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I know the obvious size diffrence as well as the megapixal diffrence.
I just need users of either (hopfully both) to give some advice. I
have researched them all over the internet. I have used an S400 for a
while (father camera). It works great, and I am happy with the size. I
wouldn't mind getting an extra megapixal though. Price is pretty much
the same between them- around $380 each.

Zoom seems the same between the S50 and S400. I am wondering if 5
megapixals is good, or if it is just hype. Most of my pics are of my
car, parties, vacations, landscapes, etc. I don't often print out the
pics, I usually modify them on my PC and put them on my Fotki site.

How will the quality of the picture suffer or change between a 4 and a
5MP shot?

How often do people wish they had the added manual controls that the
S50 offers?

I would like to get into much better pictures, and learn a lot more
about the manual controls, but I am not even close to the G series
PowerShots. I think I want a little more then the S400, but as of now,
I won't use all the features of the S50.

The few times I have used manual controls on the S400 I got great
shots, but I felt like they could have been better if I continued to
tweak at the settings. Usually that is for landscape shots etc.

Again most of my shots will be point and shoot, maybe get a few cool
angles and such. I like to play around and get cool shots like this:
http://images3.fotki.com/v29/photos/...MG_0678-vi.jpg
http://images3.fotki.com/v29/photos/...MG_0669-vi.jpg
BUT a lot of my shots are like this:
http://images3.fotki.com/v28/photos/...MG_0691-vi.jpg
http://images3.fotki.com/v29/photos/...MG_0715-vi.jpg

I want to get a really great point and shoot camera. I need it rugged.
I need excellent resolution. I need it easy to use, but allow for
manual options sould the need arise. I need pretty decent battery
life.

That S400 fits real well in my pocket, but I always worry about
scratching it. If I always keep it in the case I might as well get a
larger camera with more resolution, I think. I am just so torn! Any
help would be great.

PS: These are the only 2 camera I am looking at, and want to look at.
Thanks

TReminga wrote:

> I know the obvious size diffrence as well as the megapixal diffrence.
> I just need users of either (hopfully both) to give some advice. I
> have researched them all over the internet. I have used an S400 for a
> while (father camera). It works great, and I am happy with the size. I
> wouldn't mind getting an extra megapixal though. Price is pretty much
> the same between them- around $380 each.
>
> Zoom seems the same between the S50 and S400. I am wondering if 5
> megapixals is good, or if it is just hype. Most of my pics are of my
> car, parties, vacations, landscapes, etc. I don't often print out the
> pics, I usually modify them on my PC and put them on my Fotki site.
>
> How will the quality of the picture suffer or change between a 4 and a
> 5MP shot?
>
> How often do people wish they had the added manual controls that the
> S50 offers?

Many many times in my case - I own the S40. Great little camera with a
lot of flexibility. The manual controls allow you to play with
alternative exposure and focus options.

Also: my S40 has gone through hell and back. It is all banged up
body-wise, but the quality of the pics persists. I assume the S5)
enjoys similarly rugged construction.

>
> I would like to get into much better pictures, and learn a lot more
> about the manual controls, but I am not even close to the G series
> PowerShots. I think I want a little more then the S400, but as of now,
> I won't use all the features of the S50.
>
> The few times I have used manual controls on the S400 I got great
> shots, but I felt like they could have been better if I continued to
> tweak at the settings. Usually that is for landscape shots etc.
>
> Again most of my shots will be point and shoot, maybe get a few cool
> angles and such. I like to play around and get cool shots like this:
> http://images3.fotki.com/v29/photos/...MG_0678-vi.jpg
> http://images3.fotki.com/v29/photos/...MG_0669-vi.jpg
> BUT a lot of my shots are like this:
> http://images3.fotki.com/v28/photos/...MG_0691-vi.jpg
> http://images3.fotki.com/v29/photos/...MG_0715-vi.jpg
>
> I want to get a really great point and shoot camera. I need it rugged.
> I need excellent resolution. I need it easy to use, but allow for
> manual options sould the need arise. I need pretty decent battery
> life.
>
> That S400 fits real well in my pocket, but I always worry about
> scratching it. If I always keep it in the case I might as well get a
> larger camera with more resolution, I think. I am just so torn! Any
> help would be great.
>
> PS: These are the only 2 camera I am looking at, and want to look at.
> Thanks

I doubt that the difference between 4 and 5 megapixels would matter
much. I would decide this based upon the trade off between smaller
size on the S400 vs. the increased controls on the S50. I just bought
a S50 figuring that it was small enough to fit in pockets (although
the smaller size of the S400 would be preferable), and I feared I
would miss the controls on the S50. If you found that the S400 lacked
controlls you wish you had I would get the S50 unless you have a real
need for the smaller sized camera.


On 29 Nov 2003 20:13:08 -0800, (TReminga) wrote:

>I know the obvious size diffrence as well as the megapixal diffrence.
>I just need users of either (hopfully both) to give some advice. I
>have researched them all over the internet. I have used an S400 for a
>while (father camera). It works great, and I am happy with the size. I
>wouldn't mind getting an extra megapixal though. Price is pretty much
>the same between them- around $380 each.
>
>Zoom seems the same between the S50 and S400. I am wondering if 5
>megapixals is good, or if it is just hype. Most of my pics are of my
>car, parties, vacations, landscapes, etc. I don't often print out the
>pics, I usually modify them on my PC and put them on my Fotki site.
>
>How will the quality of the picture suffer or change between a 4 and a
>5MP shot?
>
>How often do people wish they had the added manual controls that the
>S50 offers?
>
>I would like to get into much better pictures, and learn a lot more
>about the manual controls, but I am not even close to the G series
>PowerShots. I think I want a little more then the S400, but as of now,
>I won't use all the features of the S50.
>
>The few times I have used manual controls on the S400 I got great
>shots, but I felt like they could have been better if I continued to
>tweak at the settings. Usually that is for landscape shots etc.
>
>Again most of my shots will be point and shoot, maybe get a few cool
>angles and such. I like to play around and get cool shots like this:
>http://images3.fotki.com/v29/photos/...MG_0678-vi.jpg
>http://images3.fotki.com/v29/photos/...MG_0669-vi.jpg
>BUT a lot of my shots are like this:
>http://images3.fotki.com/v28/photos/...MG_0691-vi.jpg
>http://images3.fotki.com/v29/photos/...MG_0715-vi.jpg
>
>I want to get a really great point and shoot camera. I need it rugged.
>I need excellent resolution. I need it easy to use, but allow for
>manual options sould the need arise. I need pretty decent battery
>life.
>
>That S400 fits real well in my pocket, but I always worry about
>scratching it. If I always keep it in the case I might as well get a
>larger camera with more resolution, I think. I am just so torn! Any
>help would be great.
>
>PS: These are the only 2 camera I am looking at, and want to look at.
>Thanks

Being able to *easily* tote an S400 in a pants or coat pocket is a
tremendous plus ... The cam is always close by ... I've gotten many
shots I would have otherwise missed. I previously had an Elph APS
(exact same formfactor as the S400) for many years and because I
always had the cam on me, I got shots that many other ppl missed
because their slightly larger cam was "in the car" or "in another
purse" or ... ... I was astounded at the resolution of the S400 when I
casually took a pic of a flower, then later zoomed in on the shot and
could see (non-pixelated) teensy tiny hairs or pistles or whatever
that could not be seen with the naked eye.

On 11/30/2003 04:13 PM, Markeau said:
> Being able to *easily* tote an S400 in a pants or coat pocket is a
> tremendous plus ... The cam is always close by ... I've gotten many
> shots I would have otherwise missed. I previously had an Elph APS
> (exact same formfactor as the S400) for many years and because I
> always had the cam on me, I got shots that many other ppl missed
> because their slightly larger cam was "in the car" or "in another
> purse" or ... ... I was astounded at the resolution of the S400 when I
> casually took a pic of a flower, then later zoomed in on the shot and
> could see (non-pixelated) teensy tiny hairs or pistles or whatever
> that could not be seen with the naked eye.
>

I second that! I have the 3MP s230, which is the same
physical size as the s400, and I take it nearly everywhere. I
got this great sunrise recently on the drive to work one
morning, because the s230 was in my briefcase - a larger
camera probably would not have been:

http://www.joekaz.net/sunrise.html


--
Joe
http://www.joekaz.net/
http://www.cafeshops.com/joekaz

On Mon, 01 Dec 2003 17:19:30 -0500, Joe <> wrote:


>.... I
>got this great sunrise recently on the drive to work one
>morning, because the s230 was in my briefcase - a larger
>camera probably would not have been:
>
>http://www.joekaz.net/sunrise.html

Nice shot!

-- Larry (ex-resident of Hopewell, [Model Ave])