Sonty Cybershot H7 or Canon Powershot S5

chocogirl

Hope you all had a lovely christmas.

I have been looking for a new digital camera, so wanted to wait for the sales.

I have been looking at the Sony Cybershot H7 cheapest price i have seen is £185 from pixamania, or the Canon Powershot s5, cheapest price is £212.

Does anyone have one of these cameras and can tell me if they are any good.

I did want a dslr but they are still to pricey, and these both seem good, but i want it to beable to take picture of my son karting and F1. So i need something that will let me override it manually, both seem to have fast shutter speeds.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

nuttywoman

Can`t vouch for others but i got a Canon Powershot A550 for xmas and i love it.Its really easy to use and i get good photos.

cc25

I have a Canon Powershot S5, and also a Nikon D40 digital SLR. I am pleased with the results I get with the Canon, and I find it easy to use. It is smaller and lighter than the Nikon, has a powerful 12 times optical zoom, and image stabilisation. I have not been disappointed with any of the Canon Powershot cameras I have owned over the years.

Here are some links to website reviews of the Canon S5, which may help you make up your mind as to its suitability for your intended use. The same websites will probably have reviews of the Sony H7 as well

Steve's Digicams Jul-19-07
Imaging Resource Oct-30-07
DP Review Jul-27-07
DCRP Jul-11-07

chocogirl

cc25 wrote: »

I have a Canon Powershot S5, and also a Nikon D40 digital SLR.

Thanks will look at the websites you have given me, the Nikon D40 was the slr i was looking at but it is still a bit high in price for me as really want to spend nearer the £200 mark.

Would you say your Nikon is a much better camera than the Canon when taking action shots etc.

cc25

The main advantages of the Nikon for action shots would be:-

• the higher quality image of the subject in the viewfinder. The Canon S5 (and I think most other similar cameras) has an electronic viewfinder, which is not nearly as good as an SLR. It is easier to compose the photo when the viewfinder image is bright and clear, which it is on the Nikon.
• better low light performance - the pictures from the S5 have a lot more 'noise' at higher ISO settings (the reviews refer to this).
• faster continuous shooting rate (2.5 frames per second, vs 1.5 for the S5)
• generally superior image quality (more important if you wish to print your images A3 or larger, the differences are less visible at A4 or smaller)

The D40 is available for around £310, and Nikon have a £30 cashback offer for purchases made until 7th Jan 2008. So if you really think a digital SLR would suit you best, then perhaps a D40 isn't that much more than an S5! The D40 also has a 2 year manufacturer's warranty. You will have to make a judgement as to which features are most important to you, and make your decision accordingly. I couldn't decide, and I ended up buying both cameras! However, photography is my main hobby, so I justified the additional cost to myself.

I am sure that with a little practice and care, both cameras could give you acceptable results for action photos.

chocogirl

Thanks cc25, not sure what to do yet, review sites were good thou, so much to take in thou. £200 ish is about the top of my budget thou, so if i decide on the Nikon, might wait a bit and add to it next month.