Canon: tentative A+

A few days ago, I blogged about my newest digital camera (a 6 MP Pentax Optio T10). Turns out it arrived in the nick of time, because my Canon PowerShot S230 Just Up And Quit four (4) days later. I'm hoping the Canon wasn't spooked by the Pentax' mere presence.

Turns out there's a known issue with the S230 ("Service Notice: CCD Image Sensor Advisory"), which I discovered after calling Canon's Tech Support (an English speaker, no less) on Monday.

"While reports of this malfunction have been rare in the United States, we have determined that it may occur if the product is exposed to hot and humid environments."

I'm not sure about the humid part, but the camera did fail on Saturday when the bank clock said it was 102F. Although I bought the camera in December 2002, Canon offered to repair it for free .. and they paid the (UPS) shipping, even though it's out of warranty. Wow. That's above-and-beyond the customer (non)service I've grown accustomed to from other manufacturers in the last few years.

Canon, eh? Gotta remember them. Assuming my repaired camera arrives as they predicted (7-10 days) I will happily give them an A+. There are still times when the Canon will be a better choice than the Pentax (in bright sunlight, the lack of a viewfinder makes the T10 mostly useless), although I'm really starting to like the Pentax' touchscreen and all the features it offers. The interface is very different than most digital cameras; I can get used to that very clean touchscreen.

Note to Jill-Bob:
yes, I'm gushing about both cameras. Deal with it!

Aside: I really, really like DP Review's side-by-side comparison feature. Check out the difference between my Canon and Pentax cameras.