• Excellent image quality (bright, clear, sharp, detailed)
• Super-Fine JPEG mode makes for TIFF like images at half the size
• Ability to take CF type II cards
• Quality build and good looks
• Size and weight
• Automatic lens cover (no dangly strings or lost caps here)
• Excellent menu system and "human interface" (ergonimics)
• Good metering (if sometimes a little dark)
• Good white balance (with easy-to-access override)
• Excellent low-light and night ability (if limited to 2 seconds exposures)
• Well thought-out features, useful "IMAGE" mode
• Bright clear and detailed LCD with fast refresh rate
• Stitch assist mode
• ISO control
• Memory buffer display (why can't all digicams tell you this?)
• USB

• Sometimes annoying lack of image review unless you hold your finger down on the shutter release (there is a work-around, put the camera in continuous mode)
• No image delete button in playback mode, must enter "delete mode" (niggle)
• No review keep/delete option after you've taken the shot
• Yellowing of skin tones using the flash
• Limited zoom (70 mm)
• Very little else...

Overall conclusion

Here's my rating of the Canon S10:

The Canon S10 certainly sets new ground, and I'm sure it's sent a few manufacturers racing back to the drawing board (as I'm sure the 950 did when it was released). The S10 is just so good on so many grounds it goes high on my favourite digicams list. With the addition of USB, CF Type II, Super-Fine JPEG, its small size and value for money, if you can live with the limited zoom ability then the S10 is one camera that ANYONE considering buying a digicam should have somewhere in their list.. (somewhere near the top).

Kudos Canon, you've produced a digital camera capable of taking beautiful images in anyones hands, with a great feature set and some neat touches it makes some larger bulkier digicams look like dinosaurs and brings compact digital cameras to a new level.

Above Average

So which one should I buy? A question I get asked several times a day, and I wouldn't like to say In a new addition to my reviews (after the amount of feedback I normally get) I've added a link to a specific forum in which you can discuss the review or ask me specific questions which I've not answered in these pages.

Good News! Buy the Canon S10 online today and help support this site

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