Need help picking a new P&S camera

[AmpedSilence]

My first camera was a Powershot A80. I really love this camera, but i need a bit more megapixels, the 4MP is just not enough anymore.

So, I would like to continue with that line because i love the colors and the crispness of the pictures.

I bought a PowerShot A710IS about a few months ago. My dad took it to India with him before I got a chance to play with it for a bit.

I finally got to play with it Tuesday night and I was not impressed. In fact, I am down right dissatisfied with it. So much so that I am planning on going back to my A80 until I find a suitable replacement.

And that is what i want advice on.

What I found lacking with the A710...

1) The flash recharge time. Its SO long that the flash basically is not practical to use. I have a SD800IS and the recharge time on that is prefect for that camera, the old A80 was also fast. This one is just god-awful slow.

2) The focusing in low light is non-existent. The A80 was right in low light situations more than it was wrong. This camera has not been right once in focusing yet, under similar conditions.

3) The optical zoom is good a 6x, but once you get to that range, the focusing goes to shit. See above post.

I would like a camera with similar capabilities as the A80, but that doesn't suck, like the A710. I do enjoy the Manual controls that A80 gave me and were passed on to the A710, just not pleased with the flash or the colors that the camera gives me.

Any help would apperciated.

 

[ubercaffeinated]

I don't understand... You have a SD800IS, what's wrong with that as a p&s camera.

 

[AmpedSilence]

Originally posted by: makoto00
I don't understand... You have a SD800IS, what's wrong with that as a p&s camera.

the SD800IS replaced my parent's old Casio something or other. So that one is my parents, which I borrow on occasion. The A710 was intended to replace my A80 for my personal use.

I need something to replace the A80 once i move out again and live on my own since i won't be able to take the 800 with me or borrow it whenever i need it.

 

[magomago]

fuji f31d

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: magomago
fuji f31d

manual control options on that camera, while better than many compacts, still suck. having to dig through menus to access and change aperture and shutter priority modes isn't good. flash recycle time isn't all that great on the f31 either (it's actually worse than the A710 according to dpreview, especially with red-eye reduction on), and it's one of the OP's main concerns. dpreview also says that low light focus is slow, but no idea on it's accuracy.

 

[benjikan]

I highly recommend the Fuji F31D. I have the F30D and it is the only camera in the P&S range that I can compare to the DSLR's out there. There is no contest IMHO.:thumbsup:

 

[corkyg]

I am a DSLR user (Now on my 4th, a Canon 5D) and I always carry a good P&S camera for shoots that require small size and lightness, but with near SLR capability. My current choice for that is the Canon S3 IS. It has been recently replaced by the S5 - main difference is a larger LCD screen.

 

[ubercaffeinated]

The F31FD doesn't have IS or any comparable features to IS right?

 

[magomago]

it doesn't have REAL IS, rather i THINK (correct me someone) it drops the shutter speed and then jacks up the iso (sensitivity)

but you can't directly compare that to canon's IS just on the basis of higher noise because the sensor that the f31D uses is different...instead of a square it has an octagonal pattern - and there are two sensors - one of which is more sensitive to low light.
I haven't seen any quantification on how much better it is,and don't my use my F13d (well I got it for my dad so I don't use it at all) enough to say if it makes a difference. Maybe someone else can comment - but I've read comments how it works well in party like situations where there isn't much light.