Camera envy.
Lens envy.
Pixel resolution envy.
Now and then one or all of these wash over me when I notice other photographers doing their thing. But then, I remember why I chose my $399 (now the msrp is $349) Canon S5 camera.
First of all, it has zillions of pixels (8 MP), more than I ever need. All the way up to 3264x2448. But one of the formats is 3264x1832 (widescreen 16:9 format) which matches HD television. Anybody making video these days needs to make HD format their standard. About 2500 pictures fit onto a 4GB SDHC memory card.
By the way, 3264x1832 works out to 6 MP, still 3-times more than necessary for 1080p HDTV which is 1920x1080 (2.1 MP). Nice megapixel calculator here.
Secondly, it has a "hot shoe" that accepts an external flash that can bounce light off of ceilings and walls to illuminate big areas and eliminate shadows.
Third, this little camera is a compact 450 grams (1 pound) but can take 640x480 30 fps video movies with stereo sound that rivals my video camera. About an hour of video fits on a 4GB SDHC memory card.
Oh, there's a fourth indispensable feature. The LCD can be twisted in any direction to allow shooting from awkward positions – such as waist height or with the camera held above the head. Just what a paparazzi photo journalist needs to see things from a more creative angle.
Nearly all of the video slideshow examples on this site from September, 2007 to June, 2009, including the video, were shot with this camera. Take a look and see what you think.
For the more technically curious, read the review at Digital Photography Review. It lists tons of additional features, many of which I am still learning. It just gets better.
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