S40 good enough ?

[SteveCliff]

Ready for a debate anyone ?

Hypothetical Statement:

"The S40 is good enough for taking quality 'crop & print' A4 photos and the extra money to upgrade to a D60 is not worth it."

Note: Before I get bombarded with emails, take this in the context of an amateur photographer, not a professional :)

Okay .... comments anyone ? ;)

[iandnor]

Well Steve,

Except for the battery catch, I reckon the s30 is good enough. So presumably the s40 is even better.

Thanks for your comments to my battery catch query. I think I must have a dud. Only a minor repair I would think.

[Rustle]

You wouldn't have the same use for a D60 and an S40, as they are targeted at completely different user groups. It's an apples-to-oranges comparison. As such, it's not a question of upgrading, but of augmenting.

An S40 is great to carry everywhere you go, but its 3x zoom and smaller feature-set is limiting. Conversely, a D60 has SLR versatility with its interchangeable lenses and filters, but you can't fit it into a pocket. So, both cameras can co-exist in one photographer's stable and it doesn't matter if you're a pro or an amateur. It just matters how much money you have to spend.

However, your theoretical statement is based on output, not usage, so I'll justify my response in that sense.

Perhaps a D60 with a 35-105mm zoom lens won't provide any advantage over an S40 in terms of output, but then you're limiting the comparison to a 3x zoom so that the S40 can compete. With a different lens or filter, the D60's output is much different. This means that more output options are available and, as such, the D60's possible output options are far greater than the S40's. True, CKC Power makes a lens adapter for the S40, but this goes beyond Canon's original design intentions. As well, teleconverters and monoculars can augment the zoom of the S40, but aren't as good as changing the lens on a D60.

Alternatively, you can argue that the S40's small size enables you to carry it more often. In that way, its output options are increased (relative to the D60), because you're more likely to have it handy at a crucial moment.

Thus, the usage determines the total output options and, as such, a photographer of any skill level is better off with both cameras than with only one.

Russ