* Size! This is definitely a take-everywhere camera.
* Self-contained. No accessories to bother with. No lens cap. No external flash. Case comes with it but I've never used it.
* Great look and feel if you like good industrial design.

* Noisy. Noisy zoom, noisy focus, noisy film advance.
* Slow focus. Endemic to autofocus but still annoying. Limits its use in moving subjects, even when the subject is cooperating.
* Cannot handle backlighting. In fact there is no exposure compensation at all.
* Viewfinder is little more than a pointing device. Cannot actually see what the subject is doing!
* Flash is pretty weak. But what do you expect in a tiny unit?
* Have to set the flash mode every time you turn it on.
* Flash remains popped up even when flash mode is turned to OFF.
* No focus lock that would allow pictures through glass.
* No midroll change (although apparently that has been corrected in ELPH2)
* No ISO800 film. The lens is really too slow for ISO100. ISO200 is marginal. I keep it loaded with ISO400 all the time.
* No positive film (at least in US)
* Film processing is an adventure. You need to find a good photofinisher.

The wealnesses notwithstanding, this is a great little *second* camera once you learn to accept its limitations and modify your expectations. I carry it with me all the time; no other camera I have ever owned was so easy to take along. It is not usable for nature landscapes or any fine art work, but it is a great street and family camera. I have not abandoned my 35mm camera (I *love* my Nikon SP) but I would not give up my ELPH for anything.
I acknowledge the negative comments but I have never had any mechanical problems. I don't use the flash much so the battery life is more than adequate. I gave up on panoramic shots early on. I think I bought my ELPH near the end of its production, so it may have been modified slightly from the early models.

Customer Service

None needed.

Similar Products Used:

My first point-and-shoot. Previous experience with Nikon FTn, Nikon FM2, Leica M2-4, Nikon SP.

Tiny size means you can take it anywhere. Super-robust - dropped it loads and still looks like new. Great design... looks fab and is so easy to use. Picture quality, though not 35mmm, is superb.

Longer zoom needed.

Takes great pictures both indoors and outdoors and has that "carry with you at all times" size and feel.

Customer Service

Not tried

Similar Products Used:

Konica A4

Small size, easy to use.
Reliable

Inconsistent photo quality

I purchased one when they were first released, Made in Japan, the photos were fantastic. I then lost it and replaced it with another Elph. This was made in Taiwan and there seems to be a definite difference in the photo quality. Outdoor shots are grainy, but indoor shots have been very good.

Customer Service

Never needed

Similar Products Used:

None

-great overall camera
-size & portability
-rock solid, have dropped with fortunately no damage
-overall versatile camera for all conditions

-poorly designed power button allows camera 2B turned on while in case and have had trouble getting out
-no midroll change
-weak flash
-eats batteries very quickly( although it was used very often as a take everywhere camera} still goes through batteries quickly
-expensive although has reduced considerably due to the arrival of the elph 2
-costly processing 4 aps film
-sometimes poor picture quality but this can be also be contributed by the processing lab
-small buttons but have managed
-

Great camera and now that it has come down in price it is a must have unless you opt for the elph 2 which has improved some features and added others.I have also taken this camera to Whistler B.C. and have taken great shots in extreme below freezing conditions a must have for the skiing photographer. Overall it is a great camera considering its size and versatility and lets be realistic that is why it is offered and not for giving the best pictures on the market. A great camera and a good investment however i would compare to other new model elphs before buying due to new features.

Customer Service

no need n/a

Similar Products Used:

elph 2

Small size
APS features
Neat design

Durability (flash, power button)
Night-time picture quality
APS

The original ELPH was an amazing camera when it was first given to me as a gift. I loved the small size and ability to take it anywhere. This camera traveled with me to several ski trips at Whistler, honeymoon in Napa Valley, and all over the Pacific Northwest for people photographs. The picture quality was quite good for anything taken in daylight with no tricky lighting. Quality suffered for anything in low light and shadows.

Unfortunately, it was not as durable as I would have liked. The pop-up flash decided to stop popping up after about one year of use of the camera. This did not seem to be due to any traumatic damage. It just quit working. I had to manually pull the flash up afterwards. Another technical problem kept occuring when the camera would accidentally turn on while in its leather case. Presumably, this was from the power button being bumped. Very hard on the camera because it made the lens housing push up into the inside of the case. After 3 1/2 years of use, this happened one too many times. Camera was in its case. Got bumped. Turned on. Lens housing popped out and was crunched against something else. The plastic surrounding the housing cracked and I was told by a Canon retailer that there was probably no point in having it fixed. I am unable to remove the film from the camera, so I'll probably have someone take it apart, remove the film, and then be done with it.

Overall, this was a fun camera with some real drawbacks in the areas of durability. Its picture quality was below that of a good 35mm point and shoot, but its small size and nifty styling were great. It captured some outstanding panoramic shots while standing at the top of Whistler with friends. I wouldn't recommmend it to anyone now, because Canon has better offerings in their current product line.

Right now, I'm shopping for a new camera, deciding between the Elph 2 (like mine, but they seem to have fixed all the durability flaws), the Elph 370Z, and a Nikon Lite Touch 35mm point and shoot. I'm trying to decide between 35mm quality and APS compactness. I also use my dad's old Nikon 6006 that I use at home and when I can take a big camera bag with me on trips.

Customer Service

As expected

Similar Products Used:

Canon Elph 2
Canon Elph 370Z
Nikon Lite Touch 35mm

-Compact Size
-Great appearance

-Much heavier than other APS models.

-Customer Service

It's a great camera for basic snapshot folks like my wife and I. We loved every other thing about it. It took great pics compared to her previous 35mm (I don't remember the make)

But, if you do purchase this, or any other Canon product, and need service. Be prepared for a knock-down, drag-out fight with customer service, and don't take no for an answer.

Oh, and by the way, for the price they're going for now (I've seen them as low as $129) I think they're a great value for a carry around pocket camera for parties, etc.

Customer Service

Piss Poor.
This is really why I wanted to post this review.
I bought one of these as a gift for my wife, an avid photo taker. (about 2-3 rolls a week of snapshots) It had fallen once or twice during the first year that we bought it, and seemed to survive just fine.
One day, while firmly in my wife's hands, without any cause, it suddenly stopped working. I mean suddenly--changed the film, and it died.
We brought it to a repair shop in NYC that said it would cost $100 to fix it, because the malfunction was caused by "impact damage"--a small dent in one of the bottom corners.
I explained that the "impact damage" was the result of a fall it had suffered several months prior and it had worked fine ever since(god's honest truth) and that one would need to open the camera and diagnose the problem before we would pay for the repair. He refused, and suggested that we send it to Canon.
We quickly shipped it out to Canon in New Jersey, (the following Christmas was fast approaching, and we were expecting to take hundreds of pictures.) along with a detailed letter explaining the case.
After several days of not hearing from them, I placed a follow up call to Canon, and was told that it would cost $86.00 to fix it, and that the malfunction was caused by impact damage.
Despite my $14.00 savings, I was quite frustrated, and wouldn't accept that for an answer. I explained that this was akin to an auto mechanic stating that a faulty alternator was the result of a dent in the driver's side door.
Finally, after two weeks, several 45-minute-plus phone calls of all out yelling, and three letters to increasingly bigger fish in the chain of command, they opened the camera and realized that it wasn't a result of the impact damage, and agreed to fix it under warranty.

Similar Products Used:

No other APS owned

Small, compact. Good for quick use and candids

Quality of photos.

Good quick camera for candids. However, this camera is limited in its practicality...depending on the kind of photography being done. Not a top of the line professional camera. Good for students, quick shots, pack in briefcase, etc. but overpriced for the features and capabilities it has. The only good thing I can say about it is its small and compact. Results are iffy.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Canon FI, Nikons, Minoltas

Small, seemed rugged, has a zoom for being so small, APS switchable photo size

mine broke

well, a week after i bought it, it wouldn:t accept a roll of film, but after taking the battery and film out it did ok. however, last week I was at an interesting festival in Japan and after finishing one roll, the camera refused to accept another roll. Actually, what happened was that I would put the film in, it would make some machanical noises, and then the "H" would appear on the display. Then I would take out the film, of which the marker had already moved away from 1 and not to 2, and then when I put it back in, it would wind the film, and put the marker to 3 on the film, making it unshootable. Following this torture, the "H" would appear again. I tried this 3 times and lost three rolls of good film, and then I figured hell with this, I am going to take it back. Hopefully, since I bought it on a military base, they will just take it back and take care of the problems themselves.

Customer Service

haven:t taken it back yet

Similar Products Used:

none

-weight
-quality optics
-APS system
-great little flash
-durability
-SIZE!

-weight
-APS system

I recieved this camera as a Christmas gift a few years ago, and it's been through quite a bit with me, from my pocket at concerts to the mountains and rivers of Maine and Vermont. This is a tiny (about the size of a deck of cards, but 3/4" thick) camera, but it is amazingly heavy for its weight. I love this camera because of the candids I end up getting using it, and the fact that I always have it with me. I've heard complaints about P&S cameras dying from lint and dust when carried everyday, but in 2 years, I havn't had a problem with that yet (though I do always keep it in the leather sleeve case it came with). I took this on a two month trip through Maine and Vermont last summer, carrying it in a small Pelican box strapped to the gunwale of my canoe, or in a Ziploc in the pocket of my coat. I shot about 15 rolls of Kodak Advantix 200, and the shots are amazing. The little flash that is built in is nothing short of astounding, and this camera has many nice features not found on many other point-and-shoots. One thing that is an advantage of this camera is the durability. Like almost all Canon bodies (as well as many Nikons), this camera is extremely well sealed against the elements. The metal casing used on this, the first of the ELPH series, adds a lot of weight, but also makes for one tough camera. Unfortunately, while carrying the camera in the back pocket of my pants one day, it turned on (the ON/OFF button is VERY easy to press accidentally, and is the one great weakness of this camera), and I promptly sat on it, mangling the whole lens assembly, bending it probably 15 degrees to the left. I sent the camera back to Canon, and they fixed it for about $120 (not bad, considering the massive damage I did). Overall, great camera.

Customer Service

Had to send in camera to have whole lens assembly repaired, Canon was very professional and resonable about it, returned camera in a timely fashion

Similar Products Used:

-Olympus Stylus Zoom
-Old Kodak 120 camera (hah!)

Small, compact, sleek design, durable

PICTURE QUALITY IS HORRIBLE!

This was my first point and shoot camera. I had been using mostly the one use cameras, but I had a trip to Mexico coming up and decided it was time to get a "real" point and shoot. A friend of mine was raving about the elph and so I checked it out. It sounded really good and I would be doing some backpacking so I thought the smaller the better. I LOVED it's size! It could go anywhere and take almost every abuse I put it through (dropping, smashing, etc.), but then the pictures came back. HORRIBLE! The picture quality was terrible and I wish now that I never would have bought this camera. The pictures where blurred and grainy. I have since used it and gotten these same, consecutive results I would recommend that you DO NOT buy this camera- for all it's fun little gadets and size it's not worth it

Customer Service

None needed- yet...

Similar Products Used:

one time use cameras, Cannon AE1