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[Optimistic]

I'm planning on going overseas early next year and thought it'd make a good excuse to shell out for a camera. So I've been looking at the entry level cameras available and the best in my price range appear to be the Canon Powershot A95 and the Canon Ixus 50 (SD400). So, can anyone advise me on which I should buy? Or, if anyone knows of any better cameras for a similar price I'm all ears. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[scorcho]

steve's digicams - Canon Powershot A95

Bottom line - the Powershot A95 holds the "top of the line" position of Canon's "A" series. It will make an excellent choice for anyone who wants an easy-to-use camera that captures beautiful pictures and has the advanced features to satisfy the needs of the more experienced user.

the review for the SD400 is located here - http://www.steves-digicams.com/2005_reviews/sd400_pg6.html

i'd personally go for the SD400 - the size difference is noticable, the SD400 has a larger screen and sturdier feel to it with it's all metal case. a friend recently purchased one and i'm really tempted to sell my DSC-W1 on ebay to pick it up for the size factor alone. the picture and movie quality of the SD400 is really quite nice.

 

[Optimistic]

Thanks for the advice scorcho.

 

[Pochacco]

Canon just announced some new cameras today.
Including the Ixus 55 (Ixus 50 successor) and A620 (A95 successor).
So you will either want to wait for the new models, or get the 'old' ones for cheaper.

As for which to get (and this applies to the new ones as well), the Ixus line are super compacts. If looks and size are of concern go with the Ixus. Otherwise, just get the A-series, which aren't as compact/slick but offer more manual controls.

 

[Optimistic]

Oh great, thanks for the heads up. As for size vs functionality, I'm more concerned with the latter. So essentially whichever camera has better functionality and picture quality is the one I'd prefer to purchase...

 

[teh_pwn]

I own the A95.

The shutter speed is kind of slow. It's hard to get a picture and it not be blurry.

Or maybe my hands shake.

 

[aoi tsuki]

I own the A95.

The shutter speed is kind of slow. It's hard to get a picture and it not be blurry.

Or maybe my hands shake.

Nothing personal, but i think you need to get a little familiar with it. The only time i had a serious problem taking a clear was when i was taking pictures of chicks that were in a nest four feet above my head. The nest was dark and i had to outstretch my hands completely, compose the shot using the LCD folded at an odd angle, and fight against the wind. Took a few shots to get one that was clear, but it can certainly be done.

 

[acidviper]

If you have the jack I say go for the SLR. When I got my EOS I just can't go back to having the lag of non-SLR's.

 

[Optimistic]

SLR? I'm a total amateur when it comes to cameras.

 

[Pochacco]

You're probably better off going with the A-series.
From what I've heard, their image quality is fantastic - and the amount of manual controls they offer rivals the Canon G-series.

The Ixus line is great too. But when you have a camera that small, there are bound to be compromises image-quality-wise.

Here are the new A-series cameras replacing the A95: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0508/05082202canona610a620.asp (they're like mini Canon Gs).

Here are the new Ixus cameras: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0508/05082204canonsd450sd550.asp

Ixus 50 review: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canonsd400/ (recommended - lost points due to being too small)
A95 review: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona95/ (highly recommended)

 

[Optimistic]

Yeah, I think you're right; I'm leaning heavily towards the A series now...Anyway thanks for the advice and links. I think I'll wait until the new A series cameras come out before deciding...if I have the cash to sell out for the new model I will, if not the current one will probably be even cheaper...

 

[ShyGuy]

For reference I have a Canon A510 which is the replacement for the A85, and the A520 is the replacement for the A95.

The A510 I have is an AWESOME camera, much cheaper, and with a 4x optical zoom.

I love it, but I wouldn't begrudge you for going with the IXUS 50 because that's a SEXY camera which has the quality to match, I'd wanted to get one but I'm happy with the A510 and it was within my budget.

Good luck, and stick with Canon!

 

[Polari]

I own an A95 and am reasonably happy with it - the interface is great, the clarity of the pictures is good. There's only one problem, which is that the pictures appear overexposed, being far brighter than they should be. Apart from that though, it's pretty good.