Digital Camera Confused

I’m trying to decide which digital camera to buy. I went to the Sony store and checked out the Cyber-shot DSC-H2. Price tag: Php33,900.

sony cyber shot dsc h2

Sony Cybershot DSC H2
6.00 Mpixel Resolution
12X Optical Zoom

There was no way for me to read the whole list of features this camera has because it was sitting behind a glass display and once I got a hold of it it was attached to a locked cable. It was like this store didn’t want to sell me anything. But the camera looked absolutely beautiful. I didn’t mind the bulkiness because it just added to the ‘professional’ feel of it. If I wanted to be taken seriously I’d at least try to look like the real thing right? Hehe. Everyone’s buying those smallish toys that claim to be cameras. I beg to differ. I’d rather go for the brawny bunch. Without bothering to go obsessive on the specs I simply decided to dig up reviews later on the Internet for a more reliable opinion.

Right across the Sony store was the Canon store. A slew of SLR-type cameras was on display but most of them were definitely not within my budget. There was however one that was: the Canon Powershot S2. It wasn’t exactly the kind I was aiming for. It came in chrome and screamed “consumer electronic”. It didn’t look as ‘pro’ as the Cyber-Shot, but it basically had the same features. Price tag: Php29,000.

canon powershot s2

Canon Powershot S2 IS
5.00 Mpixel Resolution
12X Optical Zoom

While I was researching some more, I learned Canon came out with a meaner model, the Powershot S3. Price tag: ~P35,000.

canon powershot s3

Canon Powershot S3 IS
6.00 Mpixel Resolution
12X Optical Zoom

My main purpose of buying a camera is to learn photography and take great pictures. And in the process, maybe make it an alternative career path. 🙂 I’ve always been interested in this craft since I took it up at Pratt in New York. It was sad though because my professor didn’t appreciate the stuff I came up with. He said my subjects were too random and lacked focus. Hmm. To add fuel to the flame one of my classmates stole my Nikon camera. Two police officers showed up in school but they did nothing but asked me to file a report. But I digress. I’ll blog about my final purchase tomorrow. If you guys have had experience with the cameras I mentioned, please fill me in!

5 comments

  1. I guess it would be better for you to look for D-SLR either from Nikon or Canon, but I would prefer the former specially if you are aiming to take on stationary shots.

  2. Hi Val — I ended up with the Canon Powershot S3 IS. Not exactly an SLR, though (can’t afford ’em). So far, I’ve been getting good results with it, which I’ll try to post here soon. One problem I have is the noise that shows up in darker shots.

  3. My good old point-and-shoot camera (one of the Canon PowerShot series) had served me faithfully, but I was growing frustrated with its limitations. It seemed SO slow — I was always missing great shots of my kids. The low-light performance was not particularly good. And I knew if I ever wanted to take more than basic family snapshots, I was going to need to bite the bullet and buy a DSLR. But they seemed so intimidating! After doing a ton of research online and trying out my sister-in-law’s slightly older Nikon D40, I settled on the new D3000. And I love it! It really is easier to use than I could’ve imagined, and the shots I’ve gotten so far are amazing. I have no photographic training, but I am really delighted with the pictures I’ve been getting so far. I never could have imagined there would be SUCH a huge difference. I’ve actually gotten -sharp- pictures of my toddler in motion, rather than just kid-shaped blurs! I took it to a local park last night for a couple hours and took some really nice photos there, too.

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