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Canon PowerShot S20 Canon packs 3 megapixels and a 2x optical zoom into their "smallest digicam" body! Select a topic Reference: Datasheet PowerShot S20 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 PowerShot S20 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Design :(Previous) | (Next): Optics>> Page 4:Viewfinder Review First Posted: 4/4/2000

Viewfinder
Although the S20's optical viewfinder doesn't feature any dioptric adjustment, it has a high eye point, making it comfortable for eyeglass wearers. The optical viewfinder does feature center autofocus target brackets, helpful when composing images. Additionally, a small LED next to the viewfinder lets you know when exposure and focus are set. A smaller LED beneath that indicates whether the macro function is turned on or off (denoted by an embossed macro symbol).
The 1.8 inch, low-temperature, color, polycrystalline silicon TFT LCD monitor optionally provides an informative information display of the camera's settings. The Display button to the right of the LCD monitor turns the LCD monitor as well as the information display on and off, cycling between three modes: Off, On, and On with Status Display. We appreciated both the thumbnail index mode Playback, as well as the image zoom, which allows you to get an enlarged view of captured images. The image zoom implementation in particular has an excellent user interface. You can scroll around the expanded image display using the rocker toggle control, and a small cursor shows what portion of the larger image you're viewing at any given time. (In the screen shot at right, we've scrolled to view the right center of the full frame.)
The optical viewfinder is one of the few design gripes we had with the S20: It only shows 76% of the final image area, meaning that you have to guess a fair bit about how much of the surrounding scene the camera will capture in the final photo. The over-tight cropping of the optical viewfinder means you'll have a tendency to stand a bit too far back from your subjects until you get used to its idiosyncracy in this area. Fortunately, the LCD viewfinder is much more accurate, showing about 95% of the final image. We really like to see 100% accuracy on LCD viewfinders, but 95% isn't bad, and in fact is better than most.
We particularly appreciated one feature of the S20's viewfinder that it shares with the S10: Even if you have the LCD display turned off (to save battery power), there's an "instant review" function available simply by holding down the shutter button after you've taken a picture. The just-captured image will remain displayed on the LCD as long as you hold down the shutter button, going away once you release it. Very handy for checking images you've just shot, without having to switch to playback mode (which takes time), or having to leave the LCD lit (which takes power). Nice feature, other manufacturers take note...