Canon PowerShot S3 IS vs the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50K

[us131]

I am looking to buy a high end point and shoot camera (one step below an SLR). I have narrowed the choice down to the Canon PowerShot S3 IS and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50K... I cant make a choice as to which one to buy, any recommendations?

[snackelroy]

Hi!

The S3 and the FZ50 are fairly different animals and cetainly priced to reflect that. I bought the FZ50 right when it came out and my girlfriend had just bought the S2 (almost the exact same as the S3, minus a slightly larger screen and 1MP difference).

The FZ50 is definitely as close as you can get to an SLR without it being one. The ring zoom and focus controls are awesome to work with. The front and rear dials are also something similar to an SLR. It really handles beautifully. Overall, it's simply a far more sophisticated tool than the S3.

That said, it's about the same size as a Canon 400d with a small zoom attached. The S3 is much smaller, almost palm-sized in comparison. The S3 outshines the FZ50 if you want something to take along for snapshots, parties, etc. I love to take handheld self portraits with other people crowded around, for instance, and the FZ50 is incredibly ungainly for this. The S3 is perfect for it. Might sound like a silly difference, but I miss taking those shots.

What are you mostly thinking of shooting with this camera? What's important to you? Let me know and we can flesh it out further.

Andy

[us131]

intially i was going to get an DSLR, but decided against it as its a little to expensive and mostly because carrying all the lens is a little impractical.

I had a dimage z3 and then had a panasonic dmc fz5 (both of which got stolen) and i

i mostly take shots of scenary (during hiking), city shots at night, and cars racing. parties shots i dont do much of. I like the feel of a real camera. going from the z3 to the fz5 was a huge postitve difference.

To get an idea of some of the pictures i have taken in the past you can visit my web site:

http://www.Journeykaizen.com

[us131]

I was also looking in to the sony dsc-r1. If i was to attach a telephoto lens to it, it would have pretty close to the same zoom as the other two... i gathered the cheapest prices for a package price that would include all the lenses and other accesories (memory card, 2 lens (wide & tele), filters, bag, tripod, etc.)

DSC-R1: 900
S3IS: 500
FZ50: 650

which one do you think?

[snackelroy]

I can't speak to the Sony. But between the other two, given what you've told me about what you want to shoot, it's not even a question that the FZ50 would be the better choice for you. You can find it for $450-$520 these days on a lot of websites...

[Photo-John]

DSC-R1: 900
S3IS: 500
FZ50: 650

which one do you think?

I'd go for the Sony. The DSC-R1 really is as close to an SLR as you can get. It's the only "compact" digital camera with an aps-sized sensor. That means the sensor has the same physical dimensions as the sensors in digital SLRs. In fact, I think the R1 uses the same sensor that Nikon used in their D200. If you look through the gallery here, you'll find a bunch of wonderful photos taken with the R1. The image quality far surpasses that of any compact camera. Bigger sensors have much, much better image quality. But you'll pay with size and weight. The R1 is as big, or bigger, than a lot of digital SLRs. And it doesn't have any image stabilization. So you'll need to be more careful when you shoot and you should probably also invest in a tripod.

Here's a link to R1 photos in the gallery >>

Hope that helps. You might also want to take a look at the Sony H3 and H5. They're comparable to the Canon S3 IS.

[us131]

yeah i am definitly leaning towards the fz50...

after reviewing the sony r1, ive been told that for taking pictures of cars racing that..."without first-class teleconverters, you will lose a lot of image quality"

the fz5 did a pretty descent job at catching some really fast cars:

here is a pic with the fz5 of a car that pulls the same if not more g's than the space shuttle:

http://www.journeykaizen.com/pages/doug_foley.JPG

in the same regard it took good scenary shots, but it suffered at night...

nonetheless i was happy with panasonic fz5 but wanted to go a level higher in the point in shoot realm.

[wendyp]

This is my first visit to a forum ... but I am in the same indecisive mode... i own a digital SLR - canon rebel 6MP but fed up of lugging it around with 3 kids in and out of planes in and out of cars... have the canon A640 with underwater case for husband for xmas as he is dive fanatic... but as we live in Africa and I love using a mega zoom i wanted a small hybrid camera with a 12x optical lens... fast, good quality pics with video (as i never take ours just one more thing to lug around) and fun. My sis will get the camera for me and I cant physically test them as i live in africa ... please can someone advise me which camera should i go for? we take wildlife fotos as well as family shots...thanks Wendy

[Anbesol]

I'd go for the Sony. The DSC-R1 really is as close to an SLR as you can get. It's the only "compact" digital camera with an aps-sized sensor. That means the sensor has the same physical dimensions as the sensors in digital SLRs. In fact, I think the R1 uses the same sensor that Nikon used in their D200.

bingo, the r1 is a great camera. it really is an slr without actually being an slr.

it doesnt have the same sensor as the d200 though - the d200 uses a CCD, the R1 uses a CMOS (better!)... i would venture as far as to say i trust that cmos sensor before id trust the sensor in nikons d200.

[muso]

R1 is right camera... :-)