New camera suggestions (I know there are probably tons of these)

[MaxxxRacer]

So I guess now it's something like: SD880/890 (depends) or LX3 if I want to spend the money.

I didn't know the 8 series had a larger sensor. Again, totally counter-intuitive.

EDIT and other communities keep talking about the TZ5. Any opinions? It's a 10x zoom as well.

All of the canon compacts have the same sensor size. Most of them infact (at 10mp) use the exact same sensor. The differences in these units is purely in the form factor, lcd and lens.

If u want the wider angle get the 880 and be done with it. It has a larger LCD too which is nice and from ppl I've talked to that have it, they love it.

As i said before, the larger point and soot cameras are for people who want more control over their photos. with point and shoots the camera wont let you control many of the settigns (on the fly) becuase you have to go into menus to acess them. With SLR's ALL of the settings you commonly use are right at your fingertips.

[AndrewZorn]

Okay, so if I were to list the benefits of each, it would be more like:

SD880 (no 890?): wide angle lens, smaller, more durable, quick and easy
SX110: farther zoom, manual operation, slightly less expensive, AA batteries
TZ5: still don't know much about this one, but everyone seems to love it. 10x zoom also, and shoots 1280x720 video.

At least my decision is now down to preference. The SD890... really not good? I feel like I'm buying last year's model at this year's price. They added in a viewfinder which I don't think I'd use much.

[itznfb]

Okay, so if I were to list the benefits of each, it would be more like:

SD880 (no 890?): wide angle lens, smaller, more durable, quick and easy
SX110: farther zoom, manual operation, slightly less expensive, AA batteries
TZ5: still don't know much about this one, but everyone seems to love it. 10x zoom also, and shoots 1280x720 video.

At least my decision is now down to preference. The SD890... really not good? I feel like I'm buying last year's model at this year's price. They added in a viewfinder which I don't think I'd use much.

880 vs 890
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/co...odelid10=17626

one big thing that makes the 880 better than the 890 is the 3" LCD. you can't understand how nice that screen is until you actually use it. whatever you decide to do,,,, make sure you use these cameras before you buy one. don't go by reviews and XS members opinions only.

[twilyth]

Compare both to the Nikon Coolpix S710

Unless you think the canon optics are much better - the nikon is a better buy even if it is a little more expensive than the SD890.

ISO goes up to 6400 and 12800 (at 3MP) and 3200 at full resolution. Plus it has a lot of dslr features.

And its prettier (i told you the pretty ones cost more).

[MaxxxRacer]

Compare both to the Nikon Coolpix S710

Unless you think the canon optics are much better - the nikon is a better buy even if it is a little more expensive than the SD890.

ISO goes up to 6400 and 12800 (at 3MP) and 3200 at full resolution. Plus it has a lot of dslr features.

And its prettier (i told you the pretty ones cost more).

The higher ISO ability isnt real. It just uses crazy amounts of noise reduction which destroys the photo. ISO 6400 on my D300 most likely looks like ISO 1600 on that camera.

[dinos22]

anything past maybe 400 and noise is a shocker on smaller cameras ehehhe

i love when they say 3200 ISO or something like that ROFL

[AndrewZorn]

I was going to say, I don't know much, but I understand that in this price range, over ISO400/800 looks pretty unbearable. And that's something I've seen in practice.

EDIT and so yeah, the 880 looks better.

I just can't ignore that TZ5!!!

[MaxxxRacer]

I was going to say, I don't know much, but I understand that in this price range, over ISO400/800 looks pretty unbearable. And that's something I've seen in practice.

EDIT and so yeah, the 880 looks better.

I just can't ignore that TZ5!!!

I wouldnt touch the TZ5 with a 10 foot pole. At ISO 100 it looks like ISO 1600 on the D300. And compared to the SD880 its also bad. ISO 100 on the SD880 looks great, whereas on the TZ5 it is noisy as hell.

[AndrewZorn]

Ok, so I know it's annoying to give advice to someone, and then for them to not follow it.

But look, I haven't opened anything yet, I just got a deal I couldn't refuse, and can return it if I want to.

But I just came home with the SX110IS.

Someone at work convinced me of it. It's because of stuff I should have thought of.

Iraq:
- AA is a huge plus, because I might be weeks without a charger. I even take AA with me in my bag to training.
- 10x zoom: if there's something coolin Iraq, it's probably something you don't want to get close to.

Larger lens, at the cost of bulkiness I don't mind.

Pop-up flash to lessen redeye. Still worrying about the flash recharge.

The SX110IS has a Digic 3 vs a Digic 4 from the SD880. That's the only thing I didn't know before getting this. And now I'm paranoid. Is it just a processing speed thing, or does it affect image quality much?

He was also talking about stuff I don't know if I'd ever really see the advantages of: like how the SX110IS has the sensor behind the lens, instead of a mirror directing the light to it.

Again, totally, completely returnable. It's in the box until I REALLY decide. I only purchased because I got a proverbial "hook up" from a friend that was working there today.

I want to believe that there's a reason I don't want this camera, that I should have got the SD880.

EDIT I've been doing nothing but reading since I got home, and still don't even know what I want. I seriously have to just settle and get something. I feel like the full manual of the SX110 would promote me being more into it, while the SD880 is just the opposite: something I can whip out, take a picture, and be happy with it.

[MaxxxRacer]

The 360mm equivalent zoom is a big plus. I have to agree that most shots will probably be of things you dont want to get near.

[dinos22]

thats a nice camera
i'd keep that man and save some money
you off to Iraq? eek
good luck mate

[AndrewZorn]

Yeah, I didn't really make that clear earlier. I'm buying this camera basically FOR that trip. So the longer shot, I keep thinking, is going to be what I want. It's a desert, so by nature things will be far away.

Don't let the fact that I already bought it sway you though, I'm 5mins from the Best Buy, and it's stillllll unopened...

I got it for about $30 less than the best deal on the SD880 I could get, and a hefty discount on the accidental 4yr warranty.

I'm just majorly worried about the Digic 4 that the SD880 has while the SX110 has Digic 3. Is this a big deal? Or more like a "just because it's 'better' doesn't make it better" like megapixels...

[twilyth]

That looks like a very good choice. It will probably be more rugged than most ultracompacts too.

Go here to compare similar cameras.

To create your own search criteria, mouse over 'buying guide' in the left column and then click on 'feature search.'

Put in 8-10MP for resolution, 35mm+ for wide angle zoom and 320mm+ for tele zoom and click compare.

If you go back and just change the resolution to 12+MP - none of the cameras seem to be compact enough for your needs.

dpreview is a great site - if anything they give you too much info.

Good luck in Iraq.

[AndrewZorn]

DP review didn't have the SX110, the SD880... but they really liked the TZ5. I guess that's what really threw me off for a while. It's the best site I came across during the search, it just wasn't very up with the times for compact cameras.

However, Digital Camera HQ (still trying to figure out if it's a decent site or not) has the SX110 as #2 in $200-300, and pretty up there in many categories.

http://www.digitalcamera-hq.com/digi...s_reviews.html

I found that after I purchased.

EDIT also, I've heard of hacked firmwares for cameras, I wonder if any let you use optical zoom during video. I find it astounding that most don't let you do this. I know it's because of the noise, but sometimes: (A) you don't care, and want to zoom anyway, and (B) the audio isn't what is important. I can't believe that it's not an option or something, or that people would just realize if they didn't want to use it, and say "oh, ok, I just won't zoom during video"!

[twilyth]

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/spec...on_sx110is.asp

There's also a thread in the forum that compares the sx110 and the tz5 - http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/re...5&q=sx110&qf=m

edit - nevermind - not much of a discussion.

[AndrewZorn]

It's not a DP review, it's customer reviews.

And I've definitely read almost, if not every discussion that has SX110 or SX110IS in the body on that site. It just seems like everyone loves the TZ5, but when I ask about it, there's good reasons not to get it.

But 720p video... wide angle lens with 10x zoom...

[MaxxxRacer]

Digic 3 and Digic 4 realy doesnt mattter much. Its mainly just marketing. As I mentioned before, the TZ5 seems like a bad choice. In theory it looks like a good camera, but after seeing the sample photos and the horrible noise reduction applied to all of the photos, its just not worth it, atlest not for me.

[AndrewZorn]

Okay, good. A lot of people seem disappointed that a camera so new uses the Digic 3, but if the advantages aren't really great, then I can get over it.

[MaxxxRacer]

Okay, good. A lot of people seem disappointed that a camera so new uses the Digic 3, but if the advantages aren't really great, then I can get over it.

The advantage of the Digic 4 for P&S cameras is better noise reduction. But as we all know, above ISO 200, all P&S cameras are noisy as all hell.

Reminds of my Olmypus C-8080WZ which was unusable at ISO 200. That thing was great at ISO 50, but above that the noise was horrid.

[AndrewZorn]

So I finally opened it today, and really like it, but I did the "take a picture of black to find hot/stuck white pixels" and I see two pixels that seem to always be white. This sucks. Is it normal to have two?

Not on the LCD, but actually in the pictures. Everything else is noisy black, but there are two white pixels. I think I'm going to go exchange.

[MaxxxRacer]

So I finally opened it today, and really like it, but I did the "take a picture of black to find hot/stuck white pixels" and I see two pixels that seem to always be white. This sucks. Is it normal to have two?

Not on the LCD, but actually in the pictures. Everything else is noisy black, but there are two white pixels. I think I'm going to go exchange.

NOT NORMAL! Exchange it right away.

[itznfb]

dead pixels, in the photo? or on the lcd?
i've never even heard of having dead pixels in the image sensor.

[MaxxxRacer]

dead pixels, in the photo? or on the lcd?
i've never even heard of having dead pixels in the image sensor.

YUP, IT HAPPENS. IT HAPPENED ON MY D40X. I HAD TO HAVE NIKON REPAIR IT.

[AndrewZorn]

I actually couldn't stand not knowing, and exchanged it... problem no more! But I'm going to check the pictures ONCE MORE once I get back home to my 24".

It was definitely on the CCD, and there were at least two bright white pixels in total blackness.

The camera is really nice!

The second one also doesn't have noise on top of pure-black like the other one did (but don't worry... I didn't confuse the noise for the always-in-the-same-place dots).



Shows how dusty everything I own is, a real shame. Took me literally hours to get a half-decent application of the screen protector on because of all the little fibers floating around. Everything I wiped the screen off with just made it worse.