Also, one more thing...How much of a difference will Sony's 15X zoom make vs. the 12X zoom from Canon?..

You will certainly want a good zoom. Check the on line reviews and compare what the focal length would be like on a 35mm camera. Then you can go to this page:.

Http://www.tamron.de/Focal_Length_Comparison.238.0.html?&L=2.

And compare the difference for yourself. I'd want as much telephoto as possible on safari. On a long telephoto like those superzooms that are over the 200mm range, it is a very good idea to have optical stabilization. The Canon S5 IS has that, as well as the S3, and all or about all of the Panasonics have it. I don't know about the Sony. Without some kind of lens stabilization (or stabilization by a sensor that moves), you will often need a tripod to get sharp long telephoto shots..

As for having a faster shutter speed, I would not worry at all about one camera having a 1/4000 second shutter speed compared to 1/2000 on another camera. If that is what you are referring to, that is a non-issue for most of us. However, having a wider aperture ("faster") lens is important because it will let in more light and thus allow you to use a faster shutter speed than a slower lens..

Good shooting,.

GeneNorth Carolina..

Before giving you detail heres my recommendation :.

Pentax K100D and Tamron 18-250mm Di II lens.

Why ? It's a decent DSLR, cheap, effective, has IS and the lens will get you a very good range of 28mm to 375mm which benefits form the IS system in the camera. It's a good lens and you need never take it off. The camera uses AA's so it's easy to get them in emergencies..

Another lens range would be a 28-300, which is equivalent to 450mm at the long end - quite good. Again you could keep that lens on all the time. I say this because I think you won't want to change lenses..

DSLRs are not difficult to operate..

An entry level DSLR is quite simple to operate and. in truth, they are being aimed at consumers, not camera enthusiasts. There are automatic scene modes just liek a point and shoot..

As another poster said, you need as long a zoom as possible. With a DSLR you can choose a relatively cheap and long zoom and have the benefits of shorter range lenses too..

One downside - no movies. Only P&S's have movies..

If you must have movies either carry a small compact for them and bring a DSLR to shoot the game, or buy a good super-zoom than can have conversion lenses added to give you a longer zoom if you want it. An example ( and there are many ) would be the Fuji S6000/6500 and a Raynox long zoom. Raynox also do lenses and adapters for other makes. However this won't be much cheaper than teh DSLR route and it won't be as good. It will be just as bulky and heavy..

StephenG.

Fuji S9600Fuji S5200Fuji F30Fuji E900Canon A710ISPCLinuxOS..

Hello Imavalio,.

For a Safari you want long reach (zoom) to get great shots of the animals. Wide angle is not as important. Wide angle it is mainly good for landscape photographs (as the name says you get more width) which I will assume won't be a priority on the safari. Even if you did, you can easily take two pictures next to another and stitch them together..

If you don't want to spend time figuring out how to use a DSLR properly, don't bother buying one - ontop of wasting your money, it would not be right for you and probably wouldn't allow you to take the better pictures..

I would rather recommend you get a SLR-like camera as you already pointed out..

From the two you mentioned, I would buy the Canon S5 - in fact I would actually say that you should buy it predessor the S3. S5 and S3 are virtually alike (the S5 has a few additional features that however don't justify the $200 price difference to the S3)..

Ok, here are the reasons why I would go with the S5 (or S3) over the H7:.

(Image quality and functionality wise they are quite similar, but the difference is in the details)..

The 15x zoom of the Sony is marginally longer than the 12x zoom of the Canon. (465mm vs. 432mm) Or in other mor understandable words, the Sony approx. magnifies human vision 8.66x and the Canon 8.33x - not really worth worrying about. The Canon lens is better. It's very well balanced and brighter 1 stop, which means you could use faster shutter speeds to freeze actions and avoid blurred images.



Forget the G7 - despite being a great camera. It simply isn't the right tool for the job, as it has too little reach (zoom)..

The Canon also has - in my eyes - a BIG advantage by using normal rechargeable batteries instead of a lithiumion. A spare lithium ion is expensive and you definitely want to have back-up on the safari (how aggrevating would it be to run out of juice in the middle of a tour?). Rechargeable batteries are cheap and (even though not perfect) if you run out you can always use regular alkalines (which are available almost anywhere in the world) as a back-up. There are some excellent 15 min chargers out there too..

Good luck and have fun on your safaribecksi.

Lmavolio wrote:.

Hi Everyone - I have just started researching cameras for an upcomingsafari. I was considering high quality P&S cameras vs a D-SLR. TheD-SLR's seem pretty complicated and I am leaving in a month and ahalf. With that said, not real confident about being able to pick upthe features of a new D-SLR camera in time for my trip....

So, I am now leaning toward a high quality point & shoot camerainstead. I visited a couple of camera shops and some of the peoplein the store have recommended the Sony H7 - which is an 8MP, 15XZoom, lithium battery...

Others have recommended the Canon S5 - also 8MP, 12X Zoom, AA battery....

I've heard the H7 has a faster shutter speed than the Canon - is thistrue? May be important for a safari....

Some have said the Canon S5 has more natural color quality?? Also,should I be looking at the Canon G7? Not sure what the majordifferences are between the S5 & the G7....

Any help you can offer would be much appreciated. Even with a newpoint & shoot camera, I'd like to make a decision soon so that I canstart playing around with it before I leave...Thanks!..

What is the major advantage (if any) of the Canon S5 over the S3?.

I've heard it gets "negative" reviews, but how can they be so negative if the S3 is reviewed so favorably? Are people saying that just because they don't think there are substantial enough improvements to justify the cost increase for the S5?.

Why would one buy the S3 over the S5?.

Thanks so much everyone!!..

Lmavolio wrote:.

What is the major advantage (if any) of the Canon S5 over the S3?.

I wouldn't call it major advantages, but rather additional or updated features that the S5 has to offer over the S3..

The main differences are:- 8 vs. 6 mega pixels (practically not a significant difference).

- Bigger and higher resolution screen (nice upgrade for convenience, has no direct effect on picture quality though).

- Face detection (convenient, but if you know your camera and how to meter correctly an unnecessary feature).

- flash hot-shoe (now THIS is really the only REAL upgrade of the camera - IF you need or use it. However for many people an external flash hot-shoe will just be another featuer they pay for but won't use.).

- DIGIC III image processor vs. DIGIC II processor (It is somewhat questionable what the real benefit of this implemenation is, as the burst mode of the S5 is worse than the S3. It might help in regards to coping with the increased data amounts from the 8 mp sensor).

Most of the other features are virtually the same, here is a side by side comparison:.

Http://www.dpreview.com/...e&cameras=canon_s3is%2Ccanon_s5is&show=all.

Some of the disadvantages are of the S5 over the S3 are:- Higher price ($150-$200)- Burst mode is worse (S5 = 1.5 fps; S3 = 2.3 fps)- The inegrated interval mode has been downgraded (stripped) significantly.And here are a few points that *could* potentially be seen as disadvantages:.

- DIGIC III vs. DIGIC II processor. The S3 offers an unofficial "modified firmware" that enables all kinds of new features, ranging from: DOF calculator, RAW mode, RGB live histogram, etc. This is only possible on the DIGIC II processor but not the DIGIC III. Here is a link:http://scratchpad.wikia.com/.../wiki/CHDK/HDK_firmware_usage#.3CALT.3E_mode.

- The S3 already has limited high ISO performance (ISO 100-200 being very good, 400 being acceptable, and 800 being useless). An 8 mega pixel sensor potentially decreases ISO and low light usability further. (This could be offset by better reconstruction algorithms and the DIGIC III, picture quality seems very similar between the two cameras. But ony objective future tests/reviews will reveal this).

I've heard it gets "negative" reviews, but how can they be sonegative if the S3 is reviewed so favorably? Are people saying thatjust because they don't think there are substantial enoughimprovements to justify the cost increase for the S5?.

The reason why it gets such "negative reviews or feedback" is not so much that the S5 would be a bad camera per se. On the contrary, it is a very, very good camera in general. After all, it is based on the S3. But within the S-series it is a disappointment as it did not follow suit with the succession of the other released S-cameras. Each camera was a step up, but the S5 failed to offer the features that could have been a real improvement or desirable, in fact in some areas it is a step backwards. Thus many "fans" of the S-series, who had been waiting for an upgrade of the S3, were taken aback by it's limited (poor?) amount of upgraded features..

Why would one buy the S3 over the S5?.

I hope I could answer that question above. Unless one of the "new" features is an absolute "must have" for you, you would be paying $200 more for virtually the same camera..

Thanks so much everyone!!.

Hope I could helpcheersbecksi..

Although you ought to go with a dslr, imo, unless you go on safari all the time. if you don't go on safari frequently, you'll have regrets when you get home when you realize how many shots you missed and how many are mediocre due to the inherent limits of a p+s, especially in terms of speed and low light performance...

Lmavolio wrote:.

I've heard it gets "negative" reviews, but how can they be sonegative if the S3 is reviewed so favorably? Are people saying thatjust because they don't think there are substantial enoughimprovements to justify the cost increase for the S5?.

Another one of the 'negatives' about the S5 that I've read is that they are now apparently using the same sensor as in the new Sony superzoom (H9?). Many people seem to be unimpressed with the quality of the pictures from that sensor..

The modest enhancements (in my opinion only), the slightly different physical look, and the great sale prices after the S5 announcement are what convinced me to get the S3 over the S5..

I would highly recommend either the S3 or S5 for your trip though. The S3 from firsthand experience and the S5 because I don't believe that it can be as bad as people hinted at...