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The updated S3 better be a good one

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relate22

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I own an S2 and just love the camera. Although I am looking for an upgrade and I just played with the new Oly 550 at Harvery Norman in Sydney and I tell you unless Canons new upgrade for the S3 can match or beat it I can see myself with a new Oly 550.

Here is the link in the Oly forum with my thoughts after my 5 minutes playing with the camera.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1008&message=22050011
--
http://www.pbase.com/reelate2
http://www.pbase.com/relate2
Me flying
http://youtube.com/watch?v=hY8VhR4gI3w

 
No doubt the bar has been raised. However, Canon still holds some significant advantages:
1) The swivel lcd
2) Better movie, including taking stills while shooting movie

3) Card format - with a 4GB SD being comparable in cost and availability to a 1GB XD, not to mention speed.

Given that, I think Canon does not need to match Olympus in the other areas. An adequate response might be:
1) 28-420 15X
2) 230K resolution lcd and evf.

If it can also do an efficient movie format like the Casio EX-V7, then it will be icing on the cake.
--
JonathanF
 
JonathanF said:
No doubt the bar has been raised. However, Canon still holds some
significant advantages:
1) The swivel lcd
2) Better movie, including taking stills while shooting movie
3) Card format - with a 4GB SD being comparable in cost and
availability to a 1GB XD, not to mention speed.
Click to expand...
What about f3.5 versus f4.5? That's the biggest disadvantage I can see of the Oly, even over the Xd cards.

Going slower is going the wrong direction. I'd rather have 6x-10x and faster than 18x and slower. Give me a 24-200/2-2.8 or a 28-300/2.8.

--
Lee Jay
(see profile for equipment)
 
ljfinger said:
JonathanF said:
No doubt the bar has been raised. However, Canon still holds some
significant advantages:
1) The swivel lcd
2) Better movie, including taking stills while shooting movie
3) Card format - with a 4GB SD being comparable in cost and
availability to a 1GB XD, not to mention speed.
Click to expand...
What about f3.5 versus f4.5? That's the biggest disadvantage I can
see of the Oly, even over the Xd cards.

Going slower is going the wrong direction. I'd rather have 6x-10x
and faster than 18x and slower. Give me a 24-200/2-2.8 or a
28-300/2.8.

--
Lee Jay
(see profile for equipment)
Click to expand...
You are right of course. I am very much an amature and don't see much of the nitty-gritty stuff.
--
JonathanF
 
Switching from f2.8 to f4.5 means switching from ISO 400 to ISO 1000 to get the same shutter speed. Would you rather shoot at ISO 400 or ISO 1000 for best image quality?

--
Lee Jay
(see profile for equipment)
 
That slower lens aperture is at a much longer focal length than the S3 has, so I'd expect that given the gradual transition from F2.8 at the longest S3 focal length we are probably talking about the same maximum aperture.
ljfinger said:
What about f3.5 versus f4.5? That's the biggest disadvantage I can
see of the Oly, even over the Xd cards.

Going slower is going the wrong direction. I'd rather have 6x-10x
and faster than 18x and slower. Give me a 24-200/2-2.8 or a
28-300/2.8.

--
Lee Jay
(see profile for equipment)
Click to expand...
 
jimr said:
That slower lens aperture is at a much longer focal length than the
S3 has,
Click to expand...
Not it's not. 504-equivalent versus 432 equivalent at the long ends (virtually no difference).
jimr said:
so I'd expect that given the gradual transition from F2.8
at the longest S3 focal length we are probably talking about the
same maximum aperture.
Click to expand...
Want to bet? I haven't tested the Oly yet, but I'd bet it's slower at every focal length longer than about 100mm equivalent or so.

--
Lee Jay
(see profile for equipment)
 
Hold on.

The 28 mm vs. 36 mm is a major difference in wide angle capability ...and that is at F2.8 NOT at F4.5.

Secondly the F4.5 is a 504 mm not 432 mm where the Oly lens would probably be at a similar maximum aperture to the Canon.
ljfinger said:
Switching from f2.8 to f4.5 means switching from ISO 400 to ISO
1000 to get the same shutter speed. Would you rather shoot at ISO
400 or ISO 1000 for best image quality?

--
Lee Jay
(see profile for equipment)
Click to expand...
 
ljfinger said:
jimr said:
That slower lens aperture is at a much longer focal length than the
S3 has,
Click to expand...
Not it's not. 504-equivalent versus 432 equivalent at the long
ends (virtually no difference).
Lee Jay said:
so I'd expect that given the gradual transition from F2.8
at the longest S3 focal length we are probably talking about the
same maximum aperture.
Click to expand...
Want to bet? I haven't tested the Oly yet, but I'd bet it's slower
at every focal length longer than about 100mm equivalent or so.
Click to expand...
Is the Oly slower than the Canon at 28 to 35 mm focal length as well? :)
Lee Jay said:
--
Lee Jay
(see profile for equipment)
Click to expand...
 
Yes, the Oly's max aperture at 504mm is ƒ4.5, but what is it at 432mm, the max focal length of the S3IS? I doubt it's 4.5 and the two cameras probably closely compare at that fl and likely not the issue your making of it. It's very difficult to build an 18x lens, especially a quality one, and keep it fast throughout range.

The rest of the arguments - movie mode, card format and articulating LCD, are more of an individual need or preference, and not really deal breakers, though a larger LCD would benefit everyone.

I don't like xD cards but I would never let card format dictate me passing up what could be a great camera otherwise.

I agree that the SP550 is the target. Hopefully, Canon will meet the challenge.

Rick
 
jimr said:
Hold on.

The 28 mm vs. 36 mm is a major difference in wide angle capability
...and that is at F2.8 NOT at F4.5.
Click to expand...
Right.
jimr said:
Secondly the F4.5 is a 504 mm not 432 mm where the Oly lens would
probably be at a similar maximum aperture to the Canon.
Click to expand...
Like I said, want to bet?

--
Lee Jay
(see profile for equipment)
 
Totally agree! I think that for the vast majority of users (think in the home family gatherings, weddings, outdoor scenes etc. ...the significant advantage that the Oly has over the Canon is the much better wide angle coverage.

Going from 36 mm of the Canon down to 28 mm of the Oly is a significant and very useful improvement in wide angle coverage.
RickS said:
Yes, the Oly's max aperture at 504mm is ƒ4.5, but what is it at
432mm, the max focal length of the S3IS? I doubt it's 4.5 and the
two cameras probably closely compare at that fl and likely not the
issue your making of it. It's very difficult to build an 18x lens,
especially a quality one, and keep it fast throughout range.

The rest of the arguments - movie mode, card format and
articulating LCD, are more of an individual need or preference, and
not really deal breakers, though a larger LCD would benefit
everyone.

I don't like xD cards but I would never let card format dictate me
passing up what could be a great camera otherwise.

I agree that the SP550 is the target. Hopefully, Canon will meet
the challenge.

Rick
Click to expand...
 
RickS said:
Yes, the Oly's max aperture at 504mm is ƒ4.5, but what is it at
432mm, the max focal length of the S3IS? I doubt it's 4.5
Click to expand...
I bet it's f4.5 from 200mm equivalent and up.

--
Lee Jay
(see profile for equipment)
 
ljfinger said:
RickS said:
Yes, the Oly's max aperture at 504mm is ƒ4.5, but what is it at
432mm, the max focal length of the S3IS? I doubt it's 4.5
Click to expand...
I bet it's f4.5 from 200mm equivalent and up.
Click to expand...
What is this based upon? PLEASE show us where you found this information. Thank you. I want to be informed. 200mm and up is at F4.5 maximum aperture. Thank you. Just please show us where you saw that.
Lee Jay said:
Lee Jay
(see profile for equipment)
Click to expand...
 
jimr said:
ljfinger said:
RickS said:
Yes, the Oly's max aperture at 504mm is ƒ4.5, but what is it at
432mm, the max focal length of the S3IS? I doubt it's 4.5
Click to expand...
I bet it's f4.5 from 200mm equivalent and up.
Click to expand...
What is this based upon?
Click to expand...
Experience.

The S3 is f2.7 at 6mm, f3.2 at 8mm, and f3.5 from 15mm-72mm. All variable-f-stop zoom lenses I've had for SLRs are somewhat similar (slow constant f-stop for a good portion of the long end of the zoom range). I have no reason to believe the Oly is any different.

--
Lee Jay
(see profile for equipment)
 
ljfinger said:
jimr said:
ljfinger said:
RickS said:
Yes, the Oly's max aperture at 504mm is ƒ4.5, but what is it at
432mm, the max focal length of the S3IS? I doubt it's 4.5
Click to expand...
I bet it's f4.5 from 200mm equivalent and up.
Click to expand...
What is this based upon?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
I think that you'll find that reflects the limitations of the LCD readout rather than a reflection of the true aperture variation which should b a continous slide as you zoom.
Lee Jay said:
Experience.

The S3 is f2.7 at 6mm, f3.2 at 8mm, and f3.5 from 15mm-72mm. All
variable-f-stop zoom lenses I've had for SLRs are somewhat similar
(slow constant f-stop for a good portion of the long end of the
zoom range). I have no reason to believe the Oly is any different.

--
Lee Jay
(see profile for equipment)
Click to expand...
 
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