Point and shoot???

[elke]

Is there any room in this Village for somebody who is still grappling with her point and shoot Canon Powershot?

For the most part, I seem to be able to get what I need from this little camera. The only real limitation that I find is photographing objects far away. The zoom is pretty worthless.

What type of camera would be the next step. Remember, I am a beginner and I definitely want to stick with a digital. But any suggestions on a camera that's a little more grown up would be greatly appreciated.

[ljameso1]

The canon digital rebels would probably be the next step since you are already used to canon. You could get as a package with a longer zoom to start and add other lenses as budget permits.

[Tina_B]

It is not the camera but what you can do with it. If you can use what you have and get what you want out of it no need for anything new. I have a Canon S3 IS , not a very expensive camera but it works for me. I have not need for a camera with lenses that I can change. I do not plan on doing prortaits or any pro work. Stick to wht you can afford and something that you will use. Learn all the ins and outs of what you have and then make a decision as to do I need something new.

Tina B

[Chuck S.]

Elke, which model Powershot do you have? There are dozens of them, it would seem. Most have a 3-to-1 zoom, although some of the newer ones have 4-to-1. For distance shots, you definitely need more reach, and the digital zoom feature is not the best way to achieve that.

Tina's choice of the Canon S3 IS (or its successor, the S5 IS) is an excellent one; the 12-to-1 zoom, coupled with Image Stabilization, gives you a lot broader range with which to work. Panasonic and others have zooms in the same range; the Panasonic FMC-FZ5 gets a "Highly Recommended" rating on dpreview.com.

The downside of the super zooms is that they are not super compact; they're smaller than DSLR's but definitely not pocket-size.

Lots of tradeoffs in the camera selection game....

[TonyW]

I agree with Chuck. I just recommended the Panasonic FMC-FZ5 to someone who was thinking about a DSLR but when I asked them why it turned out that they thought that's what they needed to take close-ups of birds on their bird-feeder and some "knowledgeable" camera salesman told them that a DSLR (and a bunch of expensive lenses) was exactly what they needed. They took my suggestion and just got back from a trip to Mexico with some great pictures - called to thank me and said that's the last camera they'll ever need - I don't believe that but they were buying new compact point and shoots every 6 months and I think this one will last them slightly longer than that :)

Tony

[Not4wood]

You must remember, the camera is only a tool to use to express an idea just like a paint brush. You look for a camera that fits your hand and has the ability to do what you want.

On that note, my little 5 MP Canon P&S takes great pictures as long as I remember to keep it on the highest quality settings and stay away from the Digital Zoom.

These two shots were both taken in Alaska using my Canon P&S:

Native American Museum:
http://www.elementsvillage.com/gallery/files/1/5/3/1/4/IMG_0399_thumb.jpg (http://www.elementsvillage.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=456&c=member&imageuser=15314)

Kechikan
http://www.elementsvillage.com/gallery/files/1/5/3/1/4/Ketchikan_thumb.jpg (http://www.elementsvillage.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=266&c=member&imageuser=15314)

[Joe M]

I have a Canon S5 IS and it's an excellent camera. I also have a Sony Tele Conversion Lens that can extend the reach a little.

The S5 gives you many of the settings and control of a DSLR but not RAW or lens capability.

Here are some of the images taken with it:

http://www.elementsvillage.com/gallery/files/1/4/4/3/7/IMG_0564_Lion-2_edited-2_thumb.jpg (http://www.elementsvillage.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=622&c=member&imageuser=14437)


http://www.elementsvillage.com/gallery/files/1/4/4/3/7/LionandLioness_thumb.jpg (http://www.elementsvillage.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=541&c=member&imageuser=14437)

http://www.elementsvillage.com/gallery/files/1/4/4/3/7/HawRiver2_thumb.jpg (http://www.elementsvillage.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=484&c=member&imageuser=14437)

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1boPaXYUq8PCJMbEgSBbIspV934NgK_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1boPaXYUq8PCJMbEgSBbIspV934NgK)

[lexcell]

Elke,
There has been some excellent advice posted here. You mention that you want more reach from your camera. As Chuck suggested, there are some great digital cameras that are in between P&S and D-SLR with pretty good zoom lenses on them. If you just want more reach, that would be the way to go.

You say that you are just a beginner and that's great, welcome to digital photography, it's great fun. A D-SLR camera can actually be just as easy to use as a P&S but, they are bulkier. The upside is, if you want the ability to add lenses as you grow and want to learn more about digital photography, you might want to jump into a digital Rebel. It will allow you to grow as your skills grow.

I would stop by a camera store and handle both the D-SLR and the "in between" digital cameras to see which one feels better and whether you are willing to carry the extra weight and bulk of a D-SLR to gain the benefits (if indeed they are benefits for you)

[Kevan_G9]

back in the days of 35mm film, I dragged around a big bag full of lens 'n' stuff. This fall I caught the shutterbug again, but wanted to steer clear of a weight training set. So after reading a couple reviews I knew this camera was the answer I was looking for.

My bigger passion (aside from my dear wife and kids) are my dear bicycles and I wanted a camera that could tag along without getting into a whole lot of trouble. I'm almost embarassed to say, I found a camera-like bag at Rite Aid, a pharmacy of all places, that offers a long adjustable strap and a double set of plastic squeeze clips so the bag can be carried either over the shoulder or as a fanny pack. Now...now...before you start snickering and tell fanny jokes, let me tell you.. that they work perfect for cycling. Okay, so it might be nerdy, but then most of cycling is nerdy too. So what's the dif?

Where was I? Oh, the G9...I take it with me everywhere. It goes to work with me daily. Helps me with my weekend chores, and that sorta stuff. It gets used, a lot, as a camera.

And if you want to extend it's capabilities, you can. There is an adapter that will allow for wide angle or telephoto additions, as well as filters.

Loaded with a 4 gig memory stick, I can take tons of jpeg and RAW photos ta boot.

And that is all I have to say about that!

[ufauxreal]

I also had a camera bag full of heavy lenses in my film days and often just left it home. About 6 months ago I purchased the Canon Powershot S5IS, and I am blown away by what it can do. It has a 12X optical zoom that reaches out to an equivalent 432mm. I also have an adapter with the Sony teleconverter. I just got that lens and haven't had a chance to play with it yet, but it has an equivalent of a 700+ mm lens. This camera also has an incredible Macro capability.

The one downside to this camera is that shooting above 200 ISO produces extremely noisy images... and actually 100 ISO is better. So, there's a problem in low light situations. I really love the articulating LCD screen... If I want to take a macro shot low on the ground I don't have to take this old bod down there... just turn the screen to face me.

I'm going to find an image taken with this camera.

Joan

[ufauxreal]

I also had a camera bag full of heavy lenses in my film days and often just left it home. About 6 months ago I purchased the Canon Powershot S5IS, and I am blown away by what it can do. It has a 12X optical zoom that reaches out to an equivalent 432mm. I also have an adapter with the Sony teleconverter. I just got that lens and haven't had a chance to play with it yet, but it has an equivalent of a 700+ mm lens. This camera also has an incredible Macro capability.

The one downside to this camera is that shooting above 200 ISO produces extremely noisy images... and actually 100 ISO is better. So, there's a problem in low light situations. I really love the articulating LCD screen... If I want to take a macro shot low on the ground I don't have to take this old bod down there... just turn the screen to face me.

Here is an image taken with this camera.

Joan
http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1cddoi83whKl3WnZfF1cXs9jMwa0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1cddoi83whKl3WnZfF1cXs9jMwa0)

[Not4wood]

Wow, great shots everybody.

[lexcell]

The S5IS is an excellent camera with a broad zoom range and yet it's still small and light weight. As for noise at higher ISOs...that is a problem with point and shoot cameras across the board. The smaller sensors just can't keep the noise back with long exposures or faster ISOs. It's just one of the trade offs.

[elke]

Thank you all so much for your replies and advice. I must admit that I have a tendency to get easily overwhelmed, and going from a PC with pre installed photo editing software that I was a pro at, then switching to a MAC with photoshop, I feel like I'm back at square one.

Thank you all again and I look forward to future advice!!!

elke

[FOTOFAN]

The Canson S5 IS is a great camera, two of my friends have one. I have the Canon G9 as my second camera (to my Canon 40D) and really like it. Smaller than the S5, has equivilent of 210 mm lens, does RAW files, will fit in a (big) pocket. Pretty handy.