Canon's 2002 prosumer compact — 4MP CCD, DIGIC, RAW capture and full manual control in a sliding-cover body
The PowerShot S45, released in October 2002, was the update to the S40 in Canon's prosumer S-series — the compact line that offered manual control and RAW capture as a lower-cost alternative to the G-series. It was among the first S-series compacts to gain Canon's DIGIC processor.
It carries a 4-megapixel (2272x1704) 1/1.8-inch CCD with a 35-105mm-equivalent f/2.8-4.9 3x optical zoom in a sliding-cover metal body of around 260g. A 1.8-inch LCD handles playback, movies record at 320x240 at 15fps, and images — including RAW files — write to CompactFlash cards.
Full manual, aperture-priority and shutter-priority modes plus RAW made this a serious pocket tool in 2002, and those same features draw retro-digicam enthusiasts now. The clamshell lens cover protects the front element well, though the small screen and slow buffer date the handling.
Confirm the sliding cover switches the camera on and that RAW capture works if that is why you are buying. Check CompactFlash pins, LCD condition and the proprietary rechargeable battery — verify a charger is included. Early-DIGIC CCD files are the appeal; look for a sensor free of hot lines before paying enthusiast prices.