New to photography-need suggestions

Hi to everyone,

I have been lurking for a few days and decided to jump in the water and ask you guys a few questions.

For someone who has little experience with digital photograhy (we currently own a digital Canon Poweshot...cannot even tell you the model...pretty old..5-6 years...paid 500$ at the time, very hard to find batteries because it's so old) and would like to invest in a new but serious hobby, which Canon would you recommend? I would like to be able to "play" with my camera instead of just poiting and shooting.

Thanks!

Depending on how much money your willing to throw in, the Canon Powershot A75 is an excellent starter camera with a full range of features including Manual mode, at a modest price. The A75 rings in at about $280.00
If you have a little more cash to throw around, take a look at the Canon Powershot S1 IS. With a 10x optical zoom and image stabalizer your can take stunning wildlife photography.
If your looking for something other than a 3.x mp camera the powershot G5 is an excellent (psuedo-pro) camera which uses an 8mp cmos sensor.
Of course if your pockets are just bulging with cash dive into a digital Rebel. At a cool grand you get a complete digital SLR system with all the fixings, including the ability to use all of Canons EOS lenses. (If you do decide to go the DRebel route, dont forget to get me one.)
Have fun

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the high end digital Canon cameras, they include the pro1,G5,S1IS and the S50. I would go and look at them all and decide which one feels the best in a price range you can afford. If your budget is $1,000.00+ then do the same thing with the digital Rebel,10D,Mark11 and the 1Ds. The main thing is to get one as soon as possible because the pictures your missing right now will never be available again.

I was in the same boat as you a month ago. Crapomatic HP 1 mp with 2x zoom.

I wanted to choose an all around camera. It had to be:
Relatively compact, so that I can take it for parties, trips and such...
Nice zoom was a must
Fully customizable settings, white point balance, manual focus, control of apeture, shutter, ISO... etc
Had to accept AA batteries, cause I want to be able to put in duracell anytime I want to.

In the end I got S1 IS. I could've gotten a G5 or even a digital rebel if I really wanted to, but I am a consumer and an amateur. I don't know if I like photography that much.

If you buy a digital rebel, it will cost you much more than a grand. You'll want lenses and filters. You'll have to switch them often, it will be bulky and costly. You'll become a photographer instead of a tourist.

G5 "sucks" because it only has a 4x zoom. Which is unacceptable.

In the end, just as cannon classified it, the S1 IS is a "high end comsumer" camera, inlike G5 and Digital Rebel which are "professional".

S1 IS is small enough to be a point and shoot cam, has very nice zoom, image stabilization and fully customizable settings. You can make very nice pictures in term of quality.

Drawbacks are:
Plastic body... for the life of me I can't understand why they didn't make it metal.
You can't attach filters AFAIK
Auto focus system takes anywhere from 3 to 10 seconds to get the focus you want
The lens cap doesn't stay on.

I could send you some pics I took with it, so that you can take a look at the quality...

BTW: you really should specify price range AND the primary use.

HI again,

Thanks for the suggestions!

By the way, I wouldn't want to spend more than 600$ (i'm canadian...so it's would be around 450$ for you guys). As for the type of use..well...there are so many times where I've been outside and thought "damn, I should be taking pictures!".

I've been looking at the S1 1S, but I don't think I'll use the movie thingy...so I feel like I'll be paying for something I won't be using much. Any input? Anyone?

Thanks!

If it's outside - size matters a lot. As well as how sturdy the camera is. Those small cannons are nice cause they're compact and have a metal body.

I think all of canon's recent camera have the movie thingy.

S1 IS rules cause insted of 4x zoom you have a 10x which helps you get to the action. PLUS it's stabilized! Which means that the picture quality is MAD on telephoto end handheld...

Basically you have to decide between 400 c$ with 4x unstabilized but compact and 680 c$ S1 IS with 10x zoom and image stabilization. Another advantage you have problems in your current camera is that S1 IS accepts AA batteries.

Cheers

Hey Doc,

I am leaning more and more towards the S1 IS....I saw it retailed for
689$ at the mall downstairs from my office.
Good price?

I would greatly appreciate seeing the pictures you took with it, along with any info you know now but wished you knew when you first started using it

As for the batteries, being to use regular AA batteries will be a HUGE plus. That cheap-o-battery I currently have is sooo bad! I recharge it and dies on me 10 minutes later! Because of that, I take less pictures than »I would really like to, which sucks.
FYI: I currently have a Powershot A50. I thought I was so cool when I first got it...

Have a good one,

I converted another one

If it's 689 canadian, than that's ok. Best Buy has it for 680 I think. IMO it's pretty much the same. Big stores with good warranty will have it no less than 650. You will probably be able to find it a hundred bucks cheaper in some small store, but you may have problems excanging it.

Seems like a standard price

I would greatly appreciate seeing the pictures you took with it, along with any info you know now but wished you knew when you first started using it

I have no problem sending you the pics. The only thing is that I can't upload photos from my computer (firewall issue). I can only send them via email.

I like the cam. It's more than I need to get into photography...

I am having problems with attaching filters on it. I don't know how yet. I called up canon and asked if I can. The camera wasn't designed to accept filters. If I buy the tele adapter, I should be able to get lenses on, but on the other hand the manual says that the adapter won't accept filters. I will have to go to a store and see if I can mount a filter on the adapter, then maybe buy it and test it.

Autofocus doesn't work as well as it could've worked. You need a defined edge to focus on. Takes anywhere from 2 to 5 seconds to focus indoors. But it's minor, plus I don't know how other cams focus, so I may have no right bashing this one.

Lens cap comes off easy. It doesn't lock in any way - just kinda hangs there loosely. I think it was designed this way, so that if you forget to remove the cap, the lens will be able to push it off without damaging themselves. Still a bit annoying cause I've gotten fingerprints on the lens twice because of it.

What really surprised me was the efficient energy usage of the camera. If I only use the viewfinder (which is also an LCD BTW), I can take 300+ pictures using it continuously over 3 hours. (the batts are 2100 mA/h NiMh) The not so good thing is that you get low battery warning about 2 minutes before the camera shuts down.

I know. I've taken my Ni-Mh charger with batts on a trip and when they ran out I just bought duracell and continued shooting.

Cheers

pm sent

Who did you send the pm to?

I clicked on the pm button in your post...did you get anything?

Nope.