Small Camera w/Good Video

[DisneyHolidayFan]

I have a SLR camera but am looking for a smaller camera that has good video. I also have a video camera but hate carrying both to WDW. Canon Powershot G9 and Canon Powershot SD890 seem to have good reviews. Any thoughts would be most appreciated.

 

[webshark3]

I'm typically AGAINST combining the functions, but if you twisted my arm and said I could only take 1 camera,

then the G9 would be #1, and SD(series) as #2.

Solids cameras with solid functions.

I'd be tempted at a model which does HD too, but most don't compress them well, so you end up with massive files. I'm not sure about the Canon file sizes.

 

[Master Mason]

Personal feeling is if you try and get something that will do both, you'll have both suffer. But I have to add the caviat that I am not a fan of video either, so it is of little importance to me.

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

I'll counter the "don't combine functions" opinion with my own that having to carry only one camera on vacation is a plus.

The Canon S3 has excellent video with full zoom and stereo sound (up to 640x480 30fps) ... AND you can take full-size stills while taking video. The IS makes the video very stable. It's not HD, of course, but IMO it looks as good as any other video-recording I've seen on hand-helds.

The versatility of being able switch from macro, to wide-angle, to full zoom, to video all without taking my hands off the camera is one of the main reasons I love my S3.

If my *only* choices were the G9 or the SD890, I'd go with the G9 ... everything I've read leads me to believe it's the more capable camera.

 

[DisneyHolidayFan]

I'll counter the "don't combine functions" opinion with my own that having to carry only one camera on vacation is a plus.

The Canon S3 has excellent video with full zoom and stereo sound (up to 640x480 30fps) ... AND you can take full-size stills while taking video. The IS makes the video very stable. It's not HD, of course, but IMO it looks as good as any other video-recording I've seen on hand-helds.

The versatility of being able switch from macro, to wide-angle, to full zoom, to video all without taking my hands off the camera is one of the main reasons I love my S3.

If my *only* choices were the G9 or the SD890, I'd go with the G9 ... everything I've read leads me to believe it's the more capable camera.

I have the S3 but video time is so limited.

 

[Groucho]

Nearly any modern PnS is going to have good-quality 640x480 30 fps video. That's pretty much a given. Some have limitations on maximum size, some don't allow zooming while shooting (they will restrict you to "digital" zoom, which is junky), some record in different formats. FWIW, our current Fuji F40 has better colors and is better in low light than our old Canon SD600, but the Canon had slightly higher bitrate so fast movement was a little bit better (but you'd have to look pretty close to notice.)

I don't really see a problem with combining video with a pocket camera. It's basically "free" with most any PnS nowadays, and if you just want to do occasional short videos, it is perfectly adequate IMHO. Obviously you do need a "proper" camcorder if you want more zoom, longer videos, better sound, better low-light, etc.

 

[cmwade77]

If you want Video, make sure that the camera can zoom in and out while taking video, I know my older Nikon does, but it's the only one of my Digital Cameras that does, of course I only use the video functions when I don't have my video camera with me and for some reason the need to take video has cropped up, it's rare, but it happens, I also prefer a separate device due to quality issues, I buy my digital cameras based on their ability to take still shots and my video cameras on their ability to take video, so neither are usually very good at the opposite of what they normally do, but will work in a pinch.