Canon PowerShot S40

A great solution for digital photographers

Agile and elegant, thanks to a body entirely in aluminium, the PowerShot S40 is one of the latest models proposed by Canon, and able to reproduce 4 megapixel shots. The size of a card deck, the S40 has a very handy shape. Big enough to incorporate good functions, small enough to slip into a pocket with no problem.
The Canon PowerShot S40 is equipped with a 1/1.8-inches 4.0 megapixel CCD sensor that can produce high quality images up to 2308 x 1712 pixels.
The S40 lens is a F2.8 3x optical zoom (11x digital zoom) which is equivalent to 35-105 mm on a traditional camera. It takes only a few seconds for the camera to "warm up" and extend the lens after sliding back the protective panel that works as a power on/off button. This solution, recently adopted by several manufacturers, is very much appreciated asit not only protects the lenses from eventual shocks but also limits the quantity of dirt that can deposit on them. Another interesting feature of the camera is an AF illuminator that can be useful in assisting focusing in low light situations.
The Canon PowerShot S40 provides users with 13 exposure modes divided into two basic categories: the Image Zone and the Creative Zone. Exposure modes are selected on the top of the camera using a rotary dial. Image Zone modes are fully automatic, and intended to optimize camera settings according to the scene. Selections include Full Auto, Pan Focus, Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Colour Effect, Stitch Assist, and Movie. Colour Effect allows users to choose between Vivid, Neutral, Sepia or Black and White, and the Movie mode has been improved to provide not just one but two resolution modes with sound: QVGA (320x240), and Q2VGA (160x120). The maximum recording duration is 30 seconds in QVGA and two full minutes with Q2VGA.
Creative Zone modes offer more control. They include Program AE, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority and Manual. Program AE has been improved with the addition of Program Shift, which allows the user to bias the exposure towards higher shutter speeds or smaller apertures than the standard setting. Manual mode has also been improved with the addition of a numerical metering display.
On the back the camera carries a very good 1.8" LCD monitor, perfect for viewing recent shots or as an alternative to the viewfinder located above it. Useless to say, frequent use of the monitor greatly shortens the duration of the rechargeable battery, a proprietary NB-2L Li-ion. Considering the type of battery, it is advisable to buy another one to keep as a backup, since regular alkali batteries cannot be used. The S40 comes with its own battery charger, compact and easily carried.
Despite a rather significant number of keys, using the PowerShot S40 is quite easy for people who wish to use the classic basic features, leaving full freedom to those who wish to set it manually instead. The only uncomfortable aspect is using the zoom slide to confirm some menus, including erasure of discarded shots. Possibly the most troubling feature is the impossibility of using an external flash, since no connection is provided.
Image quality is excellent in any lighting condition. Saturated colours match perfectly focussed subjects thanks to good camera calibration. Even in macro mode results were good. For picture storage, the S40 is equipped with a 16 MB compactFlash card, hardly an exalting choice for a camera that can manage 4 mega-pixel shots. With 16MB, the number of hi-res photos that can be stored is rather limited. The Canon product is perfectly compatible both with Mac and PC, and image download is achieved via a USB port. At $1300 CDN, the PowerShot S40 is undoubtedly a good solution for hobby digital photographers.
For more information visit:
www.canon.ca

Publication Date: 2002-04-14
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=1189