Is the CHDK not available for the S5? I read what that is on the link you posted earlier. Does the S5 not have the histogram, battery indicator, etc.? If the camera is newer, and companies want us to equate newer with "better", why wouldn't those features be available in the camera itself of be compatible with downloading this software?
The guys are working on it, but at this time they haven't cracked the S5's DIGICIII chip. I'm sure it will happen, eventually, but if you wanted to get right into those features, only an S3 (or a bunch of other DIGICII cameras) will work with it.
The thing to keep in mind is that the CHDK has *nothing* to do with Canon ... they didn't write it and they probably wouldn't be very happy with it as it 'unlocks' features in DIGICII cameras that are normally found only on much-higher-cost models; RAW, scriptable shooting, or how about shutter speeds, with flash-sync up, to 1/10,000 -- yeah, one ten-thousandth of a second!!!.
The S3 and the S5 do have a histogram ... but the CHDK is much better; more display options. Likewise, the S3 and the S5 have a battery warning indicator, which just tells you when the batteries are nearly dead; the CHDK version actually tells you the percent remaining!
It's an absolutely amazing feat of programming, and all I can say about it is:
The best part, it's just an extension ... it does no harm to the existing firmware and if you don't like it, all you have to do is turn your camera off.
Also, regarding batteries... any brand will do, right?
Amazon has some
Pretty much. NiMH batteries are 'mostly' the same ... some cheap ones might die early (take fewer recharge cycles) but all should perform about the same in the camera. I buy all mine from
www.batteryspace.com; great service, great prices, great product.
And finally, about the SD card. I found this on Amazon: "SanDisk Ultra II SDHC 4GB w/MicroMate USB 2.0 Bundle (SDSDRH-4096-901)" for $44.99 - it says it is normally $179.99. Sheesh! That's really expensive originally, which makes me wonder if this is a good deal. I'm not sure what the MicroMate is and if that would be useful to me. Would you buy this bundle? How many pictures would a 4 GB SD card hold? And how about minutes of video would it hold (both would be rough estimates, I know)? I read that these come in three classes - 2, 4, and 6. 2 is the slowest speed. What will that mean to me?
$44.99's not a bad price for a UltraII SDHC (but, $179.99 is ridiculous!). The MicroMate is a USB card reader for your PC, plug it into a USB 2.0 port and you can read the card directly, instead of using Canon's software to download from the camera through a cable.
A 4G card should hold ~1400 pictures at the largest size/highest quality setting (where you should be taking most of your pics, anyway), or about ~30 min. of video.
As far as SDHC speed class goes, there's no need to buy Class 6 for an S3/S5 unless taking pics off the card with your card reader is a priority. A Class 4 can write as fast as the S3/S5 can output data. Anything slower than a Class 4 *can* impact the High Speed Continuous mode....
I appreciate it. I fight the mentality that "newer" = "better", too, so I want reassurance that the S3 would be better over the S5. Since I have no clue how much video (if any) I'd take, I'm not sure I want to base my purchase choice on that factor. Bigger LCD screen... that might matter more. But having those features from CHDK, if I can't get them on the S5, might be more beneficial to me as I'm learning how to take good pictures. And if the S5 is newer, does that mean it's going to last longer or offer more of the newer technologies?
You are dealing with an issue that was very big on all of the Canon forums where I am a member. The consensus seems to be that S5 *seems* more of a 'lateral move' than a definite upgrade. Some features are clearly better (LCD, DIGICIII, hot shoe) but some other popular features are missing (Intervalometer, 2.3fps High Speed...).
And, of course, there's the ever- present "More Megapixels on the Same Sensor Means More Noise" issue....
Generally speaking, most people who *have* an S3 wouldn't upgrade, but almost everyone who bought an S5 is more than satisfied.
I realize that I'm not really making the decision any easier

but, there are plenty of people who are very happy with either camera. IMO, you can't get a better superzoom camera the than S3/S5...
To be perfectly honest ... if *I* were making the decision today, and I didn't know anything about CHDK, I'd buy the S5. The face detection makes portraits easier. The bigger LCD is beautiful. Longer video is cool. And, having an ISO1600 (even though you'll NEED Noise Reduction software) opens more low-light photography opportunities.