Canon SureShot--Which One?
 

Last minute Christmas gift help, please--for my adult son who is leaving for Rome on the 28th. I don't know enough to choose a digital camera by myself, and all that I've read here on the camera threads and review sites confuses me even more--since I am so ignorant on this subject. I have never owned or used a digital myself (can barely turn on my own TV), so all of the technical explanations don't help me at all. All I know is that he once mentioned the Sure Shot, and all I can afford is about $200-$250. When I looked up the Sure Shot models on line, I saw that they are many and varied. He does have some experience with digital, at least more than I. Anyone out there who can help me simplify this task tomorrow? And also keep it simple? Sorry for the last minute request, and very grateful for any help.

The sure shot models are 35mm film cameras. Many of Canon's digital cameras are called PowerShot. Go to Stevesdigicams.com for a comprehensive review of Canon and others. The Canon PowerShot A530 is a nice one in your price range. It is a 5 megapixal camera with an optical viewfinder as well as the screen, 3x optical zoom, uses AA bateries. It gets an unusual 400+ shots between battery changes.

See, I don't even know how to ask for what I need here. I must have meant the Power Shot because I know he does want a compact digital to take on this trip. He has a very nice 35mm SLR (did I get that right?), but he wants to take a smaller and less expensive camera on this trip. He's prone to losing things.

Costco is having a sale on a Canon Powershot, A630, 8 Megapixels is $259.99 -- that includes all S/H fees. All of the Canon Powershot models receive very good reviews.

www.costco.com - (maybe a friend/relative has a membership and can order it and have it shipped to your son?) Best Buy might have comparable prices but Costco's return policy is great. If your son wants to try something else even AFTER he's back from his trip, he can return/exchange it for another camera for any reason at all.

I'm thinking of getting one myself since it's so compact and I'm curious to see if it can take similar pictures to my boyfriend's more expensive SLR. Good luck!

basingstoke, thanks for straigtening me out. I guess it is the Power Shot and I got confused. Duh! But as I said in my intro message, reading those reviews doesn't help me at all. I just don't know enough to understand all of the technical data.

fishee, thanks for the tip on Cosco. It looks like they really have super prices, but I think it is a little too late in the day for me to go that route. I was hoping to run out tomorrow and pick one up somewhere, but I did want to get the best in the price range that I can afford.

Please keep me in mind, especially if anyone has some direct experience with one of the "Power Shot" digitals.

I bought a PowerShot 700 in October and have been extremely pleased with it - took it to Europe for a week and a half right after I got it. It takes great pictures for a small point-and-shoot. My brother bought the same model just a few weeks before I did, so I relied on his research - he said Canon in general and the PowerShot line specifically all got good reviews. Based on my experience I'd recommend getting whatever you can afford in the PowerShot line. Good luck!

(If you want to see some examples, feel free to look at my Flickr site:

www.flickr.com/photos/jenthompson

Anything posted after mid-October is taken with this camera.)

except that 8 mgs is overkill unless doing massive blow ups. 4 to 5 is more than adequate. In fact 3 to 4 will work pretty well. This is not a case where more is better.

www.bestbuy.com -- just purchase the Canon Powershot in your price range (looks like the 540 is still in-stock at most stores for $199 and the A600 is $249 -- the latter is a better camera but might not be available in stores.) You can try purchasing now on-line and pick it up in-store tomorrow before they run out.

But -- if there's a Costco in your area, notice that even with their $35 membership price, the same Canon Powershot A630 camera is still cheaper than the one at Bestbuy ($299)

I have to say that I respectfully disagree with fmpden! Often I will take a shot that afterwards I decide to crop. Because I have a 7.1 megapixel camera I can crop and resize the remaining picture and still have awesome picture quality. That would not be the case if I owned 3 mp camera.
Also! the highter the mp the better the digital zoom, crucial in the powershot since the optical zoom is only 4

NJgirl

Meant to say, good luck jgarvey! Merry Christmas :)

I have the canon Power shot SD450 digital ELPH. It's a great camera. In fact it's the 3rd power shot that we have bought, we like them so well. We keep giving our camera to our kids and then buy ourselves a new one. They take good pictures and are small enough to slip into your pocket or purse without a lot of bulk. I took it to Ireland with me this last summer and took some 700 wonderful pictures. My daughter is going to France this summer; so for Christmas we bought her the A630. Good Luck!

Thanks to all of you last-minute shopping helpers out there! It has been very helpful to hear from you and receive some expert guidance. I feel that my little shopping expedition tomorrow (Lord bless me!) will be much easier and more focused. But when you guys start arguing about megapixels and such, I really do get lost. I will print this out and take it with me tomorrow, so I can refer to it in whatever store I feel brave enough to tackle.

Jent, thanks for sharing your pictures with me. They are fabulous! I hope my son's turn out half so well.

All of you are so kind to help me at this 11th hour. I will let you know what I come home with tomorrow. And I am sure I can get my DS to put some of his pictures here for you when he returns. Obviously, that is not something I know how to do!

Blessings to all and to all a good night!

I bought a Powershot 540 for my daughter for Christmas. She needed a camera to take along on our trip to Egypt.

I liked it because it's really easy to use on the Auto setting, but can also be set to Manual where you can control a lot of settings like exposure, light metering, white balance, etc. Somebody who knows how to use an SLR will appreciate the manual features.

It only took me a few minutes to figure out how to use it (as opposed to my Olympus which took a LOT of practice).

Was $199 at Circuit City AND they have the memory cards on sale as well:)

It's easy to hold, lightweight, uses AA batteries.

I hope she likes it...if not, it'll be MY new camera!

jgarvey, make your life simplier and your son's satisfaction greater. Don't go shopping. Make a cute little gift certificate for him for the camera of HIS choice. He probably knows exactly what he wants and you seem as befuddled by this digital stuff as I was before I spent weeks reading about them. Just give him a promise and let him do the selecting. Then you will have nothing to return.

The Canon Elph is a great, small camera for travel. I saw it at Costco today for just $219, the 6 megapixel version. Our daughter has one that's just 3 MP and it takes great photos. I think we paid more than $219 for it just last summer, so either prices have come down, or else the Costco deal is especially good.

polly, super idea! I had thought about this, but he is leaving on the 28th and at first I thought he would not have time to do his own shopping while getting ready and packing for trip. Also, another good benefit of your suggestion--maybe there will be sales!

Sorry, just one more question. I really like the look of the Elph, but that's my taste. What is the major difference between the Elph models and the other regular compacts mentioned here? Is the quality still the same with the Elph? And do you think it would be too small for a guy's hands? Just wondering.

I did a little research as some of you suggested and discovered that there are a couple of Circuit City stores close to me, they do have some of these you mentioned in stock, and I can order here and pick up within 24 hours at the store. Isn't this a wonderful world??!!

Hi JG,

For some years I used the Canon A60 and liked it very much.

This year I bought the S# IS for about $400. It is fantastic.

www.amazon.com has last year's model, the S2 IS, for $280.

It is almost the same camera, except that it is 5 MPX instead of 6MPX.

It has a 12X optical zoom that is terrific for closeups from across the street.

You can have it delivered by the 27th.

((I))

Ira,

Do you know the difference between this line (S# IS) and the more compact silver powershots?

Hi F,

I had an A60 (now the A500 series) with a 3X optical zoom. I got a 2:1 zoom for it.

It was a very good camera. You can enlarge up to 8x10, although 5x7 is better.

The advantages of the S2 or S3 ar 12X optical zoom, which is terrific; much better pix at the higher ASA speeds; stabilization for zooming; an electronic viewfinder; enough MPX to go to 8x10 or larger; and a whole bunch of stuff that I haven't figured out how to do yet.

If you like to take movies, the S2/S3 have stereo sound.

The camera isn't so large that it is bulky.

I have compared pix to those taken by Canon SLRs, and I don't think that the bigger cameras make a difference for what I want.

You can see how well the camera does, even though it was my first trip with it, at http://tinyurl.com/ybm32p

((I))

Nice pics Ira! Saint George at sunrise was great.

Using my BF's dig SLR in Paris, the pics were unexceptional except for the Eiffel Tower shots which I didn't think I could capture using a smaller digital. And I was even in the wrong mode and some still came out. I was having a hard time focusing, BF said pics were giving him a headache.

Would you mind terribly taking a quick look and telling me if you think this powershot could capture the same images of Eiffel Tower? None of these photos have been edited yet.

http://tinyurl.com/ycsv7l

Hi F,

Some excellent pix. Darn good camera, too. :)

I think that you could do as well with the S3, or even the S2.

((I))

Thanks Ira -- if the S2 IS can produce similar images, I think I'm going to buy it.

To SLR devotees -- I fully understand my current pics don't represent the capacity of an SLR, but I'd be satisfied with this quality level if captured by a $280 camera.

Sub compact cameras such as the Elph are light and easy to slip into a pocket. The downside is that they almost all use proprietary rechargable batteries. If one goes dead on a trip, you have get it recharged before you can take pictures again, or buy two batteries to keep one always charged. Most compacts will take AA batteries that are always available should you need to resupply and some such as the Canons will take many more pictures on their AAs particularly with Energizer E2 Lithium or AA rechargables, than on the sub compact batteries. Another advantage of the compact over the subcompact is that compacts often have optical viewfinders as well as the screen. That is useful when lighting makes using the screen difficult or when you want to conserve the battery by turning off the screen. Subcompacts usually do not have this feature. The size of the camera is a personal choice. I prefer the compact because I find it easier to handle and to use with one hand. The Canons are excellent. So are Fuji Finepix and some of the Nikons and Kodaks. It is hard to go wrong with any of them. I am using an older Canon A85 4mg and it has been "bulletproof" but I am planning to upgrade it for some of the reasons that NJgirl notes.

Hi basingstroke -- Your opinion of the Fujifilm Finepix E900 MP for $258?

Seems like more camera for the price over the Canon powershots?

I agree with polly. He probably knows what he wants, and whichever you get will probably be wrong. Relieve yourself of the anxiety and tell him to go shopping in the next 3 days (with reimbursement), or make him tell you exactly which one he wants. You will both be happier in the long run. ((*))

Ira and fishee, you guys are amazing and these pictures are brilliant! Either you both are pros,or these are some really spectacular cameras. They encourage me to perhaps spend a little more money to get this sort of product.

Thanks to all you who have chimed in this morning. I think Polly has the right idea though. My son certainly has more techo savy than I do, so give him the money and let him do his own research! I'll tell him that I will share the info I received on this site with him if he wants it.

Thanks again to all who came to my rescue last night and this morning.

JG

Hi Fishee - I am not familiar with the Finepix E900 but I just finished reading the review on Steve's digicams and I am impressed. That $258 price is great - where did you find it. I am putting it on my short list. It has one feature that I really value and that is the ability to add a wide angle lens. That is something that I miss. I like them for shots of buildings - you can only step back so far.

Hi J,

>Ira and fishee, you guys are amazing and these pictures are brilliant! Either you both are pros,or these are some really spectacular cameras.<

Aw shucks (rubbing toe in sand)
It's more the camera than me.

Also keep in mind that those are the best of about 850 shots. :)

((I))

That fuji is on amazon.com -- and price includes shipping fees.

I'm torn between the Fuji and the Canon S2 IS.

Canon is consistently rated the best digital cameras by Consumer Reports. We've used them for years.
:)>-

Fishee - that is a tough choice. The S2, since added to by the S3 are fine cameras with a great zoom. The S3 also has a wide angle kit (I don't know about the S2) that gives it more zoom capability than the Fuji. It also has an advanced image stabilization system that does not degrade the image as the electronic IS does. The Fuji however has 9mgpx vs the S2's 5 and S3's 6 so it has an advantage if you like to enlarge and crop. Both have excellent lenses and image processing. The Fuji is also smaller and lighter if that is important. Looking at the great pictures that you take, I'm sure either will give you the where with all to exercise your obvious artisic talent.

We bought the A620, and it is a great little for vacation photos.

We bought it pretty cheap compared with some places, around $210 with shipping, no tax.

Oh - and I always go to Amazon for reviews and such, that is how I found it.

OK, here's the scoop--to all of you who have been my Santa helpers. This afternoon I went to Target and bought the Canon Powershot A540. Why? Because it was already late (I waited until the end of the very-close Bears game), because it was on sale for $199, because several of you mentioned it as a good choice, because it was there (the last one) and I was there, because I thought my son would like the option of shifting from automatic to manual (since he is a more experienced photographer than I am), because it also has an optical view-finder in addition to the viewing screen, because his last Canon digital (for his birthday) was stolen from his apartment several months ago (along with his Dad's antique Bronica (sp?) and Pentax), because I want to show up tomorrow with something besides a gift certificate in my hand (I also bought a beautiful, leather-bound photo album and journal--one each for him and his fiance), because Best Buys was already closed, because the time is very close to his departure for Rome, because I decided to buy one of the tiny Elphs for myself and my own trip to Rome in February, because we can trade back and forth if we want to. And just because tomorrow is Christmas, and he is my son, and I love him, and I wanted to give him something special to take on his trip to Rome.

I hope that you all approve. Maybe not the best techo-choice, but one from my heart. Thanks to all who have given me input here. I think you have helped each other as well as me, and isn't that the point?

Love and blessings,
JG

P.S. There is a gift receipt exchange included if necessary.

JG - I'm sure your son will love the gift and the thought you put into it. (And a gift receipt is always great "insurance"!)

JG -- Sounds like the perfect choice and at such a great price, and to have one left in-stock on Christmas Eve? That had to have been fate...

The album and journals are a really wonderful idea -- gives a "tech" gift a very warm, personal touch. Have a great vist with your family! (and thanks for letting us use your thread to talk about what we want to buy for ourselves...)

I really like Canon digital cameras, having used a powershot A70 for several years. Given the choice of cameras in your price range I would go for the s2 or if you can afford it the S3 purely because of it's 12x zoom function.

If I had one quibble with it, it would be that it might just be a little bulky to carry around. The more compact powershots may lack the zoom , but they will fit comfortably into a coat pocket, and may be more convenient to carry around as a "point and shoot" camera.

Any of the cameras mentioned above would be great - I am sure your son woud not be disappointed with any of them.

>I'm torn between the Fuji and the Canon S2 IS.<

One thing to check is whether the camera uses rechargeable AA batteries or a proprietary power pack.

Those power packs can be very expensive.

Re MPX:

A 2 MPX camera will give you shots that can be enlarged to 5x7 with very little loss of clarity.

A 6 MPX can handle 8x10 easily.

I much prefer taking a closeup, which is why I bought the 12x S3, to enlarging a pic and cropping it.

The reason is that when you take the pic there are a certain number of pixels/sq in. If you double the size of the image, you reduce the number of pixels/sq in by a factor of 4. This reduces the clarity of the image.

((I))

Hi JG,

>This afternoon I went to Target and bought the Canon Powershot A540.<

A very nice camera.

((I))