The migthy little ELPH

This camera is perfect for general consumer use with many advanced functions, which most people will never use, but are nice to have. Right out of the box I noticed that it was exactly the same size as the S100. The buttons on the back were rearranged but fairly simple to use. The layout for the on-screen menu was also rearranged to be more intuitive. The camera has 4 modes for taking pictures, a manual mode, auto mode, stitch assist left to right, and stitch assist right to left. The auto mode is great for most situations and will render outstanding images. Once you are comfortable with the camera in auto, you will want to experiment with the various functions in manual mode. When I was taking night time pictures of the NY skyline, I had to increase the time of exposure to fully capture the details. Shooting in the stitch assist mode was a lot easier than I thought. A tripod is a must especially for low light conditions.

The Layout (viewed from front)
The telescoping lens housing is right off center. The lens retracts fully into camera with auto lens cover, when turned off. Top center are small windows for optical viewfinder and focus assist beam. Top right is the built in flash.

Size. The small size really has a significant advantage. Many times, I will choose to take this camera with me as opposed to the big expensive 35mm SLR for which I have every conceivable lens, flash and accessory. I tend to take more photos so I can later choose to keep only my favorites. I can experiment with various settings because mistakes can be easily corrected on the spot.

ISO settings.
The camera can be set for various ISO speeds 50-100-200-400 and Auto. This is similar to using 35mm film of various speeds. You would need to use this feature while shooting in a dark area or use a fast shutter speed. Also available are long shutter modes from 1-15 seconds.

Built in Flash.
Many people say that the flash is weak. I found the flash to be sufficient for most of my needs. I've taken pictures in various lighting conditions such as late evenings, indoors and even in pitch darkness at night. The pictures came out better than I expected. The only time you might need a bigger flash is when the subject is over 20' away and needs to be illuminated.

Durable Metal Body. The camera body has a brushed finish. (very cool)

Canon should have included a slide on case that protects the LCD screen from bumps and dings. Such a case is supplied with some APS Elphs.

Digital Photo Prints
For the last few months, I have been using a company called EZPrints.com for my digital image printing needs. I have printed images on 20x30, 5x7, 4x6 formats, greeting cards, mugs and t-shirts. The print quality is comparable to 35mm film prints. The quality of products and services is excellent. The savings are substantial if you consider the alternative. (cost of a decent photo quality home printer, photo ink cartridges, photo paper, your time and still get substandard prints.) The other company I have used is Shutterfly, which is also very good but does not offer large format prints. A 20x30" photo print for $19.95 makes a simply great personalized gift.