Canon Digital Camera

[insomniac321123]

Im getting ready to buy a digital camera. I have found this one:http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7323229&type=product&id=1118844389765. Does anyone have any experience with this camera? Would you recomend it? Does anyone know of another similar camera?

Any advice woudl be apreciated.

Thanks

 

[katie ta achoo]

dpreview and Steve's Digicams are the first places I look for reviews.


While I have no personal experience with that particular camera, I know that canon makes incredibly good cameras.

 

[devilot]

I think the SD450 is a nice solid point and shoot for beginners. I don't have it-- I have the much much older version of it (ELPHshot s400) and my boyfriend and sister both have the SD400 on my recommendation (very similar to the SD450). :shrug: A number of features none of us would even touch so there is some form of manual control... and some simpler pre-programmed modes for shooting.

Be warned, however, Canons don't usually have a battery meter per se, it just flashes a battery icon and you have a second and then *poof* the battery is dead.

 

[insomniac321123]

suggestion

do you have a suggestion for a diffrent camera?

 

[devilot]

do you have a suggestion for a diffrent camera?

It really depends on what your needs and wants are...

 

[mkrishnan]

I think, if you want a meaningful recommendation, you have to say *what you want* out of it. What is important to you? Size, zoom power, optical quality, battery life, megapixels? Don't get me wrong...you'll get a bunch of people that will come and tell you Camera X is perfect. But it really honestly depends on what you want....

 

[insomniac321123]

correction

Sorry, I'm new to macrumors(and forums in general),

I would like a camera that has:
at least 5 megapixels
a decent amount of optical zoom(like the 3x on the canon)
small enough to fit in my pocket
though enough to go in my pocket
easy to use\learn controls


thats really about it

 

[devilot]

^^ Your needs sound sort of like mine. A bit on the simpler side of most of the frequent members who post here in the digital photgraphy forum.

If that's the case, I'd still suggest you go into a store and fiddle w/ the camera a bit yourself to get a feel for it. But I'd recommend the Canon SD450. I have my own eyes set on it... Mine feels like a dinosaur compared to these newer ones.

 

[interlaced]

both my dad and my exgf have this camera and they love it. i've used it a few times and it's very good. i've only ever used canon cameras. i used my exgf's at an alanis morissette show at the avalon. i was standing very far away but managed to get some decent shots of her upclose. i also took video which turned out a bit grainy but it was mainly because i zoomed up so close. i think it has 3x zoom but another 4x digital zoom so like, 12x total.

an updated canon line has just come out. i think the sd450 was upgraded to the sd600? i think it might be a megapixel higher. i dont ever use a higher resolution that like, 1600x1200 so the higher megapixel cameras don't really make a difference to me. but i'm not sure what that translates to. my sd550 is a 7.1 megapixel but i got it for really cheap off a forum.

like someone else said, it really depends on what you'd be using it for. i like the sd450 because it's small and i quite like the rectangular shape. mine has a weird curved edge that makes it look really ugly. i tried a canon exilim s-600 but i didn't like it much. the canon controls are very easy and you can go from reg. to macro focus with the push of a button (another reason i love them).

 

[devilot]

Well, and the SD500 and SD600 have larger LCDs (I know the SD600 does, not sure about the SD500) which can translate into less battery time. I personally try not to use the LCD if I can help it and I dislike large ones anyway.

 

[katie ta achoo]

Sorry, I'm new to macrumors(and forums in general),

I would like a camera that has:
at least 5 megapixels
a decent amount of optical zoom(like the 3x on the canon)
small enough to fit in my pocket
though enough to go in my pocket
easy to use\learn controls


thats really about it

you can plug in all your variables and compare all the cameras that come up with the parameters, just to get a wider scope of what's out there.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

The SD450 has been an awesome seller. Customers of mine really love this camera. The new SD700 with IS and higher ISO ratings is promising to be a great addition.

Two other cameras that my customers have loved, are the Pentax Optio WPi and the new Olympus 720SW. They are both waterproof cameras. The WPi can go to 5 feet, and the Olympus to 10 feet. The Olympus is also shock resistant from a drop height of 5 feet. For those that live active lifestyles, these two cameras are worthy looking at.

 

[Abstract]

Quite honestly, this camera is great, but in terms of photo quality, it's really just on par with many other ultraslim cameras from other companies. I think the most important thing about these cameras is the ease of changing settings, and this Canon is pretty good for that.

But like Devilot said, the battery meter sucks ass on these Canons.

@Devilot: The S400/S500, and the entire SD line are very similar, which includes the price. The difference is that the S like is a bit thicker and larger in size, and it has a larger CCD sensor. The SD line has a smaller CCD (which should technically make it inferior at the same number of megapixels, especially for night shots), but it is also physically thinner and lighter.

I bought the SD300/IXUS 40 (4 MP) rather than the S500 (5 MP) even though they were the same price because I already had a perfectly good camera, and only wanted a replacement because my camera at the time was simply too large to be useful in social situations. The S500 was thinner than my camera, but not smaller by enough to warrant buying a new camera.

 

[ibilly]

Definatley let us know what you're looking for in a camera. Also I've had very good experiences with the Higher-end Canon Digital Cameras (including Powershot, G series, And Powershot S series)

 

[discoforce]

but aren't there compatibility issues?

I'm looking for camera with similar specs, and I was particularly interested in the SDs (450 looks nice) and A610, A620, but I read that Canon cameras have a difficult time with iPhoto.

Checking further, Canon is "conducting compatibility tests" with Tiger, and says they are NOT compatible.

Apple says that many Canon cameras are supported, but not, of course the SD450 or A610/620. Does anyone know what differences there are b/w supported Canons and non supported ones? Do some work with iPhoto and others don't?

And if they're not compatible/supported, why the heck are they selling them?

Okay, that's enough camera research tonight; my brain is full.

 

[Rower_CPU]

I've got the SD450 and it has no problems at all with iPhoto 6 and Tiger. It's a good everyday/hiking/biking camera. Get a spare battery and you'll be covered when the battery dies without (much) warning.

 

[discoforce]

I've got the SD450 and it has no problems at all with iPhoto 6 and Tiger. It's a good everyday/hiking/biking camera. Get a spare battery and you'll be covered when the battery dies without (much) warning.

That's really good to know (and "Organically Digital" is a great title, BTW).

So any idea why it's not listed as supported?

 

[devilot]

So any idea why it's not listed as supported?

Because much of this 'world' is Mac-ignorant? That's my guess. I mean... some mouse boxes still claim that a Mac isn't compatible.

 

[jelloshotsrule]

those little canons are really good cameras for what they are of course.

another alternative is the nikons in the same price/quality range. they tend to have better macro type stuff, but since that didn't come up as a need, i'd say either would work well for you

enjoy!

 

[devilot]

Sorry for mini-threadjack

another alternative is the nikons in the same price/quality range. they tend to have better macro type stuff...

Ooh. That interests me a little... do you happen to know any specific models off the top of your head?

 

[Artful Dodger]

I'm looking for camera with similar specs, and I was particularly interested in the SDs (450 looks nice) and A610, A620, but I read that Canon cameras have a difficult time with iPhoto.

Checking further, Canon is "conducting compatibility tests" with Tiger, and says they are NOT compatible.

Apple says that many Canon cameras are supported, but not, of course the SD450 or A610/620. Does anyone know what differences there are b/w supported Canons and non supported ones? Do some work with iPhoto and others don't?

And if they're not compatible/supported, why the heck are they selling them?

Okay, that's enough camera research tonight; my brain is full.

FWIW, I had the Canon A620 for a fews days and it was very compatible with my iBook and my new Intel iMac. iPhoto and Image Capture worked fine with it as did iMovie from the few movie clips I did. Hope that part helps you out but If you can afford the A620 you might want to look at the A700 as it has a few extra features (higher ISO settings for one) for close to if not the same price.
Good luck and enjoy the one you choose

 

[jelloshotsrule]

Ooh. That interests me a little... do you happen to know any specific models off the top of your head?

thread crapping is NOT COOL!

i'd say any of the nikon coolpix would be suitable. and you can get somewhere between 3 and 8 mp in that line. the one i've specifically used was my brother's, and i think was an older model of the coolpix p2. at least, it looks the most like that one. hah. check it out here

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Nikon/nikon_cpp2.asp

in general just check out the nikon part of dpreview and see what matches up to what you want. i actually have a canon (original d. rebel) but did notice that the macro on the p&s nikons was particularly sweet for the level of camera.

 

[supremedesigner]

I'm looking for camera with similar specs, and I was particularly interested in the SDs (450 looks nice) and A610, A620, but I read that Canon cameras have a difficult time with iPhoto.

Checking further, Canon is "conducting compatibility tests" with Tiger, and says they are NOT compatible.

Apple says that many Canon cameras are supported, but not, of course the SD450 or A610/620. Does anyone know what differences there are b/w supported Canons and non supported ones? Do some work with iPhoto and others don't?

And if they're not compatible/supported, why the heck are they selling them?

Okay, that's enough camera research tonight; my brain is full.

I have SD450 and am loving it! I have no problem with iPhoto and Tiger. I have 1 GB of memory card and I took like 250+ shots for 1 battery. Great battery!

 

[cgratti]

do you have a suggestion for a diffrent camera?

for about $200 more you could buy the Canon Digital Rebel (300D). This camera you can always buy more lenses for it if you get deeper into photography, or you can just use the kit lens if it's all you ever need.

6.3MP and great for beginners.

This is an old review, so the prices are alot less now than when this was posted.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos300d/

 

[law guy]

Sorry, I'm new to macrumors(and forums in general),

I would like a camera that has:
at least 5 megapixels
a decent amount of optical zoom(like the 3x on the canon)
small enough to fit in my pocket
though enough to go in my pocket
easy to use\learn controls


thats really about it

Elphs are great. I got a lot of use out of an S400. I'll buy a new one soon - most likely the SD600 or 700. I would go with the SD600 for $35O (outpost.com price) b/c the screen is higher resolution and having tried a 2.5" on an S80 with the lower resolution (same screen as on the 450), I think the higher resolution will certainly be worth going with the new SD600.

These are great cameras in general - I've gotten thousands of shots from mine that are so clear and vivid. Be wary of folks up-selling modes and features, calling things beginner cameras, etc. Some of these are the hobbists and they forget that most folks want a camera to use just by pulling it out, pushing a button and getting a great photo rather than buying into a new hobby.

You'll also love the great digicam performance on the elphs - I have tons of great home movies from mine. It's a camera that you'll take a lot of photos (and movies!) with because it's so easy to take with you.