Aesthetics, looks, aesthetics, looks, performance, performance, build quality.

Slow lens, so what! it's a point and shoot!

Classic by name, Classic by nature. This camera is built very well. It looks very retro, very cool
When looking for a p/s with my wife in 2000 during an overseas trip, we could afford it. We opted for an Olympus super zoom 110 (this is a great camera tool)
Picked this camera up on ebay and it peforms as well as my leica c1, no, really!
In fact the Canon has champion optics and well, if I could wear it I would.
Shots are sharp, clear. I have no issues pulling this camera out at parties and receiving nice comments about it's aesthetics. I will never part with camera.

Customer Service

No Need ....... Made in Japan!
That says it all

Similar Products Used:

Leica C1, Canon sureshot 130u II, Olympus superzoom 110,Rollei prego 140, canon mc.

Great optics Tremendous build quality Exposure versatility Low cost

Needs 400 speed film in telephoto due to horrible aperature! (this can be said for all point & shoot cameras)

One of the best point and shoot cameras I have ever used. The optical quality is outstanding! Versatility is another plus for the Classic 120. Build quality is far above average too. This is a great camera for a professional or casual photographer. Makes a great quick-shot camera for times when all you want is normal size prints and don't want to log around a heavy SLR. I have never been a fan of Canon SLR'r, but this little gem is better than than competition within its focal range.

Customer Service

Never had trouble... Yet!

Similar Products Used:

Nikon 120ED Contax T3

The Classic 120 has an all-metal housing and telescoping lens barrel, in an attractive design. The size and weight are perfect for carrying in the convenient carry case that is provided. The lens quality is typical for Canon, top quality. The auto focusing system is much more sophisticated that than that provided in other point-and-shoots, and capable of providing accurate focus over a wider range of conditions. This is one of the strong points of this camera, as well as the versatility provided by the control-wheel for selecting operating modes.

Small aperature over the zoom range. However, this is typical of all point-and-shoot cameras.

I bought a Canon Classic 120 Sureshot to replace my other camera that malfunctioned on the first day of a tour through New Zealand and Australia, in October 2002. I had to pay an inflated price of $275 in Auckland but I wanted a quality point-and-shoot that would deliver good pictures. I was not disappointed. I shot 10 rolls during the tour and the pictures I got were of excellent quality. Although Canon recommends ASA 400 for this camera I used Kodak Gold ASA 200 with very good results. It's unfortunate that this camera is no longer marketed by Canon, although I believe some are still available through Internet sources.

Customer Service

None.

Similar Products Used:

The original Canon SureShot (1980s), Olympus point-and-shoot 35mm cameras, such as Olympus Stylus with 35mm f/2.8 lens, and Olympus Zoom 38-115mm. Also Nikon TeleTouch 300 with Zoom 35-55mm.

Solidly made Fairly light and compact (fits in a shirt pocket) Excellent AF Excellent lens Very good flash The "personal" setting

Slow lens Flash gets in the way of a hat brim in vertical format shots

I was looking for a better travel camera to replace an Olympus 3500 (not at all a bad camera). My primary peeve with the Olympus was the extra bulk and weight, and the camera's propensity to use flash at the wrong time, complicated by the extra few seconds it took to turn it off. The Canon has a mode dial on the back which has a "personal" setting on it. This allows you to select your own set up. I chose spot AF and flash OFF. Since the personal setting is next to the OFF position, one click of the wheel, and I'm ready to go. No more shots of my own flash in the bus window. By use of the personal setting along with the other settings on the wheel, you should hardly ever have to use the controls under the flap. As I write this the camera and I just got back from an 18 day cruise around Cape Horn. I shot about 14 rolls with this camera and the results are very good. Popular Photography did a review on this camera, and my experience pretty well confirms their review. AF performance is outstanding. Let off is very quick (despite some reviews in this website) and the metering is quite good. Battery life is at least good. I'm now up to 16 rolls on the original set of cells and going strong. I would have preferred the larger CR123A cells, but the use of the "personal" setting with flash OFF seems to be important in increasing battery life. The higher voltage of the dual cells does seem to give the camera faster zooming response and flash recharge. I wish the lens was faster than the f/10.9 at 120 mm, although it did not cause me any problems with ISO 400 film. The lens is excellent and there was no flare in any shots. Shots were comparable to my Stylus Epic in detail, contrast, and "snap", which is to say pretty d*** good! Flash is very conservatively rated, and coverage is uniform. You can push the flash in to supress it without hurting anything. The manual says so. You could do that on the Z-135, but Canon wouldn't endorse it on that model. (I did it anyway) In the vertical format, the flash hits my hat brim, so I just push it in and shoot. It's not a problem indoors as I don't wear a hat there. Bottom line: It's a keeper! It is now my primary P&S for all general snapshots and travel. (I also carry a Stylus Epic or a Pentax Espio Mini) I became very attached to it after a roll or two and found myself using it in preference to the Stylus Epic. This model is now discontinued, but they are still some on dealer's shelves. I bought mine at the end of January, 2003. The specified focal length range is 38 to 120 mm. I haven't had time to measure the minimum focal length, but it seems wider than 38 mm. The earlier Z-135 was also spec'd at 38 mm but mine measured closer to 43 mm. I measured it because it didn't seem to get enough into the frame. The Classic 120 is much better.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Olympus SuperZoom 3500, Olympus SuperZoom 120 (same as 3500, but a Ritz exclusive), Canon Z-135, Canon 105, Pentax IQZoom 140, Olympus Stylus 105, Olympus Stylus Epic Zoom 80, Ricoh TF-500, Nikon Zoom

Price, This was the caption/date model, was in Canadian Dollars, Not a refurbish with a 2 year Canon International Warranty. Clarity of Pictures, Quality of Flash, Easy of Use, Great looks.

Control buttons could have been even just a little larger. Cannon does however provide a tool on your strap to assist.

The 4X6 pictures from this camera are every bit equal to our SLR Rebel. (Red eye reduction even works better)The Clarity of the pictures using the Flash where much superior to the T4 Zoom. i.e they where not as dark at the edges or washed out on close ups. I`m sure that the weight and larger size help reduce camera shack. (We previously use to see some in the pictures we took with our Point and Shoot where we never seen it with our SLR) This camera just feels good. The pop out flash was a concern initially but we seemed to adjust very easy to it. I guess quality will do that. The camera (for clarity of colours) likes Fugi Extra 400 film at least for indoor shots. The colours are much more lifelike than Kodak 400 Max. The Fugi 200 Extra where also good but not quite as alive. At this PRICE it would be hard to believe you could better.

Customer Service

Not required yet.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax Espio 150, Canon Sure Shot 130U, T-4 Zoom, Canon Rebel, Samsung 70, etc

Excellent optics; fast and accurate autofocus; soft, even flash for a P&S; relatively effective, non-confusing redeye reduction; little shutter lag; good looks. I also consider the pop-out flash to be an advantage, as it increases flash-lens separation, and I don't find it to interfere with handling.

Slow lens (as with all P&S zooms); zoom range begins at 38 rather than 28; no exposure compensation with flash; no ASA/ISO adjustment.

This is more of a tip than a review. Several reviewers have complained about adjustments on this camera being under a flap. However, there is almost no reason to ever use the buttons under the flap. If you set the "Personal" setting on the speed dial to flash off, and the "Auto" setting to no redeye reduction, then you can access the following flash/focus combinations simply by rotating the dial to the indicated setting: flash off (Personal); auto flash without redeye reduction (Auto); autoflash with redeye reduction (Nighttime); spot focus/metering (Spot); fill flash without redeye reduction (Macro); fill flash with redeye reduction (Portrait). When taking portraits outside, I almost always use the Macro setting to achieve a nice fill-flash with almost no shutter lag -- works great!

Customer Service

Not needed.

Similar Products Used:

Olympus Stylus Epic (lens may be sharp, but autofocus, shutter release, and flash are awful -- pictures with Canon are almost always better); Olympus zoom P&S (inferior autofocus and build quality); L

* Excellent Optics * "Personal" Mode to store your preferred settings. * Combines elements of both acive and passive autofocusing for remarkably sharp prints. * Lots of features for a P&S in this price range. *Sleek design

* SLOW Lens * Must use fast film to compensate for the slow lens. * Controls are concealed by a panel on the back - slightly inconvenient

An excellent little camera for snapshots, travel pix, and street photography. Optics are high quality. Prints are sharp, contrasty, and richly colored. Of course, there are limitations. The lens, while excellent, is SLOW. A faster film (I use either 400 or 800)is necessary. However, for the price this is an EXCELLENT value with more features than I anticipated. You'll love experimenting with what this little beauty can do! Highly recommended.

Customer Service

None needed yet!

Similar Products Used:

P&S by: Fuji, Ricoh

Many useful features. Excellent optical. Nice looking.

Lens is slow and no aperture-priority auto exposure. Flash pops out and cannot be retracted even when it''s not in use. The buttons for advanced adjustments behind the flap on the back are difficult to operate. The battery cover is a bad design. Expensive battery

I always travel with my SLR. They are too heavy and take too much space. I need a P&S that has as many the features as possible for travel without big luggage. I searched books, magazines and the Internet and personally I think this one is the best for my trip without a SLR at any price. It is indeed the best P&S available now.

Build quality seems to be very good.

Shutter is so slow, that almost every picture snapped is out of focus.

The worst shutter speed of any camera that I have ever used. Ever. Camera is virtually unusable. It takes this camera so long to snap a picture that it is nearly impossible (when holding the camera) to keep it still enough to not blur the image. I took it back to Kit''s and was told that it was just the camera "thinking" and that I need to depress the button halfway and hold it, and then press it all the way. I had already been doing this (in that respect it is no different than any other point and shoot with AF). It simply doesnt work properly. Given the review below in which another person experienced the same problems, it looks to be a flaw shared by at least two cameras. Caveat Emptor - and whatever you do, do not buy this camera from Kits.

Customer Service

Kit''s Camera refused to exchange this camera for a different model after two months (I still had the receipt). "Sorry sir, we have a 30 day return/exchange policy." I will never buy another product

Similar Products Used:

Pentax IQ Zoom 90.

- nice form factor - good auto focus and auto exposure - great close range shots

- a bit pricey - pictures at full zoom out of focus - no manual setting of film speed - takes some adjusting for left handed people

After reading all the reviews posted here, and getting back my first roll of film from this camera, I would like to add a few comments. I will try not to repeat comments made in prior reviews. Overall, I quite like the camera, and quality of the pictures, but find it a bit on the pricey side. Appearance and Form: I love the simple looking face of the camera, but my wife hates it. The black you see in the front pictures of the camera is actually a hard rubber, with a slight textured pattern. Other than the astetic appeal, is also provides a non-slippery surface for your right hand''s middle finger when shooting one handed. The area where this finger touched, and where the thumb touches at the back are slightly indented, making the camera easier to hold. The camera is definitely heavier than other point and shoot cameras I have had, but I like the weight. The Auto Focus: I found the Autofocus worked well, for all except one picture. I had a person, slightly off center to the right, directly infront of a low chain link fence, in front a large field, and the fence was in focus instead of the person. I''m not sure how the autofocus works, but I think because the fence is not like a solid wall, the camera did not realise this was a background element. The Spot Focus: The spot focus worked really well. I focused on a branch of a tree, reframed the shot to but the branch down to the right, and took the picture. Exposure: I have read many people talking about problems with over exposure. I did not have any of these problems. In fact, I found the auto-exposure to be excellent. I shot a number of pictures late in the day, one side of the street dark, and buildings being lit by the sun in the background. The camera understood I wanted the street scene, and not the background. As a result, the street looked fine, and the buildings in the background were slightly overexposed. Another example of good exposure, was a shot I took of sunlight filterning through the trees, casting shadows on the ground. The low sun is actually in the frame, but hidden behind some leafy branches. The exposure was just right so the shadows could be seen on the ground and the leaves on the ground still retained their natural colours. Closeups: I took a shot roughly two feet away from a small tile mosaic on the base of a statue. Because I was on the dark side, I used the f

Similar Products Used:

Olympus Infinity Stylus