Customer Reviews

Canon Elph 370Z APS Camera Kit

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

My review will focus on how well the 370z replaces a 35mm point-and-shoot. I've been very happy with my Pentax IQZoom90WR for six years and I wanted to see if the 370z could replace it for most situations. LENS QUALITY: Indistinguishable except in HDTV mode at small focal lengths where curvature is noticable at the sides. Still acceptable. RESOLUTION: Indistinguishable on 4x6/4x7 prints at ASA 100 and 200. Lack of precise definition of edges with ASA 400 but still acceptable. If you want to blow up the photo to 8x10, you'll want to use ASA 100 and that will limit you to bright light situations. If I decide to do night photography outdoors (like the Disneyland parade), I'll switch back to my 35mm using ASA 400. (I should note however that the 370z performed well. I'm just a bit of a perfectionist.) RED-EYE REDUCTION: Not as effective as my Pentax IQZ90WR. Based on the shots I've taken, red-eye occurs in 10-15% of my face-on flash shots. The occurence with my Pentax is less than 1% but it does use a pre-flash whereas the 370z uses a mini-lamp. PORTABILITY: Excellent! Put it into its case and strap it to your belt and you won't know it's there. This is a BIG plus of the 370z since it allows you to enjoy your environment as well as be a photographer. The worst shot in the world is the one you didn't take because you didn't have your camera with you. FOCAL LENGTHS: Comparable but the 370z is a step-zoom whereas my 35mm has a continuous zoom. This is not much of a problem since you'll rarely encounter a situation that requires absoultely precise framing with a zoom. FRAME FORMATS: Panoramic mode shows too much grain at ASAs 200 and above. Thankfully there's ...MID-ROLL CARTRIDGE CHANGE: Excellent feature! Allowed me to switch to ASA400 at night and ASA100 when the sun was bright. WISHLIST ITEM: If only it were weather-resistant or splash-proof. SUMMARY: It's replaced my 35mm point-and-shoot for documenting my family's vacations and daily activities but I still keep my 35mm in a suitcase or the car for rainy days, special night shots, or situations where I might want a photo blown-up to 8x10. This camera is well designed for its target market; the average photographer who wants to capture day-to-day shots.

If you want a point and shoot camera that you can carry in your bag or throw in a shirt pocket so that its always available, then this may be the best camera for you. While its not deep on features, it has the ones that are most important for convenience: a decent flash, 3x zoom (better for wide angle shots than telephoto closeups), and APS film.

Make no mistake, you do not get the flexibility (shutter speed, apeture, optional lenses, external flashes, white balance) that SLRs and more expensive camera can offer, but what you do get is not much bigger than a pack of cigarettes (that's not politically correct, is it?).

I looked at a pretty broad set of cameras, including the other ELPH cameras, before selecting this one because I liked the zoon range and the size of the camera. I was pleasantly impressed by surprisingly good picture quality, and my wife can testify to its extreme ease of use. This ELPH is all about size, convenience, and simplicity. If that's what you want then buy it.

I used this camera once and it took relatively good pictures. However, on my next trip, the camera's internal memory stopped working (this is a problem that other people I know have had with the camera). Worse than the camera's malfunction, however, was the company's refusal to service the camera under warranty. Moreover, when I sent the camera back, they refused to write a letter justifying the lack of service. I would not buy a piece of Canon equipment. Save some money and buy an Olympus Stylus, which has served me quite well.

I recently purchased a Canon Elph 370Z Kit and I highly recommend it to anyone in the market for a new camera. Although it is a but a tiny point-and-shoot device, it is rich in features that much larger models only dream about. It has all of the wonderful features of the Advanced Photo System, including the midroll changing feature. The zoom lens is quite capable of telephoto or wide frame pictures. Also, the camera's intuitive distance sensing and shake warnings ensure clear and crisp photos of any subject or scene. My main reason for purchasing this camera was travel. I bought it with the intention of using it simply when I was travelling, but I find myself using it in place of my clunky SLR. Highly recommend!

I've been using the Canon Elph 370z for almost 2 years, having taken and exposed around 300 pictures. Here are the strengths of this camera:
1. You no more yell out "I AM A TOURIST" by having your camera hanging from your neck or arm; keep it in your pocket.
2. Group pictures come out GREAT with the panoramic feature.
3. The picture quality is also great for a point-and-shoot camera, especially when a 400 film is used.
4. The battery will let you down only after you take at least 200 pictures.
5. The 3x zoom function is MORE than enough for the average amature photographer.
6. The digital display shows only what you really need to know.
7. The flash is not the strongest you'll ever see in a compact camera, but it does its job.
8. The "red-eye-reduction" function will substantially reduce the red eye phenomenonon, and may even elliminate it. If you keep the button half-pressed for a couple of seconds, you should have no red eyes in any of your pictures.

The camera DOES have some weak spots, too.
1. The "slider", which turns the camera on and off, also retracts the flash light. When you first attempt to turn this camera on, it comes natural that you try to move the slider with your thumb. By doing so, you place your index finger on the flash, thus preventing it from coming out. With one finger you try to open the camera, with the other you make sure you keep it shut! I could not turn on the camera the first time, I thought it was broken. Other people who used my camera also did the exact same thing. I just have to open the camera myself before giving it to somebody else.
2. The shutter actually operates quite some time after the button is pressed. I quickly became aware of this, so I just keep a steady hand until I hear the shutter closing. But some people think that the picture is taken at the moment the button is pressed. The relatively long time between the button "click" and the shutter "click" resulted in some blurry pictures.
3. The camera is really small, and the fingers of the operator can get in front any of the sensors or the flash, resulting in dark or unfocused pictures.

All of the above conditions happened only a couple of times and only when the camera was used by somebody other than me.

I suggest that you buy this camera if it will be mostly YOU that will operate it. You will soon learn how to by-pass these minor problems and make the best out of the camera. Once you learn how to avoid the little traps, you can take very good pictures. However, if you know that random people may operate this camera (say... in a party), be prepared for just a few "not-so-good" exposures.

I've had the Elph 370Z for nearly two years and I like it quite a bit. Six months after I bought it the LCD screen died. I was able to drop the camera off at Canon in Irvine and within a week it was fixed, free of charge. The photos i have gotten are better than I would have expected from a camera that only uses 22 mm film. The small form factor is the nicest feature.

I just wanted to add to the comments from the customer in Athens, Greece. He (she?) made good points and I wanted to address 2 of the 'weak spots' mentioned:
1- the on/off slider: don't use it. I had completely forgotten that it was there until I read this review. It's much easier to just pull out the flash to turn the camera on; this is also probably much easier on the mechanism (there is a transmission ratio between the slider and the flash, the flash moves about twice as far as the slider--the result is that when using the slider, the flash slams in and out very hard).
2- shutter release delay. The camera can be set to allow instant response to pressing the shutter release: press the self-timer and flash-mode buttons simultaneously (the camera will respond by blinking the green LED 4 times). With this set, the camera will go through all preparations to take the picture when the shutter release is pressed half-way in (focus, focal length, exposure, making sure the flash is ready if needed). Then when the camera indicates that everything is ready, pressing the shutter release fully will result in instant response.

The issues I have with the camera are minor, but are the reason I did not give 5 stars:
- the instant shutter release mode described above is not persistent (must be done every time the camera is turned on if you want this mode--which you will)
- there is no way to check the speed or number of exposures of the loaded film (correct me if I'm wrong). This info is displayed briefly after first loading the film, but I generally forget what's in there by the time I get to exposure #24.
- no provision for exposure compensation. Fill-flash is fine for backlit subjects within range of the flash, but snowy landscapes will be underexposed.

All in all, a very good p&s camera; works as advertised--in fact, much better than I was expecting.

We are headed on vacation in a couple of weeks and I thought it would be a good time to get a lightweight compact camera. I had heard good things about the elf, and although I hadn't ever tried APS film I thought this would be a good time. I shot 3 rolls of film, in all kinds of lighting conditions. I tried indoors, outdoors, sunny days, after dark and cloudy days. I have to tell you that repeatedly it felt like the pictures were over-exposed. The elf's ability to balance exposure to suit a setting really goes haywire when it has to balance higher contrast. The red-eye feature didn't work so swell, and my pictures just weren't up to par. We are returning it and going digital. I bought the digital elf and shot several shots, printed them and they give me the pictures, color and resolution I am looking for. I think this little camera was a bit overhyped.

I know next-to-nothing about photography and I was not ready to pull the trigger on a digital camera. I had been carrying a Minolta "Freedom Zoom 90" around for about 10+ years, and I was looking for a replacement that would (a) fit into my briefcase/backpack more easily, and (b) be a little bit more idiot-proof (I always seemed to have problems focusing the Minolta).

After a bit of research, I choose the Canon Elph 370Z. After 6+ months of ownership, I am reporting back here as a very satisfied customer. The 370Z has met or exceeded both of my goals. It is extremely portable, allowing me to take my camera everywhere with a neglible weight penalty. And, I'm taking better photos, and it's still the same ol' me that used the old camera. My 'focus problems' have disappeared. Furthermore, I've blown a couple of the photos up to an 8"x12" scale and they retain an amazing level of crispness for such a small camera.

The only drawback (noted in other reviews here) is that the unit is so compact that the flash is still too close to the lens. So remember, 'red-eye reduction' is just that: reduction, not elimination.

Still, all in all, a highly recommended purchase.

If you are considering a regular Canon Elph, go with the 370Z instead: its powerful zooming capability is well worth the extra. For such a small, lightweight camera, its picture clarity is remarkable (even when you enlarge the prints). I took it as my only camera on a trip to Europe, and ended up with photos that compared favorably to professional postcards. I've had this camera for a year and haven't regretted it for a moment. I keep it in my purse for all those moments when people say, "I wish we had a camera with us!" If you are new to APS cameras, you will love the easy system of index prints and not having to handle negatives. The handiest camera I've ever owned.