S30?

Ace H · Jul 4, 2002

Seriously considering getting the PowerShot S30. Any problems, bugs, defects, etc. I should be award of before spending the cash? Please enlighten this potential S30 owner.

Robert Hoffman · Jul 4, 2002

Very good color, super clean ISO 50, and RAW. Is this the same Ace
I know from the Powershot board? If so, email me!

Rob

Gordon Macdonald · Jul 4, 2002

Lack of a B&W information LCD is a drawback I have found. Settings are hard to see in bright light on the color LCD. Also, lens is a bit less sharp in the edges than the S20, which has an excellent lens. (If it weren't for it's lack of sophisticated controls and it's tendency to cool color, it would be my preferred small camera) The sharpness at telephoto setting is great, however.
Gordon

pooh · Jul 4, 2002

Pretty nice camera, very good when taking picture outdoor with plenty of light, but here are my complaints:

1. Over all, lousy indoor pictures (up to the point that I refuse to take indoor pictures with this camera);
2. Focus mechanicsm is terribly slow indoor or low light condition;
3. Noisy pictures at ISO 400, and worthless at 800;
4. Position sujects from viewfinder and lcd are not matched
5. Not happy with battery life (compared to the Nikon 885)

6. Exchanged twice because of hot pixel i.e. buying from local store is recommended (in my case, bestbuy, with extra $60 for 4 years guarantee).

Chris Cooney · Jul 4, 2002

Good overall camera. Like the sliding cover, and startup is pretty fast.

Biggest complaint is the flash actually flashes twice when used. There's an acronym for it, but basically the first flash helps decide how stong the second flash should be when the actual shot is taken. It's very fast, but if you are taking pictures of subjects who are very flash sensitive (anyone w/ very light eyes), they may come out w/ closed eyes.

There's a way around it, but it requires extra button pressing, and can't be used in Auto mode. And trying to describe it to someone else when you want to be in the shot is difficult at best. Search back in this forum and you'll see a discussion on it - probably a month or so ago.

Flash coverage is pretty weak, and redeye isn't very good, but I think that's somewhat common in digicams.

The only other thing I wish this camera had was a 2x3 ratio resolution setting so I didn't have to crop to make 4x6 prints, but that option doesn't seem to have made it to the 3mp realm too much.

I haven't had many issues w/ battery life - recharge is very quick. And picture/color is very good. Knowing what I know now would i buy it again? Honestly I'd try other cameras first, but friends w/ other cameras have +s & -s as well, so it's a tough call.

john394 · Jul 4, 2002

I consider myself an average Joe user--mostly point and shoot with occassional manul adjustments. Overall, the camera is a solid choice. Easy to use, compact, good construction, etc. The major downside is indoor and low light situations.

Here is link that lists S30 reviews (and other Canons):

http://www.all-digital-links.com/digital/camera/reviews/canon/index.html

chris_ksu · Jul 5, 2002

I've been very happy with my s30 so far. It's my first camera since the good old days of my 493 x 373 Kodak DC25. The low light performance seems pretty good.
Pluses:
1. Great picture quality.

2. Good low light performance. Noise reduction system seems to work fairly well. I think alot of this is very dependent on the shooting conditions. Some folks hate the s30's low light performance.

3. Good construction. Feels like a real camera, not a plastic toy. A big selling point for me. If I pay $500 for something, it better at least feel like $500 in my hand.

Minuses:
1. No battery meter.

2. No socket for externally powering the unit without Canon's stupid dummy battery. This really bugs me - more so from a design point than functionality.

3. LCD washes out in direct sunlight (but most do). Anti-glare coating would help.

Victor Taillon · Jul 5, 2002

was a former s20 user....

see here for amateur s30 results....no complaints concerning picture quality...indoor flash works well when you learn how to use it.
wish lcd cover was crystal glass...will scratch over time with normal use
--
S30 powershot user
http://www.pbase.com/vct_va

Jeff Yeldezian · Jul 5, 2002

I love mine. I just got it a few days ago and have shot probably 250 pics already. Outdoor pics are a snap....there isn't much work involved to make them look awesome. Auto WB can handle outside conditions. Indoors pics just take more work....they are not impossible. It is pretty much essential to use manual WB and usually set the exposure control to overexpose. Then you have to play with the flash. Basically....it takes some practice. All the above is using P mode. I tried a few on auto...I was actually quite impressed. I would highly recommend it.

Kevin Esler · Jul 5, 2002

I've had one for two months. Prior to that I'd used point and shoot cameras only. I'm very happy. Here are some samples:

http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze24fr2/photos/gallery/

Ace H · Jul 5, 2002

I've heard that the S30 has alignment problems sometimes. That is....something appears to be loose in the optical viewfinder, as a result some shots don't line up correctly.

I live in a semi-tropical climate so I will be using the OPTICAL viewfinder quite a bit as the bright sunlight would make it difficult to see the LCD.

Finally, what about battery life?

Victor Taillon · Jul 5, 2002

never heard of alignment prob or looseness... could be user parallax,(alignment of eyeball and subject off)...if you check the focusing lightbeam through the viewfinder you'll see it falls smack in the middle of the viewfinder brackets...at least it does in mine.

My s30 still blows me away with shots like this.......color is emaculate, focus is dead on...you really need 2 batteries to go all day, when one goes you charge while using the other and on. I have to learn when to use evaluative vs center weighted averaging metering......seems in really bright conditions center weighted and spot works best into the sun............

--
S30 powershot user
http://www.pbase.com/vct_va

Victor Taillon · Jul 5, 2002

ditto

--
S30 powershot user
http://www.pbase.com/vct_va

ry328 · Jul 5, 2002

Those pictures are beautiful, Kevin.

I notice some files are in tiff format and they are hugh in file size! Are raw really make a big difference?

Ron

Jim Vincent · Jul 5, 2002

Great shot! Hope the splash didn't get your camera wet!

Kevin Esler · Jul 5, 2002

I think the really big ones were the ones I edited a bit with Photoshop Elements and then re-saved as TIFF. Probably should have saved as JPG to save space.

I do usually try to shoot in RAW mode to maximise information.

Gerrit G. · Jul 5, 2002

Go for it, Ace. I have used an S30 for the past 6 months or so. Excellent images, well-made, pocketable. In fact I carry it with me most days. Drawbacks? I haven't come across any, really, though the multicontrol botton is not too well designed and took some getting used to Other plus: an excellent manual. Read it a couple of times and start shooting quality pics.

carol taylor · Jul 5, 2002

hi... I have had mine just over a month and wouldn't trade it. I have only ever used point and shot cameras, so I have lots to learn. This is my efforts so far. Where I bought mine you can take it back if not satisfied in 30 days.
Can't lose.
http://community.webshots.com/user/carolt46
Carol

Ace H · Jul 6, 2002

Another issue which was/is holding me back is that proprietary battery. What kind of "mileage" can be expected from that battery....(mileage meaning battery life)? Obviously one would need a back up, and this battery isn't your standard AA rechargables....seems it would be slightly pricey. A damaged, lost or misplaced battery would not be easily replaced by going to a local store and buying one as can be done with AA's. IMO there's nothing worse than a camera you can't use because the ONLY battery is in the charger. Any input on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thus far this battery issue is the only thing holding me back as the picture quality fo this camera is awesome. (But before you can take those awesome pictures you have to have a battery)

RogerBaum · Jul 6, 2002

I've had the camera since mid-May. I LOVE it. Have not experienced the focusing problems many people have talked about on these boards.

The battery issue figured into my decision as well. I had been using a CoolPix 990 at work, with external flash unit....I have 16 AA NiMH batteries for it...8 in use while 8 charging, plus some backup AA Lithium disposables.

For the S30, I bought a spare battery for about $70 (full price...but I was in a hurry). After 6 weeks of the S30 vs. 20 months using the CoolPix 990, I prefer the Canon battery to the AA setup with the CoolPix. The number of pix per charge on the Canon blows away the Nikon, and the NB-2L is smaller and lighter than 4 (or 8) AA batteries, and the charger is much smaller/lighter than either of the two(!) AA chargers I need to carry around with the Nikon. Plus, the Canon battery recharges much faster than my AAs

Hope this helps!

S30?

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