Canon PowerShot S50 Review
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Review
Date: Aug 4, 2003 |
Handling & Feel
Loblaws
Empress Market: 1/60 sec., F2.8 and ISO 50 with
flash
The
Canon PowerShot S50 is a compact digital
camera with dimensions of 112W x 58H x 42D mm
(4.41W x 2.28H x 1.68D in.) and weighs 260g (9.2
oz.) without the battery and recording media card.
It is constructed with an all-metal body, except
for the battery compartment door (hard plastic)
and terminal cover (rubber), and feels quite solid.
The lens sliding cover is probably the distinctive
design element of the camera and gives it a very
attractive, sleek, and stylish look. The S50 comes
in Satin Silver or Matte Black.
With the sliding cover closed, the lens, viewfinder
and AF lamp are protected. The lens cover slides
open smoothly but won't open by mistake easily.
In fact, it takes all 3 middle fingers (or thumb,
depending on how you are holding the camera) to
firmly slide it open. However, if you are squeezing
the S50 into your jeans pocket, you may
inadvertently slide the cover open partway. I
highly recommend that you purchase a soft case
for the S50 because metal usually scratches easily
and you'd also be protecting the viewfinder and
LCD from dust and oily smears.
The
first thing you'd probably notice upon picking
up the S50 is that it does feel its weight. It's
not really heavy and won't tire you from holding
it in your hand all day, but it's not by all means
light. Due to its size and weight, the camera
balances pretty well in your right hand, and you
can grip the camera with your left hand in whichever
way you feel most comfortable. The shutter release
button is the right size, gives good tactile response
(though I'd recommend setting the shutter release
sound level to at least number 1), and I did not
suffer from camera shake at all. I took some time
to get used to the shape of the zoom lever, but
the flat shape does help give the S50 its sleek
look.
The
battery/card compartment door is made of durable
hard plastic and slides and swings out smoothly.
It has some indentations that make it easy to
slide open and close. I take out the battery to
recharge it every time I finish a photo shoot
session, and the battery compartment door gives
no sign of failing.
The
S50 is not compact enough to earn our JeansPocket™
Certified Seal of Approval. I still
can carry it in my front jeans pocket but I do
feel a little tug from the weight, and bulge from
the size. It's not uncomfortable though, and the
sleek design means there are no protrusions to
worry about. Carrying the S50 in a coat pocket
or in a soft case hung on the belt is probably
the best way to go. If you carry the S50 in your
pants or coat pocket without the protection of
a soft case, ensure you do not also put your car
keys in the same pocket to avoid scratching it
or, worse, damaging it.
The
real-image optical zoom viewfinder of the S50
covers only about 82% of the real frame, and so
cannot be used to frame and compose precisely.
In situations where you do not need precise framing,
I find the viewfinder very usable and leave any
needed cropping to the image editing software.
The LCD is touted to be 100%, but I find it's
just a little bit less than 100%. The LCD is 1.8
in. and very clear, and I find myself using it
almost all the time. All digital cameras should
have minimum 1.8 in. LCD!
The
terminal cover is made of rubber and, at first,
I was quite worried it would easily tear with
frequent use. But I needn't worry; after two weeks
of use, it is still like new. A big plus for the
S50 is that the tripod mount is centered smack
under the lens, and so should make taking panorama
pictures with a tripod a snap. Why doesn't more
camera manufacturers do this when they design
the internals? Overall, the S50 handles well with
every button spaced out to avoid being mistakenly
pushed. The Controller Key works well for me,
though it does need to be firmly pushed and held
for the desired function to execute.
The S50 is a well-designed digital camera that
gives excellent results. It feels solidly built
and handles smoothly. In fact, I have to admit
it is quite enjoyable to use -- and that
may be the deciding factor for many of
you.
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