Which P&S?

[kccheers]

I need a Point and Shoot for my wife. I shoot a 40D, but she wants something less bulky and absolutly something to put on "auto" and shoot. I do want to get her something with the best possible image quality and some zoom to it. What am I looking for?????

[Jon]

How big will she accept? All the PowerShot models offer pretty much the same "Green Box" and "Basic Zone" modes; if you'll ever use it and want more controls, like Tv, Av or M, we can narrow the selection to the high-end A models. Also, if you/she need wide angle (FF 28 mm/APS-C 18 mm equiv.) there are only the SD800 and its replacement SD870.

[midnight_rider]

I bought my wife a canon sx100is. It has 10x optical zoom and it is 8mp. she gets really good pictures but there are a couple of drawbacks to this camera. It only has the lcd screen which means no viewfinder and the flash has to be pulled up. It does not fire up on its on.
Best part is that it is only 249.

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=144&modelid=15672

[kccheers]

I don't think that size will be an issue with a P&S, even the S5IS wouldn't be too large. I would welcome a camera that she could "grow into". I just want something that has the best IQ possible for a P&S.

[Jon]

S5 or G9 then. S5's not overloaded with pixels and has a wide zoom range, both take external flash when the pop-up doesn't cut it any more, and the G9 does RAW. But let her handle them before buying. She may want something to sit next to her cell phone in her purse.

[kccheers]

Thanx Jon. That's what I was hoping to hear. After I posted I went to the Canon website and looked up both models. I think either will work, and I don't think either one would intinidate her. Both look like they will fill the bill. B&H, here I come....

[Compak]

Thanx Jon. That's what I was hoping to hear. After I posted I went to the Canon website and looked up both models. I think either will work, and I don't think either one would intinidate her. Both look like they will fill the bill. B&H, here I come....
I have the S2 and find it relatively "bulky". I am now looking for a Point and Shoot for those times I dont want to haul it around.
I am considering the SD850
When on a vacation where I dont want to be bothered with a neckstrap, I will use the compact camera.

[cdifoto]

I bought myself a Fuji F40fd, wanting to go the extreme opposite of my dSLR kit. I wrote a few of my thoughts about it on my blog because I'm a dork if it helps you any. There are sample photos too so it's not just pontification. As an FYI, I don't do 100% crops and it's not the greatest zoom...only 3x.

http://blog.cdifoto.com/2008/03/23/first-post/

[SimpleGirl2008]

I bought my wife a canon sx100is. It has 10x optical zoom and it is 8mp. she gets really good pictures but there are a couple of drawbacks to this camera. It only has the lcd screen which means no viewfinder and the flash has to be pulled up. It does not fire up on its on.
Best part is that it is only 249.

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=144&modelid=15672


I have to pull my flash up on my S5 IS...I think that's better b/c if you are not taking a photo with the flash..it doesn't come up

[midnight_rider]

I have to pull my flash up on my S5 IS...I think that's better b/c if you are not taking a photo with the flash..it doesn't come up

I know I like that about it too, but my wife has complained about it because she was use to her kodak and it had a fixed flash. I still use this p&s every now and then is has a really good IQ. The s5is is another great camera. I just figured that I would mention the only two complaints that i have heard about this camera so that i would be fair in my suggestion.

[photonic_canon]

S5 or G9 then. S5's not overloaded with pixels and has a wide zoom range, both take external flash when the pop-up doesn't cut it any more, and the G9 does RAW. But let her handle them before buying. She may want something to sit next to her cell phone in her purse.

I may be looking for the same thing as the original poster, and I've become very interested in the S5. I've played with it in a store, and found that I could get lots of really fun shots in auto (as well as having many more creative possibilities). The super-macro, long zoom, live preview, and image stabilization are great.

But I wonder about the IQ. Jon, you like the IQ on the S5? I'm worried because I've been reading reviews that complain about purple fringing and noise, which may be better with the G9. The other option I'm considering is a Rebel XT, which is now quite affordable. The XT misses some of the fun, and it's a little bulkier. If the XT would be acceptable for the original poster, I wonder if it might fit the bill because of superior IQ, especially when the camera tries to cope with low-light situations in auto.

--David

[Jon]

It's also about twice the size, so 3-4x the volume and you still need to add another $500 to get an IS lens that reaches as far as the S5 does out of the box. Remember - "she wants something less bulky". If that's not your primary criterion, something else may be better.

IMO, if you're not routinely making prints larger than 5x7, IQ's pretty much a wash as long as you can reach 250 ppi (1250x1750 pixels; around 2 MP); 8x10 and 2000x2500 or 5 MP likewise. Noise may be a different factor, but any image size beyond that 250 ppi limit will only help there.