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Still the best point and shoot ever made, for my purposes....

Started Jul 6, 2012 | Discussions
jmcarp Regular Member • Posts: 279
Re: Still the best point and shoot ever made, for my purposes....

Fish Chris wrote:

Hey jmcarp, thank you ! That SX 20 is bigger, and more expensive (twice what I paid for my A650IS......

However, it does in fact meet the criteria I listed. Cool.

Thanks again,
Fish

Current prices for new SX20's (if you can find one) are more than the original cost. There are well-known reasons for this price disparity for most older cameras that many consider "desirable" -- some valid and some seemingly arbitrary. If you're seriously interested in an SX20, you can probably pick up a used one since there are always owners of older superzooms who are upgrading to the latest and greatest.

As for the AA vs rechargeable battery thing, my feet are firmly planted in both camps, having cameras which use both types. The newer rechargeable L-ion batts have really great life, and the current chargers all work at either 115 or 240 volts for world travel. My biggest complaint with the rechargeable batteries is that there is little compatibility, even with one manufacturer's camera lines. This means having to buy multiple separate batteries for each camera in order to have backups -- and they ain't cheap, as we all know.

Meanwhile, I can switch AA's among my various AA-using cameras at will, and pick up backups at 99% of stores practically anywhere in the world. As I said in my previous post, I use lithium AA's almost exclusively because of their great life capacity. I used to use rechargeable AA's, but when my last set would no longer take a charge, I switched to the lithiums and haven't looked back.

RedFox88 Forum Pro • Posts: 30,738
sorry but...

Fish Chris wrote:

Geeez, how I loved my A6XX series cameras..... and still do !

I primarily use my A650 IS, for all of my trophy fish photos, and I take 95% of them, of myself and the fish, by myself, with a tripod, using the "C" custom preset mode, almost exclusively.

Sorry but even the G11 destroys the a650/G9 at ISO 800 and 1600. It may be good for your purposes but newer cameras have trumped your old a650.

RedFox88 Forum Pro • Posts: 30,738
other way around...

jmcarp wrote:

Fish Chris wrote:

...PS, Every year or two, I have to ask if Canon has come out with a "real" replacement for my A650 IS yet ? Does anyone know of such a camera ? Remember, it must use AA's, have a flip screen, and have the "C" custom preset mode....

It seems like the manufacturers are more inclined to push for smaller and smaller P&S bodies, which means abandoning AA batteries for those tiny proprietary rechargeable batteries which only last for a couple of hundred shots. (They're happy to sell you additional batteries for $50 or $60 a pop.)

My experience is that Canon AA battery digicams do poorly with AA batteries. Proprietary batteries that are Li-on are much better for power capacity. My sister's previous a570 and now SX120 won't last long with its AA batteries even sometimes telling low battery when pretty new AAs are put in. Sometimes even my a620 will tell me low battery when my CHDK battery level indicator is at 90%. Go figure. Li-on is much better!

Hank3152
Hank3152 Forum Pro • Posts: 13,499
Re: sorry but...

RedFox88 wrote:

Sorry but even the G11 destroys the a650/G9 at ISO 800 and 1600. It may be good for your purposes but newer cameras have trumped your old a650.

I agree.......my A610 had slightly better IQ than my A650 but the extra reach and IS made it more useful......then my G11 trumped them both in IQ and features......

Having a spare lithium-ion with it's small plug-in charger made charging more efficient than a drawer full of AA's and huge chargers.
--
Regards,
Hank

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Fish Chris
OP Fish Chris Veteran Member • Posts: 4,987
I wouldn't know.....

I've never used, nor needed to use, anything above ISO 100 for my fish photos. Never use the zoom either.

Again, as I have said, the A650 IS is still the best camera "for my purposes". Kinda' sucks that I use my fish photo cameras in such a special, and apparently, unusual way, as without a bigger market, Canon will probably never again make such a great camera just for me......

BTW guys, although you "general photographers" might not think my A650 is so great, most of the guys on the fishing forums just do back flips over my fish shots, and the first thing they want to know is > What kind of camera do you use ? So I tell them... but then I have to tell them, sorry, it's been discontinued, with not too many reasonable choices to replace it......

Fish
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Hank3152
Hank3152 Forum Pro • Posts: 13,499
Re: I wouldn't know.....

Jus sayin', ........get a used G11 for it's IQ, performance and swivel LCD.......and get a spare battery (or 2). You'll get even better pics......

Here's one for $225..........plus an extra battery.........from a very reputable seller, based on his feedback on FM alone, 160.
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1127638/0?keyword=g11#10766480

-- hide signature --

Regards,
Hank

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Fish Chris
OP Fish Chris Veteran Member • Posts: 4,987
Well ya' know Hank....

Just so you know I'm not just trying to be argumentive .....

I actually do think the G series are fine cameras. I hate buying anything used..... But mayJust be refurbished, by Canon, with warranty ?

And what the hey, it wouldn't be like I was out there fishing with "only" the G series camera, anyway. Since I have 3 A6XX series cameras, you gotta' know what my backup will always be .......and heck, as a backup, I'd probably put alkalines in them (instead if NiMH rechargeables) and another set of alk. in my Pelican case

In which case, I might not even worry about a spare proprietary bat for the G11.....

So now I'm wondering what kind of difference, if any, I might see in IQ, between the A650 IS and a G11 > if never shooting anything but ISO 100, and never using zoom.

How do the G series do with Macro's ? I sometimes use this for up close shots, of small, but pretty fish.....

Think I will go look at some image samples, now. Wish I could find some samples from an A650 IS, also taken with a G11....

Peace,
Fish
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james s. kennedy Contributing Member • Posts: 586
Re: Still the best point and shoot ever made, for my purposes....

It is one of the best. I have owned an enjoyed the A80, A95, A620 and the A650IS.

They all had viewfinders, flexible LCDs, and used 4 AA batteries. Use Lithiums, and you are set for years, literally. I installed CHDK on my 650 and it worked great.

The electric wires to my LCD wore out, and it did cost over over $200 bucks to repair, bur it would have cost far more to get one in decent shape on ebay. The only thing I wish it had was a wide end 28mm. My prior A's went to son, Daughter and wife and are still in service.

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Fish Chris
OP Fish Chris Veteran Member • Posts: 4,987
And here I was trying to be open minded :-(

So I was researching the G11, and then I read this > Successor to the G10 reduces the pixel count from 14.7 to 10 megapixels in a move that sacrifices low ISO resolution for better performance at higher settings

Well doesn't that just suck ?

Like I already said, high ISO performance means basically zero to me with my fish photo cameras.... while low ISO performance, is of utmost importance. I'm also a MP freak, who occasionally likes to do 16 x 20's, or even larger.
And then the G10, didn't have a swivel screen I just can't win !

I'm sorry, but the G series definately do not sound like the ideal fish photo camera for me. Again, glad I have 3 A6XX series.....

I'd buy another "like new" A650 IS right now, if I had the extra dollars.....

Peace,
Fish
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averagjoe
averagjoe Contributing Member • Posts: 870
Re: Still the best point and shoot ever made, for my purposes....

Although I have a DSLR with a full complement of lenses, my every day carry-around cameras are an A610 and an A-630, and both deliver IQ comparable to the DSLR. I don't do any low-light stuff, so shooting at ISO 50/80 gives me fluid colors and saturation. Newer is not necessarily better.

Fish Chris
OP Fish Chris Veteran Member • Posts: 4,987
Re: Still the best point and shoot ever made, for my purposes....

Thanks for that heads up. I'd be SOOO bummed.... But I guess I would have no choice but to get it repaired. GOT to have my A650 IS

Peace,
Fish
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Fish Chris
OP Fish Chris Veteran Member • Posts: 4,987
Re: Still the best point and shoot ever made, for my purposes....

Hey Average, exactly ! In fact, I carry my DSLR on every trip, with my 400 F5.6 already strapped to it, for nature shots, and such. But a DSLR for self taken fish shots would just be a BIG PITA, for little to no benefit in IQ.

Peace,
Fish
--

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RedFox88 Forum Pro • Posts: 30,738
Re: I wouldn't know.....

Fish Chris wrote:

I've never used, nor needed to use, anything above ISO 100 for my fish photos. Never use the zoom either.

If that's the case, you don't need a P&S camera. You'd be better off by just using an iphone 4s. It has the contrast backed off compared to the 4 (which improves shadow detail and highlight retention) and is 8 MP. Plus it has a much better LCD display. And I'm being serious since you only shoot in good light and never zoom in.

RedFox88 Forum Pro • Posts: 30,738
Re: And here I was trying to be open minded :-(

Fish Chris wrote:

So I was researching the G11, and then I read this > Successor to the G10 reduces the pixel count from 14.7 to 10 megapixels in a move that sacrifices low ISO resolution for better performance at higher settings

Well doesn't that just suck ?

If you only use low ISO and never zoom in, do you even need anything more than 10 MP? Maybe you're only using photos on screen and facebook and here which would mean you only need 2 MP.

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