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| Date Reviewed: 06/07/2006 |
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Strengths: Takes great photos, fun to use and easy to use. The battery lasts a long time and the zoom covers almost everything I would need.
Weaknesses: In some modes does not focus on what I want and I have to play with it a bit to make that happen. Not able to put filters on the lense. Only 30 second videos. Nighttime pictures require a tripod!!
Summary: I bought this camera after a friend recommended it to me. I had just lost my camera and was going on vacation. It turned out to be great and took amazing photos with great detail. I have been able to blow up many of my photos without loosing any detail. The camera is small enough that you can take photos without being annoying.
This camera is a step up from the A series and you can see the difference in the photos when I have compaired with friends. The camera is easy to carry and has not let me down. I take it snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking, camping, traveling and carry it daily in my purse. The picture quality has not diminished over time.
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| Date Reviewed: 12/15/2004 |
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Strengths: 28mm wide angle lens, AIAF auto focus, excellent picture quality/color accuracy, good macro focus, quick/easy to use, 35mm type modes/settings, good battery life, sturdy build, robust performance.
Weaknesses: Some F-stop settings are not available at certain focal lengths, 100mm zoom could be longer, included compact flash only 32 MB, AIAF autofocus is very good but can be fooled at times.
Summary: I exhaustively reviewed many different websites that published the same pictures taken with each camera that was reviewed and read just as many photography and media magazine reviews on every 5 and 6 megapixel camera on the market for two months, yes, two months before making a digital camera purchase. I probably spent far too much time, but knowing very little about digital cameras before I started I had to know what was available and for what cost.
Needless to say that I was quite surprised to find that many of the camera brands that I stereotyped to be the best turned out to be some of the worst performers while some of the brands that I turned my nose up at were some of the best performers. It was also surprising to find out who the top performers were in the digital camera market compared to the top performers in the film camera market.
After two months of eye burning side by side comparisons, I found all of the cameras to be of good to excellent quality. I think you would be happy with any of the 5 or 6 megapixel cameras offered today. However, being employed in the media business for over 10 years I am naturally going to be a lot more critical than the average buyer. Many of the differences that I saw were subtle while a few were surprisingly significant. I even felt some models took pictures that were as good or better than some of the digital SLR's that I reviewed!
Of all the strengths I mentioned, picture quality was #1 on the top of my list of priorities, period. To my eye, picture quality was the most noticeable difference between all the digital cameras I reviewed. I felt that the Canon S60 had the best picture quality in the 5 and 6 megapixel range, regardless of price.
I also chose this camera because I wanted a camera that would be quick, easy and convenient for my wife and family to use, but would also offer enough flexibility and control for me as well as I am 35mm spoiled. I especially liked the quality and solidness of the construction of this camera as it has a metal case instead of the plastic case found on so many digital cameras today. All those features do have a downside however; this camera (while small and compact)is not as small, compact or as light in weight as many others on the market that will comfortably fit into a shirt pocket (not that I would recommend it).
If you like to shoot in hi-res mode, you will need to buy an optional larger compact flash media storage card as the 32 MB card that comes with the camera will only store around 14 pictures in hi-res mode. I opted for the 512 MB card and it stores around 200 pictures in hi-res mode.
Investing the time that I did researching prior to purchasing was well worth it. After 4 months of ownership, I really enjoy using this camera daily. Happy shopping!
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| Date Reviewed: 08/22/2004 |
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Strengths: Wide angle, compact size, sharp pictures, good macro range, very simple to use, rechargable battery+charger included
Weaknesses: Uses slow CF, small CF included, optical zoom coulde've been bigger
Summary: I was looking for a digital camera that will fit my needs for couple of months, first I was waiting for Canon S1 IS, when it came out - I decided to wait for S60 - I prefer CANON over all other cameras. I bought both of them, after 3 days of playing I returned S1 IS to the store, because S60 makes sharper pictures, has better macro range, still can focus in low/no light surroundings, the only thing S1 has is 10X optical zoom and Image stability.
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| Date Reviewed: 08/26/2004 |
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Strengths: Compact, stylish, 28mm wide angle, beautiful color rendition, very sharp at mid-zoom stopped down, great macro range, long battery life, very responsive controls, and generally fun to use.
Weaknesses: Blurred corners at wide angle, noticeable noise at ISO 200+, occasionally hesitant autofocus, slippery sliding cover, limited video capabilities.
Summary: Canon S60 is fantastic. The 28mm wide angle is very rare for this form factor, and it's incredibly useful. Also, the manual controls are nice, the images are crisp and lively, and the menus are very easy to figure out. There are a few nits to pick here and there if you look for them; but ultimately, it comes down to how well the camera works when it's used, and in that regard the S60 wins big. It's a delight to use, and the results are great. Strongly recommended if you're looking for a compact camera with manual controls.
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| Date Reviewed: 08/25/2004 |
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 I've been waiting to purchase this camera for over ... Strengths: Can easily navigate through the functions of the camera without reading the manual. User-friendly. Of course, if you want to know more of its functions, reading the manual is essential.
Weaknesses: Flash in darker or dark rooms make this ring (from the flash) around the corners of the picture.
Summary: I've been waiting to purchase this camera for over a month now. So when I got home, I immediately started playing with it. Was quite impressed with the sturdiness of it, but it was a bit on the heavy side. This is the reason why I debated between the S60 or S500 (which is a smaller, lighter camera). Decided to get the S60 instead (even though I knew it was heavier) because of the 28mm wide-angle lens and the different picture modes, which the S500 doesn't have. So I figured the extra $25 for the extra features was well worth it.
There were some complaints about the LCD screen not being completely flat, which cause corner distortion. This is actually true if you closely examine the corners, but it's hardly noticable. I have a feeling that this is true with most, if not all digital cameras that have LCDs.
As what everybody said, the memory provided with the camera (32mb CF) is insufficient unless you're planning to take only 20 pictures at a given time. But this is to be expected. Canon just provides customers with enough memory to get them started, and the rest is up to you.
As for the weakness of the flash, it's quite annoying to have that ring around the corners of the picture where the flash goes off. Luckily, the software that comes with the camera can fix that problem. But still, it's still a hassle.
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| Date Reviewed: 09/29/2004 |
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Strengths: Easy to use, makes great pictures,colors are true, 28mm wide angle is great for scenery and family group shots. Makes great pictures in weak light . . . must use a tripod.
Weaknesses: The combination lens cover on-off switch does not function well. Has a tendancy to override the track and requires a 2nd "turn-on" of camera.
The memory card supplied is joke must buy bigger card
Summary: Other than the off-on switch . . I have been on a couple of vacations and the quality of the pictures are just great . . the 5 M permits cropping if required and still get a high quailty shot.
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| Date Reviewed: 06/07/2004 |
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Strengths: Easy to use, great point and shoot, outstanding photos.
Weaknesses: That proprietary battery issue again! However due to the small camera size its likely a must.
Summary: I have done a ton of research and waited patiently for the release of the S60. Canon's photo quality is unmatched at both of the top and low end of most prosumer digicams. This is my third digital and I think this is one of the slickest little units out there for purse or pocket. Don't be fooled by it's size though, you can tweek this baby as you wish for any setting and mood or simply point-and-shoot. Although it does not come with a wireless remote it is wireless ready and you can purchase one for around $20.00. if you are new to the digital world this is wonderful and useful feature. I have had many occasions to use my remote on an Olympus I own, its a must for large family or group photos that you need to be part of and, if you have not had the time to train the dog on how to operate a camera, its the only way to go. I highly recommend this high quality camera to any level photographer.
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| Date Reviewed: 07/19/2004 |
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Strengths: A nice lens, and the option to add more. In contrast to other reviewers, the S60 has good red-eye prevention. Superb photo-quality. Excellent battery-life and a nice charger.
Weaknesses: I've read the subtle weaknesses about the S60 on many sites. The truth is, the weaknesses are exaggerated and hardly noticeable. I haven't noticed the "small display font" that bothers others.
Summary: 2004-07-20 20:43:13 This is my second digital camera, although I frequently borrowed a Nikon Coolpix 5700.
Not compact? It's plenty compact for me! Flimsy sliding lens cover? No, it's not flimsy. The lens cover functions as an on/off switch and as a lens protector. A reviewer on another site (CNET?) claims the lens cover is plastic, when in fact it is approximately 80% metal.
The speed of communication with the PC is good -- not slow as others claim. Maybe they have USB-1 and not USB-2, or maybe they mean it's slow when using the bundled software. I wouldn't know... I use Photoshop.
I'm used to cutting and pasting my pictures, but with the S60, I have to copy/paste and then delete. Cutting is not an option. Not a big deal though.
If you have $400, spend it on the well-made S60.
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| Date Reviewed: 06/27/2004 |
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Strengths: Lenses, range of manual and automatic controls, AF-assist beam, design, size.
Weaknesses: Slow communication speed with PC, small display font diffical to read.
Summary: This is the third digicam in my family and is the best one.
Superb image quality, ability to shoot in full darkness, great range of shutter/aperture controls in automatic and manual modes, very convenient layout of control buttons, 28-100 mm fast lenses, and short charging time are the strongest points of this camera. Many of these features came from much more expensive digicams and are not available from another manufactures for this price and in such small size of the body.
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| Date Reviewed: 08/02/2004 |
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Strengths: Size and weight.
Optical quality.
Picture quality.
Bundled accesories and software.
Good battery life.
Weaknesses: LCD brightness in low light.
Summary: Bought the camera for and used it on a trip to Europe. Only mishap was disabling flash with unintentional depression of two buttons instead of one (read big phalanges). Both wide and long ends of zoom lens were productive features. Picture clarity and color reproduction are fabulous.
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| Date Reviewed: 07/28/2004 |
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Strengths: Easy to use. Good zoom range incl. wide angle. Very sharp pictures.
Weaknesses: Skimpy CF card included (you can store no more than a dozen pics at highest quality).
Summary: I highly recommend this camera. This is my second Canon and am getting it for the higher resolution (I'm still keeping my Elph). The proprietary processor must help; I haven't been disappointed.
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| Date Reviewed: 08/20/2004 |
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Strengths: Many traditional functions; "28 mm" wide angle; optical viewfinder; compact.
Weaknesses: Colour fringing at wide angle; Zoom slightly moves back from the direction you have zoomed when zoom button is released; optical viewfinder only covers about 80% of the shot.
Summary: I bought the S60, my first digital camera, to carry around whilst out walking the countryside. I needed "28 mm" wide angle for landscape shots, and not many cameras of this type have this. It is ideal for these purposes. But the camera is a lot more, and has many of the features of film SLRs which I have always owned. I usually use the P (Program) setting, but the Auto ISO feature for this seems to be permanently set at ISO 50 because it assumes that flash is going to be used - a disappointment. Also I would like to view and change the shooting settings without opening the lens. But as this is my first digital I expect I will get use to the digital way of working!
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| Date Reviewed: 06/14/2004 |
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Strengths: Very good, indoor and outdoor quality
Weaknesses: haven't yet found any
Summary: We were trying to decide between the s500 and s50, but as the s60 came out, decided to try it out. It indeed IS a very good camera, better than anything I have used before. The outdoor and indoor pictures are really good. Also the flash is more strong than the previous models and I have not noticed any red eye so far. The menu is very intuitive and controls are easily placed. I would strongly recommend this to anyone who is looking out to buy a high quality digital camera
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| Date Reviewed: 07/12/2004 |
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I just returned from an extensive vacation with my ...
Strengths: Compact, sturdy, wide angel lens built-in, auto picture orientation sensor, good LCD screen, focus-assist lamp, has multi-language capability menu, 640x480 movie mode, uses CF card, and good battery.
Weaknesses: no optical/mechanical image stablization system like S1 pro or Minota DiMage, 640x480 mode only 30 secs, slow and old USB 1.0 connection, and I wish it has some sort of LCD screen protection cover.
UPDATE: wide angel lens and the resulting barrel dist
Summary: 2005-05-23 12:00:40 I just returned from an extensive vacation with my old trusty Canon A70. Through out the trip, my A70 sustained drops, rough handling and occational rain drops. But it keeps on ticking. That is the reason I am sticking with Canon and bought my new S60. Besides, Canon's software is one of the best for MAC.
From my trip, the one thing that frustrated me the most was the lack of wide lens. There are so many scenes that I could not capture due to the regular lens. I can buy the lens adaptor and wide lens for my A70, but the cost and bulkiness will offset the usefulness. So I decided that my next camera must have wide lens built-in. Lucky, S60 has that.
Oh, I almost forgot, the next most important feature is optical image stablization system. With my A70 and almost all compact digicams, it is impossible to take "night shots" without a tripod. The image will be blurry. And when taking movies, it will be so jerky and shakey that people will get sea sick just by watching it. So far, only the Canon S1 pro and Minota DiMage A series have it. Which I am sure would vastly improve on night shots and movie taking. But I understand that to fit such complex mechanism into such a compact body, it is too much to ask right now. But if I were Canon, I would start research into micro-size it and incoporate it into its next compact digicams. If so, I would have to upgrade yet again.
Update: I have just recently found that when taking panoramic shots with the help of the Photo Stitch program (where in which you take a series of shots, overlapping, and it will stitch them together by finding the common ground and form a long panoramic shot), the barrel distortion resulted from the wide lens made it impossible. So if panoramic shots is an important factor for you (it is for me), don't get a model with wide lens.
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| Date Reviewed: 02/15/2005 |
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Strengths: above average zoom lenses, well built metal casing, and multifunction modes. can be used by both beginner and advanced photographers.
Weaknesses: some of the modes are difficult to use, but this is because it is an advanced camera.
Summary: 2005-02-15 12:37:18 I was looking for a new digital camera that had more features, but was not too difficult to use to replace my old 3.2 megapixel toshiba pdr 3310. I was contemplating on buying either the sony dsc p100, canon sd 300, and this camera. I realized that the former two are good cameras for those who like subcompact cameras that fit in your shirt pockets. The canon s60, however, is not all that bulkier but has much more features than point-and-shoot such as portrait, a white balance/ underwater mode, and stitch. This camera is well worth the money for all the features you get and the results you get when you print the pics.
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