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58 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Value, So Far, April 21, 2001
First, a disclaimer: I've only been using the Canon S10 for about 10 hours after receiving the "value package". So, this review is based on first impressions, and not heavy usage.That being said, I have to commend Amazon.com yet again for an extraordinarily quick delivery, and I appreciated the "digital camera phone help" line, since I used it, and enjoyed the conversation. I highly recommend the phone line if you're shopping for a digital camera, since the Amazon.com online resources are fairly thin. The S10 value pack seems to be a great buy, in that the camera resolution, ease of use, quality of images, and peripherals are all very good to excellent. First of all, the extra 32Mb flashcard is de rigueur, since the capacity of the included 8Mb with the stand-alone camera has only enough onboard storage for a small roll of film. Second, the extra battery pack is welcome, since the battery life for this camera is quite short if you use the LCD display constantly. Third, the extra memory and battery pretty much make up the "value pack", since the carrying case is a nice but quite cheaply made nylon sheath that isn't large enough for the manual and camera together. That being said, image resolution is excellent, both on the viewfinder screen AND in the finished product. Just for the hell of it, out of the box, I took a few shots using the AUTO setting, in the dark, with low incandescent lighting, and expected to see nothing. The shots were vibrant, bright, and quite clear, much more so than my eyes. After that joyride, I've been snapping various things between the hours of 8:00 PM and 1:00 AM, and the results are fun--the damned camera gets a good picture even when it shouldn't, and I'm left with having to decide how to deal with the downloaded picture. Canon did a nice job with peripherals and software. Cables for USB connection, video connection, and serial connection are included in the box. The software includes Canon's own photo download and treatment software, as well as a version of Adobe PhotoWorks Home, which can be used together or separately for image storage, treatment, modification, or whatnot. Further, the Canon "Camera User Guide" and "Digital Software Starter Guide" (i.e. the manuals included with the camera) are concise, informative, and easy to read--quite unlike many electronic toy manuals which seem to have been translated by aliens. Incidentally, I've only read the above manuals after setting up (in about 3 minutes) and using the camera for about 3 hours. If you have half a brain, you can set up the camera and get impressive shots in about 5 minutes after tearing off the Amazon.com tape from the outer box--that's what I did. PROS: Easy to use, excellent quality shots at any resolution, onboard splicing features (for panoramas and conjugated shots including several combined photos), extremely clear viewfinder screen, understandable controls and input/output links. Camera can be set for different lighting and "image" situations, most of which are right on the mark. Images can be viewed and photographed in black and white. 2.1 megapixels provides photo results that are very good at 8x10 on a 19" monitor. CONS: Battery hog--I just ordered the battery charger/AC unit, since the battery I installed 8 hours ago is quite low after only 50 shots. Then again, I've kept the viewfinder on for some time, so my stupidity might not reflect yours. The other con: though the camera body is for the most part metal, the cover for "digital" communication (i.e. USB or serial port) is a flimsy piece of rubber, and I'm sure it's going to drop off after a few uses.
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