Digital Camera Review
Sep 14, 2004
- By James Murray
The Canon PowerShot S1 retails for US $399. Although this low price seems great when evaluating the 10x optical/3.2x digital zoom, a positive judgment of the camera is somewhat diminished when the 1/2.7-inch 3.2 effective MP CCD and imaging performance are added to the mix. The considerable size and bulk of the PowerShot S1 make it a camera more suited for static, homebound situations. The LCD measures 1.5 inches diagonally and can be extracted from the camera body, rotated, flipped, and replaced to face either inward or out towards the viewer. The PowerShot S1 has a variety of external features, such as separate movie button and still image shutter controls, which allude to a hybrid image format. Video and audio can be recorded at a rate of 30 fps, making the S1 a strong hybrid imager. Manual controls are available, although diminished within the focus and light metering portions of the camera’s controls.
Picture Quality / Image Size Options (7.0)
The following image sizes are available: 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, 1024 x 768, and 640 x 480 for still images, and for video images, 640 x 480 fine, 640 x 480, and 320 x 240. The compression rates or quality settings available are Super-Fine, Fine, and Normal.
Picture Effects Mode (7.0)
The Photo Effects available to the user of the Canon PowerShot S1 are accessed through the Function Menu, selecting the Effect subsection with the four-way controller, and then selecting from the following choices: Photo Effect Off, Vivid, Neutral, Low Sharpening, Sepia, B/W, and Custom Effect.