Canon PowerShot S30A new shape, sleek design, direct support for a Canon inkjet printer, and three megapixels of resolution!<<Image Storage & Interface :(Previous) | (Next): Test Results & Conclusion>> Page 11:Video, Power, SoftwareReview First Posted: 10/1/2001 |
Video OutThe S30 has a video-out port that supports the NTSC timing format on US and Japanese model televisions (the PAL standard is supported on European models). The video output can be used for reviewing previously recorded images or running slide shows from the camera. It also shows all three LCD menu screens, as well as the preview display from the LCD viewfinder.
The output cable is a true AV cable, as it fans out into two RCA jacks, one for video, and one for audio. Plugged into any video monitor (or TV with direct video and audio inputs), the audio capabilities of the S30 make it a potentially effective portable presentation device.
Power
The S30 is powered by an internal Canon NB-2L rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack. The camera ships with one battery pack and charger. An AC Adapter Kit ACK700 is sold separately, with a power adapter, DC coupler, and power cord. A built-in rechargeable battery maintains the date, time, and other settings, drawing power from the main battery to recharge.
The camera has a Power Mode Indicator lamp directly to the left of the Replay button, which stays on as long as the camera is powered on. An orange light indicates Shooting mode, a green light indicates Replay or printer connection modes, and yellow indicates computer connection mode.
Because the S30 relies on its LCD display for viewing and selecting some of its settings, it can be somewhat of a drain on the power supply. Fortunately, the camera has an automatic shutdown mode to help conserve battery power, and you can control power consumption by reducing the amount of information displayed on the LCD monitor.
The proprietary battery connection prevented us from performing our usual power measurements on the S30, but we did run the camera continuously for about 65 minutes in its highest power-drain configuration, in capture mode with the LCD enabled.
Included Software
The Canon PowerShot S30 comes with a nice complement of software on the included CD. Compatible with Windows (95, 98, NT 4.0, and 2000) and Macintosh operating systems, Canon Digital Camera 7.0 allows you to download images from the camera, process RAW data files, stitch together images shot in Stitch-Assist mode, set up images for printing, and operate the camera remotely from the computer. Bundled software packages include: ArcSoft PhotoImpression and VideoImpression for editing images and movies, Apple QuickTime 5.0, Canon ZoomBrowser EX (Win) and ImageBrowser (Mac) for downloading and organizing images and processing RAW files, PhotoRecord (Win) and ImageBrowser for printing images, PhotoStitch for merging panoramic images captured in Stitch-Assist mode, and a unique application that allows you to operate the camera remotely through your computer (RemoteCapture 1.1).
This last function is the most interesting of Canon's software offerings. The RemoteCapture software interface displays a preview window with the same image as that seen on the camera's LCD monitor, along with thumbnail views of already captured images, the number of shots available, a histogram of the preview window, a listing of exposure settings, and a set of control buttons that enable you to release the shutter, rotate the image, view the image, and delete the capture. There's also a "Comments" feature that allows you to add short notations to the image file. Unfortunately, you can't change the exposure settings through the software interface, but you do have access to the self-timer and an interval shooting mode through the File menu. The Interval shooting mode is only available through the RemoteCapture software (not on the camera), and sets the camera to record a series of images at set intervals, creating the effect of time-lapse photography.
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