Reviews for Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: easy to use, image stabilized zoom, takes very detailed and clear pictures

This is a great camera! It has everything you could want in a camera and is easy to use. It is small, yet has a 10x zoom that allows you to photograph for away objects. I couldn't ask for anything more!

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Love the 10X optical zoom, Good movie @ 640x480 30fps Fine mode and you can zoom in while taking movie. Easy to use.

Weakness: As everyone is saying: trouble focusing the object in low light setting. Works better if you don't zoom in.

I will put 100% totally recommended if the low light focusing is better, may be Canon is already working on the next model of S1 which adding the Focus Assist feature (like the S400 or many other Canon's). If you have done your reseach, you should know how many digital camera will do really good in low light setting plus many other good features that pack into a single camera for under $400: NONE. I played with the Kodak DX-6490 (also 10X zoom), its feature, quality and feel is not as good as Canon S1 (also S1 looks more handsome). As of 8/20/04, you can find a Canon S1 for around $330. I just couldn't wait for the next S1 so I had to buy one 3 weeks ago. Love the "S1 is"

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Totally Versatile, 10x optic zoom is awesome.

Weakness: Complicated and not a movie camera.

We love the camera and would buy one again if we needed another camera. Pictures are bright and brilliant. Flash works great. No red in pictures.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: 10X, image stabilization, fully programmable yet fully auotmatic. Durable camera that takes excellent pictures

Weakness: no real macro capability. I would have liked a way to put on a neutral density filter to protect the lens

I have had this camera for 30 days.
This camera feels durable and comfortable to use. I have a 256 MB card and rechargable batteries. This combination is wonderful and I havent run into a problem where I run out of space or power.
The manual is easy to use and it did not take me long to figure out various functions or menus. I have not even bothered to put it on fully automatic as I find I love fiddle with aperature priorioty, shutter prioty, exposure settings, braketing etc. On fully programmed mode, it behaves liek a piontand shoot yet allows me to change an exposure or flash setting on the fly. My wife on the other hand, just shoots in auto or fully porgrammed mode.
The pictures are amazing.
I see frommany reviews that the lens cap is a problem. I have not found this to be the case. I see why canon made the lens cap come off easily. When you turn the camera on, the lens extends. If the lens cap is on, it will fall off easily without damaging the lens. Otherwise I do not feel that the lens cap is a problem at all.

As you have read from other reviews , the 10x zoom with IS is an amazing feature.

The manual focus is well built. I haved used it several times and it worksgreat. A magnifying glass pops up to enlarge teh himage that you are focusing on. The great thig about digital is you get as many tries as you want to get it right. Lets just say that the manual focus is easy to use if want it.

The controls are well laid out. The manual is the best manual I have ever used. First off, it is in the language that you want, so you dont have to read over 6 languages to understand the instructions. The format is easy to understand and actually makes sense. never thought I would be praising a manual!

The camera itself feels rugged. I droppped it once in its case and thankfully nothing at all happened to it.

As you have read, the video is robust. You can zoom etc while taking video.

I fully reccomend this camera. The accesories I purchased were: 8 rechargable batteries, recharger, sandisk reader, 256 mb card, soft case and 2 year extended warranty. I received a disk reader that hooks up to the TV. That is well worth it too.
I bought it all at JR.com and this is the second purchase I have made from this company. Their customer service is great.
When I bought the camera and accessosories I mentioned to the salesman that I wanted the SanDisk player that hooks up to a TV and plays back images from the different types of cards. He said that he will add it to my order gratis (for free). When I received the box, in was not included. I called JR, who apologised for the oversight and I had my reader the next day by UPS. It seems that the employees are empowered to actually keep the customer happy. OK enough of a JR review.

As far as the Canon S1-IS.. the bottom line is that it has enough features, takes excellent pictures and is durable.
I am very satisfied.....

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Optical zoom. Image stabilazation. Great picture quality. Swivel/flip out display. Great manual control. Excellent battery life. Easy menus. Good software.

Weakness: Lense Cap. Macros difficult to set up.

I have to say that I was nervous about purchasing this camera especially with the somewhat low mega pixel capture. Especially with the S2 IS coming out soon. But it wasn’t worth the wait nor was it worth the additional mega pixels for the price. With the optical zoom and the image stabilization this really isn’t an issue. The majority of my photos are 4”X6” or 5”X7”. This camera takes excellent photos and has professional quality at 5” X 7”. Even the 8”X10” photos look very close to professional quality. I attribute this to the fact that you don’t have to crop your photo and blow it up to get the picture you really want. You can zoom in and get the shot you want right then and there without editing. I’ll trade mega pixels for optical zoom any day. Battery life is excellent with this camera. I use 2500 mAh Energizer NiMh batteries and get a full day or better of shooting (250+ pictures plus video) out of this camera with a type2 1 gig c.f. card. I really don’t know when they run out because I always recharge them after a full day of shooting and have never run out of juice. Another great benefit of this camera is the flip out and swivel display. I am only 5’7” tall and recently took a trip to St. Louis. Some of the adventures taken were the St. Louis Gateway Arch and St. Louis Zoo and boy was it crowded over Memorial Day weekend. I was still able to get my shots by holding the camera up over everyone’s head and still being able to see what I was shooting with full control of the camera and zoom. I was also able to get good shots of my girlfriend and myself with the display pointing at us with a timed shot. The video and sound are excellent and you are only limited by the amount of memory in your C.F. card. I can get a good 30 minutes of very high quality video and sound with a 1 gig card. (You should have seen my girlfriend on the trip up to the top of the Arch). I did a lot of research and read a lot of reviews before deciding to buy this camera over others in the same price range. A couple of the negatives I noted while reading reviews were the lens cap and the zoom speed. I have to agree that the lens cap does come off very easily but I think this is probably engineered this way for a reason. When the camera is powered on I wouldn’t want the lens cap on tight simply because the lens extends and it could possibly cause damage if the lens cap didn’t come off easily. As far as the zoom speed, I have had absolutely no problems with it. I think possibly some of the other reviews written were by people who had not read the directions or didn’t have the time to actually use the camera to it’s fullest before reviewing it. The zoom works excellent. If you push the zoom lever only half way the zoom is very slow and precise. This takes about a half a second to start moving in this state (I think some people were impatient) but it works very well and the focus seems to keep pretty dead on. The focus even works well in poorly lit conditions even with the lack of a focus light. Even when the camera is hunting for focus in poorly lit conditions it is easy “with practice” to find a sharp line or object close to your subject with the shutter button half pressed, the camera finds its focus point, you move the camera to your subject and fire. This camera works much better in low lit conditions than a lot of other cameras with focus lights. This camera is loaded with features and has a lot of manual controls similar to a quality 35mm camera although the auto mode works very well. At first I thought this camera was very lacking in the macro world. I’ve since discovered that macros are very good with the right settings. Auto setting doesn’t do this camera justice with macros but it can be set up to do so and even save your settings. Of course I would like more mega pixels but then again, I’m not printing billboards. This camera has surpassed all other digital cameras that I have owned in the past even with the 3.4 mega pixels. Overall I am very happy with my purchase and would recommend this camera to anyone who is looking for a camera in this price range.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Quiet powerful zoom lens for movies. Lots of manual controls at your fingertips. Tilt and swivel LCD. High quality movie shots for as long as you card allows.

Weakness: Small LCD, but then again it tilts and swivels. Small room for your thumb, especially if you have a big thumb. Zooming in picture mode a little too fast, takes some getting used to. No big complain.

I've owned Canon cameras for the past 26 years, two 35 mm SLR's and three digitals. This one is the best so far. I like to be in control of the picture taking process, and yet I like to be able to point and shoot when I'm too lazy to mess with the buttons, and this camera does a great job in both areas. A number of manual controls are provided on the camera body so that I don't need to constantly navigate the menus to change a setting. I can even customize one of the buttons to do a particular function that I use often, and change that each time depending on the need of the situation. The buttons on the camera body are well placed and very quickly I got used to letting my fingers to the watlking without taking my eyes off the subject.
Accessories: I already have a high-speed 512 MB and 256 MB card and I'm thinking about getting a SanDisk Utlra II 1 GB soon. Seems like If you want to shoot some good quality movies, you definitely need a few high-speed large capacity cards. The other thing you need is at least two sets of 4 reachargeable AA battereis. The ones I have (Ray-O-Vac) recharge in 15 minutes.
Bottom line, I decided to buy this camera after I did a lot of research. For me, this is the camera with the best combination of: mega-pixels, zoom lens, manual controls, ease of use, good looks, and price, not necessarily in that particular order.

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Reply by member: dphrag
Mar 30, 2005

"Quiet powerful zoom lens for movies" - you actually wanted to type "quite"? Because when recording a movie and use zoom, the microphine records the sound of the retracting lens...kinda irritating

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Great movie mode (VGA, 30 fps, high-detail)! Great and useful Image Stabilization. Good controls layout. Great feel in the hand (mid-size cam) with perfect grip for right-handers. Enough resolution.

Weakness: 3.2 megapixels ... they really should have put a 4 megapixel chip in this (though I am quite content with 3.2 even though I've had more in prev. cam's).

First off, I am extremely picky and research purchases almost too extensively before buying. That said, I am VERY HAPPY with the Canon PowerShot S1 IS. I was looking for a camera with a good zoom (7x+), very good image quality, a good quality lens, and it had to also have a VGA resolution movie mode at 30 fps -- I want to catch those video clips that just happen without having to lug around my MiniDV camcorder along with a still camera (of course I wouldn't trust even the best current camcorder to take my stills, some day I will). Anyway, i was about to buy the Olympus C-770, but I had pause: it takes xD memory (512 MB max) whereas I prefer CompactFlash if at all possible (4 GB microdrives in CF type II), it's 30 fps VGA video seems to use too much compression (I like MPEG 4, but not with that much compression), and ... why get an ultra zoom without Image Stabilization if you don't have to!?! I looked at some sample videos and there seemed to be just about NO compression artifacts - WOW. If it had an external mic jack (like the C-770 does) I would probably just sell my MiniDV camcorder, the video is so good. Of course video is just a side-line for this camera so i will comment on the image quality. The image quality is great. It does have some chromatic aberration (as do most ultra zooms), but it is not bad (see imaging-resources.com and others for their super-in-depth reviews and sample pictures). It would also be good if it had a focus-assist light, but it does seem to do quite well anyway. There is one minor point, sometimes it seems to auto-focus right past the focus point and goes blurry - this usually self-rectifies quickly, doesn't happen much, and happens with many cameras. I am also excited that it takes my 4 GB CF type II card giving me about 35 minutes of top-quality video and plenty of stills between downloads. Additionally, Canon makes an inexpensive (~$160) underwater case which which I am definitely going to buy it. Finally, it can be run very manually if desired, which is important to many including me. So as I wrote when I started this review, I am very happy with the camera and find the 3.2 megapixels is actually enough (especially since you don't have to crop as much with a 10x zoom and Image Stabilization.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: All those things everyone else said. Canon has a firmware update that addresses some of the negatives indicated by others. Go to the Canon website. It is easy to use.

Weakness: No auto focus assist lamp. The firmware update seems to help that delay when you push the button to the actual picture taking. Firmware update (open battery compartment/see a black dot? its done.

I am extremely pleased. Ecstatic. I had a four megapixel off brand for three years. It was OK and had the first "consumer" 1 megapixel (Fuji 1200 prior to that). But I degress. The LCD is small, but clear AND flexible. I went to a bear refuge just outside of Yellowstone and got a killer pic of a bear 10 feet in front of me. Everyone else was clicking away at ground level getting half its face and a fence. I twisted the LCD so I could see it from below, held it above my head used that wonderful zoom for a full face shot and voila killer shot. Everyone else there, I know, has a nose and some eyes.. I have one of those also. Just one example. Click away with the auto (point and shoot) or manually do just about anything an SLR will do. So mom the kids and a dad with a hankering for high tech (ex. 3 pic bracketing/pick the best erase the rest) are happy. Wonderful Canon quality pics...anyway you cut it. $359 at Best Buy including a case (cause they gave me the internet price)and I got the four year agreement for what others have paid for the camera new. Now I am hoping it breaks at three years and 364 days...

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Excellent image stabilizer with 10X optical zoom. Manual controls. Very good Image quality. Silent motor. Flip-out and variable-angle LCD. High-quality video mode. Compatible with micro drive.

Weakness: Manual focus is a pain. Difficul to focus in low-light. Need more battery. No USB 2.0.

I have this camera for one month and have shot more than 1000 pictures. So far I'm very happy with it and all the complaints are really minor.

The camera is very easy to use. Some people may get a little confused by all different buttons, but the camera can simply do a good job at the "auto" mode in most cases. The "P" mode is also automatic but it allows more tuning such as ISO setting and color effect (a cool feature that should be tried out). More experienced users may feel Tv/Av/M modes more comfortable to fine tune the shutter and aperture settings. The continuous shooting is a good feature, especially for kids who usually can't stay still for a second. Needless to say, the image stabilizer is simply the best (if not "one" of the best) among what's available on the market. Pictures taken in day light is usually guaranteed with good quality. The LCD can be opened side way and rotated to any angle. This allows me to male shots of myself while looking at the LCD at the same time.

The manual focus is probably the only serious complaint that I have for this camera. The control is awkward by pushing a button with your left hand and adjusting another button with your right hand. Since the LCD is small with a low resolution, it's difficult to decide whether the subject is focused even though the manual focus mode provides a magnified view of the subject. This gets even worse with low light. Sometimes you have no choice but to rely on manual focus, while the magnified subject appears very blurry on a dim LCD screen.

Rechargeable NiMH batteries are highly recommended. The four AA batteries that came with the camera were quickly exhausted after taking 10 shots and 1 minute of high quality video. I have already used 30+ Alkaline AA batteries within a month. Each set of 4 AA batteries is usually good for 100 shots in 40 minutes with LCD turned on. Rechargeable NiMH batteries usually provide 3X capacity than Alkaline, and you don't have to exchange the batteries as often. This could help protect the battery cover - I feel it is somehow easy to break or wear out if the batteries are changed too often.

The high quality video mode is definitely a plus but you need more memory and battery power to use it. It requires 2M bytes per seconds to store the video. One minute of video will take up to 120M bytes. When the CF card is being written continuously, the batteries are drained much more quickly. I also observed that during the video mode the camera body gets a little warm. I put a 4GB micro drive in the camera so the storage doesn't seem to be a bottleneck. However the micro drive also consumes more power from the battery so I wouldn't use the video mode too often.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Flexibility, size, picture quality

Weakness: stock lense cap, MF operation (even cameras this small should allow focus & zoom manually at lense...)

I have a Rebel EOS, and couldn't afford to get into the digital market with the digital equivelent at $1,000. I read all reviews online of all cameras at the $500 range, and decided to get the S1IS sight unseen.

What sold me was the 10x optical zoom, as I didn't want to depend on digital zooming for anything due to picture degredation. I also liked the fact that the camera modes were labelled the same as the EOS, so I already understood many of the modes such as Tv, Av and P which are confusing for folks who don't do a LOT of SLR film portraits.

My experience is about 25 years in film photography, only about 2 years total professionally, and and I suppose mostly an 'avid amateur', taking lots of 'artsie' photos.

I was paying a few dollars/roll of film and $10/roll for processing with disk in formats that were lower resolution than I wanted. I mean, a roll fills about 5% of a CDROM! Why skimp on the scanning resolution? They'll name a wing of a new Walmart after me for all the $$$ I've spent.

With that said, I will tell you that my only reservation was with the amount of people reviewing who complained about the zoom rate/speed of the camera's lense and the 2 second auto-focus delay. First the zoom...

I am glad to say that those who complined about the zoom rate must have just unpacked the camera and started blasting away. Then after a few pictures they wrote a review. I read the entire manual and was surprised to learn that the zoom control is position sensitive for rate control. In other words, if you only rotate the zoom control a little, the zoom changes at a small rate. The more toward the stop it is rotated, the faster the zoom. Reading reviews on pricegrabber and amazon you'd think it had one speed: FAST. It doesn't, so dismiss these comments.

The auto-focus delay is a bit strange. The EOS behaves in a kinda similar way in that if you try to snap a shot in AF mode, it will NOT do it until the focus zone is in focus to it's satisfaction. This can be REAL frustrating if your subject isn't patient, and doesn't feel like waiting for you. Here is what happens: In low light, or through a mirror, or through a liguid, etc. if the AF region has any trouble at all it will not allow the picture in certain modes that are more automatic. In fact, the camera exhibits a strange behaviour by taking a second to try to focus and then cycling the flash mode(?!). You can sit there pushing the shutter button half and full over and over again waiting for it to take the picture. Definitely an undocumented feature, and it happens in good light as well.

The delay that is the most annoying in AF/Auto mode is thus: When you press the shutter release 1/2 way, you expect the subject to come into focus within the focus region (in the center by default). This happens, but while it does the 'shot' that was in the viewer when you press the release all the way stays in the viewer 'frozen' so that the viewer (either) is unusable for 2 seconds. After those 2 seconds, the actual picture is taken! That's right-you focus at one point in time, that image consumes all viewers and after 2 seconds the actual shot is taken! This is why some reviews said that you need to look 'around' the camera to see where your subject has travelled to since you asked the camera for the picture. Yikes.

The manual says that you can avoid this problem by first manually focusing and then release when ready-assuming your subject behaves and this is not a 'complex' composition. In fact, Canon is so concerned about this 'flaw' (remember, I don't know any better) that they have enhanced the MF functions to try to return the viewers to a useable state as soon after shutter release as possible. I won't review these modes here, but you should really play with them so you're quick when you need them.

I take a lot of 'artsie' pictures, so I'm not as concerned about the delays. I use a tripod most of the time out of habit! But if you go to release and move the camera even slightly, you won't get the shot you set up-remember, the camera only takes the shot 2 seconds after rendering the viewers unuseable. By the way, it bears mentioning here that BOTH the 'flip out' and 'eyepiece' viewers are LCD. This is great because you can do all the mode adjustments in either viewer (the eyepiece even has a thumbwheel adjustment for non-20:20 eyes!). It is not great in that in AF mode you have no way to see what the camera is actually going to take in the way of a picture (unless camera and subject are static).

And just for those who have this camera, I'n not talking about the 2 second 'review' setting that lets you see the picture you JUST took for 2 seconds (adjustable from not at all to 10 seconds).

One other strange thing to have to compensate for (remember, no digital guru here...) is that when the camera is in Auto mode, it LOVES to use the flash. I can't figure this out. It shoud be automatic, but instead it just loves to use the flash. This is definitely undesireable, not just for battery use, but also in cases where flash is not wanted/desired. For example, I just took a picture of this laptop's screen from normal user distance, and in Auto it used the flash. The picture was all washed out (and not from direct reflection). I found that in 'P'rogram mode calmed the camera down a little. IT will still do all the automatic shutter and f-stop, but will not force the flash. The only way around this is to adjust the flas through it's 3 modes (on, off and auto)-but you can't adjust these in 'Auto' mode! Not a deal-killer, but at $500 this camera shouldn't behave like a toy. Go figure.

ANy other complaint? Yes: Canon, seriously. Can we talk? Why would you make a wonderful, compact powerhouse and give it the crappiest lense cover 'system' ever? This cover barely stays on. Remember, we can't change the lenses, so protection would seem to be paramount. Hopefully the extensions and their lenses have better covers. I'll be getting them soon to see.

Now for the good parts... Digital cameras rock. I have a 512 MB flash card ($100) and it can hold hundreds to thousands of pictures. The internal processor is absolutely amazing at correcting (selectively) for annoyances like flourescent or bright environments. I wish it could do more of the work of standard optical filters (it would seem to be easier electronically), but having 2 modes for fluorescent bulbs (high and low deg K) is quite a surprising and useful feature.

Also, this thing is small-REAL small. In fact, I think it's size makes it hard to grab in a hurry for fear of grabbing it the wrong way, etc. I guess I'll get used to that, though!

Purchased in store at Walmart for $450-the same price as online. Bestbuy had it for $500 with a 10% discount if you bought it online. Goes through batteries like nobody's business. Buy 2 charges, each with 4 batteries, at LEAST (the ones with a 12vdc adapter and 120v) at a place like Walmart for $16 each in stead of staples or elsewhere for $26 each for the same thing.

My first digital, so I can't compare, but I will tell you that reading the whole manual while playing with the camera is useful. I'll want to get the AC adapter to use the TV as a monitor (pictures look GREAT through the receiver!). Take movies and more, so buy a 512MB card, and look for MFG rebates on the flash (which the stores won't tell you about). There is one now from SanDisk for ~20% rebate on all flash.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Powerful 10X Zoom, Image Stabilization, Canon Quality, Cool Looking

Weakness: Yes, the LCD is pretty darn small.

Just received my S1 IS and felt compelled to say a few things. First of all, the two biggest concerns I've read about this camera seem to have been addressed. 1. Lack of AF assist light seems to be corrected as mine came with an AF light incorporated into the flash mechanism. Seemed to work well in my limited practice shots. 2. Not sure if Canon actively corrected the lcd screen lock, but it does not seem to be any worse than the 10 other digital cameras I have owned. Pictures are quite sharp and colors are bright and crisp. I'm waiting for my 1G memory card to really test the video. Should also note Canon has excellent customer service, as I recently had to send my oher Canon in for service (blown fuse). Shipped it on a Monday and had it back on Friday - no charge, no hassle! My time with the camera is limited and I'll update, as needed. Very impressed with this camera so far, and just wanted to mention these things for those considering it.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Image anti-shake feature VERY useful! Image clarity very good

Weakness: Haven't encountered any so far

I asked a professional photographer friend of mine to reccommend a decent camera in the 300-500 dollar price range and THIS is the one he said I should buy. I love taking macro pictures of flowers and the day I bought this camera I took some shots that just amazed me! I also found out that I can get conversion lenses for decent prices, which is a big plus.

The anti-shake feature is very much evident especially if you take indoor pictures without flash. I've tried to take no flash pictures before with other cameras (to get certain light effects) with much blurring. This camera has some blurring, but not as much as the others I've used. Most pictures have come out very clear.

As an amateur photographer I like the fact that you can use auto settings but the manual settings are also available for when I want to step up my picture taking abilities.

All in all, I have no complaints about this camera....yes, the lens cap does come off easily, but that is a very, very minor issue compared to the quality one gets from this camera for the price!

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Long Optical Zoom, Excellent Video capabilities (zoom still functions) & quality, easy to use, manual controls, fantastic pictures!!!

Weakness: NONE

Be sure you buy NiMH batteries to use with this camera. PowerEX 2300 batteries last forever in this camera...hundreds of pictures and hours of playback and transfer time. The video quality is amazing for a digital camera and can capture between 10 - 60 minutes of video depending on quality on a 1 gigabyte card. The 10x optical zoom is wonderful and works quickly & quitely. It really makes up for the 3 megapixel ccd because you can frame your shots so you don't have to crop them. BEST BUY I'VE MADE!!!

I also bought the underwater camera case (DC-20) from Canon and loved it! The camera/case floats (despite being told otherwise by Canon) and took excellent photos underwater. I took it to a Wet-n-Wild waterpark, snorkeling, and on the beach....you can also scuba dive up to a couple hundred feet!

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Picture quality, image stabilization, long lens, manual options, movie quality, small size

Weakness: Requires adaptor for protective filters, shoddy lens cap, lack of AF assist lamp, shutter delay

I bought this camera for an African safari later this year. I wanted a 10x zoom for those far away (I hope) wild animal scenes and full manual controls. Originally I did not consider the S1 because it was only 3.2 magapixels and I wanted 4 or 5 megapixels. I was very close to buying an Olympus 770. However, the reviews were so good on the S1, I felt compelled to take a closer look. The clincher for me was the image quality comparisons on Steve's Digicams site. I selected a section of image detail, and discovered the pictures on this camera were equal to and nearly indistinguishable from the the 4 and 5 megapixel 10X zooms (Canon, Lumix, Kodak). I also realized that camera shake is a big problem with long zooms as just a little camera shake will be amplified by 10 times. Image stabilization compensates for this problem by floating the lens or sensor on gyroscopes. The only other camera in this class with image stablization is the Lumix and, though a great camera, its just too big to carry on my hip. Another draw is the available accessories including add on telephoto and wide angle lens and a reasonably priced underwater housing (I will also be scuba diving in Mombassa). I also wanted a camera that uses standard AA batteries and a CF2 card. All in all, the S1 had the longest list of positives and shortest list of negatives.

Its taken me a month to master this camera and I definitely do not regret the choice. The quality is good and, with manual focusing, shutter, ISO, and aperature settings, I can capture just about any scene. I recently got a spectacular picture of robin chicks in a nest deep inside a tree. I took a beautiful clear picture without disturbing the birds from about 10 feet away and manually focused from just the right angle. Since it was late in the afternoon and getting quite dark, I increased the ISO and lens aperture to increase the depth of field (at some expense to noise).

My only complaints are regarding the use of the adaptor for filters. I previously owned 35 mm SLR's and always kept a UV filter on the lens as a lens protector. To do this, you must purchase an adaptor and that makes the camera much bulkier. And to make matters worse, the lens cap barely stays on the camera, increasing the possibility of accidental damage. Another thing I cannot understand is the lack of an AF assist lamp as Canon has included this feature on less expensive cameras. While the camera will focus in low light situations, it seems to take several seconds to lock. And finally, like all cameras in this class, the shutter delay makes it very difficult to shoot moving objects.

I also purchased the 1.6 telephoto extender lens. This lens is a disappointment to me. At 1.6, it does not add much magnification but triples the width of the camera. Also the lens is not threaded for filters so I am back to the unprotected lens problem. I did not purchase the wide angle lens since it is most useful for indoor scenes and I rarely take indoor pictures.

On a positive note, I purchased the underwater housing. It operates all camera features and is a beatiful piece of work. I already sold my point and shoot film underwater camera on Ebay as I know I will never use that camera again.

As a side note, I found an excellent monopod, the Hakuba. It telesopes like a portable radio antenna from 10 inches to 5 feet in about 2 seconds and is also a table top tripod. One other recommendation. Do not purchase the Canon case for the S1. Its oddly shaped and the lens cap will fall off when you remove the camera. A much better fit is the Tamrac 5693 without the adaptor positioned on the camera or the Tamrac 5683 with the adaptor or extension lens on the camera

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: super long 10x Optical 38-380mm Zoom Lens (35mm equivalent) with Canon’s exclusive optical Image Stabilizer , manual operation

Weakness: AutoFocus in low light conditions is not great

I looked for many 10x digital cameras, finally I made up my mind to buy this camera. The reasons are as follows:
1.it has image stabilizer
2. it can use the 4GB CF microdrive from Muvo2 Mp3 player
3. It uses the cheaper AA batteries
4. it has a lot of man-made control, including Av and Tv priority.
5. good Cannon products
6.Take camcorder-quality movies right from the camera
good deal!

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Picture quality. Feel of camera. Controls.

Weakness: Pictures in low light. Hard to focus with serious zoom or with very close shots.

After trying out the Kodak equivalent 10 x ultrazoom for 5 days and returning it we are very happy with this replacement. It handles very nice. The picture quality is very good.

Only qualms are difficulty getting good shots when zooming and in low light. Should include a lamp to help this issue.

All in all an excellent camera for the price.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: 10x Optical Zoom, Image Stabalizer, Compact Size, Battery Life, Image Quality, Video Mode

Weakness: Video Mode, Battery Door

First off, let me say this camera is amazing. It's my 3rd Digital Camera and my other one is a 4.0MP Minolta and this 3.2MP takes far supriour pictures. It's April 2004 and trust me, anyplace you find this camera online for under $479 is a scam with a Japanese camera that takes 7-10 weeks to make it to the US...trust me, I looked far and wide for a better deal. Just go to your local Ritz or Circuit City (where I got mine) and pay $500 and save yourself all the hassle.

The video mode is one of the camera's biggest strenghts...and weaknesses. The highest quality video setting on this camera is amazing - the picture is perfect and smooth with no diginoise when played on a 50" TV and the sound isn't half bad either. It doesn't sound like you recorded the clip inside a tincan like many other cameras. Having said that, this highest quality setting requires approximately 2MB/sec storage! That means on a 522MB card you get slightly over 4:30 of high quality video. Here's the kicker...you think you'll just buy a 4GB Hitachi/IBM Microdrive and use that and have a whole lot of recording options but the camera is limited to a MAXIMUM recording size of 1GB. So even if you have that 4GB card, the maximum recording time you can get in the highest setting is a little over 9minutes! I guess for $500 I shouldn't have expected a fully functional camcorder, but I thought was kinda lame.

All this means is you won't want to videotape your kid's recitals or concerts with this, but for everything else the 9min max really isn't a big deal. If you want to record a kids little league game, you just do a series of smaller recordings and 9min really is a long time when you think about it.

The lower settings result in a somewhat smaller filesize (not as much as a difference as you would think) and I was able to get about 22min on a lower setting on my 522MB card. The quality was still really good, but you got the "Web cam" choppies and noticeable pixelation on a TV larger than my 27".

The only other negative is the battery door...when you "push" down the batteries to latch that shut it feels like it's ready to break. I've had worse cameras and other electronics that NEVER broke so it's probably a non-issue, but if you are clumsy and drop stuff or bang into stuff I wouldn't be suprised if you lost that door.

Everything else is roses....and the IS (Image Stabalizer) is the best invention since sliced bread. When you zoom in to play with the 10x lense the first time you'll be disappointed in the image quality (like I was) unless you remember to hit the IS. I took some pictures of birds in the yard and they looked like cats, then I turned on the IS and wow...each blade of grass was very crisp. It's amazing how much a tiny little shake that is imperceivable to you makes on a 10x zoom. It works wonders on the video too...especially when zooming. On my old camera I'd be pretty stable until I zoomed in on something and then it got all shaky and crazy, the IS keeps it steady as can be (though it still shakes/pans side to side a bit, the up and down 'bobbles' are almost non-existant). When you use the full 3.2x digital zoom in tandem with 10x optical, the IS saves the day and gives you suprisingly good 32x pictures. I thought the crappy quality on my old camera was just the digital zoom but apparently much of it was my hand shaking with the camera. Don't be afraid to use the digital zoom with this camera like you used to on other ones because it's not useless...but it definately knocks down the quality/resolution a few notches.

This camera is a great all-purpose camera that has a steller, stable zoom and an amazing video option...but don't think it will replace/serve as a camcorder for all your video needs. In a pinch when there's something you'd like to cherish forever without your camcorder handy, you'll be glad you had this camera. Also, if you EVER plan on using the video feature, be sure buy AT LEAST a 522MB card. A 128MB card which isn't too shabby for a 3MP camera will only give you a little over a minute of high quality video!

Buy this camera and enjoy all the great new features without burning a hole in your wallet.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Light weight, east to use, outstanding "on the fly" photos

Weakness: battery life sucks

Ive owned digitals for 8 years. Ive had olympus, fuji and Cannon. Cannon is a far superior camera. The only gripe is in low light situations, auto focus and red eye are a problem sometimes. If your a pro, spend a grand and get an slr digital, if your a regular joe that wants near slr quality digital pics, go with the A1Is...Totally satisfied...

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Great Camera....has the real feel of an actual camera..... Size and weight reminds of the 35mm I used to have from yeaturyear.

Weakness: None found yet.

AWESOME... After owning 3 "popular priced" digital cameras... I finally decided to dive into the "better version" price range. I visited many "Digital" type retail stores. I needed to get a feel for the camera. The S1 really feels and sounds like a real camera... not like a little metal rectangle. I asked many questions to the sales staff about many cameras on display and after telling them I found the Cannon S1 online for $336.(Beach Camera) they all said grab it.. great deal. By the way I just checked site it is now $329.00
I'm having lots of fun... I was shooting pics in 3 minutes after opening the box.
I'm on my way to Barcelona, Spain ... with a 1 gig CF and I plan to have a blast.
Enjoy... I am

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Image Stabalizer, 10x Optical Zoom, Stitch Assist, Video recording, manual features, and control setup.

Weakness: Eats batteries fast - I bought the 15 min rechargeable Rayvoc batteries and they work great.

What sold me on this camera is the built in image stabilizer, and the 10x (Optical) zoom. When you have a camera that is 10x you need to be extremely steady when taking a shoot to prevent blurring.

I’ve also enjoyed the features of the camera such as the Stitch Assist which is great for a panoramic view that you can’t capture in one image. Also, the video quality is excellent for a digital camera but uses memory really fast.

I bought the HP Photosmart 7960 with the camera and have been extremely happy with the quality of the prints. I’ve only printed of 4x6 prints but they’re of excellent quality.

All in all I spent several months looking for the perfect digital camera in my price range ($300 - $450). One other thing I wanted was a high optical zoom and right now options are pretty limited unless you go with a $1000 SLR camera.

I would definitely make this purchase again.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: 10x optical zoom with image stablizer. Real digital movie mode. Accepts 4GB microdrive. Manual mode.

Weakness: Small LCD. Auto focusing is a bit slow. Huge movie files.

Overall this is a great camera. I was in the market for either a camcorder with good still pictures or a camera with good movie mode. Basically, I don't want to carry two devices around. The problem with camcorders are 1 - they are more expensive, and, 2 - the ones with higher pixel still images are usually big and heavey. The problem with other camera's movie mode are 1 - most can only take 320x240x15fps, and, 2 - exposure and zoom level are often locked with first frame, if you pan your shot from a bright area to a dark area, it will show up as almost black. This camea handles both points well in 640x480x30fps. The down side is that the movie files are huge. A 512M CF can only hold 4 and a half minutes of high quality movie. A slower CF (Sandysk) has to take a break every minute to write the movie to card. I got a 4GB microdrive from muvo2. It worked very well!
I have to mention the small LCD. Although canon cleverly magnifies the picture in a small box in the center, it's still very hard to use manual focus on that little low resolution LCD.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: 10X optical zoom lens with image stabilization. Very good photo quality. Flip-out LCD screen. Compact for an ultra zoom.

Weakness: Pricey for a 3-megapixel camera. No AF-assist lamp. LCD/EVF is difficult to use in low light. Small LCD. No rechargeable battery.

Overall, this is a good ultra zoom digital camera. Image stabilization is what sold me, it is amazing. However, if imaging stabilization is not important to you, there are other cameras with slightly better photo quality and more megapixels for less money.

Although the LCD is small, the articulating screen is great for waist-level and overhead shooting. There is some purple fringing in the high contrast areas at the telephoto end of the zoom range.

The movie mode is excellent. On the highest quality setting, the recording looks like it was shot with a camcorder and the sound quality is just as good. However, the file size is limited to 1 GB which is approximately 9 minutes worth of video. The camera's movie mode is still a great choice for short clips.

Finally, should you decide to purchase this camera, stay away from the "best price" dealers. Buy from a reputable store even if you have to pay slightly more. From the "best price" dealers, I received pressure to purchase overpriced unnecessary accessories. When I refused, the camera was suddenly no longer available or on back order. When I requested a camera with a USA manufacturers warranty, I was told that would cost me more that the advertised price.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Excellent zoom. Packed with features. Movie with zoom option. Rotating LCD. Distance of the flash from the lens is good enough to reduce red eye. Functions are simple to understand.

Weakness: No protective cover. Battery life is less. Software provided is ok.

If you are looking for a camera packed with features at an affordable cost... this is the one.

It did not take too long for me to understand and use the features of the camera. I just had a couple of hours to go thru the complete manual before I started to use it. The movie function with zoom option is a good plus point. Most of my shots are in Auto mode. The view finder is also very good.

This camera looks chunky in the pics but in reality this fits in your jacket pocket. If you are going to go for a compact camera, buy a chunky protective cover and carry in your hands then i would suggest you invest it in something that has features and carry it in your hand.

I am not using the software provided by canon extensively. I have installed the TWAIN driver alone and the rest is taken care of by Irfanview (freeware) for photo editing.

The software inside the camera and the interface provided in it is simple. If you need to quickly change from high resolution to low or super fine to normal mode...its all a couple of clicks away.

Its startup time is decent. Nothing to complain about. A 256MB flash card will do if you are going to just click snaps for uploading to a website or sending it in emails.

Overall this camera is worth the price. Just get a rechargeable battery pack and a 256MB memory card. That should keep you going.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: 10x Zoom, Image Stabilizer, Different modes, movies limited by memory card, easy to hold, lcd screen can rotate between viewable and being stowed in a protected position

Weakness: White balances are weird (I get green sunsets?), Auto focus doesn't work sometimes and the manual focus isn't the best, sound on movies doesn't always pick up noises not emitted by camera-person

This is my first camera of any sort more complicated than a 35mm camera with optional flash. (the $5 variety from Target) The user manual for this camera is extremely well written, and the software is easy to use.
You get quite a bit of noise in the longer exposures, but that is to be expected with any ccd. The longest exposure you can take is 15 seconds, and the shortest is 1/2000 of a second.
The image stabilizer is nice, but jerky movements and things will still disrupt longer pictures.
I've been rather disappointed with some of the reds I've tried to take, but if I take a different white balance sometimes I can get better pictures.
The mode that you can use to see where the overlaps are in the pictures is good except for that it is pretty much auto mode, and you can't adjust much in it.
The batteries that I have (Energizer rechargables) have never run out on me before the other set has finished charging. They run out faster while taking movies, though.

I find the feature of holding down the shutter half way useful, except for the auto focus not being the best. (if you are playing around with shutter length and exposure then it shows sort of what the picture will look like if it's a bright object. If you're trying to take long exposures of relatively dark things then it will just look dark)
My roommate has another powershot from a year or two ago, and its movies were limited to around 15 seconds. Having not had zoom up until this point and really having felt deprived, I'm very happy with the 10x zoom. I really like that you can turn the lcd display around so that when you look through the viewer (I like the feel of that better) you don't smudge your nose on the screen.
The microphone will only pick up louder noises, so other people whispering will not be heard, so in that way it is lacking compared to an actual camcorder.

I have been very happy with this camera, but it does have its flaws. And the cheaper prices are now $50 less than when I bought it in June.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Long zoom is great, IS makes a huge difference,

Weakness: Sometimes the autofocus isnt so focused, especially after zooming into something, but easy to resolve.

I've had a lot of fun playing around with this camera. The zoom and the lcd screen make candids so simple to get and actual sportsphotos a possibility. The only drawback so far is the autofocus at the max zoom can be off, but its really simple to fix with manual foxus. The cameras been nothing but a great purchase so far.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Gives you point & shoot versatility or creative photography all so easily & with a great 10x optical zoom! Love the 30fps/VGA quality movie mode w/sound. Exceptional versatility!!

Weakness: Only weakness is lens cover that falls off easily, but I've never known one that doesn't.

This camera is a great buy for those of us who need point & shoot mode for those quick pics but also want to expand on our photographic creativity when time allows. The menus are easy, simple to use. Seems like a lot of buttons at first, but easily understandable once you get to using it. It has great capability, not to mention the great optical zoom, movie mode, & Image stabilization. It's not too big either. A great camera at a great price here on techbargains.com!

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: This camera was worth the wait. The IS works really well and is a great selling point.

Weakness: The freeze frame in auto focus, but you can work around that OK. Speed of zoom (fast, but once you get used to it, it is OK)

We waited for several months for this camera and are very pleased. Purchased at Walmart for $447. I agree with another post to watch any vendor that has a good price. Buy from a reputable store front. It will make your life much happier!

My first day taking pictures was a hoot. I took over 100 pictures and the only complaint I had was the speed of the zoom. Very fast, but once I got used to it, it worked OK. The IS is amazing, and really works. The video feature works well, but I must say I haven't done much with that yet.

The freeze frame in auto focus is not so bad once you get used to it. If you are using the screen on the back of the camera, you can see around the camera and not get run over by what ever it is you are taking pictures of. I was at a calf branding and was constantly having to move out of the way of the horses. The sun was bright and I had to use the optical view finder, therefore losing my peripheral vision. So, it can be a problem in that situation. But otherwise, not much of an issue.

My take on this camera is "buy it!" You will like what you see.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: The image stablilzer, high quatlity video, 10x zoom, and photo quality and color are top notch.

Weakness: Would have liked 4 or 5 MP although I rarely make prints over 5x7 so probably don't need more pixels.

The camera feels right, all the controls are where they should be. I was amazed at the clear 10x zoom shots, I had trouble with my previous camera with camera shake (probably me as much as the camera) but the Canon image stabilizer took care of that. The colors are fantastic, probably because of the Digic process. Also very impressive is the near DVD quality video, I'll be using this a lot. I also like the standard AA batteries and acceptance of Compact Flash and Microdrive media.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: 10X zoom, lots of option.

Weakness: lens cap falls off very easily, design flaw.

I like the handling and usage. I also own a Canon Powershot Elph S 300 and find the software easy to use and comparable.
Major weakness for such a reputable camera is the fact that the lens cap is mickey mouse as if falls off at the slightest touch.
I think the engineers at Canon goofed and should correct this problem.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Awesome Image Quality

Weakness: No flash shoe, could have used the standard Canon battery instead of AA's.

I traded my digital rebel for it and don't regret it a bit! This this thing is awesome! Shots are clean and color is great. My 10th digital camera and it doesn't get any better. Really....

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Ease of use, 10x optical zoom, can record long video's, rotatable screen.

Weakness: Lense cover is junk, included software is slow.

My first digital camera. I started by reading the manual. Easy to use as point and shoot, easy to use advanced features. I bought Sony rechargable batteries (2100mAh) for 1/4 price of Cannon batteries, worked fine so far. Audio recording is mono, but for $350 it can't do everything. Memory card and battery compartment flaps do feel a little thin, but so far no problems.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Image Stabilizer - works great 10x optical zoom Vari-angle LCD Digital view-port Very configurable (Almost) unlimited high resolution (640x480) movies Panoramic pictures

Weakness: Cannot use as an Removable Drive in Windows 2000 No rechargable batteries provided No AF illuminator (to focus on very low light) LCD too small for cam. size Movies are not MPEG No fast preview

Canon Powershot S1 is a very good camera, with an awesome 10x zoom and a great image stabilizer. The maximum speed for the zoom is a little bit too fast, but fortunally after a while you will adjust it more smoothly. You have a lot of control for camera settings, i.e: very good manual focus.

The software could be improved (the menus are not very intuitive). Also, the positioning of the buttons could be improved (I expect a "Set" button in the middle of left-right-up-down-arrows for faster navigations).

A very nice thing: you can control the camera (and take pictures) using the computer.

The software does not allow you to direct control the content of the memory card in Windows 2000 (the camera does not act as a removable USB drive).

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Good picture quality, sharp images, full manual control, easy to use, IS, good movie mode

Weakness: hard to put into pocket, but it is the smallest 10x i seen, smaller than my last 6x!!

Everything is these reviews are true. the only thing i can add is that if you want to do full motion video- 640x480 @30f/s you should put in a "high Speed" CF card. i read this somewhere, based on the movie size/mins it seems somewhere over a meg/sec which would be over "10x" CF card. test this out yourself, i haven't checked it but it seems to make sense. Great camera. my favorite by far...now only if a 5mp version came out....hmmmmm

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Undoubtedly the 10X optical zoom, Image Stabilizatiion is an amazing feature. You can take pictures in Black/White. I am an ardent lover of B/W pictures, and so I liked it very much.

Weakness: A bit bulky, but perfectly OK for all the features.

Ultimate feature packed. Picture clarity is very good. Basicallly a typical 3+X optical zoom cam is very good. I don't find any point in having a 5MP or more cam, as a 3MP picture qlty itself is very good. Will highly recommend the same to my friends !

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: 10x zoom(fast and quiet), LCD view fider, Image stabilizer, good manual control options, exellent video for a still camera(30 fps) the flip out main LCD screen and the look and feel seems well made.

Weakness: NO AF low light LAMP!(for a higher end camera too) LCD screen too small

I'm probably going to exchage it for a canon A75 or A80.
first of all they are much cheaper and they both have a 9 point AF low light focus. I don't uderstand why canon didn't put that option in the S1. But besides the price thats the only reason that I'm going to exchange it.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Zoom lens, Image stabilizer, ease of operation, Compact Flash memory, reliabilty

Weakness: Low pixel count for price

I have had and still use an A70 and A80 units. This S1 IS is the best yet. The zoom lens and the right price make this a great choice for any digital camera user. The reliabilty of Canon cameras is second to none. The battery life is also woth mentioning. Even if you have rechargables AA's are worth sticking in your bag. Another great shooter from Canon. Only the lack of 4 mil. pixels dissapointed me. The quality of the shots are like 4 or better when compared to many other makers's cameras.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: THe 640x480 30fps movie mode is excellent. 10X zoom with IS also produce very good image.

Weakness: The LCD screen is a little bit too small. No macro fouce. The nearest fouce distance is about 10cm which is a bit too long.

This digital camera is smaller than I expect which is good.
The power on/off switch is a bit of small that sometime hard to turn on and off. The up/down/left/right selection button sometime hard to control. I prefer the Olympus style of 4 arrow buttons which is easy to control.

The image quality is very good to excellent. the purple fringing on the high contrast edge is minor. It didn't
bother me too much since it happen on most of high zoom
power digital camera.

Overall I am satisfied with this camera.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: Good zoom. Excellent images. works on AA batteries. Excellent manual control.

Weakness: No assist lamp resulting in poor focussing in low light.

Great camera for the price it is available at right now. Image quality is excellent. Low light focussing is poor, but can be made up using manual focus. Not pocketable, so plan to buy a carrying case.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: 10X Zoom, Size, Tilt LCD, Ease of menu, Good flash, Great picture quality.

Weakness: Lens cap is cheap and falls off.

I've only had the camera for 4 days but wanted to give a quick review.
This camera is great ! Fun and easy to use and will do just about anything I ask of it. So far I've taken about 150 pics, both indoor and out. Even though I'm still getting used to it, the picture quality has been nothing short of outstanding. The color is much better than I expected. So far so good !

On the down side is the lens cap. But that seems common with alot of digital cameras. And maybe I'll figure out what I'm doing wrong. But I have to guess when to snap the pic on moving objects. If I take the pic as I would with my SLR, the object won't even be in the frame. Could just be me.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: 10x zoom, lots of features, great video recording option, thoughtful menus and ease of use

Weakness: lousy battery life, picture quality not so great as some reviews talk about,

ok, let me start by saying this is a great camera when compared to the losuy ones out there for the same price range. but when copared to what it could have been there sadly is a disconnect

firstly, for the 340 bucks i paid, am sure that there are not many other competing products with a 3 MP and 10X optical zoom, so just buy this for this alone

but then don't expect too much from the pic quality, a SLR seems to better caputre the green hills that surrounds me rather than the canon digital. the color mix is not so mhot, when it is bright natural green seems to be dull and there is a blue hue.

worst, is the battery consupmtion of this monster, u can't take more than 20 odd pics with the flash on before the batery drains out, just buy a rechargable battery 2000mah and above, don't even waste time using normal AA. Losuy Losuy battery consumption..

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

Strengths: None

Weakness: Lots of Noise and bad LCD display, very low image pixels, no external flash facility

I have got a EOS D20 and also bought the S1 IS for less professional use. I downloaded the Firmware from the canon web site to fix some problems especially when panning and the auto focus use to freeze. now that this problem is sloved i have started to notice that there is a lot of noise in my images and its very disturbing to see them. more over when i put the wide angle lense i can see streaks of orange on the LCD and the images. I think Canon have tried to get away with a cheap camera but have not thought of the eventual problems. I think the cam should have atleast 5 mega instead of 3 and i also know that increasing mega would make the camera bigger and bulkier but i think that can be sloved if canon had thought about his before launching. the video mode is ok but does not work as well as canon claims. i have a 4 GB card and i get only 30 minutes of movie on a 4GB scandisk card which is the pro series. more over my re-charge NI batteries are 2300 MHZ and they run only for 70 shorts or 30 minutes of video. I would not recommend anyone to buy this model.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

I have not had any problems as I had read your reviews before use. The batteries took only two(2)photoes and had to be replaced. Which I consider very unsatisfactory

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Great Product

Strengths: 10x optical, swivel screen, great styling, very many options (custom settings)

Weakness: Small screen and not as high megapixel as I would like (3.2MP)

I am very pleased with this camera! It is fun to play around with. It has so many custom settings and options to play with. My previous camera had a larger screen so this one seems small to me, but it is the same as a lot of cameras out there. My previous camera was a 4MP so I was stepping down a bit by going to a 3.2MP but I was willing to do that for the 10x optical zoom and the swivel screen. It is still high enough to do 8x10's and that's plenty for me. The price is great for the camera that you get. There is a lot to this camera! I have no complaints other than what I mentioned above, and I would highly recommend this camera to anyone. I love it!

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Question

Strengths: Similar to what said by others

Weakness: The images seem to be tilted to one side

I am planning to buy this camera and wanted to try it out first so i borrowed the same model from a friend for a few days. I noticed that all the images I took were tilted to one side, mostly right. I had to use an image editing tool to straighten the pics. I verified this with another friend of mine who has the same camera. He hadn't noticed that before but when I saw the pics he had taken and pointed out the bug, he agreed.

Has anyone else encountered the same proble,

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Great Camera

Strengths: Image Stability, Great camera for the price.

Weakness: Hard to find because Canon is phasing it out for the overpriced S2 IS.

This camera has a lot of features and great quality shots for the price. The fast zoom and fast shot reload amazed me. I would recommend this camera to everyone, novice to expert.

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Canon PowerShot S1 IS Digital Camera Review

The Canon PowerShot S1 retails for US $399. Although this low price seems great when evaluating the 10x optical/3.2x digital zoom, a positive judgment of the camera is somewhat diminished when the 1/2.7-inch 3.2 effective MP CCD and imaging performance are added to the mix. The considerable size and bulk of the PowerShot S1 make it a camera more suited for static, homebound situations. The LCD...

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A remarkable range of functions for those that want more than a point and shoot

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optically stabilized zoom lens that's remarkably effective at reducing the effects of camera shake. (Few people realize how hard it is to hold a 10x zoom steady enough to get a sharp photo, even under fairly bright lighting.) Great color, good sharpness, a good lens, and really excellent image-stabilization, all at an affordable price. Definitely belongs on your "short list," if you're shopping...

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