Rating: 
Summary: Impressing product
Review: I have long wanted a digital camera, this is my first. It allows for manual control of all settings (ISO, focus, shutter, aperature, exposure compensation, white balance, etc). Manual control over these settings makes for FUN photography (things maybe you never played with much on a 35mm because of film costs). The camera feels really wonderful in my hand; I could never get used to the pocket sized digital cameras, this has a pro-like grip, and the body is a very comfortable size (smaller than a pro SLR, but bigger than the average point and shoot digital camera).A few things that I don't like about the camera so far: While you can adjust focus manually, it's all done within the digital display via button pushing. I'd much prefer adjusting focus physically (ie by turning the lense fixture). Some digital cameras allow for this. Movie mode delivers spectacular quality videos! but I found adjusting focus while shooting movies can be impossible (it appears you must rely on auto focus in movie mode). Virtually every setting is configured automatically in movie mode, which makes movies something I will avoid with this camera (but I didn't expect to get a video camera anyway, so not a big con here). The USB connection to the PC from the camera uses a special connector on the camera. This connection is very small, and it is difficult to insert the USB wire into it. I'm afraid something might break if this connection is used often. A Compact Flash card reader might be the best solution here, but that puts extra wear on your memory card :\ No AC adapter included ... only a 32MB Compact Flash card included (which will only hold something like 20 images on the highest quality setting). Overall, I am very happy with this camera as my first digital camera. I think it's shortcomings are very acceptable for the price tag. My photos are stunning! I'm a pro photographer over night!
Rating:
Summary: Just a couple details lacking
Review: I have only recently started using the Canon PowerShot S1 IS (short for Image Stabilization), and I'm still exploring the 10X optical zoom and all the menus. I do like the small size that fits better into a coat pocket than my older 4 MPixel Minolta. And I can't see any difference in photo sharpness between the 3.2 MPixel Canon and my older 4 MPixel Minolta. I got the Canon for its 10X optical zoom and its image stabilization, and I haven't been disappointed in either one. Like other reviewers, I find that sharpness falls off at maximum zoom, but all my shots have been handheld rather than using a tripod, so that may be a big contributing factor.
I really like being able to use the zoom feature while in movie mode. It does an acceptable job as a part-time digital movie camera as long as you don't confuse it with a 'real' digital movie camera.
There are a couple of things that I am genuinely disappointed about. One is that it doesn't put a time/date stamp on each image. I find date stamps to be a very helpful feature that should be universal. The Canon user manual says that you have to print the image in order for the time/date stamp to appear. Well, I'm sorry, but I ain't gonna do that. I can't believe any camera company thinks that's a desired feature. For god's sake, at least put in a menu selection where the user can choose to have the date/time stamp on every image or not. Is that so difficult? What the hell was Canon thinking? And the other is that there's no battery indicator. The only way you know the batteries are getting low is when a 'Battery Low" warning suddenly appears in the viewfinder. The user manual doesn't say how much battery life the camera has remaining when this warning appears - it just says to replace the batteries right there and then. I would like a little more advance notice than that.
Rating:
Summary: Canon Powershot S1 IS
Review: I have used the Canon Powershot IS 1 for over a month and have shot many 100's of images with it.
The good points:
•Produces beautiful images under most conditions.
•The image stabilization system works very well. You are able to take sharp pictures down to 1/6 sec in the wide angle position.
•I used it exclusively at Disney World for the Epcot International Flower Show and thought the night exposures were wonderful. No flash, just hand held photography.
•The movie mode works well under the difficult lighting conditions encountered at the night time parade at Magic Kingdom.
•The color saturation was beautiful. I used the Program mode mostly at ISO equivalent of 100 and the Vivid setting.
•The noise was minimal with the 100 ISO setting. The advantage is higher shutter speeds to stop the action.
•I was able to set the depth of field in Aperture mode for good garden bed shots.
•The 10/1 zoom is incredible!
The bad points:
•The Electronic viewfinder is terrible! The resolution, sharpness, color accuracy and saturation of the finder make you wonder what Canon was thinking of. An optical viewfinder is 100% better.
•The finder blanks out when going from dark to bright outside subjects, making fast picture taking impossible under many instances.
•The resolution is so bad that it is difficult to see if the focus is right on. It usually was.
•The Canon A-70 is a better camera for faster picture taking. However, the anti- shake and 10/1 zoom override all other considerations for me.
•The LCD viewer on the back of the camera is useless in the bright light and its color accuracy is terrible too. I have taken many beautiful sunsets and you cannot see the red sun in the viewfinder or on the monitor. HOWEVER the resultant images were spectacular when viewed on the computer screen.
•The battery consumption seemed to be higher than the A-70 but I did not do a very accurate test. I used two sets of NiMH batteries in a full day of shooting at Epcot. However I was shooting in movie mode some of the time and using a 1 GB flash cards to hold the many images. All the images were taken with the best quality jpg settings. The bottom line is that the camera is very good for most picture taking opportunities, but is no good for fast moving objects such as flying birds.
Forget what you do not see in the viewfinder or the viewer and shoot away.
The big thing here is to have faith!
I give the camera 4 out of 5 points.
Fred Sgrosso fsgrosso@hotmail.com
Rating: 
Summary: Canon PowerShot not as good as Olympus C-Series
Review: I purchased this camera mainly because of the Image Stabilization feature. Unfortunately, that is the only feature that this camera has that is better than an Olympus C-Series. I also own a Nikon D1X and find it to be easier to navigate than this camera. This camera does NOT have MACRO mode and it does NOT shoot in RAW format. The product specifications listed on the Amazon site are WRONG. I contacted Canon directly to be sure. The camera gets great shots at max zoom IF it can bring the shot into focus - something that doesn't happen often. I have owned the Olympus C700, C740, C750 and C770. All of them have more features and are easier to navigate. Additionally, I would think a camera of this calibur would use Lithium batteries instead of AA's. Given a choice, I would purchase an Olympus C Series for amateur photography or the Nikon D1X for the professional photographer.
Rating:
Summary: good picture quality, but not as good as the Canon A95
Review: I received the S1 is for Christmas and my father in-law got the A95. I love all the features of the S1, and it seems appropriate since I am much more technical than my father in-law. However, there are focus issues with the S1. I took pictures with both cameras using the same image and same angle, one after another. I transferred to the PC and the A95 seemed a bit better. I think the issue is the focus technology on the S1. The A95 took the shot much faster and always looked better. I haven't decided if I want to take the S1 back yet. I love the 10x zoom and it works fine at full zoom if you know how to use the manual focus feature. I love all the added features, and the hardware is much better built than the A95. Also, the A95 has a simple window viewfinder, while the S1 gives you the digital readout just as if you were looking at the screen.
Rating: 
Summary: terrific camera
Review: I reviewed quite a few cameras before settling on this one. Key selling points were 10x optical zoom with image stabilizer (need stabilizer for 10x zoom, based on feedback from other camera users), swivel LCD, ergonomics, compact size (did not want to have to carry a bulky SLR camera everywhere), and manual control options. Only spec. downside was 3M Pixels, but in practice with a 10x zoom you will seldom crop pictures for enlargement, as you would with other cameras. I have had the camera for a month, have taken approx. 300 pictures, and I am thrilled.
Rating:
Summary: Good camera with a few flaws!
Review: I took about 300 pictures with my S1 before I sent it back. It had a bright red "Stuck Pixel" in every shot. I tried to live with it by editing on the PC,turned out to be a big hassle. Pros-
10X zoom, 32X combined zoom
Very portable
Swivel LCD
Great movie mode.
Ergonomics are very good.
Image stabilzation works well.
Good overall picture quality Cons-
Lens Cap falls off easily.
LCD and EVF very hard to see in bright sunlight.
Manual focus could be better.
Pictures have alot of noise in certain environments regardless of camera settings.
Requires a large/fast CF/MD card for the movie mode to be of any use.
Use the supplied AA batteries in something else, get some NiMH rechargables(my 2400mha batteries last a long time).
No onboard camera function for ccd mapping, like other makes. I have order a replacement S1 for my sick one. I am giving Canon one more chance with the S1. I like the camera very much, If this one is not right a Panasonic FZ10 may be in my future.
Rating:
Summary: Good camera with a few flaws!
Review: I took about 300 pictures with my S1 before I sent it back. It had a bright red "Stuck Pixel" in every shot. I tried to live with it by editing on the PC,turned out to be a big hassle. Pros-
10X zoom, 32X combined zoom
Very portable
Swivel LCD
Great movie mode.
Ergonomics are very good.
Image stabilzation works well.
Good overall picture quality Cons-
Lens Cap falls off easily.
LCD and EVF very hard to see in bright sunlight.
Manual focus could be better.
Pictures have alot of noise in certain environments regardless of camera settings.
Requires a large/fast CF/MD card for the movie mode to be of any use.
Use the supplied AA batteries in something else, get some NiMH rechargables(my 2400mha batteries last a long time).
No onboard camera function for ccd mapping, like other makes. I have order a replacement S1 for my sick one. I am giving Canon one more chance with the S1. I like the camera very much, If this one is not right a Panasonic FZ10 may be in my future.
Rating:
Summary: Love it for the most part
Review: I will spare everyone the technical details that seem to get repeated on just about every review. I have had this camera for a few months now and overall I am very happy with it. The first thing that I can complain about is the autofocus in dim light. This doesn't seem like it would have been difficult to remedy before production. The second thing is the fact that it does seem to overexpose pictures when using the flash in Auto mode. If you are taking pictures with good lighting then this camera is great. I have used most of the features and like them all. I would reccommend this to just about anyone. The price is great for the feature set. If anyone has any tips on improving the exposure with the flash I would appreciate any tips. Thanks and hopefully this helps
PROS:
swivel view finder
zoom
software
price
CONS:
autofocus in poorly lit areas
overexposure when using flash
Rating:
Summary: Great Digital Camera
Review: I've been researching digital cameras for a while now and was originally going to get the Canon EOS Rebel 6.3 MP Digital SLR and then stumbled upon this one. I love photography but I don't want to have to spend more time adjusting everything than taking pictures and this S1 is fantastic. It's very easy to use and much smaller and more portable than I expected. The only downfall is battery usage. This camera takes 4 AA batteries and they end up fully depleted after a couple hours of use. I've since converted to rechargeable AA's and I just make sure that I've got a couple extra sets just in case. There are so many options to choose from and you can do just about anything with this camera that you could do with a full fledged SLR. The digital zoom allows for a max of 32X and I've taken medium quality pictures at 32X and they've come out very clear and the built in stabilizer function really does take the edge off. I highly recommend this camera.
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