Canon A540 *NEW*

[iamsharkbait]

How does this new camera stack up against the A620 and more importantly to me the S80. Im not sure exactly what I am looking at when I look at the specs besides MP, Shutter Speed and LCD. I think they will start at $299.00 Looks like a good compromise for my first UW camera. Only set back is they will not have a Ikelite housing by the time I will purchase one, just the Canon Housing. Thanks everyone for answering my poll question earlier this week.
Here is the A540
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0602/06022108canona700.asp#specs
Here are the A620 and S80
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/com...ebyside&cameras=canon_a620,canon_s80&show=all

 

[alcina]

Important things to look at, at least for me:]
full manual control of aperture and shutter
the new processor digiII or something
closest macro focus distance - less is more

Others like a wider lens (28 versus 35, for instance). This is nice but not a deal breaker for me.

No one has one of these yet, so there will be little real world info out there - especially underwater.

If the Canon housing will accept the Inon wet mate lenses, then I wouldn't have any problem with it at all. I love mine for the A75.

At some stage you simply have to jump in and choose. Every camera will have pros and cons. All in this range should do the job, it's a matter of learning the camera and getting underwater to practice. There will always be a new model, so sometimes it's better to close your eyes and hand over the credit card

 

[iamsharkbait]

Thanks Alcina. I know, but its difficult weighing your options when you know very little about what is important. $$$ or $$ $$$$ or $ and on and on. Thanks for taking the time to respond. How often do you use the wide angle lens? I ask because the only real advantage to me in the S80 over the new A540 is I think the WA Lens. In other words, if you were to buy a PNS digital, which would be your first lens you buy as an attachment. WA, Macro or Fisheye. Missing any others?

 

[alcina]

The first lenses I bought for my Oly 5050 were the Inon 165 macros...but I adore shooting macro and have a love/hate relationship with WA. I don't use my WA nearly as much as I do my macros.

Others might have different biases...it all depends on what you like to shoot.

Personally, I'd buy the camera and learn how to use and get a feel for which type of images really made me happy to shoot. Then I'd add whichever lens would let me accomplish that more easily. And before I bought any lenses I'd buy a good strobe.

It is hard to choose, but between all these models there is so little in it that you can drive yourself crazy. You've got to keep telling yourself it isn't the tool, it's the artist! Any or all of these are perfectly capable systems, IMHO....

 

[iamsharkbait]

You've got to keep telling yourself it isn't the tool, it's the artist!

Well put.

 

[dkd]

The first lenses I bought for my Oly 5050 were the Inon 165 macros...but I adore shooting macro and have a love/hate relationship with WA. I don't use my WA nearly as much as I do my macros.

Others might have different biases...it all depends on what you like to shoot.

Personally, I'd buy the camera and learn how to use and get a feel for which type of images really made me happy to shoot. Then I'd add whichever lens would let me accomplish that more easily. And before I bought any lenses I'd buy a good strobe.

It is hard to choose, but between all these models there is so little in it that you can drive yourself crazy. You've got to keep telling yourself it isn't the tool, it's the artist! Any or all of these are perfectly capable systems, IMHO....

Hi there,
I'm interested in your evaluation of Inon lenses, especially wide-angle. I currently have a Canon A40 (terribly slow shutter speed) with Canon housing, S&S strobe and S&S 16mm lens. I LOVE my S&S wide-angle and do a lot of wide angle underwater shots. I'm considering upgrading to the Canon S80 with Canon housing and want to have a good wide ange lens. My S&S won't work, but the Inon wide angle with an adapater apparently will.
Are you happy with the quality of photos with the Inon wide angle lens? Is there any significant distortion with this lens? If you could e-mail me a couple of shots and let me know which Inon wide-angle lens you used, I'd really appreciate it. I just don't know anything about Inon.
Thanks,
Kim Dawson