Canon Point and shoots - which is durable?

[LeeLau]

Anyone had good luck with the latest crop of Canon digital cameras? I have a Canon S60 and its not working and I'm in a heated battle with Canon over who's responsible for fixing it. When I close or open the shutter door the camera doesn't power up. The camera has old impacts from last summer and worked fine till November. Canon said the impact caused the problem but it worked fine for over 4 months so wtf!

At this point Im so fed up with Canon's warranty I'm going to just buy used on Ebay. I'm looking at S50; S500 and the SD400 series - basically I do want 5.0 MP and want to use Compact Flash (because I have all those memory cards) but I do like the Canon software and user interface.

But I want something that lasts. My old Digital Elph S200 still rocks but the 2.0 MP quality doesn't cut it for the long distance panorama shots I usually take. I want something kinda small - the S50 - S60 brick size is as big as I want to go. For that reason I don't want a SLR.

Reviews at dpreview.com are kind of useless. Basically as an outdoors user using it for hiking/biking/skiing the camera's going to see inclement conditions - but I won't abuse it. I carry it in a case etc. I even keep the darn thing warm.

Also I like the manual functions in the Canon S50; S500 and the SD400 series and the ability to set F-stop/ exposure/manual focus. I also like the optical viewfinder.

I just want to get some idea of what actually is tough and lasts of those three cameras. Anyone?

Here's the comparables fwiw

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/comp...n_s60&show=all

[Arty50]

I highly recommend the A95. It takes awesome pictures, and the battery life is really good. Just get rechargeable AAs. I ski with it a lot and take it mountain biking occasionally too. It's been stellar.

I think it's been replaced by the A610 and A620, but I'm sure you can still find it at most stores.

[Spats]

A510/A520 are smaller but don't have the good burst mode. A610/A620 are bigger and do have it, plus the swivel screen. Both run off AAs. Neither is as durable as the SD series, but the SD has no manual control.

Nothing recent will have Compact Flash: everything is SD now. This shouldn't matter, as 1 Gig SD cards are cheap (< $60).

[shmerham]

I have an sd300. It's bomber and tiny, but it only takes good pictures; not awesome ones (small lense, no manual controls).

[SquawMan]

I'd second the rec for the Canon A95.....it's a fantastic camera with tons of manual features and the ability to use either rechargeables or AA batteries in a pinch and very durable (mine got dropped several times and it was fine)

if you can afford it, go for the upgraded A620 with the 7MP's, but it's truly not necessary, the 610 / A95 will take great pics

p.s. picture quality for only a 5MP is stellar ...some shots taken last year (just make sure to change the factory settings to the highest quality ones (fine))

pic

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[jibij]

SD450 has been very reliable and durable for me. It even survived being lost in the snow for about 20 minutes.

[Grange]

Another thumbs up for the A95. My parents bought that camera last Christmas and it works great for them. They brought it on our trip to Utah last week and it does take great pictures for its size. The swivel LCD is a great feature.

My brother-in-law just bought the upgraded A610. Still 5.0mp, but it seems to have better controls and a couple of extra features. The only downside for you is that it uses SD cards instead of the CF cards like the A95 if I'm not mistaken.

I myself have the S2 IS and have used the S1 IS in the past. Both are great cameras as well.

[Arty50]

The only downside for you is that it uses SD cards instead of the CF cards like the A95 if I'm not mistaken.

Yup.
A95: CompactFlash
A610/20: SD/MMC

[LeeLau]

Tx - The A series are a bit big for my taste but its good to know the rest and the fact that they are durable. I actually like the staying power of the Canon LiON batteries

I'm leaning to the S400 S500 due to its size and the lack of the sliding cover which I think is a weak point in the S50 S60s. I tried the SD series but the controls are so small they might be tough to manipulate with gloves. I also tried a S2 IS - i think image stabilization is fantastic but its pretty big for my purposes.

[SquawMan]

Tx - The A series are a bit big for my taste but its good to know the rest and the fact that they are durable. I actually like the staying power of the Canon LiON batteries

I'm leaning to the S400 S500 due to its size and the lack of the sliding cover which I think is a weak point in the S50 S60s. I tried the SD series but the controls are so small they might be tough to manipulate with gloves. I also tried a S2 IS - i think image stabilization is fantastic but its pretty big for my purposes.

make sure before you leave the camera store that you can properly set the camera for action photography or all your ski shots will be blurred (go outside and take a picture of a moving car)

the A95's and A610~620's have lots of automatic settings for action shots that work great with no fuss

I noticed, too, with the A95 that if I try to take an action shot just with the Automatic setting selected, it doesn't come out half as sharp as if I use the pre-programmed Menu settings (ie. Dogs & Kids, Action, etc)

my sister-in-law has an S400 and has never been able to take photo's of moving objects that weren't blurred to some extent (it might just be her, too)

I'm sure it's possible to set it properly, but it has far fewer options to get it right on the fly

[Endlessseason]

p.s. picture quality for only a 5MP is stellar ...some shots taken last year (just make sure to change the factory settings to the highest quality ones (fine))

Yowsa! All of the shots are quality, but the feeling of depth and detail with this one is AWESOME. I'm very excited about getting the A620 for Xmas. I've used Canon for years and I have a feeling this will be a great cam (thnx maggots for steering me to it).
I'll let you guys know about the durability as I go along, and ya'll can tell me if there's a difference in quality.

[SquawMan]

Endlessseason, I sent you a full high res copy of that picture to your endless@skistreak.com address

enjoy

[13]

I have a simple S230 that survived a 2-story drop off a balcony.

Not super techie, but it's great for me.

[Endlessseason]

Squawman- Got your email. Swweeeeeet! Thanks for my new wallpaper.

[Spats]

Setting quality to "High" or "Super Fine" makes a big detail difference with a lot of cameras.

You won't notice much with skiing shots (big homogenous snow fields), but when there's lots of detail in view, like trees or a forest, the detail gets mushy and blurred unless you crank up the quality.

It's hard to pinpoint the difference unless you look closely.

[Snow Dog]

I have a Canon A60 which works just fine. The side grip adds a little bulk (and 2 more batteries) but makes holding the camera much easier. Especially with gloves. I like the 4xAA batteries too since my powered gear (camera, GPS, lamps) use the same batteries.

[MeatPuppet]

I'd second the rec for the Canon A95.....it's a fantastic camera with tons of manual features and the ability to use either rechargeables or AA batteries in a pinch and very durable (mine got dropped several times and it was fine)

I was in Yellowstone last summer with a friend who has an A95. She slipped and dropped the camera down a steep 50ft hillside that was all rocks. The camera bounced all the way down, clearing about 3 ft of air with each bounce. I was sure it was ruined, but we got down to it, she picked it up, turned it on, and it worked! It's been fine ever since. The exterior took a beating but that's about it. To say I was impressed would be an understatment. Tough little camera.

[Arty50]

Tx - The A series are a bit big for my taste but its good to know the rest and the fact that they are durable. I actually like the staying power of the Canon LiON batteries

I'm leaning to the S400 S500 due to its size and the lack of the sliding cover which I think is a weak point in the S50 S60s. I tried the SD series but the controls are so small they might be tough to manipulate with gloves. I also tried a S2 IS - i think image stabilization is fantastic but its pretty big for my purposes.

I've shot with both the A series and S series. That A series is barely bigger than the S. The main body is the same size but the A has the handgrip, which is actually really nice. If the body gets a little wet while you're skiing, then camera gets slippery. The hand grip helps you hang on. As I recall, the shutter button is a bit bigger too, so it works better with gloves.

As for AAs vs. LI, the AAs will give you twice the number of shots per charge. DP review has a chart listing battery life and the A95 is at or near the top of the list. I think it lists 400 shots per charge based on the uniform settings he uses for the test. My experience has been about the same. I get way better battery life with my A95 than my sister does with her S500. Not that the S series is bad, it isn't; but the A series gets incredible battery life.

[SquawMan]

awesome story by guy posting on LeeLau's TelemarkTip's thread of similar subject



Joined: 06 Dec 2004
Posts: 27
Location: Bozeman
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2005 2:54 pm Post subject:

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Canon will always be at the top of my list for one main reason.

Lost an A70 last year in an avalanche which held most of the pics and video from the trip including the final turns made by my dear friend. Fast forward to 5 months later in May and my two buddies are visiting the site to search for lost gear. As they worked their way up the avalanche debris field a small hole in the snow caught thier eye. Peering the in the hole they were suprised to see looking up at them my A70 with the lens exposed. Quickly they dug it out of the hole that had melted around it and then on a whim hit the power button and with out a skip the camera fired up and all images were intact.

And for that reason alone I will always looks to Canon for my pictures and video needs.

[swerve]

I have used the SD300 and have really liked the quality I get with it. It has been very durable but I also got a metal case for it so I dont have to worry about it getting squished. I have also used the S500 and the controls are the S500 arent bigger than on the SD300 and unless you have gloves with great dexterity and feel you will have to take them off to work all the controls.

You luck with the Canon warrenty department sucks because a friend of mine just sent his camera in because he broke the LCD screen and they replaced the screen and then overnighted the camera back to him because he was leaving on vacation. He offered to pay for some part of all this but they did it for free.

[LeeLau]

hmmmm - thx to this thread and the feedback I got on other threads I am now also looking at the A95. It can use Compact Flash; is about as big as the S60 and seems a hell of a lot more robust.

- After doing a bunch of reading on dpreview and on other sites it seems that S500s and the S series in general are subject to the E18 software error

- Canon warranty and customer service is inconsistent. Some have great and some have horrific stories to tell

- Most people like the Canon user interface and the software

- Canon is not quite as dominant a brand or as uniform in high quality as before

- The S60s and S50s are criticized for the sliding door cover and lack of separte on-off switch; for a flimsy battery/card cover. People in general like their manual controls and picture quality.

- The A series seem to be the most durable; people like the AA batteries and the longevity and their manual controls and picture quality - in particular their depth of focus is strong for a compact

- Not a lot of people use the S500 or S400; the ones who do like them. They are also subject to the E18 error.

- A lot of people like the SD series. They don't have a lot of manual controls and that's the main criticism which seems like a strange thing to bitch about when you have such a small camera.

[SquawMan]

LeeLau, you won't regret either an A95 or the newer version, the A610

if/when you get the camera, bump this thread or PM me or Arty50 so we can help you with the settings

the factory settings are set to lower resolutions to allow the lame (factory) memory card to hold more pictures

upgrade the card (1GB is best but 500mb is also fine) for sure and then you'll need to set EACH INDIVIDUAL shooting mode setting (on the dial) to "SuperFine" and "L" for large format to get the highest number of megapixels and best quality

I made the mistake of only changing the settings on one and thinking it would apply to all - but it doesn't, so you have to manually set each one. And every once in a while, check to see that the camera didn't reset itself back to default (that happened once for me)

I rarely use the Auto mode and mostly shoot in one of the specific scene modes (Snow, Beach, Sports, Foliage, etc) or in P mode with the focus in the Menu changed from AiAF to "Center". Outdoor shots with plenty of light, set the ISO to 50.....Indoor shots use either Auto ISO or 100-200.

there are also camera bulletin boards that are awesome and full of great info (just type in A95 or A610 to find the right threads) - bookmark these:

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/
http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/
http://www.dcresource.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=10

edit: one last thing.....if you do end up with an A95, print off the "External Controls" and "Camera Modes" sections of this review and keep it with your camera bag folded up - it's like having the best part of the manual summarized for you in a couple of pages:

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/A95/A95A.HTM

[mrw]

Bump because after reading this thread, I ordered a new Canon A610. It should be in my hands by 1-5-06. I almost bought a used A95 but the 610 was only about $50. more and has the newer processor. I hope you guys will be around to help me configure it next week. Merry Christmas and Happy New year to all. Mark

ps Squaw Man, it was the quality of your shots that prompted me to pull the trigger.

[SquawMan]

Bump because after reading this thread, I ordered a new Canon A610. It should be in my hands by 1-5-06. I almost bought a used A95 but the 610 was only about $50. more and has the newer processor. I hope you guys will be around to help me configure it next week. Merry Christmas and Happy New year to all. Mark

ps Squaw Man, it was the quality of your shots that prompted me to pull the trigger.

you're right, the A610 has the newer Digic II chip and faster shooting times, so it's worth the upgrade for sure

I'm going to be away skiing but should be back by next Thursday

the manual that comes with the camera is easy to follow but there are tricks to getting each mode set properly that you may need help with

contact me in a week and I'll help you get it dialed in

[mrw]

you're right, the A610 has the newer Digic II chip and faster shooting times, so it's worth the upgrade for sure

I'm going to be away skiing but should be back by next Thursday

the manual that comes with the camera is easy to follow but there are tricks to getting each mode set properly that you may need help with

contact me in a week and I'll help you get it dialed in

Thanks, enjoy the skiing i have two LONG weeks before I go.