Canon Powershot SX150 IS?

[rouble]

Hello All

Wanna buy a Camera around Rs.10k.
There is only model which comes to mind right now because of all the features
and the recommendation of everyone and that is Canon SX150 IS.
I have operated it also at a store and find it to be nice.
The only thing which troubles me is the battery life.Is it that bad when compared to its rivals in this price range?
And as SX160 is also launched, will it be a better option than SX150 considering the image quality, battery life and overall features.
Is there a better cam in this range according to the experts here.I am totally fine with that, but the thing is it looks more
like a Camera and not like a toy, just my opinion
And lastly can I buy it from Adexmart.Getting the best deal there or should I wait for Diwali.I may get a further discount.
Thnx.

 

[coderunknown]

just don't use flash all the time and battery life will be decent. turn on flash (or raise the flash) and the battery life immediately drops. only problem will be the charging period of battery if you don't own a quick charger.
I have recently bought the SX150 and the best part of it is the manual mode. Once you start tweaking the settings, you may never go back to auto cause most of the time it is painfully slow and image quality is not good (compared to last gen IXUS).

SX160 cost ~3k more. Plus add 1k more for a charger + battery which you'll get free with SX150. Definitely the bundled charger is absolute crap but at least works.

Bottom line: if you are not going to play with the manual settings, don't waste money on SX150. Instead grab Panasonic SZ1 which is slim as well as cheap.

 

[rouble]

@Sam Okay..Without flash how much snaps can I expect if I am using a good battery like a sanyo or a sony??
Really!! What is the difference between the time taken to charge the batteries from a quick charger and a normal charger?
Yeah that is the reason I want it, the manual mode is quite good.
By slow you mean the time taken to ready the camera for the next image?? This is new to me..Another problem!!
So SX160 not worth it I think
I want to know which has the better image quality coupled with other things like battery and speed between
the canon and the panasonic one you mentioned if I forget about?
manual controls

Can anyone recommend me some more models as I would be visiting some shops today to check some cams??

 

[coderunknown]

@Sam Okay..Without flash how much snaps can I expect if I am using a good battery like a sanyo or a sony??

expect ~200 shots from the bundled 2100mah battery. It is just that Sanyo Eneloop can hold the charger for a longer period.

Really!! What is the difference between the time taken to charge the batteries from a quick charger and a normal charger?

I received Envie branded Nano charger which takes 11-12hr to charge the bundled 2100mah battery (listed in the manual). Quick charger should be able to charge in say less than 3hrs.

By slow you mean the time taken to ready the camera for the next image?? This is new to me..Another problem!!

if you zoom out it takes a long time to focus (maybe cause of the high zoom) but without zoom it is fast.

I want to know which has the better image quality coupled with other things like battery and speed between
the canon and the panasonic one you mentioned if I forget about? manual controls

Panasonic may take the upper hand in this case. One will need a side by side comparison but from what i have read, Panasonic will win.

Can anyone recommend me some more models as I would be visiting some shops today to check some cams??

Canon A3300 IS (discontinued), Canon A3400 IS, Sony W690 & Nikon S6300. Check other threads too as i may have missed some models.

 

[theserpent]

The camera is good
Cons:
AA Battery can be a boon(for the bulky design ) and a plus point (as you can carry many AA batteries)
Slow flash recharge.

 

[dpkml]

@Sam Okay..Without flash how much snaps can I expect if I am using a good battery like a sanyo or a sony??
Really!! What is the difference between the time taken to charge the batteries from a quick charger and a normal charger?
Yeah that is the reason I want it, the manual mode is quite good.
By slow you mean the time taken to ready the camera for the next image?? This is new to me..Another problem!!
So SX160 not worth it I think
I want to know which has the better image quality coupled with other things like battery and speed between
the canon and the panasonic one you mentioned if I forget about?
manual controls

Can anyone recommend me some more models as I would be visiting some shops today to check some cams??

Well, I am no expert here. But I was in your shoes a month back and I got some good piece of advice from the people here.
Check out my post *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/cameras-camcorders/164716-anybody-tested-sx160-related-suggestion.html
I had 10k in my pocket and I researched a lot , asked a lot of people and spent hours on flickr and youtube.
At last in the budget of 10k, I had SX150 and Fuji S2950/2980. Was really confused on which one to buy. Fuji had GREAT looks(Ofcourse that doesnt matter) and a very good performance in daylight conditions. But it had a very poor low-light/indoor performance. So , I chucked that out of the window as I wanted to do some indoor photography.
DO check out Fuji in case it suits your needs. But beware, it requires 4 AA batteries to operate.
So,I was left with SX150 which had an all round decent performance (for the price) and it was perfect for me as I wanted to learn manual control before buying a DSLR. But I didnt like its body and control buttons (personal opinions may vary).
But then, there is SX160 which had a decent looking body and they say that it has a lesser shot-to-shot time and quicker autofocus than the SX150.

I went on and bought the SX160 for 10500(using a 10% discount coupon from ebay). Its actual price was 11500 for the camera,Envie overnight charger and two 2000 mAh batteries,a case and 4 GB Sandisk card.
Personally, I love this camera. Solid stuff(I mean not THAT plasticy for the price range), feels good in my hand, More zoom(even though I dont need it), I DIDNT face any issue which can be termed as "slow performance". I just wish the Autofocus could have been a little faster and that is NOT a dealbreaker at all. The flash recharging time was an issue with the earlier models but I didnt face it here. I love its button layout and the way they have simplified the shape of the buttons. Battery cover is not as flimsy as I found it to be in SX150, pretty solid.
I have just taken my fist step in the field of manual controls, long way to go. But I am sure that this camera is going to be a good companion. I believe that its gonna get better once I have the CHDK installed on it.
Now in case you can up your budget by a few grands, there are definitely better ones out there. But I wanted to limit myself to around 10k and this fit the bill pretty well.

I find the overnight Envie charger to be okay. Takes 7 hours to charge two batteries and the rechargeable ones gave me 400+ shots when I didnt use the flash.With flash(on and off) I got 200.
The use and throw ones gave me around 100 shots.
Adexmart has the cheapest price as far as i know. And you can use the 7% coupon on ebay(for ICICI bank users) or maybe wait for another 10% coupon near diwali. And dude, do check out your local stores and tell them that SX160 is available for 11500 on ebay. When I told my local retailer this fact, he reduced his price from 12500 to 11400. Beat that.
If you are gonna use the 2 hour quick charger or 2500mah batteries, you can add up the costs. But, I really didnt need that.
There are a few more camera by Panasonic which are REALLY good. but ofcourse you need to put in more cash. Check out the link that I had posted earlier for those models. I believe that it has all the info that you need.
P.S- again. I love this cam.

 

[nac]

^
400 shots per recharge that's great...

7 hours to recharge, that's pretty good.

Faster flash recycle, good to hear that.

 

[rouble]

expect ~200 shots from the bundled 2100mah battery. It is just that Sanyo Eneloop can hold the charger for a longer period.

And if I use a 2500mah battery, I can surely expect more.

I received Envie branded Nano charger which takes 11-12hr to charge the bundled 2100mah battery (listed in the manual). Quick charger should be able to charge in say less than 3hrs.

Point noted Sir, Will buy a quick charger if need arises.

if you zoom out it takes a long time to focus (maybe cause of the high zoom) but without zoom it is fast.

Does it happen with other models too in this range coz I don't know anything.Its my first cam.

Panasonic may take the upper hand in this case. One will need a side by side comparison but from what i have read, Panasonic will win.

Okay.Will see what I'll do.Thnx!!



@dpkml Woah!! What a reply dude.Thnx.
Now coming to the point.I am having the same budget and even before seeing your reply
I was quite frustrated at which cam to buy but yesterday saw the fantastic Fujifilm s2980 on flipkart,
it looks amazing to me and reviews are decent too, didn't checked extensively but I am seriously looking for it and the cherry on the cake, it has a viewfinder too
and also I am getting it for the same price as Canon, so why not go for it.
I have seen Canon SX150 a few times now and right now deciding between this and the Fuji.
SX160 is out of question, not much difference between the SX150 and SX160, asked the guy on the shop too, not worth giving 2-3k more for me.
I will go today and check the Fuji one and then decide which one to buy.

400 shots are impressive dude and so is the charging time from the non quick charger.
If I will go with Fuji then surely I am gonna order it from ebay..Classic deal I am getting there.
I checked your thread..It clears everything.
Will see If I need a quick charger or not.
Thnx again for the reply and congrats for the SX160, Awesome cam.
Cheers!!

Okay guys now here is the thing.
I have really liked Fujifilm S2980 a lot, its so impressive, it has a viewfinder,
18x optical zoom and tons of features even cameras costing 3-5k more than this are not having..
Reviews are also impressive, dont know why it isn't sold that much, the brand bias I think, Nikon and Canon, I can understand.
I am getting it at the same price as I am getting a Canon SX150, So now it comes to you people, Will you suggest me this Bridge Cam??
Is there any disadvantage which my novice eyes can't see..Do tell me..

And which is the better between Fujifilm S2980, Canon SX150, Olympus SP 610UZ and Nikon Coolpix L310.

 

[nac]

My pick is SX150. If you are not convinced with it, check out TZ18... Let S2980 be the last choice...

 

[dpkml]

Well, I see that you are in the very same dilemma which I had faced some time back. Just wait for some more answers here but my two cents are as follows.
S2950/2980- they are pretty much the same camera,just with a few software differences. S2950 has a HUGE fanbase on flickr and they have uploaded some amazing pics.But I always found them to be either outdoor photography or macros. Didnt find its low light performance to be good(and the reviewers agreed with it). And I couldnt find any credible source of information regarding its battery life. If these dont bother you as much, I would say that you should buy this cam, since you already like it so much. After all, at this budget, we can't ask for a lot. And the features that this camera provides are really good. And one more thing, Fuji has an electronic viewfinder(not the optical one found on the DSLR's). But it has its own pro's and cons. Do read a bit about that.
Canon SX150- I dont know why, but "all" the reviewers and experienced guys on this forum recommend SX150 one over S2980. So, its better that you wait for their comments here. I am relatively new to photography and I cant give you an outright answer. But I bought a canon because of everyone's suggestion and indoor photography. Would still say that , you should buy the one you want , cz if you are going to venture into the world of photography, you should need the "love" for your camera, more than the specifications of the same.And the way I see it, S2980 is love at first sight for you.
Olympus- not many amazing reviews that would make me choose this one over the two mentioned above. Besides, it doesn't have manual controls as far as I know.
Nikon Coolpix L310- good picture quality, but again no manual control. Deal breaker.

The large fan following for Fuji on flickr speaks for itself. It IS a very good camera for the price and is definitely a very good one to buy if you are starting off you photography passion. So, if the minor issues(which are there in every camera) dont hurt you and you are getting a good deal, I would say that you should buy this one.

(would still advise to wait for the experts to shower their light on the topic, before you buy)

Trust @nac!!!
He knows his stuff .
Used his advice to buy my cam

 

[marvelousprashant]

+1 for SX160. More zoom is always good. Plus nothing is missing compared to 150. Price is decent too

 

[rouble]

@nac Okay, but any particular reason why I shouldn't consider the Fuji one in the first place??

@dpkml Absolutely.

Yeah they are same but the s2950 doesn't support zooming while video recording, I think so.
And I have found some pretty amazing pics with S2980 on flickr and youtube..Still don't know why it hasn't sold that much here in india.
Well I found the answer yesterday at few shops, I went to 3 shops
but couldn't find the fuji anywhere and to support its non availability they say things like,
Fuji is the worst Camera brand and gonna close soon like Kodak and other crap you know..
The reason we all know, they want to sell what they are having.
Battery is decent man, A decent sony or sanyo will give quite a lot of pics, thats what I read on some places.I think its way better than SX150 as far as battery life is concerned..
Fully agreed, this cam is giving me more than what others are giving me..
Yeah I know about the electronic viewfinder, can't expect a optical one in this range and I find EVF cool.
I too want to know why, is it the brand or something else..I really don't know..
I am in no hurry at all, will wait for others to help me in this matter..
It's literally love at first sight but the features are commendable too, Don't you think so..
Olympus isn't for me for sure and so is Nikon L310, used it at a shop, Wasn't impressed when compared to Nikon SX150..SX150 for the win.
Agreed man, Flickr is full of those pretty shots taken by Fuji..
Thanks so much for your advice dude, much appreciated..It really helps.

So its final I have to know choose between Canon SX150 or Fujifilm S2980.
Help me guys..Does anyone own a S2980 here on digit, you can help me..

@marvelousprashant I know its nice but thats out of question for me, Budget thing you know..

 

[nac]

I am not saying you should not consider S2980, let it be the last choice. S2950, was one among the cameras I shortlisted last year around this time. I chose Canon over Fuji...

* Better low light performance (Not everyone wants to try low light photography - in fact I did know nothing about photography at that time. Just out of curiosity and interest I bought that cam. Just wanted to have as much as possible for the money I paid)
* Price advantage - Need to spend more on extra batteries. SX150 uses 2xAA whereas S2980 uses 4xAA. If you want two set of extra batteries, batteries alone would cost you 1200+
* Feature set like manual focus, optical stabilization vs sensor shift...
* CHDK
* SX150 is popular
* Slightly better IQ (IMO)

You like Fuji S2980, don't mind about SX150 or any other camera. We could suggest half a dozen cameras in a given budget, you can't buy all of 'em. Buy the one you like, after all choice and money is yours...

Let's talk about S2980,
- It does have EVF, no camera in this price range and with these features have viewfinder.
- It's bulky, you can hold it better.
- Better focal range
- Extra frills like in-camera panorama... and it does have HDMI out put.

 

[rouble]

@nac

Hmmm..What can I say, you know much much more than me in this field..
I am nil right now in photography and as you may know this is my first cam
but really, I found nothing wrong with Fujifilm S2980 as far as my requirements are concerned.
I have read pretty fab reviews of it.

I think there is nothing to separate between these two as I can see but still
I would go with the Fuji one considering it has a viewfinder, decent battery, 18X optical zoom
and a bulky body which don't know why but I fancy more
Okay I will order the Fuji one..Thnx everyone for the help and will surely put the pics when I get it..
I will order it from my trusted Flipkart, getting it at 11k but getting 1k voucher so can use it buy batteries..

Wish me luck guys.You all are very nice and helping people.
God bless Digit!!

 

[nac]

Nice choice...

Yeah, share the images with us...

 

[rouble]

Tell me one thing, what is the difference between Fujifilm S29800 and S4500 barring the optical zoom??
I am thinking on the lines of the later one.

 

[nac]

^ S4500 (SL300 "minus" external flash support) does have better aperture range, other than that I have no idea... May be the S4500's built is better with better processor, I am not sure... just guessing.

 

[chandanbs]

I suggest you not to buy fujifilm S2980. I have bought it in flipkart and just now returned it as it had the following issues.

1. picture clarity is nowhere good as my old canon powershot A80 or even my galazy R smartphone..!!
2. Color rendering is pathetic.. the images come as if its devoid of any blues or greens
3. at max zoom, the lcd screen becomes dottish and lots of blue and red grains appear making it look like crt tv screens of 1980's...

I myself am scouting for a replacement camera and posted another thread in the forum..

i have myself compared both S2980 and SX150 .. photo quality and the max zoom picture quality.. found SX150 much better..

As for as the issues of S2980 concerned.. here is a weblink which clearly talks about the picture clarity issues on Fuji S2980

*forums.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3147855#forum-post-40651646

 

[rouble]

Guys I have bought Fujifilm S4500 from a shop for around Rs.12700 which is a quite good deal,
I have got a battery case, 4GB Card, A Lotto travel bag(Awesome), And an Envie Quick Charger(LCD screen) with four rechargeable batteries.
Quite happy with the Cam.
Want to know how are Envie batteries??

 

[chandanbs]

Guys I have bought Fujifilm S4500 from a shop for around Rs.12700 which is a quite good deal,
I have got a battery case, 4GB Card, A Lotto travel bag(Awesome), And an Envie Quick Charger(LCD screen) with four rechargeable batteries.
Quite happy with the Cam.
Want to know how are Envie batteries??

Is this lcd screen enabled quick charger came with camera package? Could you kindly let us know which shop you bought this in?