I love this camera and use it daily

Author's Rating:

Pros: Great daily camera. It goes almost anywhere and takes great photos

Cons: Slightly ineffective macro mode. Rather pricey.

The Bottom Line: 
You will not be disappointed if you use the S400 to take pictures of your daily activities or vacations.

Author's Review
I recently sold my Powershot S230 and purchased the S400. While the improvements are subtle, the S400 is definitely better in every way over the previous Canon digital Elph cameras.

I’m not going to write an in depth review of every feature of this camera. For detailed specifications, you should read the other reviews on Epinions or you may want to visit http://www.dpreview.com. I just wish to convey my opinions about the camera.

*** What I Like ***

- Size and Weight
The S400 keeps a fairly small profile and is a bit lighter than the S230. I know there are alternative cameras that are slightly smaller or have less weight to them, but I feel that the S400 is perfect. For the features that I feel are important, I think the size of the camera is where it should be. Yes, the Casio EXILIM EX-Z3 is smaller and thinner, but the “sliding lens” technology that they use to pack their 3x zoom results in pictures that are not as sharp as the S400. I really like how Canon packed a 3x zoom into the same size as the other digital Elphs. There is definitely a good “sturdy” feeling when you grasp the camera, but it’s not bulky or heavy.

- Interface and Usability
The features on the S400 are what one would normally expect from a pocket camera. There are just enough settings to accommodate normal shooting requirements. Accessing the more advanced features is fairly easy. I really like the addition of the thumb-dial for the left hand. This is a great improvement over the clunky button-pushing navigation that was required for the S230. It’s really easy to put the S400 into the desired mode for most shooting conditions. Indoor or outdoor, I have found the S400 to greatly exceed expectations.

I have had a great experience with the Automatic Focusing when the camera is placed in its “point and shoot” mode. The S400 starts up fairly quickly, and it is easy to get a photo at a whim. The size of the camera really lends to it being available when necessary. I am able to carry the camera around with me almost anywhere I go, and it rarely becomes troublesome.

- Photos Look Great
I really like the detail and color of the photos taken by the S400. Compared to the S230, I don’t really see much difference on most photos, but there are a few outdoor images that really look much better on the S400. A big complaint by some users of Canon digital products is “softness” with their images. I haven’t had any problems with ill-defined edges. Sometimes, the Automatic Focus seems to miss the main target that I’m trying to capture, but this is quickly remedied with another focus attempt. The only bad pictures are because of user error where I shake the camera or I fail to adjust the settings correctly in manual mode. Overall, I am very happy with the images taken by the S400. Colors look great too.

- Appearance of the Camera
The S400 is one great looking camera. I guess this is a rather stupid reason to buy it, but the exterior really shines. The layout of buttons, switches, and whatnot really compliment each other well. There is an amount of elegance with canon cameras that seems lacking in other digital cameras.

*** What I Don't Like ***

- Macro shots are fairly adequate
One thing that I really like using the S400 for is to take a quick “note” of things. I’ll actually shoot an image of something rather than write it down. Most of the time, I can get text using the macro mode. Canon claims that the S400 will focus at a minimum of 5cm in front of the lens. However, it seems to be a crapshoot on whether I’ll get any text that is clear enough to read. I can usually take more than one picture and the result will be sufficient. I’m guessing this is more of a shortcoming due to the small size of the S400, but there are a few small digital cameras, such as a Pentax Optio 550, that have much more powerful macro modes.

- The outer shell doesn’t seem as scratch resilient
I’m not sure if I was unlucky, but I managed to scar the outer surface of the S400 much more quickly than I did with the S230. Canon says that the “Cerabrite” material of the S400 is stronger and is more resistant to finger smudges. I agree, it is nearly impossible to smudge this camera. However, is now a 5mm scratch on the front face of the S400, and I don’t know how it got there. I carry it around in the same fashion as I did with the S230, but I never found any permanent marks on my S230.

- That really ugly rubber cover
There’s this tacky rubber cover that goes over the A/V and Digital output ports. It doesn’t look good on the camera.

*** Summary ***
As you can see, I don’t have any real issues with the S400. There are a few things that I would like to see improved, but overall, I am very happy with the S400. For the primary task of taking daily photos, the S400 goes above and beyond expectations. It is a durable camera that will survive wherever I take it, and it really comes through in terms of the photo quality and usability. I’m very confident in suggesting the S400 to anyone looking for a digital camera that they can use on a daily basis.