Trying to decide: Sony DSCH1, Kon-Minolta A200, or Canon S2 IS

I'm looking for a point and shoot digital camera with a strong optical zoom
that can shoot well in indoor conditions without a flash for portraits, and
can also take good action photos of ballroom dancers whirling around the
floor (again, no flashes allowed). I also love to toy around with Macro
shooting.

My experience with digital cameras are the following. A Sony Mavica 400,
which takes breathtaking portraits, is excellent in low light, but cannot
take action shots worth a damn (even when put on manual control and speeding
up the shutter speed). A couple of recent model Kodaks owned by family and
friends: I find the portrait quality simple not as good as the Sony's with
Zeiss lenses. And I borrowed an Olympus C720 for about a week, read the
manual, tried everything, and the thing is positively a nightmare in terms
of picture quality: colors wrong, half the time the autofocus doesn't work
(even with meticulous prefocusing), just horrendous.

My reading at steves-digicams and dpreview as well as some other sites
convinced me that I want image stabilization, since I will rarely have a
tripod for the action shots. That rules out the Kodak Z7590 and Z740.
I thought my choice was going to be between the Sony DSCH1 and the Canon S2
IS. Then a friend recommended I take a look at the Konica Minolta A200.
I've read reviews of all of them at the sites I just mentioned, but since
they don't do a lot of comparisons, it's hard not to read all the reviews as
essentially, "This is a good camera."

So I thought I'd go for the Sony DSCH1, since I had a very positive
experience of my Sony, and it received good reviews at those two websites.
I almost ordered one, when I read some negative reviews at Amazon for
defective cameras, and then I read a very good comparison review somewhere
between the Sony and the Canon, which argued that the Sony simply cannot do
burst mode very well: which I'd like to be able to use when filming
ballroom dance. Then I noticed that this Sony does not have the Carl-Zeiss
lens I so love on my previous Sony, and on my brother's Sony, so I paused.

Then I started looking closely at sample photos uploaded by people on their
cameras at Amazon, and I thought the Sony DSCH1 photos were the best:
rather breathtaking, compared with the S2 IS and the A200 photos people
uploaded -- don't know if I should pay attention to this or not. This
confused me more as to what to do.

I'm burning out on reading these reviews, which often seem to list features
more than try to evaluate. Is there anyone out there who has used two of
these cameras, or maybe all three, who might put in a word and say, "Hey,
Cordo, I've used these cameras and the A200 is in a league above" or
something like that?

Thanks for any help.

Cordo

Cordovero wrote:
[]
Then I started looking closely at sample photos uploaded by people on
their cameras at Amazon, and I thought the Sony DSCH1 photos were the
best: rather breathtaking, compared with the S2 IS and the A200
photos people uploaded -- don't know if I should pay attention to
this or not. This confused me more as to what to do.

Cordo,

There is a newsgroup specialising in these higher-end SLR-like cameras at:

rec.photo.digital.zlr

which you may find to be worth a visit. The Panasonic FZ5/FZ20 have
proved to be the best of the current bunch, with the new FZ30 looking
interesting. However, bear in mind that image stabilisation will not stop
the subject movement.

The most sensitive cameras for indoor work are digital SLRs with larger
sensors and larger aperture lenses. Ask at:

rec.photo.digital.slr-systems

David

Thank you for your advice. I didn't know what ZLR was, but I just posted
there to see what happens.

I'll look into the Panasonics. If they have Leica lenses, I will be most
interested.

C

"David J Taylor"
wrote in
message . uk...
Cordovero wrote:
[]
Then I started looking closely at sample photos uploaded by people on
their cameras at Amazon, and I thought the Sony DSCH1 photos were the
best: rather breathtaking, compared with the S2 IS and the A200
photos people uploaded -- don't know if I should pay attention to
this or not. This confused me more as to what to do.

Cordo,

There is a newsgroup specialising in these higher-end SLR-like cameras at:

rec.photo.digital.zlr

which you may find to be worth a visit. The Panasonic FZ5/FZ20 have
proved to be the best of the current bunch, with the new FZ30 looking
interesting. However, bear in mind that image stabilisation will not stop
the subject movement.

The most sensitive cameras for indoor work are digital SLRs with larger
sensors and larger aperture lenses. Ask at:

rec.photo.digital.slr-systems

David

Well, it's between the Canon and the Panasonic Z20 (or possibly the Z5). I
wish I could wait for the Z30 but cannot because the ballroom competition is
in a week.

I eliminated the Sony because, while I like many things about it very much,
I was disappointed with its frame per second continuous shooting specs, and
I want to capture bursts of ballroom dancers.

I've been looking at a lot of online pics taken with the Canon and
Panasonics. It does seem to me that the Canon very subtly blurs things, and
I find its autofocus tends to focus on both background and subject, which
makes for a reduced depth of field effect. Of course, it could easily be
that those posting shots in various places are not using a narrowed
autofocus range. Then again, I'm in awe of the Canon's movie taking
ability, which is really fun when you have the camera out and your neice is
doing something particularly adorable.

I also like to take Macro shots: they're so much fun. Seems the Panasonic
edges the Canon here based on posted photos.

Still can't decide.

C

"Cordovero" wrote in message
k.net...
Thank you for your advice. I didn't know what ZLR was, but I just posted
there to see what happens.

I'll look into the Panasonics. If they have Leica lenses, I will be most
interested.

C

"David J Taylor"
wrote
in message . uk...
Cordovero wrote:
[]
Then I started looking closely at sample photos uploaded by people on
their cameras at Amazon, and I thought the Sony DSCH1 photos were the
best: rather breathtaking, compared with the S2 IS and the A200
photos people uploaded -- don't know if I should pay attention to
this or not. This confused me more as to what to do.

Cordo,

There is a newsgroup specialising in these higher-end SLR-like cameras
at:

rec.photo.digital.zlr

which you may find to be worth a visit. The Panasonic FZ5/FZ20 have
proved to be the best of the current bunch, with the new FZ30 looking
interesting. However, bear in mind that image stabilisation will not
stop the subject movement.

The most sensitive cameras for indoor work are digital SLRs with larger
sensors and larger aperture lenses. Ask at:

rec.photo.digital.slr-systems

David