one decision down...

I started my digital camera search back in June, and between then and now I've been doing research and trying out different cameras. I sincerely appreciate the input everyone gave, and I finally decided on the Canon PowerShot S5 IS.


It is an 8 megapixel SLR-like camera with image stabilization and 12x optical zoom. After a whole lot of agonizing I finally decided this style of camera fits my style of photography. I often go from macro to 500mm zoom in a few seconds, and I just can't do that with a SLR. We also travel a lot, and the idea of lugging around extra lenses just so we could take the kind of pictures we've grown accustomed to was very off-putting. The real kicker was when I found it for under $350 from buydig.com, which is half the cost of just the body of most of the SLR's I was looking at. They even included free shipping.

Our friend Pam loaned us her S5 (thanks a billion!) and here are a series of pictures Myron took in our back yard, looking across the marsh. All three pictures were taken with him standing in the same spot. No tripod was used. The first is a regular picture, no zoom at all. (The shadows are from the trees. He is facing slightly northwest and this is early morning.) The second is with the 12x optical zoom. The final is 12x optical with 4x digital zoom (48x digital equivalent). I don't think we'll be using the digital zoom much. Oh, and all those little gray blobs are snails. :-)

help me choose a new digital camera

Way back in the stone ages of digital photography we bought an Olympus C-755 UZ. The main reason we settled on this model was the 10x optical zoom and super macro mode since we do lots of wildlife and plant photography. The biggest downsides are the tiny LCD on the back, the lack of image stabilization and the 4.1 MP resolution. Oh, and after several years of use (and abuse) the flash doesn't work consistently.

It's time to get a new one, and I've decided to go with a higher end camera. I'm looking for at least 6 MP, optical image stabilization and a zoom in the 300mm or 8x - 10x range. The option to add lenses would be nice, too. I don't want digital image stabilization, and I don't want a Sony camera with it's wacko nonstandard media.

So far I'm most seriously considering the following:

Nikon D40

Pros:

• Digital SLR
  
• Very highly rated
• Wide array of lenses

Cons:

• Potentially lots of lens changes or stacking/removing lenses
  
• No autofocus motor or image stabilization built into the body
• I'll have to buy lenses with these features, and they're quite pricey

Pentax K100D

Pros:

• Digital SLR
• Image stabilization and an autofocus motor built into the camera body.
• Slightly less expensive than the Nikon D40

Cons:

• Potentially lots of lens changes or stacking/removing lenses
• Comparatively fewer high quality lenses available

Canon Powershot S5 IS

Pros:

• Point and shoot = less complex
• 12x zoom = 438mm FOV out of the box
• Canon's image stabilization is legendary

Cons:

• Not a digital SLR
• Costs as much as the other two so I just feel like I'm getting ripped off somehow

They all three have the same basic form factor, so it's not like the S5 is any smaller. It boils down to how I see myself using the camera in the future. Am I more of a point and shoot kinda guy, or do I take my time to do composition and fully utilize the manual modes that are available? I've never had a fully manual camera so I'm honestly not sure. At this point I think it's something I would like to at least have as an option, and both the D40 and K100D seem to be very capable in fully automatic mode and offer the option to step out of the box a bit more. I just wonder about the price I pay for that flexibility that I may not use.

Does anyone out there have any suggestions?