i'd like to know your opinion of them. I might like them since they have iso, aperture, shutterspeed manual settings which i might like, but how often would i use these? I'm not ready for a digi SLR camera, but these might suffice..thanks! thanks for your great answers! Hi
You must've already read about the Canon S3 IS which has 12X optical zoom. I bought my friend one and he's clicking some amazing pics with that. Its a very smart looking camera, feature-rich and above all very nicely priced.
You can read some user reviews and comparisons at www.dpreview.com
The only let down for me [its a plus for some] that it uses AA batteries instead of a battery pack.
Cheers! I think a digicam with 10-12X optical zoom is the next step up from your regular 3X or 4X zoom.
My trusty old digital camera has 4X optical zoom and my husband just bought himself the Canon S3 IS which has 12X optical (36-432mm) with full manual controls if you need it...and I can tell you...that the extra zoom is so much better.
It is definitely worth having.
Its obviously not as good as the best SLR zoom lens...but its so much more affordable. If you are interested with Ultrazoom feature with manual settings, you can't go wrong with the Canon S3 IS. It's the best, quality and price, considered. I have been using it for a couple of months now and learning each features day by day really makes it a good choice if not the best! Get a Canon S3 IS. My daughter has an S2 IS and loves it. The S3 is supposed to be better. I have a Panasonic FZ20 and I LOVE it. Excellent, excellent camera and don't just take my bias for it... http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_revi... This camera has been replaced by the FZ30.
When I was searching for a "prosumer" type camera, I wanted a SLR-like camera which was just before the dSLR class. I looked at the FZ20, Minolta's Z5, Cannon's S1-IS, and Sony's DSC-H1. All classified as "super zoom" cameras but also "prosumer" for the highly advanced capability. The only thing real things separating these from the dSLR's are the changeable lense, higher ISO's, and slightly faster performance.
I ultimately decided on the FZ20 because of the feature set. I needed a flash hot-shoe and neither the H1 or S1IS had one. The Z5 did have a hot-shoe but the physical setup of the body was too unusual for me. Add in the FZ20 manual focus ability and I was sold. Olympus does make great cameras that produce consistently sharp images, but their insistence on using their proprietary xD picture cards turned me off. Everything I own uses SD memory so why should I buy tons more? The Sony was the exception because the PSP uses Memory Stick too.
The best part? All of the camera I mentioned about take incredible pictures in Program Mode so even if all the settings frighten you, you can still use it straight out the box! Hi, Looks like I'm a bit late with this one but yes I have the Canon S2 IS (older version) and it is exellent and easy to use. It also have a video quality movie feature which is fantastic. You can zoom while you vido and take stills at the same time too. Stereo sound to. Reviews can be found at http://www.steves-digicams.com/hardware_...
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