Title : Canon PowerShot S400 4MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom
Author : Canon
Release Date : 20030228
Binding : Electronics
Regular Price : $499.99
Amazon.com Price : $
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Editorial Reviews : The newest Digital Elph in the Canon's PowerShot line, the compact S400--the successor to the popular S200, S230, and S330 models--is both elegant and powerful. It features a 4-megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom, an improved 3.6x digital zoom, and movie mode for videos of up to three minutes. A stainless steel shell protects the camera, while a new finish--Super Hard Cerabrite--mixes metals and ceramics to produce a tough cool-toned exterior that is visually stunning.
Buyer Reviews : Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, it does!. I bought the Canon S230 (3.2mp) in January and have already upgraded to the S400. This camera has been in stock for several weeks at online stores I probably can't mention here. I've had mine for a week now. Overall this is a great camera, it's the same size as the S230, very carryable, high quality, improved optics and zoom (3x optical instead of 2x) and the extra megapixels come in handy. There are a few minor points to pick at.
1). Certain parts of the camera are now plastic instead of metal as on the S230 (from what I can tell, the zoom ring around the power button, the chrome ring around the lens, and the edges of the lens). The main body of the camera is still metal, however it's a new finish (Cerabrite) which has an odd plasticky look to it. Overall the construction quality doesn't feel quite as nice as the S230, notably the feel of the buttons when pressed, however it's nothing to be alarmed about.
2). For some reason Canon removed the 640x480 movie mode option. I never used the movie mode extensively, but this might matter to some users.
3). While some people might like it, (I think it's tacky) Canon has added the following useless features: Camera startup sound, shutter sound, camera display theme and startup image. There are cheesy sounds like a bird chirp, or a wolf howl, startup images like a Canon logo, picture of sunset, bird, etc. Due to the addition of these features the camera now has a tiny speaker. One benefit of the speaker/sounds is that Canon has added a self-timer sound which I think is useful.
Some other nice additions/changes include the ability to edit the length of movie clips on the camera, a closer focusing distance in the macro setting, and the ablility to record a sound bye of up to 60 seconds to a picture (also useable as a simple voice recorder for recording memos, thoughts, etc) which will play back via the tiny speaker. The microphone has been moved from the front of the camera to the top, this could be good or bad depending, it may record less wind noise in windy situations (especially if facing into the wind), however it may also no longer pick up quieter sounds due to the repositioning.
At a minimum I would reccommend the use of a 128mb card, preferrably 256mb or larger. At less than $$$ I would suggest an external memory card reader to be used for transfering photos instead of the Canon software which seems buggy at times. As far an extra battery goes, some people won't live without an extra. With the price of the battery, I'd pass. Canon says the camera is good for 190 photos with the LCD on (400+ with LCD off). I've never taken more than 50 pictures in a day and have always had an opportunity to recharge the battery during some down time in the evening.
To sum things up, if you're looking for a high quality high megapixel camera that's easily carryable, and hardly noticed in most pockets, this is it!. The combination of size, quality and features of this camera are unmatched!. If you don't require 4 megapixels or want to save $$$ I'd highly reccommend the S230 which I have also reviewed. (by istomtom)
Features/Technical Specs : * 4.0 megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create photo-quality prints up to 11 x 14 * 3x optical zoom and 3.6x digital zoom (10.8x total) * Stainless steel shell; up to 3 minutes of video with sound * Compatible with CompactFlash Type I cards; 32 MB card included * Powered by rechargeable lithium-ion battery (NB-1LH ); connects to PCs and Macs via USB 1.1
