$95 more for 1mp? Canon S2 vs. S3

So this salesman at J&R tries to convince me that a 1mp difference
between the Canon S3(6mp - $400) and the S2(5mp - $305) is worth paying
$95 more.
Besides a slightly bigger LCD, there is no other difference.
I kept saying that 1mp is not much, but he tried to absolutely convince
me the resolution is higher. According to these calculations, 20mp is
double of 5mp, correct?
doubling resolution requires quadrupling the number of megapixels.
8mp is _not_ double of 4mp.
4sqrt = 2
8sqrt = 2.83(not double of 2)
16sqrt = 4(double of 2)

100 = 10 x 10
200sqrt = 14.14 (not double of 10)
400sqrt = 20(double of 10)

MPs resolution
4mp = 2000 x 2000
8mp = 4000 x 2000(_not_ double resolution of 4mp)
16mp = 4000 x 4000(double resolution of 4mp)

How do the S3 and S2 compare to the Kodak P712 - 7.1mp, 1/2.5" CCD,
36-432mm, hot shoe, $430, Fuji S9000, and the Lumix FZ30?
I like that they use SD and AA, and have a rotatable LCD. Too bad no
hot shoe.

On 13 Sep 2006 18:32:23 -0700, Mr.Bolshoyhuy wrote:

So this salesman at J&R tries to convince me that a 1mp difference
between the Canon S3(6mp - $400) and the S2(5mp - $305) is worth paying
$95 more.
Besides a slightly bigger LCD, there is no other difference.

Are you sure there are no other differences? I'm not up on the
nitty-gritty details of the Canon superzooms, but there could be some
things like a better focusing system or higher-quality video that were
added with the new model.

Assuming that the extra megapixel is the only real difference, you are
correct; since resolution goes like the square of pixel count, a 20%
increase in pixel count gives about 10% improvement in resolution. Which
isn't very much. You'll be able to make slightly larger prints before
the quality starts to go downhill (but 5 MP will make good 8x10" prints,
and most people seldom/never go bigger), and if you like to crop
pictures before printing, you can be a bit more aggressive in your
cropping.

I kept saying that 1mp is not much, but he tried to absolutely convince
me the resolution is higher. According to these calculations, 20mp is
double of 5mp, correct?

Yes

[...]

How do the S3 and S2 compare to the Kodak P712 - 7.1mp, 1/2.5" CCD,
36-432mm, hot shoe, $430, Fuji S9000, and the Lumix FZ30?
I like that they use SD and AA, and have a rotatable LCD. Too bad no
hot shoe.

For the Panasonics, the FZ5/7 are the closest equivalents to the S2/S3;
the FZ30 is a considerably larger (and pricier) camera. The Fuji is
likewise a larger camera. I'm not familiar with the Kodak.

-dms

"Mr.Bolshoyhuy" wrote in message
oups.com...

So this salesman at J&R tries to convince me that a 1mp difference
between the Canon S3(6mp - $400) and the S2(5mp - $305) is worth paying
$95 more.
Besides a slightly bigger LCD, there is no other difference.

From DPReview:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons3is/
"Aside from the move to the new 1/2.5" 6 megapixel sensor and a larger
screen the S3 IS is, as mentioned above, a pretty minor upgrade. The most
immediately obvious difference is the color; very dark gunmetal as opposed
to shiny silver. Sat next to the S2 IS the new camera looks a lot more
serious, and is a lot more inconspicuous when you're out shooting.
Externally the cameras are otherwise almost identical (the S3 IS is
fractionally heavier, not that you'd notice).

a.. New sensor (6MP versus 5MP)
b.. Higher maximum sensitivity (ISO 800)
c.. Bigger LCD screen (2.0-inch versus 1.8-inch)
d.. New Sports mode
e.. Record Histogram

f.. Widescreen shooting mode (stills)
g.. Maximum image size 2816 X 2112 versus 2592 X 1944
h.. Color accent
i.. Color swap

How about this:

The S3 comes in black. :-P

-Drew (proud new owner of an S2)

Mr.Bolshoyhuy wrote:
So this salesman at J&R tries to convince me that a 1mp difference
between the Canon S3(6mp - $400) and the S2(5mp - $305) is worth paying
$95 more.
Besides a slightly bigger LCD, there is no other difference.
I kept saying that 1mp is not much, but he tried to absolutely convince
me the resolution is higher. According to these calculations, 20mp is
double of 5mp, correct?
doubling resolution requires quadrupling the number of megapixels.
8mp is _not_ double of 4mp.
4sqrt = 2
8sqrt = 2.83(not double of 2)
16sqrt = 4(double of 2)

100 = 10 x 10
200sqrt = 14.14 (not double of 10)
400sqrt = 20(double of 10)

MPs resolution
4mp = 2000 x 2000
8mp = 4000 x 2000(_not_ double resolution of 4mp)
16mp = 4000 x 4000(double resolution of 4mp)

How do the S3 and S2 compare to the Kodak P712 - 7.1mp, 1/2.5" CCD,
36-432mm, hot shoe, $430, Fuji S9000, and the Lumix FZ30?
I like that they use SD and AA, and have a rotatable LCD. Too bad no
hot shoe.

In article .com,
Mr.Bolshoyhuy wrote:
So this salesman at J&R tries to convince me that a 1mp difference
between the Canon S3(6mp - $400) and the S2(5mp - $305) is worth paying
$95 more.

I would not pay $95 more for the S3, but Amazon.com is now selling the S3
for $340. Makes it a lot more interesting.