First Thoughts - Canon Powershot S410

First Thoughts -- Canon Powershot S410

Before we publish our full review of the Canon Powershot S410, we wanted to give you a little preview and let you know to check back within a few weeks for the full review.  The Canon Powershot S410, an update of the S400, is a member of Canon's Digital Elph line.  The camera can shoot up to 4 megapixels, and has a 3x optical zoom in the familiar Digital Elph body. 

Quick Features
- 4 megapixels
- 3x optical zoom
- 1.5 inch LCD
- 4 shooting modes -- Auto, Manual, Stitch Assist, Movie
- Rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery
- Compact Flash slot

The top of the camera contains the power button, the shutter release and the zoom control.  There is a green LED to let you know if the camera is on or not.

The back of the camera has the shooting mode dial, LCD, viewfinder, controls and a slider to open the slot for the Compact Flash card.

If you're looking at the back of the camera, the left side has a little rubber door that covers the ports to attach the A/V cable and AC adapter.

In the box, you'll find the camera, manuals, software, battery, battery charger, A/V cable and a 32MB Compact Flash card.  If you read my Sony P200 review, you might have heard my complaint about the pitiful sizes of the included memory cards, especially given the P200's 7 megapixel sensor.  For 4 megapixel S410, the 32MB is not as bad, so you don't get to hear my complaint again.  For the S410, if you shoot at the largest size on the medium compression setting (Fine), you can fit 27 shots on a 32MB card.

The camera is very solid in your hand.  This camera doesn't have a lot of plastic and is very compact (just pick up any of the Digital Elph line for this same feel).  The start-up time is ok (not as fast as the P200) and the shutter lag is not bad.  However, at times, it took a while for the camera to perform its auto-focus lock (while depressing the shutter part-way).

Battery life is good.  I took around 300 pictures, mostly with the flash in use and the LCD on, before the camera suggested that I charge the battery.

I was a little disappointed that the S410 doesn't have any preset "scene" modes when it does have a full manual mode.  I would think that the demographic for this camera would appreciate the preset scene modes for "beach" and "kids" more than a full manual mode.

Stay tuned for the full review within a few weeks!