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Canon PowerShot S50 A sleek design, a hot custom processing chip, new-look user interface, direct support for a Canon inkjet printer, and *five* megapixels of resolution! Select a topic Reference: Datasheet S50 Photo Gallery! S50 Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments on S50 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Camera Modes & Menus :(Previous) | (Next): Video, Power, Software>> Page 10:Image Storage & Interface Review First Posted: 02/27/2003

Image Storage and Interface
The Canon S50 uses CompactFlash memory cards for image storage, accommodating both Type I and II card sizes. This means that the camera should also be able to store images to an IBM MicroDrive for increased storage capacity (though the User's Manual cautions that MicroDrives are more susceptible to vibrations and shocks). A 32MB CompactFlash Type I memory card is supplied with the camera. Entire CompactFlash cards cannot be write-protected, however, the S50's Play menu allows you to write-protect individual image files, protecting them from accidental erasure, unless the card is formatted.

Still images can be saved at one of four resolutions (2,592 x 1,944; 1,600 x 1,200; 1,024 x 768; 640 x 480 pixels), while movie images are recorded at 320 x 240 or 160 x 120 pixels. Still images also have three JPEG compression levels available: Superfine, Fine, and Normal, plus a RAW setting that records the image straight from the CCD, with no further processing. RAW images require the Canon ZoomBrowser or ImageBrowser software for processing on a computer. The benefit of the RAW data file format is that it compresses the image file without any loss of image quality.

A full complement of interface software comes with the S50, as does a USB cable for speedy connection to a PC or Macintosh computer. I clocked the S50's transfer speed at 528 kilobytes/second on my Sony VAIO Windows XP computer (2.4 GHz P4). This pretty fast, close to the highest I've seen from a digicam.

Following are the approximate resolution / quality and compression ratios for a 32MB card (compression numbers are based on my own computations):

 

Image Capacity vs Resolution/Quality 32MB Memory Card		RAW	Fine	Normal	Basic
Full Resolution 2,592x1,944	Images (Avg size)	6 4.9 MB	12 2,535 KB	22 1,414 KB	45 707 KB
	Approx. Compression	3.1:1 (Lossless)	6:1	11:1	21:1
UXGA Resolution 1,600x1,200	Images (Avg size)	-	31 1,020 KB	56 570 KB	110 289 KB
	Approx. Compression	-	6:1	10:1	20:1
XGA Resolution 1024x768	Images (Avg size)	-	54 583 KB	97 329 KB	177 181 KB
	Approx. Compression	-	4:1	7:1	13:1
VGA Resolution 640x480	Images (Avg size)	-	122 261 KB	199 161 KB	346 92 KB
	Approx. Compression	-	4:1	6:1	10:1

 

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Since we're talking about memory and image storage, this would be a good time to mention the following: I get a ton of email from readers who've lost photos due to a corrupted memory card. It's tragic when it happens, there are few things more precious than photo memories. Corrupted memory cards can happen with any card type and any camera manufacturer, nobody's immune. "Stuff happens," as they say. A surprising number of "lost" images can be recovered with an inexpensive, easy to use piece of software though. Given the amount of email I've gotten on the topic, I now include this paragraph in all my digicam reviews. The program you need is called PhotoRescue, by DataRescue SA. Read our review of it if you'd like, but download the program now, so you'll have it. It doesn't cost a penny until you need it, and even then it's only $29, with a money back guarantee. So download PhotoRescue for Windows or PhotoRescue for Mac while you're thinking of it. (While you're at it, download the PDF manual and quickstart guide as well.) Stash the file in a safe place and it'll be there when you need it. Trust me, needing this is not a matter of if, but when... PhotoRescue is about the best and easiest tool for recovering digital photos I've seen. (Disclosure: IR gets a small commission from sales of the product, but I'd highly recommend the program even if we didn't.) OK, now back to our regularly scheduled review...