Hi, Im just starting to like Digital Photography and been searching for a right camera for a beginner.

Im choosing between the following canon Powershot series...
Powershot S3 IS, Powershot 640, Powershot A710 IS

All have good reviews but which one is the best specially for a beginner that soon maybe turn to pro (hopefully :Grin:)

Or should I consider buying DSLR instead? But Im on a tight budget :BlackEye:

Mike,

S3 IS is kinda expensive maybe get a DLSR nalang na 350D.

I have a Powershot A610. 5 megapixel 2.0 " Flip screen. batteries Charger, case, memory. if your really on the budget we can discuss pricing.
Leonard

Depends on where you get it, the S3 is just 18K+ sa Henry's so it's not that expensive.

I like the S80 and A710/810 IS, but they're quite pricey for small P&S.

But if I'm looking for a pocket P&S right now, I'd take the FujiFilm F30 without any hesitation.... :D

David, Is powershot A810 IS available? maybe it will have new features..

Leonard, you can PM me your price but I'm really into the new models of Canon

My bad on the A810, Fuji pala yun hehe.

It really depends on your budget. For around 20K, those prosumer cams (S3, H2, FZ7, etc) are your best bets if you don't mind the size.

Almost all cams with full manual options will allow you to learn a lot in photography.

I'm not an anti-SLR person, I'd love to have one, but I honestly, honestly, think that unless you have the money to spare, a DSLR is not a necessity to learn photography, nor is it a requisite for great shots. Advanced technology and lenses will allow you to reach your image goals faster, sharper and easier, but the price tradeoff is too much for me personally as I don't have as much resources for this great hobby.

If you're already an intermediate to advanced film user before, go right ahead and get a DSLR, but if you're a newbie, chances are, you'll be using most of the camera's (whatever it may be) processing power for the first few months (if not years) anyway.

Another thing you might consider as well is portability. A big plus for P&S is portability, so if you buy a rather large P&S like the S3 etc, kinda defeats the purpose of having a portable cam when you do finally get a DSLR.

DSLR + Pocket Cam is a great combo hehe.

Basically, it really depends on your budget and future budget allocation for this hobby.

MODS: Maybe we can merge Mike's posts?

like david, i wouldn't mind having a dslr (who would, right?), but if it's not in the budget, there's really no need to force it. you can learn with a p&s. if it were me, i'd go for the s3. :)

great advice david. :) i myself have very little budget for my hobby. that's why i'm thinking of just getting an S3 IS instead of the 350D.

thanks for the comments, I too have a very little budget and as a beginner in photography, my first choice is really to buy p&s... just want to make sure that I will buy a camera that I will not regret :D

Anyway, S3 IS only have 6 Mega Pixels.. is this a big disadvantage to other powershot series who has 7.1 and 10 Megapixels?

thanks for the comments, I too have a very little budget and as a beginner in photography, my first choice is really to buy p&s... just want to make sure that I will buy a camera that I will not regret :D

Anyway, S3 IS only have 6 Mega Pixels.. is this a big disadvantage to other powershot series who has 7.1 and 10 Megapixels?

I wouldn't worry about megapixel count at this point. They're actually the least of your worries IMHO. 6 is good and the S3 IS is a nice fully featured point and shoot camera. But if you really want to learn (as in you're really in it for the long run), get a dslr. There's alot of 2nd hand cams out there. You'd be suprised that they're gonna come out cheaper than a brand new S3 IS.

I wouldn't worry about megapixel count at this point. They're actually the least of your worries IMHO. 6 is good and the S3 IS is a nice fully featured point and shoot camera. But if you really want to learn (as in you're really in it for the long run), get a dslr. There's alot of 2nd hand cams out there. You'd be suprised that they're gonna come out cheaper than a brand new S3 IS.
They said that if you have a DLSR camera, you have to invest in lens which is expensive. If budget permits I really want to buy dslr camera. 2nd hand dslr is good but i don't know how to get good 2nd hand since i dont have any experience and the big problem is I dont have cash :D

My thinking right now is to get a good p&s camera that will give me the knowledge in photography and if I love it and really want to pursue and be serious with photography then its the time to buy a dslr camera. Hope my thinking is the right choice :Thinking:

You may also want to consider an Oly sp-350. It has RAW.

Forget about megapixels dude unless you plan to print beyond 8R or so ALL THE TIME.

I use a 4megapix cam and have printed in 8R approximately 15x at the most the past 7 years hehe. 8R prints are made only when the grandparents force me to print my son's photos - Lamination often follows hehe.

95% of the time, the images stay in my PCs, the other 4.99% goes to print (3-5R).

Also, with smaller sensors, high megapixel count is actually not as advantageous since you'll be getting more noise.

Base your selection on budget (Heck, we can rename this thread to "Budget-Limited Choices" hehe), battery life, features, ergonomics.

I can't get over the Fuji, though... 1600 ISO with a P&S that rivals a larger sensor, entry-level DSLR's non-flash performance is extremely enticing for someone like me who hates indoor flash.

AA (penlight) batteries are a big factor if you plan to keep the cam for a while as proprietary Li-Ion batteries can cost a lot more.

I can only imagine how well a cam like the S3iS performs if paired with Energizer's Li-Ion AAs...

With P&S, the most common achilles heel would be focus speed, low-light focusing and battery life... So focus more on those in reviews that you read...

Oh, might as well narrow your choices down to those that has image stabilization... Small cam + small buttons + light weight = greater chance of camera shake.

As long as your cam of choice has a P, AV, TV and M options, I guarantee you that you'll learn A LOT about photography regardless of whether it's a film, P&S, or DSLR.

Good luck and let us know what you got... :D

thanks for the comments, I too have a very little budget and as a beginner in photography, my first choice is really to buy p&s... just want to make sure that I will buy a camera that I will not regret :D

Anyway, S3 IS only have 6 Mega Pixels.. is this a big disadvantage to other powershot series who has 7.1 and 10 Megapixels?

don't worry about the megapixels. they only matter when you want to blow them up. they'll all look the same in 4r/5r. (i think. correct me if i'm wrong.)

s3 is good na for a beginner. although i have the s2 and i am now regretting not being able to shoot RAW. and if you plan on always shooting in low light conditions, it's gonna be a pain. other than that, it's been pretty good to me. sometimes the challenge is even part of the fun. :)

hi lisa, is it that hard to shoot in low light? Although its really sad that it doesn't have RAW but i think its not much of an issue to me right now :D

I think I'll be buying the S3is pero walang pang stock sa stores sa Hidalgo. kaya tuloy it makes me think if I will still consider buying DSLR hehehe... hirap talaga mag-isip, magulo hehehe... thanks for bearing with me :D

hey, mike. i can shoot at low light with the s2 but it's not pretty. way too much noise. i think it's the same for most point and shoots though. :)

I know you seem to favor Canons right now Mike, but I think the Nikon D40 might make you think twice. It's an entry-level DSLR at a low price with nice features to help you learn photography. SRP right now is around $600. I'm not sure when it will officially come out but I'm guessing you could get it under the 6mos-12mos to pay plan. Some sites claim that they will start shipping units starting today. If you're someone who doesn't mind bulkiness, then a DSLR will really help you learn faster and better as David said. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Nikon/nikon_d40.asp

Btw, I own a 350D so don't mistake me for a Nikonian trying to start a brand war. Hehe... :Grin:

lisa, thanks for the reply.. and edric for the suggestion.

The only thing that stopping me to buy DSLR is the cost after buying the kit.. they told me that I need to invest in lens if not I will not enjoy or see the power of DLSR using only the kit. Is this true? Aside from it being bulk, this is one issue that i've been thinking of.

The only thing that stopping me to buy DSLR is the cost after buying the kit.. they told me that I need to invest in lens if not I will not enjoy or see the power of DLSR using only the kit. Is this true? Aside from it being bulk, this is one issue that i've been thinking of.

Well, I'm not quite sure about that point of view. That's putting the issue in a negative light. I find it convenient that you can upgrade your camera with various lenses and accessories. As of now, I only own the kit lens and a relatively cheap 50mm lens for my DSLR. Even with only two of these lenses, I can already feel the advantages of a DSLR over a conventional P&S. I also like the sound of a shutter click. :Grin:

Shutter lag is also another disadvantage of a P&S which if I'm correct wasn't mentioned in this thread. However, I think prosumer cams like the S3 IS have alraedy addressed this issue. I don't have experience with prosumer cams so please correct me if I'm wrong.

HTH :)

Edric has a good point, if the D40 can hover the mid 20K mark, then it makes the most sense to get that... Unless you need video mode.

Regarding your concern about "not enjoy the power of DSLR with only the kit", honestly, the kit lens in most DSLRs will equal if not surpass the performance (focus speed, shutter speed etc) of most P&S anyway.

If you can keep that wallet and credit card stashed away, you'll have TONS of great fun and satisfaction with your kit lens(es) for years.

One way to help you stay that path is to ignore threads about hardware hehehe.

But it is generally true that when you really get into this hobby, an interchangeable lens camera will always be something you'll seek for, but even when you have that, the upgrade urge will kick in if you can't control your temptations haha.

:D

@david - if im not mistaken, D40 in hidalgo ranges around 32k for the kit.. http://www.digitalphotographer.com.ph/forum/images/smilies/Drogar-Happy%28DBG%29.gif

i agree that one of the disadvantages of the s3is is its low light shots.. http://www.digitalphotographer.com.ph/forum/images/smilies/Drogar-Cry%28DBG%29.gif even the IS wouldnt compensate my shaky hands.. oh well, my bad though..

32K, not bad at all..

I heard that some place is selling the D50 kit for under 30K right now... Sorry no additional info...

Hi guys! Since your talking Powershot here,join ako share my query and experience.

I checked the the thread "WHO WE ARE and WHAT WE DO" and noted that only 2 seemed to own a PowerShotPro1 in the list. Two years ago when I got my job and started earning a few bucks, I decided to buy a digital camera since I needed it also in the hospital to document rare and even common clinical cases for presentations in conferences. I did my homework then, read various magazines, searched the net, asked friends, etc... I DID NOT get a DSLR then cause I had no experience and decided to get the Flagship of the Powershot series since it had nice reviews, an 8 MB sensor (a big deal I thought at that time), the reviews had it that this was the ONLY Canon non-DSLR fiited with an L-lens (so I was excited by the red ring) and to cap it all I got it in the US for only PhP 36,700 at a time that its priced here in the Philippines as Php 69,500.

Two years with the camera, I am happy with it..used it for clinic work, hospital events, and trips to Boracay and Camigiun.

But ALAS! The SLR lust can no longer be staved off by my present camera..as I will get hopefully a 400D in the near future and sell my Pro1 to my dad. (hehe!)

However, I feel bad :( that I haven't seen anyone with the same camera..the nearest one I chanced upon was a Malacanan Press photographer who claimed he won one in a contest, but of course he uses a DSLR. I have no real complaints with it EXCEPT for its kinda slow on the focus (something I discovered that was noted in some web reviews after I've purchased it) and No EOS strap (hehe!)

NOW, I'm just wondering if I made the RIGHT DECISION THEN :Oops: to buy the NON-DSLR at that time OR should have I gotten directly the 350D then. IF I made the WRONG decision then, Thank God, that my father is more than willing to buy it from me now (because he is CANON film user) for the same price (hehe) and still be useful. But if my father happened to be not interested in photography, then I would be stuck with a wrong decision as I simply cannot shell out another couple of thousands for another camera.

Thank You guys

More power to DPP!!!:)