Editorial Review

Inch for inch and ounce for ounce, Canon's PowerShot S330 Digital Elph packs more power into less space than virtually any other digital camera, stuffing a feature-packed 2-megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom into a diminutive brushed-metal case that slips easily into a purse or pocket.

Resolution
Like last year's S300, the S330 features a 2-megapixel sensor for sharp prints at sizes up to 8 by 10 inches. With cameras of up to 5 megapixels now on the market, some enthusiasts were hoping this would be the year when the Elph made the jump to 3 megapixels, but it appears that Canon still believes 2 megapixels remain the best balance between performance and price for most consumers. We tend to agree. If you regularly print your photos at sizes larger than 8 by 10 inches, you'll probably want a camera with more manual controls than the Elph offers--we recommend Canon's 3-megapixel S30 or 4-megapixel S40.

Optics
A 3x optical zoom lens (35-105mm equivalent) aids in photo composition, and an additional 2.5x digital zoom (7.5x total) further magnifies your image. Remember, however, that digital zoom reduces the sharpness and detail of your image, so it's best used sparingly. Two systems help ensure your pictures will be perfectly focused, even in challenging conditions: a multizone autofocus works even when the subject of your photo isn't in the center of the scene, and in low-light situations (a particular weakness for many digital cameras), a focus-assist lamp sends out a small patterned beam to help the camera accurately determine distance.

More Features
Though it's primarily designed as a point-and-shoot, the S330 includes several advanced features for photographers who want more creative control, including exposure compensation, low-light manual shutter speeds, manual ISO and white balance, stitch assist, plus black-and-white, sepia, vivid, and neutral modes.

A movie mode captures video clips with sound. Depending upon resolution, these clips can last from 2 to 60 seconds. The limited length and resolution of these clips guarantees that this feature won't replace your camcorder, but it's perfect for when you just want to capture a quick movie and e-mail it to a friend or relative. In addition, you can add up to 60 seconds of audio to each still picture you take. A built-in speaker even lets you listen to audio when playing back stills and movies.

Power
The S330 uses a proprietary lithium-ion rechargeable battery, and both the battery and the charger are included. Though the new NB-1LH looks identical to (and is interchangeable with) the NB-1L batteries shipped with previous Elph models, the new battery holds 840 mAh of energy, a 23 percent increase. Because the battery is unique to the Elph cameras and can be nearly impossible to find when on the road, we strongly recommend getting a spare if you're planning to take the camera on extended outings.

Storage and Transfer
Images are stored on standard Type I CompactFlash (CF) cards. Consider the included 8 MB card a "starter" capacity, since its 12-picture limit means you'll need to return to your computer often to transfer images and free up the card for more pictures. A 128 MB card is a great size for this camera, storing around 200 images. To transfer images to your computer, simply attach the included USB cable between your PC and your camera. Your computer should automatically recognize your camera and let you move the pictures to your hard drive.

Printing
Canon has introduced a series of printers designed to work directly with the S330. Using these printers, no computer is required--simply connect the camera to the printer and start printing. The CP-10 produces credit-card-sized prints, and the CP-100 makes 4-by-6-inch prints. Both use continuous-tone technology for results that are indistinguishable from traditional photos. Of course, photos from your Elph can also be printed on any home computer system with an inkjet printer, sent off for online processing, or simply enjoyed on your computer screen.

Size
At just 3.7 by 2.5 by 1.2 inches and 8.6 ounces, the S330 is identical in size to its predecessor. If this sounds too bulky, the S200 Elph is even smaller and has specs that are nearly identical, with the exception of a less powerful 2x optical zoom lens.

Contents
The package includes the S330 camera, NB-1LH battery with CB-2LS charger, AV and USB cables, wrist strap, software suite, and 8 MB memory card.

Features

• Five year replacement warranty and 30-day money-back guarantee
• Optimized for use in PDAs, MP3 players, or digital cameras
• Write speed guaranteed to exceed 1.2 MB per second (8X) with independent test results exceeding 2.25 MB per second (15X)
• High quality components guarantee steady performance, the utmost durability, and breadth of compatibility
• Individually tested to ensure each product works the first time, everytime

Reviews (200)

Great card, but slow write speed
I've been using this card with my Canon S400 for the past 9 months and am very pleased with it.However, about a month ago, I noticed that the write speed increased from about a second to three-four seconds per image.It's kind of annoying since it was so quick before, but other than that, the card has served me well!

Good value, but watch out for compatibility
Unlike Lexar or Sandisk, Viking does not design or make the components that go into their flash memory cards, instead they use off-the-shelf components (controller and memory core) made by others.This means two things: 1) lower cost (to Viking), and 2) compatibility with devices may not be as robust as Lexar or Sandisk.There have been numerous reports about incompatibility between Viking flash memory and various digital cameras and PDAs.You should do a web search before buying this product.

That said, this Viking CF card should work in most digital cameras or older Pocket PCs that take CF.The rated speed of 8x means this is not suitable for digital SLR's such as the Nikon D70 or Canon EOS Digital Rebel which need higher-speed CF cards (40x or higher).Most consumer, non-SLR digital cameras will find the speed of this card more than adequate.128MB holds about 80-100 5MP, high-quality pictures (depending on the complexity of each picture and the particular camera model).I personally recommend if you have a 4MP or more camera, you should have a 256MB memory card as your primary card, while carrying a 128MB card like this Viking as a spare.

In short, this Viking 128MB CF card is good for the money.Just make sure it's compatible with your digital camera.

Editorial Review

SimpleTech FlashLink is the perfect tool for quickly and easily transferring data between a PC or Macintosh and your CompactFlash digital media cards. You can move images, MP3 music files, and other data, all with transfer rates up to 30 times faster than you'd get from a standard serial connection. FlashLink requires no external power source and has a sleek, compact design, giving you hassle-free portability.

FlashLink offers true plug-and-play capability with USB technology. Simply insert your digital media card into the FlashLink and it will automatically appear as an additional removable drive, letting you drag and drop files with ease.

This FlashLink reader is mass-storage device compliant, meaning it does not require the installation of driver software when used in Windows 2000, Me, or XP environments. Simply plug the device into the USB port of a PC or Mac and be ready to instantaneously download digital images or data by dragging and dropping the contents to any folder.