Canon PowerShot S1 IS Digital Camera Review

Front (8.0)
The left side of the Canon PowerShot S1 is predominately occupied by the 10x optical zoom lens and removable lens cap. Underneath the lens, slightly to the right, is the ring release button, which allows for the ring to be removed and a conversion lens to be put in place. To the right and above the lens of the Canon PowerShot S1 is the Red Eye Reduction/Self Timer/Tally Lamp, which is placed so that a stray finger will cover it during normal operation, which stands as a slight design problem. The contoured right side is used as a grip that extends out from the camera body to allow for comfortable holding of the camera in one hand while shooting photos or video footage.

Back (8.0)
The back of the Canon PowerShot S1 has a small LCD screen, measuring only 1.5 inches diagonally, that is dwarfed by the size of the camera body. The screen rests recessed in the camera body, but can be flipped out and swung 180 degrees for frontal viewing or 90 degrees downward. It can also be flipped back upon itself and reinstalled into the camera body, facing outward. If the screen is turned inward and replaced, the user engages the Electronic Color Viewfinder, which sits above the LCD screen, raised from the body of the camera. At some viewing angles, the viewfinder blocks the LCD screen when resting in the camera body. However, to its benefit, the viewfinder is actually large enough to use, a blessing in an age where viewfinders have become so small that using them seems absurd.

To the left of the viewfinder, the user will find a small Diopter Adjustment dial that controls the focus of the electronic viewfinder. Slightly to the right of the viewfinder is the Movie Button, which engages and disengages the camera in video capture when the camera is set to Movie Mode. Beneath this button, the user will find the Function/Single Image Erase button. In regular shooting modes, this allows for image, manual control, and resolution to be controlled. When in Playback Mode, the user can erase single images. Beneath the Function button is the Light Metering/Microphone button, which controls the light metering parameters. The light metering settings that are available are Evaluative Light Metering, Center Weighted Averaging, Spot AE Point/Center, and AF Point. The Evaluative setting will meter for complex situations such as backlighting. Center Weighted averages overall lighting, Spot AE meters the area of the metering frame, Center locks the spot metering frame to the center of the LCD screen, and AF point to the AF frame.

It is possible, when in playback mode, to attach a Sound Memo to images by pressing the Microphone and Set buttons; to disengage, press the set button again. The memo can affix up to sixty seconds of audio to still images, with the data saved as a .WAV file. Beneath the Function button is the Shortcut/Jump button that, during playback, causes a jump bar to appear at the bottom of the LCD screen that allows the user to scan ten images ahead in single playback or the previous or next nine images when in multi-mode. The Shortcut button allows specific buttons to be registered; they are as follows: Resolution, Image Quality, ISO Speed, Frame Rate, Photo Effect, AF Lock, AE Lock, White Balance, and Display OFF. Finally, at the bottom of this row of buttons, there is the Display button, which controls the amount of information available to the user on the LCD screen.

Beneath the LCD monitor, running horizontally along the bottom of the camera, the user will find a port cover that opens from the right side to reveal A/V out, Digital terminal, and DC in terminal. Running along the right side of the back of the Canon PowerShot S1 are the four-way directional controls for navigation purposes, the Set/AF Frame Selector, and the Menu button. The selector button can be depressed, and the four-way controller used, to maneuver the AF frame to the proper portion of the screen. However, it will remain centrally located if the digital zoom is engaged. The Menu button allows for alterations to be made in control settings by pressing the left and right arrows to highlight specific subsections of the menu.

Left Side (7.5)
The left side of the Canon PowerShot S1 features the in-camera playback speaker in the middle of the camera body. With its circular and slightly convex shape, it resembles the styling for a mouthpiece of a traditional telephone. Above it is the eyelet for a neck- or wrist-strap. On a slight curve leading towards the top of the camera, the user will find two buttons. The first is a frontally positioned flash button which, when pressed, allows the user to choose from Auto with red-eye reduction, Auto, Flash on with Red-eye reduction, Flash on, and Flash off. Behind the flash button is the Self Timer/Continuous Shooting Mode. Self-Timer mode allows the user to set up shots and engage a delay for either 10 or 2 seconds. The continuous shooting mode allows the user to capture at a rate of 1.7 shots/second, until the shutter is released fully, following focusing and full depression. On the casing for the lens barrel, the user will find the Manual Focus button, with the Image Stabilization button directly below.

Right Side (7.5)
The only useful feature on the right side of the camera body is the Memory Card Cover which, when slid backward, flips open to reveal the memory card slot. Also present on the right side is a strap eyelet.

Top (9.0)
The top of the Canon PowerShot S1 features the microphone for the camera, along with the flip-up flash. The microphone, above the viewfinder, is a bit awkwardly placed. At times, the left hand (seeking a comfortable resting spot) will mask it. To the right of the flash, the user will find the mode dial, which allows the user to switch among the following settings: Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Fast Shutter, Slow Shutter, Stitch Assist, Movie, Program, Shutter Speed AE, Aperture-priority AE, Manual Exposure, and Custom settings. Next to the Mode Dial is the Off/On Playback controller. To turn the camera on and initiate regular shooting mode, press the small button on the tab on the ring and swivel the pointer to the left. To turn the camera on and engage Playback, the same action must be taken, but the pointer should be swiveled to the right. To turn the camera Off, the user merely presses the button in the middle of the ring. On a slight slope towards the front of the camera body, the user will find the Shutter button, along with the Telephoto/Wide Angle Zoom ring for both regular and playback control. To the right and, in the corner of the section that forms the top of the right hand grip of the camera, the user will find the remote control sensor, hidden behind a layer of darkened black plastic.