Canon PowerShot E1

Canon PowerShot E1

"Toy-Like Compact Camera From Canon"

It seems that Canon has gone retro with the launch of its new E-series range of digital compact cameras. This compact shooter comes in three colours (blue, pink, and white), has similar features to the A1000 IS, and even sports the same price tag. But how it all stacks up is a different thing altogether.

The PowerShot E1 is mostly made out of plastic, making it look like a child's "my first" camera. Sure, it's hard plastic, but the make of the unit is too 'Mickey Mouse' for our tastes.

The camera is small and compact, with the unit sporting a 10-megapixel sensor, 4x zoom lens with image stabiliser, face detection technology, a 2.5-inch LCD screen, an optical viewfinder, motion detection technology, an ‘Easy' shooting mode, and movie capture (30 fps/VGA).

The package contains two AA batteries, a 32MB memory card, a wrist strap, a mini-USB to AV cable, a mini-USB to USB cable, and Canon's "Digital Camera Solution" CD.

Users can find the Power button, Mode Dial, Shutter Button, and Zoom Lever on top of the unit, while the Tripod Socket and Memory Card/Battery Compartment are located at the bottom of the device. The unit's 2.5-inch screen, Viewfinder, Playback Button, Face Select Button, Print Share Button, Disp. Button, Menu Button, and Navigation keys that have secondary functions (ISO, Macro/Infinity, Timer and Continuous Shot, Flash, and Function Set) are found at the unit's rear.

It runs on two AA batteries, which do not lock into place so make sure you turn the unit around before swapping the memory card. The 32MB card can only hold 6 high-resolution shots (maximum resolution with unit set to superfine), so we recommend users to purchase a memory card (SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCPlus, HC MMCPlus) with a higher storage capacity.

The E1 comes with 10 shooting modes (Video Mode, Scene Mode [Night, Sunset, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Aquarium, and ISO3200], Indoor, Kids and Pets, Night Snapshot, Landscape, Portrait, Easy, Auto, and Program mode) in order to take the best possible shot in any situation.

The unit's Program mode will give you total control of your camera as it comes with various options like Exposure Compensation, Long Shutter Mode, White Balance, Centre-weighted and Spot metering, and ISO settings up to ISO 1600.

While the E1 was able to instantly change modes, we had problems with the flash recycle time. It would take the camera at least four seconds before being able to take another shot. Photos have good resolution, although noise was visible at ISO 200. Smearing was also a problem, making it difficult for us to take highly detailed shots. The unit however, was still able to produce noteworthy night shots and shoot videos without any major slowdown in the frame rate.

Photos can be transferred via USB or card reader, but can also be printed using PictBridge, which negates the need for a PC. Users would only have to connect the camera to any Pictbridge-compliant printer, select the image to be printed, and press the PictBridge icon on the unit (located below the playback button) to print.

The Canon PowerShot E1 is a fairly decent camera for those who dare to be different. The colour choices, build, and form factor may appeal to kids and teens (and maybe even young adults), but it just feels cheap and flimsy for our taste. The unit is available now and has an RRP of $249, the same as the recently reviewed PowerShot A1000 IS.

See page over for product specification and final rating.

Canon PowerShot E1 Digital Camera Specifications:

Effective Number of Pixels: 10.0 MP
Processor: DiG!C III

Lens:
Focal Length (optical): 6.2 (W) - 24.8 (T) mm
35mm film equivalent: 35 (W) - 140 (T) mm
f/number: f/2.7 - f/7.6 (W), f/5.6 - f/16.0 (T)
Shutter Speed : 15 - 1/1600 sec.
Zoom: Approx. 4x

Focusing / Range:
AF System: TTL Autofocus
Focusing Frame: Face detect / 9-point AiAF / 1-point AF (fixed: centre)
Range: Normal: 50cm - infinity, Macro: 3cm - 50cm (W), 30cm - 50cm (T)

LCD Monitor:
Viewfinder: Real-image optical zoom viewfinder
LCD Monitor: 2.5 inch TFT colour LCD

Flash:
Flash Modes: Auto/On/Off/Slow-synchro/Auto Red-eye Correction/Red-eye reduction is available
Flash Range : Normal: 30 cm - 4 m (W) / 30 cm - 2 m (T),

Recording Pixels:
Still Images (Large): 3648 x 2736
Continuous Shooting (Large/Fine): Approx 1.4 shots/sec
Movie Recording (Large) : 640 x 480, 30fps
Self-timer: Approx. 10 sec or 2 sec delay, or custom.

Memory Storage: SD Memory Card / SDHC Memory card / Multimedia Card / MMC Plus Card / HC MMC Plus Card
Supplied Memory: 32MB SD Card

General Features:
Battery: Size AA Alkaline battery (x2) or Size AA rechargeable NiMH battery (x2) NB4-300/NB4-200

Optional Charger/AC Adaptor: AC Adaptor Kit ACK800 (contains CA-PS800)

Dimensions (W x D x H): 101.2 x 63.8 x 31.4 mm (ex. protruding parts)
Weight: 160g

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Canon PowerShot E1 | $249 | XXX.5 | www.canon.com.au

F or: Easy to use; Good value for money; Easy battery replacement
Against: Plastic construction; Slow flash recycle; Smearing and noise issues
Conclusion: Good for children, not recommended for aspiring photographers