Canon Elph Z3 Zoom APS Camera Kit

• APS-format ultracompact point-and-shoot
• 23.5-54mm 2.3x zoom lens with autofocus
• 5-mode flash with red-eye reduction
• Automatic film loading, advance, and rewind
• Features date imprinting and self-timer

With all the attention Canon's Digital Elph series has been receiving, it's easy to forget that the first Elph models were film cameras. This latest-generation model has much in common with its predecessors, including a chrome-and-aluminum body, diminutive dimensions, and use of the Advanced Photo System (APS) format.

Refinements for this model include a longer, lower shape--less like a deck of cards and more like a cell phone--and a backlit status LCD that emits a cool blue glow at the push of a button. Several other features were revised to improve photo quality, including a redesigned lens and a newly developed passive autofocus system. Additional features include a 2.3x zoom, spot metering, self-timer, and a five-mode flash with red-eye reduction.

A lithium CR123A battery provides power, and the camera uses APS film, a format jointly developed by five leading photo companies in 1996. The APS format is designed to take advantage of a number of technological advances developed in the decades since the introduction of 35mm film. Here are the main advantages to the APS format:

• Size and convenience: An APS cartridge is smaller than 35mm, and the film is completely enclosed, which simplifies film loading.
• Midroll rewind: Many cameras let you switch film midroll, allowing you to shoot in both color and black and white. Each roll has an indicator on top that lets you know if the film inside is unused, partially exposed, totally exposed, or developed. After developing, the negatives remain inside the cartridge for protection and long-term storage.
• Three print sizes: Most APS cameras let you choose from three proportions for your prints--"classic," which is a 3:2 ratio like 35mm; "HDTV," which is a 16:9 wide-screen format, and "panoramic," which is a long 3:1 print.
• Magnetic information storage: The film is coated with a magnetic layer much like a videotape. This layer can store information from the camera that can be used during developing and printing to make the best possible prints. This also means that photo time and date information can be printed on the back of each picture instead of the front.

The two biggest drawbacks to the format are size and availability. The negative is approximately half the size of 35mm, so each photo has less detail than an equivalent 35mm negative. This can result in pictures that look grainy, especially when enlarged. Though the format is popular, it's still relatively new, so the film can be harder to find than 35mm film and developing may be slightly more expensive.