I need advice from Canon camera owners:
Apr 13th, 2007, 10:37 AM
#1
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I need advice from Canon camera owners:
Hey Everyone,
I started a post months ago about getting a camera, and just for an update I did buy the SD 700 IS, and I love it. Its a great camera, and will do the job nicely. As for memory, I plan to take 4GB of memory on the three week vacation, which I think will be plenty (1 2GB card and 2 1GB cards). I have two concerns now, and it comes to the fact that this camera uses a lithium ion battery. The camera charger and battery are multivoltage, so I only need the plug adaptors, but I have two questions.
1). Do canon cameras automatically switch the voltage (i.e. can I just plug it in the wall in Europe, or do I need to change a setting first)? I don't really want to fry the battery by just assuming.
2). Will one battery be enough for the trip? I'll recharge it every night, but I'm not sure if the battery will go all day. The problem is that it takes an NB-5L battery, and that is a hard battery to find around here (and I leave in less than two weeks so shipping it here is expensive too). Do any of the canon owners around here have any ideas for limiting power usage, besides turning the LCD off (it has a viewfinder)?
Thanks everyone,
Shawn
I started a post months ago about getting a camera, and just for an update I did buy the SD 700 IS, and I love it. Its a great camera, and will do the job nicely. As for memory, I plan to take 4GB of memory on the three week vacation, which I think will be plenty (1 2GB card and 2 1GB cards). I have two concerns now, and it comes to the fact that this camera uses a lithium ion battery. The camera charger and battery are multivoltage, so I only need the plug adaptors, but I have two questions.
1). Do canon cameras automatically switch the voltage (i.e. can I just plug it in the wall in Europe, or do I need to change a setting first)? I don't really want to fry the battery by just assuming.
2). Will one battery be enough for the trip? I'll recharge it every night, but I'm not sure if the battery will go all day. The problem is that it takes an NB-5L battery, and that is a hard battery to find around here (and I leave in less than two weeks so shipping it here is expensive too). Do any of the canon owners around here have any ideas for limiting power usage, besides turning the LCD off (it has a viewfinder)?
Thanks everyone,
Shawn
Apr 13th, 2007, 10:50 AM
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Shawn,
I have the S-400 and plug that in all over Europe with the proper plug adapter. It works just fine. The charger is setup to adjust automatically.
I always have two batteries and I rarely use my LCD, except when doing time delay shots. I would highly recommendtwo batteries because one could go bad and without a backup you are done taking pictures until you get a new one. They are available at most stores since Canon is so common. Just look around and you should be able to find a backup.
Have a good trip.
Greg
I have the S-400 and plug that in all over Europe with the proper plug adapter. It works just fine. The charger is setup to adjust automatically.
I always have two batteries and I rarely use my LCD, except when doing time delay shots. I would highly recommendtwo batteries because one could go bad and without a backup you are done taking pictures until you get a new one. They are available at most stores since Canon is so common. Just look around and you should be able to find a backup.
Have a good trip.
Greg
Apr 13th, 2007, 01:31 PM
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You didn't say where "around here" is, but that battery should be widely available if you have a camera shop or electronics store anywhere around you. Or, if you live in the US, you can order it on Amazon and have it shipped free with "Super Saver", which will surely be there in less than two weeks; if you're nervous, standard shipping (3-5 days) should be less than $6, and even second day air not much more than $10. Many other online vendors will be similarly priced. It's NOT a rare item; they might even have it, or an equivalent, at a large drugstore.
The camera doesn't switch voltage; you don't ever plug it in. The battery charger plugs in, and can handle either voltage. Just put on the appropriate plug adapter and plug it in.
You will want the second battery. Charge them both each night (one in the evening, another overnight) and carry them both with you.
The camera doesn't switch voltage; you don't ever plug it in. The battery charger plugs in, and can handle either voltage. Just put on the appropriate plug adapter and plug it in.
You will want the second battery. Charge them both each night (one in the evening, another overnight) and carry them both with you.
Apr 13th, 2007, 01:37 PM
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I have a Canon S-50 and other than using an adapter to make the plug fit the charger works fine with European outlets. I only shoot 5 meg pictures instead of your 7 megs but a 1 gig memory card with a 1/2 gig as a backup serves me well for my trips. I think I can get over 400 shots ont he 1 gig.
Apr 13th, 2007, 05:01 PM
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I have the SD 700IS also. Just came back from Spain where I shot almsot 2 gig with that camera. I was pretty impressed with the battery life. I do have two batteries, and have always needed them in the past with all my other cameras (including the Canon elph 400) but I actually think you can probably go all day with one battery. I was also shooting with my Canon Rebel SLR so wasn't using the 700 exclusively, but I did shoot almost 2 gig worth of photos and didn't even charge it every night. If you can get a back up batter I would, but you might end up not needing it.
By the way, when I shot the exact same scene with both cameras, the 700 did a BETTER job than the SLR. I was very impressed with this camera. Happy shooting.
By the way, when I shot the exact same scene with both cameras, the 700 did a BETTER job than the SLR. I was very impressed with this camera. Happy shooting.
Apr 13th, 2007, 05:52 PM
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Ha, I just also toured Spain with my SD700is. Love my camera!
I used 4 gb of memory in 10 days, but I'm a shooting freak, plus memory cards can be purchased easily anywhere.
Definitly get the second battery. I bought mine on ebay. Just know that if you buy a knockoff brand and it damages your camera, your warranty is void. So I bought an authentic Canon one on ebay.
One of the downsides of the Canon is that the low battery light isn't really a warning, it is a statement. As in, hey I'm shutting your camera down now. If you truly do charge your battery everynight, you should be fine. But this camera is so great, you are really going to want that extra battery around. I keep mine charged and in a pocket of the case just so I have piece of mind.
I used the charger in Spain once by just plugging it in (with a plug adaptor of course). I came back a few hours later and it still wasn't charged and the charger was quite warm. So then I put my voltage converter between the battery and the wall and it charged just fine and didn't get hot. So if you can borrow a voltage converter, you may just want to take it with you just in case.
And I absolutely love my memory card holder:
http://tinyurl.com/28496n
I feel much safer with my precious photos in it.
Happy travels!
I used 4 gb of memory in 10 days, but I'm a shooting freak, plus memory cards can be purchased easily anywhere.
Definitly get the second battery. I bought mine on ebay. Just know that if you buy a knockoff brand and it damages your camera, your warranty is void. So I bought an authentic Canon one on ebay.
One of the downsides of the Canon is that the low battery light isn't really a warning, it is a statement. As in, hey I'm shutting your camera down now. If you truly do charge your battery everynight, you should be fine. But this camera is so great, you are really going to want that extra battery around. I keep mine charged and in a pocket of the case just so I have piece of mind.
I used the charger in Spain once by just plugging it in (with a plug adaptor of course). I came back a few hours later and it still wasn't charged and the charger was quite warm. So then I put my voltage converter between the battery and the wall and it charged just fine and didn't get hot. So if you can borrow a voltage converter, you may just want to take it with you just in case.
And I absolutely love my memory card holder:
http://tinyurl.com/28496n
I feel much safer with my precious photos in it.
Happy travels!
Apr 13th, 2007, 06:20 PM
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4 GM will give you about 1,100 pictures if you shoot at 7.1MP Fine mode. That's about 50/day for 3 weeks. With SD card so cheap, I say pick up another 2GB card or two.
You should be able to take 200-300 pictures per battery. So, if you recharge each day, you should be fine. And since Li-ion battery doesn't have "memory", you can recharge it every night without shortening its life. A genuine Canon NB-5L is about $35 from Amazon.com, shipped free and no tax. Nice "insurance" but not absolutely necessary.
You should be able to take 200-300 pictures per battery. So, if you recharge each day, you should be fine. And since Li-ion battery doesn't have "memory", you can recharge it every night without shortening its life. A genuine Canon NB-5L is about $35 from Amazon.com, shipped free and no tax. Nice "insurance" but not absolutely necessary.
Apr 14th, 2007, 03:44 AM
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Kelli - not sure what happened when your charger didn't seem to work I just plugged my charger into the wall with the plug adapter and it charaged fine. I also had the charger for the (different)battery the SLR uses, they both charged in a few hours with no converter.
Apr 14th, 2007, 10:18 AM
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Hey everyone,
as always, thanks for the quick replies. When I say here, I should say Halifax, Nova Scotia. Anyway, I've tried Amazon.ca, but they don't have a camera section. I tried ebay, and the only person who sold an authentic Canon battery any place other than China wanted an exorbant amount for shipping. Anyway, I've found one here at Black's photography, where they sell a kit with a second battery and a case (which I don't need as I have a better one already), for $89.99. I find this to be a total ripoff, as the camera itself only cost $350.00. Anyway, I do plan to get it, although it will be somewhat grudgingly, as this trip will cost so much anyway that another $90 bucks isn't even worth worrying about.
as always, thanks for the quick replies. When I say here, I should say Halifax, Nova Scotia. Anyway, I've tried Amazon.ca, but they don't have a camera section. I tried ebay, and the only person who sold an authentic Canon battery any place other than China wanted an exorbant amount for shipping. Anyway, I've found one here at Black's photography, where they sell a kit with a second battery and a case (which I don't need as I have a better one already), for $89.99. I find this to be a total ripoff, as the camera itself only cost $350.00. Anyway, I do plan to get it, although it will be somewhat grudgingly, as this trip will cost so much anyway that another $90 bucks isn't even worth worrying about.
Apr 16th, 2007, 08:43 PM
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I've been following all the camera threads for a while to choose the best camera to replace my starter digital, a Nikon Coolpix. It takes fine landscape photos but is too slow for capturing active little grandchildren, even when they patiently pose. I live in downtown Toronto within walking distance of many camera stores so I was able to visit them all and get many opinions.
On paper I liked the Canon S3 IS, Ira’s recommendation, but no matter how often I held it, the S3 IS just didn’t feel comfortable and I didn’t like the small swivel screen. The Panasonic DMC FZ7/FZ8 felt much better. I briefly considered getting a DSLR because of the great photos posted by some of our camera experts but realized that a smaller camera that was easy to carry everywhere would be much more practical for me and much easier to learn to use.
I started paying attention to all the recommendations for the Canon SD 800 IS camera and checked it out as well. It had everything I wanted except a super zoom but I felt that the widescreen made up for that and it was so darn cute. But the main thing was that it felt comfortable in my hands. I could see myself carrying it all the time and never again missing a photo op.
I ended up ordering the Canon SD 800 from amazon.com because it cost less with two 2Gb memory cards, camera case and extra rechargeable battery than the camera alone in Toronto. I’ll pick it up when I visit an American friend in a couple of weeks and have lots of time to experiment with it before our June trip to England.
There's something I'd like to know about rechargeable batteries too. Do they have to be completely exhausted before recharging or is that a thing of the past?
sbmarti, thanks for starting this thread. I was born in Halifax, by the way.
On paper I liked the Canon S3 IS, Ira’s recommendation, but no matter how often I held it, the S3 IS just didn’t feel comfortable and I didn’t like the small swivel screen. The Panasonic DMC FZ7/FZ8 felt much better. I briefly considered getting a DSLR because of the great photos posted by some of our camera experts but realized that a smaller camera that was easy to carry everywhere would be much more practical for me and much easier to learn to use.
I started paying attention to all the recommendations for the Canon SD 800 IS camera and checked it out as well. It had everything I wanted except a super zoom but I felt that the widescreen made up for that and it was so darn cute. But the main thing was that it felt comfortable in my hands. I could see myself carrying it all the time and never again missing a photo op.
I ended up ordering the Canon SD 800 from amazon.com because it cost less with two 2Gb memory cards, camera case and extra rechargeable battery than the camera alone in Toronto. I’ll pick it up when I visit an American friend in a couple of weeks and have lots of time to experiment with it before our June trip to England.
There's something I'd like to know about rechargeable batteries too. Do they have to be completely exhausted before recharging or is that a thing of the past?
sbmarti, thanks for starting this thread. I was born in Halifax, by the way.
Apr 17th, 2007, 05:37 AM
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I think charging issues just must happen to me! Without the converter things just seem a bit off to me. I had a hairdryer that would make much funnier noises when just plugged directly.
When the battery started to get hot, I just plugged in the converter just because I had it with me. I think if I'd given it more time it would have worked fine. Good to know it worked well for you!
When the battery started to get hot, I just plugged in the converter just because I had it with me. I think if I'd given it more time it would have worked fine. Good to know it worked well for you!
Apr 17th, 2007, 05:56 AM
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Hi Moo,
>I liked the Canon S3 IS, Ira’s recommendation, but no matter how often I held it, the S3 IS just didn’t feel comfortable...<
Then it is not the camera for you.
You made a good choice.
>I liked the Canon S3 IS, Ira’s recommendation, but no matter how often I held it, the S3 IS just didn’t feel comfortable...<
Then it is not the camera for you.
You made a good choice.
Apr 17th, 2007, 06:59 AM
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I have charged various batteries - camcorders, several digital cameras, iPods - around the world with no problem. As long as the the charger says it's good for 110-240V. Charger or the battery getting warm is entirely normal.
Apr 17th, 2007, 08:21 AM
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Good to know. It just makes me nervous when they get warm. I do always check the voltage requirements first.
All through Spain I was complaining that there was enough voltage to kill me, but not dry my hair. Our hotels all had those awful hairdryers that just blow your hair around.
All through Spain I was complaining that there was enough voltage to kill me, but not dry my hair. Our hotels all had those awful hairdryers that just blow your hair around.
Apr 17th, 2007, 11:38 AM
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ira, I'm glad you approve my choice because it was a big step rejecting the handsome and clever IRA, oops, I mean the S3 IS. Someone else commented that there isn't a perfect camera so I gave up trying to find it and picked the one that had the most features I wanted.
I don't mind recharging batteries, especially now that I know I don't have to run the battery down each time. I never had a problem using my Nikon recharger with the different voltages in Japan, Thailand, England or France.
Kelliebellie, thanks for suggesting the card safe! I ordered one too as I was concerned about keeping track of such small memory cards.
rkkwan and others, many thanks for sharing your experiences and expertise. I've made copious notes from this thread and others for reference when my new toy arrives.
I don't mind recharging batteries, especially now that I know I don't have to run the battery down each time. I never had a problem using my Nikon recharger with the different voltages in Japan, Thailand, England or France.
Kelliebellie, thanks for suggesting the card safe! I ordered one too as I was concerned about keeping track of such small memory cards.
rkkwan and others, many thanks for sharing your experiences and expertise. I've made copious notes from this thread and others for reference when my new toy arrives.
May 19th, 2007, 06:19 AM
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If anyone is interested, and you live in Canada, Futureshop has a one day special Web only 299.99 for the Canon SD 700IS, TODAY ONLY! SAVE 100.00...I just ordered mine after reading all the positive posts about it. Thanks!
