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Anyone picked up an Optio S4i yet?

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The S4i and the S4 use the same type of lens so the image softness is still gonna be there. As long as the center of the frame is sharp thats all that matters. There has to be a little compromise considering its small size. Pentax has the niche of the smallest cams for now. I wouldn't buy any other brand.

Rastaman71
EA22 said:
Also, does anyone know of another camera that is the exact same
size and weight as the Pentax with all of the same features? I've
pretty much decided on it, but if there is something else that is
better, i'd love to hear it. Perhaps the Canon s410 (or s 500)
Elph? (You'd think it was a lot smaller based on the name, but it's
really not)

Last but not least, do you think that the tiny size of the s4i
makes it flimsy and "fragile"..?
njord said:
I'm getting very worried about the softness I see on the left side
of quite a few of my pictures (actually, all the pictures that are
taken with low aperture value, ie. 2.6). It's clearly not the usual
corner softness because it basically extends over the first third
of the pictures, and the right corners of the pic (and more
generally the right side of the pic) are devoid of that particular
softness.

I have made a page with pics and crops to illustrate that :
http://www.geocities.com/njord_fr/

I'd like it very much if you could tell me whether you have noticed
the same problem with your own Optio S or S4. I need to know
whether my Optio S4 is defective or whether it is a "feature" of
the lens. I've just bought my Optio S4, and I've only got a very
few days left to have it exchanged for another digicam. So I really
depend on you all to determine if I must go for another Optio S4 or
do something else.

Thanks to you all in advance.

Yann.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for your reply. So it's a durable camera- not flimsy or cheaply made?... As mentioned before, i was considering the Canon s500 Elph.... heard it was one of the best- Even better than the Pentax s4i -- But more expensive also. What do you think?..
Rastaman71 said:
Rastaman71
EA22 said:
Also, does anyone know of another camera that is the exact same
size and weight as the Pentax with all of the same features? I've
pretty much decided on it, but if there is something else that is
better, i'd love to hear it. Perhaps the Canon s410 (or s 500)
Elph? (You'd think it was a lot smaller based on the name, but it's
really not)

Last but not least, do you think that the tiny size of the s4i
makes it flimsy and "fragile"..?
njord said:
I'm getting very worried about the softness I see on the left side
of quite a few of my pictures (actually, all the pictures that are
taken with low aperture value, ie. 2.6). It's clearly not the usual
corner softness because it basically extends over the first third
of the pictures, and the right corners of the pic (and more
generally the right side of the pic) are devoid of that particular
softness.

I have made a page with pics and crops to illustrate that :
http://www.geocities.com/njord_fr/

I'd like it very much if you could tell me whether you have noticed
the same problem with your own Optio S or S4. I need to know
whether my Optio S4 is defective or whether it is a "feature" of
the lens. I've just bought my Optio S4, and I've only got a very
few days left to have it exchanged for another digicam. So I really
depend on you all to determine if I must go for another Optio S4 or
do something else.

Thanks to you all in advance.

Yann.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
The s4 is a well constructed camera, some users may disagree. The memory card / battery door is made of plastic as well as the tripod mount, but this doesn't take anything away from the quality of the pics it takes. This is a camera that you need to experiment with and to tweak the settings to achieve the best results. If you want a super compact camera than this a camera for you.

Is Cannon Elph better than the S4i? The s4i has just been released so the verdict isn't out yet, but Pentax didn't make very many changes between the S4 & the S4i. There practically the same camera. The Elph's are great camera's that take quality pic's. I looked at both when trying to decide and the portability and features that the S4 offered cannot be matched especially in such a sub compact cam.

RASTAMAN71
EA22 said:
Rastaman71 said:
Rastaman71
EA22 said:
Also, does anyone know of another camera that is the exact same
size and weight as the Pentax with all of the same features? I've
pretty much decided on it, but if there is something else that is
better, i'd love to hear it. Perhaps the Canon s410 (or s 500)
Elph? (You'd think it was a lot smaller based on the name, but it's
really not)

Last but not least, do you think that the tiny size of the s4i
makes it flimsy and "fragile"..?
njord said:
I'm getting very worried about the softness I see on the left side
of quite a few of my pictures (actually, all the pictures that are
taken with low aperture value, ie. 2.6). It's clearly not the usual
corner softness because it basically extends over the first third
of the pictures, and the right corners of the pic (and more
generally the right side of the pic) are devoid of that particular
softness.

I have made a page with pics and crops to illustrate that :
http://www.geocities.com/njord_fr/

I'd like it very much if you could tell me whether you have noticed
the same problem with your own Optio S or S4. I need to know
whether my Optio S4 is defective or whether it is a "feature" of
the lens. I've just bought my Optio S4, and I've only got a very
few days left to have it exchanged for another digicam. So I really
depend on you all to determine if I must go for another Optio S4 or
do something else.

Thanks to you all in advance.

Yann.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Just so you know, the new S4i is larger than the S4 and I doubt it will fit into an Altoids tin like the other two models. They are a sturdy camera, it does get attention and for the "size" I have been more than pleased with the pictures. Have had the battery door opened & closed many times and no problem. The S4i has a different door hinge, it's too early to tell if it will be any better. I haven't ever read on this forum of the door breaking on first two models. Just make sure there is a decent return or exchange time in case it is a defective model. Good luck, let us know what you purchase. I also considered the Canon Elph but couldn't pass up the Pentax because of size. I carry it with me all the time.
Rastaman71 said:
RASTAMAN71
EA22 said:
Rastaman71 said:
Rastaman71
EA22 said:
Also, does anyone know of another camera that is the exact same
size and weight as the Pentax with all of the same features? I've
pretty much decided on it, but if there is something else that is
better, i'd love to hear it. Perhaps the Canon s410 (or s 500)
Elph? (You'd think it was a lot smaller based on the name, but it's
really not)

Last but not least, do you think that the tiny size of the s4i
makes it flimsy and "fragile"..?
njord said:
I'm getting very worried about the softness I see on the left side
of quite a few of my pictures (actually, all the pictures that are
taken with low aperture value, ie. 2.6). It's clearly not the usual
corner softness because it basically extends over the first third
of the pictures, and the right corners of the pic (and more
generally the right side of the pic) are devoid of that particular
softness.

I have made a page with pics and crops to illustrate that :
http://www.geocities.com/njord_fr/

I'd like it very much if you could tell me whether you have noticed
the same problem with your own Optio S or S4. I need to know
whether my Optio S4 is defective or whether it is a "feature" of
the lens. I've just bought my Optio S4, and I've only got a very
few days left to have it exchanged for another digicam. So I really
depend on you all to determine if I must go for another Optio S4 or
do something else.

Thanks to you all in advance.

Yann.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Just my question too. The whole point of getting a small camera is that it's small. If you have to take the stand with you when you travel (ie, you can't recharge the battery with the A/C adaptor) then what, hardly, is the reason to be thinking about fractions of an ounce? Yes, I know you don't carry the adaptor when taking pictures, but you do have to take it on the trip.
Barry Margolius said:
-barry
TrashKen said:
The AC Adapter is a cord that connects the camera directly into a
wall socket thus not requiring the use of the cradle-charger. The
charger is very light..no heavier than a cigarette lighter.
mgabel said:
Pictures of charger are great. But, I'm rather disappointed. Such
a small camera. Such a large charger.

Question: is the charger a "world-wide" charger?

Second, quesition. Specs say there is an optional A/C adaptor. Has
any one seen one? Is it a "world-wide" adaptor? And, does the A/C
adaptor charge the battery that is inside the camera?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
--
http://www.trashken.com
Click to expand...
--
Click to expand...
 
As far as size for the S4i goes it's technically the exact saqme size as the two before it, but in actuality it ends up being slightly bigger. As for fitting in an Altoids Tin, not exactly, the biggest problem being the little chrome bar along the side which sticks out on all sides more than you might think. I maganed to get mine inside the Altoids tin so long as you angle it in rather than going straight in but because of the little chrome piece I was unable to actually get the lid to shut and I didn't really want to try too hard. For teh battery door, it does look slightly sturdier than the S4 but I've never really though the durability of the battery door should be that much of an issue. As long as your careful enough when switching cards or batteries it should never be an issue. Unfortunaltely mine finished charging at about 10:30 tonight so I'll have to wait till tomorrow for some real pictures but I can try and post some a little later.
picfan said:
Just so you know, the new S4i is larger than the S4 and I doubt it
will fit into an Altoids tin like the other two models. They are a
sturdy camera, it does get attention and for the "size" I have been
more than pleased with the pictures. Have had the battery door
opened & closed many times and no problem. The S4i has a different
door hinge, it's too early to tell if it will be any better. I
haven't ever read on this forum of the door breaking on first two
models. Just make sure there is a decent return or exchange time
in case it is a defective model. Good luck, let us know what you
purchase. I also considered the Canon Elph but couldn't pass up
the Pentax because of size. I carry it with me all the time.
Click to expand...
 
The sample pix posted are only 160x120 pixels in size. (Download them and check them out in Photoshop).

I.E., the thumbnails rather than the actual pictures were posted.

You could make photos with a $10,000 camera, but it you post thumbnails as "samples", your samples will look awful.

I'm sure it was well-intentioned, but these photos tell us nothing at all about the S4i.
 
Hey,

It was $349.00 at the store, but i told the salesman that i saw it online at dataviz for $309.00. He said that i would have paid about 20 dollars in tax and shipping and so he would honor that price and give it to me for $329.00. I'm sure you can get it lower.... Shipping and tax might not necessarily be $20.00 Did someone here say they paid only $10 for shipping and tax?
1C5 said:
How much is it at that store? At http://www.datavis.com it was $309
yesterday but now it is $349 today. Can't believe they did that!!!
Click to expand...
 
So the s4i is larger then the s4? They didn't have the S4 in stock so i couldn't compare. Though the s40 looked much bigger(thicker) then the s4i.- I think i'll bring an altoids tin into the store with me and try it out on all three cameras ;-) And yes, the Elph's looked like a good buy, but the size of the Pentax sealed it for me as well. it's actually not for me- It's a gift for my boyfriend and I know he loves anything tiny and compact. I'd like to put the camera into an altoid tin... wrap the tin and give it to him like that. ( It'll make it all the more interesting)

Anyway, thank you for the advise. I will let you know when i pick it up. I will take a look at the batt. door as well.
picfan said:
Rastaman71 said:
RASTAMAN71
EA22 said:
Rastaman71 said:
Rastaman71
EA22 said:
Also, does anyone know of another camera that is the exact same
size and weight as the Pentax with all of the same features? I've
pretty much decided on it, but if there is something else that is
better, i'd love to hear it. Perhaps the Canon s410 (or s 500)
Elph? (You'd think it was a lot smaller based on the name, but it's
really not)

Last but not least, do you think that the tiny size of the s4i
makes it flimsy and "fragile"..?
njord said:
I'm getting very worried about the softness I see on the left side
of quite a few of my pictures (actually, all the pictures that are
taken with low aperture value, ie. 2.6). It's clearly not the usual
corner softness because it basically extends over the first third
of the pictures, and the right corners of the pic (and more
generally the right side of the pic) are devoid of that particular
softness.

I have made a page with pics and crops to illustrate that :
http://www.geocities.com/njord_fr/

I'd like it very much if you could tell me whether you have noticed
the same problem with your own Optio S or S4. I need to know
whether my Optio S4 is defective or whether it is a "feature" of
the lens. I've just bought my Optio S4, and I've only got a very
few days left to have it exchanged for another digicam. So I really
depend on you all to determine if I must go for another Optio S4 or
do something else.

Thanks to you all in advance.

Yann.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
So it doesn't actually fit into the altoids tin with room to spare, huh? I am quite dissapointed. I thought for sure it would fit. Oh well- what can you do. I'd still like to get it. I'll need to buy a memory card as well, right? From what i understand, the camera has 10mb built-in.That will only hold about 6-10 pics at 4megapixels. A friend of mine told me that http://www.ecost.com has a 256mb SD memory card for this camera for $43 after
rebate.

here's the link: http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?dpno=763471

Anyone know if i can get it for cheaper?.. Thanks.
DeucesWilde said:
picfan said:
Just so you know, the new S4i is larger than the S4 and I doubt it
will fit into an Altoids tin like the other two models. They are a
sturdy camera, it does get attention and for the "size" I have been
more than pleased with the pictures. Have had the battery door
opened & closed many times and no problem. The S4i has a different
door hinge, it's too early to tell if it will be any better. I
haven't ever read on this forum of the door breaking on first two
models. Just make sure there is a decent return or exchange time
in case it is a defective model. Good luck, let us know what you
purchase. I also considered the Canon Elph but couldn't pass up
the Pentax because of size. I carry it with me all the time.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Just called the store and the salesman told me he would honor the price of $309.00 plus tax. I'd go in person. 5th avenue and 40th street. Ask for a saleman named Eddie.
EA22 said:
It was $349.00 at the store, but i told the salesman that i saw it
online at dataviz for $309.00. He said that i would have paid about
20 dollars in tax and shipping and so he would honor that price and
give it to me for $329.00. I'm sure you can get it lower....
Shipping and tax might not necessarily be $20.00 Did someone here
say they paid only $10 for shipping and tax?
1C5 said:
How much is it at that store? At http://www.datavis.com it was $309
yesterday but now it is $349 today. Can't believe they did that!!!
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
I just picked up an S4i and love it. It will fit into an Altoids can if you lightly crimp the two shorter sides. I used some mole skin around the sides but nothing top or bottom.

I also picked up a Canon S500. My Dad is going to buy whichever one I don't keep. So far I like the Pentax for size and function. The Canon has better resolution but I don't like the power button. You have to hold it down for about two seconds. It may be me, but I have also gotten a lot of pictures that are out of focus with the Canon.
 
…about the S4i

1. Can’t find an answer to the previous question whether the camera is actually charging in the cradle, or if you have to take the battery out and charge it separately. Does anyone know?

2. I understand the cradle doesn’t connect to the computer! Is this really correct? Seems kind of unnecessary with a cradle in that case!

3. Has anyone tested the continuous-mode or the shot-to-shot performance on the camera? Would be nice if it has been improved!

hoogey
 
1. Yes, the camera charges when you place it in the cradle, the red light on front will blink when it's charging then go steady when it's charged. The extra slot for the battery alone is mostly a convenience feature if you want to charge extra batteries without putting them in the camera.

2. No, the cradle just charges, there is no computer connection, they include a separate cord for that. Personally I like the cradle style charger even though it isn't really loads more useful, it is still better than removing the batteries to charge like Nikon does and it involves no connecting, just slip it in the cradle.

3. Haven't tested shot to shot\continuous yet.
hoogey said:
…about the S4i

1. Can’t find an answer to the previous question whether the camera
is actually charging in the cradle, or if you have to take the
battery out and charge it separately. Does anyone know?

2. I understand the cradle doesn’t connect to the computer! Is this
really correct? Seems kind of unnecessary with a cradle in that
case!

3. Has anyone tested the continuous-mode or the shot-to-shot
performance on the camera? Would be nice if it has been improved!

hoogey
Click to expand...
 
EA22 said:
So the s4i is larger then the s4? They didn't have the S4 in stock
so i couldn't compare. Though the s40 looked much bigger(thicker)
then the s4i--
Click to expand...
I compared the S4i and S4 side-by-side in a store today. They look almost identical in size. I found both way too small for my average size hands. There just isn't enough mass to hold the camera steady, especially if you try to use the squinty (pathetic) little viewfinder. Also, your right thumb falls naturally over the zoom controller and zooms the lens when you don't want it to.

Other controls and features are nice, however.

John McCormack
Trying to like digital but still in love with my Contax T3
 
I can't seem to get clear shots with my S4i!!

I'm an amateur, but my pictures seem very noisy and gloomy looking. The weather hasn't been great here for the past few days, so I have yet to try my camera out in good sun light, but my pictuers are incredibly noisy. Any tips?

I'm thinking I should have went with the bigger/heavier cannon S410.....

What do you folks think?
John McCormack said:
EA22 said:
So the s4i is larger then the s4? They didn't have the S4 in stock
so i couldn't compare. Though the s40 looked much bigger(thicker)
then the s4i--
Click to expand...
I compared the S4i and S4 side-by-side in a store today. They look
almost identical in size. I found both way too small for my average
size hands. There just isn't enough mass to hold the camera steady,
especially if you try to use the squinty (pathetic) little
viewfinder. Also, your right thumb falls naturally over the zoom
controller and zooms the lens when you don't want it to.

Other controls and features are nice, however.

John McCormack
Trying to like digital but still in love with my Contax T3
Click to expand...
 
Try increasing exposure by .7. The S4 needed this. Also, use Manual White balance or set it to sunlight. The S4 has trouble with AWB.
Cmo1 said:
I'm an amateur, but my pictures seem very noisy and gloomy looking.
The weather hasn't been great here for the past few days, so I have
yet to try my camera out in good sun light, but my pictuers are
incredibly noisy. Any tips?

I'm thinking I should have went with the bigger/heavier cannon
S410.....

What do you folks think?
John McCormack said:
EA22 said:
So the s4i is larger then the s4? They didn't have the S4 in stock
so i couldn't compare. Though the s40 looked much bigger(thicker)
then the s4i--
Click to expand...
I compared the S4i and S4 side-by-side in a store today. They look
almost identical in size. I found both way too small for my average
size hands. There just isn't enough mass to hold the camera steady,
especially if you try to use the squinty (pathetic) little
viewfinder. Also, your right thumb falls naturally over the zoom
controller and zooms the lens when you don't want it to.

Other controls and features are nice, however.

John McCormack
Trying to like digital but still in love with my Contax T3
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
My pictures all seem to turn out pretty well, in low light settings there is a decent amount of noise when the image is magnified to its original size but it looks fine if sized down a little bit.

1. What type of pictures are you taking?

2. What is the lighting like when you take these pictures

3. What settings do you use? One of the camera's built in scene modes or custom settings?
kingcobra said:
Cmo1 said:
I'm an amateur, but my pictures seem very noisy and gloomy looking.
The weather hasn't been great here for the past few days, so I have
yet to try my camera out in good sun light, but my pictuers are
incredibly noisy. Any tips?

I'm thinking I should have went with the bigger/heavier cannon
S410.....

What do you folks think?
John McCormack said:
EA22 said:
So the s4i is larger then the s4? They didn't have the S4 in stock
so i couldn't compare. Though the s40 looked much bigger(thicker)
then the s4i--
Click to expand...
I compared the S4i and S4 side-by-side in a store today. They look
almost identical in size. I found both way too small for my average
size hands. There just isn't enough mass to hold the camera steady,
especially if you try to use the squinty (pathetic) little
viewfinder. Also, your right thumb falls naturally over the zoom
controller and zooms the lens when you don't want it to.

Other controls and features are nice, however.

John McCormack
Trying to like digital but still in love with my Contax T3
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Could you (or someone) comment if the batter charges with the A/C adaptor?
Thanks.
DeucesWilde said:
2. No, the cradle just charges, there is no computer connection,
they include a separate cord for that. Personally I like the
cradle style charger even though it isn't really loads more useful,
it is still better than removing the batteries to charge like Nikon
does and it involves no connecting, just slip it in the cradle.

3. Haven't tested shot to shot\continuous yet.
hoogey said:
…about the S4i

1. Can’t find an answer to the previous question whether the camera
is actually charging in the cradle, or if you have to take the
battery out and charge it separately. Does anyone know?

2. I understand the cradle doesn’t connect to the computer! Is this
really correct? Seems kind of unnecessary with a cradle in that
case!

3. Has anyone tested the continuous-mode or the shot-to-shot
performance on the camera? Would be nice if it has been improved!

hoogey
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
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