help

[funnybunny921]

i wanted advice where people wouldn't get too technical on me. I am trying to research for a new camera. we currently have a 4mp cannon digital elph (don't sure what other info to give).

I want to get something that has more zoom but isn't a super expensive heavy camera. I have been mostly looking at the power shot S3 IS or S2IS (not much of a difference I can see). My husband enjoys photography and would like to start toying with it more, and we will be taking a trip to the grand canyon / a wedding and I thought it might be nice to have a new camera for that.

My one thing i want is a better flash and more zoom, but i am not a techie type so i wanted hoest opinions on these two cameras and what others similar to these are out there.... i was hoping to find one with a lithium battery (like the one we have now) but these both take AA.

TIA!!

 

[Kelly Grannell]

What is your budget? What is your husband's shooting style? If you don't have either, just get the S2 IS to learn what you really need and don't need from a camera.

If you have a shooting style like me (I like natural lighting, I tend to shoot indoors or when the sun no longer shines -- not necessarily at night) then you'll appreciate the relatively clean ISO400 and useable ISO800 of the S3. If you don't shoot at night or when you shoot indoors you don't mind only having the subject light with a black/dark background instead of viewable background, then S2 is enough.

If you're taking indoor sports, forget it if you don't have a dSLR with a decent lens.

 

[funnybunny921]

like I said he just likes to take pictures and play with them in photoshop... he enjoys using the features on our current camera (panoramic stiching, black/white, video) but there aren't many fetures and i thing if he wants to start a hobby he needs to get a better camera to do so. I don't know if I would want to anti up for an SLR when he doesn't know what he wants/likes yet, i just don't think he can develop his hobby without a newer and better camera. that might seem wasteful to some but as cute and handy as our little one is it just doesn't always suffice.

Other than that, I myself like to take landscape photos and also tons of photos of all my cute little cousins.

 

[Greg K.]

Sounds like the S2/S3 may be the way to go. You might also look at a couple of the Lumix cameras offered by Panasonic: the FZ5, for example, has a lot of the same qualities as the Canon (image stabilization, big zoom, a few other bells and whistles) but is lighter and somewhat simpler to use. Cheaper, too.

Bottom line: for less than $500 (maybe even less than $400) you should be able to get a very nice and versatile camera that will do all you need, and more -- and that you can use to help your hubby grow and experiment and learn.

Visit a camera store and try 'em out. Chances are, the camera that feels best in his hand and suits his eye is the one he'll pick up again and again, and WANT to use -- and for a budding amateur photographer, sometimes that can make all the difference.

 

[manning]

Panasonic has a new one out. The TZ1

http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/185...ic-dmc-tz1.html