If someone wants to buy a compact digital camera, most of the times it's enough to choose from Canon models.Canon offers different types of cameras to different people needs.
Let's take a look at them if you don't mind, I will try to give a helping hand for those who just cannot decide.
Basically there are six line of Canon compacts:
1.
The G-series Pros: fast lens, 4x optical zoom, all manual controls, flip-out LCD, hot shoe, optional converters, RAW mode, microdrive support, long battery life (despite of the lithium type!), professional feeling, great hand-grip
Cons: weighty, big size, lithium batteries (from a point of view), pricey
2.
The Sxx-series Pros: wider angle then average (28mm to S60/S70), portability, light, RAW mode, microdrive support, full manual controls, elegant look
Cons: fixed LCD, slow lens, PF (CA), lithium battery
3.
The Sxxx-series Pros: portability (small size), very light, sexy look
Cons: fixed LCD, slow lens, PF (CA), lithium battery, lack of real manual controls
4.
The Axx-series Pros: long battery life (due to AA's), flip-out LCD, great hand-grip, full manual controls, optional converters, many scene modes for beginners (on A70 and now on A95), cheap
Cons: slow lens, PF (CA)
5.
The Axxx-series Pros: cheap, uses AA's, portability
Cons: slow lens, PF (CA), no real manual controls
6.
The NEW Sx-IS series Pros: big zoom, best video, great hand-grip, long battery life (due to AA's), full manual controls
Cons: weighty, slow lens, PF (CA), lack of AF-assist lamp, noisy images
That's it, at least at the date of this quick review.
As you can see from the above
The G-series has the fastest lens and a hot shoe
The Sxx-series has the wider angle zoom (28mm to 100mm)
The Sxxx-series are the more portable ones
The Axx-series has the best value for it's price
The Axxx-series are the cheapest ones that are also very portable
The Sx-IS-series has the biggest zoom and the best video to date
All of them except for the G-series suffer from purple fringing. The G-series has them also, but not much.
All of them has more shutter lag, compared to competition (new Sony and Fuji models).
But pls don't forget the high detail in the images that only CANON compacts can bring. A very important issue for me.
First, it's a question of money.
Second, it's a question of needs.
Lastly, it's a question of taste.
How much can you afford?
What are the most important things you need?
What shape/size do you prefer?
My suggestion is: decide what are the things FOR YOU that are important when choosing a cam. The decision lies beneath your NEEDS:
Need big zoom or best video? Get an Sx-IS cam.
Need portability? Get an Sxxx-series cam.
Need fast lens, a hot shoe and RAW? Get a G-series.
Need wider angle zoom or RAW? Get an Sxx-series cam.
Do you want to print in big size? Get the highest MP one
You are on the budget? Get an Axxx-series cam.
None of the above? Get an Axx-series camera then!
The top of the A-line cameras now is the A95 that is a geat, but not perfect cam. There are no perfect ones. Every of them has it's flaws. Pls don't be a maximalist otherwise you won't enjoy the beauty of your own cam. Choose the right cam for you based on your needs. An IMPORTANT advie: don't let the megapixel drive you if you don't need big size prints. It's only marketing, more megapixels doesn't mean better image quality. Keep this in mind always!
So I got the A95.
I love the LCD, the battery life, full manual controls, shape, hand-grip and the optional converters of the A95.
I miss the fast lens, the wider angle and the hot shoe.
Weight could be less, but it's quite tolerable and the camera is portable enough for me, if there is a belt-case with you then you won't miss the IXUS. Bigger than the Sxxx-series but much smaller than the G-series. I had an IXUS before (S400) but missed the manual controls and the flip-out LCD, so I had to change.
I had an A80 before. The difference is not that much. The A95 has 5 megapixels and a bigger LCD with higher resolution. These are the main differences. They are not much, but enough for me to change, I am one of those people who don't think just buy. :) Do you have an A80? Wait for the next model. Do you have an A60/A70/A75/A85 model? Buy this! That flip-out LCD is a bless.
It has a bit more noise probably due to the more megapixel than the A80. BUT: it has nicer LCD and a bit faster response times. I don't know why because normally it should be slower because of the bigger file sizes (5mp vs 4mp on the A80). But it's not. It's quicker, but not much. Still, another plus for the A95.
The Flexi-zone feature is very useful, ususally found only on higher end cameras. It let's you choose the focus point anywhere in the frame, though I use mine with Center Focus AF most of the time.
The extra scene modes are great, I just don't use them so often. I don't like when the camera sets the ISO above 50 when there is no need to.
The VGA video is quite useless since it records only 30 secs. What a shame, I really miss that unlimited video! But it's not a deal breaker for me, since it's a camera not a camcorder.
The print/share button is not that exciting at least for me. I know I will never use it.
All in all: a great cam. Such as Canon's other models. All of them are great, I started with an A40 and loved that much, that was my first cam. The A95 is the close-to-perfect family cam, I highly recommend it to everyone. It's image quality is top-notch in many ways, it only has a bit higher than average PF that's all, otherwise it takes excellent images out of the cam without any post-processing.
Buy it, it's a CANON.
The areas where the Canon A75, A85, and A95 really excel at are:
Being fairly small(small price tag too!) for a camera with this many features and having picture quality this good.
Creative shooting: this is a great camera for those who want to do creative shooting but can't afford to plop down $600+ for a Canon G6 or more for a Digital SLR. It's got all of the most important controls, and with your memory card, you can do all the creative shooting and experimenting you want virtually free compared to using film. It's even expandable with telephoto, wide angle, or close up conversion lenses and there's also the waterproof casing. One other plus is the flip-out rotating LCD screen, which is VERY useful when your camera is on a tripod, is low to the ground, or when the camera is pointed up but below shoulder height, because you can simply flip the LCD screen to the proper viewing position instead of getting down behind the camera. You can also use it to shoot over peoples' heads and use it to get a preview when you are doing self portraits.
All Canon cameras also come with an excellent software package that lets you stitch panoramic photos, retouch photos or rescue those that came out wrong, add special effect, and view thumbnails of pictures so you don't have to open them up to see what the picture looks like (good for those who are using an older version of windows, I know there are still a lot of you out there). The best part is that it's free! It does more than Kodak's software(which is pretty decent), you have to pay $20 to get the better version of Olympus's software, and Sony's editing software is pretty much non-existent. Those who already have Photoshop won't be excited.
For those of you who are concerned that the camera doesn't come with rechargeable batteries, don't worry, it's really not a big deal. Good rechargeable AA's, type NiMH are super cheap at around $10-$15 for 4, compared to $50 for Lithium Ion battery packs, and at that price, everyone can afford a spare set, which is really important to have. I've seen people who bought much crappier cameras at the same price, just because they came with rechargeable batteries not a smart choice in my opinion.
Yes, there is the problem with purple fringing, but it's not a very common problem and most people either don't know what it is or don't even know think it's much of a problem when they see it. Some people think it looks cool. With full control over aperture, you have the ability to get rid of it or at least reduce it. Compared to the problems that other manufacturers have with their cameras, I'd take a bit of purple fringing over noise, soft/fuzzy images, and over-sharpening any day!
If you are looking to spend much less but want to get pretty much the same camera at 4 megapixels, check out the Canon Powershot A85 or the 3 megapixel A75. you lose the rotating LCD though.
Buy Canon PowerShot A95 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Now
I bought this camera for a trip to Yosemite, and it didn't disappoint. This is my second digital camera my first was an Olympus 2MP that I've had for a few years. The Canon blows it away in features and picture quality.I like the size of the camera it's easy to carry and store (like in my wife's handbag), without being too heavy or bulky. I had considered an ELF, but I didn't want the compromises that the sub-compacts make in features and useability. I had also considered a digital SLR, but that would have precluded the use of the wife's handbag as a storage container. I also thought the SLR's were overkill for someone who's a fairly casual amateur photographer. Don't get me wrong, I've been taking pictures for over 40 years and have used some very sophisticated equipment. But, these days, I want something easy to carry and easy to use. If you're serious about photography, by all means go for the big guns.
I won't go into a littany of the Canon A95's features, since others have done a good job of that. Suffice it to say that, except for real photo enthusiasts and professionals, this camera has everything you'll ever need, and more.
I took about 200 pictures and a few movies, and viewed them both digitally and in print (Ofoto). They are, almost without exception, excellent. Being new to the camera, and having forgotten the manual while I was on vacation, I didn't come close to using all of its features. I used the built-in scene modes extensively (easily accessible using the rotating wheel that surrounds the shutter button nicer than having to navigate menus), and they worked as advertised. Some of the scenery shots of Yosemite are really spectacular, rivaling some of the professional shots I've seen for sale (if I do say so myself). I've blown some of them up to 8x10 and printed them myself, and the resolution is more than adequate. I'm sure I could go up to 11x14 or 16x20 and still get excellent prints (if I only had a printer that could do that it's on my wish list). I especially liked the panoramic mode after you take a shot, the previous picture is displayed immediately beside the shot you're lining up, letting you line up the shots almost perfectly. I printed a panorama that I took from one of the Yosemite overlooks on 3 8x10 sheets and it blew me away.
Boot-up time is very quick, and the shutter delay wasn't at all offensive. Like most point-and-shoots, you have to hold the shutter button down 1/2 way to get it to set focus and exposure, but once you do that, the camera takes the picture quickly. The delay while the camera stores the image to the memory card is also not excessive (tha camera displays "busy" on the LCD while it's doing that).
Battery life was excellent. I've been using the I-C3 15-minute rechargable batteries with great results (Amazon carries the Ray-O-Vac batteries and charger, they're also available elsewhere in those electronic shops you find in malls and shopping centers).
The swivel LCD is a great feature. I agree with others that talk about it being a little hard to see in brightly lit areas. Of course, you can always use the viewfinder.
You'll definitely need a bigger memory card I bought a 1GB, which seems to hold about 700 pictures at the default resolution. The price of CF cards of this capacity has recently dropped, so I'd highly recommend one or two of these. I didn't change the camera to the super-fine mode, so I don't know what effect that has on capacity. I was able to take all the shots I wanted, as well as some 10-30 second movies and I still had plenty of memory left.
My only other minor complaint (other than the LCD visibility problem), is that the maximum optical zoom range is only 3x. If you use the digital zoom, you can go up to 12x, but you lose resolution. Take this into consideration if you need a high-powered zoom. The camera does have interchageable lenses, so that's one way to overcome this limitation (I haven't priced any of the other lens options).
Overall, I highly recommend this camera.
Read Best Reviews of Canon PowerShot A95 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Here
After doing a lot of research I choose the Canon A95. This is the first digital camera I've owned, although I've used other digital cameras in the past. It was purchased for a three-week trip through France and Italy. I used two different memory cards during the trip to take roughly 800 shots. The first card was a 1GB Viking, the second a SanDisk UltraII 1 GB. There was no noticeable difference between the two cards, although I never did a specific comparison.Camera Pros:
*The rotating LCD view finder is great. I used the view finder again and again to get shots at odd angles. I would hold the camera over my head with the view find angled down to see the shot. Same thing, holding the camera out through a fence to get a shot looking down. The view finder also worked great to get shots of my wife and myself by holding the camera at arms length. My only complaint with the view finder is that in bright light, not just direct sunlight, it became difficult to see the image.
*AA batteries this was important for us. We didn't want a special lithium battery that would be impossible to find out on the road. We purchased Kodak 2100 mAh NiMH batteries with the camera. The camera takes four batteries, so we got eight. I can't tell you exactly how long the camera operates on these batteries, but it's a while. We took at least 1200 photos, reviewing and deleting bad ones each night. During 23 days on the road, I went through three sets of batteries, plus an hour on a fourth set. I was happy with the performance.
*Size we wanted a camera that was small enough to easily carry, but not so small that it was difficult to hold. Both my wife and I (with very different hand sizes) were happy with the feel of the camera. My wife didn't care for the location of the on/off button, as she frequently accidently hit it, but I didn't have any problems.
*Menu/interface I see lots of complains about how difficult cameras can be to operated. I thought the Canon interface was fairly intuitive and easy to use. Of course, I also read the user guide on the airplane, so I'm sure that helped.
*Picture quality (during the day) most of the pictures I took duing the day look good. I have not printed any of the images yet, the digital images look great. Color reproduction looks good and the detail with the 5mp is great. I'll be having a bunch of images printed shortly, including some larger 8x10's. If there's a problem with the image quality, I'll post it.
Here are a couple cons:
*Viewing the LCD in bright light (not just direct sunlight, but any direct light)
*Speed I know this is a general disadvantage of digital cameras of this type and I can't make a direct comparison to other cameras, but after using a standard 35mm film camera, it seemed like capturing a shot took a long time with the camera.
*Night shots are very difficult to get without a tripod or stationary object to rest the camera on. A lot of churches and museums don't allow flash. We took a lot of blurry, low light pictures. Whenever possible, I set the camera on something to take the shot, but it's not always possible. Without a direct comparison to another camera, I can't say if the A95 is better or worse than others.
*By default, the camera is set to large rather than superfine resolution. I changed the setting on the camera to superfine right away, knowing that I had plenty of CF memory. Unfortunately, I didn't realize (even though I ready the manual) that you need to change the resolution setting in each shooting mood independently, so I ended up taking a bunch of pictures in less than the best resolution setting accidently.
*Part way through the trip, the camera reset itself to all default settings. I don't we did anything to reset it, and we weren't changing batteries when it happened. It only did it once, but it was kind of a pain since I needed to go back through and turn the sound, resolution, and other options back to the way I liked them.
*No raw or TIFF capture. I knew this when I bought the camera, but it would be nice to have under certain circumstances.
Overall, I was very happy with the performance of this camera during the first month of use.
Want Canon PowerShot A95 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Discount?
I spent about an hour and a half last night debating between the Sony T1 5 MP and the Canon Power Shot A95.I'm sure my friend and I drove the poor sales clerk crazy but he was very patient and we examined each extensively.
I walked into the store primarily considering three cameras -the Nikon CoolPix 5200, the Cybershot DSCP 100, and the Canon A95. Going in I'd done a lot of research and found the A95's reputation is outstanding. But Sony's general reputation -and especially on the Cybershot DSCP 100 -is outstanding too.
The store was out of the Nikon, and since it had been the camera I was least impressed with after reading the reviews, I didn't worry about it too much. The DSCP 100 had all the right numbers and features, but didn't feel right to me for some reason. Maybe the shape threw me off? Honestly, I'm not sure. But the vibe wasn't right and so I asked to see the A95.
By this time, the clerk and I had started chatting, and he pulled out the T1. Honestly, I had not come across the T1 in my research, so when the store clerk pulled out this little gem from behind the counter, I was blown away.
The thing is tiny. And oh-so-beautiful. The LCD screen on the back is almost the same size as the screen on my Treo 600 -on other words, huge. The camera felt great in my hands. And a Zeiss lens -wow. That's top quality there. As soon as I touched it, I began lusting after this mystery camera. But was it any good?
But let me digress. The A95 is solid. Just pure solid. Nice quality. Good build. Picture quality looks good. Screen is ... well, small -especially compared to the T1. The A95 is physically a much larger camera -though surprisingly, the weight felt about the same as the T1. Controls seemed intuitive and it's got lots of settings to play around with, but that don't get in the way of taking a simple snap shot.
But the T1 has the sex appeal. So I kept going back to it. Without reviews, I was flying a little blind, but the fit and finish felt good. And, did I mention the sex appeal?
But as I kept looking, practicality began creeping into the deliberations. For instance, the T1 uses a Sony-proprietary battery and memory system. The A95 uses AA batteries and SD memory.
There's no way of easily protecting the T1's super-large (and super fragile) LCD screen. The A95's LCD flips around so that the screen is protected by the camera body.
The T1 has no view finder and no way to take pictures if you aren't using the LCD. The A95 can be used with or without the LCD (which increases battery life).
The T1 has a 3x optical zoom. The A95 has a 3x optical zoom, coupled with a digital zoom.
The T1 has no tripod mount. The A95 does.
"Weighing" in favor of the T1 are the A95's larger size, smaller screen, and the "cool" factor of the T1.
As I played with both cameras (until the store just about closed), I noted a couple of other things about the T1 in the back of my mind. It wasn't until I read many of the reviews here that these perceptions began to crystallize.
Holding the T1 steady is a major issue. (With the A95 I was able to take handheld low-light, no-flash pictures with minimal blurring.) The flash on the T1 was ho-hum. And despite the large LCD screen, telling which images were crisp and which were blurry was a major challenge with the T1. Really, the only way to tell would be to download the images to your computer before deciding which pictures are keepers and which are deleters.
In the end, I listened to my wallet and my brain. I bought the A95. I needed reliability and quality more than glamour and glitz. The SD storage cards are about half the price as the Sony cards -and that issue of the proprietary batteries is a big one.
So far so good -picture quality on the A95 looks good, although I can tell that I'm going to have to learn to use the different "scene" settings in order to get the best out of the camera. Even so, the A95 is easy to use. (It even fit perfectly in a cheap generic camera case!) I'll have to post again as I get to know my new camera better.
Hopefully you'll find this review of use. In the end -both cameras are keepers in my opinion. Which one you pick is probably more a matter of personal preference than anything else. Good luck to everyone in picking out the right camera!
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