The Hunt for the Best Ultra-Compact Camera
by Stephen Caston on October 5, 2004 12:05 AM EST- Posted in
- Digital Camera
Specifications
| Canon PowerShot S410 | Casio Exilim Z40 | Pentax Optio S40 | |
| Release Date | February 2004 | February 2004 | February 2004 |
| Price | ~$300 - $350 | ~$330 - $400 | ~$250 - $300 |
| Pixel Count | 4.0 Million | 4.0 Million | 4.0 Million |
| Camera Type | Ultra-compact | Ultra-compact | Ultra-compact |
| Highest Resolution | 2272x1704 | 2304x1728 | 2304x1728 |
| Lower Resolutions | 1600x1200, 1280x960, 640x480 | 2304x1536 (3:2), 1600x1200, 1280x960, 640x480 | 2048x1536, 1600x1200, 1280x960, 640x480 |
| Sensor Type | CCD | CCD | CCD |
| Sensor Size | 1/1.8" | 1/2.5" | 1/2.5" |
| LCD Screen Size | 1.5" | 2" | 1.6" |
| Optical Zoom | 3x; 36 - 108mm equivalent | 3x; 35 - 108mm equivalent | 3x; 35 - 105mm equivalent |
| Focus Range | 18" - Infinity | 15.8" - Infinity | 15.7" - Infinity |
| Macro | 2.0" | 2.4" | 2.4" |
| Digital Zoom | 3.6x | 4x | 2.6x |
| Lens Thread | Fits accessory lenses and filters | None | None |
| Auto Focus | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Focus Type | TTL | TTL, Contrast-detection | TTL, Contrast-detection |
| Manual Focus | No | Yes | Yes |
| AF-lamp | Yes | No | No |
| Maximum Aperture | W: f2.8; T:4.9 | W: 2.6; T: 4.8 | W: 2.6; T: 4.8 |
| Shutter Speeds | 15 - 1/2000th sec. | 4 - 1/2000th sec | 4 - 1/2000th sec |
| ISO | Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400 | Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400 | Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400 |
| Flash | Built-in | Built-in | Built-in |
| Flash Range | W: 1.5 - 11'; T: 1.5 - 6.6' |
W: 1.6 - 11.5'; T: 1.3 - 5.9' |
W: 0.6 - 11.5'; T: 0.6 - 6.6' |
| Flash Compensation | None | None | None |
| Exposure Compensation | +/- 2 stops in 1/3 increments | +/- 2 stops in 1/3 increments | +/- 2 stops in 1/3 increments |
| White Balance | Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Manual | Auto, Sunlight, Overcast, Shade, Light bulb, Fluorescent, Manual | Auto, Daylight, Shade, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Manual |
| Bracketing | None | None | None |
| Metering | Evaluative, Center-weighted, Spot | Multi-pattern | Multi-segment, Center-weighted, Spot |
| Color Space | RGB | RGB | RGB |
| Aperture Priority | No | No | No |
| Shutter Priority | No | No | No |
| Manual Exposure | No | No | No |
| Continuous Drive | Yes, rated at 2.5 fps; capable of 2.8 fps for 3 frames (2272x1704, Superfine) | None | Yes, 0.6 fps for unlimited frames (2304x1728) |
| Self-Timer | Yes, 10, 2 sec. | Yes, 10, 2 sec. | Yes, 10, 2 sec. |
| Storage Method | CompactFlash (Type I) | SD/MMC, Internal | SD, Internal |
| Storage Included | 32MB CompactFlash | 9.7MB Internal | 11MB Internal |
| Compressed Format | JPG | JPG | JPG |
| Uncompressed Format | None | None | None |
| Quality Settings | Superfine, Fine, Normal | Fine, Normal, Economy | Superior, Super, Normal, Economy (Easy mode) *, **, *** (other modes) |
| Video clips | 320x240, 160x120, 15 fps, w/sound, AVI, up to 3 mins. | 320x240, 15 fps, w/sound, AVI, unlimited duration | 320x240, 30 fps, w/sound, AVI, unlimited duration |
| Battery Type | NB-1LH Lithium-Ion Rechargeable | NP-40 Li-Ion Rechargeable | 2 AA Ni-MH/Alkaline, CR-V3 |
| Charger Included | Yes | Yes, cradle | No |
| PC Interface | USB | USB, cradle | USB |
| TV-out | Yes | No | Yes |
| Tripod Mount | Yes, metal | Yes, metal | Yes, plastic |
| Weight (with battery and card) | 7.9 oz. | 5.3 oz. | 6.2 oz. |
| Dimensions | 87 x 57 x 27.8 mm | 87 x 57 x 23 mm | 89 x 58.5 x 25.5 mm |
| Included in the Box | ||
| Canon PowerShot S410 | Casio Exilim Z40 | Pentax Optio S40 |
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14 Comments
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araczynski - Tuesday, October 5, 2004 - link
my classic Kodak DC240 is still kicking ass and taking names :) years later and I still could care less what else is out there :)Next camera will probably be video anyway, not much use (to a general consumer) for a still shot only camera (yeah, the crappy wanna be video mode doesn't count)
WooDaddy - Tuesday, October 5, 2004 - link
Canons are very good. I agree.Just to put it out there.. Don't forget the Minolta G400. It falls in the same category as well: 4MP, VERY small, 3x zoom, movie mode, <$300. The selling point for me was the very fast shot to shot time and the dual MS and SD slots. Startup time is probably on par if not faster than the Casio. Image quality is very good as well. AF isn't probably as good or controllable as the Canon though. The demonstration of the Canon AF feature is helpful; I wish I knew it worked like that before I got my Minolta. The Minolta requires more tinkering that most but once you get the hang of it, it's OK.
Either way the G400 is a camera that shouldn't be ignored.
noxipoo - Tuesday, October 5, 2004 - link
I have canon S230 and I have used a S400, S500 extensively and they have always rocked. I have used older models that my friends have also. We all get canon for the consistent image quality, in the end its all that really matters.John1177 - Saturday, January 16, 2021 - link
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