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Canon S1 IS Digital Camera - Page 5

post #121 of 146
1/6/05 at 9:33pm
*whistles*
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post #122 of 146
1/9/05 at 1:57pm
Huh?
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post #123 of 146
1/9/05 at 2:40pm
I assume you've read through this thread, but the AF on Auto in low lighting is a constant complaint with this camera.
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post #124 of 146
1/10/05 at 11:30am
Quote:
Are there firmware upgrades for this camera?

Yes. (Link)
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post #125 of 146
1/16/05 at 6:59am
Right. Ok. Well I took some more pictures in low light and it wasn't too bad. Just aggrevating when a 1.3 MP cheapo camera takes sharper pictures in any situation. I'll figure out the manual focus a little more and just be patient, and bracket my shots to learn how to take better pics.
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post #126 of 146
1/16/05 at 11:52am
I think a lot of cameras have trouble shooting in low light. My previous camera - the Nikon Coolpix3200 was just as bad as the S1 in taking pics in lowlight (but the S1 was much better at everything else... =P).
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post #127 of 146
1/17/05 at 7:51am
No fixes?
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post #128 of 146
1/17/05 at 8:22am
No fixes?

For what, Chris?

The auto-focus?

The fixes are:
-Turn on more lights
-Either stay wide, or move closer to your subject instead of maxing out the zoom.
-Lock focus on a high-contrast part of the subject or lock focus on another object at same distace and then reframe.
-Switch to manual focus.
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post #129 of 146
1/18/05 at 10:21am
Quote:
-Lock focus on a high-contrast part of the subject or lock focus on another object at same distace and then reframe.

Additionally, choose a target that has reasonably vertical line elements -- that works best for these compacts. Also, if you're not doing so already, go w/ single-shot, single-spot AF (instead of continuous AF or whatever other fancy AI AF). Try to choose a target that fills the entire AF spot whenever possible so the camera doesn't get confused by a distant background. Also, make sure your technique is good all-around especially for the long tele shots since the AF is slow, eg. make sure camera/handshake is not an issue, etc.

As for comparing to an old 1.3MP cam, well, there are fewer pixels there to see. If the image capture process is flawed, whether optics are soft, AF is off, etc., each pixel will naturally still *appear* sharper when looked at up close compared to a higher MP cam -- there isn't enough res for it to look soft -- if that's how you're comparing them. The lower res hides those flaws/weaknesses. Print both at same size and see if the higher MP images are really noticeably softer.

There are also other factors that can come into play like the image processing of the cams, eg. some will apply heavier doses of sharpening than others.

And really, that's what you get w/ a cheap superzoom lens, especially at such low costs. You called that old 1.3MP cam "cheapo", but honestly, that old cam probably cost about as much in its day as the S1 do now, if not more, and it probably wasn't burdened by the compromises of a superzoom lens. There's a good reason why people spend big $$$ on smaller zoom ranges and fixed focal length lenses in the 35mm world afterall -- whether digital or film.

Really, there's just no free lunch although you can always learn to work around many weaknesses to get the results you want. And at some point, you'll just have to pay $$$ for more/better capabilities -- but it never really ends.

_Man_
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post #130 of 146
1/19/05 at 11:36am
No doubt, the Fuji 1400 zoom is no slouch. I really shouldn't say anything bad about it, its an awesome little camera. Perfect for taking pics to send on the web.

Thanx for the feedback. I'll give your suggestions a try
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post #131 of 146
2/8/05 at 5:59am
Just to follow up on someone's 8x10 questions.. I've printed several.. they came out very nicely. Not a huge difference at that size even when compared to the NikonD100 I've been using (outside of unrelated SLR improvements).
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post #132 of 146
5/10/05 at 9:03am
Still using the S1 IS in AUTO mode....(cups ears to avoid hearing the cussing)...and its working fairly well. Main concerns are still focus, low light focus and noise. Sometimes there is a bit of noise in shots that aren't even very dim. Still a great camera working well overall. Video's are a blast.

So has anyone seen the news of the up-coming Canon S2 IS? Potentially a killer camera! 5 MP 12x zoom version upgrading the S1 IS should be a real contender vs the Panasonic FZ 20. The S2 keeps the full video mode too! Phew!
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post #133 of 146
5/10/05 at 9:32pm
Well I took the plunge and purchased an S1 tonight. Stepped up from a 1.3MP Sony (That was a good cam for it's time). I got it for $250 + tax at Walmart. They were clearancing them for $278 and then I got 10% off since it was the display. I'm assuming they were clearancing them because the S2 is coming out real soon.

Anyways, I heard nothing but good things about this cam. I thought about the Fuji s3100 or a Kodak 4mp but this cam kept drawing me back because of all the features it has. I can't wait to get out in some good light and start taking some shots!
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post #134 of 146
9/6/05 at 9:19am
After living with this camera for awhile I have mixed feelings. It's a good outdoor camera but I've been pretty disappointed for indoor use. Using the AUTO mode indoors I have the usual poor focus issues plus a lot of over-exposing. I've missed a lot of photos at family gatherings, weddings etc because of these issues.

At this point I'm thinking of getting a second camera for "snap-shot" use. Any recommendations for something that is not too spendy but with a quick, accurate auto-mode that does well in lower-light indoor situations? Since this would be a second camera it would not need too many manual controls.
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post #135 of 146
9/7/05 at 6:51am
Not really any other recommendations, other than the a90.. I did finally do the firmware update.. what a HUGE difference in focusing ability/speed. Holy crapola. Anyone who hasn't done it, do it NOW.

I've also learned from experience that majorly lowering the flash power/the exposure adjustment helped a lot in terms of blown out indoor flash pics.

My S1 (mostly) gallery is at WHEEE!
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post #136 of 146
9/7/05 at 7:52am
You took some nice shots Jamie.

I'll try the flash adjustment...too bad you can't adjust the power of the flash in auto mode (I think you can only turn it off or on in AUTO?), but I use the portrait mode sometimes also so I'll try it in that mode.
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post #137 of 146
9/7/05 at 8:01am
I don't see any reason to use "Auto" mode on this camera. I almost always use "P" mode, which is basically "Auto" with the manual controls unlocked.

JKS
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post #138 of 146
9/26/05 at 9:10am
I am very disappointed with the wide angle distortion of this camera. Are all cameras like this? How can I reduce it? Zoom in a bit?
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post #139 of 146
10/5/05 at 7:53am
Zooming in a slight bit will reduce some of the barrel distortion but this is pretty common with most digital cameras. In the case of the S1 its optics were mostly designed for the long zoom so there was a little give / take with the wide angle.

Also reading through the complaints about the auto focus / low light focusing thats common in 80-90% of P+S and Pro-Sumer digital cameras. Practice using the focus lock, manual focus and also look into the hyperfocal settings for that camera. Hyperfocal settings should be covered in the manual at least they are for my Canon A95.

Here is a useful link for Barrel Distortion.
http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Imag...rection_01.htm
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post #140 of 146
10/9/05 at 8:32am
Just to follow up on my previous post, I ended up taking the S1 back. I could not get a decent shot for anything!

I ended up getting a Sony DSC-H1 and have been using that the past three months and have not looked back.
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post #141 of 146
1/6/06 at 4:24pm
Well, I upgraded to the S2 IS. I came close to going for a digital SLR, but I cannot justify the cost, the larger size, and the need for additional lens' etc. For now at least, I like the Canon S1/S2 camera's for the long IS zoom from wide to zoom and the video mode. I would not have that on a digital SLR, and it would be bulkier. In the future, I may go with a digital SLR though. It is getting tempting with the lower noise CCDs and prices dropping.

My S1 IS is now for sale for $390 CDN. Comes with original box, manual and compact flash card, av and usb cable and additional 512 MB Sandisk Ultra II high speed (60x) Compact Flash card.
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post #142 of 146
1/7/06 at 8:12am
You should list your S1 for sale in the Hardware for sale area.
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post #143 of 146
1/7/06 at 8:39am
Thanx, I will. I didn't think of it as a Home Theatre related peice of equipment, but I guess being a digital camera with a full digital movie mode, maybe it is
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post #144 of 146
1/9/06 at 8:49am
Anybody else out there using the S2? I used the camera in auto mode and it wasn't an overly sunny day, but the pictures I took were horribly noisey compared to what I remember the S1 doing. Also they didn't look as sharp as I figured they should look. If they are this bad without heavy user interference, I may return this and keep my S1. I understand that manual use of these P & S is the best way to acheive good results, but I find it reflects poorly on a camera when the auto mode produces poor results vs a previous model. Will manual give me better results? How do I know what ISO the camera is chosing on auto mode (P)?
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post #145 of 146
1/9/06 at 6:51pm
Why not take sample photos from each camera in Auto mode under the same conditions and compare, and make sure it's the S2 that's the problem.

Neither the S1 or S2 is a "simple" P&S, it does require a little bit of experimenting to find the right balance or rhythm.

Are you using the green AUTO mode, or the P mode? The P mode should all you to change the ISO setting (in decent daylight, keep it around 100 or lower).
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post #146 of 146
1/10/06 at 7:04am
I found a tip list and have adjusted the S2 to the suggested settings. I was just disappointed that it didn't perform well in AUTO. It was a dim day, so it is to be expected. I will take more photo's with the new settings and see how it looks.

thanx



P.S. EDIT - I checked the settings of the S2 vs the S1 and the S2 was on ISO 200 and the S1 was on ISO 50! So I think that about covers why the pics were noisy. I changed the S2 to ISO 50 and will go out taking pics to see how it does.
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