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Canon 9179A001AA reviews (126)
The highest quality camera for the non-proThis camera delivers exactly what I expected. I sold both my mini dv movie camera and other digital camera and replaced it with this. The highlights: + The movie mode is the crowning achievement of this camera. Theh movies are fantastic, and most importantly are recorded on a CF card, which loads right onto my PC. No transferring video from a camcorder. This is the #1 reason I changed cameras. + The shot quality is outstanding. Crystal clear and colors are great. + The zoom is outstanding. Combine it with the image stabilizer and it's just fantastic. + The controls. Easy to learn, use and understand. The negatives: - When you push the button half way down to shoot, it will not follow your subject with you. I have two kids who don't stay still. When i depressed the button to take the picture on my old camera, i could follow my subject as it moved, and when it could lock into focus, it would. What you have to end up doing is focus on a stationary object at the same distance/focal length as the moving object you want to shoot. Get it to lock in focus and then move over to your moving object and shoot it. It's really not that bad, but not ideal either. - only 3.2 mp. I sure wish it was 5. - electronic zoom. I had manual zoom with my last camera and that was outstanding. It was so precise and I could zoom at the speed I wanted. - no low light auto-focus assist lamp. What this means is that if you're shooting in low light, it takes about 1.5 seconds for it to focus. If you're shooting kids or something moving, that is not easy. Bottom line is that all the important qualities in a camera are here, and the movie mode is awesome. If you're looking for the perfect camera, trust me, it doesn't exist. Image quality is great - the price is right - and you can't lose with this shooter.
Impressing productI have long wanted a digital camera, this is my first. It allows for manual control of all settings (ISO, focus, shutter, aperature, exposure compensation, white balance, etc). Manual control over these settings makes for FUN photography (things maybe you never played with much on a 35mm because of film costs). The camera feels really wonderful in my hand; I could never get used to the pocket sized digital cameras, this has a pro-like grip, and the body is a very comfortable size (smaller than a pro SLR, but bigger than the average point and shoot digital camera). A few things that I don't like about the camera so far: While you can adjust focus manually, it's all done within the digital display via button pushing. I'd much prefer adjusting focus physically (ie by turning the lense fixture). Some digital cameras allow for this. Movie mode delivers spectacular quality videos! but I found adjusting focus while shooting movies can be impossible (it appears you must rely on auto focus in movie mode). Virtually every setting is configured automatically in movie mode, which makes movies something I will avoid with this camera (but I didn't expect to get a video camera anyway, so not a big con here). The USB connection to the PC from the camera uses a special connector on the camera. This connection is very small, and it is difficult to insert the USB wire into it. I'm afraid something might break if this connection is used often. A Compact Flash card reader might be the best solution here, but that puts extra wear on your memory card :\ No AC adapter included ... only a 32MB Compact Flash card included (which will only hold something like 20 images on the highest quality setting). Overall, I am very happy with this camera as my first digital camera. I think it's shortcomings are very acceptable for the price tag. My photos are stunning! I'm a pro photographer over night!
My thoughts of the S1
For starters let me just say that I am by no means a pro-photo man. I enjoy the everyday kind of photo taking that most of us do. This was my first digi cam and to tell you the truth it is a little overwhelming at first. But Canon has done a great job with making it fairly simple to figure it all out. When you first get the cam they pretty much have it all on auto, including the software that it comes with. So by the time you get around to reading the manual you have already taken pictures, downloaded them on your cpu, and printed them out. As I am sure I am not alone with the sickness of, play with it first and read it all later. I espeacially like that fact that you really can't mess this camera up to bad with all the functions that it has. (trust me I tried) It is so simple to fix it, all you have to do is turn it off and it resets. But for those of you who like to keep certain common settings there is a setting for you too. If you're reading this review to find out what all the camera can do, well to be honest I really don't know. What I do know is that if you're looking for a camera that takes great photos and movies with the option of getting lens adapters, look no further. This camera will be one that you will be able to learn on while taking pictures all the while. One thing is for sure, the quality of the pictures you get from this camera will test your printer's limits. I am currently chastizing mine as you read this and am gonna have to up grade! But before you go out and buy the S1 you should seriously think about get more memory and rechargable batteries for it. Hope this helps you make a decision, and have fun with taking photos. Cause lets face it, since it's digital it doesn't cost you a thing to retake the pictures! God bless our troops!!!!!!!!
Canon Powershot S1 IS
I have used the Canon Powershot IS 1 for over a month and have shot many 100's of images with it.
The good points:
*Produces beautiful images under most conditions.
*The image stabilization system works very well. You are able to take sharp pictures down to 1/6 sec in the wide angle position.
*I used it exclusively at Disney World for the Epcot International Flower Show and thought the night exposures were wonderful. No flash, just hand held photography.
*The movie mode works well under the difficult lighting conditions encountered at the night time parade at Magic Kingdom.
*The color saturation was beautiful. I used the Program mode mostly at ISO equivalent of 100 and the Vivid setting.
*The noise was minimal with the 100 ISO setting. The advantage is higher shutter speeds to stop the action.
*I was able to set the depth of field in Aperture mode for good garden bed shots.
*The 10/1 zoom is incredible!
The bad points:
*The Electronic viewfinder is terrible! The resolution, sharpness, color accuracy and saturation of the finder make you wonder what Canon was thinking of. An optical viewfinder is 100% better.
*The finder blanks out when going from dark to bright outside subjects, making fast picture taking impossible under many instances.
*The resolution is so bad that it is difficult to see if the focus is right on. It usually was.
*The Canon A-70 is a better camera for faster picture taking. However, the anti- shake and 10/1 zoom override all other considerations for me.
*The LCD viewer on the back of the camera is useless in the bright light and its color accuracy is terrible too. I have taken many beautiful sunsets and you cannot see the red sun in the viewfinder or on the monitor. HOWEVER the resultant images were spectacular when viewed on the computer screen.
*The battery consumption seemed to be higher than the A-70 but I did not do a very accurate test. I used two sets of NiMH batteries in a full day of shooting at Epcot. However I was shooting in movie mode some of the time and using a 1 GB flash cards to hold the many images. All the images were taken with the best quality jpg settings.
The bottom line is that the camera is very good for most picture taking opportunities, but is no good for fast moving objects such as flying birds.
Forget what you do not see in the viewfinder or the viewer and shoot away.
The big thing here is to have faith!
I give the camera 4 out of 5 points.
NEW! I just had to change the Time/Date battery. My instruction manual is WRONG!! The battery goes in with the (+)positive terminal up.
Fred Sgrosso
fsgrosso@hotmail.com
Superb Digital Camera
After researching other cameras in its class including the Panasonic DMC-FZ10 and Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z2, I finally decided on the Canon S1 IS. Having taken a few hundred pictures with it, I am completely satisfied with my purchase.
With this camera I have the flexibility to take pictures with point-and-shoot ease while also having plenty of manual capabilities available to take more artistic pictures. Although the camera has "only" 3.2 megapixels this is more than compensated for by the 10x optical zoom. With this zoom you simply don't need as many megapixels (although it would be nice) because you won't be cropping out as much of the picture. Instead of cropping out excess, you just zoom in while you are there and have a nice original to begin with. Furthemore, more megapixels don't necessarily mean a "better" picture. There are other factors like the lens, cmos, and other processing that will affect the image quality just as much as the megapixels if not more.
Image stabilization is an awesome feature and until now has been reserved for the more expensive cameras. This feature definitely helps with the long zooms and low-light conditions. With the long zoom you can do shots where the primary object is very clear while the background is all blurry. This isn't as easy to do on cameras with less zoom.
The physical layout and the menu interface are excellent. The placement of the buttons are very intuitive and the menu setup is among the best I've ever used on any electronic device. It allows me to use all the manual settings with ease and speed. I can't really think of any better way to set it up.
Although the viewfinders tend to make images look like they are overexposed I think that as the viewfinder ages and dims (as any LCD will do over time) the picture will improve and not look as overexposed. So, I think it is excellent foresight on Canon's part to make the pictures seem overexposed. Personally, I don't find it to be a major issue because I view all the pics on my computer before deleting them anyway. The swiveling LCD is a feature that is indispensible. Not only does it protect the LCD if you flip it around, but you can take pictures of yourself (or others next to you) or and you take pictures at weird angles (such as close to the ground or high above a crowd) without contorting yourself.
I don't find battery power to be an issue. Just get 2 or 3 sets of NiMH batteries and you should be fine for a long day of heavy shooting. Plus the fact that you can use AA instead of a proprietary module means you can use regular AA alkaline batteries in a pinch.
The movie mode is great not only because of the high quality movies, but also because you can zoom while taking the movie. Most cameras will not let you zoom and you have to leave it where it is. The only downside is that you will need a high-speed compact flash card (like the Sandisk Ultra II) to take the highest quality movies. Slower cards can't keep up with the high amout of data being written.
The focusing system is also great and not usually found on cameras at this level. You can move the autofocus box to any postion you want and set an autofocus lock so it doesn't change once you've set it. You can also use the manual focus if you can't get a good focus in low-light situations. There is a meter that pops up showing the approximate distance to the object that you want to focus to which is quite helpful. With the manual focus, I've been able to focus on any object without too much trouble.
There are only 2 things I would like to see improved. One would be some sort of battery meter but it would be wildly inaccurate without some sort of proprietary battery (which they don't make you use) so I'm ok with them leaving that out. I would also like the lens cap to 'click' on instead of just sliding on. I understand why they made that decision though: they want the cap to slide off automatically when you turn it on which is a convenience so I don't have to take it off every time I turn it on. These are just minor suggestions and really just personal preference things. Otherwise, this camera is perfect for the price and what you get.
I highly recommend this camera to anyone to both point-and-shoot people and people who want that along with some artistic flexibility. The feature set is unbeatable and the picture quality is amazing.
[...]
Bad ExperienceI am very upset at this camera!!! I have been a long time fan of Olympus digital cameras for many years. While looking to upgrade to a newer camera a few months ago, the S1 IS caught my eye. I waited for it's release and purchased it when it became available. Other than some frequent focusing issues and only being 3.2 megapixels, I liked the camera for what it could do. So I purchased the telephoto lens and adapter mount, and two large high-speed memory cards for the camera. I successfully tested the cards and camera taking many photos around the area in which I live. So, because of it's zoom capabilities, it was the camera I choose to go on vacation with me this past week. What a mistake that was! The first day of the vacation was with me and my wife participating in the Richard Petty Driving Experience at Atlanta Motor Speedway. A very expensive trip and we couldn't wait to capture those moments with still photos and the movie capability of the S1 IS camera. After a few, apparently successful shots, the camera reported a memory card error just as my wife was getting in the race car. So I grabbed another card, with the same result. So I opted to use the original card that came with the camera, and it failed to work as well!!! The camera would sometimes seem to take a photo, but would then report that it was corrupted, there was a card error, or that the card had no images when attempting to play it back. So, now all of those memories are just that. Our only option was to purchase three photos from the experience organizers for over $100, just so that we could have some photographic images of that day. And that was only the first day of our vacation. We spent the next four days traveling about, visiting historic parks and landmarks, amusement parks and a nice evening at Stone Mountain, GA... all with no camera!!! After contacting support, they were less than willing to defer the costs of shipping the camera. So, now I'm out an additional charge for shipping, and without a camera until they get it fixed. Just hope it doesn't break and bring a backup when you go on vacation or for anything important.
Amazing compact camera.
I see there are reviews here that seem to indicate the S1 is an unreliable camera. Well, mine has performed reliably during the (admittedly) short time I've owned it. 500+ pictures and counting! LIKES: Amazing image quality for having only 3.2MP; incredible 38-380 mm lens zoom range; outstanding VGA movie mode; fairly priced; uses fairly cheap Compact Flash media; swivel LCD is a great idea. DISLIKES: Weak flash; no dedicated macro mode; movie mode works best with more expensive 'high speed' CF cards. Overall, a great camera. The highs definitely outweigh the lows. I very much recommend this camera.
Great 10X Zoom CameraAfter considerable research I purchased the Canon S1 IS camera from Amazon about a month ago along with the Lexar 12X 256MB Compact Flash memory. It arrived even before Amazon said it would! This is my first digital camera and so far I am very pleased with it. I wanted a camera that would take good travel pictures and images of grandchildren who often don't like cameras near them. I expect to print the better pictures as either 4x6 or 5x7 and occasionally 8x10s. At first I was reluctant to consider 3.2MP cameras but my research showed that a figure of merit for a digital camera should actually be proportional to MP times the optical zoom factor squared. This gives a heavy weighting to optical zoom (it's related to picture area) and it also means that you can avoid considerable cropping and wasting of MP. That's why people are often surprised that this camera does so well against its higher MP competition. It's also adequate for printing my size pictures. Unfortunately, most hand held 10X cameras used at maximum zoom also need to have a shutter speed of 1/400th of a second to avoid picture bluring caused by camera shake so that you can use this 10X feature only in bright sunlight, unless you support the camera. The Canon S1's image stabilization system allows hand held pictures with much slower shutter speeds so it is useful more often. I always leave it on and I've taken sharp pictures of ducks, birds, and, oh yes, our grandchildren at a playground. Our daughter, who is a professional photographer, has even commented on the quality of these candid shots, something she did not do with my film camera with lower power zoom. Independently, I also purchased a lightweight RipVan100 battery charger that can operate at overseas voltages and I carry around an extra set of charged NIMH AA batteries, just in case, although I've yet to need them. Of course, in a pinch, I can always use universally available AA batteries, another feature of this camera. This camera, like all 10X zooms, uses an electronic viewfinder. I find that it is hard to see well in bright sunlight (especially if I'm wearing sunglasses), even at maximum brightness setting. Its resolution is also poor and the images often seem overexposed - but, and this is important, the images don't shake at 10X with the IS on! and the actual pictures are correctly exposed. The swiveling LCD screen grows on you and you can take pictures looking down at the camera at waist level. The grandchildren may not even realize you are actually taking their picture, adding to the candid effect. I haven't found the lack of an autofocusing lamp to be a problem in dim light and you can always set the manual focus to about 8 feet (no zoom used) and everything from 4 feet to infinitity will be sharp. (I got this tidbit from my research). After it was announced but before it was readily available the camera received so-so reviews but the recent user reviews from those who actually own and use one have been highly favorable and I agree with them. It's well made, not too heavy, and the basics can be learned quickly. Advanced users can find many features to investigate and I'm still learning how to use some of the exposure and focus lock modes for special cases. I think that using the Auto mode (or the Program P mode) with IS on will work for most people, most of the time. And, as an added bonus, you can even take movies (9 minutes/1GB at best quality) if you have a large memory. I'm glad I discovered this "fun" camera.
Good, but not in low light conditions - No AF Assist : (
My experiences with Canon cameras have been excellent, and so far they achieve the best picture quality and best colors. Solid feel, portability, good ergonomics, simple menus, good software and attractive styling are features that Canon cameras have and I like, and the S1 IS, for the most part, is no exception.
So why do I give it 3 stars?
Simply put: IT DOES NOT FOCUS EFFECTIVELY IN LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS. I feel this fact has been glossed over by many other reviewers. Just about all digital Canon cameras I know of have an Automatic Focus Assist Light or Illuminator. (A little beam of light projected by the camera so that it can achieve a rapid and sharp focus in difficult or low light conditions). The Canon Supershot S1 IS does NOT have an AF Illuminator. This omission makes it tough to shoot indoors, at least for me. Some say it takes longer, and yes sometimes it does, but often it just doesn't focus at all, especially when zoomed in on people. Perhaps I have been spoiled with my trusty Canon Powershot S100 camera (with an AF illuminator); it does an excellent job in low light and indoors.
AN AF ASSIST LIGHT SHOULD BE AN ALL DIGITAL CAMERAS! I was "iffy" about buying this camera for that reason, but the reviews gave me the impression that this was not an issue. However it is an issue that one should be aware of, hence my review.
Although you can focus manually (and very well too), and it has an automatic focusing bracketing feature, trying to get a spontaneous shot of someone indoors, at a party or at dusk becomes easier said than done. It will focus better on a still object or shooting with a wide angle in a dim setting.
There are so many pluses of this camera; I won?t elaborate since other reviewers have detailed them rather well. My favorite is the variable speed and nearly silent zoom, which can be zoomed slowly during the excellent movie mode. It is also very fast to zoom to the full 10x with virtually no blurred images (handheld, with out a tripod) thanks to the built in Image Stabilization. This blurry image at 10x issue was a problem I had with my previous camera (Olympus C-740).
I know that one digital camera can't do it all (at least not yet), but if the Supershot S1 IS could focus well in low light, then I would then say this one does it all. If you want an outdoor camera, or don't plan to take a lot "happy snappies" of friends and family indoors, then this camera is for you. For now it looks like I?ll just carry both of my Canons!
PS: Unless you are going to be making huge prints (larger than 8 x 10) the 3.2 Megapixel resolution is more than adequate for most users. I would like 4 Megapixel... but that is not a deal breaker for me.
UPDATE: 11/15/04
Well I did find the camera that so far appears to do it all, the Nikon Coolpix 8800. It is amazing, and I recommend it as an alternative, worth the extra money! Focuses quickly in low light, and does have AF light as well as Vibration Reduction, 10 x Zoom, great movie mode and an excellent lens.
UPDATE: 08/20/05
Looks like Canon listened, the new Canon PowerShot S2 IS does have an AF assist lamp!
Excellent camera but with some shortcomingsWhile I am delighted by the camera's picture quality, wealth of features, and logic, there are some caveats. But, although this is just a 3.3MP camera, I think the color quality and resolution will satsify all but the perfectionists. The caveats are all really related to the pace of the focusing, especially when the zoom is used. Going from no zoom to a 10X zoom is to wait for a good two to three seconds for the focus to catch up. At first, the zoomed-in on object will be just a blur -- both to the viewfinder and to the picture itself if you opt to shoot before the focus catches up. And, in addition, there is -- zoom or no zoom -- about a second's delay between getting the frame in focus and getting the shot. So, I've taken off a star for the camera's speed. My objection is not about one to three seconds but about the loss of several candid shots you might otherwise enjoy. The other disadvantage is that the camera DOES go through regular batteries rather quickly. However, with rechargeable batteries, the battery life is several times greater tha with disposable batteries and quite good. (I took about 140 shots on vacation and spent a lot of time fiddling around with the camera in between shots without needing to swap out my rechargeable batteries.) If your primary reason for wanting the camera is to shoot animals, sporting events, or small children, it's quite possible that you'll be less satisfied with this camera than I am. On the other hand, there is more to love than the quality and color of the pictures you do catch. The features, which are many, are easy to use once you've read the manual to find which buttons do what. (This is NOT, as a few have written, a difficult camera to learn to use. You can and will be up and running with it in a short time. However, thanks to the wealth of features, the advanced features will take some additional time to learn. This seems reasonable enough to me. Excel is more difficult to use than a calculator and quite difficult to master in all its aspects. That's not because Excel (or this camera) is awkwardly designed. On the contrary, both are very well-designed. Excel is more difficult to MASTER (not use but master) than a calculator because it does so much more. So, of course, MASTERING all the features of this camera will take more time than MASTERING all the features of a disposable camera. Seems fair and logical enough to me.) Some of the features I especially like: - It is a cinch to disable the flash by simply cycling through the flash options afforded by the dial (i.e., "diopter adjustment dial") that is located, logically enough, right next to the flash. If you decide to shoot a picture off your TV or to shoot a lit Tiffany lamp at night or to capture just the candles on a birthday cake (and so on and so on), you'll love the ability to turn off the flash. - The default settings for the camera seem very logical -- the highest setting for photo quality, the disabling of the digital zoom, the enabling of the red-eye protection, etc. So, if you can't wait to start shooting, you'll start off with high quality shots and with setting that you'd probably want most of the time. (Your digital zooming can and probably should be done via software after you've captured the highest quality image with the optical zoom. This will give you the option to decide later whether you really want to give up the quality of the image for a closer look. If you use the digital zoom when you shoot, you've given up the option to back off for higher quality. If you decide that you'd rather give up the quality for a closer shot than the 10X optical provided, you'll get the same result via the included editing software.) - Macro photography requires no special setting. However, to avoid overexposed macro shots indoors, you may elect to use the zoom rather than to get right on top of your subject. - The included software provides the option to see what apertures and shutter speeds were used for each shot and whether or not the digital zoom was used. (It doesn't directly tell you whether the optical zoom was used.) - For those not adverse to reading, the Canon documentation is extensive. Final tip: Discover early the diopter ajustment dial next to the immediate left of the viewfinder. This is a focus for the viewfinder. The focus on the viewfinder was not clear until I discovered this little dial. Once adjusted, it has tended to stay adjusted. If the MAIN attraction of this camera is the stabilized 10X optical zoom, you might be surprised to find that it becomes the least desireable feature thanks to its slow focus. However, as one who has owned a Nikon and a Fuji in the past, I soon found that the Canon jumped to the head of the list for its picture and color quality -- as well as for its excellent additional features. And, oh yes, the camera is loads of fun. You can spend hours exploring its features and in discovering the advantages of its various modes. In just two days, the camera has me taking shots I've never been able to take before. I haven't mastered the camera, but I've acquainted myself with a host of new (i.e., to me) features already. More important, most of my pictures are coming out great. I can still come up with some duds, but that's not the camera's fault! SUMMARY: The camera is too slow to focus to rely upon for action shots, but -- WOW! -- it's a joy for most purposes.
Excellent cameraOne of the best digital camera out there. I have been using it for the last 3 months and fully satisfied with it. Pros:
Excellent quality digital photos. Probably one of the best in the cameras in this price range.
10X Zoom
Image stabilization
Provides full manual operation including Av and Tv priority
Camcorder quality movie mode
Cons:
Camera doesn't focus all that well in a low light situation
Electronic view finder instead of the optical
little slow in focussing maybe because of the slowness of the flash card used
Value for moneyIf you are looking for a camera that is not as expensive as a digital SLR, yet provides you with all the features, you've come to the right place. For a digital SLR, a 75-300mm, USM, IS lens alone costs more than this camera. Pros
- 10X optical zoom
- Image stabilizer and Ultrasonic motor
- 3.2MP is good enough for large prints
- Almost all the controls that a SLR provides are available
- Swivel LCD screen is very accurate. Cons
- Viewfinder is not great, but the LCD makes up for it.
- Need to purchase an expensive addon for wide angle 28mm shots
- AutoFocus in low light conditions is not great. I can live with the cons as it saves a good deal of money over the digital SLR.
excellent camera
The Canon Powershot S1 IS is my fourth digital camera. I am very impressed with the image stabilizer, making it possible to hand hold the camera at 10x in the field and get remarkably clear shots of birds and other wildlife. The image quality is excellent, and the ease of operation makes it possible for a beginner to get started. The option of manual settings is a wonderful feature, and much used by experienced photographers.
The only addition I would like to see is a readily available camera bag for this camera.
Memory Card Errors Plague the S1 ISPowershot S1 IS camera--I was so excited to use it until...time and time again, I have received memory card errors. I bought another memory card, but same results. As another reviewer wrote, "Even worse, sometimes the camera seems to take a photo, but would then report that it was corrupted, there was a card error, or that the card had no images when attempting to play it back." The bad thing is that you never know what these problems will occur--sometimes great photos, other times, no photos at all. Argh! The real bummer is that Canon now wants ME to FOOT THE BILL for the repair on their shoddy product. Guess I won't be recommending Canon products to anyone soon... :-( I am awaiting a call from their customer service folks about this issue... Oh and by the way, I have used a Canon at work for several years and have no problems--that's why I went with Canon at home.
I love CanonI love Canon. I had a PowerShot s200, and it was my first camera. After owning it for 2 years, I had to return it to BestBuy to exchange for another camera because there's a dead pixel on the LCD screen, but somehow carried onto every photo I took. It was a great camera, I took many great pictures with it. After return the S200, I got a new PowerShot S1 iS. I wanted a G5 or a S60, but BestBuy didn't carry those. The exterior of the S1 is beautiful. The LCD monitor is clear and can be moved around. All the buttons are easily reachable, and it holds comfortably in hands. The 10X zoom is impressive, and the zoom motor is super fast. The pop up flash is cool, and the shape of the whole camera just look very extraordinary. Unlike other PowerSshot cameras, the S1 only has 1 auto focus point. I believe right now most PowerShots have 9 auto focus points. But S1 has exclusively an Image Stablizer feature, and it really helps a lot. The optional manuel focusing function is wonderful. The 12 shooting modes are really cool. The price of the camera was not too expensive either. It was $399 when I bought it. The picture came out clear and sharp. The night shots are pretty good too. This camera is very user-friendly, and is suitable for amatures who want to do some advance shootings. And the price of it is reasonalb and affortable. And the looks of it just make it stand out from other cameras.
A remarkable camera
This is one fantastic camera. Canon hit the nail on the head with this one. As a botanist/ecologist/photographer (internationally published with medium and large format images), I do a lot of plant photography. I tried the Powershot Pro1 (see my review there) and was left a bit disappointed when compared to the S1 IS I purchased earlier. Although the S1 IS has only 3.2 megapixels compared to the Powershot Pro1's 8 megapixels, the S1 IS can produce images that, for basic uses and prints up to about 8x10 inches, will beat the Pro1. The problem is that the Pro1 seems to have trouble focusing up close (except for its SuperMacro mode which is limited to only 4 megapixels) while the S1 IS rarely misses the exact point. The S1 IS is also much easier to use.
The color of the S1 IS is very true and has nice depth. The images are generally less noisy than the Pro1. The colors produced in the vivid function will knock your socks off, and yet it is never gaudy.
The real marvel of this camera is Canon's tried and true optical stablization. I have the teleconverter for this camera which gives you the equivalent of a 608mm telephoto (that's about like a 12 power binocular) and not only does the converter actually improve the contrast of the main lens, you can hand hold the thing and get sharp images at only 1/200 of a second. I wouldn't even think of trying that with my EOS 10D, even with image stablization. I have taken some wonderful bird photos with the S1 IS (better than the 10D); they're not publishable, but definitely produce excellent prints.
Like most low pixel count cameras, the digital zoom is pretty worthless. I recommend keeping it off and cropping an image taken at maximum zoom.
I also highly recommend getting the filter adapter/lens shade kit. It's plastic, so you have to be careful of the threads, but if you put a number 3 closeup lens on the filter adapter and zoom all the way to maximum zoom (not digital zoom) you can get close to life size images. It won't match the EOS 10D with the Tamron 90 mm macro in sharpness, but it comes close for smaller prints, up to about 8x10. But then the S1 IS with a filter adapter and closeup lens doesn't costs over two grand either.
I highly recommend this camera, just keep in mind that it does have its limitations. But it's limitations are far, far less than you would expect. It will truly surprise you with what this camera can produce.
The camera is not bad, but not as good as I expected
I need a new digital camera to replace my Nikon Coolpix 755 purchased 3 years ago. The Nikon is pretty good, but it's too slow. I like wide zoom and the budget is less than $500. So I don't have too many choices. At last, 2 cameras left in my list: Canon Powershot S1 IS and Fuji S-5000.
I am familiar with Fuji S-5000. It's a nice camera. However, I selected Canon, because: 1. It has IS; 2. It uses Compact Flash, same as Nikon; 3. A professional reviewer rated the Fuji S-5000 as average; but didn't rate the Canon. 4. Canon makes some great SLRs. If I could choose again, I would buy the Fuji.
The Canon Powershot S1 IS is not bad at all. But it's not as good as I expected. Even though I knew that the camera's auto focus is not good under low light conditions, I was still disappointed when I tried to take some picture in my house in a bright sunny afternoon. The auto focus is really poor under those conditions. Furthermore, the response time is longer than the Fuji S-5000.
Another bonus of S-5000 is that it has a ring in the box. We can attach a UV filter on the ring, so not to worry about the lens. For the Canon we need to pay $$ for a ring. The Canon's lens cap is very loose.
Almost perfect
The PowerShot S1 IS is my first ever digital camera, but I still have an old Canon AE1 that I bought 30 years ago and still works after having travelled from Svalbard (arctic) to the hot climate of Greece. Now I needed something lighter and choose to stick with Canon because of their optical quality. I picked the camera after having gone to a photofair and seen blown up prints taken with different cameras and subsequently chose the PowerShot S1. Pixels are too much in focus, too little is said about optical quality. My own experience is that even tough this camera has less pixels than some other cameras, the picture quality is better due to optical quality of lens.
I have not had time to learn all the settings of the camera but take it as it comes. It's a good idea to start using the Auto-mode. I have bought a Lexar 256 mb. card and it works fine - no problems.
One problem I have is with the White Balance of colours. In daylight when pictures have strong contrasts - the sky always comes out white - even when the other colours are fine. I don't know how to overcome this problem, but it annoys me. I had hoped that downloading a firmware update from Canons webpages would solve it, but it didn't.
Conclusion is that I'm happy with the camera, the quality seems good and the picture quality is the best I have seen from all those different cameras I saw in that fair, but white balance needs to be improved.
A year later:
I have learned to manipulate the whitebalance and that has improved the problem with white skies and daylight somewhat. But I have to edit my shots with Microsofts Digital Image and a few filters bought online from NIK multimedia.
I should also inform you that this camera has problems with autofocus on full zoom whenever there is poor lighting conditions, but you always have the possibility of manually correcting focus whenever this happens.
Great Professional Camera at a Mid-Range Cost
I Purchased the PowerShot S1 IS a few weeks ago as a step up from my trusty Olympus Brio D-230. The main features I purchased the Canon for were for the 10X optical zoom and the image stabilization, both of which work tremendously.
The battery life is fairly decent, I got around 200 pictures with one set of rechargeable NiMH batteries - albeit with the flash mostly turned off and using the viewfinder. The picture quality is very good, and the 3.2MP coupled with the optical zoom make for some spectacular short and long range photography.
This camera is relatively similar size and weight wise to the Minolta S414, another camera that I've had some experience with. The Canon's 10X zoom far outdoes the 4x zoom on the S414, and the picture quality is relatively similar (in some instances the S414 does deliver a better picture.) Movie quality is better on the Canon than on the S414.
I also purchased a Lexar 512MB CF card to use with the camera. The interface is great, most pictures are stored on the card before I can move my face away from the viewfinder. Right now I have 169 pictures of highest resolution settings on the card and have room for around 250 more (according to the camera). The 512MB card may be overkill - the average user can probably get away with a 256MB card.
As several other reviewers mentioned, the auto focus feature in the zoom doesn't seem to work well in dark environments (i.e. indoors, in dark areas, or in dense fog.) One trick I've found to work around it is to zoom out and then zoom back in on your subject. The other is to be patient and wait until the camera can figure things out, which can take up to 5 seconds in some instances. If you're taking pictures of moving items - forget it. But if you have the patience to wait, the results are really worth it. There are several setting which you can tinker with which probably would take care of this problem. The auto-focus problem is the reason I gave it 4 stars (once you get used to it, it's really a half-star problem - but still a problem.)
For someone looking to upgrade from a non-zoom or mid-zoom camera or looking to explore amateur photography, I would recommend this camera hands down.
Not the best
Even though this is a Canon camera, it has some flows.
- After zomming to long distances, the quality gets lower and its like taking a photo with the digital zoom on even though it is not
- Under the low light conditions, the colors are blurry and sometimes worse than my other 2MP camera
- it takes forever to take the picture so if you are taking the moving object then you are loosing it while the camera is trying to capture it
- so the stabilization is not that helpful since it cannot capture it.
Perfect for me
Upgrading to this model from the Canon A70 was a great move. We know the abilities and design of the Canons, and yet have a passle of new features to try out, especially the 10x optical zoom, which sold us on the camera.
The size is heftier, both larger and heavier than the smaller Canons, but worth the weight in capability. The pictures at both no-zoom and fully-zoomed are excellent, especially outdoors.
Unsurprisingly, indoor pictures do require the flash. If the auto mode tells you to use a flash, agree with it! Trying to make the picture without is rarely a success, unlike with the A70, which would frequently over-flash. The IS takes excellent quality pictures indoors.
For cases, try the LowePro line, sold at Amazon at a discount. The D-res 25 and 30 come up on their matrix as fitting this camera, and I bought the 30. It fits well, with room to spare.
Likes:
Optical zoom
LCD display (flip out, flip over, invert!)
Quality
Dislikes:
Sorting out "menus" and "functions" It will just take time.
CANON S1IS
There is a lot of camera in the Canon S1IS, much more than I expected. I noticed that the lens cover comes off too easy but I think it's because when the unit is turned on, the lens moves out. Any resistance via a cover might hurt the motor. Make sure you get a case and if you want to take movies, get a 1 gig memory card. I'm not a big camera person but the instruction book is very well planned out. Just wish the graphics were a little bigger.
Excellent digital camera
I could not be more pleased with this digicam. I was looking for a middle-of-the-road camera: solid professional features: more than a point-and-shoot but less than an 8 or 9 megapix device. This Canon is perfect. Sturdy. Feature packed. A solid feel and size without being too heavy. All the reviews are right: you'll spend another $100 min on accesories, batteries, etc. But I would do it over again if I had to. On AUTO mode, anyone can snap a pic in a instant - yet the camera is full of other modes and features that would suit all but the professional photographer. And at 3+ megapixels, the pictures are simply supurb. I like the fold out screen and the SLR type viewfinder combo. The 10x zoom is wonderful and very fast. If you are looking for a solid, feature rich digicam: heftier than a point and shoot but not as expensive as a digital SLR, this is the cam for you. I love it!
Great camera!
I recently upgraded from an Olympus C2100, and I was hesistant to leave the Olympus brand. However, I am really starting to love this camera. I attended a Michigan Football game recently and the pictures I took were very crisp, especially the ones taken from across the field. This was proof positive that my decision to go with the lower megapixel in favor of image stabilization was a good one. This camera does have it's limitations, but like a previous reviewer, I would highly reccomend it!!!
The One For Me
I have done quite a bit of research on digital cameras, and have read many reviews. The fact is, that there is no perfect digital camera, and people are going to find little things they don't like about all of them. I purchased the S1 IS about a week or so ago, and this is one great camera. Some people say the lense cap falls off... well... it's suppose to... keep it attached to the camera so it don't get lost and put it back on when you put it in the case. Some people say the battery life is bad... well... get some rechargable 2300 ma batteries and a charger... and keep a couple sets charged... one set will last for hours... and... if you are in a jam you can get AA batteries anywhere. Some people say the display is hard to see in bright sunlight or in low light... well... I have not seen one that is not. Some people say that the pictures are not sharp... well... try setting it in auto until you learn how to use the many great settings... I printed 8 1/2 x 11's that where as sharp as a tack. There was a problem with memory erros, but if you download the firmware update, and follow the instructions, it will resolve the problem. I personally did not have that problem, but I updated my firmware anyway. The fact is... This is one heck of a great camera. The zoom is outstanding, you can print up to 8 1/2 x 11's with good quality, the stabelization is great, and if you want to learn the manual settings, they are great too. I would still reccomend a tripod for shots with shutter speeds greater than 1 second. The software is everything you need to organize, enhance, and print your pics. If you are looking for the perfect digital camera... you will never find it. If you are looking for the best digital camera in the $400 to $500 dollar price range, I would recommend the S1 IS above all others in the same price range.
Excellent Camera
Don't listen to all these people that are so picky on some imperfections no cam is perfect but this cam is very good the movie mode alone is the highest quality you can get on a digital camera right now i can't find any flaws in this cam.
awesome camera
Very nice camera. It has good weight and balance in your hand and is user friendly. Whether your a novice or an experienced shutterbug, you should appreciate the range of functions available to get that great shot. Short of an SLR, this is the best camera I've tested.
Great Little Camera
I've had this camera for a couple of weeks and have found it to be great. Sure the lens cap falls off, but you can't take pictures with it on! I would recommend this camera to the beginner or somone who's been taking pictures for a long time. I bought the 256 mb card to go in it and found that I can take pictures for quite a while without having to worry about running out of space. Do yourself a favor and try this camera out, I think you'll be pleased with it.
Best camera I have owned so far
I wanted to combine camcorder (vital with young children) and digital camera, to always be able to get the best of these precious moments with kids w/o carrying the whole camera bag (reserved usually for travel).
After considering may other contenders, I purchased the Nikon S7000, which I promptly returned, because of the lack of stabilization (both pix and video quality at long range were simply not acceptable, regardless of the 6 Mp resolution).
I purchased the S1 3 days later, and I have not looked back ever since. Color accuracy is excellent, some low-light limitations (widely reported, not too much of an issue for my fairly casual use), awesome zoom length and stabilization performance, key for candid pix, very good battery performance, etc.
Only one thing could be better: the next, better version of the same camera, in the same body. Ideally, increase pix res to 5/6 Mp, and DV quality to 1024x768 (640x480 is simply NOT DV quality, period).
Wonderful camera...especially for nature
I have been an amateur photographer for many years. My favorite type of photography is "nature", especially birds. I used to mainly use a Nikon N90S with various lenses and such. But that gets heavy and hot in the Everglades.
I have been using the S1 now a month or two. I absolutely love it. The zoom power is wonderful for that long bird shot. You lose some resolution using the digital zoom though, but that's expected. It's a light camera but you can still handhold long shots thanks to the image stabilization. I use a monopod most of the time now.
It's almost like an SLR, with the digital viewfinder! Using the back screen that most cameras have is difficult in bright sunlight. The digital viewfinder in the S1 is still a minor difficulty in bright sunlight, but very usable. All the functions are pushbutton, and settings visible in both screen and viewfinder.
Functions at this price level are amazing. I am very very happy with available options. It has a "one button preset" where you can set one button to do a chosen function. I use that button for setting ISO speed.
I use a UV filter all the time with the special adapter. Beautiful outdoor shots.
Macro capability is very good.
The S1 is not cheap...but it tries very hard to be a digital SLR. And that is megabucks there...so the S1, in a way, is a bargain.
It also has a true neck strap, not a hand strap, like most digital cameras.
Picture quality is good. I have my own website and pics are fine. 3.2megapixels is ok. I think more sensor resolution must be coupled with better optics, otherwise no point in a 6mp camera with plastic lenses. So the S1 is fine in this respect. Good optics, adequate sensor.
Battery life is good. Some complain about battery life. I find it good with 2200mah Nimh rechargables. But those who complain don't realize the first few times you use a rechargable battery the battery only has limited capacity....so it ain't the camera, it's the battery. If you get new batteries, charge them up and stick them in a flash light and discharge them like this a few times. Then you will get good battery life in camera.
I gave the S1 5 stars. It deserves them.
If you don't need all the features or long zoom, try the outstand "A" series by Canon. The A75 is a great value. I use an old A40, and A75, and the S1 for my digital stuff.
The Canon PowerShot S1 IS is a great all around camera
I bought this camera in June and have used it all summer. I am very pleased with the results. The image stabilizer is amazing. The pictures are clear whether taking pictures of moving grand kids or from a moving boat or car. I have taken many pictures from horseback while trotting down a trail. These pictures are great. The image stablizer is also helpful when using the 10x zoom. Once you get used to the lag in time that most digital cameras have, you can get the pictures that you want. For example, if you want a picture of your child diving, snap the picture just before the jump. The video quality is excellent. If you plan to use it for many videos, then you should buy a 1 gig compact flash card, otherwise a 512 mb would be adequate for most. I bought a DVD burner and with the help of Roxio Easy Media Creator 7 have had a blast making videos that incorporate the photos and video clips. I also run the slideshow through my VCR and save on a VHS. I first add text to my photos with my photo software, then save the pictures back to my compact flash card to give titles, etc. to my slideshow.
You will want to use rechargeable batteries. Two sets of the high end batteries (2200) will last through an entire vacation.
I have not used all of the features yet, but I love the camera. It was easy for me to learn and I would recommend it for anyone who wants a camera that can do it all.
Beautiful Pictures....I love this camera!
I am a 22 year old college student who doesn't have time to learn about all the bells and whistles of digital photography. However, Canon has made picture taking easy without wanting to rip my hair out. This camera is so easy to use, I had it down in about 30 minutes. I recommend this camera to anyone who wants a powerful zoom, image stabilization, and most importantly- a beautiful shot. I have had this camera for about 2 months and it has been a pleasure owning it. My only gripe, (along with everyone else's) is the lack of focusing in low light situations. However, this camera does wonderfully outside or in a brightly lit room, shot after shot. I have received compliment after compliment on my photos, and I have never had a photography class in my life! The pictures are always vibrant and crisp (even though it is 3.2 megapixels.) So, if you are looking for an affordable camera with great features- this is the camera for you!
A delightful 10x stabilized zoom camera
If you're like most people reading about the Canon Powershot S1, you've owned at least one or two digital cameras in the past, and chances are they've been the point and shoot kind. Now you'd like something with a few more manual controls.
I'm not going to repeat what's in many other reviews here (an amazing 10x stabilized zoom ... you'll find it difficult to move back to a camera without this, generally excellent photo quality, and really compact - HOW do they fit this all in such a tiny package??) but instead I'd like to point out a few aspects of the camera that haven't been discussed that much in other reviews here.
1. Get yourself a basic book on digital photography, so you will actually use some of the manual features of this camera. A $15 investment will give you better photo results within 30 minutes. Guaranteed. I got myself "Digital Photography Pocket Guide" from Amazon and I can already see the results in my photos.
2. You'll love taking photos by using the viewfinder and not the LCD screen (which, at 1.5", seems dismally small for a camera such as this) - the viewfinder is full of (though not cluttered with) details of your shot. Aperture, resolution, etc.
3. The zoom control is tricky and takes time to get used to. A slight flick of the control and you have quickly moved beyond 5x magnification. You'll get the hang of it quickly, but be forewarned that you will be frustrated using the zoom initially.
4. while other reviews have commented on using the Sandisk Ultra II card for taking VGA movies, I'm a little perplexed. While the movies are recorded on the card just fine, transferring them to my 2.4 gigahertz P4 machine leads to loss of data in the transfer and I am unable to view them properly. I am convinced there is an issue with the file transfer speed related to the camera's mechanism, NOT the memory card - for I have tried multiple ones. If you are buying this camera purely for this reason, do check this out carefully so that you too don't deal with the same problems (besides, the 512 MB card allows barely two minutes of 640x480 video.)
5. The battery meter, which comes on only when the batteries are about to run out, could be better and indicate the approximate number of shots left. Come on Canon, you can do better...
All in all, these are small deficiencies, certainly not glaring. I'm pleased with my stabilized zoom camera choice (the Panasonic FZ series were too bulky, the Minolta Dimage Z series too plastic feeling) and you can see some of the results on www.geocities.com/atulpahwa/photos.html
One last point. Avoid the Canon PSC 70 carrying case made for this camera. Do read my review on that one should you purchase this camera.
Great camera!
I think the Canon Powershot S1 IS is a great camera for those wanting to step up out of a regular point and shoot type of camera. Wanting something more, I researched various types of digital cameras for a year, and finally placed my order for the S1 IS this past May.
Currently, I've taken about 1800 pictures in all types of situations. The feature that sold me on the camera was the image stabilization and optical zoom. Yes, the 3.2 megapixels was a concern since I was hoping for 4 or more, but the pics my camera takes have been excellent. No second guessing in my camera choice!
Most shots of mine are outdoors of the kids, sporting events, and recreational activities which produce fabulous pictures. The indoor shots for school concerts, birthday parties, etc., are very good. Sometimes some tinkering is needed to get a good shot indoors or in low-light situations. Auto mode indoors usually produces good shots, however the early evening outdoor shots appear darker than they really are. I am seriously considering getting a tripod so I can manually change aperature and shutter speed settings to get realistic lighting in evening shots without blurred images from hand shake. The camera can produce decent low-light shots, but be prepared to spend time experimenting in getting a shot you like. Manual focus comes in very handy for these shots.
I've read much about the lens cap from other reviews. Actually I like the fact that it slides off easily. The manual says to loop it through the neck strap so it doesn't get lost, and for people who may turn on the camera and forget to take off the cap, the easy slide off may actually prevent damage to lens when it extends after turning it on. I really haven't found this to be a problem, more of an asset.
Fast moving sporting events can be a little tricky. Many times I have full zoom on when shooting at soccer games. With the kids running around a lot, I tended to move the camera as they were moving, but of course, the image freezes in the viewfinder or LCD for two seconds. The camera can be set to eliminate the freezed image after taking the shot, but there is still a lag time until you can take the next shot, thus your subject is out of the viewfinder. With this in mind, I decided to set the camera for continuous shooting, keep the camera still and aim for a spot where the kids are headed (but not in the viewfinder or LCD yet), and start shooting. I get a lot of good shots this way. Yes, the first several pics are nothing but green grass, but as the kids run across the field continuous shooting works to your advantage. At events like this, I take about 100 pictures and therefore can pick and choose several that are great shots. Keeping the camera still while continuous shooting also eliminates blurring. Although image stabilization does work extremely well, trying to constantly follow players in a game at full zoom causes a lot of extra hand shake and camera movement which can result in slight blurriness. The continuous shooting mode and keeping the camera still while shooting helps to counteract this allowing the image stabilization to really do its job.
Comments have also been made on the tiny LCD compared to other models that have 2-inch plus screens. Remember, larger LCD's use more battery juice. I tend to use the viewfinder most of the time anyway so this hasn't been an issue for me.
As for the video mode, this camera takes EXCELLENT video clips. I bought a 512 card when I bought the camera and love taking short clips here and there. I usually set the video mode to 15 fps, although 30 is recommended for excellent quality. 15 is more than adequate for me just as long as I keep the camera still when recording. Camera movement makes the 15 fps very evident resulting in a choppy look to the video. Keeping it still makes for a smooth movie with a decent amount of recording time. Also, the zoom is a GREAT feature in video mode. The video aspect of this camera, in my opinion, is a such a plus to parents of school-age children. No extra camcorder needed for school events and there's no problem sitting in the back seats of the auditorium or school cafeteria. The 10X zoom will get you close to your child. (The digital zoom, however, does not work in video mode).
As for batteries, get two sets of rechargeables, and keep a spare set of alkaline ones in your camera bag. Be prepared because when the low-battery indicator goes on, the camera will turn off VERY quickly after that warning. I purchased a $6 camera bag at Target which fits the S1 IS nicely as well. No need to buy the name-brand Canon one which is probably pricier. I also bough a card reader to plug into my USB port so I don't have to worry about plugging the cables into my camera and computer. This saves on battery life as well. As for the tiny, useless 32 MB card that comes with the Canon, I have found that I can save about 20 - 30 pictures on it to take in for "developing" at a local Rite Aid or CVS. This is great for mail order pics as well since I really don't care if this useless-sized card gets lost.
Overall, I give this camera 5 stars. It has produced some fabulous pictures for me. I really wanted a camera with 10X optical zoom because I don't have the time to be cropping a lot of pictures. I want to get the picture the way I like it when pressing the shutter button. It does have some shortcomings which would probably bother experienced professionals, but for me its a great camera that does the job I exected it to. Even recommended it to my brother who bought it as well. The manual is great too, and is very easy to read and understand. All the controls are easy access with the camera having the right size and feel. Auto mode works great in most situations and the camera is great for those like to rely on the camera doing the work most of the time. The creativity is there, however, for people like me who want to do something more with their picture taking. Other features I love are the sepia and black and white options. There are many features one can experiment with when using this camera to stretch their experience in photography.
Powerful camera for the price
Let me tell you, straight out, this family is a digital family. We've had digital cameras for years now and we've had quite an assortment. Everyone, in our family, has one.
My personal favorite, is the digital rebel. I know you're asking, why is she reviewing this camera then? Easy! I wanted a camera that I could easily whip out and capture a shot with... but I didn't want the tiny handheld ones. I wanted something that felt comfortable, in my hand.... yet.. wasn't heavy. I was also looking for zoom.
This camera fits that bill, perfectly! and at a great price too!
To start, this camera runs on 4 AA batteries. Usually, that's a turn off for me, but I picked up some 2300 mhz batteries and I can easily get 500+ shots out of a charge of those, w/ the LCD and the flash on. With the batteries, this baby weights, about a pound. While that may seem heavy, compared to the little tiny cameras and cell phones that are avialable these days.. Let me tell you. That's not heavy. It's got a great neck strap and the camera carrys comfortably on that, around your neck, w/out weighing you down.
The 10x zoom is real nice! Now, I'm only using optical zoom, otherwise, with the digital kicked in, it would be a 30x. I just rely on the optical. This camera takes some VERY nice pictures with that zoom. A picture worthy of the Canon name! And you can capture such a nice picture because of the IS (image stabilization) that is built into this camera. You will notice little (or no) camera shake when you have it fully zoomed in on something. Admittedly, it seemed like it, with the first couple test shots I took. I was looking through the viewfinder, aiming at something down the street.. and it seemed like I was waivering all over the place. But when I downloaded the pictures. I was VERY pleased. Crystal clear!
I have the found, that some cameras have terrible color saturation, w/ the picture right out of the camera. This isn't one of them. With the default settings, the blues (sky, water) are rich, tonal, and dimentional. There's no red problems, when shooting reds, that I've noticed. Sometimes reds will bleed out .. or not appear true.. and that's simply not the case.
Indoor pictures.. I'll be honest.. W/ the built in flash, this little camera, kicks my $1K camera's behind! The flash doesn't tend to wash out the subject (on the default settings).. skin tones are exactly what they are. Little or no adjustments are needed, in my book.
This camera is fast to start up, and write, to the CF card that it uses (buy a bigger CF card!). It's got auto controls for those that don't want to think. For those that want to learn a bit more about photography, it's got the F stops, and all that jazz..
ALONG WITH...
the ability to change your focal point. You're not stuck in the middle of the frame. If you want your subject off to the left of the frame..and the rest to be 'soft'... That's not a problem. With a simple push of the button, your point of focus changes.
I can go on.. but I'm sure you have the idea, after reading all these reviews.
This is a great camera for the money. While you maybe taking a step down, in megapixels, you're gaining the zoom ability. The decrease in the megapixels, I feel, are not that noticible.
In fact, this camera has all the features that I was looking for, in my higher end cameras. .. but for a fraction of the price.
i wouldn't think twice about recommending this camera to anyone. It's a great camera.
WORTH EVERY PENNY------- Portland, Oregon
The camera lives up to its promise.
Most Valuable Features:
1. Amazing and extraordinary movie mode. I would advise to purchase a Sandisk 1 GB compact flash memory card.
2.Great 10x optical zoom. Takes time to get used to since it's a bit hasty in its operation.
3.DIGIC autofocus technology ensures you to have great pics, especially if you're an amateur.
4.Good quality flash- does not wash out images.
Overall, I'm more than sure that you'll be satisfied with your purchase. I don't see any other camera on Amazon.com that carries this excelent combination of features.
Good Luck, Best Wishes, S.M.
What an awesome camera !
This camera takes unbelievably good pictures. True, 3.2 Megapixels
may seem a little light, but the zoom and image stabilization
more than makes up for this. Normal alkalines won't last very
long, but Canon is upfront about this and recommends using Nimh's.
Canon also tells you straight up what kind of performance to expect
with flashcards. Might as well get a big high speed card up front.
All controls are logically laid out and very easy to use. The enclosed user manual explains pretty thoroughly how to use basic as well as advanced features.
You will be so happy with this camera!
I bought this for my wife who is a big time scrapbooker. This is the BEST camera as well as the best item I have ever given her for scrapbooking. The pictures are just as good as higher megapixel cameras. The swivel screen is more useful than you could ever think. If you use the option of partially pressing down the button prior to taking the shot you get lightning fast capture. If you want a great digital camera you cannot go wrong here. We have been using this for several months and for many different occasions with no prblems at all. We took it to Schiltterbahn (a waterpark) and it took amazing pictures. You could see the water droplets falling off of the kids. The zoom was so helpful. If the kids were on the other side of the lagoon we could easily zoom in to get GREAT pictures. My wife took shots of us going down waterslides and none of them were blurry. I mean these looked like professional pictures. We take it everwhere and use it at all times of day. Buy the camera! I am thinking of buying another.
Please take my advice...avoid this camera...
Hello:
I made a BIG mistake when I purchased this camera. Wait until you see the dreaded 'E18' error, that appears to affect ALL Canon digitals at some point. If you do a google search on 'Canon E18' you'll see tons of Canon ex-customers complaining about this. I'd just spent a LOT of time researching D-SLR's and decided on a PandS S1. The DAY I rec'd it, I tried to use the Canon lens adapter and BOTH the Professional Macro lens and the 2x zoom. On BOTH of them, whenever I tried to zoom out (less mm), I got this weird 'E18' error and the camera just completely locked up.
I spent four days on the phone with uncaring Canon tech support. Trust me. It was a nightmare. And if you do the search above, you'll see that there are a lot of people that have had the same experience. I have everything packed up (it spent about five total hours seeing the outside of the box), and plan on sending this defective piece of crap back to beachcamera.com, where I purchased it. Perhaps I should have purchased it from Amazon, but I'd had issues w/them about 8 months ago, and haven't purchased anything from them since. Hopefully, beachcamera.com will respond as their ratings state they will...refund me, help me decide on another camera (I've already decided on the Panasonic Lumix SZ10S), and I won't have to drag those people through the mud, and just contact my cc company to get my full refund.
But I'd be VERY worried if I owned a Canon. They're not built (obviously) to last. I'd never have known about this 'E18' error (which is essentially a stuck zoom), if it hadn't happened to me straight out of the box. It would've been nice if I'd have been able to find it discussed in any of the known (to me) forums and reviews I checked before buying it...but seeing as how Canon WASTED at least 12 hours of my life, trying to deny that this was a problem, then finally one tech guy admitted that it was...I plan on trying to inform as many consumers as possible of the inherent problems with the Canon Powershot S1 specifically, and the pathetic support of Canon in general.
This is a *really* bad camera. As someone who's been a photog for over 20 years, I've never had an experience like this one before. I still have my Nikon 850 with a bunch of lenses, but I need a digital these days.
So if anyone *does* buy the S1 after being warned here...and don't just believe me: go a google search as stated above and see for yourself...all I can say is I *tried* to warn ya...
Canon S1 IS Experience
I have had this camera for about 3 months. One complaint I read in other reviews is that it uses up batteries quickly. Well, my experience has been that I think it does very well on Rayovac rechargeable NiMH batteries. These recharge in 15 minutes and last a long time.
The features on this camera are great for beginners and the more advanced. For beginners you can use all the automatic settings and it does a great job. For the advanced you have shutter or aperture priority settings as well as manual settings so you can do some creative things. You can change the ISO from 50 to 400 based on lighting. I also like the movie mode. I bought a half gig compact flash card, which are not that expensive, and can store 4+ minutes at the highest resolution to about 20 minutes at the lowest. The pictures are clear and crisp and the colors are brilliant. I read some complaints about the flash. I have not experienced any problems, but it is possible to adjust flash output if pictures seen to be over-exposed, as some complained.
At maximun zoom, unless you're using a high shutter speed, the image stabilization is not enough to compensate for movement. You may need a tripod. I took some action pictures at a baseball game and used the 400 ISO setting and shot a lot of pictures at 1/2000 sec with max zoom. The pictures were outstanding!
I highly recommend this camera
Excelente Camara Digital
Es una camara digital muy completa, con una gran cantidad de funciones increibles, el zoom de 10x es impresionante y por eso la hace diferente que muchas de las camaras tradicionales de zoom 3x. Lo unico que no me gusto fue que cuando grabas video y haces zoom la camara emite un sonido que es grabada durante el video.
Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 MP Digital Camera with 10x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom Review
It is a good camera.
A handy camera for a sports or wildlife enthusiast
Pros:
* 10x optical zoom
* Plenty of accessories (lenses, underwater housing, etc.) available
* Uses CF cards and AA batteries
Cons
* Slightly bulky
* Grainy pictures for low light conditions
* Only 3 MP
Canon could have incuded a case and a remote, instead of keeping them as separate accessories.
Great Camera
I bought this camera a few months ago and i am very happy with it. This camera has alot of features, and considering how many it has, its very compact. Some of the features include:
10x optical zoom: This is a very nice zoom range, and it gives you alot of framing flexiblility.
Image stablilizer: This is a very good stabilizer, especially for the movie mode. Also, when you're zoomed in at 10x, it helps you keep the camera steady
Manual Focus: I guess this counts as a feature, but that being said, its not a very good one. When you zoom in, it wont let you focus under two feet, which isnt very useful. Also, the auto focus on this camera isnt so great, since it only has one point and doesnt have an AF assist lamp, so focusing right can be really annoying sometimes
Movie Mode: This camera has a GREAT movie mode. The 30 frames per second really makes the movies look nice, plus the sound quality is better than most digital cameras. The thing i really like, though, is that you can use the 10x lens to zoom while you're taking movies, just like a camcorder. Now, the zoom isnt silent while your taking a movie, even if you use it at its "reduced speed" for the movie mode. If you use the zoom's REALLY slow speed, though, it doesnt interfere with sound, so thats not really a problem
Panoramas: This camera helps you take a series of pictures to form a panorama. It saves them as individual pictures, but the software the camera comes with to stich them is very easy to use and stiches the pictures nicely
Time lapse: This camera can take time lapse shots; you can take up to 100 pictures, and its a nice mode if you want to make an interesting movie
Theres probably alot of other modes i didnt get to, but when you get this camera, youll be trying to figure out all it can do for a long time. If you dont want that though, this camera has a fully auto mode, which makes it just like a point and shoot. On the other hand, if you want a camera that does EVERYTHING, this is probably it; you wont be disappointed either way
Great camera, with a couple of annoyances
I bought this camera to replace a nearly five-year-old Olympus D-460Z and I am quite impressed with it overall.
My main criteria were high zoom and low shot-to-shot delay, and the PowerShot S1 IS satisfies both criteria extremely well...and more. It has controls for every aspect of picture-taking that I could ever want to adjust. The commonly used functions are usually only a button press or two away rather than buried in the menu system.
The movie mode is quite useful rather than just a gimmick. I can definitely see myself leaving my camcorder at home in situations where movie-taking opportunities will be few and far between.
My D-460Z supports alignment guides for panoramas (when using Olympus-branded flash cards), but I'm blown away by the PowerShot S1 IS's "Stitch Assist" implementation. For every shot after the first, you are presented with a dimmed version of the overlapping one-third of the previous shot with which to align your next shot.
I really like that this camera uses standard AA cells. It will save me a fortune on extra battery sets vs. the Li-ion batteries used in several other digicams.
I wish Canon had opted for a USB 2.0 or Firewire interface because the files -- movies, especially -- take forever to download over USB 1.1. This fact did not detract from my rating because I find the workaround to be perfectly acceptable: a USB 2.0 or Firewire CompactFlash reader.
I do have a couple of nit-picky focus-related complaints. First of all, I find the autofocus to be very problematic in incandescent room light, which leads to many out-of-focus shots because even the manual focus is difficult to use in that light. Also, it's very awkward to use the manual focus with the electronic viewfinder due to the placement of the omni control; I wish they had put the manual focus up/down controls more toward the front of the camera.
Purrfect
It took me about 6 months to decide which camera to buy. Looked at various Kodaks, Canons, Olympus..and I finally chose this beautiful Canon S1.
Firstly, the main criteria was picture quality. Canon has no problem satifying this criteria. The images were just great even in tough conditions: Camera in good light while the object to be shot is in darkness...I was amazed to see the clear, perfect result.
Next, the zoom. 10x! what more can one ask for..I didnt but I got more..an Image Stabilizer. And this is just a fantastic feature..able to get pro looking shots in night mode with complete zoom in.
I could just go on with the video mode...
I havent even discoverd all the features yet.
This is a surely a good buy
I just wished it can with an recharger that allowed me to plug in the camera...But I just need to be a battery recharger set and I'll be good then.
Very good camera, but not 5*
Overall I am very happy with the camera, but couldn't give it 5 stars because (1)No date/time imprinting function (2)Picture quality is only comparable to my old Pentax IQZoom point-and-shoot film camera.
I will try to list pros and cons that are not discussed in other posts.
Pros:
1) Video format is AVI and can be easily played on computer.
2) Tons of manual controls to set aperture, exposure, focus, etc.
3) When doing manual focus, a window pops up with zoomed-in image so that you can see if the focus is good.
4) Time lapse shooting and continuous shooting available (read online manual)
5) Very versatile LCD. Can be flipped, twisted, and turned in many positions.
6) You can take many pictures and stitch them together to make a huge picture (read the online manual)
Cons:
1) Regular AA batteries run out too quickly. NiMH batteries are working well.
2) No functionality to imprint date/time on the image.
3) You need high-speed (18X) CF to be able to shoot video in highest quality.
4) Lens cap doesn't fit snugly, but can be tied to shoulder belt loop so you don't lose it.
5) Doesn't fit in my existing digital camera bag - plan on buying a new one.
6) LCD is too small.
Recommendations:
1) Bought a 4GB Hitachi MiniDrive ($170 @ outpost) and I am happy.
2) Flash is adequate, but a slave flash ($20 @ Ritz) might help.
3) When buying the bag, make sure it has pouches for spare batteries and CF cards. Also, make sure the camera fits in the main pouch.
Updated On 12/27/2004:
I bought "Targus DPBC03 ProBlack Digital Camera Case Max" camera bag from Amazon. S1 IS barely fits in the bag. There is a pouch to keep batteries. The pouch is big enough to hold CF card also. I am going to keep the bag, but you might want to consider buying a slightly larger bag.
I tried the "photo stitch" functionality over the weekend. I shot two scenaries and stiched them. One came out very well - impossible to know that it is stitched. Other scene seems to need some manual work to be done - one of the shots in the series wouldn't merge well.
Like it, glad I bought it ...
I bought it because of ...
10x optical, image stabilization, AA batteries, and 640x480-30FPS with sound videos. Nobody else has this combination.
I love the slide show and TV video out feature. This camera
has a lot of features.
Downside ...
It eats batteries but still using AA's for travel abroad will be good.
640x480x30fps video eats maybe 3mbs per second of course it's great to just record 20 seconds for many action scenes.
Reviews at www.dcresource.com are good and the surfer video clip is a good example of video.
Very good but flawed
I've had this camera for about a year now and overall I'm still quite happy with my purchase. The drawbacks to this camera are common with all digital models I've tried and the picture quality is quite exceptional. Here's some more details...
First the pros: It's very ergonomic, well-designed, and easy to use, even for first time digital camera owners like me. The 10x zoom works smoothly and very well. In good light the auto focus locks on quickly and the pictures turn out great, even when blown up as large as 8x10. With the right paper in the printer I cannot tell the difference quality-wise between these pix and my old film camera. I really like the flip out monitor screen for shooting pictures over crowds (e.g., at sporting events). It's very visible except in harsh, direct sunlight. The image stabilization works well, eliminating the need for a tripod in most situations. Sports mode gives clear action shots even when your subject is moving quickly. The self-timer is a nice feature too. Images are easy to download to the PC (with XP you don't even need the software that comes with the camera). The built in flash works better than I expected (up to ~10' away anyway).
Now the cons: In low light situations the camera is extremely challenging to use. First off, the viewfinder is electronic and you cannot see what you are aiming at through it or the LCD monitor. In night or auto mode close-up pictures come out okay, you just have to guess at your aim. Longer shots do not work out well at all. At my son's Christmas concert last night I snapped 43 shots. 5 turned out well and 2 more were usable. The rest were garbage. Anytime the kids moved at all, the shot turned out blurry no matter what mode I had it set on (and I tried several), even with a tripod. This was extremely frustrating!! Further, like most digital cameras there is a significant delay between when you push the button and when the picture is actually snapped. It is very hard to take sports shorts unless you get lucky with timing or use the movie mode.
Other stuff: you'll want to purchase a larger memory card. 32mb just doesn't cut it. I went with 256 and have been very happy. You also want to purchase some rechargeable batteries. This thing takes 4 AA's and really chews them up fast, especially when you are using the monitor and zooming a lot. Be sure to use the lens cap strap. It's designed to slide off when the camera is turned on (a convenience?) yet it tends to fall off at odd times since it does not snap in place. Don't buy the Cannon camera bag. It is poorly designed and overpriced.
Great camera for everyone
I've had it almost 6mos now and couldn't be happier.
You'll need rechargeable NiMHbatteries and at least a 256mb card.
I love this camera for the great pictures it takes.
The zoom brings you right in close so you can avoid having to crop photos later. Even at 3.2M pixels the zoom makes this a better choice over most 5 or 6mp cameras. If you wear glasses some other cameras don't have the viewfinder adjustment and even though it has a small LCD, it swivels so you can hold the camera away from you to hold the camera at odd angles and still get a good shot. Add that to total AUTO for the rest of the family and 100% manual control for me to play and its a great choice.
Image stabilization works too, you still need to try and hold the camera still, but it can make all the difference.
Great Camera With Many Features
Our PowerShot A20 served me and my wife extremely well. However, we upgraded to the PowerShot S1 mainly for the increased megapixels, 10x optical zoom, and ability to take better night photos. The S1 has not disappointed. It's taken excellent night photos. We've also been extremely pleased with the zoom. We're only beginning to learn the many features of our new camera. Also we have been pleasantly surprised with the battery life in the S1...we bought rechargable Energizer 2300mAh batteries. My only minor issues are with the lens cover. It falls off from time to time, so I'd highly recommend attaching it to the carrying strap. Also, I've never been a big fan of aiming with the display, so I was disappointed to find that the viewfinder is also an LCD. In bright sunlight it's sometimes hard to aim.
Overall after two months of use we love the S1 and would highly recommend it.
Additionally, based on reviews/recommendation of other S1 owners, we bought the Tamrac 5693 camera case. It's a great compliment to the S1.
Blurred shots in dim light.
I am extremely pleased with this camera but bear in mind, I only send the pic over the internet and view them on the computer - no printed photo's, no enlargments. The only bad feature of this camera is its failure to focus in very dim lite situations. It does tell you by displaying the 'yellow' rectangle (not the green one which indicates it's focused) in the middle of the screen. If you watch the color, you'll know when it is focused (green=focus, yellow=not focused). Although I haven't had the camera that long, the battery life seems quite good compared to my 3 yr. old Kodak digital. I especially like the adjustable LCD screen, having had the older Kodak screen washed out from overhead sunlight. Word of caution: I had called Canon several times about the low light shooting problem, and two of the 'tech' people said to return the camera for repair, saying it was faulty. I questioned there diagnosis, and finally talked to a rep who understood the problem as something inherant to the camera and not correctable. He explained it as not having sufficient contrast to properly focus the distance. Don't pay $399, they are sold in the low $300 on the internet. I bought mine from Wiloughby's in NYC, and the price was fare and camera arrived quickly. Jay
good picture quality, but not as good as the Canon A95
I received the S1 is for Christmas and my father in-law got the A95. I love all the features of the S1, and it seems appropriate since I am much more technical than my father in-law. However, there are focus issues with the S1. I took pictures with both cameras using the same image and same angle, one after another. I transferred to the PC and the A95 seemed a bit better. I think the issue is the focus technology on the S1. The A95 took the shot much faster and always looked better. I haven't decided if I want to take the S1 back yet. I love the 10x zoom and it works fine at full zoom if you know how to use the manual focus feature. I love all the added features, and the hardware is much better built than the A95. Also, the A95 has a simple window viewfinder, while the S1 gives you the digital readout just as if you were looking at the screen.
Master of all trades
If you wanna
1. shoot good close up shots of your loved ones;
2. capture all that intricate art work of that museum pillar
3. capture true colors of sparkling marble of taj mahal, with the green trees around, blue sky above and giant red sand stone gates in the background
4. take that picture of well-lit downtown with lines of fast moving cars with their head lights on
5. shoot that swing shot of tendulkar(the cricketing world knows him) from the pavilion
6. great results from a match-making agency (non-Indians: Ignore this. You will not know what I am talking about)
this is the camera you got to buy.
10x with great image stabilization, true colors and great manual control on the pictures, semi SLR kind of controls...all for about 320 bucks. Now, thats a deal!
Good camera if you want to have full control
I've been using point and shot cameras from Olympus and Sony. They are good, but they still can't defeat Canon. This Camera offers a lot of functions to play with, and everything can be manual controled. The 10X zoom is something that you don't easily find in other cameras and it also gives you the oportunity to change lenses. Get a big Compact Flash card and some rechargable batteries and you're ready to go. It's only 3.2 mp, but it's what you really need because nobody is printing large pictures this days.
Except for Focus Problem, Great Camera
To be brief:
Wonderful lens! Loss of contrast and other second=order optical aberrations at zoom extremes are minor, and still allow remarkable pix for a 3MP point-&-shoot unit!
BUT, you only get good pix if it's focused.
It is among the worst I've seen in medium-low-light auto-focus ability.
It was seem fortunate that it has a rather full-featured manual focus ability, but that function (manual focus) is so cumbersome to use it's ultimately not much help.
I concentrate on wildlife, and shoot at extreme zoom focal lengths, usually in late afternoon when illumination is rosy but not abundant. But unless the light is bright, and with high-contrast subjects, the camera hunts and, about half of the time, misses focus by a mile. Not good.
On the good side, this camera is so conveniently sized to fit the hand, so well-equipped with a solid aray of amateur features, with such a remarkable lens and the IS system to boot, I thought it would save me the expense of buying a D-SLR. But the focus problems destroys that, and I now realize that the lack of the EVF's and small-ish display's abilities to display sufficient resolution to confirm focus at shoot-time, I'll have to bite the bullet.
A product that achieves only 40% of its potential, from lack of 1% of functionality (and one that everyone else gets right as a basic starting point).
Too bad.
Canon PowerShot not as good as Olympus C-Series
I purchased this camera mainly because of the Image Stabilization feature. Unfortunately, that is the only feature that this camera has that is better than an Olympus C-Series. I also own a Nikon D1X and find it to be easier to navigate than this camera. This camera does NOT have MACRO mode and it does NOT shoot in RAW format. The product specifications listed on the Amazon site are WRONG. I contacted Canon directly to be sure. The camera gets great shots at max zoom IF it can bring the shot into focus - something that doesn't happen often. I have owned the Olympus C700, C740, C750 and C770. All of them have more features and are easier to navigate. Additionally, I would think a camera of this calibur would use Lithium batteries instead of AA's. Given a choice, I would purchase an Olympus C Series for amateur photography or the Nikon D1X for the professional photographer.
Best Camera I've owned!
I've owned several Sony Digital Camera's and this is the first Canon that I have ever bought. The unit is slightly bulkier than my past cameras but the performance with respect to the zoom, color and clarity make it all worth it! The Image Stabilization feature is the best. No more blurred pictures!
The zoom feature is nice as well. Great close up shots! Very easy to operate.
The swivel screen is also another awesome feature. I can flip the screen over so I don't have to worry about it getting scratched. It is relatively easy to use. The only change I would make in the design of the camera is the location of the "set" and "menu" buttons. It is placed in a location that is where you would most likely hold the camera. It is easy to hit the button accidentally while you are trying to take a picture. Otherwise, this camera is definitely one of the best I've owned and worth the price!
Canon S1 - best features for this price range
The Powershot S1 has all the features of my old Canon A60, but the 10x zoom with image stabilizer sold me. No more blurred photos! The diopter on the viewfinder is another unique feature that this bi-focaled person appreciates. Adjust it to your vision and images are focused perfectly in the viewfinder. The LCD screen can be flipped in different positions, which is handy. Bonus: fold it down to keep it from getting scratched and full of fingerprints. It's a tad smaller than I'm accustomed to, but suffices. The pop-up flash is handy, and again, is less likely to get damaged when down. The lens cap, when tethered to the neckstrap, pops right off when you turn the camera on. No more losing lens caps or getting the lens dirty and scratched. (Yes, I'm tough on my cameras.)
The 3.2 MP size is perfectly suited to 8x10 or smaller photos. You don't need more than that for casual or semi-professional use. The 32 MB memory card is adequate, but purchase a 512 MB compactflash card and you are set. Yes, it eats batteries, but purchase a set of rechargeable batteries and charger and you are set to go. I even bought an inverter for my car so that I can plug in the charger when on trips. The video feature is nice, but we use it rarely.
The biggest selling points, for me, were:
- Canon brand; reliable and well-built, good customer service
- Compactflash memory; inexpensive and easy to find
- uses AA batteries, not a proprietary battery
- 10x zoom; get those close-up shots you can't get with a 3x
- image stabilizer; people with shaky hands love this
- Flip out LCD view screen
- easy-to-use menus and controls
- many settings available on top dial
- manual focus available when in low-light
- ability to add on wide-angle and telephoto lenses and filters
- optional remote control
- quiet operation; zoom and shutter not noisy like the A60
- tripod mount on bottom
- unit is not too bulky or heavy and fits in most camera bags
- best features for digital camera in this price range
[...]
Love it for the most part
I will spare everyone the technical details that seem to get repeated on just about every review. I have had this camera for a few months now and overall I am very happy with it. The first thing that I can complain about is the autofocus in dim light. This doesn't seem like it would have been difficult to remedy before production. The second thing is the fact that it does seem to overexpose pictures when using the flash in Auto mode. If you are taking pictures with good lighting then this camera is great. I have used most of the features and like them all. I would reccommend this to just about anyone. The price is great for the feature set. If anyone has any tips on improving the exposure with the flash I would appreciate any tips. Thanks and hopefully this helps
PROS:
swivel view finder
zoom
software
price
CONS:
autofocus in poorly lit areas
overexposure when using flash
Pathetic Customer Service from Canon
The Camera is good and have taken some good pictures with it, does whatevr is promised. But what i mainly want to say is when something goes wrong u will get little support from Canon. I find that really BAD, i was totally disappointed and i have decided not to buy any canon product in the future just for the reason that they have poor customer service.
Also one more thing before buying This Camera you have to be aware of is that this camera is extremely sensitive to water.... even the slightest amount can screw This camera up completely and Water Damage is not covered by Canon Warranty.
i had been on a trip to sea world, i had it in a waterproof bag all the time, but i guess some water got into it when i was trying to get some snaps of shamu..... well that was the end of my honeymoon with canon.....it stopped working.... and i had to struggle so much just to get in touch with "rude" customer representatives.
And once i sent my camera they took 2 weeks to respond and tell me what was wrong with my camera... and then i had to pay almost half the price of the camera for repair!!!!!! and i got the camera back after another week..... by the way even the shipping and handling has to be borne by you..... and one more thing you should know is that canon though it sells products all over USA has only ONE service center for the entire United States. This too i find unbelievable.
So if you are looking for gud customer service i would say dont go for canon.
In Two words..10x and Stabilizer!!!
I want to add this to my review..it is the manual online. Great for when you cannot find the book. So easy to find in favorites.
http://imaging-resource.com/PRODS/S1IS/canon-powershot-s1-IS-A.HTM
This is a bit bigger camera than I am used to, but it is a small trade off for the perks....
While chasing anyone of my 10 grand kids around DisneyLand two weeks ago. The 10x zoom saved me from the familiar yell..."wait for Grama", I simply zoomed in and got shots from yards away that were wonderful. Spontaneous. No one, two, three, CHEESE.......
And with the Stabilizer my shaky hands were no trouble any longer.
Action is caught and frozen in mid air...clear, in focus.
I stood next to the fast water slide waiting for my family to shoot out and down the falls in the raft.
(There is a slight hesitation to the S1 IS between shots. But once you get used to it's timing, no problem)
...Those shots of the family on that raft as they flew screaming past me - turned out clear and in focus.
I had it on Automatic on a gray day. I mention this picture due to the speed they were traveling. And it was me at the camera button..............Slo Mo......Amazing camera!!
I am totally amazed and thrilled at the quality of action pictures and zoom ability I have been getting with this PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 MP Digital with 10x Image Stabilized Zoom.
I have a few of my zoomed in pictures here in the Gallery to look at. The Bee on the Poppy is over 7' away from me. Notice his shadow on the flower.
NICE Digital Camera
This is a very nice digital camera. I am very pleased so far, I will be going on a trip in about a month, I'll give an update.
The only reason I don't give this camera 5 stars is: it does not have a FOCUS ASSIST LIGHT. And also I'm not finding a "macro mode".
Does anyone out there know if this camera has a macro mode?? If so, I would love to hear from you. sswaney@uusd.net
The perfect camera for novice and professional alike
This beauty is brilliant! The body style is ergonomically pleasing and lightweight, the overall design is simple to use, it will satisfy a novice and professional alike, and the pictures are beautiful! Even the manual is well designed. My long search for the perfect camera finally came to an end.
When I first took this camera out of the box I was in love with the design. Weight is important to me, and this camera balances beautifully. It's extremely lightweight and easy to grip. Obviously, a lot of engineering went into the body style. After trying out a myriad of cameras that fit my hand clumsily, this one fit like a glove. The only drawback is that it's meant to be gripped with the right hand, so it could take some adjusting for lefties. Otherwise, it's an ergonomic 10 out of 10.
The overall design of camera options leads the pack. It won't take long to master the operation of this camera. The most used options have their own buttons, so you don't have to wade through menus all the time. It is loaded with features, and sometimes this makes a camera hard to master for a novice. Not with this one! If you want a point and shoot camera that you can set and forget, this camera is for you. If you are a hobbyist or pro who wants the ability to easily switch from automatic to manual operation, this camera won't disappoint. It is also a camera that can grow with you. With a ton of add-ons and interchangeable lenses, you won't have to shell out money for a new camera as your skills improve. The zoom is more than you get with most cameras, and having a viewfinder is a must if you like to shoot outdoors in bright light. There's even a vision adjustment on the viewfinder. You may have read criticism of the lens cap. If you read the manual, you will see that it's meant to attach to the neck strap, so you really don't have to worry about losing the cap as some reviews state. I would prefer, however, a more secure snap on cover.
As we all know, the proof is in the pictures, and Canon is still delivering the goods. I immediately set out to shoot a little bit of everything. In my opinion, one of the hardest shots to get perfect with point and shoot is indoors at night with inconsistent ambient lighting. I used the low light option on the dial, and I was really impressed. The shots I took were very evenly lit and the flash hadn't overexposed my subjects. I took a picture of an outdoor scene through an indoor window using the zoom. The picture looked like it had been shot outdoors rather than from inside. I took a picture during the day in a well lit room with no flash and it was beautiful.
If you buy this camera, do yourself a favor and spend an hour going through the manual. You will find out how easy it is to control the many options, so you will be more apt to use them. I even liked the manual design. There are separate manuals in Spanish and English, so you can dispose of the one you don't need.
I know I will be happy with this camera for years to come. Some of Canon's cameras have become legendary in the photo world and still have an active life on Ebay years after their retirement. I believe this is one of those cameras.
Work horse camera...great
I have had my Canon for about a year now. It is great. I use the movie function a lot. This camera takes great movies for a camera this size. It is big for a regular photo camera but it takes great photos too. At 10x optical zoom the image stabilizer helps out. I dropped this camera in the mud a few weeks ago and it still works great. I was worried that the lense would get stuck but after wiping it down, it has no problems. I bought a 1 GB card so that I can get more video time.
If you don't mind the size and think you will take a lot of videos as well as pictures this is the camera for you.
Great camera but...
I will be brief. This is a great camera but it does not have the date/time stamp option which I took for granted as being available on all newer digital cameras. My previous camera had it and for me it is a very important feature. After all, we look back on photos for the memories they bring and knowing the date (and/or time) that the picture was taken is VERY important to me.
canon s1
I bought this camera about a month ago after researching about a hundred different cameras. I was looking for something aroun 4-5 megapixels and $200-$300. This camera had lower megapixels (3.2) and it was at the top of my limits. I have one thing to say:
I am glad I bought it.
I received the camera in a matter of days from Amazon. That was normal for any order that I have placed with Amazon. Fast service. I received it just a few days before we left for a vacation to Disneyland in California so I did not have time to mess with it much, but I had time to play around with some of the features on the way down and I am impressed with this camera. I took pictures from day to night and from stills to shooting scenery out of our vehicle going 85 mph. Oops, I meant 75 mph officer. I would say that 99% of them came out great. I turned the video resolution down to the next one lower. A 512 MB CF card held about 12 minutes of video in one continuous shoot. That is probably the one feature that sold me on this camera. It did not have a limit on the minutes of continous video that could be shot. Other cameras had a 1.5-3 minute limit. I even used it to record half of a speech that I gave to a group to see how I presented myself. The camera was about 10 feet away and it still picked up my voice.
The included AA alkaline batteries went dead within about a couple of hours. I bought two sets of rechargeables and found that one set lasted from 8 am to 10 pm at Disneyland. And I took alot of pictures and video! One day, I filled two 512 MB CF Cards and one 256 MB card. That is my only suggestion with this camera. Buy rechargeable batteries and a larger CF card if you are going to shoot video. I am planning to buy a 1 GB CF card later.
When I bought it, I had the intention of selling it on ebay if I did not like it. No way. I am keeping it. Oh...one other thing in my favor, my daughter-in-law works as a photographer. She could show me things that camera would do that would have taken me quite awhile to figure out. She had a chance to use it and she was impressed with it.
Good camera but battery life is very short.
Overall I am happy with the camera. I prefer optical zoom over megapixels, so it is good combination for me. Pictures are great. Image Stabilizer helps a lot. Video qualify is good too.
Its zoom can be annoying sometimes because it makes a noise that gets captured in your video shots. Not a problem for still pictures though.
But battery life is pretty bad. If you are planning to buy this camera and would take it on trips, buy lots of NiMh and car charger for them.
Date is included in the image format
For those reviewers complaining that the camera does not imprint the date/time on the image except when printing, please note that the date and time the image was taken and many other technical details are included in the EXIF data embedded in the JPEG image. To view this information in Microsoft Windows XP, right-click the image, choose Properties, and look at the "Date Picture Taken" on the Summary tab.
I intend to purchase the Canon PowerShot S2 IS when it is released at the end of June 2005. I have been very happy with the three Canon point and shoot digital cameras I have owned. Picture quality is excellent, and the Canon menu system is comprehensive and easy to use.
The S1 IS does not include an autofocus assist lamp to help focus in low light situations. I like making 8x10 inch prints, and three megapixels does not provide enough resolution for a full-quality print at that size.
Great, but devours batteries
Good pictures, lots of features. Really like it, but the batteries cost a lot and only last a month!!!!
A very, very fine product
Canon's done a great think with this product. This AA-ready, 10x-zoom product from a highly reputable camera manufacturer is a *highly*-recommended option for the serious amateur photographer. All in all, this camera is a GREAT value. If all consumer electronics companies held themselves up--for every product they made--to the basic dependability, overall ease of use, and impressive versatility of this camera, we'd all be in a much more affordable and hassle-free world relative to our mobile phones, DVRs, MP3 players, computers (especially), and everything else that sometimes beeps, whirrs, or flashes in our lives!
If you're a "point and shoot" kind of photographer, however, move on: this PowerShot S1 is far more feature-rich, large, and heavier than you'll want.
My review is based on 8 months of use. Heaven forbid that it stops working properly anytime soon--or even anytime within the next 5 years--but, thus far, I'm impressed. The camera accompanied me from the U.S. on a wintertime trip to England at the end of 2004 where it got a thorough workout and a great deal of manhandling, and held up through the entire vacation (and since then) solidly.
*FEATURES: Manual over-ride exists for every key element: aperture, ISO speed (only a 50 to 400 range, however), flash, and even focus. Other features I find myself using a lot include switching the timer from 2 second delay (when I don't need to run in front of the camera to get into the photo myself) and 10 second delay (when I do), and over-riding the flash--that is, setting it from AUTO to ON, so that it will act as a "fill flash" even when the light meter is reading that the scene is bright because of background light. (There are two or three features I'll never use actually--and which I find rather silly, frankly--like "sepia" mode. Whatever.)
*I.S.: Image stabilization is solid--not extra-ordinary, but good.
*BATTERY: I have not had problems with battery depletion simply because I did what I'd recommend you do, too, if considering this product. I bought a AA recharger that I also cannot recommend highly enough (the "Sony Power Charger with 4 Ni-MH AA Batteries"--purchased via Amazon at the same time I purchased the Canon PowerShot) and 4 additional rechargeable AA's at my local K-Mart. So, as I shot, I simply kept 4 charged batteries at hand to swap in for the 4 temporarily exhausted ones if needed. I was never at *any* point without the ability to take photos for want of power. And then I recharged batteries, if needed or desired, during the night. Regardless, I found that 4 batteries lasted through *hundreds* of images with the camera set at the ideal setting for 4"x6" prints (150 dpi, I suspect, but I'm not sure off-hand), and in normal temperatures (more on that below).
NOTE: far too many digital cameras require special batteries, sometimes proprietary (like Kodak for one). Setting aside the issue of batteries being rechargeable, the simple fact that this PowerShot takes AA's is fantastic. It means you will never have a difficult time finding power for your camera...as long as you're not far from "civilization."
NOTE: *Temperature* affects battery life to a surprising extent. I'm aware that cold temperature can affect battery life, but the PowerShot seems particularly sensitive to this. When shooting outside in England in December, keeping that second set of 4 AA's was very important. Four AA's alone would not have been enough. However, indoors or at regular temps in spring, summer, and autumn, 4 batteries--especially those manufactured for use in digital electronic goods--will be adequate.
*VIDEO/AUDIO: I only took 3 video clips on my trip. My sense is that this is what drains battery life; it certainly drains memory. Nonetheless, I considered the video feature "icing on the cake," and didn't care about it much anyway. So, I was very pleasantly surprised when I played back my video clips on my computer and encountered not only a very clear image which demonstrated the camera's ability in video mode to zoom and refocus fast, but also audio that seemed neither muffled nor--the other extreme possibility--"tinny."
(One word of commonsense advice though on using the video mode. Don't speak loudly or at all when you're the shooter, because the microphone will pick up your voice very well due to your proximity to the microphone, and in play-back you'll be roaring compared to all the other sound. I can even hear myself breathing in the playback!)
*INTERFACE: The interface of this camera was designed fairly well considering the wide range of options and features. It's got lots of buttons and lots of options, so ***practice*** with this camera before you use it for some special event or vacation, etc. Canon seems to have correctly anticipated which features people will want to over-ride or mess with the most (such as turning the flash to ON, OFF, or AUTO) and separated those buttons from the rest, which is helpful.
*COLOR: I have not encountered color distortion when viewing images digitally. I have printed out very few images, since I put images online mostly, so I cannot yet review how the PowerShot's images translate color-wise when printed. Of course, the printer one uses affects the quality and color-correctness of prints, too.
*WT/SIZE/FEEL: This camera is totally SLR-esques in feel and heft, though it's more compact than an SLR. I'm happy with the camera's feel. Its size would be difficult to make much smaller given current limits to technology, unless one sacrificed the basic SLR-like mold of the camera. I was able to get this camera completely into the pocket of my winter jacket--I never while in England needed a bag, case, or carrier for it. It will not, however, fit into a typical coat pocket--like on a light jacket, a suit coat, etc. It will fit into a normal purse, I'm sure, but not a small handbag.
It *is* heavy, however. That is one thing to note that is a negative. But, along with that heft, I feel, comes better control and stability.
There are a few little niggling things about the camera's menus that annoy me, 10x zoom is good, but often not enough for me, and the lens cap doesn't stay on very well (but, it's attached to a camera by a shot nylon cord, so you *won't* lose the cap!), and when I think about these negatives I'm tempted to give the camera 4 stars, not 5; but, there are so many other strong positives with the PowerShot S1 relative to the FUNDAMENTALS of camera use and design--plus a competitive (though not "low") price--that I realize the negatives are ultimately minor. If "4 1/2" was an option, I suppose I'd give the product that rating.
That said, I'll rate this camera "5 stars" as an excellent product for the dedicated amateur photographer.
Canon Powershot S1 IS is tremendous for the price
Keep in mind that you'd be ponying up less than $300 clams for this baby. 3.2 MP is more than enough - I've used this camera for 1 year now and it's everything and more. I've taken great photos and I'm no whiz at this stuff. Sure the 3.2MP seems low, but it's more than enough for your 8 X 10 photos and you're getting a Canon lens that is tremendous. Canon optics are the best in my humble opinion for regular joe consumers like me.
10X zoom with IS is a great function to have at such a decent price. The zoom is very quiet and quick whereas some cameras make that whirring sound and you wind-up hearing it when you take movies. Canon basically put same zoom drive that it puts in its higher end cameras into this one.
One feature that is great is the LCD screen can move out of its solid camera body which is a great feature considering it allows you to take shots at different angles like when you are in a crowded area. You wind-up using that feature a lot.
Max of 1 GB capacity for Compact flash cards which is OK but ideally you might want more if you were to shoot short movies fairly frequently. Movies are of very good quality - no complaints although I rarely do them.
Only negative is lens cap falls off which is a bit annoying. And the bag is a bit lame - very chintzy. And the Canon logo on the camera strap peeled off fairly quickly.
Another great thing is that you can buy a waterproof case for $150 which is a great add-on. Many other accessories to this too.
All in all, for the price, you are getting a camera loaded with features and excellent build quality and a Canon lens which makes a huge difference in pic quality. If not the S1, consider the S2 or the upcoming S3 as this line of cameras is top-notch.
Great!
I took this camera on vacation and it took GREAT pictures. The only flaw with this camera is the small LCD screen.
Love the S1.
This camera is everything I hoped it would be. Unless you're blowing up poster size prints, this is all the camera you will ever need. The 10x optical gives extremely crisp full zoom pics and even with full digital zoom (32x) the pics still look pretty good. It is bulkier and heavier than my powershot A60 (which is also a great camera), but the extra pixels and super zoom make the larger package worth the effort to drag it around. I couldn't believe the quality of the video that I took in existing light at night time. With my 512mb card, I can use the S1 as a digital camcorder and it is certainly a lot smaller and lighter than a camcorder. Canon's versatility from simple point and shoot to professional custom characteristics make it an ideal camera for almost anyone and lots cheaper than |
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