First off, lets take a look at some specs:

• Megapixel Gross : 3.3

• Megapixel Effective CCD : 3.2

• Included Memory : 16MB

• LCD Screen Size : 1.5 Inches

• Zoom Range : 2x Optical, 3.2x Digital

• Flash Features : Auto/On/Off, Auto Red-Eye Reduction Auto/On, Slow-Synchronization

• Self Timer : Unavailable

• Direct to TV or VCR : Yes

• USB Output : Yes

• Batteries Required : Lithium Ion

 • Included Software : ArcSoft Camera Suite CD-ROM, Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM

• Included Accessories : Wrist Strap, A/V Cable, USB Interface Cable, CompactFlash Card (FC-16M), Lithium Ion Battery (NB-1LH), Battery Charger

• PC System Requirements : Hardware:IBM PC/AT compatible; OS:Windows 98/98SE/2000/Me/XP; CPU:Pentium 150 MHz and up; Interface:USB: Cable connection via camera's USB port limited to pre-installed Windows 98/2000/ME/XP systems. RAM:32MB - 98/64MB - ME/128MB - XP

• MAC System Requirements : Hardware:Power Mac/PowerBook/iMac/iBook; OS:Mac OS 8.6 - 9.2, & OS X. CPU:Power PC; Interface: USB:Cable connection via camera's USB port is limited to (Power Macintosh NEW G3/G4, PowerBook G3, iMac, iBook); RAM:20MB and up

• Warranty Parts : 12 Months

• Warranty Labor : 12 Months

One of the problems they fixed was one that I often get frustrated about. It’s the compatibility issue with a broad range of computers. In the past, the camera wouldn’t be recognized by the operating system unless there were specific drivers installed. This can (and has in my case) mean big headaches when trying to load up pictures on a friends computer, especially if you are out of town. Luckily, Canon has patched up this small hiccup.

As far as the buttons go, they are laid out in much the same way as the other models in the ELPH series. Very natural and easy to use, although, it wouldn’t hurt to make the LCD screen a tad larger.

The camera comes equipped with everything you need to get started, from a battery charger to a compact flash card. The compact flash card is only capable of holding 16 MB of data, which roughly equates to 8 high resolution pictures. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to grab a bigger flash card in addition to this camera if you are planning on buying it.

We found that navigating the menus on this camera was very easy, and the navigation structure was very logical. And Canon also includes some shortcut keys to automatically get to some settings instead of going through all of the menu options. The total recharge time is approximately 2 hours if your batteries are completely drained, and it took about 3 seconds to boot up when first turning on the camera.

Conclusion

The PowerShot S230 is a good camera considering its size and price. We didn’t have any major problems with the way it functions, and we were content with some of the upgrades Canon made. The ability to utilize the manual controls will allow those who are more tech savvy to tweak to their hearts content, while others who just want to point and click are able to do so. If you are an advanced camera user, and are looking for something with a little more ‘umph’ then we wouldn’t recommend this model. If however, you are just getting into the digital camera scene and would consider yourself somewhat technical, then this would be a good choice.

Here are some links to the lowest prices we could find for the PowerShot on the net:

$308 at Camera For Less
$269.88 at Amazon.com

There are also some used cameras selling at Amazon for around $250.