Canon S500 or the new A95...

[jagfish]

I'm looking for a smallish digital camera that I can use above and below water. I will not likely be using an external strobe in the near future. Just don't like the idea right now fo the extra bulk from a strobe.

Probably will do natural light shots of people and fish at a distance, and some macro with the camera's flash. (I believe both of these cameras have built-in macro, but would I need an external macro lens when the camera is in the UW housing?)

Any impressions as to which of the above might be the better for the intended purpose?

 

[Cabo]

I'll start by saying I have the S500 so I only have experience with that model.

Internally, they seem about the same. The A95 has a 1.8" LCD, the S500 is 1.5" (bigger is better underwater).
A95 can set shutter priority/Aperature Priority, or Manual Exposure. S500 cannot set any of this. This is important if you want more control over these settings.

From everything I saw on Canon's page, that's about all the things that would make a difference underwater.

The S500 is noticeably smaller and I like that.

You could take natural light shots of fish at a distance, but will get better results with a strobe. In nice/clear water, the internal strobe will do a good job if you are close. For Macro shots, the internal strobe will probably be ok. Again, this assumes clear water. The more things floating in the water, the better an external strobe will make it.

I've taken many shots with just natural light or the internal strobe, usually when I'm snorkeling. For actual diving, the only shots I take without the strobe are ones where the subject is too far away. I turn off the internal flash to increase the shot-to-shot time in these cases.

Having manual control over Aperature is very important to some people and occasionally I crave it but most of the time, I just point-n-shoot and am happy with that. This is the most important thing you need to ask yourself. Can you live without having direct manual control over Aperature?

Good luck with your choice.

 

[beir]

Might I suggest a third option...

I recommend the Canon S50/S60. It has a good combination of smallish/medium size and control. I have an S50 and find it quite capable both above and underwater. I don't have a strobe and take all of my pictures using natural lighting. I take pics for fun and have had no training, so you will be able to see what kind of results you would probably get if you look at my gallery of pictures here at SB.

HTH

 

[jagfish]

Might I suggest a third option...

I recommend the Canon S50/S60. It has a good combination of smallish/medium size and control. I have an S50 and find it quite capable both above and underwater. I don't have a strobe and take all of my pictures using natural lighting. I take pics for fun and have had no training, so you will be able to see what kind of results you would probably get if you look at my gallery of pictures here at SB.

HTH

Thanks for the input HTH
Can you give any more detail as to why you recommend the S50/60...

 

[beir]

Well, honestly it's a matter of preference. The best thing would be for you to go to the store and handle the cameras you are interested in.

If you go to www.powershot.com there is a good listing of all the features for each camera. www.dpreview.com is also another very good resource.

After look on dpreview it looks like the new Canon S70 is out now. It appears to be identical to the S60 except for the fact that it is 7.1MP.

I believe the S60/70 is better suited for wide angle shots and macro shots out of the box than the A95. You are also going to pay more for these cameras. Check out the aforementioned websites and read up on them to get a good comparison of each.

HTH
(Hope that helps...)

Oh, forgot to mention that I think the dimensions of the S50/60/70 or somewhere in between those of the A95 and S500.

--Matt

 

[Former FLL Now MSP Diver]

I looked at both series of Canon's, and settled on the A series. The form factor wasn't much bigger, and I actually prefer the battery housing bulge to better hold and steady the camera. It had a few more shooting modes, but more more importantly it uses AA batteries. NiMH rechargables and chargers are pretty cheap, meaning I can change out fresh batteries easily. Unless you buy the expensive proprietary battery, and go through the hassle of charging it in the camera, you can't do the same with the S series.

As with everything, YMMV.

Marc