It's small and shiny but size matters
Written: Mar 19 '03
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Pros: Portable, durable, all metal case, good feature set
Cons: Weak flash, slow shooting
The Bottom Line: Small and durable with a few flaws. Canon makes a great camera but make sure you can live with the typical small camera woes.
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| PaulQ602's Full Review: Canon PowerShot S200 / IXUS v² Digital Camera |
I just sold this camera on eBay last week. I had it for nine months. Before I tell you why I sold it, let me tell you about my experiences with it...
It's cool! This is a neat looking camera. It's tiny, not much bigger than a pack of cigarettes. It has an all metal body. It has some weight to it so it doesn't feel cheap. Overall, the fit and finish is excellent!
It's feature filled! I came off a Canon G2 and moved into this. That's kind of like going from a mansion to an apartment. Interestingly, the S200 shares some of the same software features as the G2. It has a wide range of automatic, semi-automatic, and manual controls. It's plenty for the average camera user.
It's really portable! Here's the key... it's small. It's so small you can really carry it anywhere you go. I was able to stick it in my pocket when wearing non-jeans. This is by far the biggest selling point of this camera - size! If you want a camera you can tote around and not worry about damage, put this one on your list.
So why did I get rid of it?
1) FIRST SHOT AND SHOT-TO-SHOT SPEED. It was just too slow. The biggest problem would be when you are taking something as simple as a shot of your friend, sometimes you push the shutter button and there is a lag of 1-2 seconds. It doesn't seem like much but when you are holding the button down waiting for the camera to shoot, it feels like forever. On top of that, you are frozen holding the shot. I once asked a friend to shoot me in a group... he pushed the shutter and happily handed me the camera. As he handed it to me, the camera took the picture it was supposed to have taken of us! This doesn't happen all the time - but it does happen. I could reduce the effect by pre-focusing but the whole procedure isn't what I wanted to deal with.
2) WEAK FLASH! I may have been spoiled with my G2. I shot pictures of whole classes in classrooms without a problem. Doing the same with the S200 left darkness around the edges, sometimes darkening out the people on the ends of the group. I think this camera is rated to have a 9ft flash and I must admit, many others in this class are outfitted similarly. So, it might just be par for the course.
-BOTTOM LINE-
This camera has enough good points that I wouldn't necessarily recommend against it. There are a lot of competitors out there. If you are willing to deal with a few glitches. It's very well made, full of features, and shoots beautiful pictures (unless you are indoors with poor lighting). The biggest reason to buy is the size and durability. The glitches can be worked around so keep this one on your list if you are shopping around.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 279
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
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Epinions.com ID:
PaulQ602
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Member: Paul
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Reviews written: 25
Trusted by: 1 member
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