Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(145)
4 star:		(49)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

I saw this camera in a showcase at the Wiz, and was impressed with how small it was compared to the competition. Given that I have an infant crawling around my house now, I found that I wanted to take instant pictures more and more, rather than taking 35mm and then sending them off for development. I have a Canon Rebel-G, which I love, but is a bulky SLR and I found that I didn't just carry it around. A digital camera was exactly what I had been looking for.

Now I take this little camera everywhere I go. For an ameteur, this camera is all you will ever need. I use the medium quality (1600 x 1200 compressed) and the pictures are outstanding, especially for email and digital processing. I haven't even tried taking pictures in high resolution (1600 x 1200 uncompressed), the quality is so good. Friends and family are blown away at the clarity.The limitation on the quality would be the printer, which now I think maybe its time to buy a photo printer with higher resolution.

Disadvantages:

1) The flash card that comes with the camera is too small. A second 8MB or one 16MB would be better. That gives you an equivalent roll of film (20 shots or so on medium resolution). I need to buy one.

2) The battery supplied with the camera does not last long enough, especially with the LCD display enabled. A second battery is a must, especially if you want to take the camera with you, and you don't want to lug the charger. Fortunately, the battery is recharged within an hour.

3) The camera gets surprisingly warm during extended use (a small nuisance).

4) Switching to digital zoom mode feels like it takes too long, and the camera does not stay in digital zoom mode when switching between reviewing pictures and taking pictures.

5) Red-eye reduction really doesn't help at all.

6) I wish a power adaptor to run the camera was standard. It needs to be bought seperately.

7) A camera case should come with the camera and doesn't. I highly recommend one be bought with the camera as the elegant stainless steel finish is likely to become scratched when carried about without a case. (I'm a bit fanatical about my electronics when I like them).

8) When flipping through pictures previously taken, the camera closes its lens. Not only is this a waste of battery life, it is annoying to wait for the lens to reopen for new shots.

Advantages:

1) Small size is fantastic! You can take it everywhere.

2) Powerful flash. Brightens images even 10 feet away.

3) Super-clear image quality. It feels like you can reach into the picture when you see it on the screen.

4) Awesome software. The camera comes with a USB cable, and when it is plugged in, the computer wakes up and downloads the images. The software is very easy to use, and highly intuitive. It makes digital editing a pleasure. A great feature.

5) Viewfinder or LCD display are both available for use, and the LCD can be disabled to save battery life. Very nice.

6) Optical and digital zooms work very well (though a bit slow). Image centering seems perfect in viewfinder.

7) Image processing is quick. You can snap a picture every two seconds without waiting for the image to process.

8) The lens is protected when not in use, and is self-stored.

Overall, I am thrilled with this camera, given the misgivings of many others. Canon is a trusted name in photography, and I highly recommend this unit.

This is the camera that I've been waiting 18 months for - decent price, small but well built, high resolution and great quality. After a week of ownership, overall I'm delighted with the product. However, it was poor of Canon not to include a pouch for the camera - no more than a $1 cost to them but essential in protecting the camera from an occasional knock, IMO. Also missing is an AC adapter to power the camera - the included battery charger requires that the battery be removed from the camera, meaning that I can't be charging the battery while transferring images to the pc

Note: If you are planning on buying this camera (or any other digital camera), be aware that you will need to buy a high-capacity compact flash card. If you go on a vacation and plan on taking more than 15 pics or so before you get back to your computer, then the stock 8mb card included with the camera won't cut it. I got a 64mb card (About $120) which should do nicely.
Also note: The battery only lasts about a day of moderate camera usage - you might want to consider buying a second battery if you plan on taking a lot of snaps.

I agree that this is an amazing camera for its size, but I wanted to add some caveats:

1) The quality of the photos is slightly lower than that of top-of-the-line 2.1 megapixel cameras (e.g., the PowerShot S10). This is due to the extreme miniturization of the lens and CCD. Keep in mind that this camera trades some image quality for convenience.

2) Only three image resolution/quality combinations: 1600x1200 hi-quality JPEG, 1600x1200 compressed JPEG, and 640x480 compressed JPEG. I would have liked a mid-range size between 1600x1200 and 640x480 (1280x960?), and the ability to choose image quality settings (hi/low is enough for me) on a per-resolution basis, for a total of six combinations.

3) Colors are not quite as bright/saturated as on the Nikon CoolPix 950/990, Olympus 2020z/3030z, or even the Canon PowerShot S10 & S20.

These three quibbles are relatively minor, but seemed worth mentioning.

Convenience is more important to me than absolute image quality, so I am extremely happy with this camera. Image quality is still remarkably good, and it is by far the most convenient (and cutest!) digital camera currently available.

Sam

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!

As many of you, I have been holding out until the prices were more reasonable. The size of this camera alone, and the reviews above told me it was time to buy. You will be impressed with how Canon has squeezed so much into such a small space. The camera comes with a quick charger and one battery pack. Time to charge about 2 hours. Setup was so simple that as a first time digital camera owner, I had little trouble after a quick scan of the manual setting up for my first shots. The LCD display is bright and though small, very easy to see. Controls are well laid out and simple to understand. I am so impressed with this camera, because it is so simple to use and due to it's size, I know I will take it along more often than my old 35mm monster. Suggestion, order a larger flash card (the included 8mb card is almost useless for high resolution photos). The only negative, no medium resolution such as 1024x768. You are stuck with 1600x1200 or 640x480, but this won't be a problem if you have a larger flash card. If you're a graphics artist, you will probably want a 3megapixel camera, but for the average user, this small camera will get used more due to it's size and takes great photos. Very happy with my decision to buy this camera.

I bought this little baby two weeks after it hit the market here and I have had a little time to put it through its paces. In fact, it has even been to Israel with a friend and he has the same reaction that I have. As a travel companion, it is great. The color saturation is pretty good, though not quite as good as Olympus. However, remember that you can correct that in software if you know how to use it. The images are sharp and well balanced. The optics are exception for a camera inn this class! Learn to use the white balance settings and your photos will improve.

Use the high-res mode (1600x1200), the images are not that large and the image is much better. At the same time, buy yourself at least a 64meg card, I use a 128meg card and that is good for around 80 shots. If you need to squeeze more on, the hi-res compressed mode is not bad at all; just remember that the images are not going to be as detailed when enlarged.

The battery lasts a lot longer than average. I suspect that that is partially due to the lighting of the LCD screen coming from a white LED rather than a more conventional source. It is not uncommon for a battery to last the whole day of shooting. For me that is about 60-70 Hi-Res pictures. While there is no disposable option, the spare battery can be had for a reasonanble price (litium-ion batteries are very expensive, trust me when I say Canon's price here is reasonable!)

The down sides? No type II slot for Microdrive or high capacity cards. Thus, you are probably limited to 192meg cards. The macro is limited. I'd like to focus down a little more. The zoom is fine for me, but for nature shooters, it could be limiting. The preview is awkward and the camera defaults out of the box to low res (640x400) be sure to reset the defaults to the high setting (1600x1200).

These are all nits! Given the size, quality of construction and the images that you can produce with this camera, the down sides are minor and can be ignored by the average snap shot photographer.

I've had this camera for a few days and have put it through it's paces. I bought the Digital Elph to replace an APS camera, and it takes shots that are comparable, if not better than the APS. Even the 8x10's prints (in fine mode 1600 x 1200) look about the same as with my old APS (in superfine mode, they look even better!). With a 4 x 6 print size, (in fine mode 1600 x 1200) you will see little difference in quality when compared to an average 35mm camera.

The advantages of this camera far outweigh the disadvantages. Quite simply, it is easy to use, and the battery life is better than most and it recharges fast. It has a solid feel, a stainless steel case and is really well built. The LCD is easily viewable in daylight. Fine mode at 1600 x 1200, is perfect for most pictures. The software that comes with it is first rate, and easy to use. Taking panorama shots, and "stitching" them together with the provided software is really simple to do. Red-eye correction works well (For a camera that has a flash this small and close to the lens) as long as the subjects look right into the camera. The "Wow! What is that?" factor is difficult to describe. This camera is an attention-getter!

Disadvantages? I can't complain about the small size of things, the buttons are about as good as they can be on something this small. As with all digital cameras you will have to buy extra memory card(s), I bought a 64MB card that hold plenty of pics. You will also have to buy an extra battery, which because it is proprietary, cost .... (but is also lithium-Ion, an advantage.) When going from optical zoom to digital zoom, the transition in the LCD screen is jerky, but who cares about digital zoom anyway (If you need to zoom in more, take your shots in Super Fine mode, and enlarge the picture in software). This baby can get HOT! when you use it.

Other information of interest: USB connectivity worked fine in Win2k, but it did require a reboot before it would function. Pics in all but the brightest light outdoors seem to be slightly under exposed, I set the exposure +1/3 f-stop, and it seems to capture colors more accurately. A video out cable lets you view your photos on your TV.

The Powershot ... Digital Elph is the perfect APS camera replacement.

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.

I purchased the Elph s100 mainly because I thought it was cool. I'm a professional photographer using pro digital equipment and I was looking for something to have around the house so that my wife could capture candid moments with my kids. In practice, we've been VERY happy with the results. The camera does a great job with exposure and prints made with my professional printer looks great (not as good as prints from my pro digital camera, but still VERY good).

But the BEST thing about this little camera is that it is being used. It only takes a few seconds to turn on, we take our shot with out having to mess with dials and settings every time and then go on. Then, when the card is full we download it to our computer for viewing, printing and later storage on a CD.

It's so easy, we use it all the time and since there's no film, we don't worry about taking too much. We'll edit bad shots out when we want. I'm just glad that we're saving memories really easily, because that's what cameras are for!

If you're looking for a nice point and shoot digital camera that does all the 'brain-work' for you and will take great shots, and be fun to use all at the same time, this is a very good choice!

The controls are easy to understand and big enough that they are easy to see and use. I would recommend spending a little money and this will be the perfect digital camera. I added a second battery (about $69, recharges in about two hours) and a large (192Mb for less than $400) CF module. Now I can take over 300 1600 x 1280 shots (or for the webshot fanatic, 1,141 pictures at 640 x 480). The optical and digital zooms combine to give an effective 4x zoom. This is enough capacity and capability to do a complete household inventory, for example. While this might seem pricy, I have been spending $27 for 25 APS images, with prints and a CD, so this camera will pay for itself in a year.

The included software works with a unique feature of the camera: "photostitch" lets you pan left or right to build a panoramic shot, or even wrap it completely into a 360 degree image. The LCD monitor works to let you see 1/3 of the last picture overlaid on the current one, for near-perfect alignment. When you click on the "stitched" images, the software combines them in only two or three steps.

You can also put the camera into a "continuous" (two shots a second) mode for catching a series of events, and you can "mark" images for printing when the CF card is placed in a compatible photo printer. There is also a macro mode available.

The unit is tiny (about 2" x 3" x 1") and feels as solid as a tank. Once the software is installed, downloading images to your PC is initiated by simply plugging in the USB cable on the camera and turning it on.

It can also work well as a pocket spy camera.