Buying Canon Powershot SX10IS 10MP Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

I got the Canon SX10 because it seemed to be better than the Nikon P80. But when I brought it home, it frustrated me that I couldn't zoom in and focus on someone's eye while 5 feet away. (the P80 couldn't either) I also didn't think it did great in poor lighting without the flash. The files were a bit grainy, and sometimes it didn't focus.

So I returned it and got the Nikon P80. I fell in love with it because of the ease of use, the manual was so easy to understand, everything seemed wonderful. But when I compared the pictures side by side with the Canon pictures, Canon came out ahead. I took pictures with both cameras of the same things, at the same times and settings. The Canon images were more true to color, they were clearer, and flash didn't dominate or change the lighting. It performed better in almost everything, and it's a much more solid feeling camera.

THE VIDEO AND SOUND QUALITY WERE MILES APART!! The Nikon video was very grainy and not too focused. When I played it back on my computer, the mono sound was so hollow. But the Canon video was so clear I could see my reflection in my daughter's eye! And the sound is truly in stereo! There is NO comparison. You can even take still pics while doing a video with the Canon, but not with the Nikon.

Nikon is definitely better at taking sharp, clear images in poor lighting. But in the zoom, Canon is slightly ahead.

I don't really like the design of the Canon, specifically the location of the three buttons where my thumb likes to hold the camera. One of them is the DELETE button! I keep accidently pressing those buttons! They should not be there. There should be a rubber grip like on the Nikon, and nothing else.

Also, I like the lens cap better on the Nikon than on the Canon, but for the quality of the pics and especially the video and stereo sound, who cares about the cap!

Well, I went back to the store and asked for my Canon. They still had it in the same place when I had returned it the day before. I'm loving it now. I will learn to grip my camera wider so that I don't hit the buttons, and I will zoom out just a bit to get that perfect shot.

There is yet another thing. When I looked at the "details" for the files, the Nikon ones recorded at 300 dpi, and the Canon ones were only at 180 dpi. So I don't know what's going on there. They were both set at the highest, largest, superfine settings. Oh well. I still think the Canon SX10 performs better than the Nikon P80.Get more detail about Canon Powershot SX10IS 10MP Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom.