Choose me a Camera

Burned_Alive · 16 Jul 2006 at 22:09

My last camera was a Canon A60, which i was pretty happy with, it took good quality images, but is now old and has started breaking down with lines across the screen which show up on the images.

Im going travelling to Australia/New Zealand and a few other places in september for around 3 months and so will need a new camera to capture it all, so im currently investigating.....

Im willing to pay up to around £300 or thereabouts and have been considering the Canon S3 IS and the S80 so far. I dont really know much about photography but like to think ive got a good eye for pictures and would like a camera that will help me get the best out of my snaps!

Ideally id also like a camera that shoots RAW and can do exposure bracketing so i can mess around with HDR shots, but not essential.

So, just looking for recommendations really, also i wondered if maybe im overbudgeting, or is it best to spend what i can afford within reason?

Thanks in advance

Burned_Alive · 18 Jul 2006 at 22:44

Nobody?

whitecrook · 18 Jul 2006 at 23:20

I'm in a similar situation as my A60 is pretty much packed up.

Well I would recommend the S70 over the S80 purely because the S70 has RAW while the S80 doesn't, unless you have some reason why you picked the S80 over the S70.

Also, the price variation between these cameras is quite a lot so it seems you can pick just about any camera out there, any more than that and you are into basic SLR territory.

I myself am sticking with film until I can save up for a DLSr, however I was thinking about purchasing the smallest, approx £100 camera since I got my A60 afew years ago and I'm sure the quality is better now.

Burned_Alive · 19 Jul 2006 at 15:05

Thanks for your thoughts.

I had considered the S70 but thought it was no longer for sale because of the release of the S80. Seems it can be had for about £200 though, which is good. Only thing that bothers me with the S70/80 is the fact they dont take AA batteries, so im not sure how much of a problem this might be.

Lord Kordir · 19 Jul 2006 at 15:28

I was seriously considering the S70 but two things put me off. It uses CF cards and the proprietary battery doesn't last long according to user reviews.

I went for the Canon Powershot A620 instead (I realise the two aren't exactly comparable) but it came to £158 inc delivery

King4aDay · 19 Jul 2006 at 16:53

For your budget I would look very seriously at the Sony H1, H2 or H5, depending on what sort fo price you can find each fo them. They are all excellent cameras, although they don't shoot in RAW.

Check out www.dpreview.com for reviews and user opinions on the forum.

The Panasonic Fz7 is another worthy contender.

whitecrook · 19 Jul 2006 at 19:01

How is CF cards a minus point? In my eyes it is a plus point, since a. I already have some from my A60, and b. Most DSLRs use CF anyway don't they? (except the D50)

Burned_Alive · 19 Jul 2006 at 22:55

I think im starting to struggle really, i dont like the Sonys because of their use of memory sticks, which are a pain and alos i dont think i want anything which uses proprietary batteries, ill be travelling so recharging may be difficult.

Although, not sure if im just swaying myself towards the S3 IS.