# Which digital camera?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [August 12, 2006, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475 "2006-08-12T18:25:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2006, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475/1 "2006-08-12T18:25:03Z")
OK I want to get a point and shoot digital camera before I go to Guam at the end of the month.
I have narrowed it down to a choice between 2.
First up we have the Cannon [SD 630](http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7727356&type=product&id=1140392153785)
Pro:
Huge view finder, I can take some / most pics without my glasses.
Con:
No viewfinder, might be hard to see screen in bright light.
In the other corner we have the Cannon [SD700IS](http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7727392&type=product&productCategoryId=cat04002&id=1140392153859)
Pros:
Has a view finder
Has image stabilization for zoom shots
Has a 4X zoom instead of the 3X of the 630.
Cons:
Smaller view screen
Costs about $100 more.
Batteries, memory cards, are the same between the two cameras. So do I go for the big screen or the image stabilization?
Your thoughts and suggestions are welcome.
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### Author:  [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475/2 "2006-08-12T19:54:50Z")
I just bought a Canon S2 1S (5 megapixel). The camera it is replacing did not have image stabilization, and I have to say it ROCKS! It works not just on zoom shots, but anytime you’d have to worry about jiggling the camera, like in low light or no-flash situations. I am totally impressed with the clarity of shots I would have needed a tripod for with my old camera.
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### Author:  [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2006, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475/3 "2006-08-12T23:45:32Z")
OK so that is one vote for the image stabilization.
Anybody else care to weigh in?
Anyone?
Anyone?
Bueller?
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### Author:  [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2006, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475/4 "2006-08-12T23:52:25Z")
The only advice I can give is that the numbers quoted by manufacturers are often misleading and generally useless, because it is hard to quantify picture quality. You would have to take pictures and evaluate their quality side by side to really decide. The “megapice” game is particularly silly, because “megapixels” tells you nothing aboyut the quality of the picture, only the size of the file. A 5 mb picture taken with crappy lens and a crappy CCD from a non-camera manufactuer like HP or Samsung is still going to be crap compared to a 3 mb picture from a good Canon, Nikon, or Minolta camera with good _camera_ parts, not just a big CCD/picture size.
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### Author:  [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2006, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475/5 "2006-08-12T23:55:09Z")
I understand that. That’s why I am looking a Cannon cameras. Both of the have Cannon’s Digic processor, just like their bigger SLR brothers.
Now which do I go for the bigger screen or imiage stabilization?
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### Author:  [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2006, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475/6 "2006-08-12T23:55:20Z")
Big screens are generaly not a selling point for me. They use more battery life. I’d opt for the stabilization.
You can check out this site to get some more info. They also have a message board you may find them more helpful. [http://www.steves-digicams.com/](http://www.steves-digicams.com/)
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2006, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475/7 "2006-08-13T00:01:59Z")
> [@Rick](#):
>
> Anyone?
> Anyone?
> Bueller?
I’d like to help you out, **Rick** , but I ain’t even learnt how t’ put _film_ in them newfangled thangs, yet!
I was taking pictures at the house last month when my knee bucked. I stumbled backward and my Olympus D-510 flew forward. Landed directly on its extended lens. Well, it was old anyway.
I went down to CostCo and picked up a [Nikon Coolpix L1](http://www.steves-digicams.com/2005_reviews/l1.html). (And yes, I drove the Herald. 😃 ) It was about $150 less than the first camera you posted (as it should be, being introduced in 2005), and I think it takes better pictures than the old Olympus. The guy at the site calls it ‘a tempting value’. For the kind of shooting I do it’s fine for me. (I have the 35mm SLRs for ‘serious’ shooting.)
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### Author:  [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2006, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475/8 "2006-08-13T01:05:35Z")
I have a Canon SD600. I’d say go with the 630 only because $100 is a lot to spend for slightly more zoom and a smaller screen. I like the screen, myself, even if it does use up batteries. Buy an extra and you’ll be all set.
I’ve never tried out stabilization, but it’s have to be pretty darn good to make up for the shakiness that’s unavoidable when you’re utilizing digital zoom.
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### Author:  [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2006, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475/9 "2006-08-13T02:33:13Z")
Just picked up a Canon 630… it’s our second… replacing a _very_ used A80…
Go with the canon… and it does have a regular viewfinder, and the screen has this need little pivot feature for taking off angle shots… and you can swap the lenses for other features… and … and …
We’ve only had this one for a week…images are everything I hoped for, and then some.
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### Author:  [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475/10 "2006-08-13T02:38:24Z")
ok… I made a mistake… we have the A620…
So, the features (viewfinder, etc…) probably are not the same as the 630…
But I still say go with the Canon…
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### Author:  [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2006, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475/11 "2006-08-13T03:00:41Z")
[www.dpreview.com](http://www.dpreview.com) is a good place for technical reviews.
But due to the thoroughness of the reviews, there a lot of cameras that remain unreviewed.
700:
> **[Canon SD700 IS Digital ELPH (IXUS 800) Concise Review](https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canonsd700is/)**
>
> Announced just before PMA 2006 in February, the 6 megapixel SD700 IS is the new flagship model in the long-running and very successful IXUS / Digital ELPH range. The SD 700 IS is the first Canon ultra-compact ever to feature optical image...
Brian
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### Author:  [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2006, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475/12 "2006-08-13T05:43:51Z")
I’d go with the IS and the viewfinder; battery life matters, and a huge screen really eats into that. Plus, IS is a little miracle.
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### Author:  [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2006, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475/13 "2006-08-13T06:44:26Z")
I’m going to be a contrarian here and say that I like having the screen, I find framing the picture to be much easier. It’s not as if a marginally smaller screen really helps battery life anyway, and if you don’t want to use it you can turn it off. I’ve never used image stabilization, but I’ve never had a need to, my pictures turn out fine without it, isn’t it something that’s more useful on video cameras than still cameras?
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### Author:  [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2006, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475/14 "2006-08-13T06:53:14Z")
> [@freckafree](#):
>
> I just bought a Canon S2 1S (5 megapixel). The camera it is replacing did not have image stabilization, and I have to say it ROCKS! It works not just on zoom shots, but anytime you’d have to worry about jiggling the camera, like in low light or no-flash situations. I am totally impressed with the clarity of shots I would have needed a tripod for with my old camera.
That’s my camera. I enjoy it, but it did teach me that, when I do upgrade one day, I will be absolutely sure to include “Does the lens cap snap firmly to the camera or is it held on by friction, just BEGGING to be lost?” to my list of criteria.
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### Author:  [@Ender\_Will](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ender_Will)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2006, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475/15 "2006-08-13T09:41:23Z")
I’ve got an SD630. It’s my first digital camera. I absolutely love it. I took it to Europe with me: shot well over 300 pictures and some video on a 1GB card (which wasn’t full at the end), had to recharge it once in two weeks. My friend had a Minolta (I believe) with image stabilization, and when it came to shooting in low light situations he and I were about equally well off, since the 630 has adjustable ISOs of up to 800, which made the exposure times lengthy but doable for hand-holding.
One other factor, which isn’t spec-related, is that everybody thinks the 630 is the coolest thing out there. At least a half dozen times people commented on it being a cool camera they were thinking about getting. So, I don’t know how the 700 rates there, or if you care about the “bling” factor, but the 630 has it in spades.
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### Author:  [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2006, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475/16 "2006-08-13T16:44:36Z")
I have a Canon S1 IS, and except for the ridiculous lens cap design, it’s a great camera. I got used to the small screen real fast, and the image stabilisation really is good, especially when I make full use of the optical zoom. And the S2 IS is way nicer… and Canon released it just a few months after I bought the S1 IS ☹
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### Author:  [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2006, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475/17 "2006-08-13T17:54:02Z")
get the viewfinder!!
You have eyes–so use them.Looking thru the viewfinder, you see what you are shooting. Looking at an LCD screen in bright sunlight–you can’t see a damn thing.
YMMV.
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### Author:  [@Old\_Goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Old_Goat)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2006, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475/18 "2006-08-14T08:51:55Z")
Just got a Canon S3 IS to replace Nikon Coolpx 995. Got it for 12x Zoom to take pictures to analyoze Little League batting problems. Telephoto is great. Takes movies with sound up to hour long w/ 1 GB card. (I am using 2 GB card) NiMh batteries last about 1 day of heavy shooting. Camera designed for neophyte with many auto settings. For manual settings, I thik I would recommend a DSLR.
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### Author:  [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)
#### Post date: [August 24, 2006, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475/19 "2006-08-24T05:00:59Z")
Well Adequate Purchase put the S2IS on clearance for $299.
At that price I could not say no. It is bigger than I wanted, but the extra features are worth it.
Looks like I will have some serious reading on my flight to Guam on Friday.
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### Author:  [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)
#### Post date: [August 24, 2006, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-digital-camera/368475/20 "2006-08-24T11:38:19Z")
For what it is worth, I’m leaning towards a Canon A610 myself.
(If I get a new one, I may just repair my Olympus C-2040)
Brian
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