PowerShot S10 User Review

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Sharleen West
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PowerShot S10 User Review DejaVu! Canon strikes again with the now familiar, metal-bodied, super compact digital camera. This time it's called a PowerShot S10 and it's packing a 1/2-inch 2.

1 PowerShot S10 User Review DejaVu! Canon strikes again with the now familiar, metal-bodied, super compact digital camera. This time it's called a PowerShot S10 and it's packing a 1/2-inch 2.11 megapixel CCD imager, 2X (35-70mm equiv) optical zoom lens with a 2X-4X digital option, CompactFlash Type II slot, variable ISO from and a high-speed USB port. The image size is selectable between 1600x1200 (Large), 1280x960 (Medium),

As with the other Canon compacts, the S10 features a builtin lens cap that protects the lens

2 or 800x600 (Small) and there's three levels of JPEG compression available, Super-Fine, Fine or Normal. It does not have an uncompressed mode. Metering options are center-weighted and spot. As with the other Canon compacts, the S10 features a builtin lens cap that protects the lens whenever it is retracted into the body. Even a 1.8" color LCD looks big on the back of the diminutive S10. Controls

And yes, you do have to cycle through the Off position to go from Record to Playback and yes, the lens does retract in Playback mode.

3 have been kept to a minimum and the buttons are clearly labeled with icons that don't require a lot of "read the manual" time. The main command dial has positions for Connect to PC, Playback, Off, Automatic, Manual Record, Image Mode and Stitch Assist Mode. And yes, you do have to cycle through the Off position to go from Record to Playback and yes, the lens does retract in Playback mode. Not only is the body metal but so is the tripod socket. The battery door has a very positive-latching slide lever. As with the earlier A5 and A50 cameras, the S10 is made to take a licking and keep on ticking!

Lower LED lights orange to indicate camera is in Macro mode. On the other side of the optical viewfinder is the Macro mode button.

4 Controls from left to right - flash mode (auto, off, red-eye), Record mode (single, continuous) / selftimer, top LED (green steady - ready to record, green flashing - recording to or reading from CF card, red steady - ready to record with flash, red flashing - camera blur warning [low light]). Lower LED lights orange to indicate camera is in Macro mode. On the other side of the optical viewfinder is the Macro mode button. These buttons have icons below to indicate their functions during Playback which are display thumbnails, zoom playback and jump forward 10 pictures. On the right side we have the mode dial and the 4-way "Omni Selector" which

during record you use the upper and lower parts to operate the zoom lens. During playback you use it like a joystick to navigate the thumbnails or to go forward or backward through the stored images.

5 during record you use the upper and lower parts to operate the zoom lens. During playback you use it like a joystick to navigate the thumbnails or to go forward or backward through the stored images. The 4-way control is also used to navigate through the menu system, see the next page of this report for the menu screens. Alongside the color LCD are the EV compensation / White Balance, Menu / Set rocker switch and the Display button. Pressing the "+/- /WB" button once brings up the onscreen EV compensation slider control, pressing it again brings up the White Balance onscreen menu. The Menus are activated by the Menu button, the 4-way switch navigates through the choices and the Set button accepts the current choice. See the next page of this report for the menu screens.

6 The S10 is equipped with a CompactFlash Type II slot that can accomodate solid state Type I and II devices or the high-capacity Microdrive. Note that some users have complained of a problem with the Microdrive when used in the S10. Thanks to Timothy Robeck at IBM's Technical Support Center for letting me know that Canon has posted the S10 firmware upgrade on the BeBit site for English users. S10/Microdrive users please be sure to read all of the information posted at the above site BEFORE attempting the firmware upgrade or you risk turning your camera into a door stop -- enough said?

a rapid charger with a plugin AC-powered battery eliminator.

7 The S10 is powered by a one-use 2CR5 lithium battery or... you can use the optional DK110 Power Kit which consists of a NiMH rechargable battery and a rapid charger with a plugin AC-powered battery eliminator. It sells for about $100 and is well worth it unless you enjoy buying $8 lithium, one-use batteries which is the only other portable source of power for the camera.

8 Continue on to page 2 Menus & Playback Specifications Image Sensor Number of Recording Pixels Sensitivity Image Data Storage Image Compression Compression Modes Image Storage Capacity * (with 8MB CF card) Lens Digital Tele-converter Shutter Shutter Speed Focusing Method 2.11 million pixel CCD sensor (total) 1/2" size Large : 1,600 x 1,200 pixels Middle : 1,280 x 960 pixels Small : 800 x 600 pixels Equivalent to ISO (ISO 400 equivalent for gain-up setting) CompactFlash (CF) card Type I or Type II standard JPEG standard Super-Fine/ Fine/ Normal Large/ Super-Fine : Approx. 4 images Large/ Fine : Approx. 12 images Large/ Normal : Approx. 24 images mm (35mm film equivalent : 35-70mm) F2.8 (W) - F4.0 (T) 2X, 4X (Maximum 8X digital zoom is available combined with optical zoom) Mechanical + Electronic control 2-1/1,000 sec. (2 sec. shutter for Slow Shutter and Night Scene mode) TTL autofocus

9 Focusing Range (from the top of lens barrel) AE Method Light Metering Method White Balance Control Continious Shooting Mode Self-timer Flash Flash Range Optical Viewfinder LCD Monitor Macro : 12 cm to 46 cm (0.4 to 1.5 ft.) Standard : 46 cm to infinity (1.5 ft. to infinity) TTL program AE Center-weighted metering/ Spot metering TTL auto white balance Approx. 1.7 images / sec. (at Large/ Fine mode and when LCD finder is off) 10 seconds Built-in (Auto/ Red-eye reduction/ On / Off) Wide-angle : 0.17 to 3.3 m (0.6 to 10.8 ft.) Telephoto : 0.17 to 2.3 m (0.6 to 7.5 ft.) Real-image optical viewfinder 1.8" low-temperture polysilicon color TFT (Approx. 1,140k pixels) File Format Design rule for Camera File system (DCF **) Print Order Format Interface Power Source Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) USB/ RS232C CF card slot (compiled with CF Type II standards) Video out 2CR5 lithium battery NiMH rechargeable battery AC adapter CR 2016 lithium battery for date/ clock backup Operating Environment Temperature : 0-40 degrees C, Humidity : % Dimensions (W x H x D) Weight x 69.4 x 33.8 mm (4.1" x 2.7" x 1.3") excluding protrusion Approx. 270 g (9.5 oz) excluding batteries and CF card * These numbers are based on Canon standardized shooting conditions. Actual numbers may differ according to the shooting conditions and photographic subjects. ** "DCF" is an abbreviation of "Design rule for Camera File system" standardized by Japan Electronic Industry Development Association (JEIDA). All data is based on Canon's standard testing methods. Subject to change without notice.

10 PowerShot S10 User Review Menus & Playback Features This is the Setup Screen, the choices should be obvious

11 First part of the Record Menu: Resolution (L) 1600x1200, (M) 800x600 or (S) 640x480 Compression (S) Super-Fine, (F) Fine or (N) Normal Gain (ISO boost) see below Digital Zoom On/Off Review On/Off File number reset

(low), 0 (normal), + (high) Here's the Record menu showing the

12 Two more items from the Record menu when you scroll down Contrast adjustment: - (low), 0 (normal), + (high) Sharpness adjustment: - (low), 0 (normal), + (high) Here's the Record menu showing the options for boosting the ISO speed which is: 0 (100), +1.0 (200) and +2.0 (400)

13 Onscreen slider control for EV compensation during Record mode. It is settable for +/- 2.0 in 1/3-step increments.

Onscreen sliding menu bar for the White Balance settings: Automatic Daylight Cloudy Tungsten Flourescent On the left is all of the current settings for the other Record mode options.

14 Onscreen sliding menu bar for the White Balance settings: Automatic Daylight Cloudy Tungsten Flourescent On the left is all of the current settings for the other Record mode options. On the right is the current zoom lens setting. This is the Image Mode menu which is more or less like a Programmed AE mode. Settings for Landscape, Fast Shutter, Slow Shutter, Night Scene and B&W.

) portrait mode shots to landscape, Slide show playback and DPOF print order

15 This is the Play mode menu with options to Delete single frames, Erase the entire card, Protect selected images, Rotate (super handy for TV playback!) portrait mode shots to landscape, Slide show playback and DPOF print order information. The S10 can display 9 small thumbnails to allow you to quickly select and playback full-screen the desired image.

This is a typical playback screen with all of the onscreen info being displayed. Toggle this info display with the Display button next to the LCD.

16 This is a typical playback screen with all of the onscreen info being displayed. Toggle this info display with the Display button next to the LCD. Steve's Conclusion Seems like everyone these days is touting their digicam as "the world's smallest" in its respective image resolution category. Canon is no different, they have already proclaimed their new PowerShot S10 as the world's smallest 2-megapixel with a 2X optical zoom lens. Does "size" really matter? You bet it does! The S10 easily slips into your pocket and goes wherever you go. And it's ready in just seconds to snap the biggest 1600x1200-pixel JPG file of all the current 2-megapixel digicams. The S10 has a "Super-Fine" high quality mode that uses very little JPEG compression and yields files that range in size from 1.2-2MB. It does not have an uncompressed mode but who needs it -- those Super-Fine JPEG images print gorgeous 8x10-inch prints, and even larger. As with all of Canon's super-compact digicams, the S10 is housed in an all-metal and highly durable aluminum body. When the lens is retracted into the body it is protected by an automatic-closing lens cover that never gets lost. I would not be afraid to toss the S10 into a suitcase or duffle bag and then turn it over to the baggage handlers (gorillas) at the airport. This camera should be called a Timex

17 because it will certainly take a licking and keep on clicking! This shiny, little marvel is packed with high-tech goodies like a 2.11-megapixel CCD imager, a 2X optical (35-70mm) zoom lens that exhibits little to no barrel distortion and a light-assisted autofocus system that works even in total darkness. As with a lot of the newer cameras, it features adjustable ISO ( ) speed. There's a USB port for fast image downloads and very robust image processing firmware that processes and stores even the largest images in seconds. Attracting a lot of interest is the CompactFlash Type II slot that allows the S10 to use standard CF cards or the newer CF/2 devices. I thought the one-use 2CR5 lithium batteries got eaten up a little too fast, even when being conservative with the LCD useage. I highly recommend buying the optional DK110 power kit with the NiMH rechargable battery and rapid charger. Our landfills are full enough of one-use batteries as it is and it's only a one-time expense of $100 for a battery that can be recharged hundreds of times! There's a near flawless fully automatic mode and a manual mode where the user can adjust EV compensation, white balance, image quality (gain, contrast and sharpness), flash modes or shoot in continuous mode. And then there's the Image Mode with its presets for Landscape (stitching), Fast Shutter (action shots), Slow Shutter (intentional blurring), Night Scene (subjects against dark backgrounds) or Black & White mode. The Landscape mode features "Stitch Assist" where the user is prompted with overlays on the LCD to build a perfect panorama shot easily. Combine the Stitch Assist mode with the supplied PhotoStitch 3.0 software and you can quickly build a high-quality panorama shot like this one of my office. I am no panorama expert but it only took me about ten minutes to create this spectacular shot! Onscreen view of Stitch Assist mode Here's a panorama of the inside of Countryside Mall, it was taken by my girlfriend who had never shot a panorama before. The S10 has got a fairly large internal RAM buffer and you can shoot pictures as fast as you press the shutter (without using the flash or the LCD.) Shutter lag time is almost nonexistent if you have prefocused on your subject. The instant you press the shutter all the way down it snaps the picture, the delay isn't zero

18 but it is very fast. Put the S10 into continuous mode and you can push the shutter down and hold it there and it will capture at the speed of 1.7fps with the LCD off. It will slow down once the buffer is full but it is more than ample for most people's needs. For a pocket camera the S10 has a very respectable macro mode. You can capture extremely detailed closeups of objects as close as 4.7 inches from the camera. For exact exposure control you can select between the default center-weighted metering or a spot metering option. There is a Review feature like the one on the Pro 70 that lets you see the last picture taken on the LCD as long as you keep the shutter button pressed. For the ultimate in image storage you can pop an IBM Microdrive in the CompactFlash Type II slot and shoot pictures until the cows come home! I won't lie to you, the Microdrive does pull on the S10's battery but if you keep the LCD off you can put a LOT of shots on the Microdrive before the battery goes dead. All things considered this is one great camera. It's everything the A50 is plus twice the resolution and even faster image processing. I'm no real fan of small cameras but the S10 is a very durable camera that performs better than other cameras three times its size. And at a price of only $699 I see it flying off the dealer's shelfs and landing in a lot of stockings this Christmas. Canon S10/Microdrive Compatibility Update Thanks to Timothy Robeck at IBM's Technical Support Center for letting me know that Canon has posted the S10 firmware upgrade on the BeBit site for English users. S10 users with Microdrives please be sure to read all of the information posted at the above site BEFORE attempting the firmware upgrade or you risk turning your camera into a door stop -- enough said?

19 Steve's Canon S10 Sample Pictures Imaging-Resource's S10 User Review DC Resource's S10 User Review DP Review's S10 User Review Return To Our Reviews Menu Please support our sponsors, they make all of this possible

20 S10 Sample Pictures All pictures are straight out of the camera, no mods. Shot in Super-Fine, Large mode with all default settings. img_0026.jpg Kb img_0037.jpg Kb img_0055.jpg Kb img_0056.jpg Kb img_0057.jpg Kb img_0058.jpg Kb

img_0060.jpg 1425.80 Kb img_0061.jpg 1657.

87 Kb Stitch Assist Panoramas Click here

21 img_0060.jpg Kb img_0061.jpg Kb img_0064.jpg Kb img_0066.jpg Kb img_0067.jpg Kb img_0072.jpg Kb Stitch Assist Panoramas Click here to see Steve's office as a 360-degree panorama created using the Canon S10 in Stitch-Assist mode and PhotoStitch 3.0. You do need a Java-enabled browser. Click here to see inside Countryside Mall as a 360-degree panorama created using the Canon S10 in Stitch-Assist mode and PhotoStitch 3.0. You do need a Java-enabled browser.

22 Examples of the different Sharpening levels (These are all Large, Super-Fine 1,440Kb size images) This is with sharpness set on the "-" position This is with sharpness set on the "0" (default) position This is with sharpness set on the "+" position

23 Canon BeBit Site: S10 Sample Pictures Return To Our Reviews Menu Please support our sponsors, they make all of this possible Note: All photographs and page content Copyright 1999 Steve's Digicam Online, Inc. Nothing on this page may be used, distributed or copied without the author's prior permission.

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