These two cameras are aimed at two different customers.
The S410 is a small point-and-shoot camera.
The A95 is a medium/small camera with manual controls.
The S410 is for someone who wants a pocket camera they can carry anywhere, and doesn't want to get very involved with photogaphy.
The A95 is for the more advanced photographer, or someone who wants a camera that will grow with them as they gain knowledge of photography.
If you want to just get good photos with the least amount of effort, then you want the S410.
If you want to take good photos and also be able to control the camera in difficult photographic situations, then you want the A95.
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So what can manual controls do for you?:
Two important controls are Shutter Priority and Aperture Priority.
With Shutter Priority you can set the shutter speed and the camera will set the aperture to the correct setting.
Why?
You want to take some action shots of motorcycles jumping. You set the shutter speed to 1/1000th of a second and you will get non-blurred photos of the cycle in mid air.
You want to take a shot of a waterfall and have the water look like it is flowing. Select a slow shutter speed (2 seconds) and put the camera on a tripod.
With Aperture priority you select the f-stop and the camera selects the correct shutter speed.
Why?
You want a portrait shot of someone but want the background to be out of focus. Set the f-stop to f2.8 and zoom out to about 2X. Position the camera so that the subject fills the screen.
You want to take a picture of a mountain in the background with Aunt Matilda in the foreground. You want the mountain and Aunt Matilda to be in sharp focus. Set the f-stop to f16 or f8 to increase the depth of field.
Full Manual Mode - You set the shutter speed and the f-stop. This lets you take shots which no point-and-shoot camera can do.
Low light night scene - You want a picture of a shopping center at night. When the camera is controlling the situation, you will get a very dimly lit shoping center. You want the photo to show exactly what your eyes are seeing. So you set the Shutter speed at a slow speed and set the f-stop to a wide-open setting (f2.9). You will need a tripod. The camera will notify you that this is all wrong. Ignore the cameras warning and take the picture. Examine the results and adjust the shutter speed up or down to get the results you want.
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Hi,
I am looking to upgrade from my nikon coolpix 885 to 4-5 MP digital camera, under $300.
I am confused between these two canon models as there's not much price diference.
Could you please help?

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