I bought the S-400 to upgrade from the S-200 that I have been using since it was made available. I love the S-200, as it is both durable and handy. It has also become a great value with recent price reductions. On the other hand, I wanted to get the most recent tech advances in the smallest package, so the S-400 was the clear choice.Here are my initial impressions, and some of the improvements / differences between the 200 and the 400. First of all, Canon has paid close attention to the nits and picks of users of the earlier cameras in the ELPH line. Aside from the addition of cutting edge developments, there have been subtle changes that greatly increase it's ease of use. This is an incredible camera built into a compressed case. Except for being ever so slightly thicker than the S-200, it is the same cigarette pack size.
It has a 4 mega pixel sensor, and it is quick and accurate. Color saturation and contrast are outstanding. The lens is very sharp from edge to edge (I tested at various light levels from macro mode (1.5") to infinity focus, and it consistantly produced remarkably fine images). 8x10 prints are outstanding. Period. At long shutter speeds (up to 15 sec), the sensor is remarkably free from "noise". In fact, it does better than many SLR style digicams in all areas of picture quality.
The 3x optical zoom is a welcome addition. Now you can take a proper head an shoulders portrait without invoking the relatively lossy digital zoom, or suffering from the effects of distorted facial features caused by getting too close with a too short lens. When you need it though, the digital zoom offers up to 11x total zoom power, and returns pretty good results as digital zooms go. The 400 retains the special effects lineup of the 200, and they work very well. The tonal range of the black & white option is a real treat. The final result isn't exactly Panatomic X quality, but it is really good, and your darkroom for artistic dodging and burning is contained entirely on your hard drive.
The case is still steel, but has a ceramic coating that is supposed to be even more scratch resistant. It is also much "whiter", and offers MUCH better contrast when you read the various control labels. While the contols are similar, they are also marked with larger and bolder lettering. All in all, a big improvrment. The michrophone was moved from the front to the top of the case. I think the front makes more sense, but it works very well on top. Canon also included a tiny (but effective) speaker in the 400. You can now select or create sounds for all camera functions (even a "real" shutter sound), as well as make voice notes for each photo taken if desired. Most sound functions are individualy adjustable for volume, and several sound "themes" are included. Techno-tinkerers might enjoy customizing the photo displayed upon startup. Movie preview also has sound now.
On the subject of movies, the 400 makes a little tradeoff. The max resolution is no longer 640x480, it is 320x240 (which is fast becoming standard for movies from still cameras). On the other hand, it is not limited to 10 seconds anymore. You can now make clips up to 3 minutes each. Computer playback looks very good. TV playback isn't bad at all. As a pocket sized way to film Junior taking his first bike ride without training wheels, it can't be beat.
The shutter button and zoom ring are a little larger, and now feel just right. The 400 has also incorporated the mode selector wheel used on other high end Canon cameras. This is long overdue, as it makes using all of the many features and modes a real joy.
Red eye appears to be better than before, but I don't expect much from such a close coupled flash / lens combo, and who really cares, as it is corrected with a click of the mouse before you print a photo. A few MAJOR improvements are the 9 zone Ai AF, and new (yellow) focus assist. If you were not careful, the 200 could return slightly out of focus shots, and in low light, the focus assist sometimes didn't. That has been fixed. The 9 zone intelligent AF really does an amazing job, and the new focus assist achieves lock under a much wider range of difficulty than the old system.
The built in flash has a generous range for a tiny camera, and the coverage is very even. Shooting a blank wall within the range of the flash shows no "hot spots". The metering options are still program, center weighted, or spot, but the program mode seems to have been given a big boost. The 200 does very well, but the 400 is on par with the SLR class for getting it right the first time.
Exposure bracketing is +/2 EV, slow synchro flash is still there to boost background brightness when needed, the panoramic stitch mode is still a treat, and, in general, this is nothing less than a James Bond version of a full featured, top quality 4+ megapixel digital camera. The only tradeoff is that a full sized camera with similar features might offer a larger lens aperture. That can extend your non flash low light level by an F stop or so, but it does no good if the camera is sitting at home, rather than in your pocket. If it is in your budget, get this camera. Not only will you take more quality pictures over time, but you won't be burdened by feeling like a conspicuous tourist while doing it.
One last note. Buy a high speed (24x) 256 meg memory card. The speed alows for quicker second shots (the 400 can do 2.5 FPS in continuous mode), and the 256 meg size gives you a full 128 shots at the highest resolution, many hundreds of pics at the low res setting.
Price:
-----
The Sony DSC-P10 is 5 MP vs. 4 MP for the S400. The difference in resolution may immediately sway your decision to teh DSC-P10, but I would think very carefully. While the extra 1 MP sounds like a lot, my old 2.0 MP Canon S00 was fine for priting pictures all the way up to 8x10 (w/o any cropping). 4 MP resolution should allow you to price 11x14 with no cropping, and 8x10 with a lot of cropping. 5 MP is just excessive IMO. These days, it's just a race among manufacturers to see who can advertise the highest MP number.
Shooting modes and menus
---------------------------------
P10 also has some convenient shooting modes which make it more user friendly. It also has great features like cropping, resizing and rotating right on the camera which helps when you are not by a computer and want to free up room on your media storage.
The Canon S400 has a far superior menu system and is much easier to use.
Size:
-----
Canon S400 is smaller, making it a more pocketable camera IMO. Trust me on this one. The specs shown them being only very slightly different in dimensions, but the total volume of the cameras makes the S400 ideal. Those with bigger hands may prefer the layout and slightly larger size of the P10 though.
Memory storage:
---------------
The P10 uses Memory cards, which are limited to 128 MB, unless you use the double sided ones (Sony Memory Duo), where you can flip them over to get another 128 MB. Far too much hassle for me.. sounds easy in theory, but in real life, you will hate it. My friend who bought the P10 surely does. You can get larger memory sticks, which comes in the form of the "Sony Memory Pro", which are 256 MB and 512 MB. Keep in mind though, that these cards have problems acting as regular storage for files, and things like Mp3s for sony mp3 players. They have some type of digital rights management (DRM) on them that have causes lots of problems for people (so i've read on many reviews). Also, these PRO cards only work in 2003 (or newer) sony devices. Lastly, the memory pro cards have some type of management files on the cards themselves, taking up about 20MB of space. So a 256 MB card, really only has about 230 MB. Maybe not a big deal, but com'on, at advertise the size correctly!
Battery Life:
-------------
Battery life on P10 is better than the S400. It will last about 20% longer. However, the batteries are cheaper for the S400 AFAIK and they also charge in about 1/2 the time vs. the sony batteries.
Conclusion:
-----------
All in all, i think the S400 is a better choice. Sure, CF maybe outdated in a few years in favor of smaller, superior storage media like SD, MMC or xD cards (which are going up to 1 GB btw), but until then you can get a great digicam with dirt cheap media. I picked up a 512 MB Kingston card for very cheap from eBay.
Tips for those buying the S400:
-------------------------------
1. Ensure you buy good quality CF cards for the S400. CF cards have on-board processor on the cards themselves which actually regulate how fast the read+write is, unlike smartmedia which reliees on the camera. This means that CF cards will differ greatly in speed for read+write performance. Recommendations are Viking, RiData and Kingston. I have used about 7 or 8 different types of cards, and these are definitely the best in speed and reliability. Viking can be found cheap on Amazon deals quite often (with rebates), and kingston and ridata can be found on eBay for cheap.
2. Buy the legitimate Canon branded NB-1LH batteries. They can be had for about $30-$40 if you look hard enough. Stay away from NB-1L (notice the H is suffix is missing). The NB-1L is the lower capacity battery for these cameras. Stay away from aftermarket batteries. Sure they sell for MUCH cheaper (often 1/3 the price), but reliability and longevity of these are just brutal. There are always exceptions to the rules -some ppl have have great experiences, which others have dead batteries almost right away. Why risk having a dead battery while you are on vacation and miss those Crucial shots of your wife/gf? Spend the extra $15 and get the real-deal batteries.
Recommended purchase:
---------------------
-Canon S400
-256 or 512 MB Viking, RiData or Kingston CF card
-1 extra battery NB-1LH
-Camera Case PSC-100 -padded case with front storage for extra battery and storage. Very compact and nice looking.
Buy Canon PowerShot S400 4MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom Now
Pros:1) Compact Size
2) 4.0 Megapixel Camera!
3) 3x Optical Zoom, 3.6x Digital Zoom
4) CompactFlash media with High Speed CompactFlash support.
5) Improved Movie Record Mode (up to 3 minutes with High Speed CompactFlash card)
6) 9 point AiAF system (Artificial Intelligence AutoFocus) (S200 has 3 point AiAF system)
7) DIGIC processor (specialized processor made by Canon specifically for digital cameras... supposedly improves camera photo quality)
8) iSAPS (Intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) for improved camera focus and white balancing.
9) Direct printing to DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) compatible printers.
10) Accepts the original Lithium-Ion batteries of the S110 and S300 cameras.
11) Adjustable ISO settings from 50 to 400
12) Self-Timer from 2 or 10 secs
13) Continuous Shooting mode
14) Stainless Steel Casing.
15) Built-in speaker
16) FUNC button like S45/S50 PowerShots for easier navigation through camera options especially in manual mode.
17) More rounded body gives a slightly sleeker look to the S400.
Cons:
1) Short Battery Life but seemed better than S230
2) Flash is weak especially in nighttime settings with no additional lighting and at 3x zoom.
3) Additional Batteries from Canon are Expensive. J&R sells non-Canon brands for as low as $...
4) Tripod mounting now on far left side of camera (you are looking at the back of the camera
5) Minimal Accessories available for the camera
My Opinion:...I brought 3 different camera with me. The S230, S45, and the S400 up to Boston while I do a bit of sightseeing between interviews. The reasons why I brought 3 of my camera was to see which camera will have the higest quality of picture.
I took photos of the Cambridge area, the Northern docks, and of Fenway with all three cameras... and of close up and group photos with my friends in the area. The fastest camera to start up was the S400. In fairly close up photos and group photos in daylight or good lighting situations, there wasn't a discernable amount of difference between the three cameras especially after printing out the photos on a photo-quality inkjet printer. I noted differences in distance shooting (landscaping photos) and low light situations. Landscape shots of the Boston Harbor captured better details especially with objects in the far background with the S400 and S45. Distant shots of Fenway captured sharper details on the S400 and S45 as well. Nighttime shots were best captured on the S45... although not by a great deal over the S230 and S400. The range of manual controls were without a doubt better on the S45 and that allowed me to take better twilight landscape photos than the other two digital cameras. The surprise was that the S400 seemed the fastest to display the picture in the LCD after the shutter button is pressed and the continuous shot modes were also considerable faster to me than the S230 and S45.
Read Best Reviews of Canon PowerShot S400 4MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom Here
After extensive research on the web ...I chose to upgrade my Canon S20 to a Canon S400. In someways, this was a step down. Unfortunately, the S400 does not support verticle alignment of it's panoramic "stitch assist" mode as they do on the S40, S45, S50 and other higher priced models. I found this feature on the S20 to be very useful in capturing more image (greater resolution and consistant panning) when stitching photos together to make a panoramic photo. Also, the S400 does not support the higher resolution movie mode of 640 x 320, as some digital cameras support. Hopefully, Canon will address these feature shortfalls with a firmware upgrade in the near future. As mentioned in a number of reviews, the S400's flash is miniscule and thus is somewhat inadequate to light wide distant shots.Canon has improved the intelligence of the powershot digital line. Specifically in the S400 the Digic processing makes for fast picture taking and viewing. The size of the S400 is grand. It does fit in a pocket and powers up so quickly, you may never miss another shot with this camera (keeping in mind to charge your battery and have enough flash memory for the moment!!!).
The bottom line... the Canon S400 is compact, sturdy, and fast. If you are looking for a very small 4 megapixel camera with nice even colors, low levels of distortion, a basic movie capture mode, fast memory writing and reading, the S400 is a current top pick. However, if you are looking for lots of manual control, vertical "photo stitching," and more pixels try the S50.
One note if considering the S45 or S50 cameras, play with the navigation buttons before purchasing the unit; I have found the navigation to be somewhat clumsy in-which it is easy to hit "enter" when trying to navigate "up" or "down," or hit "up" when trying to "enter."
Want Canon PowerShot S400 4MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom Discount?
I am a casual photo enthusiast who enjoys taking pictures of my friends and family wherever I go. Both photographic quality and portability are of paramount concerns and I think I found my holy grail with Canon S400.Pros:
Extremely portable, yet very rugged
Beautiful design with excellent overall ergonomics
Typically excellent photo quality in all-auto mode with no redeye
Very fast -startup time, image processing and acquisition, menu response
Long battery life
Uses widely popular (and inexpensive) CompactFlash Type 1 memory cards
4 megapixel resolution (2272x1704)
3X optical zoom/11X max with digital
Useful movie mode with audio (3 minutes at 320x240 or 160x120)
Cons:
Minimal manual controls (e.g., no manual focus)
Cheap A/V/digital output cover
Movie mode limited to 3 minutes (and no 640x480 mode may irk some)
Proprietary battery
Some barrel distortion when taking wide angle shots
While S400 has some shortcomings, mainly lack of manual focus, exposure, and shutter speed. And some may be bothered by its use of proprietary lithium ion battery, although given its compact size, I think Canon engineers had to implement proprietary battery. On the plus side, the battery lasts a long time, capable of taking several hundred shots before running out of juice (and takes only a couple of hours to recharge).
I've managed to fill entire 512MB memory card (32MB is included) on a single battery charge.
Did I mention how beautiful this camera is? The photos do not do this camera a justice. At 3.4" by 2.2" by 1.1", the S400 is no larger than most compact cell phones. Inch by inch, it's only a tad larger than my tiny Sony Ericsson T68i cell phone and smaller than (although a bit thicker) my Apple iPod MP3 player.
The ergonomics are consistently excellent. Although there are some learning curves (particularly given rich feature set), once mastered (comprehensive manuals make it easy), most will appreciate elegant menu layout and ideal number of buttons and layout.
But beautiful design means nothing if it does not accomplish its main functions -taking beautiful pictures. In full auto setting, which is what majority people might use, the pictures were consistently satisfying, although overriding the white balance to match the lighting condition improved the quality significantly in many shots.
This is a great camera.
No comments:
Post a Comment