S2 IS vs H1 vs Fz5

[Aussie]

Hi everyone,

The big three ultra zooms
I am about to purchase my first digital camera and I am considering one of the big three ultra zooms, being the Canon S2 IS, Sony HI or Panasonic FZ5. From the reviews I have read none are perfect, with each having advantages and disadvantages.

Budget

* [I]What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible..... $450 USD

Size

* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you? .....Canon S2 IS max size

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you? .....5MP

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify) .....Ultrazoom

* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)...10

Do you care for manual controls?....Yes

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?...Family, Nature, Widlife, Travel

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?...Yes to say 8 x 10

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?....Not specifically but would like to be able to capture in normal indoor light situations.. .

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos? ...Not specifically but I would like to if the situation arose. Children and pets will be my main interests on moving subjects.

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate?... No but would be more confident with a main brand.

Are there particular models you already have in mind? .....Canon S2 IS, Sony H1, Panasonic FZ5.

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)...Stabilization

The most important points to me are as follows;

Photo quality.
The FZ5 appears to achieve better results than the other two with excellent resolution and detail, as an example allowing a 5Mb file image to give a good quality, heavily cropped 8 x 10 print.

Noise from test pics:
At the lowest ISO of each camera the FZ5 has the least noise.
At ISO 400 the FZ5 has the least noise

LCD and EVF
I am concerned about the LCD’s so it would be appreciated if someone would make a comment on how bad the LCD on the Panasonic can be in bright sunlight and in low light and how can you overcome this.

I understand that the Canon has similar problems in bright sunlight and gains up in low light and the Sony is good even in bright sunlight and gains up slightly in low light.

Menus:
Is any one better or clearer to use than another. I noted in one review that the Canon had more direct access through buttons than the Sony where you had to find information via the menu’s. Any comments on the FZ5 menu system.

I realise that the Canon has an excellent movie mode and the Sony has that fantastic monitor, these are an excellent bonus but if the trade off is to lose photo quality then I consider that they are not justified if you want the best photo’s your budget can afford.

As I am new to digital camera’s ( I consider buying electronic item’s for the first time is difficult as you don’t have the experience to avoid small but important detail ) I would like to know if I have interpreted these facts correctly and/or if anyone would like to add further comments.

Any comments would be appreciated to assist in a difficult purchase and if anyone is aware of a review comparison of the three side by side, the URL would also be appreciated.

[eclipsic]

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_s2is%2Csony_dsch1%2Cpanasonic_dmcfz5&show=all

There you go.

I've been in the same dilemma that you are in now (well, actually I am sort of in it too) and what amazes me is that the FZ5 seems to produce better images than the FZ20. The only exception that I can see is the hot shoe.

Go for either the Sony or the Pana--both are excellent cameras, has got great reviews.

[lucky8]

I've just pulled the trigger on SONY H1 eventhough I've been a Canon user all my life.

[Donato777]

I was in the same boat for months and finally chose the Pan. FZ5. I love this camera for its: excellent resolution and image quality; battery life, use of SD cards, speed, ease of use, compact size, and let's not forget the PRICE. You can get this camera at 6ave.com now for $364.00 + .06 S&H - more I suppose if Aussie lives in Australia. That is over $100 less than either the Canon or the Sony. I would not buy Sony because I do not want to use Memory Sticks which are more expensive. All the best with your final decision.

[Aussie]

Thank you for the three replies, to Eclipse the Url you advised was one I had missed. To Donato777, the prices are quite interesting in Australia, the RRP are not consistent with the US RRP's with Sony being $A899, $100 dearer than the Canon.

H1 being just recently to hit the market has a street price of $A759. S2IS $A659. FZ5 $A595, so your comment on price for what you are getting is a strong point.

On the other hand if the images of the S2IS are as good as the FZ5, $65 would be a good investment for quality video.

Thanks again for your interest.

[maric]

I spent a month debating the S2 vs. the FZ5 before finally settling on the FZ5. I'm quite satisfied with it, and pretty well convinced I made the right choice. The noise differences on the two cameras are relatively minor (http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/panasonic/dmc_fz5-review/index.shtml), and for me the selling points on the S2 were the AAs (instead of the proprietary), the better movie mode, and Canon's panoramic stitching mode which I've used on a previous camera and quite liked. Furthermore, the rotating screen was particularly nice (both for odd angles, and protecting the LCD).

Unfortunately, when I actually got my hands on the cameras to see how they felt, I was particularly bothered by the S2's lens cover, which is a rubber piece which slides on, and is held in place by friction with an interior felt lining. While this is nice in that it automatically pushes the cover off if you forget to remove it yourself, it struck me as weak protection for camera that I was going to spend ~400 USD on, especially given how repairs go for digital cameras. A look at the Canon forums (http://www.dcresource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10590) suggested that those people concerned about this problem are dealing with it by either ignoring it, jury rigging a solution, or permanently attaching an adapter and filter, which can then have a clip in cap attached. While this would work, it makes the S2 much larger than I was willing to deal with.

In contrast, the Panasonic was smaller, lighter, had nominally less noise, all the critical features, if less of the cute gimmicks that I like. And I felt less nervous with it in terms of the lens cover. Oh... and it was cheaper.

As to the specific questions.

The menu system. General modes (priority modes) are accessed by a dial, but beyond that, most of the settings - ISO, white balance, etc are accessed through a relatively simple menu system. Some functions, such as the priority are through a button and arrow, others, such as exposure/bracketing are reached through the up arrow at all times. Image Stabilization is easily turned off, and rapid shot is also a single button.

Pretty straight forward. Not as many random modes as the S2, but enough to cover most things...

Low light. Its hard to see whats on the screen/EVF in the dark. Can't argue that. This said, the autofocus still works well, and I usually can line up and get my shots anyway. I haven't compared the S2 on this. I haven't noticed a problem in bright sunlight.

Hope that helps. For my .02, if you don't mind the added size of an adapter and filter, the extra gimmick features of the S2 are quite nice. Good luck!

[Within]

My advise for you, Aussie, is that if you are using manual mode to take pictures, get the S2 as it uses the directional pad to adjust the variables. Whereelse the Z5 is more complicated. How complicated you may ask, even the camera dealer who have sold many Z5 takes 5-10 minutes to adjust the aperture and shutter speed (not sure if any Z5 camera user has this problem).

However, if you are aiming for a cheap but good camera, do not hesitate to get the Z5 because in picture quality wise, both of them are similar.

Quality video should never be your priority to get S2 because at the end of the day, all the digital cameras are still taking movies at VGA quality (640x320) regardless of whether zooming is allowed in the movie or number of fps.

Sorry if you find my advise a bit biased because I am a S2 user. Hope this advice can help in your decision making. :)

[tim11]

.....the camera dealer who have sold many Z5 takes 5-10 minutes to adjust the aperture and shutter speed (not sure if any Z5 camera user has this problem)......
5-10 minutes? Bloody hell mate. Your camera dealer must have had one hand amputated. I am a beginner with a FZ20 and I like to use M mode without problem. FZ20 and FZ5 use directional pad for Aparture/shutter adjustment.
Check Panasonic parent company link:
http://panasonic.co.jp/pavc/global/lumix/fz5_4/mainparts.html
Canon S2 is a great camera, of course, that's beyond debate. But so is the FZ5 and it's not that sluggish.

[onewasjo]

Same boat - finally decided on pan fz5 (had to make decision tho I am a chronic over-researcher b/c next week I elope :eek: :D and move) and posted a new thread on it. To sum: these were issues important to me:

- solid performance + terrific image quality (vs. bells + whistles)
- smaller + lighter
- less money! At the end of the day, I spent ~$400 USD from reputable dealers incl camera, fast 1GB memory card, all shipping and taxes.

Quality of video was never a consideration for me b/c the frame size and compression codec of any still camera is nowhere near mini-DV quality. Tho traveling lightly is an issue for me, I will ALWAYS carry a separate mini-DV camcorder until someone makes a true camera/camcorder hybrid.

[Suzyq]

- less money! At the end of the day, I spent ~$400 USD from reputable dealers incl camera, fast 1GB memory card, all shipping and taxes.

Could you tell me where you got such a good price please...am still trying to find the camera in the area, but will have to order I guess.

[maric]

My advise for you, Aussie, is that if you are using manual mode to take pictures, get the S2 as it uses the directional pad to adjust the variables. Whereelse the Z5 is more complicated. How complicated you may ask, even the camera dealer who have sold many Z5 takes 5-10 minutes to adjust the aperture and shutter speed (not sure if any Z5 camera user has this problem).

Never had the problem. Adjusting both are a matter of setting to mode (manual-priority), and then tapping the exposure button and using the directional pad to adjust. Very simple. If you shift back to automatic modes, the settings will remain set when you return, etc.

Dunno why it would have taken so long.

[boylit]

I was in the same boat just a few days ago. Got myself the Sony H1 as my 1st digital camera (hell my 1st camera) for the following reasons (in order of importance):

1. Good reviews - I know the Z20 is rated higher in noise levels but other factors outweighed that in my case. Other than that, the H1 seemed to be pretty good. I tried the Pana Z20, Canon S2, KM Z5 and the H1. I can't tell the difference as to which shot better or worse.
2. Dealer/distributor support - 3 years warranty is better than the others plus they have service centers all over our country. I purchased from the same dealer/distributor where I got my television. I needed to have the TV repaired some time back (under warranty) and they just picked up the old unit and had a brand new unit with them to replace it. No questions asked.
3. MS pricing not so bad. I thought this would be an issue but my dealer sells Sandisk MS Pro memory for at just about $1 over SD.
4. Camera pricing - The KM was the cheapest of the lot with the H1 a fair amount more. The S2 and Z20 were priced a lot more (from $50 to $100 more).

Here are some of the 1st shots I took with it just following directions from a photography book I got from the bookstore.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/jaimecardinalsin/DSC00041.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/jaimecardinalsin/DSC00032.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/jaimecardinalsin/DSC00003.jpg

[herc182]

i own a FZ20. FZ5 is what i would recommend for the excellent lens it has on it (leica). captures more detail than the rest. in order of photo quality:

FZ5>Sony H1>Canon IS2

Read reviews on dpreview.com that confirms that. its the lens that dominates the quality of the camera, and therefore look no further than the FZ5.

look here (http://imageevent.com/herc182) for my gallery taken with FZ20 (look at detail captured). i have used a polariser filter for most shots so look more saturated than normal.

Boylit....excellent night shots. i wish i had a back drop like that ;-)

[Aussie]

Thanks boylit for sharing your shots, I am completly blown away with the third photo. the detail and colour is amazing.

It doesn't take much imagination to put yourself in the location.

Great photo's.

Thanks again for your reply.

[miloman@cox.net]

EISA,the largest editorial multimedia organization in Europe, just named the Panasonic FZ5 as the best Zoom camera of 05/06.
... I just thought I'd share the news.

[Aussie]

Thanks Miloman, those comments will give Panasonic a huge boost, do you have any links to the editorial ?.

[miloman@cox.net]

This was where I read about it. I couldn't get the link, but just go to dcviews.com and go to their news archive.

[Donato777]

Aussie,
I don't know the exchange rate but you can buy the FZ5 right now for $362.00 US with free shipping from buydig.com. Maybe they'll be willing to ship it to you in Australia.

[boxgirl73]

boylit...those photos really show off what the camera can do...

i just got the H1 myself and was blown away with the super macro shots! the lens is able to touch the subject and still take an incredibly detailed, sharp photo!

[Aussie]

I am disappointed that speaklightly has not made a comment to my camera selection predicament.

I realise that the question has been asked before, but each buyer has different camera requirements and in my case it is photo quality that I can be very critical of.

Having used Photo Inkjet Printers for several years, it is fantastic to see them evolve to what they are today so, to get the best from your inkjet they are worth the best input that you can afford….quality in, quality out.

Looking forward to a reply.

[tim11]

speaklightly only advocates for smaller compacts. Have you seen both cameras in a shop yet? Maybe that will help you make a decision.
Go for the FZ! I have a FZ20 and sort of like the S2 too but some negative comments on the S2 makes me nervous.

[munter]

Ive been studying(probably too much!) on this dilema with a choice of similar brands/models as yourself, In my case looking for a good size/wieght camera capable of amateur widlife photography.
Leaning towards the FZ5, tho the poor view of the LCD in low light, slow startup and picture speeds, minimal movie options and lithium batteries are of some concern, but other cameras looked at either are too large or not up to the picture quality.- still open to choices, any suggestions much appreciated.

Your mentioned prices are about right, with the FZ5 available here for around 670NZD, tho 400USD with extras sounds like a sharp price.

Anyway, when I get my camera I will be able to take a pic of the Bledisloe Cup with out catching a plane!, cheers :)

[sjseto]

I am disappointed that speaklightly has not made a comment to my camera selection predicament.
Unfortunately, speaklightly has decided that she will no longer contribute to this forum. You can read her last post (http://www.dcresource.com/forums/showpost.php?p=65809&postcount=95) for the reason behind her decision. I know that she is still posting at the Steve's Digicams Discussion Forums (http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/) if you'd like to seek her advice.

[zillygal]

I too have been agonizing over this decision. I currently have a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S85. And while it still takes great outside photos all of my indoor photos now have a strong yellow/gold tint to them. If it is extremely dark in the room and I use my flash I can get a great shot - but that is the only way.

I mainly use the camera for family type shots - and have a new grandbaby on the way. (November) - I would love to go ahead and get a camera now and play with it so I don't end up with a gazillion shots later on that are no good because I wasn't sure what I was doing with a new one.

After reading (and reading and reading) here is where I stand on my thoughts with each camera: Any suggestions as to which one I should lean towards would be greatly helpful.

The S2 IS - I have never worked with any of their cameras - my only hesitation.

The Sony - From what I have read on some sites the yellowing I mentioned that is now happening more frequently is still a problem with the Sony's. And the battery size scares me. (my current one can last forever it seems - and I am afraid I am so used to that)

The Panasonic - there is not a place in our town that sells them in order for me to get a feel on it.

The zoom and stabilizer are really important to me - for those who have any of the above cameras i would love to know how this handles.

Any more suggestions - keeping in mind kids - babies and my love for taking a lot of photos - are my main concerns. oh and not having a slow shutter response.

thanks!

[fnoel]

Unfortunately, speaklightly has decided that she will no longer contribute to this forum. You can read her last post (http://www.dcresource.com/forums/showpost.php?p=65809&postcount=95) for the reason behind her decision. I know that she is still posting at the Steve's Digicams Discussion Forums (http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/) if you'd like to seek her advice.
This has become a very sad day for this forum. I for one will miss her input on many of the camera decisions and stuff.

[tim11]

Anyway, when I get my camera I will be able to take a pic of the Bledisloe Cup with out catching a plane!, cheers :)
I'm sure if you take the cam to Bledisloe Cup the photos will come just ALL BLACKS; esp. the way the Wallabies are going now. :)

[kimnicho]

I could be wrong but I thought speaklightly "declared" that you will no longer be posting in this forum....but if you want her sage advice, I did "bump" into her at Steve's forum across the street :D

[IamIcan]

Based solely on professional reviews the H1 got the highest scores, but the differences are quite minor, you should read more reviews see which camera suits your requirements better, after that I suggest you go to any store that has these models and get a feel of them, to see which feels "more right" in your hands.

Canon PowerShot S2 IS (8 professional reviews) (http://www.viewscore.com/vsPP/3/1767)

Sony CyberShot DSC-H1 (4 professional reviews) (http://www.viewscore.com/vsPP/3/1755)

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 (9 professional reviews) (http://www.viewscore.com/vsPP/3/1726)

I hope you find that helpfel.