Canon Elph digital camera anyone?

[novafan]

I don't know if this is the proper forum, but hey, since I am specifically looking at getting a new digicam for my Disney trip, why not? Right?

We are seriously looking at either the brand spanking newly released Canon G5 (5.1 MP) OR the Canon S400 Elph. I kind of want to spring for the newer, higher MP G5, but DH LOVES the concept of a compact camera. Both get rave reviews, so what to do?

I think we are leaning towards the ELPH, better price and VERY easy to carry around. We were thinking that if we got the G5 just because it has 1.1 more MP of quality, we'd be paying $300 more dollars for that 1.1 MP.

So, if any of you have either of these cameras, but particularly the S400, because that's the one we really think we will end up with, can you tell me what you think? After all, this is a VERY important purchase...it's for our WDW vacation.

 

[Tinks]

Hi Novafan, I have the Canon Elph s400....We purchased it after much research in May for our Disney trip. We also got an extra memory card with it. We love this camera. It has many worthwhile features and it worked out great on our trip. I am very particular about photos because I scrapbook and I was very nervous about how the photos would look when developed. The Elph passed my test and I'm happy to say we use it frequently and haven't regretted spending the money. We also use Shutterfly to develop our prints. Hope that helps! My husband knows more of the ins and outs of the camera and its features so if you need more questions answered I can always ask him!

 

[disnaholic]

There is a great review on this camera

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/s400.html

Remember, Mega pixels are not always the key to getting good pictures. Lens quality is also important.

I hope this helps!

 

[Timon]

We just bought the S400 about 3-4 months ago, my first digital and I LOVE it! I am also a scrapbooker and was worried about the prints from digital but I took some photos and got them developed at 4 different places and was pleasantly surprised!

We are going to WDW in October and it will be my first digital disney trip. I normally take about 40-60 rolls of film when we go to WDW, so with my new digital, I can't even imagine how many I will take!!! We have two 256MB CF cards and an extra battery (which I would recommend!) and I plan on stopping in at the Walgreens next to our resort and downloading my pics to CD when they get full, and trust me, they will get full a lot!!!

The thing I was looking for mainly was the compact size, which is great! The only thing I would change if I could would be the zoom, I would love to have a better zoom, 3X is not enough for me!

Good luck!

Here is another good review for the S400

REVIEW

 

[novafan]

Wonderful news! I think we are going to go with the Elph. Thanks everyone. And more reviews would be great too.

 

[vette9898]

I too own the Canon S400. Gotta love the size and portability of it. Will fit perfect in my fanny pack for my trip to Disney next week. You can get the batteries off of Ebay for $8 - $9.

 

[disnaholic]

Here is another review of the digital Elph. Make sure you get an extra battery to keep with you. This camera takes a proprietary battery. If it runs out of juice in the middle of a park, there is nothing you can do unless you have a charged spare with you.

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_s400-review/index.shtml

I would definitley go with the elph 400. You can use the $300 you save from not getting the Canon G5 to buy a spare battery and extra memory cards, and have some $$ left over!

 

[yoko]

Hi:

I also bought S400 back in June, specificaly with the WDW trip in mind, although I take it everywhere.

It is a very easy camera for non-ethusiasts like me. Many of the fancy features are quite intuitive. Its smakk size was great for putting in my fanny pack.

If you are taking a week-long vacation (or longer) ti WDW, I recommend getting a 254MB flashcard. I had two 128MB ones, but it would have been easier to just have one.

 

[markºoº]

My wife has a S200 and I have a G2 (4.1MP). While I like the S200 for the size, I love the G2 (now G5) for its versatility. The S400 will take great shots when the setting is good or better. The G5 will allow you to take great shots even in less than ideal conditions. If you are really into photography and enjoy playing around with settings and optimizing the picture, the G5 would be a better purchase.

For example, the flash on the S200 is not very good and I doubt the S400 is much better. It has a short range and does cause significant red eye. With the G2, I can mount an external flash that will sync to the camera, can zoom in and out, and tilt up and around to create bounce flash. The range is probably 5x the built in on the S200.

Another consideration is storage. I have a 1GB micro drive in my G2 and I can store over 500 pictures at the highest jpg setting or 300+ in RAW setting. Even with a 128MB card, you will chew through it fast at the highest setting.

The G5 also has the capability to add filters, a teleconverter to extend the zoom, or a wide angle converter to get a really wide angle. Being able to add a polarizer to my G2 is very handy when taking scenic shots.

The tile and swivel LCD screen on the G5 is very handy. Its great for shots in crowds where you have to hold the camera above your head. I'm always composing pictures at weird angles that would not be practical to compose with the fixed LCD on the S200.

That said, the G5 will cost a lot more, especially if you purchase a flash, micro drive and a teleconverter. You will also have to carry around a small camera bag if you desire to carry everything for the G5. The S200 sure does have great size and convenience advantages.

As for the 4 vs 5 MP on the S400 versus G5, I would not worry about the difference. My G2 has 4.1MP and I can print 8x10s that look as good as I get with my 35mm camera. I believe the 5MP is really only a benefit for REALLY big prints which is beyond what most people would print. You might want to see what the price would be on G4 if you can find one.

 

[mickeychick]

You may also want to check out Canon's S45 or S50 - they have most of the same features as the G-series cameras, but are a little less expensive and a little more compact.

 

[nativetxn]

I'm going to move this over to our Community Board for you so you can get more advice and opinions.

 

[skuttle]

We have the Canon Elph s200 and LOVE it! We've had it for almost a year now and it's great. It takes wonderful pictures and has some nice features. It's very easy to figure out how everything works. The size is a big plus! We just got the 2.0 mp because we don't plan on getting anything bigger than a 4x6 actually printed...maybe a 5x7 every now and then and the 2.0mp should be fine for that. We took it to WDW in March and got almost 100 pictures printed and they all came out great! We are very pleased. I wish it had more optical zoom...only has 2...but that's all our old advantix camera had and we did fine with it for a few years. Oh...also...it takes video. Not the best quality, but it was good enough to catch a few funny moments at WDW on days where we didn't bring the video camera. Love that feature.

 

[Jenzebelle]

I have the APS Canon Elph and love it. As soon as DH's work situation is decided, we're going to buy the digital - I've heard fabulous reviews!

 

[TammyC]

When researching a camera, I did a lot of research online, reading reviews, etc. I liked the things I read about the Elph models, but I did not like the way they felt in my hand. I just didn't feel like I had a good grip, and could not take a picture with only one hand if I wanted to. So definitely pick them all up and "try them on for size."

 

[disnaholic]

TammyC has a very important point. Even if the camera takes great pics it has to feel good in your hands. If the Canon Elph is to small for you, there is always the Canon A70 digital with more of a handgrip, but still pretty compact (I have this camera, and it is awesome!) or there is the new follow up to the A70 coming out in September the Canon A80.
You can check out details on the A80 at
http://www.steves-digicams.com/pr/canon_08202003_a80_pr.html

And a review of the A70 at
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/a70.html

I hope I did not confuse anyone!