Customer Reviews

Canon PowerShot S30 3MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(107)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I have been playing around with my Powershot S30 for a couple of weeks now, and I must say I am very impressed. This is my first digital camera. 35mm photography has been a hobby of mine for over 10 years now, so I wanted to get a digicam that wouldn't let me down. And the S30 hasn't. It has almost all the features of my Canon Rebel 2000 (except interchangeable lenses, filters, and a hotshoe), but with a fraction of the size. The pictures are great. I have noticed that indoor flash pics tended to be a little too bright, but that was easily fixed by adjusting the flash exposure compensation down by 1/3 or 2/3. The camera takes pictures quickly (not as fast as my SLR, but that's to be expected) and the pics are of high quality. The battery life is relatively short, but a fully charged battery was more than enough to get me through over 100 shots, using the LCD screen for all of them, the flash for most, and spending a fair bit of time reviewing the photos. I *love* the fact that the camera records all the settings you used along with the shot.
The camera is small and rugged, so it can easily be taken everywhere. Even the battery charger is fairly small. I definitely recommend getting a 256MB card (check out newegg.com) and a USB reader. At highest resolution and least compression, I can fit 157 pics on the 256MB card. The only thing I've used the 16MB card that comes with the camera for was to transfer some pics to it so a friend who wanted "doubles" could go to Ritz camera and print them out for herself. Definitely recommend!!!!!!!

I picked this camera up a few days ago after doing pretty extensive research online and talking to some people on bulletin boards. I wanted 3mp camera in as compact form as possible that used CF cards and had a rechargeable battery. Then I discovered Canon's new S30/S40. No doubt the S40 is a great successor to the S30, but I have no need for 4mp. I've only had the camera a few days and I'm already very content with my decision.

It has a build quality like no other camera I've held. I'd say it has a 95% metal casing, only the battery door is plastic, and they mesh perfectly with the design. The sliding lens cover is great. Works flawlessly as a on/off switch and protection for the lens. Gives the camera a great smooth finish too. The LCD is bright and has good visibility in sun light. The buttons are well placed and easy to work with. My only minor complaint is the rubber door covering the usb and power jack. I question it's durability after long term use, but it should be ok.

So how do the pictures looks? Fantastic. If I could sum it up in 3 words, I would say: Sharp, bright and clear. The flash is powerful enough to take great low-light/night shots. Just don't get to far away :) Battery life is average. One of the drawbacks to such a small camera, but the battery recharges fairly quickly. Keep the LCD off for mucher greater battery life! Oh, and get a large CF card. The 16mb that is included won't cut.

No problems using the camera with Windows XP Pro through my monitor's USB hub. Canon's software is kind of bloated, but functional. If you prefer, just use XP's built in Digital Camera support.

Overall, excellent camera for people who want something portable (like the S110, although not quite as small), and a 3 megapixel resolution.

This is my first digital camera and I am so happy with it.

This is what you get...

A heavier weight than most digital cameras. I wanted to know that I was holding a camera, not a plastic toy.
Nice, easy to use software. The stitch assist software that comes with the camera is fantastic!!
The ability to take mini movies (if a little small and short) The microphone picks up the ambient sound pretty well.
Multiple choices of picture resolution, but why not use the max resolution if you have the memory (see below).
Fully automatic to fully manual settings, so you you can practice your photography without wasting expensive film.
Uses standard compact flash memory (no expensive proprietary memory or limited to 128MB)
This camera will pay for itself (in terms of saving money on picture development) in about a year.
A LOT of fun using it and recording some great memories!

Using it...
I took about 400 shots over two days at Sea World at various resolutions. The high speed picture mode captured the action perfectly under many different light conditions.
It's great for taking long exposure shots (use a tripod).
The 3x zoom doesn't sound a lot but really helps to get better pictures at lower resolutions.
The stitch mode on the camera really helps you line up the next shot for panoramas and completely takes the guess work out of it.
The flash seems pretty strong (much better than my old standard compact camera)

Downsides
It really drains the battery. I went through three in one day. Which is why I recommend getting two more when you purchase (if you can afford it)
The cover for the USB port on the camera looks a little flimsy, so I wouldn't use it too much

What I would recommend.
128MB, or 256MB memory cards
At least three batteries
A dedicated card reader for the PC

This is my second camera so far. I recently bought an Olympus C3020 and realized after a few days that I really felt ripped off for the money I spent. I returned it and got the Canon S30 after doing some more thorough research on reviews of cameras.

So far I like everything about this camera. The metal case, shape and weight feel good in your hands.

Not having to deal with a lense cap is another big plus.

the videos are short and lo-res, but for me it's an opportunity to at least get SOME stuff of my kids on video before they grow up. Certainly getting a digital camcorder is on my wishlist, but personally until I can get an hour of good quality video at a reasonable price, I'm not ready to spend the money.

The battery is GREAT and the fact that it came with both the rechargable battery and the charger was a big plus. When I was looking at cameras, I really liked the Nikon 885, but when I discovered they sold the camera with a disposable lithium battery(excuse me, disposable??) and no charger, I just could not accept that. I'm sorry, if I'm spending 500-600 dollars, don't poor-boy me. I've found that a lot of the cameras in the field out there all have one or more "gotchas" like the Nikon did that unless you really look over the specs, it's easy to miss. The canon does not have any "gotchas" that I have found. Aside from a larger storage card, you really don't need to buy anything else to enjoy this camera.

The battery so far seems to have a very long lifespan. I've been using mine throughout the day and charge it overnight. I've not run out of juice yet, and I always have the screen on when I use it.

There is only one minor things I found about this camera, I wish were included and that is a battery meter so I would know when the battery is getting low.

Overall, my advice is if you looking for a 3.x MP camera you really need to look at either this camera or a sony (which I considered, but did not like the higher cost of media and card readers since I don't own a sony laptop :(

If you're looking for dozens of image, flash, zoom, and exposure settings, in a small package, you've got the right camera. The Canon Powershot S30 camera is clearly not a camera intended for photography professionals who want to take hundreds of pictures at different resolutions, want to play with the lighting and other effects, as well as have the ability to zoom into the object many times over. However, it is a complete package. The S30 offers features found in much larger cameras at twice the price for half the price at a much smaller size. The S30 is a compact camera, widely acknowledged as the best bang-for-your-buck camera in its size on the market.

The S30 is virtually identical to its cousin the S40, with several minor differences. The S40 shoots at a slightly higher resolution, has one additional shooting mode, and is 4 megapixels as opposed to the S30's 3.2. However, the S40 is commonly found for over [$$$] more, and these features, in my opinion, are not worth the investment. The S30 shoots images at the maximum resolution of 2048x1536 pixels, at a 3.2 Megapixel resolution. Similar cameras of similar sizes offered by competitors top off at around 2.1 Megapixels, without paying premium prices.

The S30 offers thirteen different shooting modes, all of which can take advantage of its 3X optical or 10x digital zoom from the automatic, where the ISO speed, flash, and shutter speeds are calculated by the camera, to the movie mode, which can record up to 30 seconds of full-audio AVI film at 320x160 resolution, and approximately 20 frames per second. Other modes include portrait, speed, and slow modes. These can be used to shoot pictures of objects up close, where the foreground recieves more exposure than the background, as well as to capture objects, whether fast or slow, in motion with little blur (fast/slow shooting modes). The camera also allows you, with additional settings, to set the shutter speed, ISO settings (up to 800) and lighting setting with a touch of a button.

The S30 accepts both Type 1 and Type 2 compactflash cards, including the IBM microdrive, which comes in sizes up to 1 GB - more than enough space to store approximately 600 pictures, shot at the maximum quality and size on the S30. Because of the camera's size, it might be expected that the battery, card, and all other "removable" parts would be hard to access and would require large fingernails. However, Canon has made a small slot on the bottom with several spring mechanisms which allow easy access for the card (when ejected) as well as the battery.

The LCD is brilliant, and captures much of the color in the viewfinder. Upon moving the pictures to my computer, I found that they looked virtually identical in thumbnail form as they did at their maximum resolution. You can also set the LCD to turn off or on, in order to conserve battery power.

Right out of the box, the camera is very easy to use. The on/off switch is built right into the lens cover, so simply popping in the rechargable battery and flash card and sliding open the lens cover allows for virtually instantaneous use. The "AUTO" mode allows for simple point-and-shoot use, with the camera selecting the right settings, auto-focusing, and taking the picture with a fake shutter "click" sound. (Installing custom software allows you to customize this shutter sound to a soundbyte of your own creation or choosing). Once the pictures have been taken, the camera also can be connected directly to certain Canon printers to print images directly out of the camera.

The camera does have some weaknesses, however. Because of its size, the flash is rather weak, and is quite sensitive if your hand is accidentally cupped over part of it - the image exposure will increase in the top left hand corner. Also, the control pad is sometimes difficult to operate as some operations require that you push it in. I found myself several times pushing the left or right accidentally as I tried to depress the button evenly to produce the desired result. Also, the S30 is a battery hog. An extra battery is a requirement for this camera, as its batteries rarely last over 70 pictures - although I have heard otherwise.

All in all, the S30 is an excellent camera with many benefits that far outweigh its negative points. With the ability of both the novice and the professional to take advantage of its 3x optical zoom, manual or autofocus, and its 13 different shooting modes, the S30 is a camera for everybody...at an affordable price.

I just had my Olympus c3040 stolen, so now I need a new camera. I
borrowed a Canon S30 from one friend and an S40 from the other. I
have decided to go with Canon, and I am chosing the S30 over the S40
because it's faster in a couple of ways than the S40 due to smaller
image sizes. I am not ready to deal with 4 megapixel images yet.
Here's some more information on why I am not going back to Olympus.

1: The Olympus is slower in displaying pictures, focusing, getting
ready for the next shot, accessing menus, etc. The canon is just much
faster.

2: The LCD on the Canon shows you what you're going to see in the
final shot. E.g., if the shot is over-exposed, you can tell before
you take it, and you can see what will happen if you adjust the
exposure as you adjust the exposure. The Olympus LCD always looked
dark and off color to me and didn't seem to reflect reality, and
consequently I never used it except for macro mode. The Canon's LCD
seems very fast as you move the camera around for your next shot. I
will use the LCD for most shots on the Canon.

3: The LCD is still quite visible in outdoor lighting conditions.

4: The menus on the Canon are easily invoked and accessed, and sit on
top of the image you're composing instead of covering the image until
you've made your choice. Olympus menus are a pain to navigate, and
they are not very visible in the sun light, whereas Canon menus seem
to be right there where you need them.

5: Canon uses compact flash, olympus uses smart media. I had more
smart media cards go bad than you can believe, and smart media is more
espensive than compact flash.

6: The Canon's image histogram is a useful and helpful feature for
helping you take better shots. It's also very cool.

7: The Olympus is better in one crucial situation: low light pictures
are only possible if you are within flash range. I have pictures of
my daughter's indoor dance perforamnce that I took with my Olympus
last year, and now have similar pictures I took with the S30. The S30
ones need to be deleted - they are blurred because there wasn't enough
light. The Olympus took amazingly clear and crisp pictures in that
low light situation, even when fully zoomed. That's because its lens is
f/1.8 and the S30 is the more standard f/2.8. The Canon G2 has an
F/2.0 which is closer, but some of the other functions on that camera
are very slow, and that camera is too big and heavy.

In summary, once I used the Canon for a while I couldn't bear the
thought of going back to the Olympus and smartmedia. The one thing
that worried me was the low light photos, but I think I can live
without that. I still have a good SLR camera that I can whip out on
those rare occasions ...

For months, I researched digital cameras...printed off the specs of at least 30 different models. My search led me to the Canon Powershot S30 and after owning it for a mere three days, I LOVE IT!

One of the "complaints" I kept reading about digital cameras in general was the poor quality of indoor pictures (too dark or blurred). This camera takes BEAUTIFUL indoor pictures! We *tried* to make it blur and took some action shots. This camera took a perfectly crisp picture of my husband wildy waving his arms! And, the pics of our young children are perfect every time. The flash is really amazing.

The instruction manual is very well written, very detailed, not confusing at all. In three days, I have already taken pictures (on AUTO) in every resolution, taken three videos with the movie mode and all this was without reading the manual from cover to cover. The controls, menus and manual are so easily laid out that you can use the camera without a lot of studying. Of course, to have more control over my pics, I will need to read more about the manual settings.

Oh, the battery life...excellent! There is not an always-present indicator of battery power; however, when the battery is getting low, a red indicator comes on (so there is some warning). But, so far, I have used the camera quite a bit with each charge and have had plenty of power. The charging process is very fast, too. (less than an hour to get a full charge)

The cover for the USB connection seems rather flimsy...but, I download my pics using my Photosmart printer so I don't have to use a USB port. If I was continually opening and closing the cover, I would be concerned that it might not last. (?)

Compactflash cards...keep in mind, the type this camera uses are available everywhere...they are not "proprietary" like some brands (Sony, for instance). That was a big thing for me...I can buy my cards online from many different sites or go out to Sam's / Wal-Mart. BTW, the 16 MB card holds so much more than I thought it would!

This is my first digital camera, so I am not an experienced user nor do I have anything to compare this camera to. But, I have to say that I am extremely happy with the quality of the photos and highly recommend this camera! It is A LOT of camera for the price...the 16 MB card, rechargeable batteries and base...GREAT package!

BTW, I bought a Case Logic camera bag at WM on clearance that fits this camera perfectly.

We bought this camera about 2 weeks ago, and it was easy to set up and use. We were up and running in less than 15 minutes (using the more advanced features in under an hour...(Though make sure you read the directions before you start the set up process, the manual is pretty confusing and out of order somewhat.)

IMAGES
The photo quality is fantastic. This is the second digital camera we have owned, and the difference between the Kodak DC210 and this is amazing. We did a lot of research before selecting this camera and I am pleased with the choice.

And it has video! You can shoot short films 30seconds to 2 minutes. This is really a fun option, and you can string several short clips together using the software that accompanies this to make your own self-contained movie. Definitely a cool feature.

point and shoot plus
My husband and I have different shooting styles, he's more of a point and shooter, and I like to have some flexibility to to try somewhat more advanced techniques. This camera takes great photos on automatic, but is flexible so I can set the settings as I need to, which is great. It's a mix for the novice and the advanced beginner, (and I hear for the intermediate level photographer as well, but I can't speak to that.)

Caveats...
Batteries and memory. You will need to buy more memory (compact flash which is better than the memory stick options out there.) we found a 256 memory card for $90, so it's possible to upgrade for not that much money. Batteries drain really quickly when you use the camera on review. We also just ordered a second battery, and I hope that will help.

(...) All in all a great camera, and we highly recommend it! Good luck!

OK...I had a Digital Elph, which I loved, until it fell out of my pocket on a ski lift. :| The S30 outperforms it hands down in every category except size. A few of the things that weren't toally obvious to me from the advertising: You can do manual focus with this guy. Also has a Macro mode. You have complete apture priority, shutter priority, manual, or several program modes to choose from. 1/1500th shutter on the fast side, ability to pick emulated ISO from 50 up to 800(if I remember right). Raipd fire shutter mode is cool, I haven't seen this on a digital camera before. Basically it snaps off about 3 shots/sec until the camera's buffer is full, then it starts writing to the CF.

The 16MB CF card is a joke..c'mon Canon...you're giving me a camera that I can take 14-16 shots with? Get real. I agree with everybody else saying you need extra batteries. Only other thing I'm still getting used to is this selective focus area - Canon's had this on their film cameras for a few years, but I've been a Minolta guy for years.

Overall, due to the creative control this thing lets me have, I'm considering shelfing my film based gear for a while. The only thing this camera is missing for me right now is interchangable lenses(I'd love to go wider than it lets me).

Great camera. I'd highly recommend for the intermediate+ photographer. For a beginner it will work great, just the extra features might be a little overkill.

This is my second digital camera. The first was a Sony Mavica, which my husband bought me one Christmas. I learned from that camera what was important to me: high resolution, long battery life, an optical viewfinder, and a small size. This has all of those things and more. The Mavica writes to a floppy, and the mechanical process severely limits the speed at which you can take pictures and drains the battery rapidly. There is no way you can get thru a day of being a tourist with it. We had to buy an inverter for the car to compensate for the battery drain. The Sony also had no optical viewfinder. That mean you had to use the LCD, which was terrible in bright sun and also was another battery drainer. The floppy disk drive also meant that the camera was bulky.

This camera is the perfect size, easy to carry, but not so small your fingers feel fat all the time. The size of the battery pack is great and I bought a second to put in my pocket which means I have no worries for a full day of shooting. I used this recently at a ski race and the "motor drive" was terrific! It really tracked the athletes well in its focussing ability and produced INCREDIBLE pictures. I used the "fine" setting and the largest picture size and the motor drive was pretty much able to keep up with what I needed in spite of the large file sizes it was writing (around 800k apiece).

There are tons of different settings on this camera -- you might want to take a class in photography to get your use out of them! I took classes and was a serious photographer years ago and needed to draw on that knowledge to understand all the settings. You really need to read the manual -- I am normally not one to do that, but had to on this thing.

I also bought a 256Meg CF card and an adapter so I could just shove the thing into my laptop and deal with the files directly without the Canon software utilities. This makes it as easy as the floppy disk feature on the Sony.

One beef is that the motor drive setting must be re-set every time you close and re-open the lens cover or it will revert to a single shot mode. This was a pain on a snowy day as I was closing the cover frequently and each time had to select the motor drive feature again. Also, if the digital zoom is not turned off and you are using the optical viewfinder, you will not be aware that you have zoomed in closer than you can tell. I got a view skier-derriere shots by accident this way.