tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21037755416752225672024-03-04T23:03:09.339-08:00Using the Canon Powershot S5Digital Camera RatingsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103775541675222567.post-79684024460525220132009-01-23T22:04:00.000-08:002009-01-23T22:55:39.931-08:0010 Tips to Taking Better Digital Pictures TODAY!It doesn’t matter if you’re using a <a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com/2008/12/smallest-canon-camera.html">compact digital camera</a>, a Canon S5IS, or a digital SLR, the application of these simple guidelines will greatly improve your photos.<br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Shoot early or late.</span> The best times to shoot are early morning before sunrise and late in the afternoon around sunset. Shooting at these optimal times will give your pictures warm and gold tones. Unless you’re shooting macro shots, the midday light is too bright and creates harsh shadows. Actually, an overcast sky could be your best friend because it acts like a soft box, which creates beautiful pictures.<br /><br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Use the Rule of 1/3s.</span> This is an incredibly powerful compositional rule in visual arts such as photography, painting and design. The theory states that you divide your frame into nine equal parts by two-equally spaced horizontal lines and two-equally spaced vertical lines, (the same as drawing a framed tic-tac toe). Then you place your subject off-center and into one of four intersections (as indicated in red). Tip: if your subject is looking into the scene from the left, it's best to place it either in the upper left intersection or the bottom left. Look through your camera’s manual. You may be able to set-up the gridlines for your viewfinder.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPUqXAWwA3g3nmRC2UMsCDFholYAsKHo69cNDdXLindPon1IBmdrpjntbtSvBob_at3ZgbrS0xXElceZ6mMT57LrZqC1svoV9F8TrVTJ3pQthzpdUZZR1h_lJgcvWUg_tMbabDocwa78/s1600-h/Rule+of+Thirds.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPUqXAWwA3g3nmRC2UMsCDFholYAsKHo69cNDdXLindPon1IBmdrpjntbtSvBob_at3ZgbrS0xXElceZ6mMT57LrZqC1svoV9F8TrVTJ3pQthzpdUZZR1h_lJgcvWUg_tMbabDocwa78/s320/Rule+of+Thirds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294745551112295010" border="0" /></a><br /><br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Get closer.</span> This is the easiest and most effective way to improve the look of your photos. Either physically move-in closer to the subject or zoom in.<br /><br />4. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Change Your Point of View.</span> This is another quick and easy way to make your photos look interesting and professional. Instead of taking a photo at your eye level, squat down low and include foreground elements that lead up to your subject. If you can, include a little splash of color in the foreground.<br /><br />5. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Include Reflections.</span> If you are shooting reflections, make sure you include the entire image of your subject in the reflection. Disregard the Rule of 1/3s with reflections and place the dividing line in the middle of the frame.<br /><br />6. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Look for Interesting Structural or Graphic Elements.</span> When you’re composing a photo and there’s a meandering path, include it in the frame.<br /><br />7. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Odd Numbers</span> -The human eye for some reason loves odd numbers. When composing a photo, either shoot a single subject, a group of three or 5 things. Avoid even numbers. This rule is a general guideline in all design elements.<br /><br />8. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Use a tripo</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">d.</span> This will eliminate a blurry photo especially when you’re working with slower shutter speeds. Also, try using the camera’s remote for with the tripod because the camera will still vibrate after you shoot the picture.<br /><br />9. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pay attention to your background.</span> It doesn’t matter what type of subject you’re shooting (person, place or thing), make sure your background isn’t too busy and doesn’t have any distractions such as rickety fence, a person’s cut-off head, a pile of dirty clothes, heavy traffic, power poles, etc. <br /><br />10. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Look through your viewfinder.</span> Look through your viewfinder instead of the digital camera's LCD screen. Using the camera’s LCD screen won’t give you a great shot because there’s a slight time delay, and it also eats up your battery power.<br /><br />Whether you’re documenting your life or using photography as your creative expression, I promise these 10 tips will help you take better digital photos today! <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." - Edgar Degas</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue by visiting the blog</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103775541675222567.post-61137534648114536932009-01-19T01:32:00.000-08:002009-01-19T01:39:19.121-08:00Dual Sim Phones with Small CamerasDo people really use these phone cameras. A <a href="http://dualsimcardphone.blogspot.com">dual sim phone</a> is nice but the cameras are junk. I have been through a few of these and never are the pics taken worth a damn. <br /><br />Phones are for talking, cameras are for taking pictures. Maybe just maybe they are good for taking and emailing a quick photo to tell your friend about something you are looking at but that about it. Even using the picture as a background for your phone isn't satisfying. <br /><br />The tiniest cameras on the market are actually the ones in phones but really ... is that considered a small camera? Phones aren't made by Canon or Nikon. I guess if you are truly concerned only with size then the smallest compact camera is your cell phone. And your done! more on ultra compacts in future posts and less ranting.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue by visiting the blog</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103775541675222567.post-14814206195743491422008-12-09T14:04:00.000-08:002009-12-31T00:07:25.251-08:00The Smallest Canon CameraCanon makes some very small digital cameras but it's actually a little difficult to tell which is really the smallest canon digital camera. The stats below show Canon's two tiniest ultra compact digital cameras. <br /><br /><h3>PowerShot SD1100 IS</h3><br />Dimensions (WxHxD)<br /> 3.42 x 2.16 x 0.87 in./86.8 x 54.8 x 22.0mm<br />Weight<br /> Approx. 4.41 oz./125g (camera body only)<br /><br /><h3>PowerShot SD770 IS</h3><br />Dimensions (WxHxD)<br /> 3.39 x 2.13 x 0.80 in./86.0 x 54.0 x 20.4mm<br />Weight<br /> Approx. 4.59 oz./130g (camera body only)<br /><br />As you can see, you have the SD1100 IS which is the lightest canon compact. And you have the SD770 IS which is the shortest in length. The SD770 IS is shorter by .03 inches or .8 mm. Certainly that is not a big difference in size. And on the other side of the coin, the SD1100 IS weight less than the SD770 IS by .18 ounces or 5 grams. Not a hell of a big difference either. I hardly think either of these cameras would feel any different in one's pocket.<br /><br />The SD1100 IS is priced at $149 at Ritz Camera. The PowerShot SD770 IS is $159 at Amazon and $149 some other places. So for all intents and purposes, the price is the same. So is there much difference between these two little digitals?<br /><br />Shutter speeds are the same at 15-1/1500 sec. Flash range is the same at up to 11 ft. The 770 can use the SDHC memory card where the other cannot. But they both handle SD & MMC. The SD1100 IS is nicely designed with a stylish colors available. The other compact digital is apparently only available in traditional silver. The SD1100 also features a pinhole viewfinder for those who want an option to the LCD screen.<br /><br />Reviews seem to favor the SD1100 for picture and video quality. Although the raw stats don't yield much discernible differences, but it has the edge in design and look and feel. Price points are similar on these two <a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com/2008/12/list-of-small-digital-cameras.html">ultra compact digitals</a> so if your shopping give the canon SD1100 IS a try for sure. Certainly it can't hurt to compare the two but if you're undecided, general recommendations favor the SD1100. Regardless you will have a camera that fits comfortably in your pocket, purse or backpack. As new models are released I will update this topic as needed. Digital cameras are being released all the time as you know!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue by visiting the blog</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103775541675222567.post-36522084232464615712008-12-01T17:38:00.000-08:002008-12-01T18:15:59.931-08:00A List of Small Digital CamerasI love small cameras. So I am researching which are the smallest. Here is the list of compact digital cameras I have come up with so far. I will be adding to this post and creating others that describe and compare the features of the these and other tiny cameras. My criteria for small is that they have to be pocket-sized. My experience is with Canon, so this will be mostly information and feature comparison and not usage and experience based. Here's the list so far:<br /><br />Canon Powershot SD1100 IS<br />Canon Powershot SD770 IS<br />Canon Powershot SD790 IS<br />Canon Powershot SD880 IS<br />Canon Powershot SD990 IS<br />Casio Exilim EX-Z300<br />Nikon Coolpix S210<br />Olympus Stylus 1050SW<br />Olympus Stylus 790SW<br />Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS3<br />Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX150<br />Pentax Optio M50<br />Samsung L210<br />Sony Cyber-Shot T200<br />Sony Cyber-Shot W150<br />Sony Cyber-Shot W300<div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue by visiting the blog</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103775541675222567.post-51925082652437231802008-05-17T05:56:00.000-07:002008-05-17T06:05:40.625-07:00Looking at Canon Compact Photo PrintersI've been thinking about getting one of these small <strong>photo printers</strong> to compliment my <a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com/2007/12/why-did-i-buy-canon-s5-is-digital.html">Powershot S5</a> so naturally I turned to Canon. Canon has new additions to its line of compact photo printers: the SELPHY CP770 and the compact CP760 Photo Printers. These tiny photo printers are supposed to simplify printing for all users and make it easier to print photos instantly. That sounds like what I need. What’s cool is they can do what they do all without having to use a computer or camera to download images. <br /><br />The Canon SELPHY CP770 compact photo printer is their small, portable and ”cute” printer for those on the go type of people. The SELPHY CP770 photo printer comes bundled in a basket-style storage 'bucket', which not only houses the printer, but also stores accessories including paper, ink cartridge and power cable. Their design is supposed to allow for easy portability. I’m not sure how important this really is for most people. Do we really need to print photos on the road or at the beach? I really want something EASY to use. Luckily they have simplified their compact printers. Canon says their new design innovations were created with a focus on improving mobility AND usability. Each printer has larger buttons arranged intuitively. They are designed for simplicity and easy navigation through menus. Well I hope they are not too many menus. The number of buttons on each printer has been reduced from 12 buttons on previous models, down to nine for more simple functionality – that sounds better. Ease of use is top priority.<br /><br /><strong>More about the Canon SELPHY CP770 Compact Photo Printer</strong><br />This model, with its inviting "basket" design and “fun” colors, is supposed to appeal to moms, kids, grandparents or anyone who wants access to a photo printer. Well that’s everyone then isn’t it? The CP770 printer comes with a 2.5" High-Definition LCD monitor so you can preview images before printing. That’s about as big as a <a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com/2007/12/canon-s5is-zoom-while-shooting-video.html">digital camera LCD</a> is it not? Not very useful. The monitor itself has also been angled so that it can be easily viewed, even when sitting in front of a table that the printer is sitting on. It comes in two colors: apricot and white. The optional Canon NB-CP2 battery pack allows for printing photos while on the road. Their NB-CP2 battery pack provides hours (how many they don’t exactly say) of printing power before each recharge. An additional neat feature is called "IrSimple". It’s a high-speed infrared wireless access so you can wirelessly print snapshots from your mobile phones, other digital devices. The printer accepts a wireless infrared signal to transmit photo data, but your phone has to support the IrSimple standard.<br /><br /><strong>Canon SELPHY CP760 Compact Photo Printer</strong><br />Canon boasts ease of use for their new Canon SELPHY CP760 compact photo printer. That’s what I want to hear. It’s gat a compact simple to use design to print great 4x6 inch photographs and make the most out of a digital camera. Sounds good. It has a new 2.5 inch, Thin Film Transistor (TFT) control screen which can be clearly viewed from various angles. Bigger is better, too bad. The screen should allow users quickly navigate through menus and neatly preview images before printing. The addition of simplified card slots lets users plug in memory cards or print straight from the camera with a USB cord. This sounds like the simplicity I’m after. I want to take the memory card, put in the printer and print. But does it also hook up to the computer? I need to find that out.<br /><br /><strong>Photo Quality </strong><br />Another cool thing is that both the CP770 and CP760 photo printers feature this new overcoat technology to help reduce blurring, and fingerprint smudges. Very important when you’ve got kids! After the yellow, magenta and cyan colors have printed, a special overcoat layer is applied to the image through a proprietary lamination process. This lamination helps reduce bleeding and blurring of printed photo and also helps to reduce the risk of water and fingerprint smudges - YAY!! - as well as fading that can be caused by ultraviolet light or other environmental factors. <br /><br />So the research on compact photo printers goes on. I’ll probably look into what else Canon has to offer, and maybe start investigating some older printer models. More on the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Canon compact photo printer</span> search coming soon.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue by visiting the blog</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103775541675222567.post-17668722639501541982008-03-08T20:35:00.000-08:002008-05-08T01:47:02.959-07:00Canon S5IS Sports ModeThe <a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com/">Canon Powershot S5 IS</a> has what I'm sure was intended to be a cool feature to take action shots: sports mode. Well it's really not that great. You would think sports mode would take a clear focused shot of someone jumping or running or whatever. Well it doesn't, but there it a viable alternative to get great action shots with your Powershot s5 IS.<br /><br />Program mode in the default setting I found works better to get clear, non blurry action shots with the S5IS. You can also try playing with the ISO settings to improve your pictures. ISO settings can improve pictures in low light situations. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive the image sensor, so the lower the light the higher the ISO should be. I got some nice of my daughters jumping off the couch with this setting. Pretty neat to see the hair flying all over the place.<br /><br />Maybe I'm missing the point and sports mode with the Canon S5 IS is intented take action shots with a lot of streaks and blurring, but I prefer the clear shots that program mode gives me. Try it.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue by visiting the blog</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103775541675222567.post-70326682917283704482008-01-03T22:46:00.000-08:002009-07-02T23:13:09.671-07:00Digital Camera Megapixels - How Many?More megapixels equals better pictures. Is it true? The New York Times say it’s a big fat lie. Other disagree, so what is it? Should we buy a digital camera with the most megapixels possible? Or should we not be concerned and just get the cheapest digital camera? The Canon S5 IS has 8 megapixels, is that good?<br /><br /><strong>Myth?</strong><br />Of course there are other factors besides the number of megapixels that affect picture quality. Let’s rule out photographic skill and try to talk only of camera hardware. The most important is the camera’s lens. Compact digital cameras have tiny lenses. Tiny lenses make for worse pictures in general. Don’t expect your <strong>pocket sized camera</strong> to take pictures as good as an <strong>SLR</strong> just because your megapixel count is higher. It doesn’t work that way.<br /><br /><strong>Pixel Overload</strong><br />Years ago when 1 and 2 megapixel digital cameras were the norm, an increase made a difference. Now, that’s not the case. Now we are at the point where some experts say that the increase in megapixels is <strong>degrading picture quality</strong>. Too many pixels mean smaller pixels. Smaller pixels on a camera’s sensor, which converts light to electrical signal, means less light sensitivity. That could lead to noise in the image. Noise is anything from poor edge definition to off-color specks.<br /><br /><strong>8 is Enough</strong><br />When do we need more megapixels? We need more to make large prints or to zoom in and crop prints. If you want to make 12x16 prints you should have at least 6 megapixel. 8 is plenty – like the S5. If you want huge professional quality posters you may want more resolution and probably a more expensive SLR. Anything more than 8 on a powershot or other point and shoot is probably not helping your image quality. And most certainly it’s not helping your hard drive which will need to be a lot bigger to accommodate the larger file size of your images. So don’t get hung up on megapixels. Now is a good time to buy a camera because you can get an older model with less rez for cheaper. So the <strong>cheapest digital camera</strong> might be the best one! Soon there won’t be any more smaller megapixel cameras as the marketing frenzy over larger megapixels continues to escalate. I wonder if <a href="http://besthuntingbinocularsguide.com/digital-camera-binoculars-reviews/">digital camera binoculars</a> will go through the same pixel frenzy?<div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue by visiting the blog</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103775541675222567.post-52071381011191105492008-01-01T12:45:00.000-08:002008-05-08T01:44:29.283-07:00Powershot S5 over the HolidaysI've been rambilng on and on about the features of the <strong>Canon Powershot s5</strong>, but are all these features useful? Yes they are! Over the holidays, i utilized some of the nifty camera features to my delight.<br /><br />One particular case of feature exploitation was when i was recording video of my two girls dancing around xmas morning with their new matching umbrellas. I thought wow this is a perfect shot, and bang I snapped off a picture without having to switch modes and stop shooting video. The <a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com/2007/12/canon-s5is-zoom-while-shooting-video.html">Photo in Video</a> feature is useful! And that picture was a great one.<br /><br />I also discovered that the S5 12x zoom is great for someone lazy. My mom and daughter were walking around looking at holiday decorations at a neightboor's house and lazy me didn't even have to walk over to them to get a closer shot. Thanks S5IS! i also made good use of the zoom while shooting video as well, something not many digital cameras in this price range have.<br /><br />Another neat feature of the s5 is night scene which is pretty cool when you're out looking at christmas lights.<br /><br />One disadvantage of my Powershot S5 i'm discovering more and more is the poor battery life, especially when I shoot video. Shooting video with the S5 suck the life out of the AA batteries super quickly. I really am beginning to wish the Powershot s5 IS came with a better digital camera battery. I still haven't gotten around to buying a rechargable set of AA batteries.<br /><br />I'll try to post a few pictures soon, until then check out the <strong>Canon S5</strong> at a camera store near you!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue by visiting the blog</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103775541675222567.post-54606816286393840642007-12-20T02:13:00.000-08:002008-10-20T13:48:19.466-07:00PowerShot SD950 IS Digital ELPHThe PowerShot SD950 IS Digital ELPH is Canon's latest and probably <strong>smallest digital camera</strong>. It looks great, with its rounded Titanium body. And it’s got lots of those great Canon camera features. So how does it stack up against my old favorite the <a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com">S5 IS Powershot</a>? and my wife's favorite too who loves taking here before and after <a href="http://www.shegoddess.com/index.php/archives/28/more-before-and-after-weight-loss-photos/">weight loss photos</a> with it.<br /><br />Well the SD950 has the cool high tech optical image stabilization, face detection that Canon is known for. Apparently on the PowerShot SD950 these are next-generation versions of the technology. The LCD is the same size as the S5 but of course it does not swivel. You can’t expect that with one of the <strong>smallest digital cameras</strong> out there. Also the SD950 has what’s called a PureColor LCD screen. This has scratch-resistant and anti-reflection coating for viewing at multiple angles. Unfortunately the optical zoom is about 1/3 of the S5 Powershot optical zoom, 3.7x. Still pretty cool for a tiny camera like this.<br /><br />It weighs around the same as the other cameras on Canon’s SD series, 5.82 oz – slightly more than the <strong>SD800</strong> IS. The shooting speed is around the same as well: 1.5 fps. Faster than some, slower than others. Of course it’s much smaller and weights way less than the Canon S5 IS.<br /><br />The resolution is 12.1 Megapixel. That beats out the S5’s 8 megapixel. How use that will be is debatable. For me, not useful at all. I don’t need to print billboards. Digital cameras nowadays are in a race to have the largest total pixel count regardless of how useful it is. If you like huge file sizes for your photographs, go for a digital camera with lots of megapixels.<br /><br />The PowerShot SD950 has lots of shooting modes like the S5. Some are: Auto, Camera M, Special Scene (Portrait, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Aquarium, Underwater, ISO 3200, Indoor, Kids & Pets, Night Snapshot), <a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com/2008/03/canon-s5is-sports-mode.html">Sports Mode</a>, Color Accent, Color Swap, Digital Macro, Stitch Assist, Movie. The S5 IS appears to have a few more like Night Scene which rocks!<br /><br />Of course being a later model camera, the <strong>PowerShot SD950 IS</strong> has all the later memory card options: SD/SDHC Memory Card, MultiMediaCard, MMC Plus Card, HC MMC Plus Card. The S5 has less options. And of course, being one of the <strong>smallest digital cameras</strong>, don’t expect external flash capability or lens attachments like the Powershot S5 IS.<br /><br />The PowerShot SD950 IS Digital ELPH is not the cheapest digital camera on the market but it fairly priced at around $344 on amazon. The S5 IS is less at $320. Price-wise it’s a pretty much a tossup. So the decision is, do you like <strong>small digital cameras</strong> or <a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com/2007/12/canon-s5is-zoom-while-shooting-video.html">feature rich digital cameras</a>. Most people do like the small cameras based on digital camera sales these days. But check out what your missing, try the Canon S5 IS at <strong>digital camera stores</strong> in your area.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue by visiting the blog</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103775541675222567.post-3338602739049717432007-12-18T00:39:00.000-08:002008-12-29T17:38:52.865-08:00Smallest Digital Camera vs. Cheapest Digital CameraI’ve been spending a lot of time praising my <a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com/">favorite digital camera</a>, the Canon S5. But I’ve been reading many and <strong>digital camera ratings</strong> and reviews praising the Canon G9. The internet seems to really love this small digital camera (OK it's not the <a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com/2008/12/smallest-canon-camera.html">smallest Canon</a>). I like the cheaper Canon S5 (OK it's not the cheapest.) Let’s put the 2 powershots head to head and talk about their advantages and disadvantages.<br /><br />Canon certainly makes a lot of fine camera products (even <a href="http://dentalequipmentsupplies.net/dental-cameras/">dental cameras</a> i think). The most popular right now are the SD400, SD450, SD600, etc, Canon XTI (<em>expensive</em>), Canon A710, and the newest G9. The G9 appears to be a favorite in most camera review sites I’ve seen. So, is the <strong>g9 or s5is better</strong>? Based on the press and digital camera ratings out there, you most likely would conclude the G9 is the best cannon powershot on the market right now. I disagree.<br /><br /><strong>Advantages of the Canon G9</strong><br />This new and popular darling Canon surely has some great features. Immediate noticeable is the huge LCD screen. This 3 inch screen is most impressive. The smaller screen on the S5 is a disadvantage, but it swivels! This is a great feature if you want to photograph yourself. No more guessing ...am I in the shot? No clear winner here.<br /><br /><strong>RAW Image Format</strong><br />The Powershot G9 has Raw image format. The Canon S5 does not. For me, I don’t care. RAW image format is for professional photographers who want to deal with huge file sizes. I don’t. When rating cameras<strong> </strong>I don’t consider this capability an adavantage and I think the average consumer will never use RAW format. More likely they will accidentally use it and wind up with oversized, unwieldy image files. Cannon is receiving kudos for including the RAW capability on the latest digital camera, but for me, and the average consumer, it’s no big deal.<br /><br /><strong>Batteries</strong><br /><a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com/2007/12/always-ready-digital-camera.html">Digital camera batteries</a> can be a love hate affair. The Powershot G9 has a custom <strong>battery</strong>. The S5 has off the shelf AA batteries. The G9 gets 240 shots with a fully charged battery. The S5 get 170 shots with a set of batteries. Replacing AA batteries gets expensive and annoying. Waiting for your rechargeable digital camera battery to recharge is annoying. No clear winner here.<br /><br /><strong>Memory Cards</strong><br />When comparing cameras we should talk about memory cards. The Canon G9 has a slight advantage when it comes to memory since it has more options. The G9 can accept SD/SDHC Memory Card, MultiMediaCard, MMC Plus Card, and HC MMC Plus Card. The Powershot S5 can only take the SD/SDHC Memory Card or the MultiMediaCard. The G9 wins this one although it’s not a terribly big deal in my book.<br /><br /><strong>Who is the Smaller Digital Camera?</strong><br />Everyone loves <strong>small digital cameras</strong>. Clearly the G9 wins the size battle. However the G9 is not really a pocket-sized camera. It weighs less than the S5 which weighs 15.9 oz; but still the G9 weighs 11.26 oz. That’s a bit bulky for a pocket, even a coat pocket. The G9 wins this one because the S5 is just not even close to being a pocket size camera. And the S5IS is larger in every dimension. Again however, the G9 is only slightly better in this regard.<br /><br /><strong>Zoom</strong><br />Here we start to get into the strength of the S5: a 12x optical zoom. The G9 is clearly at a disadvantage with 6x optical zoom. Additionally the S5IS can <a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com/2007/12/canon-s5is-zoom-while-shooting-video.html">optically zoom while shooting video</a>. The G9 cannot. This is a huge advantage for the Canon S5 over the G9.<br /><br /><strong>Close-ups</strong><br />Again the S5 has the advantage in the Macro Mode category. The g9 can get within a centimeter of its subject in macro mode. The Powershot S5 can get right up against its subject – 0 centimeters. The s5 has <a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com/2007/12/extreme-close-ups-with-canon-s5is.html">super macro mode</a> which provides this ultra close-up capability.<br /><br /><strong>Which is the Cheapest Digital Camera?</strong><br />Sorry G9. The Canon Powershot S5 IS is much cheaper than the G9. The Powershot G9 retails for $500. $437 on amazon. The S5 is only $320 on amazon.com. The cheapest digital camera is the S5.<br /><br />Without a doubt I give a higher rating to S5IS. Go to a place where digital cameras are for sale and try out both cameras. Compare <strong>digital camera prices</strong>. I think when comparing the two cameras you will choose the S5. Small cameras are nice, but the superior features belong to the S5.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue by visiting the blog</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103775541675222567.post-25619948626506804892007-12-06T00:19:00.000-08:002008-05-08T01:44:57.591-07:00Extreme Close-ups with the Canon S5In my previous post I mentioned the advantage of the <a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com/2007/12/always-ready-digital-camera.html">Canon S5IS batteries</a>: no waiting! Obviously the batteries are not the coolest feature of the Canon S5 IS digital camera. However, one of the coolest features is Super Macro Mode!<br /><br /><strong>Closeups With The Canon S5</strong><br />There are actually 2 close-up modes on the Canon S5, macro mode and super macro mode. With macro mode you can get within a few inches of an object and get a decent closeup. With super macro mode you can get REALLY close and get an impressive close-up photo. Super macro mode is a feature that clearly sets the Canon S5IS apart from other digital cameras like the G9 or G7. Dare I say it makes the S5IS better than the G9.<br /><br /><strong>Extreme Closeups With The Cannon S5</strong><br />Essentially with Canon S5 IS in Super Macro Mode you can get as close as you want to your subject. Your lens can literally be touching the subject. Can you do that with the SD powershots? I don’t think so. Here's a pic with the S5IS lens literally touching my monitor screen.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokEFR1XtWPty1nHxrFyOtjpaklvgAbMAYeyO7QgifIympZwV_jtmQxBLE4AmNhqSonYXriq21U1XwcYn_XWRjmrTxfrwGEXqEmOjs9dPzNCt8WGftCk9Z7Wzp30Q5ZGaW9cj4bxrgVDk/s1600-h/smm.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140776152162727778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokEFR1XtWPty1nHxrFyOtjpaklvgAbMAYeyO7QgifIympZwV_jtmQxBLE4AmNhqSonYXriq21U1XwcYn_XWRjmrTxfrwGEXqEmOjs9dPzNCt8WGftCk9Z7Wzp30Q5ZGaW9cj4bxrgVDk/s320/smm.JPG" border="0" /></a> Not only that, its super easy to use. Just put the S5IS in program mode and hold in the flower button on the side of the lens. Boom! Super macro mode. And just shoot like you normally do, just really close. Here's the typical flower closeup. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEZpcgDC4yls6qF7qiWQGsm7rt08T4WcUoQbK7TziZ0gj0dUoDkJJO0GhCbatJLNQn1DF2aSYvJ30rjRyLUFkXP3itlS_ktb51yWKcLhFiEqBnKvuVrE_WqGVLjTZOAReMBrYPonzppYA/s1600-h/flwr.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140775267399464770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEZpcgDC4yls6qF7qiWQGsm7rt08T4WcUoQbK7TziZ0gj0dUoDkJJO0GhCbatJLNQn1DF2aSYvJ30rjRyLUFkXP3itlS_ktb51yWKcLhFiEqBnKvuVrE_WqGVLjTZOAReMBrYPonzppYA/s320/flwr.JPG" border="0" /></a> The manual essentially glosses over macro mode and jumps right into super macro mode; probably because super macro mode on the Canon S5 is so cool! A lot cooler than Canon S5 batteries!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue by visiting the blog</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103775541675222567.post-75374421121208235592007-12-04T00:59:00.000-08:002009-03-10T20:37:29.404-07:00The Always Ready Digital CameraAs I briefly mentioned in my last post, I’ve always <a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com/2007/12/why-did-i-buy-canon-s5-is-digital.html">buy canon cameras</a>. I haven’t owned any other brand of digital camera and I don’t think I’ve owned any other brand of camera period. So when it came time to buy a new digital camera, the only question was which <strong>Cannon digital camera</strong> will I buy?<br /><br />Obviously I bought the <a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com/2007/12/canon-s5is-zoom-while-shooting-video.html">Canon S5 IS</a>. I did it for a variety of reasons. There was one benefit I didn’t really think about at the time. The batteries.<br /><br /><strong>Big Batteries, Big Camera</strong><br />When I considered the S5IS, I was initially turned off by the fact that it used four (4) double A batteries. These things are practically antiques in the camera world. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEf-LOuX6VMORZbcvLkhGg9T4CWJhOAy6uT2UrdgydJMhRPzugsZAmdOpbri1_nwUAuLsAHdpV1t337KEdmS-ulzRH3AHC2VhyphenhyphenB1tboit8Kwag9xRen4EZcekUutJYL2aoP4XsQRcaNs/s1600-h/batts.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140044113641830178" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEf-LOuX6VMORZbcvLkhGg9T4CWJhOAy6uT2UrdgydJMhRPzugsZAmdOpbri1_nwUAuLsAHdpV1t337KEdmS-ulzRH3AHC2VhyphenhyphenB1tboit8Kwag9xRen4EZcekUutJYL2aoP4XsQRcaNs/s320/batts.jpg" border="0" /></a>Most all digital cameras nowadays use a proprietary digital camera battery. My old Canon powershot had one. These big old AA batteries make the Cannon S5IS way bigger than it had to be.<br /><br /><strong>A Digital Camera With No Waiting</strong><br />Digital cameras like the Canon SD line come with only one proprietary battery. So when it dies you’ve got to recharge it and your camera is out of commission. That is unless you buy another battery which means more money. And I’ve never tried to buy one of these proprietary Canon batteries, but I’ll assume it’s a pain in the ass. Not like you can go to Rite Aid and pick one up.<br /><br />When the S5IS batteries die you just pop in four new ones. Granted this can become costly after a while but you can buy a set of rechargeable double AAs for 20 bucks. A new Canon battery will cost you around the same. But one of the great things about off the shelf batteries is, you can always find some good ones ready to go. You don't have to worry about your backup battery being charged. This is great if you want to <a href="http://great-portugal-vacations.blogspot.com">travel portugal</a> and you forget to pack a battery changer.<br /><br />So what I initially viewed only as a disadvantage, proved to give the S5 IS a leg up on the SD800, Canon G9 and other Canon powershot cameras I considered.<br /><br />UPDATE: The battery life of my <strong>Canon Powershot S5</strong> is seeming shorter and shorter with every battery change. I think it's time to invest in rechargable batteries for my favorite digital camera<div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue by visiting the blog</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103775541675222567.post-48075979547444766612007-12-03T23:23:00.000-08:002008-05-08T01:45:21.228-07:00Canon S5 - Zoom While Shooting VideoI mentioned previously that a great advantage of the <strong>Canon powershot S5 IS </strong>isthat you can <a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com/2007/12/why-did-i-buy-canon-s5-is-digital.html">zoom while shooting video</a>. Now this is not digital zooming. Digital zooming is OK but the picture gets grainy as you zoom. Actually it is not OK. Digital zooming like on the canon g9 is not very useful. If you’re wondering whether the G9 or S5IS is better, this may be a deciding factor. The S5 provides a 12x optical zoom while shooting video. Highly useful! When it comes to video however, the S5IS has other great features.<br /><br /><strong>Instant Video Mode</strong><br />The Cannon S5IS has a dedicated movie button. What’s that? That means you don’t have to fiddle around trying to put the camera in video mode when your kid starts doing a cute little dance. This is great for me especially with two active young girls! The dedicated movie button on the S5 is just like one that you would see on a camcorder like the ZR850. And the button is perfectly located for quick access.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TQ3qQFbILn9GvIH8MaqEt9oxFe4IW_Jfm4282kdT3kWG7rrZewLzu0Zc5q8jnqM5442aHWWVCL2SSRSv_fghYuUtWB-RG6YAoZJvJkfKIiTnDJm5lA7VbgHtcWU8OSvWrvapJgMTjl0/s1600-h/S5IS_back.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143355761060312946" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TQ3qQFbILn9GvIH8MaqEt9oxFe4IW_Jfm4282kdT3kWG7rrZewLzu0Zc5q8jnqM5442aHWWVCL2SSRSv_fghYuUtWB-RG6YAoZJvJkfKIiTnDJm5lA7VbgHtcWU8OSvWrvapJgMTjl0/s320/S5IS_back.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Canon’s Photo In Movie Feature</strong><br />The Photo In Movie feature of the S5 is pretty nifty. While you are shooting video, you can just click a picture like you normally would. It’s nice to have those companion photos with your videos. The only disadvantage with this feature is that the video is interrupted with the still photo. So when you watch the video, at the point the picture is taken, the video freezes. A small disadvantage of the S5 IS, but since most powershots don’t have Photo In Movie, I’m nitpicking. Still, the Photo In Movie feature is awesome. For those comparing digital cameras, the G9 does not have this feature.<br /><br /><strong>Other S5IS Movie Capabilities</strong><br />There are a host of other video features of the Cannon S5 IS that sound great but at this point, I haven’t experienced. One of these features is Face Detection. Most certainly I have unknowingly used this feature of the camera since it’s the ability to detect human faces and adjust the focus and exposure accordingly. Pretty cool feature for a video camera!<br /><br />Something else great for a camera to have is Long Play mode. With Long Play mode you can capture much longer stretches of 30fps video with your Canon S5. It can also capture 60fps video and 15fps as well. Also the camera has stereo sound recording and a noise filter to suppress that nasty wind sound you often get with other camcorders. The sound quality is not too bad but it would be great if you could attach external mics to the S5 IS. Well you can’t have everything.<br /><br />When comparing the <strong>Canon S5IS</strong> to other digital cameras like the SD400, it has clear advantages. The video on the S5 is clearly better! If you need more expansive video capability you probably should be looking into a camcorder. If you already own one, enjoy these superb video features when using your camera.<br /><br />Update: This feature is coming in handy for some too lazy to walk (sometimes) like me. LOL!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue by visiting the blog</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103775541675222567.post-54819173620390475372007-12-02T15:32:00.000-08:002012-01-30T22:39:06.369-08:00Why did I buy the Canon S5IS digital camera?Well let’s start out with why I did NOT want to buy Canon S5 IS. It’s big. Not like the EOS Digital SLR, but it is much bigger than the Powershot G9 or G7. Those tiny cigarette-box-cameras are so small and convenient. They fit right in your pocket and they are just so easy to tote around. That’s a huge advantage in my book. So why did I sacrifice super portability?<br /><br /><strong>Picture Quality</strong><br />Since I had owned one of these small Cannon digital cameras already, Powershot S410 Digital ELPH (like the SD400), I was familiar with their shortcomings. The problem is picture quality. Not so much with outdoor shots. Indoor shots usually looked pretty poor. I am by no means a camera expert. I don’t want to spend time learning the ins and outs of focal lengths and apertures. I just want better pictures. And I want it to be easy. This lead me to the S5.<br /><br /><strong>Great Features</strong><br />The S5 has lot and lots of <a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com/2007/12/extreme-close-ups-with-canon-s5is.html">great features</a>, but there were a handful that really sold me on the camera. So what were they?<br /><br /><strong>12x Optical Zoom</strong>: The G9 and others don’t compare. When you take a good look at it, you see the s5 has a bigger lens. A good rule of thumb is that lenses that look bigger are better. The optical zoom on this thing is great. Don’t bother with digital zoom, optical zoom is the important thing.<br /><br /><strong>Video</strong>: The Canon S5IS takes great video and you can optically <a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com/2007/12/canon-s5is-zoom-while-shooting-video.html">zoom while shooting video</a>. That’s like a real video camera. I've always been sold on Cannon cameras but this the first one I've had that takes such great video. Not only that you can take still photos while shooting video!<br /><br /><strong>Flash</strong>: The flash on the Canon powershot S5 IS pops up and is centered over the lens, and when I bought the camera, my hunch was this flash would produce better photos. Well it does. I’m not sure exactly why, but flash photos with this camera look way better that my old Powershot.<br />http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif<br /><br /><strong>Fast</strong>: When you press the button to take a picture, it takes a picture right away. No more missing shots like I did with my old Powershot. The response time seemed faster with the S5 IS than with Powershot G9 or SD850 as well.<br /><br /><strong>Price</strong><br />Not only does it have all the <a href="http://usingthecanons5is.blogspot.com/2008/01/powershot-s5-over-holidays.html">cool features</a> above (and lots more), the S5 IS was cheaper than the G9 and about the same as other Canon SDs. Price is sure part of the reason I usually buy Canon.<br /><br /><br />SciFi and steampunk fans need to read about <a href="http://worldsofweird.com/grandville-by-bryan-talbot/">Grandville by Bryan Talbot</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue by visiting the blog</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103775541675222567.post-82226148803833999272007-10-03T23:26:00.000-07:002009-04-07T23:19:09.803-07:00Privacy PolicyThis blog does NOT capture or track personal user information. Therefore this site does not share or sell any of your information. This is an anonymous site. 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