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Canon PowerShot S100 2MP Digital ELPH Camera Kit w/ 2x Optical Zoom

Canon PowerShot S100 2MP Digital ELPH Camera Kit w/ 2x Optical Zoom

List Price: $499.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Terrific, Compact easy to use Digital camera
Review: I purchased this camera recently to replace my Sony Mavica digital camera and to use alongside my Canon EOS 300 SLR camera.

My initial concerns that the camera would not be compatible with my Pentium III 800 running Windows Millenium Edition were unfounded. I had downloaded the appropriate driver from the canon.com.au website and installed this, rather than the driver was on the Canon CD that came along with the camera. There had been mention only of compatibility with W98 and W2K, so I was relieved to find the WME driver available.

Setup was quick and without a hassle. I was able to operate camera, and transfer pictures without having to open the manual at all.

This camera is very much an improvement over my previous digital camera. With super fast transfer of pictures by USB, its ultra compact shape and size, retractable lens system, and its 3-point autofocus system, the Canon Ixus has produced numerous images that I will keep.

I have found the ZoomBrowser software to be very easy to use, although other reviewers have mentioned their dislike of this particular application. The PC will automatically detect the camera when you switch it on and plug the USB cable in, and will launch the ZoomBrowser for you. You can even transfer pictures from the PC to the camera which comes in handy when you want to bring your CF card to a photo developer to produce prints for selected photos.

I bought an extra rechargeable battery to go with it and it turned out to be a good decision. I added a 64 MB Compact flash to the 8 MB one that came with it, as well. The 64 MB card will store 107 1600 X 1200 pictures or over 360 640x480 pictures.

Overall this camera gets 5 stars from me. It is a true pocket-sized camera with its light weight portability being a major plus!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Know your needs.
Review: This camera is not intended to replace your 35mm. Frankly neither can the more advanced digital camera's currently on the market...yet. If you do the math to print a 8X10 at 300 dpi. you would need 3000 X 2400 resolution...no doubt it's coming... The S100 has limited optical zoom (the digital zoom, as in other digital camera's deteriorates the image quality relative to zoom used)...the zoom "frames" close-ups nicely, the camera is not all that great in low light situations (equivalent to ISO 100), the flash is effective up to about 10 feet...OK for a point and shoot camera, it comes with a 8mb card...not enough...32 would be nice unless you intend to keep your images in your camera instead of your computer...then by all means get one with even more memory...I don't see the point. It does come with a charger...the S10 does not...while the S10 appears to take somewhat better pictures...unless you are an expert you won't be able to tell the difference...to me size matters so I bought the S100. Again, if you are looking to replace your 35mm with a digital this is not the camera for you. Otherwise this is a great little (tiny) point and shoot camera that shoots great images, will not be left behind like my 35mm often is and will capture your fondest memories effectively. The camera works well, is constructed like a piece of jewelry, is robust...feels that way anyhow and will serve you well as a high quality point and shoot camera. The manual says that unless you have Win98 or 2000 "originally" installed on your computer the USB function may not work...it worked fine for me...excellent software package for the novice digital photographer...eh... :)

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Very handy second camera
Review: I've had this camera for three years. I bought it new, when it was cutting edge and very expensive. I put a 128MB CF card in it.

First, I have to say that I have NEVER had the slightest problem with this camera or the software. I've probably taken upwards of 5000 pictures with it, it's been all over the country. The software has been installed on Windows 95, 98, 2000 and XP and I haven't had any problems with it. The camera is solid, performs well, takes good pictures, and the battery lasts pretty long if you disable the LCD viewfinder. If battery life were that big a deal, one could purchase a second battery and rotate.

All that said, I am a little disappointed with the quality of the pictures from the camera. They are razor sharp, the color balance is perfect, and the focus is great. When taking pictures of people, however, it shows EVERY flaw in the subject's skin. Scratches, oil, freckles are magnified and come out looking horrific. It requires extensive Photoshopping to fix the flaws. Other cameras taking pics of the same subjects turn out looking much better. I'm going to buy another camera to take baby pictures, but I'll keep this as a travel camera.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: not bad--for better quality pics get 3.1Mpix or higher
Review: If compact size is your highest priority in a 2-megapixel camera, the Canon PowerShot S100 Digital Elph is a standout choice and aptly named for its diminutive design. The S100's image quality rates in the middle of its class, but it can still be a reasonable choice for students, families, or small businesses looking for an ultra-portable camera that weighs less than half a pound with media and battery pack.

The jury rated the S100's prints in the middle of the pack, but its overall image quality results fell at the low end of the midlle for 2-megapixel cameras. Color balance measured better than average, with a noticeable blue cast in images shot under outdoor lighting conditions. Though the S100 only offers center-weighted metering, we overcame a tough indoor-exposure situation by using both exposure and focus locks. Other 2-megapixel cameras offer a more powerful zoom lens and more image-control settings.

The flash worked fine for shots taken at the maximum-rated distance under indoor lighting conditions, but it overexposed images taken inside at the minimum-rated macro distance. We were impressed with the sharpness of macro images captured outdoors with no flash. Standard shots taken without flash under outdoor lighting conditions showed slight underexposure but accurate color. The S100's panorama mode worked effectively, as did its burst mode, in which we captured one shot per second at the high-resolution and high-compression settings and three shots every 4 seconds at the high-resolution and low-compression settings.

The S100 feels balanced in its shiny stainless steel case and flattens to a smooth, flat box when the lens retracts; an integrated cover protects the lens when retracted. External control buttons are minimal, because you adjust most of the setting through menus, but, unfortunately, the relatively small LCD and small menu font present an operational challenge.

The S100's bright LCD displays a graphical menu system which attempts simplicity, but misses the mark and leads you back to the User Guide to clarify navigation and features at every turn. It can be frustrating to use the small LCD to take advantage of the camera's effective panorama mode, but better that than using the viewfinder in this mode. The S100 can be ready to capture your first shot in 3 seconds and subsequent shots every 7 seconds.

Compared to others in its class, the S100 is well equipped and designed, with both a USB interface and convenient access to batteries and media when the camera is mounted on a tripod. The included software bundles together a valuable mix of applications, particularly the effective image-stitching software for panorama-mode shots.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Terrifc, Compact easy-to-use Digital Camera
Review: I purchased this camera recently to replace my Sony Mavica digital camera and to use alongside my Canon EOS 300 35mm SLR camera.

My initial concerns that the camera would not be compatible with my Pentium III 800 running Windows Millenium Edition were unfounded. I had downloaded the appropriate driver from the canon.com.au website and installed this, rather than the driver was on the Canon CD that came along with the camera. There had been mention only of compatibility with W98 and W2K, so I was relieved to find the WME driver available.

Setup was quick and without a hassle. I was able to operate camera, and transfer pictures without having to refer to the manual at all.

This camera is very much an improvement over my previous digital camera. With super fast transfer of pictures by USB, its ultra compact shape and size, retractable lens system, and its 3-point autofocus system, the Canon Ixus has produced numerous images that I will keep.

I have found the ZoomBrowser software to be very easy to use, although other reviewers have mentioned their dislike of this particular application. The PC will automatically detect the camera when you switch it on and plug the USB cable in, and will launch the ZoomBrowser for you. You can even transfer pictures from the PC to the camera which comes in handy when you want to bring your CF card to a photo developer to produce prints for selected photos.

I bought an extra rechargeable battery to go with it and it turned out to be a good decision. I added a 64 MB Compact flash to the 8 MB one that came with it, as well. The 64 MB card will store 107 1600 X 1200 pictures or over 360 640x480 pictures. I am now on the lookout for a 192 MB card which will easily serve my needs.

Overall this camera gets 5 stars from me. It is a true pocket-sized camera with its light-weight portability being a major plus!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This Camera Goes Everywhere
Review: Just before almost buying a Kodak DC-280 (a highly touted camera in its own right), Canon released the S100 Digital Elph. I was smitten and bought one immediately. I have taken about 200 pictures in the last 2 weeks and have not been disappointed.

If you want a camera to take everywhere to record life's events, this is the camera. You can't truly appreciate the size of this camera until you see it in person. I took it bike riding last week and hooked it to my belt (using the OEM case). I had to check several times to make sure it was still there.

While serious hobbyists may complain that image quality is not up to the top digital cameras, 99% of us will be more than satisfied. Prints up to 8 by 10 are comparable in quality to film based cameras. Plus I like the fact that with the included software and my trusty Epson printer, I can correct some of my little boo boos like red eye problems.

One final thing make sure that you leave some money in your budget for a larger CF card, an extra battery and the OEM case since you will be taking this camera everywhere and taking more pictures than you ever thought possible.

Great job Canon.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Software not compatible with XP
Review: I originally gave this camera 5 stars. When I had Windows 98 it was wonderful but I got a new computer last November with XP the usb software is Sooo... not compatible with XP I have found however that you can just buy a card reader to solve this problem. The new drivers on cannon's site do not help at all but try them if you want they have made me have to use the backup software. The Adobe software also was wonderful in 98 but it will not let you print correctly with XP so you are forced to create your document then either print it from Windows or export it to another application. But it takes gorgeous pictures for a 2.1 MP camera.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Neat Toy
Review: Positives - Cute, compact, solid, Durable (2+ years & no problems). People are always curious and pleased to check out how they look on the LCD. Picture quality very good at highest resolution and good for on-computer or TV viewing at lower res.

Negatives
- Short battery life (buy an extra & carry the charger)
- Tiny (for my big hands) and tiny non-intuitive menus
- Heavy for the size (but solidly built)
- Optical zoom is nice, but digital zoom feature should have been left off

Advice - Buy larger CF Card (they're cheap now), buy extra battery, carry everything (ie. charger, etc) in a medium sized camera bag. This Camera seems indespensible to me now.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: If it ins't new. Don't buy it!
Review: Last march (2002) i bought this camera and it was wonderful, although it was "refurbished" by CANON it worked perfectly. I bought also a new battery and a 48MB Compactflash memory card and everything was working fine. 6 months later the camera had electrical problems and warranty had expired. Now the cost to fix this problem is far bigger than to buy a new camera because warranty period for "refurbished" items is less than 6 months.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Small, small, small, I love it!
Review: I adore this camera. My #1 priority was to get a digital camera that was small enough so I could take it EVERYWHERE. I would rather have dozens of pictures of pretty good quality than one perfect terapizel resolution shot from the one occasion a year that I might actually remember to lug a full-sized camera along!

This camera is small and light and rides in my purse all the time. On the highest quality setting in good lighting it makes very acceptable prints. For pictures taken in lower lighting outside the reach of the flash, you can definitely see the prints starting to get grainier. If you don't make prints at all but keep your pictures on a computer, you'll probably be perfectly happy with the resolution.

I did get a 64MB card in addition to the 8MB card the camera came with; you might also want to consider a second battery since using the flash a lot (like at indoor family gatherings) can quickly exhaust the poor thing. (It recharges pretty quickly though.)

Overall, I've been delighted with this camera's convenience, pleased with the prints, and never had a moment's trouble with it in the year I've had it. A very satisfying purchase.


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