Good Things Come in Small Packages - The Elph Sport

When Advance Photo System (APS) cameras was introduced in 1996, many consumers wanted a water-resistant or underwater camera. Canon already marketed the widely successful Sure Shot A1/Panorama underwater camera in 1993/94 so it was only matter a matter of time when Canon would introduce it's first underwater Advanced Photo System (APS) camera. That camera is the Canon Elph Sport (Asian/European model IXUS X-1).

At first glance, the Elph Sport looks like a toy. To get an example of its' unique design, think of a circle and cut off one quarter of that circle. You now have a general idea of what this novel camera looks like!

THE SPECIFICATIONS

Lens: Canon 23mm f/4.8
Underwater Use: Underwater photography to 5m or 16.4 feet
Focusing: Active Autofocus. Fixed focus underwater.
Focusing Distance: 2 feet to infinity (On land), 3.3 ft to infinity with flash off.
3 feet to 9.8 feet underwater, 1.5 feet to 3 feet in Macro mode.
Film Speeds: ISO 25-10000 set automatically in 1/3rd increments
Built-in Flash: Fires automatically in low-light conditions.
Date/Time and Title Imprinting: Six Languages/5 titles, Year up to 2040.
Power Supply: One (1) CR2 lithium battery
Weight: 7.8 ounces (no battery installed)

PRINT TYPE DIAL

The print dial is located to the left of the viewfinder. This dial is marked with a C, H and P. The C mode is typically called your classic setting and will probably be the setting you will almost always be taking your photos in. The H mode is a narrower and wider setting typically used for group shots with more than four or five people. Finally, there is the P mode which is also called the Panorama setting. This setting allows you to take photos of wide angle photos of subjects like the seashore or city skyline. Note, taking photos in panorama mode costs a little more than your "C" or "H" mode.

AUTOFOCUSING & FLASH CONFIRMATION LIGHTS

To the left of the viewfinder are two light emitting diodes (LED). The top light is the Green indicator and confirms autofocus. If this light is lit steadily (focus locked), your subject is in focus and you may take the photo. If it is blinking, the subject is not in focus or is out of focusing range (too close to camera). If underwater, this light will blink 16 times per second to confirm focus.

The bottom light is the Orange indicator and confirms flash charge. If this light is lit, flash is fully charged. When this light is blinking (flash turned off), it means you are shaking the camera too much. Hold the camera steady before taking the picture.

MODE DIAL

Right below the Print Type Dial is the Mode dial. This dial contains all of the functions of your camera. I will outline the various functions and what they pertain to.

§ AUTO (Auto Flash with Red-Eye Reduction) - Red eye function is utilized in this mode in low light conditions. When the shutter button is depressed, the red-eye reduction lights up before the flash fires.

Note, - Red-eye reduction does NOT eliminate red eye especially if you have blue, green or hazel colored eyes. Red eye occurs because the close proximity of the flash and lens. The laws of nature requires the flash and lens be as far apart as possible to eliminate red-eye.

§ AUTO - This is the mode where 95% of your pictures will be taken in. All you have to do is compose your photo and depress the shutter button. Flash and aperture is set automatically.

Flash range when using ISO 100 film is 2 to 7.5 feet, ISO 200 2 to 10.5 feet and ISO 400 2 to 13.8 feet.

Effective range under water is 3 ft. to 9.8 feet.

§ FLASH ON MODE - In this mode, the flash fires every time you depress the shutter button.

This is good mode to use when shooting outdoor into a shade such as when your subjects are under a tree or in a shadow of a building. The flash will fire to properly expose your subjects. Remember, the maximum effect range of the flash is only 10.5 to 13.5 feet depending upon film speed used!

§ FLASH OFF MODE - When flash photography is inappropriate, you can turn the flash off. The flash will not fire. Make sure you turn it back on when a photo opportunity exists. Just switch back to Flash On mode.

Use this mode when you are taking photos inside a church, close-up night views or when taking available light photos.

§ SLOW-FLASH SYNCHRO MODE - This mode selects a slow shutter speed to allow more light to expose your film. It is recommended that you use a tripod in this mode. Or, if you are extremely steady, you can hand hold the camera to take photos.

This mode is excellent for night scenes such as city skyline, Las Vegas skyline, etc. If you are not steady or you shake your camera during exposure, your photos will have a blurry, orange glow to it. This is because the shutter speed is too slow to stop movement.

§ UNDERWATER MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY - Use this mode for underwater photography. Maximum focusing distance is 1.5 feet to 3 feet. If you see the Green light blinking next to the viewfinder, don't be alarmed. This light will blink 16 times/sec. to confirm focus.

LOADING AND REMOVING THE FILM

The film door cover is located under the camera. Open the film door by turning the film door lever on the side of the camera. The bottom cover of the camera will swing out. You will notice that your Select/Set, rewind and date buttons are located inside the bottom cover. The film door is located to the right. Just open the door and load your film.

SELF-TIMER

The self-timer is located above the Print Mode dial on the top cover. Attach the camera to a tripod and depress the self-timer button. You have ten (10) seconds to get into the picture. This is great when you want everyone including the photographer in the photo!

DATE/TIME IMPRINTING

You have your choice of date format: Year/Month/Day, Month/Day/Year or Day/Month/Year.

Please note - Imprinting on BOTH sides of your photo and size and position of the imprint is dependent upon your film developer. Imprinting requires a specialized processor. This data is not imprinted on your negative. It is stored in a magnetic stripe on the film.

TITLES

Titles include: I Love You, Thank You, Season's Greetings, Congratulations and Happy Birthday. Available languages include: English, Japanese, French, Italian, German and Spanish.

Imprinting is on the back of your photos.

VIPER'S RECOMMENDATION

After giving the Elph Sport a workout, I was very pleased with photos taken with this camera. It was very simple and straight forward. I loved the large viewfinder. This viewfinder is a welcome surprise for people who wear glasses. The best photographs I took were within 5 to 15 feet and consisted of family and scenic shots. I would recommend this camera as a simple snap shot type of camera for photos you will be putting in the family photo album. This camera would be great as a second camera for a family to have around. It is also ideal for family vacations to Hawaii, Florida or anywhere where it is wet! Even better, this camera floats so if you drop it in the water, you will see it floating somewhere!

I was disappointed with the tiny select, set, rewind and title function buttons inside the bottom cover. The compactness of this camera required these small buttons but it still made looking for these buttons kind of a headache. But once you got used to the location of these buttons they were easy to find.

I admit I am not fond of APS because of its' limited enlargement capabilities but for a general snap shot camera, the size and weight of the camera cannot be beat.

Before opening the bottom cover after a day at the beach, run fresh water of the entire camera to remove any sand or debris from the exterior of the camera. There is an Orange O-ring running the perimeter of the bottom cover. I highly recommend you clean this seal when you take this camera underwater - especially when used in salt water. Be meticulous about cleaning this seal and grooves of any debris. Even one speck of sand or hair can cause water leakage.

Warranty: On (1) year parts/labor (Water damage voids warranty

CANON U.S.A., INC.
(800) 828-4040 or (800) OK-CANON
www.usa.canon.com