Barbara, I have a Canon s230, which is the earlier, 3.2 megapixel version. It’s about the size of a cigarette pack, and just a bit too small for my hands. It also has only a 2:1 zoom, but I see they’ve corrected that for the s400 to 3:1. If you want something ultra-compact, it would be hard to beat its features and durability; the list of improvements of the s400 over the s230 is impressive! They carry them in CompUSA and Best Buy, so you should probably ‘test-drive’ one for size before you decide.
I’m still a proponent of the Minolta s414 for the same reason as you: Barb’s impressive images taken with it. Not sure how much of that is the camera, though….
🙂
Chuck
Barb’s impressive images taken with it. Not sure how much of that is the camera, though….
A thought that occured to me, too. I’d put up with the heft of it if I were sure it was the camera that was responsible. <g>
Barbara: Re the heft factor:
The S414 (at 11.8 ounces) actually weighs less than my Canon G2 (15 ounces) which I find to be a very comfortable size. The Canon 10D, by comparison, weighs 28 ounces without a lens, probably 40 ounces with one – way too heavy after a few hours of use. But then there’s the s400 at 6.5 ounces…
It’s all relative….
Chuck
Hi, Chuck. No, physically holding the two, I really liked the s400. It was particularly appealing because it’s a good configuration to keep in a purse all the time. The dimage was tank in comparison. (Ironic words from someone who still carts around a Nikkormat FT3, I admit.)
I tried a couple of Nikons (liked the 4300), the minolta and two canons, and the dimage was definitely the most awkward for me. I sure like the price on it better than the s400, though.
Barbara, how the camera feels in your hands is critically important; sounds like the s400 is the camera for you! Durability, portability, and good performance ratings – what more could you ask for…?
With respect to accessories: battery life looks exemplary, too, so you probably don’t need a spare; I bought one for the s230, but it hasn’t been used yet. A 256 MB CF card is probably the ideal size, although a couple 128’s would certainly work if the price per megabyte was better for them.
🙂
Chuck
Barbara, I did a quick look on the Canon site, but I can’t find the price for the S400. How does it compare with the S45 or S50? I have an S30 that I dearly love. It’s certainly larger than a pack of cigarettes, but it fits in my purse easily – or my pocket. The weight give for camera body only is 9 ounces, but I don’t have a clue what the battery and CF card add. I like it because it isn’t too small. I can get a good grip on it without it being either too big or too small.
Just another thought. I didn’t take time to see how the S400 and S45 compared in features. It might not be what you’re looking for, but I couldn’t help but give an endorsement for it. 🙂
Barbara,
I have the S400 and I really like it. I started digital photography with the S100 (2 MegPixels) and had a good experience with it. I’m not a great photographer but the S400 (and Elements) make my photos look quite decent. I can definitely recommend it.
Juergen
Thanks, Juergen.
Beth, the S evidently stands for a dollar sign. Average price was around $430-450. It supposedly has a new kind of processor that is supposedly different from their older cameras–more battery life, less lag, etc. Main difference from the S45 seems to be the size–it’s smaller.
Barbara, the s400 is one of the latest crop of Canon digitals; therefore, the discounting hasn’t really begun. The s230, the G2 and G3, and others are much more competitively priced now than six months ago. But when you want a particular one….you either pay the high price now or wait…and wait…
Chuck
the problem with ‘waiting’ is that you’ll probably wait forever…..always wondering what’s next on the shelf. They just keep coming out with better cameras every 6 to 12 months….you’ll always be wondering what to do or what to buy. Just buy what you want now…the best of whatever you can afford…cause you know you’ll probably be replacing it for the ‘better’ camera down the road…eventually.
Wise words, Jodi. I see people do that with computers all the time. They wait and wait for a better deal, when they could have been getting some work done all that time.
I have a S400 and just love it. My big camera is a Canon D60, but the little one I carry in my purse so I always have a camera with me. It takes wonderful pictures!
I have taken almost 100 pictures with it and my battery is still showing full charge, so I have no worrys about it.
I had a camera that used AA batteries and it drove me crazy using up the batteries. I ended up having to carry my pockets full of batteries. I sold the camera on E-Bay after a few months.
Anyway, I really recommend the S400!!
Barbara, that chunky handgrip on the Minolta Dimage S 414 houses the 4 "AA" Ni-MH batteries (which can shoot approx. 120 images) and I find it helps me to steady the camera. I can see that might be a problem if you’re petite, I’m 5′ 9" and have no problem with a camera of that size in my hands. The only drawback is it won’t fit in a purse unless you carry a rather large one. I always make it a point to carry it with me where ever I go, always something to shoot. It’s a heck of a lot smaller and lighter than lugging around all my old 35mm gear.
Sorry to hear you didn’t like the camera. I’m wild about it! Hope you find one that suits you.
Barb
Sorry to hear you didn’t like the camera
Oh, I wouldn’t say that. If I were looking for something more serious I would probably go with it, but I think for now I would prefer something more takealong-ish since I have the Nikkormat for when it matters, and the canon was more purse-friendly.
I just hope the photo quality comes close to the Dimage, but as Chuck pointed out, without you to operate it, I’m not sure what the Dimage would do, either. <g>
Hi, Barbara. I definitely see your point of view on being able to pop it into your purse. What can I say about the extremely kind words from you and Chuck; thanks for thinking so highly of the quality of images I’ve taken with my Dimage.
Hope you enjoy your Canon s400!
Barb
I’ve used the APS film Canon Elph for around 6 years and just moved to digital last week, my choice: Canon S400 – it’s about the exact same size as the Elph: they easily fit in any pants pocket or wife’s purse without bother. The small size means I can carry it unobtrusivly at all times which is really important to me.
I have large hands but find the small formfactor easy to use, no problems at all. And I was using the S400 in minutes without reading any of the instructions – very easy to use menu and control system. For me 4MP was the sweet spot for my jump to digital, and the S400 takes excellent pics with and without flash.
Am using ACDSee 5 to manage my photos, and its AutoRotate works great to losslessly rotate vertically oriented S400 shots.
"Barbara Brundage" wrote in message
Has anyone used one? What do you think? I had been thinking of a Dimage s414 like imacBarb uses because I really love the results she gets in macro mode, but I was able to borrow one and the handgrip is kind of chunky-feeling to me.
I just saw the Canon today, and I’m totall smitten with how tiny it is, but I’d love to hear from someone who’s used one about the results. Steve’s digicams seems to like it.
