Rating: 
Summary: Compact, Sturdy, and Takes Beautiful Pictures
Review: (...) After looking at the Digital Elphs and the A-series cameras, I stumbled upon the S40. This camera has it all. Four mega-pixels, a sturdy metal body, complete control over almost every aspect of your shot, and all in a compact size to boot. The feature-set is based on the popular Canon G2, which is a professional grade digital camera, so you know it uses a fully field-tested, high-quality internal design.I mostly use this camera in auto mode, in which it takes absolutely beautiful pictures. They are clear, beautifully saturated, and capture motion extremely well. Indoor and outdoor pictures are equally impressive, and I found the metering to be very intelligent. That is, highlights, shadows, and exposure levels are all handled very well. The camera offers an amazing amount of control with 12 user-selectable modes in addition to the auto mode. (...) But, suffice it to say that anyone seeking a high-level of control over their settings will not be dissapointed by the S40. A Little Advice: 1. If you are looking to spend a little less money and do not need a 4 mega-pixel camera, a 3 mega-pixel version is available in the S30. 2. If you are looking for a point-and-shoot camera only, you do not need to spend this kind of money. Look toward the Canon A-Series cameras instead. These are plastic and lack the high-level of user control, but they are also much easier on the wallet. 3. Although this is a very compact camera, it is not the smallest that Canon makes. If you want the ultimate in portability, look at their Digital Elph line. 4. The proprietary battery that comes with the S40 is extremely powerful and has an impressive life. The charger is also very compact and very fast. However, I highly recommend buying a spare battery from Canon's website (for about $70). 5. Do not waste your money on the leather case for the S40 that Canon sells on their website. It is far too small for the camera and the lens cover slides open whenever you try to put the camera in it. I am not a big fan of sliding lens covers in the first place, and the leather case does nothing to win me over. Go buy yourself a generic camera case that fits the camera properly. 6. The included 16 MB CompactFlash card is embarrassing. Go buy a 128 MB card (at minimum). And while you're at it, pick up a USB card reader. They are under $(...) and are far more convenient than using the direct camera hook-up (although the S40 software and connection is quite convenient compared to many other digital cameras). 7. Be careful when removing the label from the lens cover. You can actually pull the cover right off if you're not careful. PEEL SLOWLY! Conclusion:
Overall, this is a beautifully designed, well-built camera from an excellent company. As you can see by my review, Canon has won me over. In summary, the S40 matches the excellent picture quality of the finest Nikon and Kodak cameras available. The difference is, Canon does not skimp on the build of the camera by using cheap plastic parts. This, in my opinion, puts the S40 above the rest in this category. Well Done Canon!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely fantastic digital camera
Review: The Canon S40 is a superb digital camera. First, the exterior: The S40 is compact and can fit easily in a jacket pocket (though not in a pants-pocket - for that you should check out Canon's digital Elph line); it has a convenient clamshell design; and unlike many of the other digital cameras I examined it is made of polished metal-not cheap plastic. This is sturdier, feels better in the hands, and looks a whole lot sleeker. Second, the interior: The S40 takes 4.0 megapixel pictures, which look great on any computer screen and will print out very nicely up to 5x7 and even 8x10. Its ability to capture color is far superior to most other digital cameras. Most of the control menus are reasonably easy to use. It is packed with pre-set photographic options (for action shots, portraits, etc), but has full manual override for those of us who grew up on old-fashioned SLRs. It also focuses much faster than many of the digital cameras I've seen - helpful for capturing wildlife or childrens' sports events. Finally, the included battery is surprisingly long-lasting and recharges (with a very compact included recharger) quickly. Third, the software: The S40 comes with Canon ZoomBrowser (for viewing) and ArcSoft's PhotoSuite (for photo-editing). I find ZoomBrowser intuitive and can easily organize my photos, however it sometimes has problems printing on my inkjet printer. The ArcSoft program is much less capable than Adobe's PhotoShop, but can delete red-eye (or unwanted individuals at the edge of a picture) without too much trouble. On the whole, both should be adequate for the casual user. Are there drawbacks? Well, yes, there are several. Like most digital cameras, the S40 sometimes has problems focusing on the correct subject and, in automatic mode, often opens the aperature too wide (resulting in a narrow range of focus). There is a way to manually focus the camera, but it is not terribly effective. It is also impossible to attach separate lenses - but that drawback is common to any digital camera of this size. Bottom Line: Despite the drawbacks, this is one of the best digital camera's I've seen. It is conveneint, well-built, and easy to use out of the box. I've already dragged it to Vermont, Atlanta, central Africa and Australia without a hitch-not to mention that I can take it on my frequent bicycle rides closer to home. I'd be happy to send a sample photo demonstrating its resolution and color-capturing abilities (about 1.2 MB) if you ask. On a final note, I would suggest buying a 256MB (or larger) compact flash card. This will let you take 200+ max. resolution photos at a go.
Rating:
Summary: Great camera
Review: This is a great camera, highly recommended, photo image quality is great, even the video quality is surprisingly good for short clips. The only gripe I have so far (which I've seen in many other reviews) is the set button, when pressing it you can easily press the arrow down/up or left/right by mistake, but overall it's actually not that bad and with experience it gets easier. I read a lot of reviews of this and other cameras before deciding on which one to buy. What I love about this camera:
- 4 Megapixel camera at this price point
- complete manual control available
- program mode will remember your last settings
- iso setting up to 400 - This is really great for getting good night time shots without having to use the flash
- very easy to use software with both win and mac/os x versions
- large lcd screen for preview
- fairly good interface and on-screen menu system
- good lense for a compact camera A minor issue is the lense sliding door, seems a bit flimsy in the construction, like it would easily come off, time will tell. If Canon fixed this and the set button they'd have a perfect 4Mp camera in my opinion.
Rating: 
Summary: Watch out for that sliding door!
Review: The Canon PowerShot S40 was a terrific small digital camera when it was introduced, but the digital camera market advances quickly and this model has been surpassed by Canon's own S45 (an updated S40) and the new S50 (5 megapixel in the same body only in high-tech black). Serious photographers seekng a digital would turn to Canon's EOS Digital Rebel. The S30 and S40 are good cameras if you want lots of features in a small package without paying a lot of money. Features begin with the generous maximum 4 megapixel image size (you can make them smaller to conserve space on the CompactFlash card). Several modes are available to you such as Sports (high shutter-speed and high resolution shots), Portrait, Night, etc. You can put it in complete Idiot Mode (okay, Automatic mode) and let it select your shutter speed and aperture, or you can pick one or the other and let the camera pick the missing one, or you can go full into Manual mode and pick both. There's even a Movie mode, complete with sound. These video clips are 320 x 200 pixels. This small camera fits in a purse or shirt pocket easily and won't get in the way if you're shouldering it in a case (not included, just buy a generic). But you pay a price for the small size: the optical zoom is limited to 3x. And unfortuately, the S40, like all the PowerShot S family, starts out with a focal length of 11mm, which is a very wide-angle view. Even at 3X optical zoom you will max out at 55mm, often not as close as you'd need. There is a digital zoom, but so what? Crop your picture in software later rather than play with that silly feature. I found 55mm insufficient for shooting across a large room. If you work closer in this won't be a problem, but it is not a good focal length for shooting children, who stop whatever adorable thing they're doing when they notice you framing that shot. (And see comment on slow shutter response, below.) The sliding door that covers the lens (and turns on the camera) seems flimsy and can cause problems. My 3YO niece got ahold of my S40 and ripped the door off. I was able to reattach it but now it's a loose tooth, ready to fall off again. Even under warranty, my choice was to send it back to Canon for 12 weeks or live with it. I couldn't live without the camera, so I kept it, loose sliding door and all. I've just learned not to lend it to people who can't baby it; a good push and that door is off the camera again. One of the S40's most frustrating limitations is a slow shutter response. I can't tell you how many shots I've missed using it; I frame it lovingly, I see the perfect moment, I shoot... but no score. The people have moved on, the sun has set, the universe suffers heat-death, and finally the shutter clicks. If you want a fast shutter then you must have a digital SLR, as almost all the compact-style digital cameras such as this one have the delayed shutter issue. Another note of annoyance on the PowerShot S family: they come with a wrist strap but no shoulder strap. I don't know what use a wrist strip is for a camera; if I'm not using it then I want my hands free. I bought a generic shoulder strap but it wasn't a great fit. At least Canon should offer one as an extra-cost accessory. One difference between the S30 and S40 is the latter only allows an ISO of 400 which restricts low-light photography. This is a limitation of the larger CCD in the S40. ISO 800 shots on the S30 are quity noisy so it isn't clear you are missing this feature in the S40, and you gain an extra megapixel. I still give this camera 4 stars for putting so many features in such a small package. The pictures are reasonably good, and at this size you can crop plenty out and still print good 4x6 inch images. The PowerShot S40 comes with software, but you'll probably want to buy your own image editing package, such as Photoshop Elements. The one provided is fairly limited. Useful software includes PhotoStitch, which allows you to make your own panaramic style images from a series of linked shots. The included 32 MB CompactFlash card is also too small for typical use, so plan on buying a bigger card. Also plan on buying a second battery.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect handheld for the amatuer photographer!
Review: This is a great camera for anyone looking for advanced features at a compact size. Unlike Canon's "lower-end" models, the S40/45/50 series pack in all the adjustable/tweakable features seen in most "SLR" cameras at a lower cost. This camera is not as compact as some of Canon's and some of the other manufacturer's units. But the additional features offered by these cameras outweight the size/weight penalty. My only complaint with these cameras are their less than desirable lenses. The S40 has a 3x optical zoom (11x digital) and doesn't have the lens power of some of the other Olympus cameras. Then again, if you're looking for that type of lens capability, you're not looking at these cameras and are more apt to looking at the higher-end SLR versions. Overall, these cameras have the Canon photo quality and the construction quality. A great buy!
Rating:
Summary: If you want to get into digital photography
Review: ...this is a good camera to start with. Especially if you use a Mac because it works great with iPhoto. If youre a beginner like me, you may be overwhelmed by the amount of features the S40 offers, but dont worry. Just put it on automatic and you will be able to take great pictures. It just takes a little practice to get used to the delayed response shutter button. Some of the things I like about it:
1. It takes very nice pictures. Your pictures will look as good as anyones.
2. It has a movie mode that I didnt know existed until recently. Saves the movie (with sound) in AVI format (QuickTime player will play it)
3. Attractive small body (and who doesnt like attractive small bodies?)
4. The LCD display is great for reviewing your pictures
5. It takes gigantic pictures. At 100% they are about 20" tall by 30" wide. You probably wont ever print out anything this large, but this just means you have a lot of detail and resolution wont be a problem. What I dont like as much:
1. Too many manual settings keeps me from experimenting too much. You would have to read the manual if you want to do any shooting besides automatic. And who wants to read a manual?
2. You have to get pretty close to your subject. Taking group pictures from much further than 10'-15' will not turn out very good. If you can get up close you will have great pictures. Dont try to use this camera at a football game from the stands. I just dont think it has enough zoom power. Ive enjoyed using mine for the last year and a half. Like the reviewers before me, I recommend doing the following:
1. Get an extra battery cause you never know when the battery will run out of juice. It will cost $25-$50 depending on what brand you get.
2. Im not sure what size compact flash card comes with the camera, but its probably in the 16MB range which is pretty much useless. Being a 4.0 Megapixel camera, and shooting such a large picture, it eats up memory. Get a couple of 128MB's or even larger if you can and you will have room to take 100 or so pictures.
3. I dont think it comes with Photoshop Elements, but if you can afford it, get it. If you do cropping and getting photos web-ready you will want to have this or the full Photoshop package (you better be very good if you want Santa to bring this) You will like this camera and all your friends will tell you that you take great pictures.
Rating:
Summary: Great, easy camera
Review: I love this camera. It is easy to use and the pictures are so clear and beautiful. It also takes fun movie clips! This is a perfect camera for the beginner. Definitely worth every penny!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing battery life
Review: Firstly, understand that I am a die-hard Canon fanatic. I have 6 different SLR bodies from a basic AE-1 through EOS 1N RS up to the EOS 1Ds. I bought the S40 specifically to have a compact pocket digital camera for snaps on vacation or when it's just too darn inconvenient to carry a full-sized SLR with all the miscellaneous lenses, flash, filters, and other gadgetry. I was vastly disappointed at the battery life. I found that after about 25-30 photos, my battery was dead. I bought a second one at a photo shop, thinking that mine was somehow defective. Same story there, too. Having been spoiled by an older Sony compact digital camera, I was disappointed to find that I needed to carry along my charger and a couple of extra batteries in my pockets, or else plan to ration my shots for the day. The additional hassle of bothering people for the use of an electrical outlet to charge my batteries adds to the fun. I'm probably spoiled by my professional camera. The battery pack in my EOS 1Ds is good for more than 100 shots, operating all the features of the camera, including the autofocus and the LCD display. Nonetheless, battery life is troublesome. In all other respects, I am happy with the functioning of the camera. The images are crisp and the autofocus and exposure metering are quite good. The level of manual control afforded by the camera satisfies the urge to control my exposures and to experiment with different exposure schemes and focus points. If they can improve battery survival, this will be an awesome compact P&S digital.
Rating:
Summary: Great camera
Review: I am extreamly happy with it. Picture quality is super, easy to use, small to carry. I took it to vacation. All the pictures turned out to be excellent quality. 30 sec video feature is great too.
Rating:
Summary: Note on Microdrive
Review: The other reviews sum up on this excellent 4MP camera well, I just want to comment on the Microdrive issue. Microdrives draw a lot of power, so if you use one in the S40 expect battery life to drop by at least 60%. Also remember microdrives use moving parts (heads and platters) so you absolutely don't want to drop it. Prices on 512MB CF cards are dropping and 1GB cards are coming, and you can take a lot of picture with them, so microdrives may not be a good investment.
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