torn between A570 IS and SD870 IS

[jmorash]

Hi folks! New poster here, I'm a marine electronics engineer and new diver (10 logged dives) in the Boston area.

I'm planning to get myself a low cost camera for use both on land and underwater. I borrowed a friend's S230 in a Canon housing on my last dive trip, so I have the basic ideas down, but that is a full-auto strict point-and-shoot. After some research I have settled on either the A570 or the SD870. Would love to get a G9 instead - I was admiring it at the camera store today - but not in the budget at the moment.

Both cameras get good reviews, are conveniently pocket-sized, and have nice UW housings available from Canon. I've seen a bunch of nice pictures taken with the A570 posted to this message board, nobody seems to have tried the SD870. My question is, will the 28mm length at the wide end of the zoom make a real difference underwater? Enough to favor the SD870? I know the only way to get true wide-angle performance is with an external add-on lens, but I'm not excited about the extra cost and bulk of a wet lens.

The A570: nice manual controls, bigger sensor and optics, excellent image quality if you know what you're doing. I also like the AA battery option (especially with high capacity NiMHs). So it seems to win hands down except for this nagging suspicion that I'd be sorry to miss that 28mm ...

Also not sure how much the SD870 really has for manual control, but it's so new that maybe it's much smarter than the S230 at picking automatic settings?

 

[alcina]

No contest, 570. SD range has no manual controls

 

[clgsamson]

I second..

 

[DM_Johnny]

I own a Canon SD800 IS and love it, with an 8 GB SDHC memory card I was able to take an underwater video for 67 minutes and the video came out great except for the operator error of zooming in and out. When I was fully zoomed out and shot video it came out perfect, very clear almost would have believed it came from an actual video camera and not a point and shoot canon camera. The photos were also awesome, the IS feature is incredible. You can zoom in on your subject and the picture still comes out clear. If I can figure out how to attach some pictures I will.

I would recommend any of the Canon SD with the IS feature.

 

[alcina]

It's not that the SD range isn't good - it is, very. But I just wouldn't limit my options with no manual controls.

However, if size is a factor and you're happy to sacrifice the manual controls, the SD might be just the ticket.

 

[bliew]

How quickly are you planning on buying? The reason I ask is that my wife and I are heading to Belize in less than 2 weeks (should have our first photos posted online 2 weeks from today) with a new SD870IS that will accompany our A620 underwater. We will then be able to compare between the two.

The SD870 does indeed have an extremely limited control - essentially white balance, ISO and that's it. However, we've also purchased the Auto Magic Filter, so I'll keep the camera on Auto mode, choose ISO100 or ISO200, then just enjoy the 28mm wide for stills and especially video. This camera also has the ability to program the [direct print] button to instantly record video so I won't have to change any settings or toggle at all underwater.

Since you've only logged 10 dives, IMO you'd be better off going as automatic as possible anyways, since you'll be concentrating on buoyancy, air time, etc. The last thing you want to do is be fiddling with manual settings as a new diver. The question is whether in a couple years you'll be willing/able to upgrade to another camera if you catch the bug and start desiring better manual control.

Now for comparison, my wife (who is the better diver) will be using the A620 which does have good manual controls, and the camera has been hacked to save as RAW avoiding any white balancing issues too - she'll be concentrating more on macros and critters.

Since we're new to the SD870, I really don't know how it will perform, but I do have somewhat high expectations. Hope this helps, and I'll try to post an update here in about 2 weeks...

Cheers!
Bryan

 

[jmorash]

How quickly are you planning on buying? The reason I ask is that my wife and I are heading to Belize in less than 2 weeks (should have our first photos posted online 2 weeks from today) with a new SD870IS that will accompany our A620 underwater. We will then be able to compare between the two.

Thanks Bryan! Funny, we're headed to Belize in two weeks too, so the timing isn't quite going to work out. Going to Glover's Reef (Slickrock).

 

[bliew]

Hey! We're staying on Turneffe - have a great time...

 

[under water]

Now for comparison, my wife (who is the better diver) will be using the A620 which does have good manual controls, and the camera has been hacked to save as RAW avoiding any white balancing issues too - she'll be concentrating more on macros and critters.

Since we're new to the SD870, I really don't know how it will perform, but I do have somewhat high expectations. Hope this helps, and I'll try to post an update here in about 2 weeks...

Cheers!
Bryan

Bryan,
Will you be hacking the SD870 too? If you did (not sure if hack is available yet) will you be able to get manual control? I ask because I have an SD700IS and would like some more control and RAW (when I want it). I'll look forward to your post.

 

[bliew]

Hi Frank,

I don't think the hack is available for the SD870, although I did see somewhere it's available for the A720IS now, which is also a Digic III. On our A620, I'm not going to use most of the handy features, really just want it for RAW and for a lesser extent battery monitoring. Looking through the feature list of the CHDK hack, I don't think it can add any greater manual control where none existed before. But I'm not sure of this.

Keep in mind, for me the goal with the SD870 is to combine it with the Magic Filter to be as simple a camera as possible with decent output. I will literally turn it on, press the shutter for stills and the [print] button for video, and that's it - that was the primary rationale for this purchase. Depending on how images turn out, I would possibly hack it just to get the RAW for really shallow/deep depths where the Magic Filter loses its ability. For me, getting good focus and composition is goal number one, having been somewhat disappointed with previous outings.

I really don't think the SD series is the way to go for manual control - in fact, after the A620 and S3, I was quite disoriented to find out how little the SD870 has!

Bryan,
Will you be hacking the SD870 too? If you did (not sure if hack is available yet) will you be able to get manual control? I ask because I have an SD700IS and would like some more control and RAW (when I want it). I'll look forward to your post.