Rating: 
Summary: Quite a fun camera!
Review: I've always wanted a digital camera and I finally settled on this one. I had several friends highly recommend it plus the reviews on Amazon looked very promising. They weren't wrong. I just love this thing! Slap a 128MB card in there and you can take so many good pictures! There are a lot of neat features to play with and different settings you can mess around with to get very nice pictures. The size of the camera is astounding. It fits right in your palm! Also, for all of you nerds out there, this USB camera works with Linux using gPhoto2 and gtKam! Definitely consider this digital camera.
Rating:
Summary: compact, hard and simple
Review: I spent more time and energy to find a digital camera than my apartment, firing my neurons away on such a life-altering event of purchasing a pocket camera. Being a middle class ladder climber, it was like taking a test with multiple choice questions. I compared prices as well. In short, I chose canon s200 for the simplest, clean design, and the hardest-looking, metal exterior. Whoever designed this camera, I can get along with. I chose Amazon.com instead of buy.com for the uncomplicated return policy.
The price is high for a 2MP camera, but I didn't want to spend $500 dollars for a 4MP camera. I rationalized by saying to myself if I don't buy another camera later, spending extra 50 to 100 dollars more is worth it. 2MP will serve my purpose as I am not going to print out posters from this camera. Besides, I don't have too much wall space to hang them. It is a size of a cigarette box, but as heavy as a unopened Budweiser can. It would be nice if the camera came with a longer loop string to put around my neck rather than the small wrist loop. Don't drop it; don't lose it. 125 MP CF card should be big enough for anyone who behaves normally and takes a non-psychiatric number of pictures during a typical vacation trip. This camera is for someone with a sense of moderation. If you supersize your Big Mac meal, don't buy this one. This is for those who would rather take a picture of their children who will stand still and look up for 2 seconds if you are lucky. No time to waste, just point and shoot. If they want to try, let them; you can always erase it. Those who doesn't want to buy another digital camera shoud consider this one. I am not buying another one until I drop or lose this one.
Rating:
Summary: Small + easy + cool + quality pics = Great Camera!
Review: I bought this camera as a birthday present for my wife about a month ago. It's our first digital camera, and we're basically "point-and-shoot" types. So far we love it. The tiny size is a big plus as it easily fits in purse or pants pocket. It feels very solid and the controls are well laid out. Even my wife (not technically inclined) finds the camera easy to use. It also has some neat features such the built-in automatic lens cover and automatically detecting whether you're taking portrait or landscape views and rotating the images internally. It also has an amazing "stitch" feature which will combine several panorama photos taken end to end into one long image. It automatically matches the edges! It's slightly distorted, but still pretty neat. How do they do that? The way the menus are displayed on the LCD screen makes changing camera modes a breeze. You can also upload pictures to your PC without pushing any buttons just by plugging it in! The user manual seems well written considering the complexity of the subject. Like others, I was disappointed that Cannon does not provide a case or larger CF card, but for the money the s200 still seems a good deal. Our local 'big-box' store matched the best price I found on the internet. The picture quality at high resolution is terrific. I view them on my 19" PC monitor and they look very professional. Even the medium res pictures look good. Another unexpected plus was the included software. I found it very easy to use and with plenty of features for a beginner. The included ArcSoft PhotoImpression software does everything I want with a digital photograph including special effects editing, cropping, text layering, framing, making greeting cards and calendars, etc. It simplifies placing multiple images or combinations on one page, which minimizes waste of pricey papers. It also has a "fantasy" section that lets you create dummy magazine covers featuring faces from pictures you take. Lot's of fun to play with, though I haven't fully explored it yet. All told, we are very pleased and impressed with the camera. While I'm sure other digital cameras provide many of the same features, Cannon's photographic reputation, other user reviews and the camera's small size ultimately sold me on this model. This is a great little point-and-shoot camera, I only wish I'd had it on our trip to Europe! I don't think we'll ever go back to 35mm again!
Rating:
Summary: My first try at digital...
Review: I didn't know anything about digital cameras, but I bought this one after several friends at work said they were very pleased with similar cannon models. This is my first digital camera, and it was simple enough for me to use, but offers lots of features that enabled me to take good pictures even in some demanding conditions (although I still struggle taking well-focused shots in low light conditions). When you look at the pictures I took during my 2 weeks in Europe, you can see the images increasing in quality as I learned how to better operate the camera. I would recommend this as a very good point-and-shoot type model!
Rating:
Summary: The S200 rocks!
Review: I'm a snapshot/vacation photographer who bought the Digital ELPH to supplement my regular film camera. For someone like me, who is interested in taking decent photos but doesn't have the time or inclination to devote to the serious study of photography, this little camera is a godsend! I've taken it on two trips in the month since I've owned it and my photos have improved just by virtue of being able to check the results near-instantaneously. With my film camera, I'd probably just be getting around to dropping the film off at the store right now.The camera is easy to use intuitively, and the instruction book is good. The size and weight are great for travel. I considered a Canon with better resolution, but decided I was unlikely to ever need prints larger than 8 x 10. I see the price has dropped some in the past month -- oh well. I don't resent having paid more for it, which is probably the greatest praise I can offer! A second battery is an absolute must. The 8mb Compact Flash card the ELPH comes with will get you through the first day, but you'll definitely need a larger one (I bought a 256mb Viking, which was probably overkill but it was on sale, so ....). Also, you'll need a case, as Canon doesn't include even a plastic sleeve with this camera.
Rating:
Summary: Great Little Camera
Review: I've had this camera about a month now and have shot nearly 300 pictures. My pictures are mostly snap shots but have covered a wide range of indoor and outdoor people shots and landscapes. I've been very pleased with the results. The camera size was the driving factor for me. I had a 35mm SLR that was a pain to carry around and consequently I was missing a lot of pictures. I purchased the camera, extra battery, 128mb card and a USB card reader and everything has worked out great. I've been really impressed with the panaorama shots and the little movies with sound. The included software makes the panorama shots come together easily. Digital is the way to go and this little camera is great for general picture taking. I take a lot more shots now and don't worry about wasting film. My SLR is headed for eBay while it still has some value left in it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Camera
Review: This is the first digital camera I have purchased and am very happy with the purchase. It is fairly easy to use and controls are quite intuitive. There is a host of features I haven't used, and may never use, but the basic point, shoot and look is easy to use, both still and motion. The pictures look great in either digital or hard copy. I would recommend this camera to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: awesome little camera.
Review: I have had my Canon S200 for about a month now and am absolutley pleased with it's performance. First the design: it is literally the exact size as a pack of cigarettes. (with the cool weight of a tiny gadget like a zippo lighter) Very sturdy feel, feels like a block of metal in your hands. The case does not get smudges from fingerprints and have not noticed any scracthes from everyday use. Second, picture quality: I have only printed 4x6 prints onto photo quality paper from an Epson Photo printer and as an amateur photographer was amazed at the picture quality. Very crisp colors and details, from daytime outdoor pictures to nighttime indoor pictures. You can see tiny freckles on ppl's faces, good or bad I dont know. There is a macro mode for close-ups. A manual mode which is intuitive, for example, if you want to take Non-Flash shots where flash is not allowed, you dont have to set for No-flash everytime you turn the camera on and off. Set if for Manual Mode>No-Flash and everytime you turn the camera on and off the flash is automactically set off. (or vice-versa) ISO can me set, as well as shutter speed. which is also nice for more creative ppl, or for dark situations. Third Battery life: I recently took a trip to LA, with two 64mg Compact Flash cards (set for highest resolution each card held approx. 180 images: the camera "says" the card can hold 70 images, but i kept on going to experiment and got different from 180-200 images!) So everyday I would take 120-140 images, go to my hotel recharge the battery, which lasted the whole day, download the images to my laptop and be ready for the next day. and a note, whether you set for high or low resolution the camera takes same amount of time "writing" or recording to disk which is btw very fast. I have both Sandisk and Fuji brand compact flash cards and have not noticed any performance difference. I was deciding between the S200 and the S300 which are identical, except the S300 has 3X optical zoom instead of 2X, and also has a longer movie mode. 2MegaPixel is perfect for 4X6 prints and 8X10 prints also. If you are new to digital cameras you will be absolutley satisfied with this camera's print quality, ease of use, battery life, as well as more advanced features which I have not used yet such as the longer shutter speeds. A good online source for digital camera research can be found here: dpreview.com and canon's site has sample pictures taken with this camera. Have fun.
Rating:
Summary: Another example where Size Doesn't Matter !
Review: For the vast majority of the snap-shooting public, this tiny gem is probably the only camera that crowd will ever need. I see people on once-in-a-lifetime vacations using those throw-away cameras to capture life-long memories on 4X6 prints. If only they had this camera and a decent sized memory card, they and their memories would be much better served. I have made 5X7 prints from mine and they are excellent. The 4X6 prints look like they could have been shot with a Nikon or Leica. In fact, I do magazine photography with my 35mm cameras but recently shot a MOMA gallery opening with the Elph (only camera I had with me). The shots we so good, they went into a national magazine. The 2X zoom, while adequate for parties and such, isn't wide enough in tight spaces. (Most people who want the 3X zoom Elph crave reach on the telephoto end - I crave my coverage on the wide end!) The software and cables included to download from the Elph are adequate but if you buy a USB card reader, you can do your image transfers without tying up the camera. The size is perfect so you can take it anywhere and the battery life is surprisingly good. I did get a spare battery but have not needed it. I also bought a 128Mb compact flash card so I can shoot at max resolution and not have to worry about running out of "film." If you don't have a Digital Camera yet, get this one and you'll be hooked. - Here is a July 2003 update: Canon has improved this model with a 3 megapixel and 4 megapixel model. I tested the 4 MP version side by side with my 2 MP and could not see a quality difference in a 4X6 print. Thought you should all know! Go check out the Canon G5 - better in every way and the prices are dropping! A real bargin.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely stunning
Review: I love this camera! It takes really fantastic photos. Highest resolution is 1600x1200, and all pics are taken at 180 dpi instead of 72 dpi like some digital cameras. At the highest setting it's about 900 kb per picture, so just figure 1 picture per MB on your memory card. Why is the camera so great? For me it's two things. First, the size. This is a wonderful size for a camera. Small enough to carry around with you, but all the controls are easy to reach and nicely sized. It's small enough that even in the optional case I can fit this sucker in my pocket or keep it in my bag and carry it everywhere. For me there's no point in having a 4 or 5 megapixel camera if I don't have it handy all the time to take pictures. The second thing is that it takes really fantastic pictures. With its highest setting you can print out 8x10's without noticeable artifacts. It has a 2x optical zoom (never use digital zoom, it's like cropping and then resizing your picture) and a really good optic system. Colors are crisp, and it snaps pictures extremely fast, so what you snap is what you get. Some digital cameras take a second or more after you hit the button to take the picture. Anyway, for its small size and great picture quality I highly recommend this camera!
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