jadison
01-10-2002, 7:42 AM
Tiny, well-engineered camera with short battery life.
http://neotech.8m.net/images/canonpss110.jpg
WHAT'S HOT: In a field awash in cheap-feeling plastic-encased competitors, the PowerShot S110 is a design marvel. Its squared-off stainless-steel case, about the size of a pack of cigarettes, stands flush on nearly all surfaces (the lens retracts beneath a protective cover). Lens specifications are even carved into the metal. The only modification we'd make would be to add a protective cover over the LCD on the back (but we haven't seen that in any other camera).
A photo-stitching mode helps you line up images so you can easily combine them to make panoramas. In addition, the S110 takes surprisingly good AVI movies--they are smoother than some we've seen from other cameras. It captures audio as well, but it doesn't have a speaker, so you can't hear anything on camera playback. The optical viewfinder is quite large and easy to see through.
The camera comes with a tiny, rechargeable lithium ion battery and a space-saving recharger that's the same size and shape as the camera. Instead of a cord, the electrical prongs fold into the recharger, so it's easy to stuff into a bag.
Canon's manual is heavily illustrated, with frequent use of arrows to show which buttons to push. It has an index, too. A separate manual covers the software in detail.
WHAT'S NOT: The S100's teeny size may be deceiving: It sucks down battery power like a teenager does chocolate shakes. We got only 131 shots (46 minutes) out of a single charge. In comparison, Canon's PowerShot A20 held out for 179 shots, or 62 minutes. The camera with the best battery life in the sub-$500 category, the Kodak DX3900, took 389 shots, or 2 hours and 15 minutes. You can't use AAs with the S110, either; extra rechargeable batteries cost $50 apiece.
The included 8MB CompactFlash memory card doesn't hold many pictures; we'd expect a larger card for $399 (though most people would probably buy an extra card even if the card were double the size). We'd also like a longer zoom than the 2X the S110 provides (but we're aware that's asking a lot in a case this small).
The camera's small case makes it easy to tote, but sacrifices usability. Some people will likely need to use both hands; it's difficult to manipulate the zoom button while holding the camera with one paw. Microscopic menu buttons combined with a small (1.5-inch) LCD make selecting options a bit trying.
The buttons are laid out in a somewhat confusing arrangement: To enter the menu system, you hit a Menu button (second button from the right in a row of five); to navigate, you press forward and back buttons (second and third from the left). To choose an option, press a Set button (first button on the left). We'd be more comfortable with a more typical setup--Menu on the left, Set button on the right. Some of the settings are buried a bit deeper in the menus than we'd like, too--the resolution and compression settings are two levels deep, or four levels if you're in the manual mode, and it takes three steps to delete a picture (you can't delete a shot in shooting mode).
The camera's manual mode only allows two adjustable settings--preset white-balance values and exposure compensation, and you can't adjust those settings in any other mode. You don't get aperture- or shutter-priority modes, for example, and you cannot lock the exposure or focus manually.
WHAT ELSE: Despite the lack of sophisticated controls, the PowerShot S110 takes above-average pictures. In our test shots, it distinguished red from orange well, no small feat among sub-$500 cameras. Smaller prints showed accurate, evenly distributed colors and sharp detail, though larger prints betrayed the camera's low 2.1-megapixel maximum resolution. For example, our test image of a cropped portion of text looked blurry even at the largest type size.
The camera relies on only one master LCD screen, rather than two as most other models do. As a result, you must change all settings from within that one LCD--though in a power-saving gesture, you can turn off the image in the screen and still adjust the settings. The LCD is a bit grainy, especially in low-light conditions, but its brightness is about average. An external light aids focusing.
OVERVIEW
2.11 megapixels, 1600 by 1200 maximum resolution, 35mm-70mm focal range (35mm equivalent), f2.8-f10 aperture range, shutter speeds from 1 second to 1/1500 second, optical and LCD viewfinders, USB and video connections, 8MB CompactFlash media, one rechargeable battery, 8.1 ounces with batteries, ArcSoft PhotoImpression and VideoImpression, Canon RemoteCapture 1.4, and PhotoStitch 3.1 software. One-year parts and labor warranty, toll-call support for 11 hours on weekdays.
Price:
$399
Purchasing Info
http://www.powershot.com/
800/652-2666
*Courtesy of PCWORLD.COM HERE (http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,76463,00.asp)*
http://neotech.8m.net/images/canonpss110.jpg
WHAT'S HOT: In a field awash in cheap-feeling plastic-encased competitors, the PowerShot S110 is a design marvel. Its squared-off stainless-steel case, about the size of a pack of cigarettes, stands flush on nearly all surfaces (the lens retracts beneath a protective cover). Lens specifications are even carved into the metal. The only modification we'd make would be to add a protective cover over the LCD on the back (but we haven't seen that in any other camera).
A photo-stitching mode helps you line up images so you can easily combine them to make panoramas. In addition, the S110 takes surprisingly good AVI movies--they are smoother than some we've seen from other cameras. It captures audio as well, but it doesn't have a speaker, so you can't hear anything on camera playback. The optical viewfinder is quite large and easy to see through.
The camera comes with a tiny, rechargeable lithium ion battery and a space-saving recharger that's the same size and shape as the camera. Instead of a cord, the electrical prongs fold into the recharger, so it's easy to stuff into a bag.
Canon's manual is heavily illustrated, with frequent use of arrows to show which buttons to push. It has an index, too. A separate manual covers the software in detail.
WHAT'S NOT: The S100's teeny size may be deceiving: It sucks down battery power like a teenager does chocolate shakes. We got only 131 shots (46 minutes) out of a single charge. In comparison, Canon's PowerShot A20 held out for 179 shots, or 62 minutes. The camera with the best battery life in the sub-$500 category, the Kodak DX3900, took 389 shots, or 2 hours and 15 minutes. You can't use AAs with the S110, either; extra rechargeable batteries cost $50 apiece.
The included 8MB CompactFlash memory card doesn't hold many pictures; we'd expect a larger card for $399 (though most people would probably buy an extra card even if the card were double the size). We'd also like a longer zoom than the 2X the S110 provides (but we're aware that's asking a lot in a case this small).
The camera's small case makes it easy to tote, but sacrifices usability. Some people will likely need to use both hands; it's difficult to manipulate the zoom button while holding the camera with one paw. Microscopic menu buttons combined with a small (1.5-inch) LCD make selecting options a bit trying.
The buttons are laid out in a somewhat confusing arrangement: To enter the menu system, you hit a Menu button (second button from the right in a row of five); to navigate, you press forward and back buttons (second and third from the left). To choose an option, press a Set button (first button on the left). We'd be more comfortable with a more typical setup--Menu on the left, Set button on the right. Some of the settings are buried a bit deeper in the menus than we'd like, too--the resolution and compression settings are two levels deep, or four levels if you're in the manual mode, and it takes three steps to delete a picture (you can't delete a shot in shooting mode).
The camera's manual mode only allows two adjustable settings--preset white-balance values and exposure compensation, and you can't adjust those settings in any other mode. You don't get aperture- or shutter-priority modes, for example, and you cannot lock the exposure or focus manually.
WHAT ELSE: Despite the lack of sophisticated controls, the PowerShot S110 takes above-average pictures. In our test shots, it distinguished red from orange well, no small feat among sub-$500 cameras. Smaller prints showed accurate, evenly distributed colors and sharp detail, though larger prints betrayed the camera's low 2.1-megapixel maximum resolution. For example, our test image of a cropped portion of text looked blurry even at the largest type size.
The camera relies on only one master LCD screen, rather than two as most other models do. As a result, you must change all settings from within that one LCD--though in a power-saving gesture, you can turn off the image in the screen and still adjust the settings. The LCD is a bit grainy, especially in low-light conditions, but its brightness is about average. An external light aids focusing.
OVERVIEW
2.11 megapixels, 1600 by 1200 maximum resolution, 35mm-70mm focal range (35mm equivalent), f2.8-f10 aperture range, shutter speeds from 1 second to 1/1500 second, optical and LCD viewfinders, USB and video connections, 8MB CompactFlash media, one rechargeable battery, 8.1 ounces with batteries, ArcSoft PhotoImpression and VideoImpression, Canon RemoteCapture 1.4, and PhotoStitch 3.1 software. One-year parts and labor warranty, toll-call support for 11 hours on weekdays.
Price:
$399
Purchasing Info
http://www.powershot.com/
800/652-2666
*Courtesy of PCWORLD.COM HERE (http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,76463,00.asp)*