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[pct-l] Lightweight Digital Camera
- Subject: [pct-l] Lightweight Digital Camera
- From: campy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (campy)
- Date: Sun, 23 Feb 2003 16:08:44 -0800
- References: <200302231801.h1NI1RB53370@mailman.hack.net>
On the subject of specifically the Canon Digital Elph, I've had great
success with the very light and small Model S330, which I carry inside a
tiny coated nylon stuffsack with drawcord attached to the pack hip belt.
It's 2 MP, which is perfectly ample for my needs for Web shots (and
snapshot quality prints). Zoom is 3X on this model, which also includes
more advanced features than are offered by many full-size digitals -
I'll be satisfied with it for quite awhile. The S330 grey market price
is $190, with warranty.
More megapixels than I actually need means of course operating on the
down side of the card image capacity vs data transfer rate vs battery
life curves. The "200" formula says that the 1200 x 1600 pixels of the 2
MB camera will yield quality 6" x 8" prints. I've experienced no color
fringing, quantized noise, or compression artifacts in any mode I've
tried with the camera. In fact, since almost the very first trial shots,
the Canon S330 has performed far more successfully than the former
Olympus Stylus Zoom over the same broad range of image capture
situations, on the trail and otherwise.
For samples, see a few images of a CDT segment I hiked last September,
http://www.trailprojects.com/dif_log020914.html (This is a short image
file page with trip log and not my usual slide show). In these, the 99 x
66 pixel thumbnails link to expanded images which are sized to 600 x 400
pixels. The images, captured at default camera settings, were handled by
Graphic Converter with no white balance or gamma correction found
necessary, sharpening is standard 0.15. (Donations would be gladly
received toward equipping me with PhotoShop for OS 10.1.5.)
I was surprised to find out that the Model S330 has a built-in
correction which automatically eliminates the nasty tilted horizon you
get when the camera isn't held perfectly level. I call it: built-in
"G-bias compensation"! Further, the S330 automatically goes into an
ISO-correction to give good, noise free images without flash (but with
white beam range measurement present) in available light, like with the
conditions found in art museums and dark cathedrals and the like. The
little built-in flash unit is adequate only for a small group of people
and not the Rockettes chorus line.
The spare Canon battery, which I carry with me on the trail, weighs 26
grams, vs 44 grams if I had to carry 4 size AAA Duracells. The charger
itself weighs only 106 grams and is the size of the case used for a
folding toothbrush. The S330 Digital Elph weighs 284 grams (9 3/4 oz).
In my experience, a fresh battery is good for about 60 images (I don't
use the camera's sound or "movie" features). Physics decrees that these
60 images would become more like 30 images in a 3.2 MP camera, usage
conditions being somewhat equal (even fewer if it's a 10X optical zoom
camera). I get an average of 180 images from a 128 MB CF card (45 from a
32 MB card). On the trail I carry the fully charged spare battery, but
I've learned that It's easier to recharge the battery for a few minutes
whenever a convenient wall socket presents itself, like in a bar or a
cafe or when visiting a ranger station. (Analogous to placing pro in
climbing just as soon as good placement is found - not stretching out
'til later!) The usual alternative is to swap with the spare when the
battery dies, and then wait 3 or more hours for the dead one to recharge
in a hostel.
Well, as you can see by the above, I'm pretty happy with my first
digital camera - it's the new age of digital! "New Age-ers" speak of
crystals - " digitalists" (grin) speak of chips and flash cards! In
Europe where small-camera digital photography has caught on more quickly
than in the U.S., the stores sell the latest Canon Ixus models (They are
the same as "Elph", but outside the U.S.) which are only 2/3 the size of
the current digital Elph models - hard to believe! The favorite Ixus is
the 3X zoom Model V73; I only saw these closely in store windows and
didn't hold one in my hands - I'd be afraid that it would be too small
to really hold easilyl. These will probably arrive here under the Elph
name in another year or two.
Campy