Need Digital Camera Shopping Advice

[Marseeya]

Amazon.com just came down on their price for the Canon S2 IS! It's now $389.

I went to Ritz today to check out some cameras and they didn't have any of them that I wanted to look at. Neither did Best Buy. They did have the Panasonic FZ30, which was fantastic! I took a few pictures with it and they were great. However, I don't want to spend nearly $700. The clerk recommended the FZ5 and said that they actually prefer it to the Canon. The price for the Panasonic on Amazon is around $365, and it comes with a 256 mg card. That seems like a great deal doesn't it? I'll still probaby buy a better card down the line, but that should hold me over for a while.

 

[ndelaware]

Amazon.com just came down on their price for the Canon S2 IS! It's now $389.

I went to Ritz today to check out some cameras and they didn't have any of them that I wanted to look at. Neither did Best Buy. They did have the Panasonic FZ30, which was fantastic! I took a few pictures with it and they were great. However, I don't want to spend nearly $700. The clerk recommended the FZ5 and said that they actually prefer it to the Canon. The price for the Panasonic on Amazon is around $365, and it comes with a 256 mg card. That seems like a great deal doesn't it? I'll still probaby buy a better card down the line, but that should hold me over for a while.

Of course they prefer it, they didn't have the Canon to sell you. The S2 IS is a better camera.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I just want to add one more thing I love out our S2- battery life! We use rechargable batteries. They last a really, really long time. Our 5 day trip to Disneyland only required charging once. Might not have even needed it then, but we did it just to make sure. That is with using all the features and taking 100's of pictures in 5 days.

I agree. I am VERY pleased by how long the batteries last, amazing.

 

[Marseeya]

Of course they prefer it, they didn't have the Canon to sell you. The S2 IS is a better camera.

They didn't have either one.

 

[manning]

Amazon.com just came down on their price for the Canon S2 IS! It's now $389.

I went to Ritz today to check out some cameras and they didn't have any of them that I wanted to look at. Neither did Best Buy. They did have the Panasonic FZ30, which was fantastic! I took a few pictures with it and they were great. However, I don't want to spend nearly $700. The clerk recommended the FZ5 and said that they actually prefer it to the Canon. The price for the Panasonic on Amazon is around $365, and it comes with a 256 mg card. That seems like a great deal doesn't it? I'll still probaby buy a better card down the line, but that should hold me over for a while.

Costo is selling th FZ30 for 599.99. Keep looking there are more than likely better prices out there.

 

[ndelaware]

They didn't have either one.

Then they don't know what they are talking about.

 

[Greg K.]

Panasonic is unveiling the FZ7, which claims to shoot up to iso 1600. It's due out any day. Check this out:

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0601/06012302panasonicfz7.asp

Among other things, that means you can expect the prices for the FZ5 to fall, as stores start clearing it out...or, you might want to wait and see what the early reviews of the FZ7 have to say...and see if it's worth investing in. Early buzz seems to be very good. I think you'll also find both the FZ5 and FZ7 notably smaller and lighter than the FZ30.

 

[Marseeya]

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

I'm now torn between the Canon S2 and the Panasonic FZ5.

It seems on the Dis, the defiite winner is the Canon, but in the reviews I've read it seems split 50/50. The price of the Panasonic is lower, but Amazon includes a 256 mg card. I'd still want to buy a 512 mg card on top of that, though. Either way, I probably won't save much more than $50 or so. They both seem like exactly what I want.

 

[geetey]

Have you gone into a store and held both of them? That may sway you one way or the other. Sometimes a camera just doesn't feel like, or the controls are awkward for your hands. Maybe that will help! Good luck!

I am still trying to decide which camera to get for myself!

 

[manning]

I would suggest too that you go to a store and look at them.

Also both use SD memory cards. Get a couple of 256mb cards (ea will have to be formatted for each camera) and take some pictures then go home and compare them.

 

[Marseeya]

The only one I've been able to handle is the Canon. I can't find the Panasonic anywhere, although I did snap some pics with the Panasonic FZ30 and totally fell in love with it -- just not the $700 price tag.

I like the idea of buying the cards and taking sample pictures with them.

 

[Greg K.]

Amazon claims to have three black FZ5's in stock, for $365.94. Sorry: none in silver.

 

[Marseeya]

Amazon claims to have three black FZ5's in stock, for $365.94. Sorry: none in silver.

Holy cow, they went fast! There were the three when I went to bed last night. I e-mailed DH all of the reviews for the two cameras and left it in his hands and told him I just couldn't decide. So he read them all last night and told me this morning that he picked the Panasonic. Got on Amazon around 8 a.m. and there was ONE left.

I went ahead and ordered it. I figure I can play with it for a day or two and if I don't like it, go ahead and return it or sell it on e-bay and go back for the Canon.

BTW, when I ordered it on Amazon, they're having a 3-month free trial of their Amazon Prime. I was able to get 1-day shipping for just $3.99! It costs $79 for the year and I'm debating on whether or not it'll be worth it. I use Amazon a LOT, so I just need to go back and figure out how much I've spent in shipping in the past year to see if it would even out or if I'd be ahead.

 

[geetey]

Congrats on making a decision!! For me, that's the hardest part!