Editorial Review

Canon's S30 and S40 cameras fill a gap in the company's digital lineup. Nestled between the ultra-tiny Elph models and the feature-packed PowerShot G and Pro models, the S30 and S40 combine most of the portability of the former with nearly every advanced feature of the latter.

With the exception of their CCD sensors (the S30 is a 3-megapixel model, while the S40 is 4-megapixel), the cameras are essentially identical. Each features a brushed aluminum body with a sliding clamshell lens cover, a 3x optical zoom Canon lens, and a 1.8-inch LCD on the back of the camera for previewing and reviewing shots.

For beginners, the cameras are point-and-shoot simple. Just twist the dial to Auto and start snapping pictures. For more experienced photographers, both models include aperture priority, shutter priority, and full manual modes, plus manual focus, exposure compensation, slow-sync flash, spot metering, and adjustable ISO (from 50 to 400 on the S40, and 50 to 800 on the S30).

Movie mode lets you capture video clips with sound. At 320 x 240 or 160 x 120 pixels, the movies aren't camcorder quality, but they're fun and convenient, and they're perfect as e-mail attachments. The cameras also include an unusual voice-memo feature, which lets you record up to 60 seconds of audio with each image.

To provide maximum battery life in the smallest possible space, the cameras use a proprietary lithium-ion battery (both the battery and a charger are included). The battery charges quickly and holds a reasonably long charge, but if you're planning to use the camera for extended outings, a spare battery is a good idea. A larger-capacity memory card is also advisable if you want to shoot more than a dozen photos at a time or really take advantage of the movie mode. The cameras use Type I or Type II CompactFlash cards, including the Microdrive. To print your photos at home, the S30 and S40 connect directly to Canon's CP-10 and S820D printers for easy printing--you don't even need a computer.

Features

• Lithium-ion battery
• For use with the Canon Powershot S30 and S40 models and Elura 40mc camcorder

Reviews (27)

Buy an aftermarket battery
The Canon NB-2L is an OK battery, however, you can do much better by purchasing an aftermarket product.Specifically, Sterlingtek makes a replacement with a rating of 1100mah which is almost double that of the Canon's.The price on the Sterlingtek is only $19.99 (shipping is $6.99 but is free for orders over $60). The price difference is more than just a "few bucks" as another review claimed.Their web site is www.sterlingtek.com

Surprised at long life!
I'm knocking it down 1 star for costing as much as it does... In regard to the performance of the battery... it performed much better than expected on my recent trip to Japan. After all the negative reviews saying the charge does not last a long time, I was expecting to have to use my second battery everyday. The battery didn't die on me once, and I used it on average for 2 days at a time before recharging... never even got the low battery indication.Though, I did have the lcd off unless I was taking a picture. Worked great for me!

You can definitely spend less for quality batteries.
I've bought Energizer replacement rechargeable batteries for both my S30 and my digital video camera and have found them to actually hold a longer charge and a longer battery life than the originals that came with the cameras.The going rate for the Canon NB-2L seems to be from $50 - $70.You can get the Energizer equivalent for $27 at one of my favorite sites.It's definitely not a generic and considering what Canon is charging for theirs, I consider it a no-brainer.I've never had any problems with the non-OEM batteries I've used, but I've never used generic batteries either.

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.

Features

• Non-Slip Rubber Feet
• Thumb-Screw Shoe Design
• 2-Way Pan Head
• Twist to Lock Legs

Reviews (4)

New becomes used?
Just a bit confuse by this company product's description. Does NEW mean the package opened and have scratch on it? Although it is works, I totally lost my joy. Anyway, it maybe an "exceptional" case, but I won't buy from this company again.

Leg broke off after one use
I received this tripod as a birthday present.I set it up and used it to take one family photo.My daughter then walked by, slightly bumping one leg of the tripod.I was quite surprised to look at the tripod and find the leg badly bent.Tried to straighten the leg and it snapped right off."Sturdy steel leg construction" the package says.HA!Straight into the garbage it went after being out of it's package less than 10 minutes.I'll get a different brand next time.

Excellent travel tripod but w/ many limitations
I love this tripod. I own 2 other much larger tripods but this is the one I take everywhere.Setting up this tripod is very quick - just pull each leg and twist to lock. Taking it down is even faster - twist each leg to unlock and then pound the tripod against the ground to collapse all 3 legs at the same time.

Editorial Review

Features

• Take great underwater shots or protect your camera from the elements
• Waterproof to 100 feet
• Neck strap and silicone grease included
• Models: S30, S40, S45

Reviews (19)

super working
you can check the photos that i took with canon s45 and this housing. It works brilliant. I just tested in 10meters. also there are supported extra lenses for this housing (macro,wide)..

I like it. My students liked it.
I am a Scuba instructor and I own a Nikonos V, a Sea&Sea MX-10 and an Ikelite housing for my Pentax PZ-1 SLR. I wanted to move to digital photography for my Underwater Photography classes. (I am NOT an expert. I am NOT a professional photographer. I teach the intro course.) I also needed to reduce the weight of the gear I was hauling to the Caribbean. The Canon S30 with the DC300 housing lets me do just that. I added an Ikelite Substrobe DS50. (If you want to use an external strobe, you REALLY need to get one that is specially made for digital. Normal strobes don't work!)

I taught a class of high school students to do Underwater Photography last spring with this rig. I used it myself last summer on my own vacation trip. I'm using it again this summer in preference to my other rigs. We were all able to take remarkably good pictures and see the results using my laptop during lunch. I really liked being able to give feedback on the student's technique while s/he still remembered taking the picture. No waiting for developing.

(We also were able to take remarkably bad pictures as well. The delay between pushing the shutter release and actual snappage of the picture is Especially Annoying!)

As with any underwater photography gear, meticulous care and cleaning is necessary. That said, I found this particular rig very easy to maintain and very easy for my students to learn how to maintain and use.

Leak-prone and no warranty
I took this unit diving.After 5 dives, at 60' in dead calm conditions and with careful maintenance, it leaked badly enough to destroy my camera.I cleaned everything and tried it again with the destroyed camera on a later dive.Same results.

Canon refused to cover ANYTHING.

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 (204)

Never had any problems
I have several of these, and I've never had any problems with any of them.I've used them in my Canon camera and my Nex1a MP3 player; both work fine, and are interchangeable.

FOR NOW BETTER THAN OTHERS FOR COOLPIX 3100
I HAVE A NIKON COOLPIX 3100 WHICH IS QUITE SLOWWRITING PICTURES TO THE COMPACT FLASH (CF) CARD, LEADING TOA CONSIDERABLE DELAY FOR THE NEXT SHOT.
BEFORE THIS VIKING I OFTEN USED OTHER BRANDS OF 256 MBCF CARDS : LEXAR 12X ANDSIMPLE TECH AND SOMETIMES 64MB SAN DISK CF CARD .
A RELATIVE MADE ME A GIFT AND IN FACT I WAS ONLY THINKING TO USE IT AS A STEP CARD FOR BACK UPS,
IREALLY BECAMESURPRISED.
I HAD ITONLY FOR A SHORT TIME, BUTTIME ENOUGH TO BE CONVINCED THAT FORMY NIKON COOLPIX 3100 SEENS TO BE PRETTY FASTER THAN OTHERS IN WRITING IMAGES.
PRICE SEENS TO BE VERY GOOD.
DONT KNOW ABOUTPERFORMANCE IN OTHER BRANDS AND MODELS.

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.