Canon PowerShot S45 4MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom
by Canon Cameras US
Average Customer Review:
Electronics (14 December, 2002)
list price: $599.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Following up on their S40, Canon's Powershot S45 offers the same aesthetically pleasing metallic chassis with the powerful innards to go along with it. With a 4 megapixel CCD, images taken with the S45 were deeply detailed and could be easily printed out at 8 by 11 and larger without any loss of resolution.

Although the 3x optical zoom is average for mid-range cameras and above, it still let us get in a bit closer to our subjects when snapping shots. Improving on the S40, the S45 now captures video clips--complete with audio--of up to three minutes in length (although you'll probably want a larger storage card than the 32 MB CF card the S45 ships with). There are also easy-to-use video playback and editing controls on the camera itself.

A unique design, the metal lens cover of the S45 serves as the on/off switch--slide it open and the camera turns on, slide it closed and it powers down, with the lens folding out or back into the frame of the body respectively. You can't put any accessory lenses onto the S45 because of this design, but you'll also never try to take any pictures with the lens cap on.

The rechargeable batteries lasted for well over 200 shots before needing to be plugged in. And that's with the LCD on--Canon promises a life of over 500 without the LCD. Speaking of, the bright and large 1.8-inch LCD took up nearly half of the back of the S45 and followed the lens quickly while using it for framing shots.

While it weighs a solid 11 ounces, the 4.4-inch by 2.3-inch by 1.7-inch camera is compact enough to slide into a pocket, making it easier to take on day trips than bulkier Powershot models. --J. Curtis

Pros:

• Enhanced movie mode
• Compact design
• Well priced

Cons:

• No accessory lenses
• Average optical zoom

... Read more

Features

• Included 32 MB CompactFlash card holds approximately 27 images at default resolution; camera is Microdrive compatible
• Connects with Macs and PCs via USB port
• Uses proprietary NB-2L lithium-ion rechargeable battery (included)
• 4-megapixel sensor captures 2,272 x 1,704 images for photo-quality prints up to 11 x 14 inches
• 3x optical (plus 3.6x digital) zoom lens with autofocus

Reviews (58)

We tested the durability
We are a clutzy family and this camera has been dropped multiple times onto concrete or asphalt pavement.The camera is covered in dents and scratches.The shutter cover barely slides closed because it's so bent, but THE CAMERA STILL WORKS PERFECTLY.We've had it for about 2 years.Of course I wouldn't guarantee the same luck to others.Best wishes!

For snapshooters only!
I use this camera mainly to shoot small art objects, since I'm an art dealer.

On average the quality of photos you can take with this camera is pretty good considering the price. It has a good array of advanced options as well, like RAW format, that later you can convert to a 11MB TIFF file (on average, for 8 bits) or a 22MB TIFF (on average, for 16 bits). Tiff's are uncompressed files, and are the best option if you want to use Photoshop to manipulate your shots.

Very well built metallic case. I drop it from 4 feet twice and not even a dent occurred. Well done Canon!

The custom option in the shooting menu is also very welcome. You can store all your shooting parameter, like aperture, speed, colour balance, bracketing options, ISO and etc. Very handy!

In good light conditions the quality of photos is excellent for a 4 Mpixels camera. Both colour balance and sharpness are excellent. Better stick to ISO 50 or 100 or you will get above average noise though.

So far so good. But ...

Below average flash. If you use it outdoors as a fill in flash be prepared to get your main subject washed out and overexposed. If you use it indoors, on a birthday party for instance, the flash is not powerful enough even for small ambients. Be prepared to get underexposed photos with excess noise when you blow them up. But I have to be fair, if you take snapshots only, you would not notice it probably.

And now about the software that comes bundled with the camera. Remember that in digital photography the software to manipulate your shots is almost as important as the camera itself. And that's the point were the S45 fails to my requirements.

The File Viewer Utility does what it should do, but will present to you an interface that would be outdated when Windows 3.1 was the king. Zoom Browser has a better interface but is a jack of all trades and master of none sort of software, not integrated at all with the rest of the bunch. But I could live with both and still rate this camera well.

But then there is Remote Capture, which was one of the reasons I bought this camera. As I take pictures of small art objects, light control is top priority and the possibility of connecting the camera to a computer using this software and get a bigger image with all the control options of the camera was really appealing. Forget it! Remote Capture is a prehistoric, poorly designed, not properly tested and buggy piece of software. I do not understand how a company with the reputation like Canon supplies this sort of software with one of their products. I am sure it is only damaging the confidence the customers have in the brand.

Remote Capture is ridiculous. You can not save your shooting preferences, so every time you connect the camera you are back to the auto everything default. When you connect the camera, Remote Capture takes total control control, bypassing the camera controls, but without presenting the information that you usually get on the camera's LCD. There is no on-line information of speed, aperture, the focusing area marks, the auto-focus options, nothing! To know if a photo will come out in focus is a lottery. You can only trust in your visual perception from what you see on your monitor.

There are so many limitations that I would need too much space to describe. So I will only mention one more: Remote Capture freezes very easily (and I am using XP-Pro!), mainly if you use it in conjunction with a photo manipulation software, like Photoshop or PhotoImpact.

Final conclusion: This camera is adequate and a good value for money if you are a casual snapshooter. For this purpose I would rate it as 4 stars camera. But for semi-professional use I can only rate it 3 stars at the most.

Poor Quality
My S45 has broke twice in the 6 months I have had it. I am very disapionted. I've always bought Canon but will look somewhere else next time! Very poor quality. ... Read more

Asin: B00007F8UQ
Subjects:  1. Digital Camera (Cameras)    2. Photograph (Photography)   

Canon Soft Leather Case for Powershot S30, S40, S45, S50, S60 & S70 Digital Cameras
by Canon
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $19.99 -- our price: $13.94
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Features

• Stylish leather case
• Compatible with PowerShot S30, S40, S45, S50 S60 models

Reviews (17)

Good case and does its job very well
Bought this case few days ago and my s60 camera was in it within few minutes after received it.
It is well built even leather quality is not as good as psc-50 for s series. If you looking for impact protection, dont buy this case. This only protect your camera from scratch and tear.
I dont care about place for extra cable (will you bring your tv when travelling?) and extra CF card since I use 512mb (more than enough)
Most important thing for me is slim and look cool, it doest its job well.

Don't buy this case
I bought this case a year ago on Amazon, and I haven't used it very much.It is very poorly made.I had it on my belt a few days ago, the belt strap came off (threads unraveled) and the case with camera went flying to the pavement. Luckily, the camera survived.The top row of threads came off, and bottom row was very loose.

I totally love this case
I absolutely love my case.Granted this case is NOT designed for rugged use or long extended durations, but if your going to a BBQ or wine tasting for the day, this case is EXCEPTIONAL.

I am reading that people don't like this case because you can't carry an extra battery or memory card (now if Canon did put a small pouch in front so you could carry an additional card that would have been slick).But if your just using the camera for the day or weekend, one battery and card should be adequate.

You get the benefit of having this camera attached at your hip with little interference.I absolutely love this case for what it was designed to do. ... Read more

Asin: B00005UKXM
Sales Rank: 235
Subjects:  1. Photograph Photography   

SanDisk 512 MB CompactFlash Card, SDCFB-512-A10
by SanDisk
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $149.99 -- our price: $35.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The size of a matchbook and weighing only half an ounce, the 512 MB CompactFlash card from SanDisk is an ultrasmall, removable data storage system. CompactFlash memory has built-in, industry-standard compatibility because its 50-pin card can easily be slipped into a passive, 68-pin Type II adapter card that fully meets PC Card electrical and mechanical specifications.

Expanding functionality and allowing products to be smaller and lighter, CompactFlash has been designed into more than 200 mobile products including digital cameras, handheld PCs, personal communicators, medical monitors, and audio recorders.

The SanDisk 512 MB CompactFlash card comes with a 5-year warranty. ... Read more

Features

• Industry-standard compatibility
• For use in digital cameras, PDAs, HPCs, personal communicators, and MP3s
• 512 MB CompactFlash
• Removable data storage system
• Ultracompact

Reviews (20)

Defective Card
I had ordered a Cannon s500 a week before I went on vacation and after receiving the camera I decided I needed more than a 32 meg card for my trip.I read several reviews of cards on amazon and for the most part had the impression that Sandisk, though an off brand, made decent and reliable cards.Due to time constraints I purchased this model at a local Best Buy and left for a weekend of relaxation and enjoyment.My first night on vacation after taking a few pictures my camera gave me a weird Memory Error message.I couldn't change from capture mode to view mode to delete/format the memory card, in fact I couldn't even power the camera down.I had to remove the battery to get it to turn off.After messing with it for several minutes, removing the memory card and seeing how the camera functioned minus the card I realized the card was jacked and causing my camera to malfunction.Thus, I was unable to take pictures during my entire vacation.Needless to say, I WAS LIVID because I was on an island and there weren't any Best Buys around to return the card and get a new one.As a result, I felt I had to post here on this review section and say DO NOT BUY THIS COMPANY'S PRODUCTS!I'm now ordering a Kingston version of this card in hopes that a brand name will provided a better quality product.

Fine for consumer digicams
This is a good card for virtually all Point and Shoot consumer digital cameras. If you are using a Digital SLR, then you need a faster card, say the Sandisk Ultra II. The write speed is a little slow, but that shouldn't be a problem for all but a few select digital cameras. For most people, 512M should be more than enough. Depending on your camera, you could get 300-400 pictures.

This is my first CF card, as I've used SD cards for a couple of years on another camera. I'm not wild about CF, but that's the format of my equipment. I think Sandisk cards are as good a brand as you can buy, but just know their limitations.

Excellent price for the storage, but a little slow
I upgraded to this card from a 128MB SanDisk card to use with my Canon Powershot G6. The card is definitely worth it for the money, but if you plan to use it long-term, I would suggest shelling out the extra dollars and going with the Ultra II model. When uploading images, there will be a noticeable difference in speed. If you're an amateur photographer just looking for extra storage, or a person who doesn't mind waiting a little longer in exchange for saving a bit of money, this card can definitely get you by. ... Read more

Asin: B00006B9QF
Subjects:  1. Flash Memory (Flashcard, Flashcards)    2. Compactflash (Compact Flash)   

SanDisk SDDR-75-07 CF - SmartMedia USB Combo Rdr
by SanDisk
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $24.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

SanDisk's ImageMate Dual Reader SDDR-75 is a handy external CompactFlash and SmartMedia card reader that connects to your computer through its USB port. Its two memory card slots let you write data to and read data from flash memory without having to power up or even connect your digital media device (digital camera, handheld computer, digital music player, etc.) to the computer.

It's easy to use--just drag and drop your files. And you'll save precious battery power when you let the ImageMate, rather than your portable device, transfer your files. Minimum system requirements for Windows are a Pentium-class PC with USB support; Windows 98, 98 SE, 2000, Me, or XP; and a CD-ROM drive. Macintosh requirements are a computer with USB support running Mac OS 8.6, 9.1x or later, or OS X v10.1.2 or later, and a CD-ROM drive. ... Read more

Features

• External CompactFlash and SmartMedia card reader
• Fast transfer--up to 50x faster than using a serial cable
• Easy to use; just drag and drop your files
• Saves batteries; let ImageMate (not your portable device) transfer your files
• Connects to your computer through its USB port

Reviews (16)

SANDISK has terrible customer support
Work w/ SANDISK 256 meg CF when I first purchase the product.2 year later, it does not work with newer SANDISK 512 meg CF.SANDISK tech support told me 'Too Bad'. Past 1 year warranty. So Sorry.

NEVER buy anything from SANDISK.Lack of support.They do not stand behind their products.

it does not work with new Sandisk Compactflash cards
I bought a new sandisk 512mb CF and installed it in my Sandisk imagemate-SDDR-75 card reader and my card reader wipe put all my pictures and my card would not work after the imagemate SDDR-75 card reader installation. I ended puting it back in the camera and used the camera software to reformat it. I call Sandisk and they told me that;

Thanks for contacting SanDisk Technical Support.There is a compatibility issue with the SDDR-75 and the newer CF cards. We would normally offer an exchange for a reader that is compatible; however, your reader is no longer under warranty. We certainly apologize for any inconvenience. OUCH!
The following readers are compatible:SDDR-86- 6 in 1 reader SDDR-88- 8 in 1 reader SDDR-91- USB 2.0 CompactFlash reader

incompatible with SimpleTech 256MB
unfortunately there were no reports on incompatibility when I was buying this piece of equipment (read "junk"), now they are starting to appear. This cardreader worked only with SanDisk compactflash and did not work properly with my SimpleTech 256MB. I contacted SanDisk tech support via email and it was less than helpful, the only thing they suggested is to return/replace the card. But why would I do this if the card works perfectly with my Canon camera as well as with my new cardreader TravelFlash M280 (http://www.pqi.com.tw). SanDisk made a deffective product and they refuse to even look into the problem.
Update: SanDisk recognized the problem: "There is a known compatibility issue with the SDDR-75 and the newer CF cards. We can provide an exchange for an SDDR-91 (USB 2.0 CompactFlash reader)." ... Read more

Asin: B000068UXB
Subjects:  1. Memory Card Reader (Readers)   

Canon i850 Photo Printer
by Canon Office Products
Average Customer Review:
Electronics (01 October, 2002)
list price: $149.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Features

• Photo lightfast technology helps photos last approximately 25 years
• Up to 4,800 by 1,200 dpi color, 600 x 600 dpi black
• Prints up to 22 ppm black, 14 ppm color, 4-by-6-inch photo in just 48 seconds
• Microscopic 2-picoliter droplets
• 4 individually replaceable ink tanks

Reviews (122)

Figured out how to do 5X7 prints
This printer turns out excellent photos, and the print head hasn't died yet, but I haven't used it as much as some people might.I tried all day today to figure out how to do 5X7's and discovered that if I put the jpeg photo into Photoshop and size it to 5X7, it will print at that size on a "letter" sized piece of photo paper.However, you end up wasting a lot of paper because you have to cut the 5X7 from the paper.What was I thinking, buying a printer that didn't print 5X7's?What was Canon thinking, making a printer like that.I'll be darn sure next time that I have the flexibility I need in a printer.

Worst money on a printer you can buy
I purchased this printer a year ago at Best buy for around 150 dollars. Since then it has worked fine and i was happy with it, up until now. Today it starting printing some weird streaks all over pictures, and i ran the clean print head option at least 6 times and it still prints the ugly green lines across the page.
I thought Canon would make a decent printer, but they have provem me wrong and I will never purchase one again.

Printhead dead after 15 months
My first (and last) Canon printer. Always had, and been pleased with, HP printers in the past and my next will be an HP.

This i850 worked well till the print head just died. I've been quoted £63.00 for a new one. NO WAY!

Jim ... Read more

Asin: B00006CBDX
Sales Rank: 13049
Subjects:  1. Inkjet Printer (Ink Jet Printers, Printing)    2. Photo Printer (Photo Printing)    3. Mac Macintosh Machintosh Apple