This is a very small and light camera so you can actually take it with you to parties, clubs, and family gatherings without lugging a more high-end camera. It also passes as a "normal" camera in events where professional photography equipment is not allowed (ie concerts and games) but this is a powerful camera.
The image sensor and quality kit lens are at par with the $1000+ cameras as well and has plenty of room for growth if you want to add lenses (I got the 55-200 VR Nikkor lens and am getting ready to order a fast portrait lens and an external flash). Megapixels DO NOT determine a camera's quality. 6 megapixels is PLENTY of resolution unless you absolutely need to print huge posters in which you know who you are.
I mention this because alot of people may be tempted by the D40x or the canon XT or even the XTi and think megapixels determine the quality...they don't. I think this is a much better feeling camera than the XT and XTi and has a bigger LCD screen and can use many legendary Nikon Lenses. You won't be sorry.
And don't worry, if you outgrow this in 3 years, you'll get the equivlent of the D200 at at D80 price Can only autofocus with AF-S lenses and not the AF lenses (although it does auto metering). To that I say BIG DEAL. Unless you have a ton of older nikon lenses (all of which mount to this body), you'll be buying AF-S lenses anyway.
10 Megapixel resolution provides quality for great prints, even enough to crop large amounts of the original image (say to get a close-up print of a distant subject). The camera is very fast, and when set on continuous shooting mode, there is no delay causing you to miss the best shots. The command wheel on the back of the camera is also very handy, offering rapid access to ISO, Shooting Speed, Macro, and Manual Focus options. This works great for me, as these are the features that I use most frequently.And of course, the real reason I bought this camera, a 20x optical zoom (28mm to 560mm equivalent). No need to swap or carry spare lenses, and no missing shots while changing lenses. Just one lens that rapidly gives you stunning close-ups in macro, and great close-ups of distant subjects.
The video feature is great as well, and one thing I love about this camera series.
Cons: Shooting in ISO 1600 has produced a large number of grainy images, which was disappointing when looking through my vacation photos. All those low-light moments I thought I had captured...well, I had, just not as well as I had hoped.
Grainy photos aside, I've had a great time with this camera. I upgraded from the PowerShot S3 IS only to obtain the 20x zoom (instead of 12x), and I am very happy I did. Both are great cameras, and after purchasing my first two cameras from a competing brand, I'll won't buy anything but Canon unless I have some horrible experience.I took this camera on vacation to Mexico, and was able to get great photos of whales, crocodiles, and all the moments I hoped to capture. The 20x zoom is extremely clear, and I am very pleased with it.Consider this scenario if you have any doubts:On a wildlife tour in Mexico, I could take a group photo on our boat, then zoom in and get a photo of a camouflaged crocodile, then press the one-click movie button to capture a heron flying into the distance, all in the space of a few seconds. This camera is awesome.I am definitely NOT a good photographer, but this camera makes it almost too easy to take great photos.
Incredible zoom. It's what makes this camera shine. Very useful when taking pictures during events where you're limited in how close you can get to the action. It will take clear pictures of object 40ft away just as if they were 10 ft away.Huge LCD that's bright and sharp. No problem view outside at all.Face detection that works very well.IS technology is definately awesome. Took a picture of the ceiling fan while moving the camera, and the picture came out with barely any blur. Scrolling dial makes for easy and quick navigation of menus.
- Nice, very fast lens. Aperture is what you would get in a nice SLR (f/2.8-4.3). Lens is the main reason I bought this. You can't get such a fast lens in more compact cameras. This is like an SLR.
- Zoom is great. 6-60mm.
- I love the Image Stabilizer- great when taking zoom pics.
- Ease of use. very intuitive. Thats the reason I bought the s45 in the first place and they have kept the same interface.
- The scroll wheel is a big improvement.
- I am still running on the supplied batteris- 200+ pictures.
- The flash is good enough for my use.
Being an owner of 5 previous A Series Canon cameras, I'll have to say this camera is night and day. I wanted a camera that gave me simplicity but also robustness. Meaning, it allows me to take quick pictures when I want, and customize the settings for advanced shots whenever I want. It's what I've been looking for, for years now.
One look at the specs and you will see there's nothing in this price range to compare to this camera - the 10x optical zoom was the clincher for me.
I'd owned a Canon Powershot S500 for several years and loved the camera, but unfortunately I broke the screen at a concert last week and was looking for a camera to replace this. Having owned a Canon for many years with no problems I'd already decided to stick with them, the only question was which model. This camera does absolutely everything.
Cons: None to speak of as yet. Specificationwise this camera has it all, the only question mark I won't be able to answer for many, many months, and that is reliability. That said, the camera feels sturdy and solid, so with care I'm sure it'll be fine.OK, have to admit that the focus on close up items when going into the digital zoom levels was a bit off, but hey, you try zomming in 24X on something 18 inhces away! And it's not as "wide" an angle at 1X as I would like for indor, group/party pictures...
Before this, I have had 3 or 4 Canon camers (just now upgrading from an S50). Not only is this small, light weight, uses "normal" batteries, etc., but it takes a GREAT picture, and with 10MP and 6X zoom, I will always be able to get the shot.
This camera is inexpensive but it has many desirable features. I comes with good documentation and the included software is great (I usually don't bother with the software that comes with my cameras and such, but this time I'm really glad I did). It's also easy and fun to use.
Cons: The Kodak batteries that came with the camera were dead. (No biggie, imo.) The battery door (as with most Kodak [and HP] camera's I've seen/owned) *is* fragile. Batteries should be installed and replaced with care. Slow and easy wins the race here. Otherwise this camera is an excellent deal.
I purchased the largest of the accessory kits so I wouldn't have to run out and buy anything else for this camera, and I'm glad I did. The case that came with it is great, but the display protector was a waste of time (it's not necessary, really - the C913 has a nice matte finish that looks pretty rugged). Everything else was of good (or better) quality (the tripod is awesome), and well worth the extra $. (I gave this camera a rating of 5 because 4.75 wasn't an option. 
The metal casing feels good in the hand, makes it feel more like a serious camera unlike the cheap plastic cameras. Takes excellent pictures. Excellent manual control option, good for being creative with your photography. Controls are easy and quick to operate.
Cons: Battery/memory card compartment cover will come open if you're not careful. Does write a little slow, compared to film cameras where you just snap and go this takes a second to write to the media, but that seems to be a problem with most digital camera's.
An excellent for snapping photo's.
Very nice looking camera. Bright display. Seems to be solidly build. Took a few test pictures to see how easy it was going to be with different ISO settings, red eye filters and setting up. It was a surprise to see how quickly I could learn the new layout over my other Sony.
5X zoom lens is a nice addition over other 3x zooms. Canon puts out some nice digital camera's so you really cannot go wrong with them.
Cons: Not really a con per se, but you will notice the camera is slightly heavier then others. I had a Sony before. The manual is more extensive then others, so be prepared to sit down and have a good long read.
This is a Canon XHA1 Video Camera Package. Purchased in July 2008 for over$5300.00 and used for a total of three weeks on a short film project. Has been sitting in it's case ever since. Everything is in perfect working condition and excellent cosmetic condition. Camera comes with Swiss Army Case and all original cables and components. (Component, Firewire, Charger and more are supplied) Comes with original Tape - Never used. Comes with original Battery. Also comes with the following: Manfrotto 501HDV+525MVB - Is exactly as shown in the picture, including exact case. Rode Microphone NTG-2 Condensor Shotgun Microphone - Includes 12" Microphone connection cable for the Camera, is exactly as shown in the picture.
This is a great camera for its price. Still images are only so-so. There is too much loss of quality on anything over 8 x 10; however, most people aren’t buying it for stills. Snap shot size is really not bad. The video image quality is excellent; not quite as good as satellite or cable but very, very good. Editing is a problem as others have noted. I tried the Pixela program that comes with the camera; it is not as bad as many have said, it just doesn’t have the multitude of options available with other programs. It is included in the price however.
I tried Corel Video Studio Pro X2 because I have used Ulead in the past and prefer its interface over the others; results were extremely disappointing. I hate to say anything good about Sony but Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 9 Pro Pack does a really good job of producing very good (not excellent) quality standard DVDs. It certainly has just about everything an amateur can ask for as far as features. I don’t like their timeline.
Purchased this camcorder to finally step up to HD from my Canon GL2. WOW! Bright and vivid colors really look great. The controls of the camera, as well as the menus are well layed-out. With a 16GB card (from Newegg) I can record over two hours of 1920x1080 HD. The footage imports into Final Cut Pro (log and transfer) with no issues and looks amazing. The only thing I miss is a viewfinder. The Bad thing is though Purchased my HF100 for a Spring Break trip to Destin, FL. UPS delivered it the day after we left home, so I didn't get to record vacation footage.
