Canon A570 IS vs A710 IS vs Samsung S1050?

[SquiRel]

If they were all the same price, which one would be the BEST overall. I'm trying to decide between the three and can't seem to make up my mind. Please help!
Thanks,
Andrew

[Photo-John]

I would buy the Canon PowerShot A570. The Canon A-Series cameras have been some of the most popular on this site since they were introduced, years ago. They offer a really nice balance of price and features. They aren't the sexiest cameras. But the features are really, really good and they're very powerful cameras. I also believe Canon offers the best image quality right now. And their IS system is excellent. Between the two Canons, the A570 is newer, with better high-ISO performance and less zoom, which usually means a better lens. Plus, cameras that came out this year (the A710 IS was introduced in 2006) have noticeably better image quality at higher ISO settings. The combination of better high-ISO performance and IS makes the A570 the best camera, I think.

I like Samsung cameras and their camera design is really nice. But I think Canon's iomage quality is better. Samsung image quality is usually a bit overprocessed and harsh for my taste. But if you really like it, I wouldn't tell you not to get it. Personal taste is definitely an important consideration. And you can turn down the in-camera sharpening, contrast, and saturation to smooth out the image quality.

Sorry no one answered your post sooner. I'll keep an eye on this post in case you have more questions.

[Mr Yuck]

The A710 has the CHDK modified "firmware" available now, which allows you to shoot in RAW.

However a port of the firmware is in the works for the A570IS, I don't know how long it will take...but the fact that it's available for the A710 now is nice.

RAW would allow you to create pseudo-hdrs from one picture or correct the white balance in post processing.

[Photo-John]

The A710 has the CHDK modified "firmware" available now, which allows you to shoot in RAW.

I don't think the ability to shoot in RAW outweighs the A570's better high-ISO performance. All of the cameras introduced in 2007 have noticeably better image quality than those that became available in 2006.