Canon Powershot S40 Review



full review posted 10/12/01
Click to take a QTVR tour of the S40
The 4.0 megapixel CCD sensor produces full-color, high-resolution images up to 2272 x 1704 pixels with additional settings for 1600 x 1200, 1024 x 768 and 640 x 480. The normal continuous shooting mode captures images at 1.5 frames per second for up to 9 frames in Large/Fine mode. The new High-Speed Continuous mode captures at 3 frames per second for up to 5 frames in Large/Fine mode. The Movie mode has been improved to provide not just one but two resolution modes with sound: QVGA (320x240), and Q2VGA (160x120). The maximum recording duration is 30 seconds in QVGA and two full minutes with Q2VGA. For maximum flexibility, the Canon PowerShot S40 provides users with a selection of 13 image quality settings including 3 JPEG compression modes (Superfine, Fine and Normal) at any resolution. It also features Canon's exclusive RAW mode for maximum control over image attributes such as white balance, contrast, sharpness, saturation and bit depth without image-degrading artifacts. By combining the S40's RAW file capabilities with its optional ISO 50 sensitivity setting, users can achieve higher image quality than any competitive model on the market today. The S40 provides a wide range of exposure modes between its Image Zone and the Creative Zone. Image Zone modes are fully automatic, and intended to optimize camera settings according to the scene. Selections include Full Auto, Pan Focus, Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Color Effect, Stitch Assist, and Movie. The Color Effect mode is new, and allows users to choose between Vivid, Neutral, Sepia or Black and White. Creative Zone modes offer more control and include Program AE, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority and Manual. Program AE has been improved with the addition of Program Shift.
Image Management SoftwareThe Canon PowerShot S40 and S30 are among the first Canon digital cameras to be shipped with full support for the new Microsoft Windows XP operating system. The Windows XP logo on the package indicates that the bundled driver software has passed Microsoft's stringent WHQL (Windows Hardware Qualification Lab) compatibility requirements. Other bundled software includes ArcSoft's Camera Suite for still image and movie editing, as well as Canon's own ZoomBrowser EX 3.1 (for PC) and ImageBrowser 2.1 (for Mac); PhotoRecord 1.4 (Windows only); PhotoStitch 3.1.4 (Windows) and PhotoStitch 3.1.2 (Mac) and RAW Image Converter 1.2. RemoteCapture 2.1 enables a USB-connected PowerShot S40 or S30 camera to be controlled by a compatible personal computer. Many camera settings such as focal length, resolution, compression, flash mode, etc., can be adjusted and images can be recorded directly to the PC. In addition to all of these software applications, the S40/S30 is supplied with plug-in modules and TWAIN drivers as well as a WIA driver for Windows XP/Me and a USB Mounter for Mac OS 9.0 and 9.1. The WIA driver and USB mounter allow a compatible PC to mount the camera as a hard drive on the desktop and display thumbnails to facilitate simplified image data transfers. Physical Views![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The Canon PowerShot S30, PowerShot S40 and Nikon Coolpix 885 |
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Canon PowerShot S40 Specifications
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The Canon PowerShot S40 kit includes:
- Digital Camera
- Wrist Strap WS-300
- Battery Pack NB-2L (with Terminal Cover)
- Battery Charger CB-2LT/ CB-2LTE
- CompactFlashTM Card FC-16M (16MB, with Case)
- AV Cable AVC-DC100
- USB Interface Cable IFC-300PCU
- Canon Digital Camera Solution Disk (CD-ROM)
- ArcSoft Camera Suite Disk (CD-ROM)
- Camera User Guide
- Software Starter Guide
- System Map
- Warranty Card
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