Canon Cameras

Found Three Canon Digital Cameras I like, Which to choose? S5 IS, Powershot G9, Sx100 IS?

I am a beginning photographer. Right now I do mostly point and shoot, but I'd like to do more quality photography, especially of people, nature, and animals. I really like the Canons, especially the S5 IS, the Powershot G9, and the SX100 IS. Can anyone tell me which to choose and why? I would also appreciate real pros and cons for any or all of these. Price isn't a huge issue. I just want one I can grow with as a photographer and be pleased with.

Public Comments

1. I looked at all three camera's and the Power shot g9 is my favorite because it has 12.1 meg. They're all great camera's but the G9 is my choice
2. I have the G9 and love it. I like it because I can still use a additional flash on it. It also lets me shoot raw. I have not looked into the other models and can't help you. Go to http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ there you can read pro reviews and on Amazon you can read the amateur reviews. That should give you a pretty good idea.
3. OMG this is so weird because it is the exact same for me, especially about how you want a canon and those are the exact same three I've been looking at!!!! That is too weird! Thanks for asking this...I've been meaning to! [sorry I didn't answer your question. but I just thought that was so weird!!]
4. I have the S3 IS (the S5 IS is its successor), which I enjoy using. However, I would recommend the G9. It is a compact "prosumer" camera, that is, it is aimed at the consumer who wants to have or has more professional experience and knowledge. It also has a couple of things going for it over both the other cameras, and that is that it can shoot in RAW and uses rechargeable Liion (Lithium-ion) batteries. If you talk to professionals they will always recommend shooting in RAW because it preserves the most data in the image, it's essentially the file that keeps everything that goes onto the memory card with no compression. I would NOT get the SX100 IS (by the way, the "IS" means image stabilized, which is really useful). It is much more the basic consumer camera, and I don't like the fact that it has no viewfinder. I would probably, for myself, choose the S5 IS, but that's only because I am used to the S3 IS and like the form factor. So even though that's my personal preference, I think the G9 is better choice for you. And if you want to head towards professional, seriously consider stepping up to a DSLR, such as the new XSi, which is the successor to the Canon XTi. It is more money, and overall will cost more as you start to acquire more lenses, but you will find in the long run it will be worth it if you are serious about photography.