Canon S200 / S330 Camera Experiences, Tips, Etc.

[DQderrick]

I am really excited about sharing all our experiences with these new cameras. I myself bought both the S200 and S330 from Dell. I wanted to try both and then pick the camera that fits my uses. Please post any information you'd like here.

I realize that it is often difficult to make a jump from posting in the Hot Deals board to a completely different board. The content in this thread will probably start a little slow.

Post your Photos! Post your Likes/Dislikes! Post your experiences! You might be surprised how many other people shared your experiences and are eager to help you out!

LINKS
::
General Digital Camera Sites
Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
This group is for all Digital Ixus / Digital Elph users (463 members! Join now!)
DCVIEWS Digital Camera Views (dcviews.com)
Imaging Resource (imaging-resource.com)
Digital Camera Resource Page
Photo.net
Fotki :: Photo Sharing Community
::
S200/S300 Product Info Sites
Canon Japan S200 Site
Canon Japan S330 Site
Canon USA S200 Site
Canon USA S330 Site
::
S330/S200 Review Sites
Toms Hardward Article on small 2-megapixel cameras. Covers the Canon S200. Link added 7/24/02
Steve's Digicam S200 Review
Steve's Digicam S330 Review
DCRP Review: Three Small 2 Megapixel Cameras
Imaging Resource S200 Review
Imaging Resource S330 Review
Click here to view more Cnet S330 User Opinions
::
Example Photos
Imaging Resource :: S200 Macro - How did they do this?
S330 Macro Shots by MP
S200 Gallery on pbase.com by raist3d
lnguyenPhotos with S330 Macro shots
pillage2001 took this from about 1 feet to 1.5feet away. 1600x1200 at superfine. Macro was not used.
pillage2001 took this from about 1 meter away. Macro was used. Food
pillage2001 took this from about 1 meter away. Macro was used. Monitor
S200 Macro Shots by Kale Irish
S330 Example photos by CBR900RR
::
Relevant Message Boards
Memory Card / Case / Battery Thread in Hot Deals here at Anandtech
dpreview.com's Canon Talk Forum
dpreview.com thread :: Please help me to choose an ELPH
dpreview.com Canon Talk Forum :: All S200 Posts (Hit Refresh after page error)
dpreview.com Canon Talk Forum :: All S330 Posts (Hit Refresh after page error)


ACCESSORIES
::
Battery Links
Pricegrabber.com prices for Canon NB-1LH
Ebay search for NB-1LH
MySimon.com Search for Canon NB-1LH
Batterybarn.com's 1000mAh NB-1LUse this one at your own risk. I've heard nothing but good things about Battery barn, but you never know.




~DQderrick

 

[DQderrick]

Some info carried over from the Hot Deals thread:

ASA/ISO - same thing. ASA= American Standards Association. They use it as a guide for film speed (you know, when you buy film you can buy with different speed). You should use the term ISO more widely though, since it is internationally known. I don't quite know how they got the numbers for this, but they relate to how much light is needed to properly expose the film. The higher the ISO rating, the less light needed. Eg. ISO 200 requires half as much light as ISO 100 to properly expose the film.

So, all it does is give you the control over what aperture or shutter speed to use. Since we have a digital camera, this rating is a guide (it is estimated). Many digital camera reviews have said that the Canon ISO value of 50 is really actually ISO 100 - Canon picked 50 probably for marketing purporses. If you have a low light situation, cranking up the ISO will crank up the sensitivity of the CCD sensor and thus produce more noise in your shots. However, it allows for faster shutter speeds (less light remember?) and so will make your pictures look sharper since your hands won't have to be too still (unless you have a tripod).(thanks foggy)

Blurry Pictures :: As for blurry pictures on the macro - the macro range on this camera is not very good. Try focussing from a farther distance back. The best macro I've seen is by Nikon digital cameras. You can go as close as 1-2 inches! Amazing results. (thanks foggy)

The battery indicator sucks - it only flashes on its last legs. I wish they have a %-age of battery left or something like that. (thanks dmk11)

Photo Stitch Great! :: Have you guys tried the photostich mode? It's *excellent*. I took a panaromic view with 16 shots and after the software stitch it, I can't see where the seams are. (thanks dmk11)

Macro Mode Lacking... :: I also find the macro mode dissapointing. Too bad I got rid of my S110 already, but I think that one can do closer macro mode. (thanks dmk11)

Canon Software :: I also think the Canon software is kinda stupid about the horizontal/vertical shot detection. If you download the pictures to the computer and use Zoombrowser, the vertical pictures will be shown vertically on the browser. But if you click it to see that individual picture or during slide show, it shows it horizontally! grrr... (thanks dmk11)

Some other experiences discussed in the Hot Deals thread:
- The S200 I really small!
- Cameras tend to get a lot warmer than the S110, but most don't care
- Some people are complaining about a grainy LCD, but some disagree
- Some people are complaining of 1 or 2 dead pixels in the LCD.
- Picture quality seems to be good.
- Field of depth has been a little below average. (thanks foggy)
- Most of the heat is coming from the left side of the camera (thanks jinduy)
- Pack-in 8-meg CF card @ 1600x1200 superfine can only fit 9 images
- Use tripod for best Macro shots. This helps cut down on hand movement.
- Some people feel the S300 and S110 focus faster than the S330/200.
- Focus speed is fast outside, but slow inside or where lighting is less than ideal.

Link to Hot Deals thread

 

[pecel]

Good Job DQderrick

 

[jinduy]

Thanks DQderrick, you are awesome, hopefully the rest of the s200 users use this thread.

also you get a 10 from me! shame on the fool that gave you a 1!

 

[pillage2001]

Alright, anybody knows how to check the battery life on this thing?? There's no indicator in it??

Also, how do I check how much space I have on my CF card before it's full?? Does the number at the bottom right tell you how many photos more you can take??

 

[dmk11]

The battery indicator sucks - it only flashes on its last legs. I wish they have a %-age of battery left or osmeting like that.

You're right the number on the lower bottom right corner is # of pictures that can be taken on the CF card given the current settings. In movie mode, it's the number of seconds.

Have you guys tried the photostich mode? It's *excellent*. I took a panaromic view with 16 shots and after the software stitch it, I can't see where the seams are.

I also think the Canon software is kinda stupid about the horizontal/vertical shot detection. If you download the pictures to the computer and use Zoombrowser, the vertical pictures will be shown vertically on the browser. But if you click it to see that individual picture or during slide show, it shows it horizontally! grrr...

I also find the macro mode dissapointing. Too bad I got rid of my S110 already, but I think that one can do closer macro mode.

 

[GregFish]

Great job DQderrick! Which camera do you like better so far the S330 or S200? I purchased the S200 and was just wondering if you have noted any significant differences.

 

[psteng19]

I currently have the Canon S110 and a S330 is on it's way.

I can get the S110 to take pics of text VERY legibly (font size 10-12) but anything smaller comes out as a blur...
i.e. I tried taking pics of stepping codes of CPU's and you could not make out the text.


I hope the S330 isn't that much bigger than the S110 because I love the size of the S100 2X optical is really limiting sometimes...
which is the reason I didn't jump on the S200. I hope the S330 is a good compromise between the 2 factors size and zoom.

I'll try to have a comparison/review up about it soon, as soon as it arrives.
ETA on S330 is end of this week - I bought it at Amazon.com for $329 PM'd w/Blue, comes w/Free 32 MB Flash Card

 

[DQderrick]

GregFish, I get the S330 today and the S200 won't be here until Thursday (5/9)

I will definitely provide feedback on the two. I will be very critical as I am attempting to replace (compliment?) my Nikon 775. All this complaining about the Macro Mode may tempt me to keep the 775 around. You really can't beat taking Macro shots only 1 inch away. If I keep my 775, I'll prob stick with the S200 due to its size.

Stay Tuned!

~DQderrick

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I have an S300 and have been very pleased with it. It's a bit of a bummer that I paid $500 for it, but obviously when it comes to computers and related technology, there is always something better and cheaper. The digital ELPHs are great cameras in any event.

 

[Rainman]

All I gotta say is, I need to learn how to get my macro to work like this:

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/S200/S20MAC.HTM

 

[DQderrick]

My Initial S330 Experiences

:: My Background ::

I have owned a Nikon 775 for about 9 months now. I have taken 2,500 photos with it. I also have the Olympus Stylus EPic Zoom 80 Point & Shoot camera. I initiall got the 775 due to its small size and price. It has a great Macro mode and takes good photos.

:: Initial Experiences ::

I received the S330, popped it out of the box... Wow, it was heavy! Remember, I'm coming from the perspective an all-plastic Nikon 775.
- Heavy!
- mmmmmm...metal.
- A smidgen larger than expected
- Seemed to fit the front pocket of my jeans OK. A little heavy. I don't wear 'tight' jeans. I wear more loose fitting, not baggy.
- I dig the turn on sound
- Wow, I really like the -snap- sound of the shutter sound effect!
- Ultra-Fast scrolling through images on CF card. I'm used to the heavy delays of the 775.
- Seems to take a split second less time to take a picture. (this could be in my head)
- Not sure if I like the light assistance... seems like it might get annoying. I wonder how well it focuses without it? My 775 didn't need it.
- Construction feels great! Very solid. Looks VERY expensive.
- Couldn't figure out how to change focusing (spot, meter, etc.) I need to consult the instructions.
- Wahoo! No dead pixels in LCD.
- I dislike the rubber flap over the AV connections. The flap feels like it would break with time.
- LCD looks great in bright situations, grainy in darker. My 775 doesn't do this.
- WOW! The 10x zoom on the image viewer is great! Not sure how useful... but fun! 775 only has 2x.
- Spring-loaded CF card door seems pretty sturdy.
- Why is the battery compartment door made of plastic?
- Picture quality is excellent! Skin tones seem warmer than on my 775. I usually warm my 775 photos up with Photoshop in post-production. Maybe now I won't have to!
- Macro doesn't seem 'as' bad as I thought it would be. This is one aspect that I LOVE about my 775. Even though I rarely use it... it's those few times that I do that really matters.

Overall, I haven't made up my mind as to how much of an 'upgrade' the S330 is when compared to the 775. Maybe with a little use, I'll be able to form more of an opinion.

I poured out everything that went through my mind when I first handled the Canon S330. I can't wait to get the S200 this Thursday so I can compare them!

~DQderrick

 

[randomlinh]

still trying to decide eh? heheh

AiAF i've found to be useless IMO.
I've found taking low light shots using "manual mode" can sometimes lead to long delays in the shutter being release.. in other words, it's taking a while to focus. This is w/ the AF lamp on... i have not played w/ it enough yet to figure out why exactly. This also seems to happen for me in full auto mode.

Battery indicator does suck.. which is why i'm getting a spare (i'd get one anyway).
Buy a tripod if you can... really helped w/ some of my macro shots.

All in all, it's a great camera.. just wish i had more control over the shutter/apeture as well as a faster lens.

Linh

 

[jinduy]

where's a good place to get a spare for the s200? I dont want to get the s110 spare...

 

[blues008]

bump for more information

 

[DQderrick]

jinduy, if you are talking about a spare battery... try this link:

Pricegrabber.com prices for Canon NB-1LH

Ebay search for NB-1LH

MySimon.com Search for Canon NB-1LH

Batterybarn.com's 1000mAh NB-1L
Use this one at your own risk. I've heard nothing but good things about Battery barn, but you never know.

~DQderrick

 

[Davegod75]

? I see people are complainign about macro pictures.

I picked up the s200 and will be using it for college type pictures(parties, friends, etc). I'm in no way even an amatuer photographer so will i care about any of these minors flaws people are talking about?

 

[rpr]

lnguyen: I also am experiencing long delays between pressing the shutter release and the camera actually snapping a photo., It seems to be only happening when shooting under the Evaluative Metering mode (which is on by default in Auto mode). Switching to spot metering seems to improve things greatly.

The S110 did not do this, even though I believe it also used Evaluative Metering by default. I am not happy with this. Anybody else experiencing this?

 

[BeBumbleBe]

This is something like my 10th digital camera and I'm very disappointed in the focusing...posted on dpreview.
Having had the S200 for 5 days, I'm getting more and more frustrated with the focusing system. What's the point of having a camera you can carry anywhere when it can take it several seconds to focus and sometimes not at all. This seems to be true with either the 3 zone AIAF or the Center spot focusing.

My S100 or S300 didn't have that problem, but they didn't have the advanced focusing system inherited from the S30/G2 series and you never really knew what they were focusing on. I've now seen several posts complaining about the same focusing problems, mainly in low light where the AF beam is next to useless. But just today as my 16 month old daughter was making some funny faces, the S200 simply refused to focus when I was holding it vertically, a position required by the situation. Holding it horizontally took care of the problem, but the moment was lost for ever :-(

I'm wondering if the S30/S40 and G2 have the same problems or it it's the transfer of this advanced focusing system (I for one love spot focusing) on a lower powered (CPU,battery) camera that's causing the problems ?

 

[pillage2001]

Here's picture I took, about 1 meter away from the food.
About the same distance on my monitor.


Those two were taken with Macro on.

 

[Davegod75]

those pics seem fine to me

 

[jinduy]

<< Here's picture I took, about 1 meter away from the food.
About the same distance on my monitor.


Those two were taken with Macro on. >>




geez i could almost smell that chicken......

 

[pillage2001]

<<

<< Here's picture I took, about 1 meter away from the food.
About the same distance on my monitor.


Those two were taken with Macro on. >>




geez i could almost smell that chicken...... >>



I'm surprised you could recognise the chicken. My friends were having a hard time. I was not so convince of it being a chicken either.

 

[DQderrick]

When people speak of slow focusing, it makes me wonder if all sub-$500 cameras are like this. I have owned both the Nikon 775 and now the Canon S330, and they both suffer from a slow shutter button to picture taken speed. I compare it to my $120 film-based point&shoot Olympus and the digitals get BLOWN out of the water. I forgot how fast the film-based cameras fire! WOW! Almost instantaneous!

This frustruation has been THE #1 reason my fiance just won't fully adopt digital. She HATES the delay. Sure... she has learned to hold the shutter button down before saying 1-2-3, but sometimes she forgets. Or she forgets to instruct others to wait 1-2 full seconds while it takes the picture.

Damn! This really frustrates me! :| :disgust: :|

BTW, my S330 seems to focus very fast with all default setting while outside. But the second you have 'less than perfect' lighting... oh man... it's lag-city! This is with all the defaults set. I still need to see how happy I am with the center spot focusing.

~DQderrick

PS. 1 meter is not a "macro shot" in my book. These are a macro shots: Macro shots taken with the Nikon 775 I hope to replace with the S330 or S200

 

[DQderrick]

I kept forgetting to add this link to the first post here.

Memory Card / Case / Battery Thread in Hot Deals here at Anandtech

Well, it's there now! People there are talking about deals on accessories for the S330/S200. There doesn't seem to be any 'killer' deals yet. But check it out just in case!

~DQderrick