Superb Snapshot Camera
Written: Aug 04 '04
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Pros: Solid picture quality; handy size; unparalleled ease of use.
Cons: Red eye is an issue when the camera automatically selects the flash mode.
The Bottom Line: The best snapshot camera on the market today, even without considering the tiny size.
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| perrin110's Full Review: Canon PowerShot S400 / IXUS 400 Digital Camera |
The Canon S400 is wonderful for anyone looking for a snapshot camera. The picture resolution (4 megapixels) and photo quality give you excellent photographs. The 3X optical zoom gives you good range.
The pictures I take and print with my S400 are noticeably better than pictures I've taken with my old Canon Elph APS (film) camera.
Of course, many digital cameras take excellent photographs. The two things that distinguish the S400 from most other digital cameras are size and ease of use.
The size is what most people focus on. It's not so unusual today to see tiny digital cameras, but the S400 is still one of the smallest cameras available. I carry it in my pocket. It really is handy to travel with a tiny pocket-size camera instead of something I need a case with a strap (or a winter coat pocket) for. Because of this, I have a camera with me much more often than I used to now, and I get a lot of photographs I wouldn't have otherwise.
The ease of use, however, is where the S400 really leaps ahead other cameras. It boots up very quickly. It autofocuses and takes snapshots very quickly. Where most digital cameras have considerable shutter lag, making spur-of-the-moment photos an impossibility, the S400 is the fastest button-press-to-photograph camera I've used.
Also for ease of use, menus and options and all are straightforward to access and easy to operate. The camera's design is very intuitive.
I've been very happy with the battery life as well. I've taken over 100 photos with a flash in one place without having to recharge the battery. Not sure how much more the battery goes past that, but that's fine for how I use the camera.
The only downside to the S400 is a tendency toward red-eye. I've not had this problem when I've selected the red-eye-specific flash, but the camera usually does not select this flash mode when it's automatically choosing the flash mode. So I have to take care that the red-eye-reducing flash is selected when taking pictures of people.
Overall, I'd recommend this camera to anyone looking for a highly portable digital camera for snapshots. I'd even say there's a good chance it will go beyond your expectations.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 400
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use
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Epinions.com ID:
perrin110
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Reviews written: 4
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