P&S digital camera: image stabilization?

Chaotic Descent

trying to decide whether to get Canon SD1000 for $210, or SD800 with image stabilization for $310. I suspect I won't need the I.S. enough to make it worth $100. I don't think I'll be taking pictures from a moving vehicle often enough. I'm not sure if the SD1000 is good enough that it doesn't need it most of the time anyways or what... anyone know?
I had previously considered upgrading to a low-end SLR, but I've reconsidered. but it's only like another $100 step up from that damned SD800. somehow I don't think the IS compares to the SLR features as far as the price increase.

also trying to decide on accessories, and whether to support my local Canadian economy, if I can do so without being horribly ripped off.

the combo deals for more accessories don't seem worth it. I should probably buy them separately on eBay.
I didn't realize it came with a battery charger. that makes sense. I would like an AC adapter for use at home though. Will a cheap brand version be sufficient?
I'm thinking of getting a second battery. It seems amperage is what determines how long the charge is good for, so I'll be sure to get a high rating. How important is brand name for quality? I'm not sure where it's important to get a good brand.
maybe it's a little important for the memory card? get a mid-range brand? I'm guessing 1GB will be plenty good enough. and Crucial is a decent enough brand, right?
if I get the one without IS, a tripod might be nice for use at home.

I'm in Canada, so getting a good price is difficult. If I can find a price close enough to the best price online for the USA, I'll take it, but usually the price differences are just too great to bother supporting my local economy. I feel kind of scummy but... oh well, I don't shop that often. and I'm still under the impression that I'm poor. I suppose I am.
It is a hassle to get it into Canada though. There ARE legal ways to avoid taxes on that. I'll probably end up paying for shipping a second time to get it here though, since the online stores often don't ship to Canada, plus they won't even give me the non-guaranteed step of marking the item as a gift.
I'm a bit annoyed that they've been changing the prices around a lot lately on the one site I was looking at. first the one model was cheaper than the other (black and silver versions), then the cheaper one was even MORE cheaper, and now they're the same. two changes in the span of a couple days. maybe I shoulda taken advantage of the price when it was cheapest.

Fristle

Image Stabilization is more important when using a super-zoom, which is why it makes a lot of sense on the Canon S2/S3 IS with their 12x optical zoom.

Don't worry about brand for the memory card, but do try to get one with a good speed for writes. 1GB is plenty of space for anyone with a point-and-shoot, because you won't be shooting in RAW format.

Do get a second battery (or set of batteries, whatever). My camera takes AA NiMH so I don't have any opinions or recommendation about LiIon choices.

Q_Prime

IS isn't just important for zooming and movements, it's great for lowlight situations too. if you think you're going to be taking pictures in lowlight frequently then id recommend getting the sd800.

edit: I'm pretty sure canon IS equates to about a full stop lower.

Fristle

Q_Prime wrote: »

IS isn't just important for zooming and movements, it's great for lowlight situations too. if you think you're going to be taking pictures in lowlight frequently then id recommend getting the sd800.

edit: I'm pretty sure canon IS equates to about a full stop lower.

I can only speak for the Canon S2 IS, but, it's not that stellar in low light.

Cycophant

I just recently bought a decent camera in the same price range (Fuji S5200). After playing around with it for a few months now, to me I'd gladly pay $100 more for the ability to get a more stable image. The S5200 is a great camera, don't get me wrong - any photos I take where I can manage to keep it stable turn out absolutely beautiful. But in many shooting modes (especially when taking advantage of the 10x zoom), even the slightest amount of blur can ruin an otherwise great photo. And all the Photoshop in the world won't bring it back. So anything that can be done to minimize camera shake is a huge bonus to even just regular shooting. All your photos will look crisper, and you'll be much happier with the photos you take.

And I can echo the sentiments of living in Canada. One thing to be wary of, is unless you get a really good deal in the States, the risk you run of having to return it if something goes wrong might not be worth it. Unless you can save a lot of money, you're probably better off in the long run paying a bit extra here and saving yourself future hassle. That's just my train of thought, anyway.

Pheezer

Look for a camera that can handle ISO 800 well enough and then even in low light you'll be able to use a quick enough shutter speed that image stabilization won't be an issue.

Q_Prime

you won't find a point and shoot that can handle 800 well.. well maybe the new canons can. see if they'll let you try them out when you go to buy it.

Pheezer

And he IS looking at the new Canons.

I had a Powershot A520 that I really enjoyed, and it looks like the more recent Powershot A-model cameras have continued that tradition, and they feature ISO 800. Don't buy a camera from a store that won't let you test the demo models.

Check FutureShop/Best Buy for camera prices, by the way. If you're just getting a point and shoot, you'll probably find that their sale prices are as good as you're going to find, and they'll be competitive to any American order + shipping and etc.

And by the way, it's not legal to try to circumvent paying duty. The only way you can do that legally is if you take a day trip to the US and spend within your allowable duty-free limit, and then your gas costs are going to eat up any savings.

Deusfaux

I prioritized IS over higher megapixels.

It has noticeably decreased the amount of point and shoot shots you'd have to take of... anything really - there will be fewer blurry images, and they'll be less blury the ones you do snap.

Basically anything less than "well lit" will benefit from IS - not what we actually might think of "low-light". But if that's a lot of money, then don't worry about it, it's not quite THAT much of a deal breaker.

You can increase ISO to compensate for poorer shooting conditions but then you are increasing image noise as well. In that sense, IS > ISO for dealing with lower lighting.

embrik

I've owned the SD800IS for about 5 months now, and it's a very good camera. The Image stabilization helps a bit, especially with me, who can't hold my hands steady for very long (I could never be a surgeon). The camera does up to ISO 1600, but it's way too grainy to be usable. The ISO800 shots look good. I did a bunch of research when I got this camera, and the only other one at the time that had better ISO shots was a Fuji (I think F11 (or was it F30?)), and the reviews I read said that the Canon had better controls and took excellent daytime shots, but the Fuji took slightly better pictures in low light.
Regardless of all of that, am I happy with my SD800IS? Yes, yes I am.

Q_Prime

embrik wrote: »

I've owned the SD800IS for about 5 months now, and it's a very good camera. The Image stabilization helps a bit, especially with me, who can't hold my hands steady for very long (I could never be a surgeon). The camera does up to ISO 1600, but it's way too grainy to be usable. The ISO800 shots look good. I did a bunch of research when I got this camera, and the only other one at the time that had better ISO shots was a Fuji (I think F11 (or was it F30?)), and the reviews I read said that the Canon had better controls and took excellent daytime shots, but the Fuji took slightly better pictures in low light.
Regardless of all of that, am I happy with my SD800IS? Yes, yes I am.

ah okay the sd800 does go up to iso 1600, the rule of thumb is, (for the most part) camera's have an iso setting one higher than it is advisable to use. i have a rebel xt, and i wont use iso 1600, i don't even really like going to 800 but i will if i have to.

Chaotic Descent

Thanks.
I have tried them out in the stores a couple times now, but I don't really know what I'm doing or what I'm trying to find out. "get a feel for" doesn't seem to be something that's intrinsic to handling one in person, so I'm not really sure what I've learned. except that it takes practice to get something in focus. it's not just a matter of zooming in or out, or changing into macro mode. there's just so many settings.

Canada really sucks. $324 US (~$360 Canadian) shipped within the USA for a Canon SD800 + 1GB SD card from NewEgg.com, or $430 Canadian for one from Best Buy without decent sized SD card. $494.50 to 497.50 after tax, depending on whether that crappy "instant savings" is before or after tax. Ok, so the NewEgg camera is only 72.8% of the cost of the Best Buy one. but still... owch. I dunno. why shouldn't I take my chances on it without a proper warranty? add on the $15 for the memory card if I buy it from NewEgg (and not get it until the convention, where I'll be using it most), and it jumps to 70.7% of the cost.
It doesn't help that you can barely even FIND good prices for Canada, even online. Heck, online gives you no advantage. Canada doesn't have a newegg.com or zipzoomfly, where it actually costs less than going to a BestBuy or Future Shop.

Pheezer

Yes, we do have websites. There's www.ncix.com and www.tigerdirect.com and I know that at least NCIX carries digital cameras.

nexuscrawler

Really the best way to get a clear image is buy a decent tripod. If you're not using an insane zoom lens or a very heavy camera a 100 dollar bogen or other brandname tripod is more the enough.

Chaotic Descent

pheezer FD wrote: »

Yes, we do have websites. There's www.ncix.com and www.tigerdirect.com and I know that at least NCIX carries digital cameras.

... wow. NCIX doesn't have any Canon SD models, and TigerDirect ... DAMNIT! I was on the US site! they have jack squat! *sigh*

nexuscrawler wrote: »

Really the best way to get a clear image is buy a decent tripod. If you're not using an insane zoom lens or a very heavy camera a 100 dollar bogen or other brandname tripod is more the enough.

for $100, I'll take the image stabilization, since it takes up less room. maybe you meant the other brandname tripod would be more affordable.