posted that has been discounted earlier in the thread are stupid, uneccesary and downright frustrating and irritating. The biggest single problem in this and other forums are well intentioned individuals who don't bother to read the damn thing properly.

[Mgw189]

I agree regarding duplication of large photos - that was unintentional and I was not aware of how to remove it once posted. However an even greater watse of bandwith are the massive number of posts that are placed, where it is obvious that the poster hasn't read the thread and duplicates replies or replies incorrectly, as in this case. Furthermore, replies such as happened here, where a reccomend isd posted that has been discounted earlier in the thread are stupid, uneccesary and downright frustrating and irritating. The biggest single problem in this and other forums are well intentioned individuals who don't bother to read the damn thing properly.


You click the edit button go back into your post and delete the image information from the post you quoted. The information should look something like [IMG].....[IMG]. By deleting that line of information the image will not show up in your quote.