OT Point and Shoot Camera...again

[mike p]

Ok, awhile back there was a thread about digital point and shoot cameras. Just so happens my daughter was visiting last weekend and ripped off my small olympus PAS. (ok it was her's. but I had it for the last year, isn't there squatters rights?) I liked it pretty good as it was very small and fit in jersey pocket without knowing it was even there. Also was very easy to download pic's. Quality? Don't really know, seemed ok to me but I'm no pro.
If I remember correctly everyone seemed hot on the canon S90? It looks a little bigger than the olympus in pic's. Does it fit in jersey pocket ok? Also a little more $$. I assume its a better overall camera. I'm looking for a good all around PAS but must be good on the bike! Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Mike

[thwart]

Just bought an S90 a few weeks ago, partly due to some positive comments here.

Image quality is great. Especially in low light conditions. Size is very good... not as small and light as our older Canon SD1000, but reasonably close.

Way recommended.

[Ray]

Yeah, all of the recommendations for the S90 got me to take a look at it and now I own one. I'd say that, for the moment (because things change FAST in camera tech these days), its the best P&S out there that will fit comfortably in a jersey pocket.

But you have to want what it offers to benefit from it. Its not the best "set it on auto and let 'er rip" camera. Its auto mode is OK but not really what makes it what it is. Its real benefit is it has a larger sensor than most cameras its size, its got incredible manual controls so you can very easily get on top of setting the aperture, the shutter speed, the ISO, etc for yourself rather than relying on the camera. Its got a reasonably good zoom range, but far from spectacular, but it has a relatively fast f-stop at the widest angle that makes it quite good for shooting in low light without a flash. It also allows you to shoot in RAW which enables you do a lot more with the processing of the file if that's of interest to you. As a result of all of this, it has image quality beyond what most p&s cameras are capable of, but you sort of have to know what you're doing and WANT to do it in order to take full advantage of what this camera offers.

So, if you want that stuff, its worth the price and the slight size penalty (only relative to the smallest of point and shoots - it still fits easily in a jersey pocket). If you don't care about that stuff, there are a zillion P&S cameras that are smaller, lighter, cheaper, probably have a wider zoom range, and will take pretty damn good pictures.

Its all about what you're after.

-Ray

[572cv]

Got one as a camera replacement this year, too. Wonderful image quality, and a big second for what was said above. Two notes beyond that- first, the low battery indicator on mine is not useful, in that it shows full but drops rapidly at the end. No transition warning, to speak of. I have a spare battery in the case; and second, the previous thread mentioned Richard Franiec's grip for the S90, which turns out to be terrific.

http://www.kleptography.com/rf/#camera_s90