Would appreciate some digital camera advice, have two very different models in mind for purchase...

[stonecold3169]

Alright, so I've gotten to play around with some cameras local here (not much around here, so pretty limited selection). I'm looking to spend tops of around $400. The two models I'm looking at are drastically different, and I'm hoping someone here can list a third model that is the perfect comprimise.

The first cam I'm looking at is the Canon S110. This cam has the advantage for a few reasons:
1) I already have a 256mb CF card for my Ipaq, and I would be able to view photos on it(Very, very small advantage)

2) Size... by far the best part here... I really like the idea of being able to take the cam wherever I go, because you never know when a great oppertunity will come up, you know?

Disadvantages:
1) I REALLY dislike proprietory, small rechargable batteries.
2) 2x zoom seems like it's too small to be practical?


The second cam I'm looking at is the Olympus c-700. I know, I know, such an abstract vote...
advantages:
1) uses AA batteries, and they last a LONG time with high capacity rechargables
2) big impressive zoom.

3) Size. Again, while not as small as the canon, it's much smaller then it's cousin the 2100, and I'm pretty handy with a camera so I don't think that the image stabilization would trade off in the end as at the store I printed off some pics I had taken and all were fine.

4) Many, many advanced features. Nothing I'd use now, but I might later...

disadvantages:
1) Chromatic Aberation... grrr
2) uses smartmedia, which I hear is dying


Anyone have any ideas of some compamise here? I think I'm leaning towards the Olympus here as it just seems more practical and future-proof. Any other recommendations?

 

[LukFilm]

I'd get S110. You'll REALLY appreciate its size once you get it and really take it everywhere with you. You'll take many more pictures because you'll have it on you compared to C-700 which you wouldn't haul everywhere. I have S300, so I would know that size DOES matter (in this case, the smaller the better ) Don't worry about the battery, just buy one extra for $40 and you'll be set - when it dies, you'll pop the second one in. That's what I do. I'm really happy about my $400 purchase.

 

[Downgrade]

Hi stonecold3169, I purchased the C700 about 6 months ago for the 10x zoom. Like you I thought I had a pretty steady hand (taken many pics with my SLR and tele lens), but I get alot of blurry pictures. Most of those pictures have been indoors where shutter speeds are slower though. For the price (I paid about $375) The C700 is hard to beat, but if I were to buy today I would look at the 5 megapixels with 6x zoom (C700 is only 2.1 megapixel). You would have much higher resolution at close pictures, and I'm sure you could crop the distant pictures and have at least the quality of the C700. Just my opinion though,

 

[stonecold3169]

Thanks both of you, this is exactly what I was afraid of, someone praising both of them . I was curious, downgrade, just how prevalent the chromatic aberation was, if it was really as common as reviews make it sound.

Also, I could probably get a S300 for under the $400 mark, I might have to pricematch and jump through some hoops, but thats what we do here at anand, right? I've never played with one in person, but I've heard it's larger. does the extra zoom help enough to override the smaller size? I can see numbers of the dimensions, but that doesn't tell me how it "feels". Thanks for all the input guys!