If there's one thing we do before buying anything or going anywhere, it's RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH. This is one of the main reasons we started our company, our guidebook series, and why we blog. Why reinvent the wheel each time? Why not share our hard work with our readers?When we got our Canon Powershot S2 over 3 years ago, we spent several weeks combing over the options within our budget for a top-of-the-line "point-and-shoot" digital camera. Our 4 year old Nikon Coolpix had finally taken its last shot, and we were in need of something with professional quality at an amateur price. We found it all in the Powershot; which since 2005 has seen some great upgrades in megapixels (from 5 to 8 now), stability, and quality. Although larger in body, this little genius has some wonderful settings, a useful swiveling LCD, a super zoom, and high quality results that made most of our magazine editors happy.
We reviewed this product on February 22 last year; the results from that review:
Pros:
Extending lens with 12x zoom
Settings galore: panoramic, indoor, unlimited speed shutter to name a few!
Battery life
Video quality
Swivel viewfinder
Good flash, popup
Cons:
Heavier weight - 14.3 oz - and larger body
Complex settings require instructional reading
Off button is sometimes mistaken for the shutter button
Our research was so detailed and valuable, that several friends took our advice last to purchase this wonderful little camera!
All that said however, the Powershot's image quality is not quite
professional-grade, and as our company grew and our editorial needs expanded, we began the search for an upgrade.We found everything and more in the Canon Rebel XSi. Remember, our needs might be different from yours, so let us spell out what narrowed our search:
1. We needed a professional camera without the professional weight:
In testing a few Nikons out (that brand just happened to be what friends own), we noticed that the weight of a professional camera isn't that big of a deal when shooting non-sporting or off-snow events, but the bulk of our shooting IS on snow or on the run, and having something lightweight, manageable, and small enough to zip into our coats while skiing was a MUST.
2. We needed a Canon so our 35mm lenses could be used:
Since long before Access Anything began, Andy shot film on either a Pentax or Canon body when "professional" images were needed. We had two excellent lenses, tons of filters, and several other attachments for the Rebel 35mm's body that we didn't want to go to waste. Despite what the market projects, it isn't about megapixels, it's ALL about lenses! You have a good zoom and wide angle lens in your bag and you don't NEED more than 8 or 10 mps.
3. We wanted to spend less than $1000:
Even though there are professional camera bodies that range from $700 to $4000, we compared all of them. The major differences between the 3 professional grades of camera bodies in the Canon family are megapixels, ISO ("film" speed), and weight. When asked, our photographer friends said "you just can't explain the differences" between the Mark series and the Rebel. Our logic was for $2000, if it's unexplainable, perhaps we can do without it? So far, we think we were right.
After one month with the XSi, we're still in shock at the quality of photo, the shutter speed, and the manageable size of the body even with the large 80-300 lens. What we're missing out on (2500 vs 1600 ISO, 10 extra megapixels, and 10-15 extra oz of weight) is excusable; the photo quality has so far been high enough for stock and magazine agencies- the largest file we've taken is over 5mb!
We hope if you're looking for a camera, you'll consider our research valuable. Good luck!
