Best point and shoot digital camera for DL?

[gman60]

I have and olympus 2000. worked great last week in DL. It is water proof and shock proof. As often as you use it I find it is nice to not have to worry if it gets dropped or wet. great pics from Grizzly River Run under the water.

 

[jacs1234]

Now I'm all confused. the canon S95 of the Nikon P7100?

 

[Kittyskyfish]

Now I'm all confused. the canon S95 of the Nikon P7100?

Well, you know I'll say the S95, though you should take an afternoon at a reputable camera store that allows you to handle both cameras to see if you have a preference between one design over the other.

A few things not mentioned that I like about the S95 is that it does great face shots. I've owned Panasonics and Olympus cameras before and I tend to get healthier facial colors with the Canon, even with the flash. Now, you'll have some ghosty faces if you do a close up shot in pitch dark...lol...but I find the S95 to behave well enough in most situations.

Also, it's relatively tiny. I have a Baggalini City Bagg purse and it fits neatly in the outside front zipper pouch.

Both the Nikon and the Sony are "read the manual" cameras to get the best pictures. Each camera has lots of built-in functions that are handy and can give you better results than the automatic settings.

Good luck!!

 

[Rhonna]

Okay, I bookmarked this thread since I knew we would eventually be planning a trip again (it's been 4 years).

I've never owned a DIGITAL camera - laugh it up fuzzball, lol!

It's WAY to confusing for me. I want an easy point and shoot with great quality photos to print out. (Do you do that on your home computer?) I won't be uploading any photos online, just print them for our own photo album, so I want that to be nice quality and not grainy. Don't have to have a video feature, might try it if it came with. I want it to be easy to get great low light and bright daytime shots. Don't need panorama. Zoom feature would be very nice - especially if it telescoped very flat into camera. Some said you don't have to have flash to get good low light or nighttime shots? That would be really nice at DL.

We are going to Morro Bay, Santa Barbara, Monterey Bay Aquarium, DL, coastal CA road trip. So all sorts of conditions. Plus, I would continue using it as my regular camera for years to come if I liked it.

This thread sounds like Canon is the way to go.

I can get a camera free through our Visa rewards points.

Here are my options:

Canon Powershot S95

Canon Powershot Elph 100 HS

Canon Powershot Elph 310 HS

I listed the following Sonys because they made them sound fancy and they cost more so I thought they might be good quality? They said "no problem getting wet" (well, actually can shoot underwater but that doesn't matter to us unless we accidentally dropped it in water - which I never have) and "shock absorbing up to a 5 foot drop" (we are pretty careful).

Sony Cybershot 10 MP

Sony Cybershot 16.2 MP

There were a couple of Nikons too. I can list them if that helps.

Keep in mind I am accustomed to old fashioned cameras with film. I want nice quality shots in most/all lighting and pretty easy to use. Small is better than a bulky, heavy camera.

Please don't tell me to go to a website that compares all the brands available. It will overwhelm me.

Thank you!

 

[kiwitravel]

As someone who repairs cameras I can provide an independent opinion....

You will tend to find everyone will (for the most) rave about whatever camera they currently have or the brand they have always bought....

Here is my opinion...

Canon make great cameras with very good imaging quality, in the top of the line cameras they are exceptional and the market leader HOWEVER their midrange and low end cameras are fragile and suffer a lot of lens gearing issues. The mechanics of their lowend cameras are especially poor and they can suffer water and dirt egress...

In the lowend cameras the best value and strength of camera is the Samsung... These cameras have very good mechanics and image quality is comparable to the Canon...

In the midrange fixed lens cameras the Fuji are the best overall but hard to go wrong with the Olympus, Nikons or Canons as well..

In the top of the line then Nikon and Canon are the leaders though the Canon's superiior image quality wins in my opinion...

 

[Rhonna]

As someone who repairs cameras I can provide an independent opinion....

You will tend to find everyone will (for the most) rave about whatever camera they currently have or the brand they have always bought....

Here is my opinion...

Canon make great cameras with very good imaging quality, in the top of the line cameras they are exceptional and the market leader HOWEVER their midrange and low end cameras are fragile and suffer a lot of lens gearing issues. The mechanics of their lowend cameras are especially poor and they can suffer water and dirt egress...

In the lowend cameras the best value and strength of camera is the Samsung... These cameras have very good mechanics and image quality is comparable to the Canon...

In the midrange fixed lens cameras the Fuji are the best overall but hard to go wrong with the Olympus, Nikons or Canons as well..

In the top of the line then Nikon and Canon are the leaders though the Canon's superiior image quality wins in my opinion...

I don't have a clue if the Canons I listed in my post are considered low, mid or top of the line?

 

[Eeee-va]

I want an easy point and shoot with great quality photos to print out. (Do you do that on your home computer?)

I can't help you much with the rest, but I definitely prefer to have my photos printed by a third-party service. You can order prints online or take your card to Target/etc. and you should be able to get prints made on the spot. The reason is that on my printer at least, it's not any cheaper to print at home--it probably costs me more, but my printer goes through ink like crazy--yet the quality isn't as good as you'd get from printing at Target. If you just have a couple shots to print, printing at home can be good, but otherwise I personally would print through a third-party.

Did you check the ratings for those cameras online? Of the Canons you've listed, the S95 looks the best to me, but again, I'm not an expert. (I just got mad at my Canon for daring to have a dead pixel in photos I took after I'd had it for like 5 years, so I bought another brand to replace it in a fit of annoyance! )

I think there may be several different kinds of Sony Cybershots with the MP specs you listed? The waterproof one I saw for the 16.2 MP looked more like a cell phone than a camera to me, which I didn't care for...if you have never had a digital camera I don't know if I'd start there.

 

[Rhonna]

I can't help you much with the rest, but I definitely prefer to have my photos printed by a third-party service. You can order prints online or take your card to Target/etc. and you should be able to get prints made on the spot. The reason is that on my printer at least, it's not any cheaper to print at home--it probably costs me more, but my printer goes through ink like crazy--yet the quality isn't as good as you'd get from printing at Target. If you just have a couple shots to print, printing at home can be good, but otherwise I personally would print through a third-party.

Did you check the ratings for those cameras online? Of the Canons you've listed, the S95 looks the best to me, but again, I'm not an expert. (I just got mad at my Canon for daring to have a dead pixel in photos I took after I'd had it for like 5 years, so I bought another brand to replace it in a fit of annoyance! )

I think there may be several different kinds of Sony Cybershots with the MP specs you listed? The waterproof one I saw for the 16.2 MP looked more like a cell phone than a camera to me, which I didn't care for...if you have never had a digital camera I don't know if I'd start there.

Thanks for the info. on prints. I've made a note.

I really hope someone knowledgeable (who realizes I'm NOT) will say: get this one out of your list.

 

[kiwitravel]

From your list...

The S95 is a mid range camera ($300 to $600) and I wouldn't think you would have too many issues with this camera, it replaces the successful S90 and fixes the problem with the dial on that model...

I could not recommend the ELPHs... These are a low range camera...

I cannot recommend the Sonys....

With the Nikons it really depends on what model you are looking at...

What is your budget?

 

[blackjackdelta]

Many camera can take bright colorful pics and they look good on the PC but when the picture is enlarged there is a huge lack of detail. Most folks do not go over 4x6, but if you want bigger make sure you can see crisp detail in a print.

Jack

 

[Rhonna]

From your list...

The S95 is a mid range camera ($300 to $600) and I wouldn't think you would have too many issues with this camera, it replaces the successful S90 and fixes the problem with the dial on that model...

I could not recommend the ELPHs... These are a low range camera...

I cannot recommend the Sonys....

With the Nikons it really depends on what model you are looking at...

What is your budget?

I'm getting it free through our Visa rewards program. That's why right now the ones I listed are my choices. I'll go back and double check which Nikons they had. Sounds like from pp's on this thread people liked the Canon's.

Many camera can take bright colorful pics and they look good on the PC but when the picture is enlarged there is a huge lack of detail. Most folks do not go over 4x6, but if you want bigger make sure you can see crisp detail in a print.

Jack

So if we just wanted the regular sized 4x6 prints would the Canon S95 be good?

 

[blackjackdelta]

I'm getting it free through our Visa rewards program. That's why right now the ones I listed are my choices. I'll go back and double check which Nikons they had. Sounds like from pp's on this thread people liked the Canon's.



So if we just wanted the regular sized 4x6 prints would the Canon S95 be good?

Should work very well.

Jack

 

[SplashMo]

Canon s95 or newer s100

Other canon elphs...

 

[Rhonna]

Should work very well.

Jack

Canon s95 or newer s100

Other canon elphs...

Thanks! I like photography (took it one term in HS) but am not up on all the techniques or latest gadgets.

So I just re-read your post, SplashMo. The elphs aren't as good as the S95? Is that right?

 

[nunzia]

I'm a big fan of the Canon D10. (We are part of the Canon 'cult' as we own and have owned many Canon models. My 'big' camera is a 40D.) The D10 is bulkier than the other models, but it takes GREAT low light pix. And it is shockproof (I'm a dropper of cameras and other things electronic). I can wear it around my neck and not worry if I bang it into something, so I wear it always while in the park. It's also waterproof. The only downside I see to it is it's not pocket-size.

OK..those are too gorgeous..my question..did this take special set up and such? I just don't have time to fiddle with settings (plus I don't know anything about what settings to use) or was this just walk..stop...click...

 

[Disco]

Thanks! I like photography (took it one term in HS) but am not up on all the techniques or latest gadgets.

So I just re-read your post, SplashMo. The elphs aren't as good as the S95? Is that right?

No, the Canon S series are a prosumer based camera and not a P&S. This means that they use a larger sensor than what is in the Elph's. The larger sensor lets pictures have more detail and to be able to take better pictures in the dark.
Other prosumer cameras I would recommend are the Nikon 7100, Olympus xz-1 and Canon S100(new version of s95). The Canon is the smallest and most pocketable, the xz-1 has the best lens for darker shots and the Nikon has the most zoom.

 

[Rhonna]

No, the Canon S series are a prosumer based camera and not a P&S. This means that they use a larger sensor than what is in the Elph's. The larger sensor lets pictures have more detail and to be able to take better pictures in the dark.
Other prosumer cameras I would recommend are the Nikon 7100, Olympus xz-1 and Canon S100(new version of s95). The Canon is the smallest and most pocketable, the xz-1 has the best lens for darker shots and the Nikon has the most zoom.

Thanks! I assume the Canon S series is user friendly, even though it has more professional features than a P&S?

 

[kiwitravel]

The Canons are very user friendly.... Just be aware that the S series is over $300 compared to the $100 odd of the ELPHs...

 

[Disco]

Thanks! I assume the Canon S series is user friendly, even though it has more professional features than a P&S?

They do have enough manual features to perplex most novice users but they do have full auto modes so you should be fine. The Canon, in this respect, is probably the least intimidating of the cameras I mentioned above.
Just best to read up on it enough to learn how to set things back to auto in case you turn a knob or something. However, when you do want to push your "comfort boundaries" it's nice to know that the features are there for you to play with.
BTW, improvements of the s100 over the s95 are vastly superior video capturing, a little longer zoom, built in GPS and they say it is faster (in burst picture modes at least) and captures more light (better in the dark).
However, with the longer zoom it significantly reduces the amount of light coming in to the sensor. Just keep in mind, if you want to take pictures when it is darker, to not zoom in on the subject.

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

Loving this thread and also looking for a small camera. I drank the Koolaid a while back (on advice from the Dis no less) and purchased the Canon S3 IS. Still love it, but I never take it with me to my sons' games, or to the parks.

I am looking at the Canon elph 310 (currently $229) and like the idea of the 8X zoom. The Canon s100 is $429 - not sure about going up that high. Will I be ok with just the elph 310 as a back-up type camera?

Thanks for all the great feedback