Since it was announced on February 9, 2004,
the PowerShot S1 IS has been eagerly awaited, not so much
because of its resolution — after all, a 3.2 megapixel
resolution is almost entry-level nowadays — but because
it is equipped with an Ultrasonic 10X zoom with an image
stabilizer and an EVF (electronic viewfinder).
The S1 IS is not a small camera. Although relatively
compact, its deep grip area and rounded top makes it look bigger
than cameras such as the G5.
The grip, made of a smooth dark silver plastic, protrudes almost as much
as the lens barrel. A small triangular black piece, in the upper part of
the grip, covers the remote control sensor. The grip is topped by the shutter
release with a ring zoom control around it.
As usual, the zoom control doubles
as a means to display 9 thumbnails of captured images ,
or as a way to magnify
an image under review (up to 10X). Two more controls are on the
top right side of the S1 IS: the Mode Lever, a control
also found on the Canon
Pro1, and the Mode Dial.
When pushed to the side,
the Mode Lever starts the S1 IS in the Capture mode; when pushed
to the side,
it enters the playback mode. In the Playback mode, a light press
of the shutter release returns the S1 IS to the shooting mode.
The Mode Dial's layout is typical of Canon cameras. The Auto mode
divides it into two regions, the Creative zone to the
north and the Image zone to the south. The Creative zone
mode encompasses all the modes that offer override control to
the user — control over settings such as the aperture,
the shutter speed, or the sensitivity of the camera. Image zone
modes on the other hand contain modes that are selected according
to the subject, and for which the camera uses preset settings
that best suit a particular subject.
Starting with the Creative zone, the PowerShot
S1 IS offers:
Program Mode, which lets
the user retain control over most other camera settings while
the S1 IS chooses the aperture and shutter speed.
Shutter Priority, which
lets the user select the shutter speed with the right and
left arrows of the Omni Selector, the 4-direction control
on the back of the camera (see further) from a range
that covers from 1/2000 sec to 15 seconds while the S1 IS
selects the aperture.
Also with the right and left
arrows of the Omni Selector, Aperture Priority lets
the user select the aperture from f2.8 to f8 while the camera
matches it to a shutter speed.
Manual Mode, which gives
complete control over all settings to the user. Apertures
are selected with the up and down arrows of the Omni Selector
while shutter speeds are chosen with the right and left arrows.
Custom Mode serves to
store a mode (P, Tv, Av, or M),
along with a variety of specific settings that can be recalled
simply by turning the Mode Dial to the C position.
Auto Mode is a point and
shoot mode which lets the camera control all critical photographic
settings.
The Image zone allows choosing one of six modes to suit the subject:
Portrait
Landscape
Night Scene
Fast Shutter
Slow Shutter
Stitch Assist (Panorama)
The Movie Mode is the last mode of the Image zone and its capabilities
are new for a Canon camera:
Movies are recorded with sound,
and the S1's maximum recording time is 1 hour or 1 GB.
Two frame sizes, one of which offers 2 compression settings,
and 2 frame rates, 15 frames per second or 30 frames per
second, are available:
640f = 640 x 480 pixels Fine quality.
640 = 640 x 480 pixels Normal quality.
320 x 240 pixels Normal quality.
Sound is captured at 22 kHz and 16 bit, and during movie
recording the optical zoom remains useable. The Ultrasonic
zoom motor is dead silent. The only noise captured when
the zoom is used during a movie recording is the clicking
sound produced by the zoom control if it is handled a
bit roughly. In addition, sound is loud and clear thanks
to a large speaker — in comparison to most other
current digital cameras — located on the left flank
of the camera. (See the Characteristics section of
the review for the length of the videos that can be stored
on a 1 GB microdrive.)
Two more buttons are located on top of the
S1, to the left of the pop-up flash:
Selects the Flash modes:
Auto with red-eye reduction, Auto Flash on with redeye reduction,
Flash on, Flash off.
The other button cycles through single shot mode, continuous
shooting mode and the self-timer/remote control shooting:
Continuous Shooting captures
images at 1.7 frames per second (Large Fine) until the
internal memory becomes full at which point the capture
rate slows down a bit.
Self-timer/Remote Control:
the self timer can be set to release the shutter after
either a 2 second or a 10 second delay in the Recording
menu. The Remote Control is optional with the S1 IS.
The S1 IS provides an electronic
viewfinder (EVF) instead of an optical (glass) system. The tiny
LCD monitor that forms the viewfinder image has an average resolution,
and is equipped with a diopter adjustment (on the left) to adjust
the viewfinder's image to the user's eyesight.
Selection of the EVF or the LCD monitor is made with the DISPLAY button
on the lower part of the S1's back.
The PowerShot S1 IS is equipped
with a 1.5 inch LCD monitor with 114,000 pixels. The monitor
can be opened from right to left 180°, tilted forward 180° or
backwards 90°. This allows the LCD screen to be either protected
by its metal back, as shown in the image at left, or when the
screen is rotated 180°, it can be repositioned onto the back
of the camera, this time with the screen visible.
In addition to the Omni controller, 7 buttons are located on the back of
the S1 IS, 5 of which arc around the right side of the monitor.
Topmost is a large shiny button with
a red dot at centre. This is a new button for a Canon Digital
still camera, and it is called simply the Movie button.
The shutter release is inactive
during movie recording — the zoom control that surrounds
it remains functional — and as its name indicates, the
Movie button serves to start and stop movie recording.
On the opposite side of the Movie button is the previously mentioned Omni
controller, a 4-direction control that serves to navigate the S1's
menus, and to select apertures and shutter speeds, amongst other things.
Next down is the Function button (FUNC.).
The Function button calls up a menu which appears as an overlay
on the left side of the image coming from the lens, and which
provides controls over the most commonly needed camera settings. (See
the Characteristics section of the review for a detailed
look at the Function menu.)
In Playback, the Function button offers a secondary use as
means of deleting unwanted
images.
The Metering button, below the Function button, is marked with the
icon for Evaluative metering:
Evaluative: divides the
frame into several zones for light metering. The metering
is able to evaluate complex lighting conditions, take into
account the position of the subject, the brightness of both
foreground and background, and properly meter back-lit subjects.
Centre-weighted: a system
that gives greater importance to what is at the centre of
the frame but which also takes the surrounding area into
account.
Spot: meters the area
at the centre of the frame; or can be set to follow the autofocus
point which may not always be at the centre (Spot AE Point).
In addition, the button can be used to lock the exposure or the flash
exposure when the flash is forced on if it is pressed while the shutter
release is held at mid-course. Moreover, the same button also serves to
record a voice annotation to an image:
A sound annotation,
up to 60 seconds, can be added to a photo if the button
is pressed while a photo is being saved and while it is
displayed on the screen. Alternatively, in Playback, a
voice annotation can be added to an image currently displayed
on the monitor.
To the right is the SET button, which used to confirm some selections,
and also to engage the AF Frame selection function which
allows the focus point to be moved to another part of the frame.
Back on the left the JUMP button,
common to many Canon digital cameras, retains its old Playback
function of jumping to the 10th image ahead, but takes
on a new role as a Shortcut button, ,
in the Capture modes which can be configured to control:
• Resolution (photos)
• White Balance
• Photo Effect
• Image Quality (movies)
• AF Lock (photos)
• Frame Rate (movies)
• ISO Speed (photos)
• AE Lock (photos)
• Display Off
Different functions can coexist in the still image modes and the movie
mode, and once a function is set, pressing the button cycles through its
options.
Last on the PowerShot S1 IS' back
is the DISPLAY button. As noted earlier, the button primarily
serves to switch between the EVF and the monitor, but when the
monitor is active it also provides a couple of steps that serve
to vary the quantity of information overlaid on the monitor.
On the Canon PowerShot S1 IS, two more buttons are positioned on the left
side of the camera, directly on the lens barrel:
Manual Focus: pressing
the button once switches the camera from Auto focus to Manual
Focus. Holding the button in magnifies the central portion
of the frame to assist focusing, displays a distance scale
on the right side of the monitor or the EVF, making it possible
to focus using the up and down arrows of the Omni controller.
Turns On or Off the image stabilizer,
and On is indicated with a symbol on
the EVF or the monitor.
In addition, while holding the IS button pressed in, the image
stabilizer can be configured to operate with either the optional
teleconverter lens, or the wide converter lens, by selecting the
appropriate mode with the left and right arrows of the Omni controller.
The ergonomic design of the PowerShot
S1 IS is generally quite good. The camera fits well in-hand and,
with a bit of use, the controls turn out to be quite well positioned.
The Omni controller for instance, provides good tactile feedback
and errors are rare. Still, one area could be improved in our
opinion: the plastic used for the grip which makes it a bit too
slippery. Occasionally the grip one has on the camera does not
feel as secure as it should.
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Ergonomics
,
or as a way to 
magnify
an image under review (up to 10X). Two more controls are on the
top right side of the S1 IS: the Mode Lever, a control
also found on the 
side,
the Mode Lever starts the S1 IS in the Capture mode; when pushed
to the 
side,
it enters the playback mode. In the Playback mode, a light press
of the shutter release returns the S1 IS to the shooting mode.
unwanted
images.
which
allows the focus point to be moved to another part of the frame.
,
in the Capture modes which can be configured to control: 
on
the EVF or the monitor.
