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Canon PowerShot E1
by Stephanie Boozer
Review Date: 06/24/09
With a playful array of body colors and a compact size, the Canon PowerShot E1 practically shouts “Summer!” Available in a feminine color selection of white, pink, and aqua (shown), the PowerShot E1 boasts a 10-megapixel CCD and 4x optical zoom lens, equivalent to a 35-140mm lens on a 35mm camera — all packaged in a hip, retro-chic body. And because the PowerShot E1 is all about having fun while snapping pictures, Canon included a true optical image stabilizer to help reduce blurry shots when shooting on the go.
Pointedly geared toward younger consumers, the PowerShot E1 is a solid point-and-shoot model with a lot of easy-to-use automatic features. The camera’s intelligent DIGIC III Image Processor features Canon’s effective Face Detection technology, which works in conjunction with the autofocus, exposure, and white balance systems to optimize all three for the best possible portrait shots. And because the Canon E1 will be popular with younger users, it features an Easy mode for straight automatic shooting and a greatly-simplified user interface. That said, the PowerShot E1 also features a healthy selection of manual controls, such as white balance, exposure compensation, ISO, etc. The Canon E1 also offers an extensive array of preset Scene modes, with no less than 13 presets for common-yet-tricky conditions like indoor no-flash shooting, beach shots and night scenes.
The Canon E1 features a bright, 2.5-inch color LCD monitor in addition to a tiny real-image optical viewfinder. Though accuracy isn’t as good with the optical viewfinder, it does greatly reduce the drain on battery power when the LCD monitor is switched off, and gives an alternative framing option when shooting in very bright sunlight. Though the LCD monitor is pretty bright, the highly-reflective screen does hinder its luminance under harsh sunlight. Continuing with its easy theme, the Canon E1 has just a handful of external controls and a couple of quick-access buttons for things like Face Selection and direct printing.
Light, compact, and pocket-friendly to match its fun color scheme and design, the Canon PowerShot E1 weighs in at just 5.6 ounces (160g) and measures just 4.0 x 2.5 x 1.2 inches (101 x 64 x 31mm). The Canon PowerShot E1 is available at a suggested retail price of US$200.
