Sony or Canon for Digital Camera??? Which one would you choose??

[bmg]

Anybody like Olympus? I've been thinking about the C4000 or C5050.

 

[Maki]

DPreview.com is your friend.

Olympus, Sony, Minolta and Canon all make nice cameras. Hard to go wrong with any of them.

 

[Ender510]

Originally posted by: Maki
DPreview.com is your friend.

Olympus, Sony, Minolta and Canon all make nice cameras. Hard to go wrong with any of them.

.. that doesn't leave much to GO wrong with THEN.. heh

 

[Maki]

Originally posted by: Ender510

Originally posted by: Maki
DPreview.com is your friend.

Olympus, Sony, Minolta and Canon all make nice cameras. Hard to go wrong with any of them.

.. that doesn't leave much to GO wrong with THEN.. heh

It really doesn't. All of those brands produce decent pictures. Some better than others. DPreview gives you the lowdown on their quality.

Between listing features and pouring over dpreview's reviews you can usually bin assorted cameras around the different price points.

When I bought my Minolta F100 I had it ranked #1 at $400, the Canon S40 #1 at $500 and the Canon G2 #1 at $600. If I was looking for something more compact I would change the rankings. If I cared about memory type I might have changed the rankings. Etc.

After that it was relative rankings for the #1's in the groups to see if individual features were worth the extra money to me or not.

I actually spent more time shopping for a digital camera than I did for my car. (@$!@ing saturn.)

 

[optimistic]

For you

I heard this guy has really fast start-up time! Like 3 seconds?

 

[Wuzup101]

I have a Fugi 4900 right now and I will be getting a Cannon S230 for xmas as my secondary camera. I just don't wan't to have to carry around the 4900 (which isn't even huge). I miss picture opps because I don't bring my camera b/c of it's size. So that S230 will go everywhere with me. 3.2mp makes for a decent picture. And the 4900 has all the manual opps when I need them.

That being said the only experience with sony's that I have are the Mavica CD300's... my teacher has one and the ability to write to a cdrw is nice. The upper model the CD400 has 4mp w/ a CZ lens. Nice cameras...but it depends on what you like.

The new cannon G3's look nice too... depends on your price range... I really don't think you'll go wrong with any of the major brands.

 

[Dim]

Think about how fast the camera is ready to shoot. I have the Sony DSC-F707. It won't fit in your pocket. Quality of pics is great. But what sold me is how fast I could shoot a picture after turning it on. I can use it almost like my old 35 mm. Can't think of how many shots I missed with my previous digital camera.

 

[snidy]

Canon

 

[ElFenix]

canon

 

[Ender510]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
canon

which canon do u have?

 

[nanyangview]

My take,
I just got the Sony P9 and it is awesome. The pics are great and it is very stylish + good battery life. Sony rules in this area. At first, i do not know my camera and most of my pic are sh*t, so i thought it was the cam's fault. After reading some photography tips and books, now most of my pics turns out great.
Whatever the case is, do not expect a camera to deliver perfect pic the first time on ur hand, u need to know ur cam first. Another thing, sony has the BEST nightshot capabilities, using the nightshot functions, there are virtually NO NOISE at all, this is another plus.

My vote goes to sony for style, battery and pic quality.

 

[Viper96720]

Who makes a digital camera with the fastest shutter speed and able to change lenses. Looking for something to take long range action shots. Like at sporting events. I got a s110 good for family type picture stuff but too slow for action.

 

[Maki]

Check Ebay for a canon d30. It is an EOS style digital from Canon.

They've much better ones now but it still does very nice work. On ebay you should be able to find it for a grand. (No lens.)

Otherwise the canon G3 or olympus 4040 might have fast enough lenses for you.

EDIT: That was in response to Viper96720.

 

[Ender510]

Originally posted by: nanyangview
My take,
I just got the Sony P9 and it is awesome. The pics are great and it is very stylish + good battery life. Sony rules in this area. At first, i do not know my camera and most of my pic are sh*t, so i thought it was the cam's fault. After reading some photography tips and books, now most of my pics turns out great.
Whatever the case is, do not expect a camera to deliver perfect pic the first time on ur hand, u need to know ur cam first. Another thing, sony has the BEST nightshot capabilities, using the nightshot functions, there are virtually NO NOISE at all, this is another plus.

My vote goes to sony for style, battery and pic quality.

Thats an excellent point.. nite shots vs compact size.. and it's not like the SONY is all THAT much bigger than the Canon.. so the sony is still portable enough. Jeez, I can't make up my mind.. i get swayed back and forth between the two!!

I am now looking at specifically the sony p9 vs canon s230. I realize they are not in the same class and 4 mp vs 3, etc. but those are the two I am thinking about getting.. as long as its 3, anything more is gravy is how i see it.. hmm

 

[SCSIfreek]

Originally posted by: Ender510

Originally posted by: nanyangview
My take,
I just got the Sony P9 and it is awesome. The pics are great and it is very stylish + good battery life. Sony rules in this area. At first, i do not know my camera and most of my pic are sh*t, so i thought it was the cam's fault. After reading some photography tips and books, now most of my pics turns out great.
Whatever the case is, do not expect a camera to deliver perfect pic the first time on ur hand, u need to know ur cam first. Another thing, sony has the BEST nightshot capabilities, using the nightshot functions, there are virtually NO NOISE at all, this is another plus.

My vote goes to sony for style, battery and pic quality.

Thats an excellent point.. nite shots vs compact size.. and it's not like the SONY is all THAT much bigger than the Canon.. so the sony is still portable enough. Jeez, I can't make up my mind.. i get swayed back and forth between the two!!

I am now looking at specifically the sony p9 vs canon s230. I realize they are not in the same class and 4 mp vs 3, etc. but those are the two I am thinking about getting.. as long as its 3, anything more is gravy is how i see it.. hmm

I have a Sony F505V(Carl Zesis Lens) but decided not to get the P9 eventhough I have 4 sticks of memory sticks . biggest reason for not purchasing the SONY. Memory sticks(expensive and slow). As you might have heard, new standards are coming out shortly called memory sticks Pro/ Ultra(not sure?) which will support higher memory size and faster read/write. Current Digital still cameras won't be compatable with it :| Godammit!!!!

--Scsi

 

[Ender510]

Originally posted by: SCSIfreek


I have a Sony F505V(Carl Zesis Lens) but decided not to get the P9 eventhough I have 4 sticks of memory sticks . biggest reason for not purchasing the SONY. Memory sticks(expensive and slow). As you might have heard, new standards are coming out shortly called memory sticks Pro/ Ultra(not sure?) which will support higher memory size and faster read/write. Current Digital still cameras won't be compatable with it :| Godammit!!!!

--Scsi

Couple things

Actually, I hadn't heard that.. when are these coming out?

 

[subhuman]

Canon S230.


I have the Canon S330, and bought my mom the Canon S200 for xmas this year, and really like them both (gotta clean the finger prints off the S200 now hehe).

If the S230 was out, I would have probably got that instead of my S330, but I do like the 3x optical zoom/2mp combo better than 2x optical/3mp (S230) probably. Although the longer movie times on the S230 would be nice..

You know the S200, liked it, know how to use it... go S230...

(edit: changed s100 to s200 since i messed up and just copied your s100 from the first post heh. the s200 is what i actually got her)

 

[Ender510]

Originally posted by: subhuman
Canon S230.


I have the Canon S330, and bought my mom the Canon S100 for xmas this year, and really like them both (gotta clean the finger prints off the S100 now hehe).

If the S230 was out, I would have probably got that instead of my S330, but I do like the 3x optical zoom/2mp combo better than 2x optical/3mp (S230) probably. Although the longer movie times on the S230 would be nice..

You know the S100, liked it, know how to use it... go S230...

LOL - if only the decision was that simple. The 2x optical is a good point though.. for that reason and the nite time ability I am leaning towards SONY. Canon supposedly has better pic quality.. I can't tell the difference when looking at dpreview.

Also, so now I am looking at smalelr (canon) or more/better features, SOny -> ZOom, better nite, extra mp, etc..

 

[aka1nas]

Well this is a tough decision. Those are all nice cameras. The big points between them are:

Memory:
128MB max Memory stick for the Sony vs 1 GB max for the Canon Elphs(plus same size CF cards will be cheaper)

Lithium Ion Batteries for both, the P7 and P9 use smaller C-series infolithium batteries, and the charge on them is much less than the camcorder infolithium batteries and more or less equivalent to the Canon S-200 and S-230. The Canon S30 and S40 use the same Battery as the Elura DV Camcorders and last a little bit longer. Also, Sony batteries will be a little more expensive.

Zoom: The P7 and P9 have a 3x optical zoom lens, the S-200 and S-230 have a 2x optical only.

Movie mode: P7 and P9 will do unlimited movie mode/w audio. Also, the Sony cameras will do an HQX Mpeg mode which boasts 16fps, whereas most digicams only capture at 8fps. To the best of my knowledge, both of the current Elphs do not have audio capability(at least from what I can see).

Picture quality: Comparable on a megapixel per megapixel basis. Sony cameras tend to produce brighter photos due to certain biasis in the cameras processing routine. I believe the actual number is somewhere around 120% saturation. In other words, they look really bright and vivid, but you can do the same thing in photoshop with a few clicks. All of these cameras have decent focus ability

Misc: looking at the spec sheets at dpreview.com, the Elphs have a 1/1500sec max shutter, while the P7 and P9 only have a 1/1000sec max shutter. The Elphs should be better for action photos, or when you are trying to take pictures of your kids(they never stop moving).

The S230 also has a 2 shot continuous drive mode. as well as a very slightly wider lens.

Like I said earlier, these are all very nice cameras. I would probably go with the S-230, mainly because it will work out cheaper with accessories and the memory card is more re-usable with other devices. The cameras themselves are both good enough that you won't notice much of a difference.

 

[subhuman]

The canon PowerShots DO capture sound with the video mode.

I also think the PowerShots take good low-light or night shots, but you have to have steady hands and use the manual mode to adjust the shutter time.

Here's a scaled down (1/2 size, 70% jpg compression) version of one of the first night photos i took with my canon of San Francisco. I wouldn't call it a weak point of the Canon Powershots at all, at least on the S330 and probably s230. (i also took this through the window of the 4th floor apt... you might be able to see some glare on the window?)

the weakest point of my s330 is probably actually macromode, i need to be about 10 inches or so away from something for it to focus. some of the sonys let you literally sit directly on top of what you're snapping - great for 'porn style' shots of circuit boards

edit: the picture may look a little dark on trinitron style monitors.. it looks very detailed, it just may need some minor contrast adjustment to look good on your equipment (i did a lot of it on the LCD at work, now double checking on my Trinitron at home, looks a little dark)

 

[Ender510]

Originally posted by: subhuman
The canon PowerShots DO capture sound with the video mode.

I also think the PowerShots take good low-light or night shots, but you have to have steady hands and use the manual mode to adjust the shutter time.

Here's a scaled down (1/2 size, 70% jpg compression) version of one of the first night photos i took with my canon of San Francisco. I wouldn't call it a weak point of the Canon Powershots at all, at least on the S330 and probably s230. (i also took this through the window of the 4th floor apt... you might be able to see some glare on the window?)

the weakest point of my s330 is probably actually macromode, i need to be about 10 inches or so away from something for it to focus. some of the sonys let you literally sit directly on top of what you're snapping - great for 'porn style' shots of circuit boards

How do you put in into this 'manual mode' ? Does that mean I need to be concerned with putting it in this mode before taking any night shots?? I never did that w/ my s100 and perhaps would be the reason why my night shots never looked very good..

-- actually I took a look at your pics.. when my friend took some pics while we were in vegas w/ his sony p9 - that came out REALLY clean.. very good quality, much better than this. but it's hard to compare of course because vegas has more lights.. =) too bad I couldn't get both cam's and just test them side by side with the same pic, same tripod, etc. so i can compare..

 

[Ender510]

Originally posted by: aka1nas
Well this is a tough decision. Those are all nice cameras. The big points between them are:

Memory:
128MB max Memory stick for the Sony vs 1 GB max for the Canon Elphs(plus same size CF cards will be cheaper)

Lithium Ion Batteries for both, the P7 and P9 use smaller C-series infolithium batteries, and the charge on them is much less than the camcorder infolithium batteries and more or less equivalent to the Canon S-200 and S-230. The Canon S30 and S40 use the same Battery as the Elura DV Camcorders and last a little bit longer. Also, Sony batteries will be a little more expensive.

Zoom: The P7 and P9 have a 3x optical zoom lens, the S-200 and S-230 have a 2x optical only.

Movie mode: P7 and P9 will do unlimited movie mode/w audio. Also, the Sony cameras will do an HQX Mpeg mode which boasts 16fps, whereas most digicams only capture at 8fps. To the best of my knowledge, both of the current Elphs do not have audio capability(at least from what I can see).

Picture quality: Comparable on a megapixel per megapixel basis. Sony cameras tend to produce brighter photos due to certain biasis in the cameras processing routine. I believe the actual number is somewhere around 120% saturation. In other words, they look really bright and vivid, but you can do the same thing in photoshop with a few clicks. All of these cameras have decent focus ability

Misc: looking at the spec sheets at dpreview.com, the Elphs have a 1/1500sec max shutter, while the P7 and P9 only have a 1/1000sec max shutter. The Elphs should be better for action photos, or when you are trying to take pictures of your kids(they never stop moving).

The S230 also has a 2 shot continuous drive mode. as well as a very slightly wider lens.

Like I said earlier, these are all very nice cameras. I would probably go with the S-230, mainly because it will work out cheaper with accessories and the memory card is more re-usable with other devices. The cameras themselves are both good enough that you won't notice much of a difference.

Thank you for the excellent summary of the points!! I can go either way.. so it looks like price will be a deciding factor at this point.. i also didnt' realize that 128 MB was the max for the sony.. how bout the s230, does it accept type 2 as well? So ic an use the microdrive? I recall my s100 didn't have that capability.. hopefully there will be another deal at Dell (w/ coupons, rebates, etc) or some other op to get in on a decent price.. altho my gf did have a good point, don't buy something and later think i should've gotten the other ones because the quality was better (ie get the canon, then wish i had better night shot ability)

 

[deadseasquirrel]

i love my sony p9. well, actually, it's the wife's but she lets me play with it every once in a while. we had never used a digital cam before, so i didnt have anything to compare it to, so i just sampled them all at best buy. the reasons we chose the sony are: small size, good battery life, pic quality at 4mp (coupled with a good printer makes amazing photos), movie mode with sound, 3x zoom, and ease of use.

don't be scared by the higher-prices mem sticks. shop around and find good deals. amazon had one where the final price after rebate and coupon for a 128mb stick was 27. not bad at all if ya ask me. here it is.

deadseasquirrel

 

[Aquaman]

Canon

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[subhuman]

Yes, the S330 has a fully "auto" mode that uses the flash as it needs it, etc (camera icon).
Then there is the camera icon with the "M" next to it where you can adjust shutter speed, white balance, and set a filter (sepia, b&w, ultrasharp, etc).

I suspect the S230 has all this and more.

I have a 256meg viking card in my s330, and it is challenging to fill. I can just about fill it with one battery if I'm light on the LCD use and am outside (no flash) (i take all pictures at maximum quality, about ~1meg each). Movie mode with sound, smaller than the sony (just a little), and a weighty, stainless steel case that makes this camera feel very SOLID.

btw the s200 (which is actually what i bought my mom for xmas) has a coupon code on the Amazon page that gives you a nice savings on a flash card.. i think the 128 i added (viking brand, no less) came to about $10(!!!) after the coupon code & the mailin rebate (viking 128meg)

I'm sure you'd be happy with the PowerShot, but probably also the sony...