Canon S110 - Power In Your Pocket!
Written: Oct 19 '01 (Updated Oct 19 '01)
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Pros: Small size, 2.1 megapixel image quality, video mode, CF media, controls, panoramic mode
Cons: Movie length, CF door feels flimsy
The Bottom Line: Small size coupled with excellent image quality, video capability and sturdy construction make this camera a winner.
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| Eutek's Full Review: Canon PowerShot S110 / IXUS v Digital Camera |
I am an impatient photographer. The urgency and instant gratification of digital cameras really appealed to me when they first appeared on the market, however the price and performance did not. In addition to being an impatient photographer, I am not a very good one either. Having to wait while you shots were developed or running the risk of the shop losing them was annoying. Just as bad was the discovery that your subject's eyes were closed or that you missed the shot completely. The choice, for me, was clear - time to go digital!
When we made the foray into the digital camera world early this year with our HP C200 we were satisfied, if only for a little while. I dreamed of something that I could just slip in my pocket without looking like I was carrying around a brick, combined with superior performance, image quality and a zoom if possible.
Enter the Canon SS110 Digital Elph, or as it is known here in Europe, the Digital Ixus v. The "v" stands for video - an added bonus. The following are my general impressions of this miniature marvel. I am not going to get into minute detail as I am not a professional photographer, just someone that wants to capture special moments when possible.
Upon opening the box, one of the first things that strikes you is the size, or rather lack of it, of the Elph. This camera is tiny. So tiny that I was initially afraid of crushing it with my big mitts. As it turns out, my fears were unfounded. This is a solidly constructed camera, with a hefty feel that belies its small size. It uses removable Compact Flash memory cards, a plus for me because I have several left over from our HP camera and my Compaq iPaq.
The instruction manuals that come with the Elph are easy to understand, as are the controls for the camera itself. Never having used a digital camera this complex, it took but a mere 10 minutes to master the basic controls and modes of the camera. Everything is done via the bright, clear LCD on the back of the camera. This little machine has a variety of modes that will be of use to the budding digital photographer as well as to the discerning pro.
Now on to the images. Using the factory settings I was able to take crisp, clear images from a variety of distances, using the digital zoom as well as the infinity/macro settings. Never before had I been able to capture such detail using a digital camera. A little tweaking of the Elph's settings resulted in even more detailed images, albeit at the expense of storage space. The Elph has a 2.1 mega pixel rating, and the quality really looks great.
I found the zoom to be quite useful, and the auto light sensor was realistic in its choice as to when and when not to employ the flash.
Another really neat feature was the panoramic mode - the "photo stitching" feature. We have this feature on our Olympus Stylus 35mm but it is no comparison to what can be done with a digital camera. To test it out I stood in the middle of the O'Connell St. Bridge here in Dublin and took about 7 shots. So easy to use, the LCD displays your last shot and allows you to line up your next one as close as you can. Once you upload it into your PC, the software takes over and before you know it you have a decent panoramic shot. Really cool feature.
As I said earlier, the Elph has a video mode as well. Although this is nothing new among digital cameras, and even the most basic camcorder leaves the Elph's performance in the dust, this feature really was the deciding factor in our purchase. Initially we wanted a tiny camcorder, but I am not one that likes to witness the world through the lens of a camcorder. I would rather have something like the Elph, ready to snap a quick picture if the mood strikes me. The great thing about the Elph is that we are able make brief (30 second) .AVI clips that we can share with our friends and family via e-mail. The Elph has a small microphone on the front that records sound. The video mode has several settings - even the lowest performance setting results in passable quality for quick clips. This really is a great feature, especially when descriptions and pictures are not descriptive enough. If anything, I wish the video length was not so short - but I am not complaining. There is even a cable included with which you can output the images directly to your TV or VCR. PAL and NTSC encoding is not a problem either, as the Elph can do both.
Once you take your pictures, you can transfer them from the Elph to either a PC or a printer in a variety of ways. Canon even has a printer that interfaces directly with the Elph, but it seemed a bit pricey to me. It has a USB cable to transfer right to the PC, or you can take the CF card out providing you have an adapter.
There are several pieces of software that ship with the Elph, but I really do not use them as I have Paint Shop Pro and Photoshop should I need to touch anything up. The included software definitely seems adequate and more than enough for the average user.
Unlike our previous digital camera, the Elph uses a rechargeable battery. A full charge takes only 130 minutes. Not bad at all. I haven't yet pushed the battery to the limit, but I will next weekend during a trip to Paris. I understand that the life of the charge can be extended if one minimizes use of the LCD. The battery itself is removable and is recharged via a tiny charger that comes with the Elph.
All in all we are very satisfied with our Elph S110 (a.k.a. Digital Ixus v). Granted, it may cost more than some other cameras (we paid £549 Irish punts - Dublin is an expensive city) but the quality and performance are first class. Plus, it is smaller than a packet of cigarettes!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 627
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Epinions.com ID:
Eutek
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Location: NY-Dublin-London-Bucharest
Reviews written: 56
Trusted by: 1 member
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