Compact size, beautifully constructed metal body.

Expensive, operation buttons are too tiny, anti-red eye feature is unreliable and pictures are grainy & not sharp.

A joy to handle & beautiful to look at... but that's it. Pictures produced are at best - of just acceptable quality. i am going back to 35mm format, it's cheaper and gives better quality & sharper pictures. what a dissapointment.

Customer Service

very good

Similar Products Used:

Canon sureshot A1, Olympus compact zoom

Great flash light wieght and very thin. I love your camera

Nothing wait one weakness is more people need to buy it

The botton line is that this is the best camera on the market and I wouldn't go back for any cost. I am empresed with all of the features and I am really excited about using this camera for maybe the rest of my life.

Customer Service

The costumer service was grea one of the best purchases I have ever made 60000 million thumps up.

Similar Products Used:

pentex pi

It's small - but that's also it's weakness!

- Poor Picture Quality
- Small Lens
- Small Film Size
- Expensive Developing
- Underpowered Flash

I do not advise even the casual user to buy this camera. I bought it, then took the camera on a trip to The Redwood Forest, Seqoia National Park, San Francisco, and Yosemite.

I was horrified when I had the 10 rolls of film developed - over 300 pictures and not one was sharp and clear. I've checked and re-checked the lens, it's clean, the problem is the small lens and small film size. The closest equivilent I can give regarding the quality is that it is about the same as you would get from an old disk camera. Everything is grainy and fuzzy - bright light or low light (low light is unbelieveably bad). Any disposable 35mm camera will give far superior results to this APS camera.

Last week I threw the Elph in a drawer where it will stay, I can't imagine selling this thing to anyone knowing that it has such poor quality. I bought a Fuji DL Super Mini Zoom (compact 35mm), it's a little bigger and only has a 2x zoom but the lens is superb and the pics are GREAT, it still fits in my pocket...and it was only $129.00!

The last thing I'll mention is the developing cost of the APS film, on average I found it to be 2 to 3 times what a 35mm roll with a similar number of exposures would cost. Please consider alternatives before buying this camera!

Customer Service

Not Needed

Similar Products Used:

Fuji Dl 250 35mm Point and Shoot

Size
Ergonomics
Mid-Roll Film Change
Instant Shutter Release Option
Close Focus

APS Format
Weak Flash
Proximity of flash to lens (redeye)

“What's your favorite beer?” I asked a friend of mine. His reply: “The one that's in front of me.” That sage wisdom applies to cameras too. The most important thing about any camera is that you've got it in your hands, up and ready to take the shot, when you need it. That's the purpose of cameras of this genre, whether they are 35mm compact or APS.

Right up front, let me say that I do not like the APS format. Most importantly, there is the issue of resolution … APS negatives are significantly smaller than 35mm. Secondly, I do not like the notion of being unable to view or enlarge the negatives myself (APS negatives remain in the cassette). As others have mentioned, the film developing is also a bit more expensive, and film availability is a problem. Kodak and others should make slide film (much improved resolution) and black and white film available. On the positive side, the APS format permits an easy mid-film change, loading is as simple as it gets, and the resolution is still much better than those digital cameras that are so popular. When using ASA 100 film, the resolution is more than adequate for reasonable enlargements (8x10). No, this isn’t the best choice for serious landscape photos, but for that purpose, even 35mm film (except perhaps with Kodachrome 25 or 64) is inadequate. I guess the bottom line is that APS film isn’t a serious photographer’s best choice for making enlargements of photos that require a lot of detail, but for just about all other purposes, it’s more than sufficient.

Now, on to the camera itself. The ELPH’s biggest asset is it’s size. It’s so small and compact, there’s no excuse not to bring it along … wherever it is you happen to be going. It’s also easy to remove from the case, turn on, and use. That’s the essence of what’s important in a pocket camera like this. It’s often the difference between getting the shot and getting nothing. I currently have three cameras, and 95% of the photos are taken with the ELPH.

The zoom control is ideally located (in a concentric ring around the shutter release). It is capable of focusing quite closely. The zoom range itself is a bit short … and adjustable in steps that are a bit too large.

The flash is weak … suitable for objects very close to the camera, and that is about it. Also, the flash is so close to the lens … redeye is a real problem. On the plus side, the flash is wonderful as a fill-in flash for daytime portraits, and the camera can be programmed to wake up in your preferred flash mode (whatever that may be).

The EPLH-2 has one terrific feature of note … an instant shutter release. Virtually all pocket auto-focus cameras have a serious weakness … it’s virtually impossible to take good action shots with them. You depress the shutter release with the picture is just right, and the camera takes the picture when it’s good and ready … typically after the shot has changed. The ELPH allows the user to select a mode with an instant shutter release. After pre-focusing the subject the photo is taken immediately when you press the shutter release. If you like taking pictures of children (on a swing, for example), this is not only a nice feature … it’s required to get the shot (are you listening, other camera designers?).

There are other ways to customize the ELPH-2. For example, it can be set so that it does not automatically rewind the film after the end of the roll. I appreciate such features. Engineers have a saying: “make something that any fool can use, and only a fool will want to use it.” Canon may not have broken this rule in making the ELPH-2 customizable, but they’ve certainly bent it a bit.

In summary, the Canon ELPH is a great pocket camera.

All that being said, if Olympus still made the XA, it would be my compact camera of choice any day…

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Olympus Stylus Zoom
Olympus XA
Olympus OM-2
Mamiya 645

light weight
small size
zoom
date print
Mid-Roll Film Change

Camera price: expensive
APS Film: expensive
Film developing: expensive
leather case looks cheap

APS photo's quality is not as good as 35 mm, and film developing cost a lot.
But think the other way... this camera is small enough to carry in your packet... so I can take it anywhere and will not miss any moment... that's why I love this camera...
I believe this camera is suitable for consumer lever customers but not professional due to its photo quality.

Customer Service

not used

Similar Products Used:

None

Tiny Size
Full feature set
Intuitive operation

'Vampire' red-eye

The first thing that you need to remember is that this is not a 35mm camera. APS film is not professional film. It is consumer film. The size of the negative is half the area of 35mm film. Since you have to blow up the negatives more, you get less sharpness. Period.

That being said, it does take fine snapshots. Not as good as my old Minolta SLR, and not even as good as my olympus p&s, but, hey, it's an aps.

I bought one for my girlfriend as a birtday present just before a trip to paris. She shot a roll of 15 to test the camera before we left and we discovered that there was a problem with the software. We could only get the pictures out in 4x7 format. Since we couldn't get the camera fixed in time, but she really loved the size of the camera, we took it with us anyway and shot six rolls with it. Daytime pictures were fine. However, at night, I can't take anything even remotely as good as what I can take with the old (9 yr old) olympus p&s, let alone the fancy SLR.

Also, night snapshots of people came out with really bad red-eye. This is a design problem of the camera that results from the fact that the flash is so close to the lens. In other words, the size of the camera and the fixed lens positions dictates this (I could go into a technical discussion of why this happens, but it would bore you). It's also why subsequent designs like the Nuvis use all kinds of tricks to get the flash and the lens farther apart.

Incidentally, service on the camera took about six weeks.

One thing that I will say about this camera is that its size encourages you to take it places you otherwise couldn't. It is obviously a pretty piece of eye candy and feels solid enough just to throw in your bag.

But as I am now looking for another camera (my olympus took a swan dive off a high shelf) I will probably look around for another camera- there are so many good ones out there now.

Customer Service

Fair to poor

Similar Products Used:

Olympus 35mm p&s

Compact size, truely pocket size when closed.
All metal case.
Variety of features; excellent instruction booklet.

Slippery untill you get used to it's shape/size.
"Red Eye" can be a problem

For the money, combined with the Canon reputation, I was felt that it offered the right combination of size, flexibility of features and quality that suits what I was looking for; a moderate zoom equipped, point and shoot camera to take on vacations without the burden of hauling my Nikon FM SLR around every place I went. It's so convienient to slip into a pants pocket and forget it's there. I've taken some great shots of the sunrise at Cape Hatteras, NC, indoor get togethers, a variety of outdoor architectural, historic, still lifes, etc. Keep in mind, it's not 35mm quality, but for the convienience it offers with the APS format, ease of operation, I feel it's worth the trade off at times. Bottom line, in my humble opinion I feel it's a very practical, compact, easy to use camera for the "one camera" person not wanting to get bogged down with lots of equipment.

Customer Service

Have yet to need their assistance

Similar Products Used:

Nikon, Fuji, Minolta

Size, sturdiness, intelligent features. Looks

Honestly can't think of anything...

I love my Ixus II and carry it with me always. Due to its small size and sturdy shell, I have captured some fleeting moments that I would never have got otherwise. I only load Kodak's excellent B&W film, which produces marvellous candids. The features such as real-time release and flash on/off memory make the camera perfectly suited to just whipping it out and getting the shot in the bag - and that is what compact cameras are about.
NB Quality is just fine, as long as you are careful not to let just any muppet develop your films.
I like the look of the Leica c11 but it is that much bigger - you're nevr going to get the shot if you don't have the camera and you're never going to get that in your pocket/suit/purse.

Similar Products Used:

None

Size Size Size. This thing is small enough that you'll forget you have it with you. Also, it has so many functions that you'll probably never know about, but you'll still be proud you have them

The quality of your pictures. This camera was not designed to take breath-taking pictures. Also red eye has been a major problem in my pictures

I'm not gonna lie-- people love this camera when they see it. The sleek design with its all metal case and astounding small size seem to just attract people as soon as you whip that puppy out for a picture. People would actually want to take pictures of this camera(Its beautiful). This camera also has alot of great functions that compare to that of a 35mm. Thats the good side about the Elph 2. Everything else is downhill. The pictures are just barely acceptable, and it would be a shame to capture a really nice, once in a lifetime moment on this kind of quality camera. I regret taking this camera to some of the most memorable events I've been to. Pictures taken during the day in bright light turn out just good enough to keep as documents of information, but it seems like the intimacy of the moment is lost due to the quality of the pictures. Night pictures are seemingly horrible and a waste of money, due to the weak flash. Most of the pictures I've taken at night of people would show no background, only a dark grainy sillouette. The worst part of all of this(Yes, it actually gets worse) is the price you pay for APS film development for these bad pictures. All in all, I do not recomend this camera for quality use. It is handy though, for situations where you do not want to lug around a camera(the size of this thing is amazing), and also its so small, that you would probably have this around at those times when you wish you had a camera(Its better to have picture of something then no picture at all). If you plan to travel to an exotic place, find another camera. if you want to go clubbing, this is you're best friend.

Tiny, fits in the palm of your hand or a shirt pocket. APS is wonderful if you are stupid at loading film also the 3 picture formats come in handy.

Every once in a while you accidently stick your hand in front of the lense due to its small size other than that it is sweet.

This is a great camera for beginers or those that have a little experience. If you have big hands don't buy it, you'll be sorry.But ifyou small hands this is the camera for you!

Customer Service

None so far

Similar Products Used:

I looked into a Nikon but it was too expensive