withdrew's Full Review: Canon PowerShot SD400 / IXUS 50 Digital Camera
The Canon PowerShot SD400 is PERFECT for your primary-use digital camera. The size is about that of a deck of standard playing-cards, which is important, because what good is a digital camera if it's so bulky or so expensive that you always leave it at home? The picture quality is outstanding, and the video mode captures excellent short-movies, perfect for posting on YouTube or the website of your choice.
The Canon SD400 is extremely versatile. Bring it to a wedding, a party, a bar, a dark club/lounge, any situation, the camera does the job, and does it well. The Auto program (which I use probably about 90% of the time) is SPOT-ON, and almost always produces perfect results. The flash is more than adequate for anything within 15-20 feet, and the zoom is above-average for a camera this size.
One of my favorite features: Burst mode. Just hold the shutter-button and the camera snaps away. This is perfect for taking pictures of an event where timing is critical, like throwing a bouquet at a wedding or catching a moment at a concert. With a 1GB card you can afford to take extra photos and discard the ones you dislike later.
People tend to pick a manufacturer and stick with them, but I've bounced around between Sony, HP and Nikon, and I would consider myself somewhat experienced. The Canon menus and interface are excellent, intuitive and very easy to learn and use. Once you become familiar with the buttons and menus, you'll be blasting through them in no-time. And this will trickle down to other Canon cameras as well, so if you decide to upgrade to another Canon in the future, you'll be halfway there.
Pay attention folks: 5 Megapixels (MP) is all you need. Don't get taken advantage of when you go to purchase your first digital camera. When people are in the market for a new camera, all of a sudden everyone is concerned with how big they can enlarge a photo. Take a step back and ask yourself, "When was the last time I blew-up a photo to 5"x7"? 8"x10"? Bigger?" The answer for most of you: NEVER. If you decide to even print your photos AT ALL, few people go bigger than 4"x6". It's doubtful you'll be different, and even if you are, 5 MP will work perfectly for most people even on an 8"x10" enlargement.
The moral of the story: If you have the luxury of owning more than one digital camera, by all means go out and get a professional-grade, high-resolution SLR and some other smaller cameras for different situations. But like many of you, I can really only have ONE camera, and the SD400 is the perfect choice. Its size allows me to carry it effortlessly EVERYWHERE I go, it's not too expensive, it takes outstanding photos and videos and the Canon interface is intuitive and familiar. This camera is a solid choice for a photographer at ANY level.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 159.99 This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use
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