I've decided on Canon, but...

just eric

Adventurer
I realize that choosing a camera is a very subjective process but I'm hoping your collective opinions will help me place my order by close of business Sunday. I am by no means a photographer but I have a desire to by the best the first time and cameras are no exception. That being said I have narrowed my search down to two cameras, the Canon S100 and the SX230hs. I consider the S100 to be "the best" and the 230 to be a solid performer at a price savings of ~$150. The primary purpose of the winning selection will be photographing our soon to be 1st born and documenting our weekend adventures around the Pacific Northwest.

I have researched both models to death and am now creating circular arguments for myself as to why I should buy one over the other. Help a brotha out...

And thanks for your input.
 
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DiploStrat

Expedition Leader
Canon makes great cameras and the Internet chatter is that Canon does better in the compact camera line than Nikon. All compact cameras entail serious image compromises. That said, the S100 would appear to be a much better camera. See DPReview: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons100/

Assuming that you don't want a full on SLR, I would urge you to take a look at the new line of mirror less cameras. Start with Thom Hogan's site: http://www.sansmirror.com/ Most of these will be a visible step up from the usual compact digicam and that may become important as your first born (congrats) grows. And a mirror less camera with the possibility of changing lenses will give you more scope to capture the beauty of the soggy Northwest. :)

All the best!
 

ThomD

Explorer
There is one major difference between these cameras that is not subjective - the SX230 has a much longer zoom range, 120mm vs 400mm.
 

squeezer

Adventurer
I was researching the same type of camera for the same general purpose and ended up buying an entry level DSLR for one very specific reason. Time to first shot... imagine sitting in your living room watching JR do something that suddenly is photo worthy. Grab the point and shoot, turn it on, wait for 30 seconds, press the confirm on the splash screen and shoot your first pic 45 secs later (maybe an exaggeration but you get the idea). With an SLR you grab it and are shooting in less time than it took to read "grab it and shooting". This for me was way more important than image quality...
 

DiploStrat

Expedition Leader
There is one major difference between these cameras that is not subjective - the SX230 has a much longer zoom range, 120mm vs 400mm.

Exactly - a 5x zoom will have much, much better quality. Especially at this price point, a 12x zoom would be an immediate disqualification in my book. Sorry I wasn't clearer. (Similarly, the S100 would probably be a much nicer camera at 6-8 MP as opposed to 12 MP.)
 

ThomD

Explorer
Exactly - a 5x zoom will have much, much better quality. Especially at this price point, a 12x zoom would be an immediate disqualification in my book. Sorry I wasn't clearer. (Similarly, the S100 would probably be a much nicer camera at 6-8 MP as opposed to 12 MP.)

Funny, I'm inclined to suggest the other direction. I think that most people will find most cameras to have sufficient image quality. Noting being able to "reach" a shot is hard to correct with better image quality. OTOH, I can't argue with squeezer's thoughts about DSLRs for response time. Since matters to some people, so that may be out. The "best" camera is the one you have with you.

 

just eric

Adventurer
I could be mistaken but I believe the s100 has a fairly fast startup time. This debate on 12x optical zoom disqualifying a camera had me intrigued. care to elaborate?
 

DiploStrat

Expedition Leader
I could be mistaken but I believe the s100 has a fairly fast startup time. This debate on 12x optical zoom disqualifying a camera had me intrigued. care to elaborate?

All things being equal, it is harder to make a good zoom lens than a good prime lens. And the greater the zoom range the greater the cost or the lower the quality, and sometimes both. Thus in the Canon and Nikon "pro" lines, the zoom ratio is typically limited to about 2.5x (e.g., 70-200mm) The "prosumer" lenses go out to about 5x. (e.g., 70-300) Zooms with a larger range are generally considered to be "consumer" models. Don't get me wrong, I own a Nikkor 18-200mm lens and a Sigma 50-500mm lens. Both have real compromises in quality and both cost considerably more than the cameras in question. And I can readily see the difference between say the 18-200mm and my 24-70mm.

Compared to DSLR's, most compact cameras suffer from high levels of noise (and sometimes high levels of visible noise reduction) and chromatic aberration. Both can be very visible.

Again, all things being equal, a lower MP count will have less noise and better low light response.

Another issue with compact cameras is response time, that is the interval from the time you press the shutter to the moment when the camera has metered the exposure, set the auto focus, and tripped the shutter. DSLR's are virtually instantaneous; compacts can take several seconds. The actual start up time, that is, the time it takes from turning on the camera to being able to capture an image, is generally less important.

Thus my recommendation for the S100 over the other model. And also my recommendation to at least consider, budget permitting, a camera with a larger sensor and interchangeable lenses.

As always with these things, YMMV.
 
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just eric

Adventurer
Thanks for the information. I am not considering interchangeable lens cameras simply because I want to keep things small and packable. I looked at the Nikon mirrorless cameras and I just don't want something I cant stuff in my pocket (shirt or pants). I took a number of snapshots on the 260hs today at the store and it seemed pretty fast. That being said, I think I'm now leaning towards the S100 again...

Final consideration is bang for the buck:
S100 = 399
230hs = 229
260hs = 299
 

vanderpooch

Authentic Adventurer
I have both compact and DSLR cameras. Both are great and have their purpose. I'm a dad and part time hack photographer.
Sounds to me like you know your needs so only you can really make this decision. The only thing I would mention is of all the gear I have I find myself using my iPhone4s for almost all of my family photos. It's always there with you right when you need it. One swipe of the screen and it is ready to capture the moment (video too.) And afterall capturing the moment is what it's all about when it comes to memorable photos.
Beyond that I personally like my crop sensor DSLR with an 18-200 lens to "get it all." the two are a dangerous combination :)

Good luck and congrats on your new family!!
 

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