Elph Jr. - The Little Camera That Could
Written: Mar 15 '00 (Updated Mar 15 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Awesomely Tiny and Lightweight
Cons: Awfully Tiny and Lightweight
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| sweeper's Full Review: Canon Elph Jr. APS Film Camera |
Why does a guy whose hobby makes him love big, heavy 35mm cameras sitting atop monster tripods buy one of the smallest cameras ever produced? It's because of his other hobby.
As a travel and outdoor photographer of long standing, I've come to rely on a camera's bulk and mass to help stabilize it during exposure. No wimpy lightweight camera for this shutterbug who expects tack sharp images when the photos come back from the film processor. But the virtues of large size and cast iron weight fly in the face of efficiency when filling a jersey pocket on a 3000-foot climb by bicycle up a local mountain.
The Canon Elph Jr. allows me to grind away, albeit sweat soaked, to the peak AND record the view from the top. The Elph Jr. is Canon's smallest APS format camera and one of the smallest production cameras ever produced by any manufacturer. Priced at $119 MSRP, it is also Canon's most affordable. The latest consumer format, APS, Advanced Photo System, with its tiny film cartridge allows for the design of this diminutive camera. About the size of a cigarette pack cut in half, this camera slips easily into a jersey pocket or saddle bag with room left over for tools, extra film, food and other necessities. As the default photographer in my bicycle group, I'm always expected to have my camera despite the length of ride or steepness of hill. Ain't no mountain high enough.
Having struggled with larger and heavier point-and-shoot cameras on rides, I was happy to acquire this tiny tool to snap shots during rest stops and to shoot from a moving bike as well. A cursory glance at the APS cartridge reveals a similarity to a 35mm film cartridge. Smaller and squared-off in shape, a closer look reveals subtle details. First of all, there is no film leader. All APS cameras automatically load, advance and rewind film without the need of handling the film itself. Users are expected to store processed film in the cartridges. Indicators on the roll show whether the film is unexposed, partially or totally exposed, or processed.
In the consumer photo market, the Elph Jr. joins a class of pocket sized cameras whose aim are those who want something that practically disappears when not in use. In this context, Canon has done well. I chose this model over the Olympus Stylus and Fujifilm Endeavor 1000ix. Both of these cameras are noted for their small size and sharp optical systems. The Stylus was in the running because it takes conventional 35mm film and I had wanted to maintain film compatibility between all seven cameras I own. As small as it is for the format, I eliminated it in the first round because it was still much larger than the Canon and Fujifilm models which are in the APS class. The Fujifilm Endeavor is a titanium-clad gem that appeared bullet-proof and near the size and weight of the Elph Jr. This would be a camera that could survive the rigors of storage in a sweaty jersey pocket and the requisite jouncing of bicycle travel. Professional reviews told of an exceptionally sharp lens but at an MSRP near $300, it was out of my range for what would be a "specialty" camera.
The Elph Jr. won on price, reputation and affordability. Although its feature set suggests a much larger camera, this little guy weighs only 4.1 ounces. The camera includes a fixed 26mm lens (equivalent to a 33mm lens in 35mm format) and is relatively "fast" at f2.8. This means greater capability in low light compared to other cameras in its class given a particular film speed. The angle of view of the lens is nearly perfect for my shooting preferences. The lack of zoom is of little concern at this price range. Inclusion of such would have raised the camera's price, lowered the lens speed and/or made for a larger and heavier unit. The lens can focus as closely as 18 inches which is excellent for close-in details. This would include bicycle parts or our very own Eschscholzia californica, the showy Californian Poppy. A useful feature is the 10-second self-timer. The flash capabilities include automatic, force flash, flash off and slow synchronization that balances low ambient light with a burst of flash to illuminate close subjects. With ASA 400 print film, the flash will reach out 25 feet according to the manual. Specifications tend to be optimistic and 12 feet is the maximum distance I use with this camera. The APS film has the ability to store exposure and other camera specific information on the film magnetically on a frame by frame basis. In the case of the Elph Jr., users can store the date and time of the exposures as well as a selection of pre-made "titles" including: "I LOVE YOU", "HAPPY BIRTHDAY", "THANK YOU", etc. Like other APS cameras, users can select print formats from the "classic" aspect ratio of 2:3 to "H" (presumably for the HDTV standard) 9:16, to Panoramic 1:3. Personally, I believe this feature is a take or leave selling point.
The American warranty IX240 Canon Elph Jr. comes with a leather-like case, lithium battery (CR2), wrist strap, roll of 15-exposure film and manual. Off-shore and gray market models may be supplied differently.
Every camera I buy goes through an exposure and focus check. This includes point and shoot cameras. The only good way to do this is by running at least one roll of slide film through the camera. While processing of negatives and prints can introduce or camouflage a multitude of exposure and focus faults, print film is a poor medium for evaluating a camera's performance. Today's print films are so tolerant of exposure error that camera users may never be aware that their camera's exposure may be way off. Also, inconsistent processing and printing techniques may result in less than sharp prints that are wrongly attributed to the camera. Because it is a "first generation" image, slides reveal exposure and focusing faults directly. Unfortunately, APS slide film remains a myth for consumers. One retailer told me APS slide film was never made. Another said he expected some in at any time. The reality is at one time, a batch of Fuji APS slide film made it to these shores but is no longer available. Therefore, I did the next best thing. I defeated the light door of a processed APS cartridge that I shot with the Canon (don't try this at home) and withdrew a length of the negative filmstrip for examination.
I found the negatives to be of proper density. This means they were printable without the printer using compensation. A close look through a high powered loupe showed the lens and auto-focusing system did their jobs well. Sharpness was very good from center to the edges. This is a tribute and testimony that a lens maker can do a remarkable job with a small lens when zoom is not part of the equation. Like many other makers of point and shoots, Canon can make fixed focal length lenses that rival those of SLRs in terms of sharpness.
Given the advantages of a small and lightweight camera, I would not suggest this model as a multi-purpose camera or as one's only camera. It only excels when a small form factor and light weight are the two most important considerations. It would be a camera appreciated by climbers, spelunkers, and anyone who considers every gram or cubic inch precious. As mentioned before, I consider this a specialty camera that compromises handling and capability at the expense of size. As small as it is, this camera actually requires much greater care in handling during exposure as compared to a larger one. Grasping the minuscule camera for the exposure takes special concentration and practice. It is more susceptible to camera shake than a larger and heavier camera during the exposure and my pictures prove such. Inclusion of a tripod socket is a highly optimistic feature on Canon's part as most point-and-shoot users never use such a device. The limited range of the flash strobe may hamper typical flash photos typically taken by snapshooters. In contrast to other APS cameras, the Elph Jr. does not have ability to sense mid-roll film changes and cannot use film cartridges that have been partially exposed. This would be detrimental to those who change films of various speeds but don't want to sacrifice the unexposed part of a partially exposed roll. Elph Jr. users can, however, rewind film at any point.
The Elph Jr. allows me to have a camera wherever I go. The gunfighters of yore used to live (quite literally) by the credo that went: The first rule of a gunfight is to have a gun. Likewise the camera in the hand beats the superior camera in your closet twenty miles away. The Elph Jr. is my camera in hand.
Recommended:
Yes
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sweeper
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Member: David Burckhard
Location: San Jose, CA
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