I used a friend's S200 prior to purchasing my own camera.  Although I decided to buy the S230 for the extra megapixels (3.2 versus the 2.1 of the S200) I was very impressed with the S200.  If you do not intend to make many 8x10 enlargements and none larger than 8x10 and you have a budget this is a great little camera.  The pictures at 4x6 size are as good as the S230.  The video clips are adequate and have sound.  Most important this camera boasts the same small size, easy to use dials, sturdy metal case and quality workmanship and design as its more expensive sibling.
The drawbacks of this camera are the:
  1. There is a very minimal(2x) zoom.
  2. There is not any warning before you run out of memory on your compact flash card.
  3. There is insufficient warning before you run out of power.
  4. There is an appearance of red eye in many indoor photos.
These problems can be remedied by always starting out with adequate memory on your card, charging your battery before each use, carrying an additional battery and CF card, and turning off the flash whenever there is adequate light available.  This is often the case even indoors.  As for the zoom get closer. Do not use the digital zoom as picture quality suffers.
I have discovered that by taking these precautions I've been very satisfied with both the S200 and the S230.  They are both so easy to use and to carry on even vigorous outings as they easily fit in a small pocket.  The case has protected my camera from intense humidity and a fall onto concrete.  All in all I'm very satisfied.
I used a friend's S200 prior to purchasing my own camera. Although I decided to buy the S230 for the extra megapixels (3. 2 versus the 2. 1 of the S200) I was very impressed with the S200. If you do not intend to make many 8x10 enlargements and none larger than 8x10 and you have a budget this is a great little camera. The pictures at 4x6 size are as good as the S230. The video clips are adequate and have sound. Most important this camera boasts the same small size, easy to use dials, sturdy metal case and quality workmanship and design as its more expensive sibling. The drawbacks of this camera are the:
  1. There is a very minimal(2x) zoom. 2. There is not any warning before you run out of memory on your compact flash card. 3. There is insufficient warning before you run out of power. 4. There is an appearance of red eye in many indoor photos. These problems can be remedied by always starting out with adequate memory on your card, charging your battery before each use, carrying an additional battery and CF card, and turning off the flash whenever there is adequate light available. This is often the case even indoors. As for the zoom get closer. Do not use the digital zoom as picture quality suffers. I have discovered that by taking these precautions I've been very satisfied with both the S200 and the S230. They are both so easy to use and to carry on even vigorous outings as they easily fit in a small pocket. The case has protected my camera from intense humidity and a fall onto concrete. All in all I'm very satisfied.