Canon PowerShot SD100 3.2MP Digital ELPH Camera w/ 2x Optical Zoom
By: Canon Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 58
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 On: 2008-02-22
There was no description of how much video you can record with this camera. I purchased this camera for the purpose of making videos, and I also knew it took good pictures. I wanted that feature, also, so I figured it said it takes video, so if I had a big enough memory capacity, itll take bigger videos...wrong. Its a 3 minute limit - and I was never informed of this on Amazon. Now Ive spent $150 for practically nothing. On top of that, when I got this camera, the battery kept dying, even WITH a full charge. So I had them send me another battery, which kept dying on me the same one the last one did. So I am very disappointed with how this turned out.
 On: 2007-05-15
This was my first digital camera. It was perfect for the first year I had it - easily portable and navigable, decent battery life, movie and instant B+W options; it was the source of digital goodness. After the first year, when my concerns became focused on the quality of the photos I began to get increasingly disappointed. The zoom and flash limited the quality of photographs I was able to take. I kept getting blurry pictures, or the flash caused over-exposure or was too weak to make out anything in the distance. Forget about shots of buildings in twilight.
I upgraded to a Digital Rebel for my first trip to Costa Rica and have satisfied most of the needs I was not receiving with the Elph. Obviously, comparing the Digital Elph to a Rebel is like comparing a Volkswagon to a Porsche.
Despite the satisfying upgrade, when my Elph was destroyed in an airline mishap I replaced it right away. The Elph has become my purse camera, indispensable for recording the scene of a traffic incident for insurance or catching the idiosyncrasies of life when the hulking Rebel is at home. Its not perfect but it is my sturdy, reliable recording device on the fly and Im glad I still have one around. Overall a fantastic beginners camera, although limited by its small pixel size. Because pixels have gotten so much more advanced, this would be a great gift for a young, budding photographer. It can handle travel, drops, and being roughed up quite well.
On: 2006-11-22
I bought this camera in 2004, and it worked very well. I would agree with most of the other good reviews. However, all of a sudden the lense would not shut down and I kept getting an E18 error on screen. Apparently this is common on these types of Canon cameras (ie. the lense getting stuck), and will cost approx $150 - $250 to repair, which is more than the original cost of the camera. I did not drop it or mishandle it in any way, so it looks like a defect in the camera.
 On: 2006-03-26
This camera is very nice. I will go down on the pros and cons.
Pros:
1. Very small. It is with ease that you can put this camera into your pocket, or even into your glove dept of your car (and just how many things can you put in a glove dept these days?!!) And the size really makes it easy for handling when taking pictures.
2. The digital rear view is very nice. You get a clear vivid view of what it is that you are taking a picture of. This is a fantastic feature, considering that many other cameras do not have a good view in the rear view... which sort of really goes against having the picture view in the rear of the camera in the first place! Bright and easy to see.
3. For a 3.2 mpixel camrea, these pictures are pretty good quality. I really like them, but would consider this a lower end camera... dont try to take shots of stuff far away. This camera is for use close up.. like under 5 feet in distance for any definition.
4. Easy to use downloading from camera. You can use the software they give you with this camera... or just skip it and use the windows XP software that automatically detects the camera, and loads the windows software that will work with your camera. This is really nice that Canon and Bill Gates talked to each other and they shared information on drivers and software. This does NOT alaways happen BTW. Kudos for Canon.
Cons:
1. Battery life. The battery is horrendous. After six months, the battery rarely last over 15 - 20 minutes. This is pretty bad. I mean, this battery is easily the poorest quality of any battery in any device I have ever used. And Canon should be ashamed for issuing the darn battery with this type of quality. With Canon, you expect better quality.
2. Starter Camera. This camera is really not for use for anything other than really close pictures. Which is sorta what I said in the Pro section, and it is a pro for that reason.. but with the small zoom, I expected to get more than five feet or so for definition... perhaps I was over optimistic...
3. Outershell of camera. After a couple of months, the color of the case of the camera sorta rubbed off. It looks very dull, and old... I have had other cameras that are considerably older than this camera, but look a heck of a lot newer than this camera. What did they put on the outer shell of this camera? I do not know, but Canon should not use whatever it was again. My camera looks like it is 50 years old.
Overall: A very good starter camera. I would not get this again, but I would get it for someone who is just taking fun photos. Perhaps get it for a youngster, or someone who might not really care that they cant get super good pictures.
Have fun!!
 On: 2005-08-04
I bought this camera to have something that I could use at parties or on trips to just point and shoot when I didnt feel like or have the time to use my 35mm SLR. But what I found out was it can do much more than that. Manual mode is easy and effective. See some of my photos in customer images.
On: 2005-07-31
A great pocket size travel camera. Fun to use when on vacation or out with friends. I like that the camera is metal and durable. Easy to use menu and option knob. Get a spare battery, its common sense. Very limited zoom and annoying 2 second delay when you press the button. I wish the memory card wasnt in with the batteries under the slide plate. It isnt easy to pull out the battery or memory card (I use twissors).
On: 2005-04-13
I have many cameras, and use a Nikon DSLR. But for Point and Shoot, CANON RULES!
This is now an older model, and I just got one new, they are still around if you look.
I just love it. I wish it used CF cards like my other cameras but it uses the SD card. I would get a minimum of 256mb. And get a spare battery.
I have 5 digital cameras now, all for different reasons. This little jewel is now my carry around camera. And I just love it.
Canon software for its point and shoots is the best on the market (of software tha comes with camera).
If you need "better software", get Photoshop ELements for about $100. This is also best of breed.
This thing is sooooo small and cute. And its easy to use. Pictures are GREAT. The in camera EXIF processing of image is great, and for snapshots, all I have to do is crop them sometimes...no other tweaking of image is needed.
Love it! Highly recommeded!
by: themidlandculturevulture On: 2005-02-27
But to say that does not do it justice! This takes great shots, clear and well lit. It has a simple set up and is a compact and sexy little number. Very easy to get used to in all respects and a tough little cookie!
On: 2004-12-01
This camera is extremely stylish and compact. Great for snapshots and other pictures of friends and things like that, but if you plan on taking lots of pictures of sporting events or nature, go with a camera with better optical zoom. Other than the zoom, the feature-set is simple and straightforward, perfect for someone who just wants pictures without the fuss.
On: 2004-09-07
I love this camera and hopefully you will love it too. It is so easy to handle and it takes the user up to 10 minutes to actually get the hang of it. I use this for everything; taking pictures of my me and my family, taking pictures for my school newspaper and pictures of the girls! I only rated it 4 stars because I wanted people to take me seriously. (5 stars are a bit stale and corny and hard to believe) But I can guarantee that you would love this 3.2 mp from digital cameras heaven. Trust me
On: 2004-08-14
Very easy to use. good quality pics for a 3.2MP camera. Great size. Canon should include a bigger memory card than the measly 16MB supplied...which are not that expensive. would highly recommend.
On: 2004-08-13
Very easy to use. good quality pics for a 3.2MP camera. Great size. Canon should include a bigger memory card than the measly 16MB supplied...which are not that expensive. would highly recommend.
On: 2004-07-06
THIS CAMERA ROCKS.
I average about 100 photos a day plus a few videos 7 days a week. This camera has been totally abused, Its been dropped almost 10 times, somtimes from about 6 feet landing on tile and concrete surfaces. Ive spilled beer all over it 3 times so its been soaking wet and all i do is dry it off and its fine. It been in the rain, the snow, the heat, the humidity, and below zero tempertures. The lense has 3 dents in it, one from a metal cup being thrown at it by an angry photo subject where the lense was smashed in about 1/4 of an inch on an angle, and all i did (the next morning while sober) was just click out the lense and it worked FINE hahah. A few of my friends have digital cameras that broke just from them bumping into a table with the camera in their pocket. This little Canon can take anything and I recommend it to ANYONE who brings their camera with them wherever they go. Its small and compact, sturdy, takes excellant photos (excepcially of hot chicks) in all conditions, great options, fun options like sounds and custome start up images, easy to use menu, and fits well in my hand. The lanyard is also of great design and makes the camera even more secure. IF this camera EVER breaks I will instantly buy a new one as I believ it is the only camera that can take the abuse I give it. BUY THIS CAMERA!
On: 2004-06-28
Ive had the camera for a good week or so. Been playin around with it and it takes some great pictures. I was looking for a camera I can take when I go on trips and stuff that would fit into my pocket with ease. I didnt want any more embarassing comments from people like a "Is that a camera in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" This guy slips into the pocket with ease and is not bulky at all. The camera was a little heavier than I expected, but thats no big deal.Picture quality has been good thus far. Not great, but I didnt want to drop another hundy for just 1 MP improvement. I bought a 512 MB SD card off Amazon for $75 (after rebate), so I dont have any problem fitting pictures on here. Just splerge a little and youll never have to worry about filling up the card. I also bought a genuine Canon battery off of Ebay for a backup, but havent found battery power to be a problem as of yet. The zoom does the trick for what I need. If you are just taking pictures of friends, random hot chicks, etc this is fine. Yeah, 3x optical would be nice, but this will suffice. I really didnt intend to rhyme there, sorry. Here is my story on the durability of the camera. So, my first outing with the camera. A baseball game between two big crosstown rivals. Tailgating in the lot before the game, pretty intoxicated. Took a bunch of pictures already, turned out great. Then the incident occurred. Someone is standing a good 200 feet away throwing a softball back and forth with another guy I am with. Random people are walking by left and right and an errant throw approaches my group. I attempt to protect some bystanders from taking a head shot with the ball. I throw my hand up in the air to block the ball, however, my blurred judgement threw up the hand with the camera in it. Next thing I know, my new camera is airborne. It flies about 8 feet high and 10 feet away from me, crashing into the side of a truck and then hitting the concrete full force. It was like taking the camera and just whipping it against the ground. I thought, "well, it was nice having a digital camera for a few days. This one is gone" Upon picking up the camera, I was pleasantly surprised. The battery holder on the bottom fell off and the battery went flying. After 3 minutes of searching under cars, the battery was found. I popped it back in, snapped the cover back on, and the moment of truth came. I hit the power button, and boom, it turns on like nothing ever happened. All my old pictures are still there and I took many pictures the rest of the day. All turned out great. Two scrapes on the bottom is all of the lasting damage. Gives my camera a little personality. Matches the scrapes on my cell phone from similar instances. So, this camera is definitely durable, will be able to take a few shots. Also, if you drink too much and become a little clumsy with your possesions, this is the right camera for you. Overall, a great camera, defintely worth the price for me ($209). I bought a somewhat cheaper one knowing that I might do something stupid and lose it or break it quickly. That did occur, and it still works, so a plus for me. Takes good pictures and is very easy to use and take around with you. Overall, this is a great camera for the amateur photographer, who likes to travel but not be bogged down with a huge camera. Take pictures of your friends and family and you will be happy. And of course, if you are a twenty something, obnoxious, cant control your drinking kind of guy, I give this my 100% recommendation.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-06-25
A terrific little camera for the price. I bought the SD100 based on my experience with the APS elph II. It too is small, easy to use, and takes great pictures. We love vacationing at theme parks and have found that its easier to get around without having camera bags, backpacks etc... getting in the way. I carry the SD100 on my belt with the optional leather case and hardly know its there. I use it at work too, and its small enough to keep with me all the time. Even the best camera is useless if you dont have it with you. Connection to a computer is simple with the included USB cable, and with my Windows XP machine I didnt even bother installing the software. Just plug it in, turn it on, download your pictures. Im also a big fan of the stainless steel shell.Two drawbacks are the limited optical zoom and the size of the screen. The screen is great for composing photos even in bright sun, but viewing them directly from the camera is much better when you connect to a TV with the included cable. The optical zoom is what it is, but to get something longer youll most likely need a larger camera. Im also glad I bought an extra, larger SD disk. The included 16 MB is fine if you have a handy place to download pictures but having space for lots of pictures is one of the great advantages of digital photography.
On: 2004-06-15
The Canon SD100 is now an obsolete model which makes it an excellent bargain if you can find one discounted. A sub-compact that seems to have been chiseled from solid steel, this will be a second digital camera to complement a more sophisticated (but larger) Olympus. Measuring only 3.3x2.2x0.9 inches this really does fit into a pocket. The Canon is a true 3.2 megapixel camera with 2x optical zoom. Pictures can only be recorded in JPG format with the standard sizes and compression youd expect on a camera this size. The omission of a RAW or TIF seems an oversight but this is a point and shootafter all. The camera has an automatic and manual mode. Automatic gives the photograher no control over the camera other than flash, image resolution and macro. Switching over to manual extends the control to exposure compensation (+/-2 in 1/3 stop intervals), white balance, ISO rating and digital effects (sepia, B&W, Vivid, Low Sharpening and Normal). In addition Manual mode lets you focus the camera to infinity for landscape shots. Start-up and shut down times are very respectable and switching over to image review seems near instant. The LCD panel on the rear of the camera is bright and clear, it also seems to match about 100% of the actual image recorded. The viewfinder has a center mark but is really too small to use practically. If the battery was low on juice, turning off the LCD would save power but shooting would be fiddly. As well as images, the little SD100 can record short movies with sound in Quicktime format and you can add voice memos to shots. Recording sound memos takes a series of menu button presses to record the sound bite and an equal number of thumb presses to play it again - more of novelty than practical use. The camera mounts to the PC with the supplied USB cable and supplied Twain driver and software. The software doesnt seem as intuitive as it could be. Id like to just see the camera as a drive under Windows and drag and drop the files I want. The supplied software allows you to review thumbnails on the camera but view full size requires a download to the PC. A secondary SD card reader might be a future accessory. Included with the software package are photo/video editing packages from Arcsoft as well as applications to create photo albums for printing. No software included for creating on-line photo albums though - seems Canon only offer this for European customers! Lack of battery indicator is the only other gripe, but since the camera is on its first charge and has now taken over 50 shots with/without flash, I see no reason to doubt the manufacturers claim of upto 180 images with LCD monititor turned on. The Canon S100 series case, a snip for under $10, is nice touch to a well finished quality feel camera. The newer SD110 is basically the same camera with a direct to print button and 32MB SD card. Does that justify the extra dollars - thats up to you
by: Anonymous On: 2004-06-11
This is not about the product I ordered but rather about amazon.com.I ordered NEW SD100 Canon Powershot digital camera from amazon.com as a gift and was shocked when received the USED one with missing memory card. I called customer service on Thursday and was insured that I would receive the replacement by Saturday and theres no need to hunt for a new gift . Well, it turned out that when amazon.com representatives say Saturday they actually mean Tuesday.
Hope that the camera would work better than the amazon.com and next time my review would have 5 star rating.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-19
Pros:
1. Compact and easy to stick into a purse when going to a party.
2. Good for point and shoot. Not recommend for professional photographers (or even semi-professional ones).
3. Easy to use.
4. There is a meter telling how many more "pictures" I can take (I really like this function - I will then just switch to take smaller size of pictures if the memory is low and I dont have a laptop with me to download pictures right away).
5. The zoom is relatively sufficient if using only for the event like party or get together but insufficient for the travelers who travel the world.Cons:
1. There are some finger-prints on body of the camera even I clean the camera everytime I use it. They make the camera look dirty and old.
2. Battery dies relatively quick and there is no battery meter telling that the battery is dying unless it is about to die. The brandnew battery that I have goes for ~100 pictures (using LCD mornitor) when fully charged.
3. 16 MB SD card that comes with the camera is useless, have to buy higher capacity SD cards.
4. No date and time stamp on the pictures unless they are printed onto papers. I find this annoying since I hardly print pictures and normally save them electronically.
5. Even the red eye reduction mode is turned on, there may still be red-eyes. As a result, I use this one for small events and buy another camera (with higher zoom capacity and more manual functions - trading with price and bulkiness of the camera, of course) to use when I travel.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-14
I owened this camera for over six months now and I must say the picture quality is not all that.I owened previously, the S110 and that camera rocks.The SD100 night pictures have these glare circles on the pictures.You could take a nice picture and have this ugly circle your face or somewhere in the frame.I dont know the cause,I called canon they said to use manual setting,but then why should I have to? the S110 never needed it...I exchanged the camera for another one thinking its a manufacturers defect, same thing. I had my graduation pictures with blotches on them from this.Im trying to get rid of this camera I hate it...
On: 2004-05-05
I work in an Electronics store, so I get to see all of the new cameras. The powershot100 really caught my attention due to its small size and reasonable price, not to mention its capability of doing video, still shots and sound play back all for around $299.99This camera takes great pictures, with reasonable shots in poor lighting conditions. I really dont have anything bad to say about the camera. Its one of the better cameras canon put out in the 3.2 megapixel genre. I have recommendend and sold this camera to many customers, with sucessful results.
On: 2004-05-01
I usually go out at nite and like to take picture of friends and I, and this camera does the job. In dim light it really comes through. The battery life is pretty not 3 -4 nights for me, and the picture quality is really good. The Optical zoom isnt all that but if your looking for high quality everyday pictures this is it. Great camera to capture those moments..
On: 2004-04-28
We just bought this camera a little over a month ago, and we love it. We took it to New York and got some great pictures - but the biggest advantage of it on that trip, was the size. I do reccommend buying a larger memory card - the one that comes with it will only hold about 16 pictures. Were still finding new advantages to having this camera each time that we use it. I highly reccomend it.
On: 2004-04-10
If it werent for the bad pixels I would have given a higher rating. Probably 4 or 5 stars. It just burns me that they can ship a camera with bad pixels in the center of the view. You should also be aware of the waranty repair process. In north america they have one warranty location. Colorado. So you will have to ship the camera to them wait 2-3 weeks and then wait to get it shipped back (they pay for return). Luckily I noticed the defect before the 1 year waranty was up. However now I have several hundred pictures with bad pixels in them.
by: gadgester On: 2004-03-12
Most Canon digital cameras still use the CompactFlash memory card. CompactFlash is much thicker and larger than the Secure Digital card used in the SD100 (this model). Its cheaper per-megabyte, but is slower and draws more power. Canon is doing a good thing by using the increasingly dominant SD format in this dimunitive digital camera.Function-wise this camera is a good point-and-shoot replacement. You wont find many manual controls (beyond the usual exposure comp, white balance, flash control, and a few other common controls), but its a good "pick up and snap away" camera. 2X optical zoom is rather inadequate for any semi-serious photographers who travel a lot, but ok if you just carry this to events and parties. Picture quality is much better than my first-generation S100 digital elph camera from a couple years ago. I still find the exposure a bit on the underside and the color tone a bit on the cold side. If you want top-notch picture quality, consider the 4-MP Canon S400 which has excellent image quality and color balance. In summary, this is a very capable digital camera in a great form factor. Its light and easy to carry, and does a fine job as long as you dont do serious photogrpahy with it.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-03-08
I started with a Canon A60. Happy with it and upgraeded to the A70. Both became too heavy and slow. Got rid of that and tried the Canon SD100 and it has everything you could need, except a decent sized SD card to start. I recommend getting the bigger SD card right away so you dont get this great camera and dont use the capabilities. It takes great pictures and you have to have a SD card capable of handling it! Its worth the investment. Great camera.
On: 2004-03-05
If you are looking for a camera to replace a traditional film camera, the SD-100 is it. Im an avarage user and this is what Ive found:PRO:
1. Small size. Easy to carry in a pocket or purse.
2. Decent Zoom
3. Burst mode for taking a series of quick pictures.
3. Movie mode...WITH SOUND!
4. Intuitive controls
5. Supplied Cannon software makes transferring photos a breeze. CON: 1. Expect to buy a memory card. The 16MB supplied with the camera is useless.
2. Red-eye. Even with the red eye reduction turned on, you still get some red eye. Its mildly annoying, but you can fix it on the computer easily.
3. Mysterious small halo. Must be a function of the lens. occasionaly you will get this small halo in a picture. Doesnt happen often.
4. A second battery is highly reccomended. The only people who will complain about this camera are high-end photographers. Theyll whine about everything. "Zoom is tiny" "Aperature control" "Lack of filter". Crybabies the whole lot of them. If you are a normal person, youll love this camera. Point, shoot, done.
On: 2004-02-12
I really like this camera. But if someone knows how to use it as a webcam, please help, I really appreciate it.
I have a Creative webcam NX Pro but the image quality is really poor (even at highest quality setting) and the rate is slow (I use USB1.1).
On: 2004-01-23
This is a really good product so far. i bought this item because of the sd functionality. I have a Sharp zaurus pda with a sd slot and wi-fi so transferring pics and movies to my computer is accomplished by putting the sd card in my pda and wirelessly transferring directly into the folder on the hard drive which i want. I had a sony digital mavica and the picture quality was really starting to bother me, so i was very satisfied with the image quality. Another great thing about this camera is the video out jack. I am using it for a super high resolution web cam for gnomemeeting in linux now. The only thing i didnt like is that it only comes with a 10M sd card. This is ok for some pictures but will eat up the movie time. However i am glad i didnt have to pay an extra $200 on the camera price for a 512M.
On: 2004-01-22
If you are looking for a reasonably priced digital camera with great quality photos, then look no further. This camera is awesome. I bought it about a month ago, and am a college student, constantly taking pictures of my friends, the beach here (I go to school in Santa Barbara), and anything else that strikes my fancy, and this camera does the trick. Not only is it small and light (and oh so easy to stow away in a backpack or a purse), but its incredibly easy to use, and is just a great piece of machinery. When deciding to purchase this camera, I looked at close to a hundred different cameras, ranging in mega-pixel quantity, price, size, and the likes. This one seemed to be the best "bang for my buck" and was a perfect purchase. I honestly cant speak highly enough of the camera-- the slow exposure option is great for night shots out on the water, or the starry sky up in the hills, or anything of the sort. So just click "add to cart" because this is defnitley the camera you want!
by: Anonymous On: 2004-01-22
best camera for the price
the zoom is just enough for most people
only complain is the small memory card it comes with
need to buy atleast a 256sd card(will hold 150 pics at highest setting)
by: Anonymous On: 2004-01-20
great little camera
the zoom is just enough for most people
need to buy extra memory
cant beat at this price
On: 2004-01-15
Ok everyone will give you the specs and the good and the bad about this camera. They are a bunch of winnies. I purchased this camera 1.5 years ago went to vietnam with it (it survived a rough trip). Shipped it many times to places when I needed it. The biggest one of all...I went fishing and fell in the lagoon with this camera soaked it to the bone. I thought it was toast. I would not turn on after that big spill. Two months later I was going to toss it. I thought I wonder if this thing would work? I put in the battery and the darn thing works! It works! Im telling you when I came out of the water you could see water draining from the viewfinder. I highly recommend this camera to anyone and any canon products since then I have bought the A 70 and could not be happier with both of them. This is one though hombre of a camera.
On: 2004-01-08
I won this camera at a Christmas office building raffle!Its a great camera; I love it. It takes great pictures for such an easy-to-use camera. I could go into depth about it, but why? I have nothing negative to say about this little package. Well, it didnt come with a case, so I had to buy that separately from Canon, but that was the only "bad" thing. Ive been taking photos since this little PowerShot landed in my hands, and I am very impressed with the pictures. I have not needed to color-correct in Photoshop, as I would normally do with other hobbyist/consumer cameras Ive used or owned. If youre looking for a semi-pro or pro camera, no, this isnt for you, but if youre a CONSUMER who likes to take pictures of family, friends, your dog, your car, your feet, or whatever...then yes, this is a very good buy for the price. I took a very nice picture of an Arizona sunset on Christmas day with this little unit, and although Im no photographer, the picture turned out great.
On: 2004-01-07
Pros:
- Sharp images at 3.2MP
- Very fast (~1 sec) recycle speed
- Aluminum casing is scratch resistant and durable
- Quality optical zoom
- Fast refresh on LCD (not choppy like some Olympus models)Cons:
- Slow shutter speeds at low light may cause blurring, but ISO mode is selectable to help compensate
- Red Eye is nearly unavoidable, even with the red eye option turned on, but since the photos are digital it is easily resolved later
- 2X optical zoom is far too low, a 3X or higher would be good
- Battery life is small, but a larger battery is available Overall, I have been very pleased with the SD100 and would recommend it to anyone looking for a quality camera who doesnt want to spend more than $300. The sharpness and recycle speed alone make this a great buy. Honestly, the image color and quality is fantastic, and is by far the best feature of this camera (as it should be).
On: 2004-01-01
I have owned a Canon S100 for 2 years and liked it. This smaller version corrects all the problems of the earlier design. Its lighter, a touch smaller, easier to use, more features (with literally bells and whistles), takes better pictures (no blue cast). The battery charger is smaller (easier to travel with), etc. etc. I picked it up at Best Buy for 269.99, as they price matched their online price. The only downside is the SD cards are more expensive than CF cards and the zoom is only 2X instead of 3X on the S100. A small price to pay for the size and convenience of the better camera. Highly recommended if you like a small camera with all the features that is easy to use.
On: 2003-12-30
For those of you experiencing SD card problems, please go to the Canon website for a fix. Enter you camera serial # and you will be downloaded a firmware update for your camera if needed.
On: 2003-12-29
this cannon camera is very good. i used to have a kodak camera but it kept on breaking down.so this christmas i got a new one! i was very satisfied with its quality, and compatibility. it has programs like zoom browser, video impression, and photo impression. with these programs(you can almost do anything with the pictures). in conclusion this camera is yet the best one ive ever owned and i also like the video recording feature its VERY! fun (if u know what i mean)! HAHAHA and its also very light and small. it fits almost anywhere. it is good for trips. by car and plane cause of its small size. and theres so many more things to write about but i dont have the time and dedication to do it so. if your still reading this your reading your wasting your time and GO buy it NOW!
On: 2003-12-24
Although of its tiny size, the sd100 is promising gadget. With the proper 3.2 MP and eye catching designe, it will surely be a fascinating first digital camera. Too bad it those not follow the 3x optical trend. The only dislike I have till now is its lack of shutter speed limitations. If you are planning to buy this camera, I would highly recommend buying an extra battery pack. Another recommendation is buying a neck strap, since the camera is lightweight and small. If you are looking for the perfect point and shoot camera that is simple and easy to use, then the sd100 is the oen for you.
On: 2003-12-22
My Canon SD100 has the same problem as the customer from Washington DC and the customer from Santa Margarita of California. I have lost many precious photos because the camera would suddenly stop me from reading the previous photos on camera due to "Corrupt Data". When that happens, I can not re-format my SD memory card. I have to borrow another SD digital camera to re-format my SD memory card before I can use the SD memory card again. The camera flash is also too strong when the target person or object is within 4 feet of the camera. Too bad the auto flash does not correct itself with the distance of the target object. Another drawback with this camera is the battery pack. I have to take out the battery pack out of the camera every time I want to charge it, which is every other day. I would much prefer just stick a cord/charger into the camera and charge the battery pack indirectly that way. This would reduce the wear and tear of the battery/memory card door. Hopefully, the next generation will have this feature. Even though Im not a professional photographer, I still wish there are more manual options with this camera, such as aparture and focus. I wish I could control the focus so some photos can have more depth and better focus. Even with the above shortcomings, I still like this camera for its compact size, sleek design, hard case, good photo quality, and price ($260 as of 11/03). If the SD memory card problem can be fixed, I would recommend this camera to most of my friends.
On: 2003-12-15
i have read a few reviews about the canon sd100 digital elph. I have one of my own and i wanted to explain to those people that are saying the memory cards have a defect etc.... i dont know about all the problems but i dont know about the little memory card error message some people have came across. before bashing this beautiful and very exceptional camera, make sure you insert the card correctly. i had the same problem with the error message when i first turned on the camera.. i opended up the little lid and realized i didnt insert the memory card correctly. until you hear a click, then that means the card is correctly in place..... thank you
by: Anonymous On: 2003-12-14
1day owner. Only complaint is weak photo modifying software bundled with camera. Not even a red eye fixer.
On: 2003-12-13
I bought this camera not too long ago. Took it to New York for vacation. I must say the auto feature works well with the flash. If you do not use the flash, the color is off. I did a test inside my house with incandescent lighting and it looked awful in automatic mode with no flash. If you put it in manual mode and change the lighting to incandescent, it works but the whole point of me buying this camera was to point and shoot; not having to make it a manual type set up. Sharpness is okay. I guess I need to buy a bigger, better digital camera. Maybe a 6 mega-pixel camera. I would buy this for simple shooting but nothing else.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-12-12
This camera has a defect that wont let it recognize some SD cards, but it doesnt show up until after you have taken some shots. I took 50 pictures on vacation, then the camera went dead. It turns out that there was a defect which you can read about on Canons website that causes ALL these cameras to malfunction until you download and install a patch. Buyer Beware! i lost all 50 irreplaceable vacation pictures, and you will too.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-11-27
Out of the box, this camera does not work. Theres a compatibility problem with the SD card, and Canon wants you to either send the camera to them or download a firmware update from the web... ---quote---
The SD card compatibility problem
A compatibility problem has been found between PowerShot SD100 DIGITAL ELPH/DIGITAL IXUS II cameras and some SD card from other manufacturers. We apologize for any inconvenience you may have already experience because of this problem.
[Problem Description]
The [Memory card error!] message appears on the LCD monitor when the camera is powered on in Shooting mode.
Image replay is impossible. The [No image], [Corrupted Data], [Memory card error!] or [E51] message appears on the LCD monitor when you try to view images recorded on the SD card in the cameras Replay mode.
The [E50] message appears on the LCD monitor when you try to format the SD card in the camera and formatting fails.
---end quote---
On: 2003-11-27
After a long research, I decided to purchase the Canon IXUS II (or SD100 in some countries) as my first digital camera. As a background, I am generally a point-and-shoot person with aspirations to take up photograpgy as a more serious hobby. Ive been using it extensively for about two months now, and heres what I think are the good and bad points of the camera:GOOD POINTS 1. Amazing picture quality for OUTDOOR shots - Pictures are sharp and crystal clear. The photos produced are exactly like what I saw with my own eyes. 2. Small, slim and solid - Can fit in my pocket easily. Now I can take it everywhere and ready to take a snapshot whenever I feel like it. It opens a whole new possibilities. 3. Relatively easy to use - The buttons layout are spot on, everything important is within reach of your thumb or index finger. On-screen menus are logical and easy to use. For advance features, I still need to read the manual though. 4. Movie quality is generally good. All movies I took plays well (with good sound) on the cameras LCD and and also on my 29" TV. The sound playback on the camera is quite loud and can be heard even in noisy areas. 5. Fast operation - fast starting up time and time between shots, you wont notice any delays. Transferring images to PC is also relatively fast. 6. Battery life is okay, I managed to took 68 shots (plus a hell lot of picture playback on LCD and on TV) before the battery died. 7. Great LCD display. Sharp images and good colour reproduction. Can be seen easily in bright sunlight. BAD POINTS 1. Average (on the borderline of poor) INDOOR picture quality. Every photo I took that uses the flash turns out ugly. The photos have this unnatural yellow glow (from the flash) on the subject, and the background becomes very dark, even though the room was evenly lit in real life. The best that I could do is to use Manual, and set the Exposure to -1 2/3, White Balance to Tungsten, and set the Effects to Neutral, and ISO to 50. That manages to turn my indoor pictures from ugly to bearable. The other alternative is to take indoor shots with flash off, as suprisingly it produces good pictures. But you need to use a tripod to get sharp images, which isnt always convenient. Im really dissapointed with the indoor performance of this camera. None of the glowing reviews I read in my research highlighted this problem. 2. Low battery indicator only shown on screen when the battery is on the verge of dying. If you dont have a spare battery and you are outside, your camera would be useless until you get back and recharge the battery. 3. Need to take out the battery to recharge. 4. Only 2x optical zoom. 5. Movies has a limit of 30 seconds per clip. You can fill up the whole memory card with movies, but it has to be in a series of 30s clips. You cant take one long continous movie shot. 6. Once you downloaded your movie shots to PC, and you deleted the movie from your camera, you cant upload the movie back to your camera. You can upload still images back to your camera, but not movies. 7. The bundled Canon software is not the best, nor is it the easiest to use. Conclusion: A great all round compact camera that is easy to use, and takes excellent outdoor shots. If you can live with average indoor shots, then buy this. Otherwise, I would recommend Sony Cybershot as it can take much much better indoor shots compared to this camera. I give this camera 2.5 stars.
On: 2003-11-24
I bought this delightful little camera in the Netherlands whilst on holiday there. I had done a fair amount of research into the choice of camera, and so knew pretty much what I wanted. When I saw it advertised I had a look at it and after I had had it demonstrated to me and I had handled it myself. I bought it. Once I was back in South Africa I realised that although all the blurb on the box was in English, and even though I had spoken English to the dealer, all the Handbooks and Manuals are in Dutch! I can manage the basic use as it is a very simple to manage camera, but for the downloading etc etc I would like to have more information and help available. Where and how can I obtain English manuals?
On: 2003-11-22
Had this two days and so far LOVE it! First the size is not as small as the Pentax Optio S but it was small enough to fit in my pocket no problem. Default settings out of the box with 16MB SD card allowed me 19 clear shots in a room that only had my TV and one 25 watt flourescent light on (no adjustments whatsoever) or 16 shots and a short 20 sec video. SO GET A BIGGER SD card (I got an OEM 128MB sd card which works fine and cheaper than Canons branded one)! Manual is easy to understand and controls are easy to manipulate, well spaced and LCD display is crisp. I was first considering the A70 since I wanted a good 3 MP below $300 but found the A70 too heavy and bulky to fit in my pocket. The 2x zoom is not great but I figure to be using this mostly for indoor shots that I can move closer to anyway. And from all the test shots I have done objects about 20-30 feet away still very clear and crisp even when zooming in from a distance and then zooming into the object itself. So far though it does what I want it to do, is small, has a solid feel and great pictures! The movie resolution in default is also fluid and clear and sound is clean too. I have yet to change any settings on this and out of the box I LOVE it!!!!Easy to use, good picture quality, small size, great looks, cheap price... what more could I want?!! Oh and the fingerprints are not an issue either cause they wipe off easily off the stainless steel body. 5 stars!!!!
On: 2003-11-17
The SD100 is the newest itineration of the digital Elph series, but certainly it is not the most up-to-date digicam around. The original digital Elph was the S100 (I still have that one), and quite a few Sxxx models have been issued between the time that one came out and now.
This one gets the SD designation to denote its use of a Secure Data memory card, which is a very small card with a tiny lever that prevents the cards data from being accidently erased or overwritten. Frankly, I think its much ado about nothing; Ive never had a problem erasing my files by accident and I resent the fact that I needed a new card reader to accommodate this slight alteration. Of note, however, almost all SD cams will accept MultiMediaCards (MMCs) happily.
Anyway, in true Canon style, the optics here are good and the body is well constructed and attractive. The controls are fairly intuitive and (proprietary) battery use is above average.
The resolution is a more than adequate 3.2 megapixels.
The Achilles Heel of the SD100 however is the far too short (2X) optical zoom, the same power found on the original S100 nearly 5 years ago. You are much less likely to find a use for 3.2 megapixels (versus 2 megapixels) than you would be to find many photo opps where youd wish you had a more competent zoom.
All things considered, in this price range and assuming compactness appeals to the Elph buyer, Id say the Pentax Optio and the Minolta Dimage are both better cameras than the Canon SD100.
On: 2003-11-02
I just received my camera just in time for Halloween...it takes great photos...no red eye!!! The only problem I had was with the battery life. I could only take about 50-65 photos with the LCD on before the battery started dying. So Ill have to purchase another battery. And of course Canon only sends you a 16MD secure digital card so I purchases a 256 MB card for about $80. But this camera is totally worth it!!!!
On: 2003-10-31
This is a nifty little gadget; light in weight; fits comfortably in hand; slick in style.
The 2X optical zoom is weak; but for a casual leisure photograph it does the job. The 3.2 MP gives a sharp image. On the whole I do not have any problems with it. Except the one issue I had in formatting the memory stick. Well in my experimentation I went ahead and formatted the memory with an expectation that there will be a warning to the nature of "Are you Sure you wish to format Memory". Well to my utter despair I was served no such warning and have lost a few memorable pictures. I was told that a friend had similar issues with an earlier version. I am surprised that Cannon has not corrected this on this newer version.
On: 2003-10-28
I lost about 70 jpegs because the SD100 kept corrupting the SD cards that I purchased. It was very frustrating taking really great pictures and then having the corrupted data screen come up. The pictures disappeared. I spent about a day trying to figure out what was happening, but I found out from Canon that some SD100s need a firmware update. I was referred to a website with the updates and downloaded the update (beware, some SD100s dont need this update and a download could render such cameras inporable -- except as a door-stopper). So far everything has worked fine, but everytime I press the shutter, I am jittery. Canon should have a warning about this on their website.If you are spending this much money on the camera not to mention the SD card (multiple SD cards if your data is corrupted), you should get a product that is not going to fail the first time out of the box.
On: 2003-10-27
My Canon S100 has broken multiple times and getting it fixed has been slow and expensive. Their service has been horrible and their products poorly made. I would never buy a Canon product again.
On: 2003-10-26
Previuosly I have used Sony Cybershot P3, p2 and Pextax Optio S. I decided to buy this one as Canon has a good name in camera products. The picture quality is the best so far for me. The optical zoom is limited but enough for an amateur like me. The problem is the movie mode as the camera will not adjust itself to white balance or light exposure. For example, if you first started your recording in an indoor environment such as your room and then proceed to record the view of outside your window(bright sunny day), the camera would not be able to cope with the bright light as it has been set for the light exposure of the room. The screen would just be flat white. Its a major setback as all my previuos camera would adjust the white balance. Other than that, the camera doesnt have a battery indicator. It only appears when the battery is almost depleted. Not helpful enough. Other than that, the size is awesome, compact, but not as small as the Pentax optio s.
On: 2003-10-21
I orignially had an Olympus C700 but I needed a camera that I could take with me on hikes. After much research, I found the Canon SD100. Now there is a model above it but you pay $100 dollars more. I wanted a camera that would be able to take decent photos of the wilderness that I was exploring and be VERY portable. There are some things I found out and you can explore as well:The manual features are memorized. I had some trouble with the Olympus resetting every time I shut it off. The Canon takes all photos in max resolution minimum compression. The ISO settings are not true. As stated in another review, they seem to be one step up. Therefore, ISO 50 is actually ISO 100 and so forth. True view photos are seen thru the rear window. Although I dont like to see the photos I am about to take thru the digital window in the back (battery conservation) I have found that what you see is what you get when you use the window in the back. It has been taking some getting use to. Hope this helps you out. I am happy with the SD100 and I will soon be posting many pictures on my website. Great luck shopping and as always, Amazon rules.
On: 2003-09-16
the sd100 delivers a stylish, ultracompact camera but with only 2x optical zoom and very limited manual controls.pros:
- very good resolution, especially for a 3MP ultra-compact.
- good color response.
- good reliable metering.
- no color cast when using flash.
- low noise at ISO 50 (keep in mind that ISO 50 for this camera is actually ISO 100 for everyone else; likewise, ISO 100 is in reality closer to ISO 200, etc)
- 9-point AiAF.
- the LCD monitor (1.5") is bright and has an anti-reflective coating - gives good live preview and review even in well lit situations.
- shooting priority play mode (a half-press of the shutter release always returns to shooting).
- fast shot-to-shot times.
- fairly good startup time, especially for an extending lens camera.
- as with most canon digicams, the sd100 feels solid.
- USB connectivity.
- good battery life, although i would recommend carrying a spare since canons batteries are proprietary.
- ultracompact: 3.3 x 2.2 x 0.9 in, weighing only 6.5 oz.
- has continuous shooting function, which you dont normally find in ultra-compacts.
- 15 second night exposure ability.
- long movie clips possible at VGA mode (up to 3 minutes including audio). cons:
- limited 2x optical zoom.
- very few manual controls - no aperture priority, no shutter priority, no manual focus (this is okay if all you want is a point and shoot).
- average macro performance.
- youll need to remove from tripod to open the battery compartment or replace the SD card.
- very small mode dial.
- the supplied 16MB SD card is inadequate - be prepared to shell out a few more bucks for at least a 256MB card.
- proprietary battery - again, a few more bucks for a spare.
- case tends to show fingerprints. the sd100s mission in life is to take nice pics with as small and light a footprint as possible. on the nice picture category, it delivers. however, there are at least two other cameras that are smaller, have better optical zoom (3x vs the canons 2x) and have a wider feature set: the pentax optio s and casio ex-z3. as much as i like canon digicams, i would recommend these two over the sd100. i hope this helps you with your buying decision. peace.
On: 2003-09-02
You can take truly amazing pictures with this little pocket size camera. It is my first digital Canon and I am very impressed by the quality, the durability of the battery and the handsome design. Check it out! Youll enjoy this one!
On: 2003-08-27
A very powerful camera in a small package - Canons smallest ever in fact! Lots of manual features, images come to life as the camera lets you grow along with its many capabilities. First time users and techheads alike are sure to find sheer enjoyment and pleasure with this little bundle.Pros:
- sturdy, small body
- chic and classy design
- SD cards as memory media
- Canons DiGiC processor and 9-point AiAF focus... simply put: this baby works wonders on your pictures!
- Very intuitive user interface, ideal for entry level users who are style conscious
- EXCELLENT IMAGES! Cons:
- only 2X optical zoom Bottom line: I say go get one now!
On: 2003-08-23
The size and weight of the SD100 is simply perfect. I received this item as a gift and became quite impressed by the many features it carries. I would recommend it 100%.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-08-22
I just received my Elph a couple of days ago, and it is fabulous. The size is unbeatable -- just pop it in your pocket and go! -- and the picture quality is great. Ive been particularly impressed with the color in the photos and the color effects achieved when using the manual setting.Set-up for downloading pictures to the computer was a breeze -- about 5 minutes. I would highly recommend this camera at this price.
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