The best 5.0 mp ultra-compact - easy to take anywhere!
Written: Dec 05 '05 (Updated Dec 05 '05)
Product Rating:
Ease of Use:
Durability:
Battery Life:
Photo Quality:
Shutter Lag
Pros: Very small, excellent movie mode, easy to navigate, nice photos, good size LCD
Cons: weak flash, red eye problems (as with most ultra-compact), portrait scene mode is poor
The Bottom Line: Excellent and very portable. No advanced features, but more than just basics. Be aware of flash limitations and be prepared to remove red eye after transfer to PC.
jvolzer's Full Review: Canon PowerShot SD400 / IXUS 50 Digital Camera
After comparing all the top ultra-compact digital cameras in the 5MP range, I decided on the PowerShot SD400 Digital Elph and have not been disappointed. I love this camera! About the closest camera by comparison was a Sony 5MP. One of the determining factors in deciding between the two was that the Sony used far more expensive Memory Stick Pro. I upgraded to the SD400 from the S400.
The SD400 is a 5.0 MP camera with a 3X optical zoom, 2.0” LCD display, fantastic VGA movie mode, optical viewfinder, and lithium ion battery. You can read the rest of the specs on the manufacturer or other web sites. I try to give user insights and tid-bits of information and observation in my reviews, rather than just stats anyhow. I hope the following will be found useful.
** Camera Size and Weight **
Definitely the key reason for purchasing a camera like this is size. This is definitely a small, light camera at just 3.4 X 2.1 X 0.8 inches and 5.3 oz). Even in the ultra-compact class it’s one of the smallest and lightest. Yet the layout of the buttons makes this camera easy to use. The shutter button is large and well placed such that we never have problems when we ask someone to take a photo for us and just tell them “press the large button on the top all the way until you hear the shutter sound,” and we never have fingers in front of the lens (perhaps because it’s off center, away from the shutter button side. Note that if you jump up to the 7.1MP Digital Elph, the SD500, the body gets larger and the camera a tad heavier. This is because the 7.1MP sensor itself is larger. I doubt that anyone would notice the weight, but I was specifically looking for something that was a better fit for just sticking in a pocket before running to an outing or event. I previously had a PowerShot S30 which was just too big and heave except for baggy shorts or coat pockets. But I can slip the SD400 easily into blue jeans pockets. So I find myself carrying the camera more often and getting shots I might otherwise have missed if I didn’t want to carry a camera bag or strap a holder to a belt. When I moved from the S30 to the S400, I thought that was about as small as it could get and still be usable, but then the SD400 cam out and proved my wrong. With a larger screen, higher MP, and an better button layout, I couldn’t resist the upgrade.
One final note about the ultra-compact class cameras: there are some that are even thinner, but all the ones I’ve seen do away with the optical viewfinder. This was a trade-off I was not willing to make, as I often take photos out doors in bright sunlight. I also tend to turn of the LCD when I know my battery is getting low and I want to conserve power while framing and shooting. The SD450 is the same size and weight, but you don’t get much more for the extra money, and the slightly larger screen is only likely to take more power anyhow.
** The Photos **
The SD400 takes excellent shots. I didn’t think I even needed to step up to a 5.0MP camera from my previous 3.2MP, but I found that by having more resolution to work with, I can do more cropping and still have enough left for a nice print. This is particularly nice to be able to do with an ultra-compact camera like this because the optical zoom in this class of camera is typically 3X max. I would definitely NOT recommend going with any model with only a 2X or with no optical zoom at all. I’d also recommend that buyers never even look at the digital zoom capabilities. In fact, that’s the first thing I turn off on any digital camera. I’ve found that you lose resolution so quickly when using the camera’s digital zoom that you’re much better off just getting a wider angle shot than you’d like by using just the optical zoom to its max, then later cropping the photo with your photo organizing or editing software. I did a number of comparisons with the same shot using both methods (using digital zoom vs. cropping later) and cropping later was always significantly better.
My only complaint in regards to the photo quality is that photos tend to have slightly less color saturation in too many circumstances. I find myself increasing brightness, contrast, and saturation just a tad once I get the photos to the computer. I found this to be true with my previous Canon PowerShot Camera too. It’s especially noticeable when comparing to a Kodak EasyShare camera, which tends to exaggerate just a bit on the other side, by slightly over saturating colors instead. I found that I can help this situation somewhat by changing the shooting mode on the SD400 to Vivid.
** The Flash **
As with all of the ultra-compacts, the flash is in the camera body and very close to the lens (of course!). This results in a LOT of red eye shots when used indoors! I am constantly removing this after transferring to the computer. The camera does have a red-eye reduction flash mode, but it only helps a little. This mode causes the camera to emit a white light for a second or so before the main flash fires and the photo is taken. The problem is that we miss a lot of good shots since the delay can throw off the timing. We missed the blowing out of the candles at the last birthday party we took photos for.
The specs say the flash is good for only about 11.4 feet. I’m not sure it’s even that good though. You’ve gotta get pretty close for it to be effective. So for indoor shots, I’ve learned to try to turn on every light in the place, when possible, before taking a shot. The other problem is that if you get too close you end up with it being too bright and you get nice shiny faces. You can set the flash level through the menus, but it’s tedious and you’d have to know ahead of time how to take a pretty good guess at what and when you’ll shoot, so it’s not all that helpful.
I’ve been using this camera for over six months and have finally come to the conclusion that I want to get a second camera to use for indoor shots. I plan to get one with a good pop-up flash (helps reduce red eye to get it away from the lens) with decent range and even a hot-shoe for an external powerful flash. But I’ll definitely keep my SD400 handy!
** Functionality **
The SD400 is pretty easy to use. I usually let my wife be the measure of ease-of-use since she doesn't want to have to take the time to learn how to fiddle with any electronic gadget -- she wants to just pick it up and use it. She did that right away with this camera. The controls are well placed. Having a round directional selector is so much nicer than a row of individual buttons like my S30 had. It’s no wonder this is getting to be the standard for navigation on so many new cameras. A DISP button makes it easy to turn off the LCD to conserve power. The zoom, located on a collar around the shutter button, is easy to operate and it’s not too fast or too slow. The menus are pretty easy to access. You can choose different sounds for startup and other events and set the volume level for each. There are definitely situations when it’s handy to be able to turn off sound completely to be more discrete about taking non-flash photos. I like to turn the shutter sound up pretty high before asking someone else to take a photo for me using my camera, as they can be sure it “took”. I once had a cheap Kodak digital that made no sound at all, and when using the optical viewfinder it was near impossible to tell when you took the shot!
** Shooting Modes**
This camera is best for simple automatic point-and-shoot operations. There are a number of modes, but they are hidden in menus and not on a mode dial. I found that I’d be much more likely to select a special mode on my S30 since it was as easy as spinning the dial quickly before taking a shot.
I have used the night “night snapshot” mode several times to catch sunsets or even the moon over the ocean at the beach and was able to get some pretty neat shots.
I really like cameras that have “portrait” mode, so I was pleased to see that this camera offered one. What I found though is that it does virtually nothing. I can see absolutely no difference when using this mode. The background should end up with a softer or out of focus look compared to the subject, but it’s just as clear as the subject in all my tests, whether using the zoom or not. Oh well, there’s one more reason I’ll be getting a better (but larger) camera for indoor shots or when I don’t care about taking something so small.
** Movie Mode **
Awesome. Once we started taking short videos with our digital cameras a few years back, we found ourselves doing it more and more to grab a quick snippet of an occasion rather than digging out the video camera. But the 320 X 240 movies just were not quite enough. So when searching for a new camera, I limited my search to those with VGA (640 X 480) resolution. Canon’s did offer 640 X480 movies on the S400, but they were limited the frame rate to just 10 or 15 frames per second though! This was terrible. I tried some and they were so choppy that it wasn’t even worth it. If you think you’ll use movie mode at all, be sure to go with VGA at 30 frames per second. This will rival TV resolution, so it can transfer to DVD or VCD better later. Another nice plus is to be able to record long videos. We still usually stick to 30 second clips, or an occasional 60 second clip, but it’s good to be able to go past that on occasion. The SD400 is limited only by your media capacity. If you plan to take videos and photos, get a 1 GB SD card or bigger.
Audio in movie mode is pretty good too, at least in comparison to the terrible sound I’ve heard from some of the low-end Kodak digital cameras. There is a slight rhythmic motor sound of some sort though that I can detect in some of the recordings. It can get a bit annoying, but it’s not too bad.
Lastly, I like that this camera records to AVI files. I HATE the QuckTime .mov files that seem so popular with other digital cameras. Sure, it creates smaller files, but it’s much more difficult to work with .mov files on a PC later. AVI files can be large though, which is why I recommend a large SD card. Perhaps they’ll move to MPEG-4 in future models of the Digital Elph. As long as they stay away from QuickTime format I’ll be happy. I like that the AVI files get a thumbnail icon when looking through folders in Windows Explorer (we use Filmstrip view a lot) instead of just the QuickTime logo. It makes it a lot easier to locating clips. And the editing and viewing tools I use don’t care for .mov files too much either.
** Conclusion **
As you can tell, I love this camera. Once you're aware of the limitations of indoor shooting in regards to the limited flash, you can adjust your shooting. If you want a camera that's easy to carry without grabbing a whole camera bag, this is it. And they are not very affordable since it's not the top-end offering. Most people don't really need more than 5 mp, so this is a nice mid-range camera for a great price!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 300 This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use
Canon powershot SD400 complete kit + 1gb secure digital card + 1 year warranty card included from a 3rd party, BRAND NEW NEVER USED "GRAY MARKET [IMPO...More at eBay
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