WorldCAD Access

E18 Humour

Today's headline on Engaget is one that readers of this blog can appreciate: Canon ships 100 million compact digital cameras, 90 million of them broken with E18 lens errors. Nilay Patel goes on to say, just kidding! OTOH, "A quick count amongst Engadget eds reveals at least 10 broken Canon digicams... and we know we're not outside the curve -- have you felt our pain?" The item also notes that Canon's first digital camera was the PowerShot 600 in 1996, and that the company has now sold a hundred million digital cameras. Read more →

Forget ZoomBrowser

Comments from readers of this blog fall into two categories: furor over the E18 problem (where the zoom lens on Canon cameras no longer work) and ZoomBrowser. For reasons that escape me, people are frantic for ZoomBrowser, the software Canon includes for accessing and sorting photos from their cameras. I say, Forget ZoomBrowser! Picassa works as well (or better) thanZoomBrowser. It even works with my several-years-old Canon S1is on my notebook computer running Vista -- the incompatible version of Windows. Read more →

Odd PhotoStitcher Update for Vista

PhotoStitcher is the software provided with some Canon cameras for stitching together multiple photographs. I recently got a new notebook computer running Vista (boooo!) and of course loaded on all the software I need to use, including PhotoSticher. It ran just fine, but on a whim, I searched the Internet to see if there was an update. I found one at Canon Europe's site: PhotoStitcher Update v3.1.1.19 Compatible with Vista. There were no release notes explaining changes, other than a warning that stitched photos could not be saved in QuickTime format on Vista (another reason to "upgrade" back to XP).... Read more →

Canon S5is

There is a new version of our beloved S1is and I didn't know about it until I saw it at Best Buy last night. The Canon S5is (they skipped the S4 number) is 8 megapixel and chunkier. The other two highlights are a much bigger foldout screen and a hotshoe. Looks like the S-series has replaced the G-series. Read more →

Canon: E50 Error

Many people suffer from Canon's E18 error (zoom lens cannot extend), but someone recently asked about the E50 error. From Simply Computing: ... there is an error formatting the memory card. The E50 error may appear as a result of camera failure, card failure, environmental problems, or misuse. From reading a variety of forums, these are actions you might try: - insert a different memory card to see if that makes a difference. - in some cases, you may need to install a firmware update from Canon, because the camera is incompatible with the memory card. - if that doesn't... Read more →

Refurbished S1is

The refurbished Canon S1is arrived here today. I was wondering what I would get for my $320 (before shipping and taxes). It arrived in a plain white box, with a "Refubished by Canon Canada" sticker on it. Inside was everything, except for a memory card -- the CDs, printed docs, AA batteries, wriststrap, cables were all included. A sticker noted that memory cards are not included with refurbished products. Since I have a half-dozen of 'em, that was fine. A separate paper indicated the camera carried a full one-year warrenty from Canon Canada. As for the camera itself, it was... Read more →

Commentary on the S3

Details are out on the Canon S3is, which is due to become available in North America in May. Apparently it is already available in Europe. Reading over the specs, it seems that the third generation of our beloved S-series is simply a "get an update out of the door" model. Let's take a look at the specs (which you can read in detail at Digital Photography Review): 12x zoom, etc -- no changes there. I would like to see wider wide angle over longer zoom lens. 6.0 Megapixel -- up from 5.0. Not significant, except for increased noise, perhaps. Larger... Read more →

Broken S1is: The Repair Estimate

I received the repair estimate this week, more of an apology, actually. The zoom mechanism needed replacing, and the cost would be as follows (prices in Canadian dollars, subtract 15% for US$): Parts $220.00 Labour $80.00 Shipping $15.00 Taxes $22.05 Total cost $337.05, which includes a 6-month warranty. Getting a refurbished S1is would be about the same price, but would come with a 1-year warranty. What to do, what to do... While I was waiting for the estimate, I considered my options. I was on a trip to San Francisco, and used my first digital camera, the 7-year-old Epson PC800.... Read more →

Broken S1is

The Canon S1is got dropped on the floor. Fell out of my coat pocket as I got up. Fell two feet onto a linoleum floor. Checking it immediately, I turned it on, but the zoom lens did not extend. After a few moments, the camera turned itself off. At home, I tried a few remedies, like putting in different batteries in case the increased power might help; trying to force the zoom lens out; banging the side of the camera. But nothing worked. This damage would not be covered by the extended warranty (though my credit card), so I'll have... Read more →

E18 Web Site

The item that gets the most comments on this Weblog is about the E18 error generated by Canon digital cameras. The error means that the zoom lens is stuck and won't move -- and you can no longer take pcitures. The problem is typically caused by dust buildup or by damage. Vladan Nikolic has created a Web site specific to the E18 error. It has links to other sites, including the class action law suit begun against Canon in the USA. Visit www.e18error.com. Yesterday my camera fell out of my coat pocket two feet onto a linotile floor. The lens... Read more →

Canon Quality Below Average

Imaging Resource reports on a quality of digital camera study by J.D. Power and Associates. They interviewed 4,256 digital camera buyers in the first six months of 2005. Canon did not fare well. consistantly scoring below average for the price group. $199 or less #1 -- Kodak -- 831 (average score: 808) #6 -- Canon -- 796 $200 - $399 #1 -- Kodak -- 869 (average score: 817) #9 -- Canon -- 795 $400 - $599 #1 -- Sony -- 861 (average score: 836) #5 -- Canon -- 796 $600 or more #1 -- Sony -- 856 (average score: 833)... Read more →

Intervalvometer Bug

Members of the Canon S1 newsgroup on Yahoo have been working on a bug involving timelapse photography (called the "intervalometer" by Canon). garymansell set up his S1 to take five photographs with flash (one minute apart). The camera appeared to take the five photographs, but only the first and last photos showed up when viewed on the camera. Members of the newsgroup made a variety of suggestions. Was it the problem related to firmware revision? No. Were the batteries too weak to handle five flashes? No. technicsplayer was able to reproduce the problem using a 2GB memory card; the problem... Read more →

Canon Hoses Canadians

In the USA, the price for the Canon S2is will be US$499. In Canada, the price will be CDN$875, Canon has announced. Here in BC, the sales tax is 14%, so the total cost to the consumer is $997.50. How bad is this? The exchange rate is about 1.20, so the Canadian price should be CDN$600. Canon fleeces Canadians by $275. Electronics and camera stores are not competitive in Canada, except for Wal-Mart. Thus, unlike the USA, Canadians are stuck paying the list price. (Inverted, the super-high Canadian price is the equivalent of US$730.) Update The price in Germany will... Read more →

What the S2 Has to Compete Against

LetsGoDigital.com has some details about a new digital camera from Samsung. It looks like a digital SLR, but is not. Check these features of the Digimax Pro 815: - 15x optical zoom (equivalent to 28-420mm) - 3x more than S2. - Mechanical zoom control located on the lens barrel - that's where it belongs! - Mechanical manual focus control, also on the barrel. - 3.5-inch LCD display - 4x the area of the S2. - 2.5 pictures per second - same as S2. - hot shoe for external flashes - missing from S2. - 8 megapixel - 3mp more than... Read more →

Gems or Lumps of Coal?

Members of the dpreview Canon forum are finding "hidden" gems and lumps of coal. I've also found some from digging through the feature list and photos of the new S2is: - separate button needed for supermacro mode - when taking a still during movie mode, the still is 5-megapixel, but there is a blip in the video - this camera does not have a remote (but then the S1's never worked properly). - custom time for duration of delay and number of shots taken (my daughter's Casio takes 1 or 3 self-timer shots) - use camera as audio recorder, up... Read more →

Canon S2is Ships in June

The Powershot S2 IS (US$500) is a 5-megapixel digital camera using Canon's new, more powerful DIGIC II processor, meaning faster timings: - 45% faster auto focus - 50% faster start up time - 2.4 continuous frames per second (up from about 1.5) - take still pictures while video recording - fastest shutter speed is 1/3200 Other features: - 12x optical zoom (up from 10x, but slightly slower lens in terms of aperture size) - 1.8 inch flip-screen (up from 1.5") - USB 2.0 (up from USB 1) - video recording with stereo sound (instead of mono, but still no video... Read more →

Editing S1 Movie Files

One of the drawbacks to the Canon S1is's movie mode is that the file format is not usable among all movie editing software programs, at least not without first converting the AVI file to another format. The dpforum has a good discussion on one person's findings of which software works, and all those that don't -- Video editors for the S1 by Frank43. Suprisingly enough, the software that works comes from Sony -- and not the big brand names, like Pinnacle. Demo versions of the software available from Sony Media Software. (Problem is that you have to register with Sony... Read more →

Interview with Canon Exec

Over on Tom's Hardware Guide, there's an an interview with Chuck Westfall, manager of Canon's Technical Information Department: THG Interviews Canon Cameras. The interview is kind of slim, but there are a few nuggets worth examining. Read more →

A New S1...

... from Nikon. The Coolpix S1 is an ultracompact digital camera. The usual specs (5mp, 3x) but less than an inch thick. Has "Face-Priority Autofocus" that apparently detects and focuses on human faces, as well as in-camera red-eye repairs. Read more →

Is the Pro1 Line Dead?

Owners of Canon's Powershot Pro1 camera are wondering if it has come to the end of its life. There was no Pro2 announcement at this week's PMA show, dealers say they are not receiving replacement stock, the price has been cut significantly.... Read more →

Things I've Wondered About

As I read various discussion groups, I find answers to things I wonder about. Such as... Q1. Why does the S1iS have an electronic viewfinder (EVF)? A1. slipe: Because an optical viewfinder can't handle the 10x zoom. Also, I think, because it makes the camera easier to design; an optical viewfinder needs a clear view through the camera body, while the EVF just runs some wires to the camera's sensor. Q2. Which is better: continuous or single focus mode? A2. You hold down the shutter button halfway to lock the focus (and exposure), indicated by the rectangle turning green. In... Read more →

More on Blown Canon Fuses

Canon cameras can blow their fuses. The problem is that, unlike in cars and houses, the fuses are very difficult to replace. Here's why: * Most Canon cameras have two or three fuses, so it could be any one of them that's blown. You have to figure out which one, electrically (not visually) * The fuse is soldered to a small board that handles the DC-DC voltage conversion. That means you have to know how to unsodler and re-solder very small items (surface mount components). * The DC-DC board is inside the camera, so you have to be able to... Read more →

Canon Cameras: Exploded View Drawings

For the true camera techno-freak, Canon Manuals is a Web site that stocks "Parts Catalog" documents for almost all Canon cameras and accessories (there is none for the S1iS). The manuals are all PDF files. I downloaded the manual for my now defunct Canon G1, and it turned out to be a 23-page black-white document with exploded parts views of every aspect of the camera, along with balloon tags identifying the parts. Every little screw and bracket and component is shown in isometric views. I learned that the flash and the speaker are one unit. The last couple of pages... Read more →

Three Light Metering Methods

The Canon S1iS can meter the light six different ways. Which method is best? Members of the Digital Photography Review were debating that a couple weeks ago. Center-weighted Average measures the light over the entire frame, but places the emphasis on the centre (inside the green rectangle). On the Canon S1is, the icon looks like [ ]. Evaluative Metering breaks the image into sections, and measure the light in each section. The camera then applies some sort of formula to figure out the exposure and aperture settings. The problem is that we don't know the formula. On the Canon S1is,... Read more →

Grabbing Video Frames

On the Yahoo Groups mailing list for Canon S1iS users, Vicki asks: We have this awesome new camera and it took great movies of the snow day at the preschool -- but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to get a SINGLE PICTURE (still, not moving, so I can print!) out of the movies. If there is software I need, can someone please be specific on how to find it or download it? The archives were a bit confusing in that area. Here is one solution that worked for me: 1. Open the movie in Zoom... Read more →

Movie Adjustments of the S1iS

If you have used the S1iS's movie mode, then you are probably aware that it's pretty good: 640x480 resolution at 15 or 30 frames per second. You've probably used the zoom and noticed that the exposure is automatically adjusted. There are a couple of other functions available, which you might not have noticed tucked away on p. 56 of the camera user guide. One turns off auto exposure, the other locks the focus. To try them out, turn on the camera, and then set it to Movie mode. Change the exposure. Press the Light Metering [o] button, the second button... Read more →

LensMate Fan

A reader writes: I am a regular reader of your BLOG, and thought I would share a good experience with a vendor for S1- compatible products. I purchased the 52mm adapter and a Raynox macro lens/filter from LensMate. The adapter is better than advertized. Not only does it mate perfectly, it matches the paint finish. I added a Hoya UV filter on the end and it looks like an SLR. Most importantly, the macro filter clips to the end, and I was able to take some very close up shots that compare to those on their website. This was important... Read more →

S1 Too Popular in Australia

Over on the Yahoo Canon S1iS mailing list, rover is reporting that: Is it just here in Australia, or is there a worldwide shortage of the S1? There is a 2 to 3 week waiting list to get one here. Hopefully mine will arrive next week just in time for Xmas. It could be popularity, or it could be a manufacturing-distribution problem. Canon guesses at the number to manufacture. If it guesses low, then cameras are allocated, probably to the most profitable regions of the world. I was reading in Fortune magazine about the port of Los Angeles is becoming... Read more →

External Power Supplies

Cheaper cameras don't include external power supplies in their boxes. In mosts cases, the power supply is unnecessary, because one set of batteries often lasts for an entire day of shooting -- or longer. If you do want to buy an external power supply, it will be expensive compared with power supplies in general. The CA-PS700 is the model for my Canon PowerShot S1 iS. This Web page lists it in the range of US$43 - $85. In Canada, Future Shop lists Canon power supplies in the range of CDN$70 to $300 -- depending on the model and capabilities. (A... Read more →

Cheap Telephoto Enhancers

I have seen lowcost telephoto add-ons (under $100) on eBay that would double the Canon S1iS's telephoto out to 20x. On the [email protected] mailing list, gerald48 reports his experience: I found a 2x lens on ebay that sounded like a bargain, but like most things that sound like a bargain you get what you pay for. I purchased it, made by Merkury Optics. Guess I should have tried to check it out more thoroughly. It is a terrible lens. At full telephoto, just the center of the subject is in focus, the rest is completely out of focus. I even... Read more →

Zoom Browser 5.0 Update

Canon yesterday posted version 5 of its Zoom Browser software. It's a free update that you can download from the PowerShot Web site. Select a camera model, and then select Downloads, and then select Software Applications and Updates and then select the language and then select ... well, just keep clicking and you finally get to download the 36MB software update. (G6 customers don't need to do this download; your camera comes with it. S1iS customers can click the link down below to skip past the many pages Canon wants you to click through. And, you have to have an... Read more →

Avoid Transcend Memory Cards

The Transcend brand of memory card sometimes does not work with the Canon S1iS camera, as detailed by Luis TP at this forum. He notes: "... when connecting to the computer via USB, the S1 is not able to read the images from the card." Others have found the same problem with certain models of the Transcent: some work, some do not. Follow the tread URL'ed above for more details. Read more →

Wishlist: Zoom Overview

I was taking 10x photos of my daughter figure skating last week, and had a hard time keeping her fast moving body in the viewfinder. Which made me think: I wonder if Canon could implement a zoom overview feature. The viewfind would show the wide-angle view (so I could see the skating rink and skater in context) and a green rectangle shows the zoomed-in view (so that I can frame the skater in the picture being taken). (I've simulated the effect with the image above; click for the larger view.) Read more →

Closest Macro Distance Differs

Snoz at the Canon Talk forum found differences in how close the Canon PowerShot S1iS digital camera can focus in macro mode. * Automatic focus (MF turned off) = 5cm (about 2 inches) * Manual focus (MF turned on) = 10cm (about 4 inches) The distances measured are from the subject to the front of the lens. Automatic focus gets twice as close as manual focus! This is an interesting find, because I would tend to use manual focus to ensure that the object is in focus. Macro photography has a very short depth-of-field, and it is too easy to... Read more →

E18 Error

Some customers of Canon cameras are complaining of frequent E18 errors. One reader of this blog reports: "I get the E18 quite often. If I use the camera for a full day it comes up around 5 to 10 times in the day. I simply press the off button, and then on again. It pushes the lens out to full, pulls it back in and shuts down. I then turn the camera on again, and it works fine. I have never had it happen when my batteries were low. But I hardly ever run the camera until it shuts down... Read more →

THM Files

Robertas Murza on the Yahoo's Canon S1iS list reports: The .thm file is a thummbnail picture shown when you view the files in the camera. Actually it is a jpeg file -- first frame of the movie. I checked this out by renaming MVI_0092.thm as MVI_0092.jpg. Sure enough: PaintShop Pro displayed the picture (see image above). It's a 160x120 JPG image that even include EXIF data. By the way, to visit this group go to groups.yahoo.com/group/CanonS1IS/. Read more →

Battery Duration

Reader J. E. writes: "I just purchased the S1 iS. Great camera, however, I am thinking I may have a defective one. The batteries are dying extremely quickly. I am talking under 10 minutes, and that is just playing around with the menus, taking a few still shots, and less than 60 seconds of video. "I know you have done some experimenting with the movie mode. Do you know approximately how long a new set of 4 alkali batteries should last when the camera is shooting in movie mode? "Thank you so much for your informative site on the S1... Read more →

TIP: Turning off EVF Icons

Over at the Digital Photography Review's Canon Talk fourm, technicsplayer tells us how to turn off the info icons from the PowerShot S1iS's EVF (electronic view finder): 1. Set the modal selector to P. 2. Switch the camera to Replay mode. 3. Switch back to Record mode. 4. Hold down the Up button on the 4-way controller for about 5 seconds. The info icons in the EVF disappear, except for the Image Stablizer and Manual Focus icons (if those options are turned on). Read more →

Movie Codec

Over at the Yahoo Canon S1iS discussion group, Akif Muhtar reports: Canon movie files are encoded with Motion JPEG codec. After installing the codec, you will be able to open them with Animtion Shop. Link is provided below, Codec is free. www.free-codecs.com/download/Motion_JPEG_Codec.htm I think other movie editors will also work after instaltation of this codec. Mr Muhtar's tip is a much better reply than one from Canon Canada, who didn't answer a question from William Render asking why Canon does not include software to compress the movies created by the S1: "Thank you for your E-mail inquiry. To access the... Read more →

Size vs Quality

A reader asks: Do you have any suggestions for camera settings as far as size of file goes? I see that when I change from "Superfine" to "Fine," I can take almost twice as many pictures; the number doubles again when I switch to "Normal". Have you ever tested to see if there is big difference between the settings? The Canon S1iS provides three "quality" settings, which you find in the Func menu: Press Func, scroll down to resolution (L M1 M2 S), and then press Set. (Other cameras also provide a variety of quality settings." The quality settings actually... Read more →

Photos of Sydney

Wonderful photographs of Sydney, Australia taken by James M with the Canon PowerShot S1iS. Includes stitch photos. jamesm.clubsnap.org/canon%20S1%20IS-1.htm Read more →

S1 Tech Guide

Canon has a "tech guide" for our beloved PowerShot S1iS, called the "PowerShot Technology Guide." You can download the 12-page, 2.2MB PDF file from Canon USA. It's not so much a hardcore technical guide, as a low-level introduction to the technical features of the S1 and Pro 1. Plus, you have to wade through marketing-speak, like "Canon is uniquely positioned..." Still, it's free, and a worthwhile read to better understand some of the inner workings of your camera. Update It's not so easy printing the tech guide, because Canon assumes you have a B-size (11"x17") printer. Notice the images at... Read more →

When 10x Zoom Isn't

Your beloved Canon PowerShot S1iS features a 10x optical zoom. Yes, and no. The zoom ranges from 5.8mm (at the wide angle end) to 58mm at the telephoto end. In terms of 35mm film cameras, the equivalent would be a zoom lens that goes from 38mm to 380mm. 380/38=10, goes the math. The problem is that 38mm is not the normal view; it is the wide-angle view -- wider than a "normal" photo. What's Normal? Old timers who use film-based camers know the answer: 50mm. Strictly speaking, the zoom portion is 50mm to 380mm, which means the zoom ratio is... Read more →

Where is the Macro Button?

If you have used other digital cameras, you might notice a button missing from the Canon PowerShot S1 iS: Macro. Where is it? "Macro" and "Close Up" aren't even in the index of the camera's manual. ("Macro" is another word for close-ups. Most cameras need to switch gears to focus closer to small objecs. Other cameras require the use of macro lenses, which re-focus the camera's lens, making them near-sighted. "Macro" is curious term, coming from the Greek word for "large." True, the macro lens makes small objects larger, but you'd think it'd be called "Micro" mode, as in microscope!.)... Read more →

S3 Rumour

A Web site in Belgium is claiming Canon will announce the S3 at PhotoKina later this month. Canon has skipped model numbers before, such as from G3 to G5, but the site's price of e1,298 seems too high. All the (few) details here. Read more →

Movie Making Tips

The Canon PowerShot S1 iS lets you take movies of digital video quality. Here are some tips in using the digital camera's movie making features: Effects In Movie mode, press the Function button. You can apply a limited number of effects to the movie, including sepia and black-white. Alternatively, you can use Evaluate White Balance to give the scene a color cast, such as bluish or greenish. Should you apply effects to the movie? In general, no, because your digital video editing software can apply these and other effects. OTOH, the software is quite slow, and using the camera's effect... Read more →

Canon G6

Digital Photgraphy Review has a review of the Canon G6, in which I have sentimental interest (I used to own the G1 before my current S1 camera). Primary features of the US$700 camera are (comparison with S1 in brackets): • 7 megapixel: resolution 3072 x 2304 -- (3.2mp) • Movie clips, best quality: 640x480, 15fps, 30 sec -- (640x480, 30fps, 8 min) • Zoom: 4x optical plus 4.1x digital = 16.4 total -- (10x plus 3.2x = 32x total) • Continuous shooting: 2.0 frames per second, up to 14 frames -- (1.3fps, unlimited) The G6 has 2 more megapixels and... Read more →

Firmware Update #2

Canon has a second update for the software that runs the Powershot S1 is (firmware.) The v1.0.2.0 update improves the "communication processing with CF cards." Not clear what that means. Perhaps the camera now works better with slower cards? The update is available at Canon Japan's Web page. The instructions are not very clear. Here's how I installed the update: 1. Download the .zip file from the Canon Web site. (You'll need your camera's serial number.) 2. Unzip into a folder, such as \Canon\PowerShotS1IS_f-2 3. Double-click the UploadFirmware.exe program, and follow its instructions. 4. After clicking Finish, follow the instructions... Read more →

Solutions to Low-light Focus Problem

One of the biggest disappointments with the Canon Powershot S1 iS is its inability to focus correctly in low-light situations. That's because the digital camera lacks a focus assist lamp, as found on Canon's G-series of cameras. (The top-line Sonys go one better, by being able to take photographs in the dark with the assistance of its focus-assist lamp.) There are solutions to the problem: * Don't be zoomed out to 10x. At this zoom level, there is less "image" for the lens to focus on; the autofocus system needs contrasty edges to do its work. * Use a strong... Read more →

When to Turn Off Image Stablization

One of the special features of the Canon S1iS is image stablization, a feature that Canon mentions twice on the camera: "Image Stablization" on the lens and "IS" in the product name. By default, it is turned on. When should image stablization be turned off? * When the camera is on a tripod. The purpose of IS is to let you hold the camera, taking telephoto pictures. Normally, the 10x telephoto zoom amplifies your shaking hands. Image stablization reduces that problem. When the camera is on a tripod, your hand-shaking is no longer a problem. * When taking time lapse... Read more →