Canon PowerShot S20 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 2x Optical Zoom

by Canon

Product Details

Product Manual [1.53mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 1.3 x 4.1 x 2.7 inches ; 9.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004TCTK
• Item model number: C831002
• Batteries: 1 CR5 batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,607 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 5, 2000

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Canon PowerShot S20 is one of the smallest 3.3-megapixel digital cameras in its class. Its half-inch 3.34-megapixel charge-coupled device (CCD) creates full-color and B&W high-resolution images up to 2,048 x 1,436 pixels. It offers a 2x optical zoom lens and a range of shooting modes. The zoom can be enhanced at the touch of a button with a digital teleconverter (2x/4x) for seamless zooming up to 8x.

The PowerShot S20 features an extremely compact design that is only 4.1 inches long, 2.7 inches high, and 1.3 inches wide. In addition, the PowerShot S20 weighs just 9.5 ounces. Despite its small size, this camera features large easy-to-control buttons. You can take one digital picture after another. With IC signal processing, the camera speeds up the interval between shots to 2 seconds. It also stores and plays back images eight times faster than previous digital cameras. It has complete USB compatibility. Cables are supplied for transferring images to your Mac or PC with either a serial or USB port. You can record at three levels of JPEG compression: superfine, fine, and normal. The camera is compatible with JFIF and CIFF file formats.

The centrally located mode dial makes perfect shots easy. It offers five shooting modes--auto, manual, image (landscape, night scene, B&W, slow shutter, and high-speed shutter), stitch assist, and flash. With these modes you have the flexibility to get great shots at any time of day and in any kind of weather. The PowerShot S20 also offers red-eye reduction, a self-timer, and continuous shooting.

The Canon PowerShot S20 uses CompactFlash type I and II memory cards and also supports IBM's 340 MB Microdrive, capable of storing the equivalent of 10 rolls of pictures at a time. The PowerShot S20 comes with a comprehensive software package that is fully compatible with PC and Macintosh computers. It includes Adobe PhotoDeluxe ZoomBrowser EX, PowerShot Browser, Time Tunnel, SlideShowMaker, PhotoStitch, PhotoRecord, and PhotoAlbum for both Mac OS and Windows. The package includes a wrist strap, a video cable, interface cables, a lithium battery, an 8 MB CompactFlash card, a case for the CompactFlash card, and a user's manual.

From the Manufacturer

The PowerShot S20 delivers 3 mega-pixel resoluion in a compact digital camera. In fact, it's the smallest digital camera in its class. 3.34 Megapixel Capacity Digital photography, like analog photography, is about clarity. The S20's 0.56" inch CCD has over 3.3 million pixels, providing PowerShot rich color, high-resolution and large-image-size capacity. Once again, Canon has lived up to its proud legacy of technological quality and photographic excellence. USB Connection Part of being digital is about communication. Specifically, it's about the ability of your PowerShot camera to communicate with your computer. The PowerShot S20 brings your communications into the digital universe with its cross-platform USB connection. By connecting your S20 to your computer (PC or Macintosh) via the included USB cable you can download your photographs at 20 times the rate of the older serial connections. With today's high-capacity storage devices, a quicker download is essential, and with the USB connection, you can now communicate at digital speed. Storage Digital photography provides the wonderful ability to capture high-resolution large-size photographs, with stunning color and rich detail. The only problem: where to put these photographs, which can have file sizes well over a megabyte each. Floppies can't stand up to the task of holding even a few of these high-quality pictures. CompactFlash card The PowerShot S20 camera comes with a CompactFlash card, like a little digital hard drive, which can hold up to 16MB worth of images. That's more storage space than a handful of floppies. And you can get CompanctFlash cards in sizes from 2MB cards all the way up to the IBM microdrive, at 340MB. It's like loading 45 rolls of 35mm film all at once. With PowerShot and the CompactFlash card you never need to worry about film or space again. You know you can rely on Canon to deliver the rich high-quality photograph you want, and you always have room to store it. PowerShot makes room for your photographs in the digital present while making space for you in the digital future. Canon Lenses Today's digital cameras are technological marvels, with abilities unthought of even a few years ago. However, ultimately digital cameras are just that, cameras, and like all cameras they are only as good as their lenses. Canon has been in the business of making great lenses since the 1940s. The camera's electronic components, from the CCD to the CompactFlash card, all rely on the camera lens to deliver a clear, sharp, high-quality image. With the all-glass aspherical Canon lenses in every PowerShot camera, you get the image quality you need. Look at the world through your mind's eye, but photograph it through a Canon lens.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

425 of 428 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Little Camera, July 12, 2000

By 

David Mamet (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Canon PowerShot S20 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 2x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I love this camera. It is the smallest 3.3mp camera on the market and takes incredible pictures. The best part about this camera is its ability to take both type 1 and type 2 cf cards. This means that the S20 can use the IBM Microdrive (170 or 340 mb). With the 340 mb drive (@$400, with pcmcia card adapter), the camera can hold 379 shots at largest size with medium resolution, or 164 shots at largest size with best resolution. I literally shoot all day and sort the pictures out later. No more asking yourself, "should I take this shot, or will I fill the card too quickly." If you are not going to buy the microdrive, I really don't see the need to pay $800 for this camera. Its like buying a rolls royce and getting bicycle tires. Also, be aware that the S20 takes a proprietary battery (cannot be replaced by regular batteries in a pinch). When you buy the camera, buy at least one extra battery that day. Nothing is worse than having 150 shots left, but a dead battery. I love my S20, but be aware that after the camera, charger, 340mb microdrive and an extra battery, you are talking about $1350.

274 of 278 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Camera, May 15, 2000

By 

Dave (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Canon PowerShot S20 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 2x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I have been looking at digital cameras for the past year, The prices just couldn't be justified for me... Until the 3million megapixel camera's came out. This isn't the right camera for professional shooting, as it does not take raw tiff's.. but the large superfine Jpeg's turn out close enough to raw images. This is a high end Point and Shoot camera, you do not need professional photography experience to take great photos. The camera is small and lightweight.. similar to the Canon ELPH camera's design.. so it can slide in your pocket.. And Canon has been known for their optics for years. The software works fine, I just use Adobe Photoshop to get my images though. The photostiching is neat, and works well, I took pictures in a circle around my apartment and stitched them seamlessly together to make a really wide panoramic shot.. using USB to get your images is FAST, I had no problems setting the camera up with USB or Serial. The cons of this camera is that it doesn't come with rechargable batteries (a MUST have) get the recharge/ac adaptor kit, or else you will spend hundreds on batteries. the 16MB CF card will fit about 100 average quality photo's, 34 above average, but only 7 SuperFine quality photo's (time to go buy a bigger CF card).. Digital camera's are going to be expensive, especially if you want quality and features, The higher end Kodak's, Sony's and Olympus's offer about the same features and quality, but the Kodak and Sony are much larger and bulkier. If you've used Canon camera's before, this will be simple to use

163 of 163 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant little machine, June 18, 2000

By 

S. J. Witcomb "Redkite" (Amsterdam) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Canon PowerShot S20 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 2x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

It's small, light and easy to use and picture quality is superb. I would agree with the other reviewers on this page with one exception: according to one reviewer you can't check the quality of your photo immediately after shooting - this is not true: keep the shutter button pressed in after shooting and the photo appears on the TFT screen until you release the button. The supplied 16Mb flash card is not enough for efficient use, but it does get you started. You can take 44 photos in medium res (1024 x 768) which is good enough quality for screen viewing. Batteries will last long enough to fill the 16 Mb card but I bought 2 extra rechargables with mine and I keep TFT screen and flash use to a minimum when not near a power supply. My biggest niggle with the Canon is that in Auto mode it only takes pictures in the highest resolution, something like 8 or 9 photo's on the 16 Mb card. With maybe a 170 or 340 Mb IBM micro drive and a couple of extra rechargable batteries this is a brilliant little machine suitable for most users, takes great pictures and fits in your jacket pocket too!