Digital-Camera Reviews

I'm new to digital photography and was very impressed with Canon's A40. The camera has similar features to the proven A20 model, but distinguishes itself in several ways.

For example, the A40 feels solid and is very attractive. It also captures 10-30 second movie clips in AVI format which can be played on Quicktime. The movie images are a bit grainy, but movements and sounds are captured quite well. Using some software which was included with the A40, I was able to convert the AVI clips into MPEG and view them on my PocketPC. Finally, the camera is less expensive than the A20, but delivers the same quality images.

My experience with the A40 pictures is that 2Mexapixels are fine. The clarity of the images is remarkable. And making short movie clips is an added benefit to getting the A40.

For the price and photo quality, the A40 is an exceptional product and deserves everyone of its 5 stars.

...P>The Canon Powershot A40 is an excellent camera, especially for one at the entry-level digital camera price point ... This is the second digital camera I've owned,...P>The A40 is everything I had hoped for in a digital camera: good picture quality, USB connection, and an intuitive interface. The interface was especially good in contrast to the Olympus. Settings for resolution and compression level are separate, which is a major feature to me. The 3 available resolutions are 640x480, 1024x768, and 1600x1200. The jpeg compression levels are normal, fine, and superfine. Images at 1600x1200 and Superfine compression are quite nice indeed, with little, if any, jpeg artifacting.

Focusing is done through Canon's AiAF system, which (I guess) uses artificial intelligence to help focus the lens. If you use the LCD screen when taking your pictures, 3 boxes appear representing the focus points. When pressing the shutter half-way, the boxes turn green representing the part of the image that will have the focus. This is very handy as it's hard to tell what the camera is focusing on sometimes. However, this system does get annoying at times, such as when the green boxes choose to focus on something other than what you want! This usually requires you to make an adjustment to your angle or position. In general I am pretty pleased with the focusing on the A40. ...I was afraid that I was simply expecting too much for a camera at this price point, but the Canon has shown me otherwise.

Pictures with the A40 are sharpest in bright sunlight, as you would probably expect. Focusing is not quite as good in low light situations, but the AiAF is helpful in this regard. If none of the green boxes appear when you press the shutter button it's a sign that there's not enough light to get a good focus, and your image may come out blurry. There's an autofocus helper beam that's supposed to help the camera focus in low light, but it's so dim that I don't see how it can really be of any assistance. Indoors, pictures taken with the flash are pretty good, but sometimes the flash goes off outside where there is ample light, and the resulting image is quite dim. In these situations I've found it's usually best to disable the flash, though you might end up with a somewhat blurry image.

Colors on the A40 are bright and vivid. There are sites you can find with great sample pictures, and I would suggest everyone find some sample photos before making a decision on any digital camera. I don't notice much, if any, bleeding of colors,...The menu system is clean and intuitive. The font for the menus is easy to read, even in bright sunlight. There is an on/off button which in photo mode causes the lens to extend or retract, or in "play" mode causes the stored images to be displayed on the LCD screen. There's a mode wheel which allows you to select Play, Auto, Program, Manual, Panorama, and Movie mode. The movie mode allows you to record short (~15 seconds on the included 8 meg CF card) movies. Most digital cameras sold today have this "Feature," however the Canon is unique in that it has a built-in microphone, so you get sound with your movie as well as video. Most cameras have no mic, so you're left with video only.

One thing that was somewhat disappointing with the A40 was that it wasn't recognized as a Mass Storage Device when plugged into my Windows 2000 PC, which my Olympus was. However, this turned out to be a non-issue once I installed the A40's included software. Once the software is installed, you plug the camera into a USB port on your PC, set the camera to "play" mode, and turn it on. Canon's ZoomBrowser application then starts up, and prompts you to download all of the camera's new images (since the last time you synced, though you can set it to fetch all images, or just ones you've flagged) to your PC. On the included 8 meg card this takes less than 30 seconds when the card is full. Once the images have been transferred to my PC, I quit the ZoomBrowser app, so I can't really give you a decent review of the app itself. I prefer to do photo editing in photoshop.

The A40 takes 4 AA batteries, which are included. I've had the camera for over a week and taken ~200 pictures and am still using the set of batteries that came with the camera, so I would say it has pretty good battery life. As with any digital camera, I would recommend a set of NiMH rechargables if you're planning to use the camera with any frequency (and believe me, since you're not worrying about paying for film processing, you'll be using the camera a lot more -- I take pictures of the wall just because I *can*).

As I've stated above, the A40 ships with an 8 MB Compact Flash card. At the max resolution and best compression, this will hold only 8-12 images, so I plan on purchasing a 128 meg CF card. ... and it will save you lots of time running back and forth to the PC to transfer images, especially if you use a lower resolution or jpeg level -- my personal favorite is 1024 Superfine.

All in all, the Canon Powershot A40 is an excellent camera for the price, is more than suitable for beginners, and is even enough to satisfy a computer-geek (but photo-newbie) like me. While you can probably get better quality by spending more, the A40 is relatively inexpensive for such a quality device.

This camera has so many great features and is very easy to use. Here are my best features on why I bought over other Canon camera or Fujis (My experience: NIKON COOLPIX is best for camera buffs, but this one beats all for everyday shooting, travel shooting, family photos, and professinal looking shots within budget - (...)

(...)1. Largest resolution and largest size gives best 4x6 and 5x7 prints. I take all my photos on the CompactFlash card to Wolf Camera and they print them on their big machine. go professional for $.50 a photo - worth it everytime
2. Can take one pix in color, the next in B&W
3. Can use manual mode for faster shutter speed and/or aperature setting. Or can use AUTO like I do everytime
4. Flash red-eye works most of the time, but I do correct 2 out of 5 red-eyes b4 I take my pix to Wolf Camera with Adobe
5. Software for PC and cable lets you attach cable to camera and turn it on with automatic download to your PC of new pictures. You can also go in and download older ones saved on the media card (CompactFlash)
6. I like taking 5-7 pictures for one BEST shot. I then go through and delete the ones that did not come out well and print the one that did!
7. Video capture is about 15 seconds with high resolution and plays well on the PC. Each file can be joined with Microsft Movie Player (XP) to create one long movie (AVI file) nd burned to a CD. You can view the movie on the camera too.
8. Good depth of field. Not a wide angle, but some elements are achieved
9. Viewing screen on the back is very good and wide
10. Upgrade to a 64 MB or 128 MB card - the 8 MB included card is not enough for big photos
11. Zoom is excellent. On highest zoon, you can't be too close or too dark. The focus will not work evertime, but taking a step back works.
12. Flash can be turned off for any shot
13. you can review the pictures on the camera one by one or by a small grid (I think like 9 pictures). You can even zoom in on the pix you took on the camera and move it around.

Two days after I purchased this camera, I returned it to Target. I can read and follow directions and the book appeared simple enough to follow, however, the camera did not respond. I could not format the SD card, the display always read, busy, and after trying to review photos, I always received the message, no image available. If the directions are too hard to follow, then this camera is not for me. If my particular camera was defective, then this brand is not for me. Defective cameras should be caught by the manufacturer before they are shipped to the store.

This camera is very nice. Okay, having no optical zoom is definetely a setback, but all of its other nice features make up for it, still giving it 5 stars. It uses only 2 batteries, and doesn't weigh a ton. Also, the sliding lens cover makes it a bit more durable than other cameras without one. But my favorite feature is the movie mode. How can anybody argue with a camera this small, this cheap, with movie mode?

I am giving the A310 five stars for the superior image quality, its numerous features, and its reliability. I always set the camera at the maximum resolution, and as a result, I get tack-sharp images every time. Check out Canon's website for sample images; You will be amazed. You can shoot in hassle-free automatic mode, burst mode if you want to play paparazzi, manual mode if you want to control exposure compensation, white balance, iso speed, light metering, and photo effect (vivid, neutral, low sharpening, sepia, b&w), or Stitch-assist mode to combine up to 26 images for jaw-breaking panoramic views. You can view a histogram of each image in order to determine to right exposure compensation. The on-screen menu is user-friendly, nicely laid-out, and highly customizable. The camera comes bundled with Arcsoft PhotoImpression (excellent for basic image editing), PhotoStitch, and two video editing software. Both video editing software are pathetic; I use Windows Movie Maker 2 instead. With the included 32Mb Compact flash card, you can add a 60sec voice memo to each picture, or shoot up to 3 minutes of seamless video (with sound). On a single charge, 2 NiMH batteries last about 75 shots with flash (using the LCD screen) + roughly 10 mn of video + the extended periods I spent reviewing the videos and images. (You can increase battery life manyfold by switching the LCD display off, using natural light rather than flash, and reviewing stills and videos on a computer). In my opinion, this is still a highly energy efficient camera. You can always connect the camera to a power socket (if you purchase the accessories). The camera is also equiped with a macro lens for breath-defying close-ups (2 to 8 inches). Stylish, compact, and affordable, this toy deserves two thumbs up. Although you shouldn't expect to get a high-end digital camera for dirt-cheap price, the A310 is perfect for the average amateur. If you are a professional photographer, what are you doing here anyway?

I got this camera as a christmas gift, and took it on my christmas vacation to the ocean. I can't say enough how much I hated this camera! First of all, it has a digital zoom that might as well not be there. If you use it, the pictures come out all blurry. If you try to take photos without the zoom, the quality is okay... however, the camera takes forever to "charge" it's flash, or whatever it is doing, and it takes forever to take the photo. You have to hold the button down for almost 5 seconds before it will take - and by then whatever you wanted a photo of is gone! If you have pets or children that you want photos of, forget it. They move too fast for this camera.

I highly recommend you get the Powershot A40 instead. I returned this camera and got the A40 and absolutely LOVE it! It has the optical zoom which does a great job (Key word here is OPTICAL zoom. Do not buy a camera without it!). It's fast and easy to use and even has great modes like black and white. Cannon really did a great job on this camera and all the problems that plagued the A200 are gone. And the photo quality is amazine. I had a bunch blown up to 8x10 and they still are clear and crisp and the colors are very brilliant. Get the A40 and save yourself the headache with the A200.

Overall, the A200 takes decent pictures. I've used the included software to send pictures via email, and I use an HP Photo printer when I want to print out pictures. Unfortunately, I have finally gotten tired of the S-L-O-W recycle time - that is, it takes forever for the flash to recharge and the lens to refocus after taking a previous photo. Groups posing for pictures have literally gotten up and said, "Forget it!" while waiting for my camera to finally take another picture. It is very frustrating!

This camera is faster than most digital cameras out there; from opening it to it turning on and being ready to shoot it takes about three seconds; from pressing the shutter button down to it taking a picture it takes almost one second (even faster if you've already pressed the shutter down half-way to focus and meter); from it taking a full-size, best-quality 2 mega pixel shot to it being ready to take another it takes about three seconds (even faster with less quality or smaller sized pictures). The camera controls on the back allow you to easily change to close-up mode or change white balance or add exposure compensation or turn off the flash or use the stitch-assist mode or the self-timer with from one button push for close-up mode to around four to six button pushes for the more complicated added features. The lens is the equivalent of a 39mm f2.8 lens on a film-slr camera and it focuses very fast with an auto-focus mechanism that chooses the most likely subject among three focus squares in the middle of the viewfinder/lcd screen to focus on and it has an auto-focus assist beam that aids in focusing; speeding it up especially in scenes with slightly lower light levels.

This camera is cheaper than many cameras out there. It costs around [$$$]right now which is cheaper than most 2 megapixel cameras right now. The material it's made out of is a sticky plastic which feels grimy if you hold it too long while you're out in the sun because the sweat on your hands tends to smear all over it and generally yucks it up (just wipe it off with your shirt; it's no big deal). This camera takes compact flash type 1 cards which are very easy to find and fairly reasonably priced for a good-sized card (if you already have a more expensive Digital camera that uses compact flash cards then obviously; you're in luck!). The batteries that it uses are two double A's; rechargeable or alkalines (very-very easy to find; just go down to your local [store]to find the nickel metal hydride rechargeable kinds). If you don't have a compact flash card reader but you do have a usb port then you can transfer the images right off of the camera and straight into your computer (Mac or PC). If you don't have a computer then you can still use the camera; just buy one of Canon's two available dye-sublimation printers and you can print pictures from 6X4inches to smaller than a postage stamp and almost every size in between to your heart's content.

Is this camera better than most cameras out there? One argument against it is it doesn't have an optical zoom; but truthfully having a zoom lens doesn't necessarily mean your pictures are automatically going to be better; for example instead of zooming in and taking a "stalker" picture of that cutey down the hall why don't you just walk up to that cutey and say smile! and take that cutey's picture from up close and then engage that cutey in an actual conversation; believe me your picture quality will improve dramatically! Another argument against this camera is that it only has two megapixels; but truthfully for snap-shot sized pictures or smaller including pictures that you're going to be using on the web you don't need that extra one or two megapixels over the first two megapixels; it's just pixel overkill for a picture of your uncle holding up that trout he just wrestled into his net or extreme close-ups of your baby doing everything from sleeping peacefully in the crib to crying red-faced while you're giving her another bath or changing her diaper for like the hundreth time. A third argument against it is that compared to a comparable camera such as the[$$$]it is made of cheaper materials and it's much bulkier; but truthfully many people find those smaller elf-like cameras clunkier; they're slower to turn on they're slower to extend their lens; they're heavier; they're more expensive; they're less responsive to the user when their shutter buttons are pushed; they use more expensive proprietary batteries; they give people with bigger hands or arthritis carpal tunnel syndrome and the list goes on...

Is this camera better than any other camera out there I ask again? Well obviously the simple truth answer is no; you can always buy a more expensive camera and get more pixels or longer lenses or interchangeble lenses and flash-shoes and doodads to your heart's content so a more appropriate question to ask would be is this camera better than any other camera out there for the intended task that I seek it to do as a prospective camera buyer on the market? Well; we'll leave that question up to you!

I have been using this little camera regularly since march 2002 when I traded in my Canon EOS SLR (yeah I know but I wasn't using it enough - digitals are so much more convenient).Now I know what digi cameras are all about i'm ready to upgrade to a G5 or something similar. The A20 is fine for most situations but my main gripe is that it cannot cope when there is little detail in the subject; a plain background will produce an almost watercolour result. Where there is a lot happening the results are sharp enough. Batteries run down quickly but I always carry spares.The flash is inadequate.

I was concerned about spending around [price] for a new digital camera. I read reviews and reviews and deceided to go with a Canon A20. Well it turns out that this camera exhibits the fine art of turning out marvelous photos with minimum effort. Once you read the manual and get your hands on the camera, and use it, you will understand how wonderful "Digital Photography" is.
Fiddle free, simple camera operation and the result is great pictures. Who could ask for more. I've owned my camera about one month, have taken about 300 pictures and the results are marvelous. This is definitely the camera for those who want simply great pictures with minimum effort. It is mostly an all automatic operation with a manual override mode for those who want to do limited exposure settings. I use a 128MB Compact Flash Memory Card that gives me approximately 720 digital pictures at 1024/768 pixel--Medium compression. Beats buying film, and all those other features this camera supports are well worth the [money]I invested.
Don.

I've had the PowerShot A20 for about 8 weeks and have taken several hundred pictures with it of subjects ranging from single portraits, sporting events, macro stills and scenic panoramas. It's very comparable in size, weight and print quality to my point-shoot APS camera. But it's digital! ahhhh...

Pros:
ease of use - the entire family *likes* to use it; mode indicators are clear; menus aren't too deep
fast - even without locking the focus, the shutter is quick
imaging - skin tones are good; strong colors look good; white balance options are simple but effective;
optics - 3x optical zoom; good results in a variety of lighting
dimensions - about the same as my APS camera
AA batteries - you can find them anywhere
video out - immediately replay your latest photo-fest on TV

Cons:
flash - eats batteries; no hotshoe; weak red eye reduction
memory card - the included card is way too small
flimsy doors - the battery and CF doors don't inspire confidence

Recommendations:
read the manual; at least one 128MB CF; USB CF reader; at least 8 AA NIMH batteries; lowepro Z30 bag; and a bigger hard drive!

For printable snapshot work, the A20 is a keeper.

I find that this is a great camera for taking pictures outside. However, while inside, the camera is pretty useless unless you're a foot away from your subject. In fact, the camera tends to work better in full darkness rather than in partial light. Often I find myself having to carry a disposable camera with me which I use for inside or nighttime pictures. Also, the flash cannot be turned off...I've tried. If you do manage to turn it off, the camera refuses to focus and your pictures come out blurry. In conclusion, spend the few extra dollars to buy a camera with a better flash...you'll appreciate it in the long run.

first off, i got this one as a gift and was curious how much they spent on me, so i can't rate value since amazon is currently not displaying the price. that said, it works well. i got it before a trip to hawaii and took pictures at 640x480 and they came out really good and it was easy to use. the batteries lasted the whole week (probably would last longer if i hadn't spent half the time looking at stuff through the lcd screen). when i got home and downloaded them to my computer, there were a few problems. i had to reinstall the software and turn the camera on and off and replug things, but after i got it working, i found the software to be pretty good. then the batteries ran out, so i got some rechargeables and they work fine. my friends all have digital cameras and they are all better, but they spent at least 300 bucks and the pictures from mine are just as good, as far as i can tell.

if you just want a digital camera for little photos, this is a good one, just make sure you buy rechargeable batteries and a bigger memory card.

...at 1.2 megapixels...i first thought the picture image taken would not be so clear...as my previous digital camera was a 2.1 hewlett packard...but to my surprise...this camera actually produced a clearer and more realistic photo than the h.p.....the skin tone came out very natural looking...the built in flash is also surprisingly strong enough to take a picture in pitch black and yet not too bright for normal portrait photos...

...more great features on this very affordable camera are self timer...movie mode...3.2 digital zoom...high resolution 1.5" viewing screen...easy navigation of menus and setups... lightweight...efficient flash...red eye reduction...autofocus... 3 different picture resolution modes...3 different image size modes...and many more

...some downfalls to this camera maybe that it is only a 1.2 megapixel camera and the largest quality photo it can take is a 5"x7"...the batteies drain fairly fast when using the color screen to take photos(only holds 2 AA batteries)

...overall this camera is a great one...for first time digital camera owners to experienced ones as well...for the features in this camera will keep you enjoying the many uses of a digital camera for memories to come!

This camera is a joy to use. It has a solid feel to it, with the grip housing the CF card and 4AA batteries - the weight is just right for casual shooting (common CCDs take longer exposure time than regular films, so jittering is an issue with smaller cameras).

The camera looks well built, and has a mature, understated, and attractive design to it. (Everything on it has a purpose, like a dot near the flash to prevent flash from being covered by a finger; even the bezel around the zoom lens, which screws off to reveal a lens adapter socket!) None of the components (especially the battery/CF compartment) looks or feels flimsy - all the switches operate smoothly. The case has no jagged edges and sensible rectangular shape, so it'll fit in your pocket confortably. LCD is bright, colorful, and large enough. Viewfinder is, well, useable, but you won't be using this unless you want to save battery.

Zooming is a little slow, but this is not an issue with this price tag.

It is very robust. AA NiMH rechargeables, while not included, are cheap, reliable, long-lasting, and very easy to replace (you can just have a set of cheap alkaline battery as a spare). Don't get Ni-Cd - it's useless.

I've dropped the camera once already, but to my amazement, everything works perfectly.

Picture quality is great. It is more than adequate for most of the purposes - and it is great to experiment on shots before you commit to shooting with film. This will allow me to refine my composition skills. I do recommend getting 128MB CF card ($40-50 nowadays), which will definitely last you a good day or two, with 177 to1417 (high to low resolution) shots!

The camera has a lot of very useful functions, such as slow-synchro, timer, color-balance (very good compensation for fluorescent and tungsten light), image rotation, etc., etc. Stich-assist and included software is wonderful, as you can recreate the panoramic scene when viewed by QuicktimeVR. It sounds like a toy, but I'm certain you will be impressed by the effect it has on you.

Both PC and Macs are supported, and Mac software is decent. I have no complaints. It'll be perfect if you already own Photoshop and/or ImageConverter (the latter being absolutely a top-notch batch image-conversion shareware).

If I had any complaint, it is the warm-up time: You need to hold the power button for fully 3-4 seconds until the camera is turned on and ready to shoot. I'd trade lens zoom (which is not impressive anyway) with a faster startup - it'll be even more useful that way. Also, a way to set up timer length would have been easy to implement without additional cost (or a remote via USB, but that's ok)

Canon really meant the A10 to be a lean, versatile, mature product - it has all the functions a non-professional user can ask for, coupled with a well-thought out layout and a solid construction. Smart thing is that A10 and A20's accessories are compatible - I'm thinking of getting the wide-angle lens adapter, water-proof casing, and dye-sub printer. This thing *will* adapt to your lifestyle and won't cramp you with proprietary components and gimmicks (unlike A20's mostly useless TV output)!

After spending a bucket of money on my 35mm camera for development, I decided to bite the bullet and go digital. We have a number of digital cameras in our department including an Olympus 3MegaPixel and an Agfa 1.2MegaPixel. When using images for high quality printing the 3MPix was great, but the 1.2MPix produced wonderful screen images, more than adequate for web page and small printed sections (@300dpi you get 4"x3"). I wasn't going to be printing pics so I considered 1.2MPix enough for me.

Looking around at the various reviews it was obvious that Canon had put a lot of work into image compression speed, data transfer rate, and battery life. Combined with Canon's excellent quality optics ... well, this is the one I had to have.

I rushed out and bought a 256Meg compact flash card, for the long tours I occasionally do. I've taken 550 images in the first two weeks and I'm on the second set of batteries, the camera reports it can hold another 150 more! I could double that if I increased the image compression to "normal" mode. The image quality is just wonderful ~ 1280x960, bigger than my screen.

Only gripe is the view finder that you look through has a hard time showing the boundaries of the image, just a matter of getting used to it. Sure, I could use the LCD display to take the image (and I do on some close ups) but it drains batteries. Doing a wide mix of display use and flash, the supplied alkaline batteries lasted 260 shots ~ way beyond the Olympus and Agfa achieved.

And with zero development cost, I've done heaps of photographic experimenting that I would never have even considered with a 35mm just because of the cost of film and development.

So, YES, I highly recommend this camera. Also get some NiMH batteries and a charger, a dinky camera bag, and a big compact flash card (maybe 256Meg was a bit too much, 64Meg or 128Meg would have done the job nicely).

I purchased the A10 last November to take to Saint Augustine for our anniversary. This camera is a joy to use. Simple to learn features, great pictures, Canon got it right with this baby. One word of caution: batteries, place them in correctly, or you may have a fire as I a previous reviewer had.
You won't regret the Canon A10.

I think it's a bit of a rip-off to make you buy this separate from the cameras. The case is attractive and well-made, but all it holds is the camera and maybe some extra batteries, although I suspect 4 extra AA's will be a tight fit in the one pocket in front, or in lieu of batteries, an extra compact flash card. My A70 came with 4 rechargeable AA's. They should really just put the case in with the camera and either include the charger too, or let people fend for themselves with buying some other manufacturer's battery recharger. Seems like a ploy to sell battery chargers to me. I could have bought a charger with batteries for the same price as this kit. I only bought this to get the case.

I bought this bundle for my A75 and it's a great product overall. It has all you need to carry and power you canon A-series digital camera. The batteries are great and you can shoot for couple of days with them without needing to be recharged. The charger is nice and very portable, though I wish it had a power cord instead of connecting directly to the outlet.
I didn't give five start because, as someone already has pointed it out, I think at least the batteries and charger should come with the camera. However, at this price it's a good value and a must for canon A-series digital camera owners.

The litmus test of a good product (typically) is it's availability (not always, but in this case, for certain!). Well, as I attempted to find the A Series accessory kit, I became incredibly frustrated with the following messages: "Out of Stock," "Backordered," "Arriving Soon." Whether my theory of "everyone with an A Series wants one" or whether Canon just doesn't produce enough of these these kits is really irrelevant; if you own an A Series, this kit is a must.

First, the compact case is a streamlined and perfect fit; not a bulky case. And, every camera, particularly these expensive digitals, must have some kind of protection. Okay, preliminaries out of the way, the case is just the cherry. The real beef to this kit is the charger and NiMH rechargeable batteries.

Depending on your use of your camera (and disregarding its powersaving features), AA batteries do not have abundant life. My solution is to have an extra set of non-rechargable AAs with me at all times (which can be conveniently stored in the front pouch of the accompanying case) while using the rechargables. By using this scheme, I'll always be prepared when taking photos. After I get home, I pop the rechargables in the charger, which is very compact and can be plugged in nearly any convenient outlet, and use the non-rechargables. To recharge all four batteries is something less than 4 hours; not bad, all-in-all.

At the price, this is an accessory kit that all A Series owners should strongly consider.

We got this camera as a Christmas gift so for the price WE paid it's great, but I would never have bought this camera!

What good is paying $159 for a camera that is only half decent AFTER you pay $100 for 128mb card and $50 for a battery charger and 4 batteries?

Sure, the camera takes fine pictures in good light with little or no digital zoom, so it's great for parties or close range, if that's what you need.

I took the camera on a trip to Europe and was sooooo disappointed with the battery consumption. I was forced to buy batteries in all the most tourist-trap places, three times a day, for top dollar! Then, the enemic memory card it came with filled up in one day, so I had to buy a bigger card in an equally tourist-trap store. And yes, I bought a battery recharger on my trip as well. How much does my entry-level $159 camera cost now????

And just a word about digital zoom. NEVER use digital zoom if optical zoom in available, and NEVER buy a camera that has didn't bother including ANY optical zoom!

Save up a little money and buy yourself a better camera.

Here it is in a nutshell. I bought this camera for photos of my students' activities at school, and trusted the Canon name to give me more than my money's worth in a [$...] camera.

The positives are:
1. It's [relatively inexpensive], 3.2 megapixels, and it IS a Canon!
2. It has a focus assist light, which helps in low light.
3. It's simple to use, though with many advanced features such as white balance adjustments, manual exposure, sound effects, etc.
4. It takes really good photos (excellent color saturation).
5. It takes two AA batteries with pretty good battery life.
6. It's small enough to slip in a pocket!
7. It uses inexpensive compact flash memory.
8. It's easy to transfer to your computer via USB cable and Canon software.

The negatives:
1. Onlydigital zoom--very handy, but degrades quality.
2. Flash is only average.
3. If you do any cropping or enlarging, quality degrades quickly.
4. Not attractive, but is sturdy (I've dropped it a few times!)

I like this camera--there's not much NOT to like. It does not have the enduring 'draw' of the Nikon 2500/3500 (see my review), but it has many more features, and the pedigree of the legendary G3, and S-50 Canon cameras.

If you want just a basic, compact, point & shoot digital camera that's [relatively inexpensive] for a 3 megapixel unit, this one is THE one. As a bonus, you find it offers a whole lot more under that generic, unspectacular appearance!

I bought this camera as a spare for taking pictures while on vacation. It is nothing like my 10D or Pro 1, but I only paid $150 for the A300. The pictures are very decent, and much better then most, if not all cameras in this price range and class. Simple to use, readily availble AA batteries, and it shares the same Compact Flash cards with my other cameras.

This is a must have. This is included with the S10 or S20 when bought outside the US. If you buy the camera in the US, buy this immediately. As with most digital cameras, either Canon eats batteries rapidly.

Unit quickly recharges, typically less than 2 hours.

It's a bit expensive, but really necessary.

Has attachment to have camera directly plugged into wall so you can download pictures to your computer. This is absolutely necessary if you transfer via serial connection.

I bought S20 to photograph my kid last year and I have not thought of changing to any other camera. The only problem it has, besides expensive print, is the battery life. I did not have time to do research on it so I kept buying 2CR5 batteries from Walgreen, which were like 12 bucks per piece. Until very recently I suddenly woke up figuring I needed to buy rechargeable battery to prevent those expensive one-time 2CR5 batteries from draining my pocket. DK110 (the power supply which include the charger and the rechargeable NB-5H battery) is an absolutely must-buy for Canon S20 users - go get it right after you bought ur camera. Of course the camera will be heavier with NB-5H but it's not much difference. I have done this a year late but it will easily pay off in a couple of months for me. And also I would strongly suggest you buy an adapter for your laptop so you can simply put the CompactFlash storage card into the adapter and slide the combination into your laptop's PC card slot (CardBus II slot). It's a lot faster than USB connection and does not consume any battery from your camera. The PC card adapter is from SanDisk.

The S20 was a great camera. now it's gone
I still have the accessories.