I wanted a digital camera which had a good (atleast 6x) optical zoom, atleast 3 megapixel resolution, fully manual setting options and a pricetag of not more than 25, 000 Rs.
After lots of research, I narrowed down to Olympus C700UZ, Kodak DX 6590 and Canon S1IS. The Canon S1IS was the cheapest and best looking of the three.
I bought my camera from J.J.Mehta in Dadar, Mumbai. Along with it I bought extra cells and a 512 mb CF card, costing me a total of 25, 000.
Tech Specs.
3.2 megapixel, max image resolution : 2048 x 1536 pixels, lens 5.8(w) – 58(t), LCD 1.5” TFT, shutter speeds – 15 – 1/2000, built-in pop-up flash, recording media – compact flash type I and type II (32mb included with the camera), 4 AA size batteries.
Ergonomics
The design is similar to an SLR camera, only smaller in size and lighter. It fits comfortably in your palms. The buttons are well placed and very easy to use. The interface is quite user-friendly.
Features
The most noticeable feature is the 10x optical zoom. The camera has tons of different settings, including a fully manual mode where you can set everything to your choice (shutter speed, aperture, ISO sensitivity, exposure compensation, flash intensity, white-balance, etc.) The other prominent feature is the swivel LCD display which is very useful for taking from awkward and hard-to-reach angles.
The camera can also shoot unlimited video clips (limited only by the size of the flash card.) My 512 mb CF card can store about 4 minutes of video at a res of 640x 480 with 30 fps (best quality) and upto 30 minutes at 320 x 240 with 15fps. The Image Stabiliser is very useful for video and zoom photography. The optical zoom is noiseless and can be used during video shooting without disturbing the audio.
There are all the usual pre-set shooting modes (Auto, Panorama, Portrait, Action, Night etc.) as well as the Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority and manual mode. The photo- stitch mode is very useful and gives a seamless final image.
The view finder is electronic. The camera has three jacks : DC in for the optional adapter, Digital out USB port to connect to the computer, and A/V out to connect to T.V.
There is an option to attach a 10 second audio clip with each photo.
Pros
1> CF cards are easily available and not too expensive to upgrade.
2> Rechargeable NiMH batteries are cheaper and easily available as compared to proprietary Lithium ion batteries used in many other cameras.
3> Great image quality and excellent optical zoom
4> Loads of setting to suit beginners as well as serious hobbyists
5> Nice design and ergonomics.
6> Good software. The photo-stitch feature is amazing.
7> Swivel LCD display
Cons
1> Auto-focus in low light conditions is bad
Conclusion
As you can see the pros totally outnumber the cons! The camera is superb and I would have had no qualms recommending this camera to anyone! But now Canon has just launched its successor “Canon PowerShot Pro S2IS”, which is a 5 megapixel camera, which boasts of a 12x optical and 4x digital zoom, and a 1.8” swivel LCD.The camera will probably carry a pricetag of Rs. 32000-35000 on the streets. So if you are looking for a serious digital camera and are willing to part with that much money, . Go for the S2IS.
And if you would like to see some sample photos, mail me at svbhende@gmail.com.
UPDATE
Almost 10 months since I got this camera and its been the best 25000 i’ve ever spent.
I have taken over 3000 photos with this camera and have had very good results.
Visit these links to see the results for yourself.
First Pics
https://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/swapnilvbhende/album?.dir=/42fb&.src=ph&.tok=phLdYWCB910N81Zi
Am I Getting Better
https://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/swapnilvbhende/album?.dir=/83d4&.src=ph&.tok=phThl8CBe6I1Zmoy
More Flowers
https://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/swapnilvbhende/album?.dir=/8297&.src=ph&.tok=ph9eYWCBpM0l0skY
Akole Village
https://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/swapnilvbhende/album?.dir=/fce8&.src=ph&.tok=phuipaCBw.dXEBwj
Bramhakamal
https://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/swapnilvbhende/album?.dir=/5c40&.src=ph&.tok=phGCRYDBxq4mn1pJ
Best of VOF
https://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/swapnilvbhende/album?.dir=/86b3&.src=ph&.tok=phlGvqDB07R1Yrpm