Gift for my girl, but which one?

Hello you, and thank you for taking the time to read this

Well, I'm looking for a digital camera for my girlfriend. It's pretty much set that I want to get her a Canon dc, since I'm VERY happy with my G3 Anyway, my girlfriend isn't that good with electronics, and she can't be bothered with trying to figure it out. She already owns a p&s film camera with a 35-155 or something zoom lens. I want to get her something compact, produces good image quality for it's class, easy to use (read: GOOD auto controls), and has some zoom capabilities. Though the Sxx and A60/A70 range are reasonably compact and have 3x zoom, they probably have a tad too many buttons for her liking. I'm thinking of the Ixus (Elph) range. These are even more compact and have somewhat of a (don't kill me for saying this) p&s touch to it, though they also leave some room for getting creative.

Anyway, am I doing the right thing here, to consider the Ixus serie? I like the S400 and Ixus 330 over the V3, because they have a little more zoom, then again, she won't really need 4 MP, so that would leave the Ixus 330... sigh ...I'm not even sure if I should go on looking for a dc for her....Anyway, if you actually read the whole thread and have suggestions, ideas or what not, please, feel free to right those down Other brands are welcome too.

Thanks again for reading this and for your ideas, suggestions and help, you're very kind

--
"First there was nothing, then there was G3."

I probably should add what kind of photography she'll be doing ("duuh"). It 'll be mainly candid shots, with friends, at the beach, hanging out, going out etc. So no "big bad ass landscape photography" or "very professional looking portraits", maybe once in a while, BUT mainly just normal every day shots really.

--
"First there was nothing, then there was G3."

Whismerhill said:

Hello you, and thank you for taking the time to read this

Well, I'm looking for a digital camera for my girlfriend. It's
pretty much set that I want to get her a Canon dc...

Click to expand...

This is an easy one: the S400. She will LOVE this cam, I guarantee it.
It's very easy to operate and has impeccable image quality. She will
also like the almost complete lack of redeye. I recently took 25 flash
self portraits and not one had redeye.

I just bought this cam for my wife and she is having a blast with it.
She usually runs it in full auto, but she also uses manual when it comes
time to tweak ISO, WB, etc.

Form factor and build quality are both excellent. Give it a shot.

RH

Robert Hoffman said:

This is an easy one: the S400. She will LOVE this cam, I guarantee it.
It's very easy to operate and has impeccable image quality. She will
also like the almost complete lack of redeye. I recently took 25 flash
self portraits and not one had redeye.

I just bought this cam for my wife and she is having a blast with it.
She usually runs it in full auto, but she also uses manual when it
comes
time to tweak ISO, WB, etc.

Form factor and build quality are both excellent. Give it a shot.

RH

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply

Yeah, I'm still pretty tempted to buy the S400, I held one, but unfortunately couldn't try it out for real. A big plus for me, while holding the dc was indeed the build quality, especially that it didn't leave behind any smudgy fingerprints as with the other dc's in the Ixus/Elph range.

Anyway, thanks again for the reply.

Hi,

Don't discount the S230...not as much zoom as the S330, but it's got an extra MP, better movie mode (better than S400, too), Digic processor and it looks better too (personally, I like the look of it better than the S400...). All this, and it's cheaper and smaller than the S400 too! Seems a perfect camera for "candid shots, with friends, at the beach, hanging out, going out etc"...especially considering your girlfriend has probably never even heard "megapixel" in her life, let alone given it any thought.

But then if money is no object, than maybe the S400 is the better choice...for you! ;-)

Cheers,
Dan

Whismerhill said:

I probably should add what kind of photography she'll be doing
("duuh"). It 'll be mainly candid shots, with friends, at the
beach, hanging out, going out etc. So no "big bad ass landscape
photography" or "very professional looking portraits", maybe once
in a while, BUT mainly just normal every day shots really.

Click to expand...

--
G3...depriving me of sleep since 7.12.02

http://www.pbase.com/g3dan (More pics coming as soon as I get my act together and make a payment to pbase!)

How about the Pentax Optio S? Most girls love the super compact type cameras (I gave my ex an APS Elph a couple years ago, she loved it). It's a 3MP camera, and it looks pretty cool, the whole thing will fit in an empty Altoids box! It uses SD cards which are getting really cheap too, nearly CF prices.

Now it's not a Canon, and though I'm partial to Canons myself, this camera is pretty cool. If you want compact, this is as compact as you'll get. It'll probably get lost in her purse

Check out the review at Steve's Digicams, he gave it a thumbs up:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/optios.html

-Marc

Whismerhill said:

Hello you, and thank you for taking the time to read this

Well, I'm looking for a digital camera for my girlfriend. It's
pretty much set that I want to get her a Canon dc, since I'm VERY
happy with my G3 Anyway, my girlfriend isn't that good with
electronics, and she can't be bothered with trying to figure it
out. She already owns a p&s film camera with a 35-155 or something
zoom lens. I want to get her something compact, produces good image
quality for it's class, easy to use (read: GOOD auto controls), and
has some zoom capabilities. Though the Sxx and A60/A70 range are
reasonably compact and have 3x zoom, they probably have a tad too
many buttons for her liking. I'm thinking of the Ixus (Elph) range.
These are even more compact and have somewhat of a (don't kill me
for saying this) p&s touch to it, though they also leave some room
for getting creative.

Anyway, am I doing the right thing here, to consider the Ixus
serie? I like the S400 and Ixus 330 over the V3, because they have
a little more zoom, then again, she won't really need 4 MP, so that
would leave the Ixus 330... sigh ...I'm not even sure if I should
go on looking for a dc for her....Anyway, if you actually read the
whole thread and have suggestions, ideas or what not, please, feel
free to right those down Other brands are welcome too.

Thanks again for reading this and for your ideas, suggestions and
help, you're very kind

--
"First there was nothing, then there was G3."

Click to expand...

Because I have two daughers, I had to buy two cameras. I chose A60's, mainly because I got a great deal on Dell.com and they ended up costing less than $189 each after rebate.

My daughters both love their A60's. They do not have electronics knowledge and enjoy the fact they can put the camera in full automatic mode and if they learn more, there are manual functions available as well. (I don't think they will ever use the manual features).

The cameras also come with AV cables to allow them to display their photos on a TV if they are at a party or visiting friends. Plus both the A60 and A70 have a movie mode with sound.

I think an A60 or A70 would be a perfect choice for your girlfriend. (Plus if you break up you won't have that much invested ... oops!)

Whismerhill said:

Well, I'm looking for a digital camera for my girlfriend
... isn't that good with electronics
... she can't be bothered with trying to figure it out
... I want to get her something compact
... easy to use

Click to expand...

Marc Ederis said:

How about the Pentax Optio S? Most girls love the super compact
type cameras (I gave my ex an APS Elph a couple years ago, she
loved it).
Check out the review at Steve's Digicams, he gave it a thumbs up:

Click to expand...

hehe, actually, i think steve give every camera he reviews a thumbs-up!

i recommend the canon S400...the women i know LOVE those elphs! i have to admit, they take pretty good photo-quality-wise too

Marc Ederis said:

How about the Pentax Optio S? Most girls love the super compact
type cameras (I gave my ex an APS Elph a couple years ago, she
loved it). It's a 3MP camera, and it looks pretty cool, the whole
thing will fit in an empty Altoids box! It uses SD cards which are
getting really cheap too, nearly CF prices.
Now it's not a Canon, and though I'm partial to Canons myself, this
camera is pretty cool. If you want compact, this is as compact as
you'll get. It'll probably get lost in her purse

Check out the review at Steve's Digicams, he gave it a thumbs up:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/optios.html

-Marc

Click to expand...

The problem with steves-digicams is that there are no sample photos at all. I did consider this when i was choosing a camera (also look at the casio 3mpix 3X zoom, which uses the same lens) but since there weren't any good reviews available, nor sample pictures, and since i heard on forums (like this one) that the picture quality was awful i picked the s400 instead.

Having said that, the quality might not be all that bad - try it perhaps?

The S400 has excellent built quality, is fairly easy to use (although switching off the 9 point auto zoom is still a good idea) and uses standard CF cards. It also has better battery life, and a better movie mode (although S230 is prolly better)

I prefer the look of the S400.

The Ixus are great, have you checked with the gf?. I have a G3 and my wife would like to get a camera too - she is impressed by the cuteness of the smaller cameras - maybe one with a slide across panel would be good for handbag carrying. This could be a factor for your lady. And get a camera that you like too, no disrespect implied, but you may be called on to figure out how it works and provide guidance. My wife has an aversion to instruction manuals but has no problem once something is explained (fortunately for both of us, I love instruction manuals)

Whismerhill said:

I probably should add what kind of photography she'll be doing
("duuh"). It 'll be mainly candid shots, with friends, at the
beach, hanging out, going out etc. So no "big bad ass landscape
photography" or "very professional looking portraits", maybe once
in a while, BUT mainly just normal every day shots really.

--
"First there was nothing, then there was G3."

Click to expand...

Hahaha, come to think of it, you're kind of right :Þ
Well, at least some of his conclusions mention which cameras have problems...

-Marc

21farms said:

Marc Ederis said:

How about the Pentax Optio S? Most girls love the super compact
type cameras (I gave my ex an APS Elph a couple years ago, she
loved it).
Check out the review at Steve's Digicams, he gave it a thumbs up:

Click to expand...

hehe, actually, i think steve give every camera he reviews a
thumbs-up!

i recommend the canon S400...the women i know LOVE those elphs! i
have to admit, they take pretty good photo-quality-wise too

Click to expand...

Whismerhill said:

I probably should add what kind of photography she'll be doing
("duuh"). It 'll be mainly candid shots, with friends, at the
beach, hanging out, going out etc. So no "big bad ass landscape
photography" or "very professional looking portraits", maybe once
in a while, BUT mainly just normal every day shots really.

--
"First there was nothing, then there was G3."

Click to expand...

beach, huh.... maybe olympus stylus 300. about the size of elph and nice little style. less controls... weather resistant is nice.... then again for that price or price of elph you could get her an a60 and water tight case..that would be fun at the beach in the surf...

-savagemike

Hey xand,

Actually all of his camera reviews have sample photos? Maybe you just didn't look on the right page. Look in the particular camera's review menu. Samples are usually one of the last pages.

I have to agree with 21farms though, his reviews tend to be pretty positive for most cameras...

-Marc

xand said:

The problem with steves-digicams is that there are no sample photos
at all. I did consider this when i was choosing a camera (also look
at the casio 3mpix 3X zoom, which uses the same lens) but since
there weren't any good reviews available, nor sample pictures, and
since i heard on forums (like this one) that the picture quality
was awful i picked the s400 instead.

Having said that, the quality might not be all that bad - try it
perhaps?

The S400 has excellent built quality, is fairly easy to use
(although switching off the 9 point auto zoom is still a good idea)
and uses standard CF cards. It also has better battery life, and a
better movie mode (although S230 is prolly better)

I prefer the look of the S400.

Click to expand...

xand said:

The problem with steves-digicams is that there are no sample photos
at all. I did consider this when i was choosing a camera (also look
at the casio 3mpix 3X zoom, which uses the same lens) but since
there weren't any good reviews available, nor sample pictures, and
since i heard on forums (like this one) that the picture quality
was awful i picked the s400 instead.

Click to expand...

but there ARE sample pictures at steve's. in fact, the ONLY thing i really like about steve's is that he takes pictures of the same things with almost all the cameras that he tests and that allows for some comparison. here's the S400's: http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/s400_samples.html . the casio's are coming.

Whismerhill said:

Hello you, and thank you for taking the time to read this

Well, I'm looking for a digital camera for my girlfriend. It's
pretty much set that I want to get her a Canon dc, since I'm VERY
happy with my G3 Anyway, my girlfriend isn't that good with
electronics, and she can't be bothered with trying to figure it
out. She already owns a p&s film camera with a 35-155 or something
zoom lens. I want to get her something compact, produces good image
quality for it's class, easy to use (read: GOOD auto controls), and
has some zoom capabilities. Though the Sxx and A60/A70 range are
reasonably compact and have 3x zoom, they probably have a tad too
many buttons for her liking. I'm thinking of the Ixus (Elph) range.
These are even more compact and have somewhat of a (don't kill me
for saying this) p&s touch to it, though they also leave some room
for getting creative.

Anyway, am I doing the right thing here, to consider the Ixus
serie? I like the S400 and Ixus 330 over the V3, because they have
a little more zoom, then again, she won't really need 4 MP, so that
would leave the Ixus 330... sigh ...I'm not even sure if I should
go on looking for a dc for her....Anyway, if you actually read the
whole thread and have suggestions, ideas or what not, please, feel
free to right those down Other brands are welcome too.

Thanks again for reading this and for your ideas, suggestions and
help, you're very kind

--
"First there was nothing, then there was G3."

Click to expand...

My first choice(s) would be S230 or S400. As far as pocketability and ease of use, they can't be beat. I got the S230 for my wife and also to compliment my G2. She loves it because she can pop it into her hand bag and not feel weighed down. But it takes great pictures (though flash range is a little short). And, she's photographically "challenged" - her last camera was rescued after it fell off the roof of a passing car - yet she appears very comfortable with the S230.

I would go for an A60 or A70 as a second choice. I bought my daughter an A40 over Christmas holidays, and it really shines. As a matter of fact, we took some similar shots over the week-end, and I think hers were at least as sharp as mine.
--
Joe

G2, S230, Konica Autoreflex-T, Pentax IQZoom 115, Olympus 35RC

Whismerhill said:

Hello you, and thank you for taking the time to read this

Well, I'm looking for a digital camera for my girlfriend. It's
pretty much set that I want to get her a Canon dc, since I'm VERY
happy with my G3 Anyway, my girlfriend isn't that good with
electronics, and she can't be bothered with trying to figure it
out. She already owns a p&s film camera with a 35-155 or something
zoom lens. I want to get her something compact, produces good image
quality for it's class, easy to use (read: GOOD auto controls), and
has some zoom capabilities. Though the Sxx and A60/A70 range are
reasonably compact and have 3x zoom, they probably have a tad too
many buttons for her liking. I'm thinking of the Ixus (Elph) range.
These are even more compact and have somewhat of a (don't kill me
for saying this) p&s touch to it, though they also leave some room
for getting creative.

Anyway, am I doing the right thing here, to consider the Ixus
serie? I like the S400 and Ixus 330 over the V3, because they have
a little more zoom, then again, she won't really need 4 MP, so that
would leave the Ixus 330... sigh ...I'm not even sure if I should
go on looking for a dc for her....Anyway, if you actually read the
whole thread and have suggestions, ideas or what not, please, feel
free to right those down Other brands are welcome too.

Thanks again for reading this and for your ideas, suggestions and
help, you're very kind

--
"First there was nothing, then there was G3."

Click to expand...

Just bought the IXUS S400, and I'm very happy with it. It's very compact. There's a fully automatic mode, so all you have to do is just point and shoot, and the results are very good.

It's also possible to record short video clips with sound, and it's not that complicated to figure out. Would probably be a good choice for her, particularly because of the small size.

--
Best regards, -David / Copenhagen

21farms said:

NKH said:

The problem with steves-digicams is that there are no sample photos
at all. I did consider this when i was choosing a camera (also look
at the casio 3mpix 3X zoom, which uses the same lens) but since
there weren't any good reviews available, nor sample pictures, and
since i heard on forums (like this one) that the picture quality
was awful i picked the s400 instead.

Click to expand...

but there ARE sample pictures at steve's. in fact, the ONLY thing i
really like about steve's is that he takes pictures of the same
things with almost all the cameras that he tests and that allows
for some comparison. here's the S400's:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/s400_samples.html . the
casio's are coming.

Click to expand...

Right. My fault.

Thanks.

WOW! I never figured I'd get so many replies on one of my own threads, sniff , I'm so happy, you really do love me!!

Anyway, thanks for the replies everyone! Yes, I've been looking for a review of the Ixus 400/S400, and only found the one on steve's digicams. I'm not a big fan of his reviews though, because they're all pretty much the same in my opinion (please don't hurt me for saying that). Anyway, as for the S230/Ixuvs V3 vs. Ixus 400/S400, don't they both have a Digic processor? With that in mind I would still prefer the Ixus 400 over the Ixus V3 for the better zoom capability, BUT yes the V3 has a better moviemode (640x480 vs. 320x240 of the Ixus 400)...So yeah...Hmmzz...what to do, as for the "candid shots on the beach", that probably wasn't a smart thing to say. If I learned anything with digital photography and dc's, it's that your digital camera doesn't get along that well with water/sand, "yes, how peculiar..hmmzz...". My old G1 once got totally fried after a day at the beach because a person -who shall remain nameless- thought it was "okay" to leave a dc IN the sand OUT of it's bag....Thanks again for that bro....sheesh.....Anyway, just wanted to point out what kind of shots my gf would make. But I guess it's gonna be the Ixus 400/S400 then. Indeed too bad the Ixus 400 hasn't got the 640x480 movie mode like the V3/S230, then again, it has a little more zoom, and you don't leave smudgy fingerprints behind on the Ixus 400 like the rest of the Ixus range. Also, someone mentioned the Pentax Optio S, looked into that one: YES, WAAAAY small, and very cool Features everything my gf would like, but personally I wasn't too thrilled about the image quality. Okay, even if she does make prints of her pictures it 'll be a 4x6 inch format, so you might not notice any flaws in the picture, but still...The prices in The Netherlands are f*cking high compared to the States, and the Optio S and Ixus range are priced pretty much the same, so I prefer image quality over size here.

I think I really should shut up now and let you go on with reading other threads Anyway, thanks again to you all, it was nice to get all those replies. When she has her own dc, my G3 will fear one threat less

--
"First there was nothing, then there was G3."

Whismerhill said:

Hello you, and thank you for taking the time to read this

Well, I'm looking for a digital camera for my girlfriend. It's
pretty much set that I want to get her a Canon dc, since I'm VERY
happy with my G3 Anyway, my girlfriend isn't that good with
electronics, and she can't be bothered with trying to figure it
out. She already owns a p&s film camera with a 35-155 or something
zoom lens. I want to get her something compact, produces good image
quality for it's class, easy to use (read: GOOD auto controls), and
has some zoom capabilities. Though the Sxx and A60/A70 range are
reasonably compact and have 3x zoom, they probably have a tad too
many buttons for her liking. I'm thinking of the Ixus (Elph) range.

Click to expand...

Actually, the A60/70 cameras have no more buttons than the newer Elph series. They just have more (available) manual controls than the Elphs do.

They can be left in full auto and work fine as a point n shoot. Plus they are very reasonably priced and are IMHO the best value among current Canon digicams. I have an A70 and it's by far the best digicam that I have owned!

Sincerely, Bob the Printer

Whismerhill said:

Hello you, and thank you for taking the time to read this

Click to expand...

You're welcome. =D

If you're looking for another review of the S400, http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/S400/S40A.HTM

I'm sure your gf will be thrilled.

Regards,
Alex