One of the best compact digital cameras available!
Written: Nov 15 '02 (Updated Nov 15 '02)
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Pros: Size and portability, it also has an excellent battery life.
Cons: Only 2 megapixels, miniscule zoom, some controls too small to be easily used
The Bottom Line: An excellent camera that provides a wealth of features in a very compact package
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| gwvg's Full Review: Canon PowerShot S200 / IXUS v² Digital Camera |
When I first saw the Canon S200 sitting in the digital camera section, my first reaction was "Wow! That thing is so sleek!" Only after having this camera for a while was able to realize the xcelent functionality and portability that the Canon S200 provides at such a good value.
It has now been replaced by the s230, and relegated to the entry level spot in Canon's lineup. As a result, some great deals can be had on this camera (I'll get into that later on.) Lets start out by taking a look at the features of this camera:
IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE
Type 1/2.7 inch Charge-Coupled Device (CCD)
Total Pixels Approx. 2.1 million
Effective Pixels 2 million
LENS
Focal Length 5.4-10.8mm (35mm film equivalent: 35-70mm)
Digital Zoom 2.5x Digital Zoom (Maximum 5x digital zoom is available when combined with optical zoom.)
Autofocus TTL AiAF (3 focusing points), TTL AF (user-select focusing point)
VIEWFINDERS
Optical Viewfinder Real-image optical zoom viewfinder, approx. 82% coverage.
LCD Monitor 1.5 inch low temperature polycrystalline silicon TFT color LCD
APERTURE AND SHUTTER
Aperture Range f/2.8- f/4.0
Shutter Speed 15-1/1500 sec.
EXPOSURE CONTROL
Sensitivity Equivalent to ISO Auto/50/100/200/400
Light Metering Method Evaluative Metering or Spot Metering
Exposure Control Method Program AE
Exposure Compensation /- 2.0 EV in 1/3 step increments
WHITE BALANCE
White Balance Control TTL Auto White Balance, Pre-Set White Balance (Available Settings: Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, or Fluorescent H).
FLASH
Built-in Flash Operation Modes: Auto/On/Off, Auto Red-Eye Reduction Auto/On, Slow-Sync.
SHOOTING SPECIFICATIONS
Shooting Modes Auto, Program, Manual, Stitch Assist, Movie, Photo Effect (Vivid Color, Neutral Color, Low Sharpening, Sepia, Black & White).
Continuous Shooting Approx. 2.5 images/sec.
As you can see, this camera is as feature packed as a super compact digital camera can be. ALso, if you get a large enough aftermarket memory card, you can actually capture a few minutes of movies on this camera. Albeit the speed of the movie is sluggish at 2.5fps, but if all you have with you is this little camera, its incredibly useful. It must be said that this camera only comes with a relatively slow and incredibly small 8MB compact flash card. Buying an aftermarket card is a must, and it can also reduce shutter lag. I noticed that after I switched from the stock card to a 16X high speed Ridata 128mb compact flash, that the shutter lag was reduced to less than a second.
The picture quality on this camera is somewhat less vibrant than the picture on the Canon A40 (its younger and fatter brother). Priced at only 50$ more than the A40 the compactness provided by the S200 is well worth the extra money. In addition, the beautiful completely aluminum shell provides a measure of security and durability that other plastic cameras dont provide.
Now, onto the deals. If I were you, I'd frequent a site like Ben's Bargains or fatwallet.com because Dell.com offers many 10% off coupons and the like that usually affect this camera. I was able to get it for 185$ on a particularly good rebate. Now, you may not get it this low, but there are still some great deals that will save you alot of money.
Two of the problems with this camera are a result of spacesaving design used to cram it into its super small package. First, a 3X zoom was sacrificed for a 2X zoom, which is annoying sometimes when trying to get that really great closeup. Also, the visual menu is incredibly small and I have to stick my face up to the screen to read it. Other than that, this camera is a great package.
Once you have this camera in your arsenal of image capturing devices you will surely enjoy to usefulness and portability of this camera. Its one of the smallest you can buy and its available on some great deals. Have fun!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 185
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use
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Epinions.com ID:
gwvg
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Location: USA
Reviews written: 45
Trusted by: 15 members
About Me:
I mostly write reviews on computer and electronic components.
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