Sledge

I'm citing specific models here because I don't know how else to frame the question, but any answers are obviously welcome.

What's the difference between a camera like the Canon Powershot S50 and the Canon Powershot G5? Both are five-megapixel, both have extensive manual controls, the S50 in reviews scores just as high as the G5 in terms of image quality - so what justifies the $300 price difference?

charliex

zoom size and speed mainly, the G5 is a lot faster, the glass might be of slightly higher quality too.

sailor

One of the big things about *any* camera is that there are a lot of things that can quickly add up costs, but that on the surface tend to look the same. Take for example, lenses. You can buy a $200 300mm lense or a $2000 300mm lense. On the surface, they may seem to have the same specs, but there is a vast difference between the two, in terms of build quality, and more importantly, glass quality, which translates to image quality. This is not to say that the $2000 lense is 10 times better, or that most people need that kind of quality--but the differences are there, and enough so for professionals to pay that kind of money. For those cameras, like Charliex said, it is probably build quality, glass quality, and speed (writing).

__________________
"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws."
--Plato