Canon PowerShot S95 10 MP Digital Camera
Price: $369.99
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Product Description
Canon’s 4343B001 PowerShot S95 10MP Compact Digital Camera is ultra-slim, ultra-intelligent and loaded with all a serious photographer’s must-haves, including a bright f/2.0 Wide-Angle Lens and professional-style control ring for intuitive manual control. Canon’s HS System is on board for spectacular performance and image quality in low light. And, new for a compact, the S95 incorporates Canon’s Hybrid IS for blur-free shooting even close-up. You’ll shoot stunning 720p HD video with stereo sound, then watch it immediately on your HDTV with the simple HDMI connection. If photography’s your passion, now is the perfect time to step up to PowerShot S95.
Review
Excellent image quality, full controls and pocketable
If you’re looking for a pocketable camera that has reasonably high quality images, lets you control aperture, speed and focus and shoot in RAW format, this is it. I bought mine as an upgrade from a previous small but versatile camera, a Canon Powershot S70.
The Powershot S95 was introduced in August 2010 as a slight upgrade to the S90, which was widely praised for its image quality and excellent interface but criticized for being hard to hold (“like a bar of soap in the shower”) and for having a control dial that turned too easily. The S95 fixes both problems and adds a couple of other features in a package that fits in the pocket of your jeans (if they’re not super tight). The case is metal, and although there are no finger grips on the body, it’s not slippery at all. It feels like it’s covered with super-fine sandpaper (like 1000 or 1500 grit, for those you who know what that feels like).
The second major complaint about the S-90 was that the function selection ring on the rear moved too easily. The ring on the S-95 has a slight click when you move it, and it doesn’t move unless you want it to.
There are a couple of other cameras of this type, including the Panasonic LX-3 and LX-5 and the Samsung TL500. They all have let you control camera functions, and like the S95 they have 10 MP sensors that are almost twice as large as a typical pocket camera, so the pixels on the sensor are larger. That lets them gather light more efficiently, which reduces digital “noise” when you shoot in dim light. Image quality is noticeably better than photos from typical pocket cameras. You can make an 8 x 10 or perhaps 11×14 enlargement, although a digital SLR will be significantly better for larger prints. They also have f/2.0 lenses at their widest angle, although the aperture closes down as you zoom in.
The Canon has two advantages over the Panasonic LX-3 & LX-5. First, you really can put it in your pocket or in a belt case no bigger than the one you use for a mobile phone. Second, the interface is a brilliant re-thinking of how a very small camera with a full set of controls should work. There’s not much room for buttons on the small surface, but you don’t have to get into a multi-level menu on the LCD, and yet changing settings is fast and intuitive.
For example, there’s a ring around the lens that you can grip easily to control zoom, or, shutter speed, or aperture, change ISO, or manually focus. You select what you want it to do by pressing a button on the top, and when you look at the LCD screen you can see what it’s programmed for. There’s a selection wheel on the back for other functions, and when you move it, a clear set of choices appears on the screen. The selections are context-appropriate, so they change depending on whether you’ve set the camera for aperture control, “Program” control, etc.
The two Panasonics have the same sensor as their Canon equivalents, but they offer a slightly wider lens (24mm vs. 28 for the S95). The LX-3 has a much shorter telephoto – only 60 mm. The LX-5, which was introduced a couple of weeks before the S95, has a 90mm telephoto, and you can buy an add-on optical viewfinder. It also has a flash shoe in addition to the pop-up flash, although you can buy a dedicated add-on flash for the S-95 to supplement its pop-up flash The LX-5 is about 25% more expensive than the Canon S95 (and 60% more with the optional viewfinder) and while it would fit in a coat pocket, you can’t stuff it into a trouser pocket.
If you want a truly pocketable camera that gives you good image quality and full control over your photography, the S95 is an excellent choice.
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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5V 10.2MP CMOS 10x Wide Angle Zoom
Price: $189.00
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Product Description
Capture stunning low-light images and sweeping panoramic views with the DSC-HX5V featuring an “Exmor R” CMOS Sensor. Plus catch fast action shots with up to 10 frames per seconds shooting. Full HD Movie Mode9 records amazingly detailed video and a 25mm equivalent wide angle 10x high-zoom G Lens allows you to take captivating images. featuring an “Exmor R” CMOS Sensor. Plus catch fast action shots with up to 10 frames per seconds shooting. Full HD Movie Mode9 records amazingly detailed video and a 25mm equivalent wide angle 10x high-zoom G Lens allows you to take captivating images.
Review
Nice
I’m comparing this camera to my most recent camera: Canon SD1000 and Sony TX1. I’m just a casual photographer. The most surprising thing about this camera is the weight. If you’ve owned some high end Sony or Canon PowerShot cameras then holding this camera doesn’t “feel” normal, it’s way too light for it’s size…but that’s a good thing….sort of. They achieve this weight reduction by using plastic for many of the body parts (the SD1000 and TX1 are mostly, if not all metal). The back is definitely plastic, I’m not quite sure about the front. The mode dial (although very welcome) feels cheap.
That’s about it for the bad news. The good news is the GPS locks FAST out of the box and the picture quality is very good, on par with 10-12 mega-pixel cameras. The Sony “extra” features such as panorama and 1080 HD video work as advertised and add value to the Sony versus the only current competitor (with GPS and a mega-zoom) the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 which has not been released yet. You can compare images between the two cameras on the Imaging Resource site as well as some others.
I’m was going to purchase both this camera and the Panasonic to see which one I liked better, however I’m going to be keeping the Sony. I’m very happy with the ease of use, picture quality and the Sony extra features (such as panorama).
For a case, I’m using the Case Logic TBC302. It fits the camera perfectly with barely enough room in the front pocket to hold a spare battery. The Case Logic TBC303 is much larger but not too useful, for example you can’t put the battery charger with the camera. It could hold some credit cards or papers, though.
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Olympus Stylus 5010 14 MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Dual
Price: $85.54
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Product Description
This tiny camera will blow you away. It packs 5x zoom into a super-slim, super-sleek body. But that’s just the beginning. Advanced technology features, like one-touch HD movie recording, let you store, upload and share your favorite video moments.
Olympus Stylus 5010 Highlights
5x Wide-Angle Zoom (26-130mm equivalent)
All the capabilities you need in one compact lens.The 5x optical zoom gets you close to the action while the 26mm wide-angle lens lets you capture everything and everyone in your shot.
HD Movie 720p
A simple, one-touch button allows you to record movies with amazing clarity in high-definition, right from your camera.
Dual Image Stabilization
The 2-in-1 anti-blur solution. Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization, which keeps your shot steady by compensating for camera shake, combines with Digital Image Stabilization to capture crisp, clear images in any situation.
AF Tracking
Automatically tracks unpredictable, fast-moving subjects like kids and pets. Continuously adjusts the focus and brightness so you can easily capture a great shot of your subject in motion.
Creative Art Filters
Give your photos a distinct look and artistic feel by applying one of four different in-camera effects, including Pop Art, Pinhole, Fisheye and Drawing.
Review
Near perfect
I have used cameras of one type or another for close to 50 years. Had my own darkroom back in the days of film. Have had digital models since 1M was as big as they got. Wanted a small one to carry around. Cell phone cam is just too much trouble and too limited.
Read all the reviews for all the small Olympus, Cannon, Panasonic, et al. Used my girlfriend’s Cannon. Decided that since an old Olympus E100RS Sports Photographers model was the best I have EVER used I would stay with the brand.
I love this little thing! It is hard to hold still on long tele shots and I doubt I will ever get used to not having a viewfinder but I still love it. Have used it in Program mode mostly and played with some programed Scene shooting. Love the Super Macro best of all. Have some great close ups of my honeybees.
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Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera
Price: $849.00
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Product Description
The Canon 5169B003 includes the EOS Rebel T3i Digital SLR Camera and EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS type II Lens. This camera and lens will help photographers who are looking for an easy-to-use camera to create their next masterpiece. The next in a long line of phenomenal compact DSLRs, the EOS Rebel T3i continues the Rebel tradition of easy operation, compact design and no-compromise performance. Featuring Canon’s newest DIGIC 4 Image Processor and an 18.0 Megapixel CMOS Image Sensor plus cutting-edge technologies like Full HD video recording, Live View shooting, Wireless flash photography and even a Vari-angle 3.0-inch LCD monitor, the EOS Rebel T3i offers the best of EOS photography in a compact package.
Review
Choosing between the T3i, T2i, 60D and 7D
The Canon Rebel T3i takes the consumer level dSLR a couple steps closer to the mid-level Canon 60D with the addition of the rotating rear LCD screen, remote flash firing, and in-camera processing features. The already highly competent, older Rebel T2i already shared many important features with the 60D (and even features of the semi-pro 7D) including the 18 MP sensor, 63-zone exposure metering system, high ISO performance, HD movie capabilities, and Digic 4 image processor. With these new upgrades, it might make it even more difficult to choose between them. But there are some important differences.
If you are considering the Rebel T3i vs T2i, the Rebel T3i is replacing the T2i. Since both cameras share the same 18 megapixel sensor and Digic 4 processor, both the T2i and T3i will create images with exactly the same image quality, produce the same low light/ high ISO performance, shoot at 3.7 frames per second, and have nearly the same size and build quality. They are both offered with the same 18-55mm kit lens (with some minor cosmetic differences on the new T3i kit lens). The T3i is very slightly larger and heavier due to the addition of the rotating rear LCD monitor. And that is one of the biggest differences between the two cameras. Do you want and need a vari-angle rear screen or not? The other major difference is the ability of the T3i to remotely control multiple off-camera flashes. Like the 60D and 7D, you can use the built-in flash of the T3i to trigger other Canon Speedlites. Some other minor additions to the T3i include the Scene Intelligent Auto Mode, which is a feature borrowed from point and shoot cameras. When in Auto mode, the T3i will make a determination of what type of scene you are shooting – close-up, portrait, landscape, etc. – and automatically configure the camera settings accordingly. However, if you want to use a powerful and costly digital SLR as a point and shoot, you should probably save the money and just buy a nice, high quality point and shoot like the Canon S95. Other additional but not essential upgrades include the in-camera processing Creative Filters, and the ability to choose different image size ratios and to rate your images. (Helpful hint: press the Q Button while in image playback and you can access features like rating, rotating, and Creative Filters.) There is also a marginally helpful Feature Guide which gives brief descriptions of various settings and some additional video features like Video Snapshot, which you can use to shoot short video clips that are automatically joined together into a video, with music.
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Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS 12.1 MP Digital Camera
Price: $199.00
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Product Description
The Canon 5096B001 PowerShot ELPH 300 HS Black 12MP Digital Camera with 5x Zoom and 2.7 In. LCD Display has a slim profile that will not only make you stand out from the crowd, but it will also deliver incredibly brilliant still images and amazing 1080p HD videos. Once you turn on the camera, be prepared to be amazed at how much is packed into one of the slimmest point-and-shoot digital cameras on the market. So let your imagination run free and let the HS SYSTEM, 24mm 5x Optical Zoom and 12.1 Megapixels help you achieve great images everywhere.
Review
Wonderful compact camera with hd video
I’m a DSLR photographer who shoots professionally and has managed a camera store in the past. I wanted something I can take with me everywhere but still produces good quality shots. I also wanted a camera that could shoot good looking videos. I researched several models and after much deliberation decided on the Canon 300 HS. I’m very happy I did.