Help in Canon Digital Camera Powershot A95, IXUS40 or IXUS500

[doreamon]

Hi all camera professional,

I'm thinking of buying a canon camera but don't know which should I buy. Currently, my mind hava a few model which are Canon A95, IXUS40, IXUS500 & also Powershot G6 (G6 abit expensive is over my budget)
Can help to give some opinion?

1) My expectation is, I want a camera can shoot clear photo during indoor concert, and also can shoot good short video with audio during concert & also can shoot night scene.
3) My budget is around $700!

Can someone help
Thanks

[scramblur11]

Hi actually both the A95 and ixus 40 got this function call night snapshot which allow u to take pics at nite without the need of a tripod (still need to have pretty stable hand though).
But if you intend get a tripod in the near future, den u can purchase the A95 instead as it got more manual functions..more fun to play with....
But for video u might need to go for ixus40 instead as A95 can only take max 3 mins video leh while ixus 40 can take unlimited....

I personally got the A95 and feel tat it is really a great cam with the swiel LCD...really useful once u get the hang of it...so the choice is urs liao...both cam got pro and cons ba...
btw Ixus 500 is older cam liao...go for ixus 40 becoz of its digic2.....and tink G6 is abit way out of your budget liao...

[doreamon]

Thanks scramblur11

Now I have to decide whether I should buy A95 or Ixus 40. My friend say buy camera cannot buy too light one if you are going to shoot for indoor concert photo.

Powershot A95 the zoom is further then IXUS 40 rite?

Originally Posted by scramblur11 Hi actually both the A95 and ixus 40 got this function call night snapshot which allow u to take pics at nite without the need of a tripod (still need to have pretty stable hand though). But if you intend get a tripod in the near future, den u can purchase the A95 instead as it got more manual functions..more fun to play with.... But for video u might need to go for ixus40 instead as A95 can only take max 3 mins video leh while ixus 40 can take unlimited.... I personally got the A95 and feel tat it is really a great cam with the swiel LCD...really useful once u get the hang of it...so the choice is urs liao...both cam got pro and cons ba... btw Ixus 500 is older cam liao...go for ixus 40 becoz of its digic2.....and tink G6 is abit way out of your budget liao...

[user111]

can go to www.dpreview.com to check out all the specifications and reviews

a heaver camera does help in stabilising shots but main thing is try to be as steady for handheld as possble - if tripod not available also can try other means of artificial support eg lean against wall - since most digcams are noisy at ISO400 and above then regardless of which camera u buy , ideally for indoor concert at best u can go up to ISO200 with acceptable grain, set the widest aperture, hold steady and fire away.

flash is optional (if the concert allows) but may overpower the whole frame i u r too close to the subject (then again if u r very far away eg 25m the flash is not strong enough to light up the model). sometimes some shots turn out better with only ambient light, sometimes a little bit of flash can improve the shot

[tunster]

If you going to learn serious photography, get the A95. But for concerts, depence on your position. If you are quite far away. Don't think any consumer camera will help. You need to go close with flash. You might even need a powerful slave flash.

[scramblur11]

Originally Posted by doreamon Thanks scramblur11 Now I have to decide whether I should buy A95 or Ixus 40. My friend say buy camera cannot buy too light one if you are going to shoot for indoor concert photo. Powershot A95 the zoom is further then IXUS 40 rite?

Both the A95 and ixus 40 got 3x optical zoom only so really no diff in zoom...if u like something small and light like a handphone den go for ixus...if size is still acceptable to u den go for A95....
Another thing is tat ixus40 uses SD while A95 uses CF memory cards...CF memory cards still slightly cheap and can go up to 2 or 4 GIG liao...but SD still max at 1Gig onli...
btw tink there a promo going on till 31dec...u might wan check out canon website..

[Venom81]

Don't think both cameras can take good indoor concert photo cause both only have 3x optical zoom unless you are really near.
Get A95 if you don't mind it's size and weight. Ixus 40 is much lighter and smaller so able to put in your pocket. It depends on your camera usage.
Hurry up if you want to get the Canon's free gifts.

[doreamon]

Hi,

Thanks for all the suggestion and opinion given to me, I will consider carefully before buying.

Yes, for shooting conert photo, yes, usually I will be sitting quite near a front few row.

seems like alot of you suggest me Powershot A95 hor!

I will go check the price for both 2 camera, beside do you know what is the different between this 2 camera, as why Powershot is cheaper than IXUS 40?

Is it because is it lighter or IXUS 40 hava a features that Powershot A95 don't have? Can Help

Thanks.

[Venom81]

Ixus 40 is much smaller, lighter and is powered by Digic 2. A95 has a 5mp and vari-angle LCD. I thought both around same price according to Canon's promotion at $699 each. You might want to chaeck out prices elsewhere before buying. I'm sure you will get a better price at other shops.

Hurry up. I think Canon's promotion ends 31th Dec. I'm sure you would like the free gifts.

[doreamon]

Just now I went marina square to check the price from Cathay Camera shop and also test the 2 camera,

I found that Powershot A95 have a clearer photo then IXUS 40.
The men quote me Powershot A95 at $630 and IXUS 40 around $699.

I also call Alan Photo to check the price, they quote me $620 so is slightly cheaper then Cathay.

I will wait for another few day to see the price will drop slightly more or not.

I think I will get Powershot A95. What you all think?

Give me some more opinion.
Thanks

[Malcolmneo]

I throw in my 2cents worth.

I just bought the IXUS40. Tried it out last weekend. I put it in my pocket and it was so light that I almost forgot I am having it. Try it using a A95.

I think your choice btw A95 and IXUS40 is really depends on your needs. Different ppl has different priority. If you want to improve photographic skill and movie mode is not so important, then go for A95. It is capable of much more and it will be a insult to compare its quality with IXUS40.

But go for IXUS40 if following is your priority:

1. portability - as what I had read extensively on-line, a camera is as good as it is taken out and used. Many ppl buy S70, V3, etc and find them too cumbersome to bring out. So they become cabinet-warmer. If you get IXUS40, it become part of your everyday life. Taking it out is a simple affair. And despite its small footprint, it is not exactly feather light. Should try it to get a hands-on feel.

2. movie - I will say it is a insult to compare A95 movie mode with IXUS40. Sure both are of VGA size. But A95 shoots only at 15fps. I can tell you the extra 15pfs on IXUS40 means A LOT. You can go to photo sample gallery of steves-digicams, dpreview, and imaging-resource to have a look. VGA is 640x480, comparable to DV at 720x480. I hook up to TV and it sure is awesome. I get it primarily to shoot movie actually.

3. speed - compare to my oly, this is a speed demond! From power-on to first shot takes about 1sec, can continue to shoot at 2.4fps at full resolution with preview mode off. You will not miss much photoshoot opportunity because the camera take a long time to power on and focus. And this is due to DIGIC II. A95 will not come close although it is perfectly ok for current generation.

As for picture quality that has been mentioned about this camera, namely the purple fringing, corner softness, it will be look perfectly ok if you do not print beyond 4R. I blow many pictures up and could not detect corner softness. But purple fringing is everywhere whenever there is strong sunlight. But it is livable as it can be touch-up later and it does not happen all the time. Just a small price to pay for the above benefits. But if you are printing out only 4R, even a 5mp photo will not be so different from a 3MP photo.

I am not saying it is good because I got this camera. But only because the above points are my priority and it fits to the T. If quality is absolutely important to you, besides the above points, pls wait for 2 to 3 months for a major photo show in February in an oversea country. Canon is EXPECTED to launch other models using the DIGIC engine. By then all camera should be able to shoot awesome movie. But of course not so portable lah. IXUS40 is already the limit with the UA lens. S70 also has the same corner softness and purple fringing problem because it sport the same lens. But it get to be more compact because of it too.

If you still want to buy now, at least ask for a demo in electrical store. Try out the speed and movie for both IXUS40 and A95.

Hope this is useful to you.

[scramblur11]

Originally Posted by Malcolmneo I throw in my 2cents worth. I just bought the IXUS40. Tried it out last weekend. I put it in my pocket and it was so light that I almost forgot I am having it. Try it using a A95. I think your choice btw A95 and IXUS40 is really depends on your needs. Different ppl has different priority. If you want to improve photographic skill and movie mode is not so important, then go for A95. It is capable of much more and it will be a insult to compare its quality with IXUS40. But go for IXUS40 if following is your priority: 1. portability - as what I had read extensively on-line, a camera is as good as it is taken out and used. Many ppl buy S70, V3, etc and find them too cumbersome to bring out. So they become cabinet-warmer. If you get IXUS40, it become part of your everyday life. Taking it out is a simple affair. And despite its small footprint, it is not exactly feather light. Should try it to get a hands-on feel. 2. movie - I will say it is a insult to compare A95 movie mode with IXUS40. Sure both are of VGA size. But A95 shoots only at 15fps. I can tell you the extra 15pfs on IXUS40 means A LOT. You can go to photo sample gallery of steves-digicams, dpreview, and imaging-resource to have a look. VGA is 640x480, comparable to DV at 720x480. I hook up to TV and it sure is awesome. I get it primarily to shoot movie actually. 3. speed - compare to my oly, this is a speed demond! From power-on to first shot takes about 1sec, can continue to shoot at 2.4fps at full resolution with preview mode off. You will not miss much photoshoot opportunity because the camera take a long time to power on and focus. And this is due to DIGIC II. A95 will not come close although it is perfectly ok for current generation. As for picture quality that has been mentioned about this camera, namely the purple fringing, corner softness, it will be look perfectly ok if you do not print beyond 4R. I blow many pictures up and could not detect corner softness. But purple fringing is everywhere whenever there is strong sunlight. But it is livable as it can be touch-up later and it does not happen all the time. Just a small price to pay for the above benefits. But if you are printing out only 4R, even a 5mp photo will not be so different from a 3MP photo. I am not saying it is good because I got this camera. But only because the above points are my priority and it fits to the T. If quality is absolutely important to you, besides the above points, pls wait for 2 to 3 months for a major photo show in February in an oversea country. Canon is EXPECTED to launch other models using the DIGIC engine. By then all camera should be able to shoot awesome movie. But of course not so portable lah. IXUS40 is already the limit with the UA lens. S70 also has the same corner softness and purple fringing problem because it sport the same lens. But it get to be more compact because of it too. If you still want to buy now, at least ask for a demo in electrical store. Try out the speed and movie for both IXUS40 and A95. Hope this is useful to you.

Hi actually I been reading about tis purple fringing from Dpreview and was wondering why tis thing will happen? is it becoz of the smaller CCD size as compared to SLR? The photos from my A95 does have purple fringing (the foliage againist the bright sunlight) but it is acutally not tat noticeable.. Hope somebody can enlighten me on this. Thks~!

Hi Doreamon, even though ixus 40 a 4MP while A95 a 5MP, they are both priced the same at $699 (SRP). If u wan a reali small and compact camera, go for ixus. If u wan a camera with more functions, go for A95. Ixus is more pricey mainly becoz of it size and tat it come with an Li-ion batt. If u free, den I suggest u go down sim lim / funan / peninsula check out the price. Good lucks~!

[WatsUpGungho]

Juz to add on to share why i bought Canon A95... partly is becoz of the battery.. is using AA.. so i think is good as it will eliminate lack of battery problem... i am sure u can get AA anywhere when u travelling... oso u may wanna check out getting from "courts".. coz courts at some period they will add on free gifts on top of the current canon promotion.. and get a SAFRA card member to go with u for another 5% discounts..

to me i think ixus is more ex oso partly due to its design ba...
but now i think if i were to get another camera... i will look for high optical zoom...

whose concerts r u going for anyway??
hope u can have a great day shooting with ya new camera soon...

[aspire]

i also got my A95 some less than one month ago. very good camera and fun to play with (provided u are new and interested in photography). i took it to shanghai 1 week ago and all the pictures i took were great. i like it very much. abit bigger than those stylish ones, but it use AA batt which i liked and CF cards damn cheap 100++ can get 1Gigabyte liao... around 300+ photos for best quality loh... good enuf!

[Malcolmneo]

For those who are keen to know potential purple fringing of IXUS40, here is a good source. This is by far the biggest handicap IXUS40 owners have to bear.

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/ca.../gallery.shtml

But not so difficult to bear lah. Unless you are a newbie or a purist, after a while, you will not put each photo you take under the microscope. You are happy so long as it is reasonably sharp. And if you do not intend to print at A4 size, but 4R size and desktop viewing, then all P&S cameras should be able to satisfy the quality aspect.

More important is what you intend to use it for. And nobody can decide this for you.

There are some A95 loyalist who will trumpet the virtue of their camera, especially its ability to use 'AA' batteries. I have always held this view till IXUS40 came up. I previously chose my Olympus C740 because of that. And I will not even want to consider any other cameras that does not spot this battery.

But in this world, no camera is perfect yet. My C740 can take great picture but is large and slow. Taking it out must make special effort and it is cumbersome. The bundled Canon battery charger is also universal-type, so it is no worry when you bring it oversea. Just remeber to get the right adaptor.

If you want to make up your mind, I suggest you visit the canon forums in dpreview and steves-digicams. You will really feel the buzz over there. And you will understand why this IXUS40 (or SD300 or IXY DIGITAL50) is so popular, almost having a cult following. I have never seen so many ppl pitching feverishly over a camera, not so perfect so to speak. Almost all issues have been covered there already, including SD cards, picture quality, etc. But of course do come back here for cheap lobang.

Different ppl have different opinion of their ideal camera. Some will be biased towards certain type or are ill-informed. So you better take some time to narrow down your choice.

But if this is your first camera and you intend to brush up your photographic skill, I will not hesitate to recommend you the A95. You will have alot of fun taking shots and feeling the control. You will not get this kind of features on IXUS40. It will not even show shuttle speed. But it sure can get the job done quick and fuss-free. Overseas, a lot of ppl get it as a secondary camera that they bring everywhere with, on top of their gigantic G6, V3 etc.

This is actualy the most fun part of the whole thing. Try not to rush through to prevent regrets. Once you get that thing in your hand, it will just become another tool.

[doreamon]

Thanks for all the comments of the 2 cameras, I will think carefully before buying. Don't know whether beside this Christmas Sales will it be another sales before chinese new year?

Ya, Malcolmneo how you know February there is a Canon asia exhibition? where can I see the latest canon camera like nokia website we can the upcoming model, whether canon can see upcoming model or not?

Thanks

[afbug]

Go for the Ixus40! Slim and sexy! A95 is like a boor. Big, rough, heavy but strong.

[Malcolmneo]

Hi Doreamon,

The photo show in February was mentioned a few times in different oversea forums. It is one of the major exhibition like the Photokina, etc. Some ppl are holding back their purchase as they expect Canon will launch new models based on DIGIC II, eg S500 successor and so on. By then all Canon camera should be able to shoot at VGA size full-rate. The concept of DIGIC II was to combine Video LSI and Photo LSI resulting in possibility of high-speed still-photo operations and excellant movie mode.

But IXUS40 has already reach the pinnacle of size for camera. It can be so small because of the UA lens. It has purple fringing and corner softness also because of UA lens.

Anyway, take your time to decide.

I have posted some pictures I took last Saturday. See for yourself what quality you can get with this camera, and whether you will be happy with it

http://photobucket.com/albums/v623/malcolmneo/

Feel free to comments.

[jc777]

what is the maximum speed the SD reader/writer in ixus 40 can take? what is the optimum speed (normal, 45X, 60X???) of the SD cards to put in so that there will be lagging (if any?) due to slow writing speed when taking continuous shots or full-scale video?

[maleman]

Actually, you should be able to get A95 now between $600-$605 at Alan. Got this price just 2 weeks ago.

At Peninsular Plaza, World Camera or something like that, (near Cathay), my colleague bought it at $600, local warranty. Same free gifts.