choosing long-zoom camera (P&S)

[Ika]

So we really need to get a digital camera; I, being the camera-savvy member of the family, decided that we needed a long-zoom point & shoot (DSLR's too expensive because of lenses; I can't afford to spend too much time on photography; our video camera doesn't really work so a substitute would be great; my parents are tech-noobs). So so far, I've narrowed my camera search down to three cameras : Canon Powershot S3 IS, Panasonic FZ7, and the Panasonic FZ30. Now, all three have their own benefits and drawbacks - FZ7 is cheap, but has the worst image quality of the three, FZ30 is 8MP and has better IQ than the FZ7, but is the most expensive and the heaviest of the three, and the S3 IS has the best IQ, best reviews, but takes only AA batteries (if i'm wrong on this PLEASE correct me, i'm so close to pulling the trigger!). The S3 IS was my first choice, but the AA battery thing really kills it. Anyone have any feedback? and how long will rechargeable batteries (NiMH, rated 1850 mAh) last on the S3 IS?

 

[TuxDave]

What's so bad about having AA batteries? I always thought that was always a plus when dealing with non-compact cameras.

 

[Ika]

Originally posted by: TuxDave
What's so bad about having AA batteries? I always thought that was always a plus when dealing with non-compact cameras.

AA batteries are expensive; not to mention they make the camera heavier (at least, when there are 4 of them...). Canon states that the S3 takes about 130 pictures with alkaline batts. That money adds up quite quickly...

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: guoziming

Originally posted by: TuxDave
What's so bad about having AA batteries? I always thought that was always a plus when dealing with non-compact cameras.

AA batteries are expensive; not to mention they make the camera heavier (at least, when there are 4 of them...). Canon states that the S3 takes about 130 pictures with alkaline batts. That money adds up quite quickly...

Uhh, ever hear of rechargeables?

 

[FleshLight]

Originally posted by: guoziming

Originally posted by: TuxDave
What's so bad about having AA batteries? I always thought that was always a plus when dealing with non-compact cameras.

AA batteries are expensive; not to mention they make the camera heavier (at least, when there are 4 of them...). Canon states that the S3 takes about 130 pictures with alkaline batts. That money adds up quite quickly...

They have these new things called NiMH.

 

[Ika]

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: guoziming

Originally posted by: TuxDave
What's so bad about having AA batteries? I always thought that was always a plus when dealing with non-compact cameras.

AA batteries are expensive; not to mention they make the camera heavier (at least, when there are 4 of them...). Canon states that the S3 takes about 130 pictures with alkaline batts. That money adds up quite quickly...

Uhh, ever hear of rechargeables?

yeah, but rechargeables supposedly don't last as long as alkalines, and lose their charge so quickly that it might be a hassle to keep track of which ones are charged and whatnot. well...

 

[bonkers325]

get high mAh NiMH batteries, they will last you a decent amount of time per charge

i have a Canon S1 IS and that runs on 4 AA's and it works fine

 

[Ika]

Originally posted by: bonkers325
get high mAh NiMH batteries, they will last you a decent amount of time per charge

i have a Canon S1 IS and that runs on 4 AA's and it works fine

how high is "decent"? The ones I have right now are 1850 mAh. about how many shots would that be able to take?

 

[SynthDude2001]

Originally posted by: guoziming

Originally posted by: bonkers325
get high mAh NiMH batteries, they will last you a decent amount of time per charge

i have a Canon S1 IS and that runs on 4 AA's and it works fine

how high is "decent"? The ones I have right now are 1850 mAh. about how many shots would that be able to take?

I have several sets between 1850 and 2300 mAh, and generally I can get as many as 300-500 shots on a single set of batteries. Alkalines have so much less battery life in the camera, they're not worth using unless you're in a pinch and your rechargeables are dead (in which case it's nice to have the option). I have an S1 IS myself.

 

[imported_smilingcrow]

I have a Canon S1 IS and have been looking at replacing it with a higher resolution camera. I use 2000/2300 NiMh AAs and have taken over 400 shots in a day and very rarely need to change the batteries on location. I think AAs are a bonus because the batteries and chargers are cheap and can be used for other things. I have a 1 hour charger which is also a help. In an emergency you can always buy some non-rechargeable AA batteries which you obviously can?t do with proprietary batteries.

The Panasonic FZ30 is the one I?ll probably go for because it?s 8 Mp & supports RAW, otherwise I?d go with the Canon.

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: guoziming

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: guoziming

Originally posted by: TuxDave
What's so bad about having AA batteries? I always thought that was always a plus when dealing with non-compact cameras.

AA batteries are expensive; not to mention they make the camera heavier (at least, when there are 4 of them...). Canon states that the S3 takes about 130 pictures with alkaline batts. That money adds up quite quickly...

Uhh, ever hear of rechargeables?

yeah, but rechargeables supposedly don't last as long as alkalines, and lose their charge so quickly that it might be a hassle to keep track of which ones are charged and whatnot. well...

I'm not sure where you heard that, but rechargeables hold FAR FAR more power than alkalines. However, it's true that they lose their charge much more quickly, thus are less suitable for low drain devices(like TV remote controls). But a set of 2500mAh AA batteries with a good charger(chargers are more important than the batteries), will give your S3 IS over 3 times the lifespan of a set of alkalines.
Look for maha or la crosse chargers.
I get over 1000 shots with my Pentax *ist DS DSLR with my batteries. But then again, DSLRs use far less power than a superzoom P&S.

 

[Ika]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

Originally posted by: guoziming

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: guoziming

Originally posted by: TuxDave
What's so bad about having AA batteries? I always thought that was always a plus when dealing with non-compact cameras.

AA batteries are expensive; not to mention they make the camera heavier (at least, when there are 4 of them...). Canon states that the S3 takes about 130 pictures with alkaline batts. That money adds up quite quickly...

Uhh, ever hear of rechargeables?

yeah, but rechargeables supposedly don't last as long as alkalines, and lose their charge so quickly that it might be a hassle to keep track of which ones are charged and whatnot. well...

I'm not sure where you heard that, but rechargeables hold FAR FAR more power than alkalines. However, it's true that they lose their charge much more quickly, thus are less suitable for low drain devices(like TV remote controls). But a set of 2500mAh AA batteries with a good charger(chargers are more important than the batteries), will give your S3 IS over 3 times the lifespan of a set of alkalines.
Look for maha or la crosse chargers.
I get over 1000 shots with my Pentax *ist DS DSLR with my batteries. But then again, DSLRs use far less power than a superzoom P&S.

well, I talk to my dad about batteries, who's SUPPOSED to be the expert... considering he works for ENERGIZER (chemical engineer). I guess he's wrong.

But I digress. Whatever happened to the actual CAMERA discussion?

 

[Ika]

How much better is the FZ30 compared to the FZ7, image quality-wise?

 

[Kelvrick]

Originally posted by: guoziming

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

Originally posted by: guoziming

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: guoziming

Originally posted by: TuxDave
What's so bad about having AA batteries? I always thought that was always a plus when dealing with non-compact cameras.

AA batteries are expensive; not to mention they make the camera heavier (at least, when there are 4 of them...). Canon states that the S3 takes about 130 pictures with alkaline batts. That money adds up quite quickly...

Uhh, ever hear of rechargeables?

yeah, but rechargeables supposedly don't last as long as alkalines, and lose their charge so quickly that it might be a hassle to keep track of which ones are charged and whatnot. well...

I'm not sure where you heard that, but rechargeables hold FAR FAR more power than alkalines. However, it's true that they lose their charge much more quickly, thus are less suitable for low drain devices(like TV remote controls). But a set of 2500mAh AA batteries with a good charger(chargers are more important than the batteries), will give your S3 IS over 3 times the lifespan of a set of alkalines.
Look for maha or la crosse chargers.
I get over 1000 shots with my Pentax *ist DS DSLR with my batteries. But then again, DSLRs use far less power than a superzoom P&S.

well, I talk to my dad about batteries, who's SUPPOSED to be the expert... considering he works for ENERGIZER (chemical engineer). I guess he's wrong.

But I digress. Whatever happened to the actual CAMERA discussion?

Rechargables lose their charge over time faster then alkalines, but have an overall higher charge initially, giving you longer runtime for high-drain devices like digicams and other small electronics.

You can get a set of 4 AA's and a charger from costco for 20 bucks.

Out of those, I like the fz30 more, specifically for its focus and zoom rings around the lens. But, its a totally different class then the other two in size and weight. Remember, if its big enough to keep you from carrying it around, its useless.

 

[Ika]

Originally posted by: Kelvrick

Out of those, I like the fz30 more, specifically for its focus and zoom rings around the lens. But, its a totally different class then the other two in size and weight. Remember, if its big enough to keep you from carrying it around, its useless.

is this coming from a dSLR user? manual controls is still a little daunting to me; I still don't know the ins and outs of photography yet.