Digital-Camera Reviews

Its very hard to select a digital camera for purchase with dozens of models out there. Reviews will help but its you who has to make the final decision.

LC33 is one of the rare non-Canon's worth considering. Its got a lot of features, fast performace, sharp images and reasonable price.

Pro's,
1. The image quality is very good, sharp & clean.
2. Fast performance, quick to do everything.
3. Got a unique mega burst mode to capture 5-8 images per sec, extremely handy for sports pics.
4. Build quality is very good and camera feels perfect in hand.
5. Runs on standard NiMH AA batteries, has video out and uses standard SD/MMC cards.
6. Panasonic is running a promotion currently for free 128MB SD card and 4 NiMH batteries after a rebate.
7. Uses only 2 batteries unlike 4 for A70, making it light weight.

Con's,
1. Bigger than Canon Elph's (about the same size as Canon A70).
2. Plastic tripod mount.
3. No manual controls except white balance.
4. Some noise in photos.

Overall LC33 is better than elcheapo Fuji's, Olympus D560 and Nikon 3100. (Cameras like those from Gateway, Samsung, Vivitar, Argus etc are just pathetic in comparison, don't waste money on them.) My recommendation is to get either Panasonic LC33, Sony P72 or Canon A70.

I did fair amount of research and concluded that the Panasonic Lumic DMC-LC33 is the best value overall. With the Leica lens, it takes absolutely great pictures that are comparable to those of film cameras. It is very easy to use. The mode dial (choice of simple, normal, macro, portrait, landscape, night portrait, motion) help beginners to take nice pictures. For sophisticated users, it has many control enable you to adjust ISO, EV, white balance, etc. Besides the picture quality, its speed is one of the best among digital cameras. You almost don't feel any shutter lag. I especially like the burst mode which let you take 5 continuous shots in one second, perfect for those hard-to-catch moments. The movie mode appears a bit jittery at 10 fps, but like its still images, the picture quality is very good. I have seen other reviews mentioning the flash being weak. However, I found it adequate and can be easily enhanced by setting ISO to 400. Its size can fit into a pocket.

I think maybe because Panasonic is not as well known in camera as brands such as Canon, Nikon, Olympus, etc., so it prices its models very competitively. This is a great camera at a valued price. I couldn't be happier with it. Strongly recommended.

This camerae is fabulous. The photos are clear and crisp. The settings enable you to tweak almost anything you want. There are special photo modes. Including a 'heart' mode which is basically point and shoot friendly. The quality is outstanding and the price is comparably less than the cannon A60, but without sacrificing quality standards. Plus this camera takes 2 AA NiMH at a time and not four like other cameras, a huge plus. This way you can carry extra batteries much easier. A battery charger is a must so plan to buy one. With usb 2.0 you'll have your pics on the computer in a flash. Don't be discouraged by all the special settings. Just make sure you have the photo on enlarge quality and not internet, so that it looks good. All resolutions come out nicely. The movie mode is in quicktime format and the movies come out surprisingly clear and the audio is great esp for such a small mic, it picks up everything. I can't say anything bad about this camera but...

The only cons are, make sure you hold the camera on your subject(s) for at least 2 seconds or the pic will come out blurred. Bad lighting makes for some digital noise (grainy). And make sure you purchase at least a 128mb SD card. This camera has been discontinued due to it's lighter remake, LC50. Go buy one and take awesome photos :-)

The charger makes quick work out of charging all four batteries simultaneously, and automatically shuts off when finished, which is very convenient--no more burned out batteries.

Also, the batteries, 1850 mAH, which come with this charger seem to be the highest rated you can buy, and do last very long. Just out of the box, without prior charging, they already outperfomed the Alkalines I had been using previously in my Canon A70. Definately a great buy.

One complaint, however, is that the springs that come down to hold smaller AAAs in place break too easily, and will not firmly hold AAAs in place while charging. This has absolutely no affect on Double A batteries, but is an annoyance when trying to charge triple A batteries. It will still charge them, but it's a hassle trying to get the batteries to stay in place when the clip does not hold them sturdily.

Overall, a sufficient battery charger. If you are just using it to charge AAs, this is perfect. If you will primarily be charging AAAs, I would look into a different charger, perhaps one that does not involve spring-loading holding mechanisms at all.

I need a fast, compact charger that could easily fit into my digital camera bag. Other chargers are compact, BUT the electric cord takes up a lot of room. This charger DOES NOT have an electric cord to contend with, Instead, it has a collapsable plug, which folds completely hidden into the unit when not in use, allowing it to be placed neatly into the camera bag pocket.

With the storage issue taken care of, the performance of this unit is above expectations. The recharging process is less than 3 hours. Unlike other models, you can recharge either one, two three or all four batteries at once and still get a full charge on all batteries. The two battery option is nice for my kids walkie-talkie batteries. The shut down mode when complete is a nice option that is really needed, especially for the time when you forget about the charger until the next morning.

I've tried several other chargers and this is the BEST model that I have worked with. Compact, easy storage, fast charging, auto shutdown, charge less than 4 at a time. ALL the options I need for a battery charger.

I recently bought this charger kit from Amazon and I am quite happy with my purchase. The folding plug is nice for storage. The included 1850 mAh batteries last for a long time in my Nikon Coolpix 2100. One of the best features of the charger is that each battery is charged separately (as opposed to in pairs) so that each battery gets just the right amount of charge. The short 3 hour charge time is great as well. The batteries do not get overly warm while charging either.

Overall, this is a good charger for a good price. If you have a high drain device, the Kodak K2000 should keep you playing for a long time.

I have used this digital camera for several years and LOVE the large hard drive for saving images. I have now taken over 5000 pictures of my daughter (from birth to 2 1/2 years of age.) I have used ONLY three SuperDisks, and I haven't had to delete anything yet. This is a GREAT feature.

Recently I updated my computer to Windows XP and I found I could no longer locate the SuperDisk to download images using the USB cable. I was able to find a driver update on the Panasonic website. For those having similar problems downloading using the USB cable with newer versions of Windows, try this website for the updated driver:

http://www.panasonic.com/consumer_electronics/digital_cameras/software.asp

I would HIGHLY recommend a SuperDisk digital camera to anyone in the market.

The Simon Said review is a "Real Bummer"! I doubt Simon has ever held this camera. I found it very easy to use. It is of very good quality and has so many features. The sound byte feature is great for pictures for the internet. The battery is very impressive since it lasts about 3 to 4 hours and charges in about an hour. It can even be used as a usb zip drive to save data from the computer. I can't find any fault with this digital camera. It would be nice if the zoom feature was stronger but it does everything I need.

This was my first digital camera. However, I have bee using the Mavica that belongs to a friend for some time. After seeing its debut, the Palmcam as Panasonic calls it...I knew I wanted one. Once you connect it via its USB port, Windows sees it as another disk drive. From there its easy to copy to the hard disk for speedy printing or processing with the included photodeluxe from Adobe - or you can leave the photos on the superdisk to do with as you please - 1500 photos at normal resolution, 800 at medium and 400 at high resolution is a lot of space - you don't have to carry ten floppies with you anymore! Batteries? One recargeable battery pack is all you need, it recharges in less than two hours - unless you plan to take photos nonstop for more than an hour - then get a spare if you can't use the direct DC adapter which gives you unlimited power. It may be slow in terms of waiting for the photos to write to the disk, but that's what the burst mode is there for if you need it. Mpeg movies are limited to ten seconds though, I would have liked to see more time available in this mode. Otherwise I have had no complaints.

This camera was the best investment in my photography that I could have imagined. Without the cost and concern of film and processing, I was free to make as many photos as I wanted, and to adjust the settings to learn about the effect of such control. With my EOS lenses, my existing investment was prolonged. I have printed and posted much of my work, and the quality has met or exceeded local labs.

All of the nice things you're hearing about this camera are true. If you already own a camera in the Canon EOS line and are ready to upgrade to digital, this is the path you want to take. It has all the features a sophisticated amateur wants, plus a healthy serving of "professional" features thrown in. And as others have said, all the lenses and most (not all) of the accessories you already have will work with the D30.

There are a few drawbacks, however... For one thing the autofocus relies on an incandescent lamp rather than the infrared found in nearly all other EOS models. This is a curious choice on Canon's part, it almost seems like they didn't throw in professional-quality autofocus for marketing reasons, since there's a true pro-level Canon digital SLR due out later this year.

Another drawback is that the included software, called ZoomBrowser EX, is not that great. It's designed to help you capture, download, and catalog your digital images, but it runs out of steam once your image library grows to a non-trivial size, and if you want to merge databases because you've done collection on another computer, the software more-or-less becomes unusable.

Also, you end up paying a lot more than $3000, even if you already have the lenses from your other Canon EOS camera. First comes the Compact Flash cards (you really need to get at least two of these so you always have a spare). Figure on getting at least two 128MB CF cards, if you really must have a microdrive that will cost you more. Plan on getting an extra battery too. Then there are the Canon accessories, like a better (infrared) autofocus lamp, an electronic timer for long exposures and intervalometer work (which the included remote-capture software does not do well), and you get the idea... you really have to budget $4000.

Having said all that, this camera really is a joy to use, and once you get used to the instant feedback, your shooting skills will improve, and you'll start getting compliments on how good you are. It really *is* that *good* of a camera. Just be warned that you are jumping into the deep end of digital photography if you get this camera. ... ;-).

If you want the ultimate in digital photography, the Canon D30 is the ticket as of December 2000 -- especially if you already own Canon EOS lenses, because they're completely compatible. Canon won't call this a "Pro" camera, because it's not as weather-tight as pro models, but the body is rugged and the output is first-rate.

The D30 has enough features for professional photographers, yet a novice can get great looking pictures from the start. As you learn more about the camera and its capabilities, your images really start to shine.

Want to experiment with long-exposure photography? Go right ahead! Feedback is instant. No more waiting for processing. No more developing costs. Want to blow up your photo to 8x12 inches? No problem. With a little massaging via Adobe Photoshop (tm) and/or Genuine Fractals (tm), even poster-sized prints look great, using photo paper and a photo-quality inkjet printer. Software to get you going, including Photoshop LE, is included.

The D30 accepts IBM Microdrives (1 gigabite of storage in the camera!) as well as compact flash. The included 16 meg flash card is enough to test the camera, but you'll really want to get something bigger, right away. The D30 offers a variety of image compression options -- including the Raw format, which allows the most flexibility and avoids jpeg artifacts. The wide variety of storage options means freedom to shoot at will and experiment. An included cable allows you to connect your camera to your computer's USB port and download images at will.

As I said, all Canon EOS lenses will work with the D30, but there is one difference to consider. Because the CMOS chip is smaller than a 35mm negative, the field of view is different. For example, a 100 mm lens on an EOS film camera works like a 160 mm lens on the D30. They call it a 1.6x multiplier effect, but what it means is that long-distance shooting is easier, and to get wide angle shots, you have to get a REALLY wide lens. For example, a 14mm aspherical wide angle results in a 22mm wide angle shot on the D30.

When the D30 was first released in the Fall of 2000, the demand was far beyond what Canon could produce... in the United States and around the World. As of this writing, the cameras are still in short supply, but well worth the effort and the investment. Kudos to Amazon for adding the D30 to their digital photography offerings.

We are constantly amazed at the image quality. It is especially good at macro imaging...it does a little less well in low light...would suggest using tripod for low-light situations.

The size is perfect. When the power is off, it is just a small steel box that fits perfectly in my pocket. There are no worries about scratching the lens or a knob breaking off. GREAT DESIGN!

The pics that we have printed onto paper are truly picture perfect. I would recommend this camera to anyone looking for a camera that trvels well and has unlimited possibilities!

Our favorite features:
BLACK AND WHITE!
Multiple exposure!
Macro...extreme close ups show amazing detail!
Smart Media (we have three 64 MB cards and can take about 300 photos without downloading to the computer.)
PRICE!

PROS:
This camera has worked as anticipated. With all the buttons and the sliding lens cover, the manual does note that it is extremely sensitive to sand--not a beach camera.

The original battery is still working. I ordered a second one from [store] and it is already weaker than the original. Get original batteries, even if they cost more.

The compact size is definitely a plus. Less conspicuous and it will even fit in a shirt pocket. (a little tightly)

I think it's been dropped a few times with no noticable decrease in performance.

I have a 64Mb and 128Mb in addition to the 16Mb card that was included with the camera and haven't run out of disk space on an outing yet--even on highest resolution.

CONS:
Due to the small lens size, pictures taken at closer ranges (4 feet or less) can be very slightly bowed, or bulge in the middle, as noted when a photo has lots of horizontal lines. This can distort portraits.

Wish I could get closer to images

I bought a FinePix 4800Zoom as a customer return at a local computer store. I feel I got a fabulous bargain!

The feel of the camera is solid and the metal skin really makes it look elegant. I've seen a lot of silver-painted cameras that just look cheap compared to the 4800. The vertical form factor is a bit strange, but it works out very nicely - not a bit awkward and equally easy to operate for small and larger hands.

The image quality really does live up to the 4.3 megapixel claim. It stays crystal clear when blown up several times on the computer screen. 4x6 prints on my HP 952c with premium glossy paper are beautiful. The color rendition is as good as Kodak film, no, actually, I think it is better. Most of my Kodak film printed at Sam's club comes back with very exaggerated reds. The 4800 gives a more balanced, believable color pallette.

The FinePix 4800Zoom has a full array of well thought out features. The cradle arrangement is really convenient. I just open a tiny sliding cover on the bottom, drop the camera into the cradle and punch the power button. Presto! My iMac fires up its own camera software and asks me if I want to download all or some of the pictures. Then it does it all for me. Sweet! The cradle is also the battery charger.

I don't know what is happening to the customer from San Jose, but I certainly get razor sharp, gorgeous pictures with this camera. He/She may be having difficulty with the way the shutter release works. You have to push it and hold it for second, holding the camera still all the while. The picture is actually taken after the initial push. This caused me a little confusion at first. My first shots were sort of out of whack. Once I got the hang of the push-and-hold technique, everything came together nicely.

All in all, I am totally satisfied with the Fujifilm FinePix 4800Zoom. Highly recommended!

I was considering buying both a digital camera and camcorder since I do a lot of work in both. Howevever, my friend got a Sony DSC T1
and I found out it can take video 640x480 @ 30fps! Although I wasn't too keen on spending over $500 on that, I found out about the DSCW1.

First off, the battery life is fairly decent. I've charged up the included pair and have been using the camera frequently with little problem in battery life, but if you do run dead on the included batteries, you can always stop by a shop and pick up more AAs which is really convenient since you don't have to rely on a proprietary format.

If the 3X optical zoom isn't enough for you, you can always buy a telephoto attachment and screw it onto the lens.

Unlike the DSCT1, the W1 uses the standard memory stick size so you don't have to buy the more expensive Pro Duo sticks. At the same time the camera can use up to 1GB memory sticks.

2.5" LCD is very nice but not a neccesity.

5MP gives great pictures and when scaled down makes an even nicer print.

Don't bother with the included software. If u run windows XP the camera is recognized as a disk drive and you can access pictures immediately after plugging camera into USB.

If you do get this camera, definitely get a Memory Stick Pro 256MB. The 32MB stick lets you take maybe 12 or 13 pictures at max res and 23 pictures @ 3MP. You also can't take advantage of the 640x480 30fps video recording.

Great camera.

My last camera was a Sony Mavica CD300. Aside from recording onto a mini CD, its best feature was its large 2.5" screen. It's almost like having a Polaroid instant camera. You take a picture and pass it around. People love looking at pictures on the camera. You can't get that same effect with most digital cameras today.

I bought the W1 because it also has a 2.5" LCD screen, but the camera itself is 1/4 the size. And this screen is actually much clearer than on my previous camera or on the Sony V1 (which this camera replaced).

The picture quality of the photos is decent. (I'm no expert.) Startup is super fast. There's no lens cover, which is convenient. And it uses rechargeable AA batteries. I bought an extra pair for $10. It's also got an optical viewfinder so you can turn off the screen to save power while you're taking photos.

A lot of usability improvements - They finally replaced the directional pad with buttons; the center used to be difficult to press. The on-screen menus are easier to read. A cool new feature is that when you select the camera mode by rotating the dial, it temporarily displays the icons rotating on the screen, so that you don't have to look at the top of the camera.

And even the manual is much improved.

The flash seems a bit small, but I haven't tested it out fully yet. My only real complaint is that it doesn't come with an AC adapter to directly recharge the camera. A cradle would be nice too. You have to take out the batteries and use the included battery recharger. Perhaps this is a better system, but I'm not used to it yet.

Overall I'm thrilled with this camera.

despite other reviews about slightly blurry or out of focus pictures, i haven't had that problem at all with this camera. digital noise might be a problem, but you can force a lower iso. if you know enough about photography, camera settings, and lighting, you can take beautiful photos. you just have to know how to use your camera. the macro mode is pretty good, and the multi-spot focusing is nice too. you can control almost everything about the settings, like white balance, iso, shutter speed, as well as a lot of other options. i'd recommend reading the manual and getting to know your camera, but it has a lot of modes, too, for when you just want to point and shoot. you also don't always have to shoot at 5 MP, as that would take up a lot of memory; for web-use, you can shoot at a lower size and take a lot more photos. if you plan on printing, shooting at 5 MP is best. <br /> <br /> the ginormous screen is also very very nice, and i get kind of spoiled with it now.<br /> <br /> overall, i really love this camera, and would totally recommend it to someone looking for more than just a point and shoot.

I owned Sony analog camcorder for long time. Recently I bought this one for digital storage and compact size.

I am suprised to see very poor quality video compare to my old analog camcorder. video is really dark and not worth taking in home(Even on bright day). I continue use old analog camcorder for family video.

The DCRHC20 was not one of the camcorders on my shopping list, but that changed the minute I picked it up. It is small and lightweight(about 1lb), and by that I mean I can hold this thing all day without getting a cramp in my arm. Compared to the Sony 8mm I used in the past, the video quality on this blows it away in every way. The night shot is beautiful, outside shots are crisp and vibrant, and the indoor video is easily adjusted to compensate for lack of light. I have only played the video back on the TV so far, and it looks and sounds amazing! A hot shoe is on this thing to accept a video light, microphone etc. Sony thought of everything. All of the hookups are there for the VCR, computer, or whatever you want to hook thing in to. I have not tried the included software so I cannot comment on it at this time.

It is a wonderful camcorder if you want it small, easy to use, and packed with many other features that I don't have time to list. You can't go wrong with this one, see for yourself, and have fun with it.

i figured i would review it since Amazon's reviews have always helped me in the past. I am going from an old Canon 8mm, so this is my first DV camcorder. First, it is very small, in a good way. It feels solid, but not bulky. The controls are very responsive and fast. The LCD uses a touchscreen menu, i wasn't sure i would like it, but it's great. Since the menu can change with every screen, you aren't limited by a few buttons. It also has an integrated manual lens cover. The charger plugs directly into the camera, so no bulky chargers either.

The quality is good, but again, i haven't done anything more than a few test shots. I already have a 4MP digital camera, so i didn't care about photos and i didn't want to buy into Sony's Memory Stick scam. Apparently after a photo, it records 7 seconds of sound. Quite annoying.

My goal is to shoot vids of my kids and burn them to DVD with my PC. The camera comes with all the cables you need, except the firewire/IE444?/I-link cable. You can do USB transfer, but i've heard its not as good as firewire. I am very happy with this purchase and plan on keeping it.

Hi, I just tried out the S4i and have to say I'm disappointed with it. I was really excited due to the size and small lag time. I did a comparison of the s4i and my existing Canon S400 and the Canon wins with no question. The image quality of my Canon is much brighter and sharper than any of the images on the S4i.

Couple of other things I don't like about the S4i. The USB Cable isn't a standard size. Why? Also, you need to load the specific USB software to get XP to "See the USB Storage Device". It should show up as a camera. I didn't have this problem with the Canon s400. This is Pentax's way to get the consumer from returning it once they've tried it. All stores say that you can't return it once the software's open. When I opened my camera the software was already opened so I'm sure I'll have fun returning this.

I would go the the S400 or better for brighter and sharper pictures without the fuss and software.

Good Luck

I have the camera now a few weeks and I can say it is great!!! is small fits in every pocket !!! very good pictures i mean for digi cam ! if U want the best and the perfect pictures then U have to buy the pentax SLR ZX-7!!! nobody has to forgett this is a digital camera and a friend has the new sony with 5 mega pixel and these camera make not better pictures!!! i can say I'm very happy with the s4i !!! I would buy again!!!

I'd been thinking about buying a small digital camera for about 3 years. My girlfriend continues to impress me with her pont and shoot, on the go picture taking ability with her tiny camera. That's what I was looking for, a camera that disappears when you don't need it.

I was originally looking at the Nikon 3100. However, while visiting in CA, I was introduced to the Optio S4i. What a small camera! And 1 megapixel more than the 3100. All for about $50 more (or more than that, now that the 3200 is out). I did some reasearch online that night and decided to buy it the next day.

Have not been disappointed yet.

The picture quality is very good (not the bestest). The lag time is negligable and I find the interface for the most part intuitive. It has a lot of handy modes to help one take a great picture. The idiot modes included in the camera's software are great! Makes a spontaneous picture look even better. I know that a lot of people gripe about not being able to manually control the camera, but his is not what this cameral was built for. It's built for take-along point-and-shoot fun where you don't have to think too hard. Continuous movie mode at 15 frames per second is also very nice. The size is also perfect. About the size of an Altoid can - slips into a pocket easily. Tamrac makes a great carrying case which accomidates the camera and a couple of SD cards.

The only gripe I have with it so far is a minimal "fishbowl" effect that is only noticeable when a lot of straight lines are present (took a picture of a tiled floor). However, this is found in most point and shoot cameras (some more than others), so no big loss.

Overall I'd say I am very satisfied. This camera will keep me happy taking pictures for a long time. When I get used to digital pictures, that's when I will go for the SLR, control everything camera. And even then, this camera will still be great for vacations and outings where a 17 pound camera bag is a third wheel.

I love the camera and all the features . I don't miss 35 mm as much as I thought I would with this camera . I love that you can just click and e-mail right away . One problem is that I used the mavica discs and found them to be great , but expensive . So I did what every one else did , used a cheaper disc , not Mavica . They worked for a while but now , won't work at all .It won't intialize or finalize . They were not kidding when they warn that other discs will damage your camera . I called Sony and they tell me this is what happens . I have a useless camera now , it won't even work with the Mavica disc. I can still see all the already recored disc from the past but can't make any new . It's ashame because the camera takes the best digital pictures i have seen .They need to work on this since you can't even find the mavica disc in my area .Thanks alot Sony .

This camera is excellent. I use this camera to take pictures for my school's yearbook and it's made my job 10 time easier. The pictures are incredible. It's very easy to use, you can just point and shoot. I've been fiddling with the different focus and lighting settings, and i have snapped some simply amazing shots. The disc makes it easy to tranfer your pictures. All i have to do is pop it in my cdrom drive then copy and paste. The disc gets filled up fast, especially when "deleting" pictures, so buy alot of them. Movie mode shoots in the mpeg format and is pretty good quality, but use a camcorder if movies are all you plan to do.


The only problems I found would be the 3x zoom (it should be 6x at least) and the slow write speed to the disc after taking the pictures. **Also use CD-RWs, because once you finalize that CD-R, your stuck with what's on it.**

The Sony Mavica CD500 is a fine digital camera. I've enjoyed using it very much. Once you learn the controls, you can almost effortlessly take great photos. On many occasions people have remarked how clear the photos are. The high quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar glass lens and 5.0 megapixel resolution see to that!

The camera is smart enough to adjust itself for most lighting situations. If you must, you can manually set the camera to get the effect you want. The large, bright, clear color LCD screen on the back of the camera works very well - it seems to be "what you see is what you get". There is no problem viewing the image in bright daylight.

Besides the high resolution and fine lens, the BIG selling point for me was the built in 3-inch CD drive. Being able to store approximately 50 snaphots at the highest resolution setting is just fantastic. No more film to buy or have processed. I bought a 5-pack of 210MB CD-RW disks for $10. Compare that to the expensive, low capacity memory sticks that other digital cameras require and it's a no brainer.

Once the CD is full, I connect the Mavica to my Macintosh with the USB cable, download the pictures into iPhoto and that's all there is to it. Then I use the format function of the camera to erase the CD-RW and I'm ready to use the same CD thousands of times!

I love the feel of the camera as it simply oozes quality. It doesn't fit in your shirt pocket, but since it's packed with so many features that's okay by me. I bought it here at Amazon and got it at a great price.

I would like the Mavica CD500 even better if it had a 10X optical zoom rather than just a 3X. But even with a 3X zoom I can get outstanding results. I've had the camera for over a month now and I'm still pleased with this purchase.

I've bought Energizer replacement rechargeable batteries for both my S30 and my digital video camera and have found them to actually hold a longer charge and a longer battery life than the originals that came with the cameras. The going rate for the Canon NB-2L seems to be from $50 - $70. You can get the Energizer equivalent for $27 at one of my favorite sites. It's definitely not a generic and considering what Canon is charging for theirs, I consider it a no-brainer. I've never had any problems with the non-OEM batteries I've used, but I've never used generic batteries either.

By the way, I love my S30 and consider it one of the best buys I've ever made in my life. I've had it over 2 years now and the picture quality it produces still amazes me.

I have a Canon S30, and I am still using my original canon NB-2L battery. I also bought 3 additional generic batteries as spares. Of these 3 generics, one would not fully charge after 3 weeks, second one just died completely (seller would not offer refund or replacement. Now I am left with the 3rd generic and my original. Both are working fine still (the generic is 650Mah and actually allow me to use my camera for a longer time than the originals.

My review is just to share my experience with generic batteries versus original. Personally I would recommend buying the orginal since two of my generics died...and I always take good care of my belongings, so it's about quality control problems...

However, if you have to resort to generic (currently running at around 15-20 per battery) I wish you all are lucky to get a good one! (try to find seller that offer 1 yr warranty)

There's a common message here folks. The Canon batteries last. I bought a 900 mAh for $12.99, guaranteed for a year. After 3 months it died. Then the place I bought it from refused to replace it. My original Canon battery is not holding a full charge but it is a year old and works better than my fancy new powerful one. I wish I would have read these reviews before I purchased a generic. I just ordered 2 new Canon brand batteries from a reputable source.