Canon PowerShot SD1000/IXUS 70 Digital Camera Review

Others/Miscelleneous by SidneyWong @ 2007-07-20

The Canon PowerShot SD1000 digital ELPH is an ultra compact camera no bigger than the size of a pack of cigarette. In Europe and Asia it is known as Canon IXUS 70. Designed as a point and shoot camera, it contains some features suitable for some tuff tasks in its price range. Let´s find out how this little guy performs.

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Introduction

Introduction:

Canon digital ELPH and IXUS series camera began life in 2000 maintaining its ultra compact designed for ease of carry and "ready to shot". Canon model numbering system is quite confusing. For example, the “PowerShot SD850 IS” is not the same in design as the SD600 or SD1000 ELPH, and it carries a higher price tag.

Canon SD1000 features: 7.1 megapixel, a 3X optical and 4X digital zoom, in a package that measures approximately 86x54x19 mm. It comes in all silver or black as the review sample. It weights in a little more than 4-oz or 125 grams. It is not only the compact size and lightweight attractions that most buyers are after, but also what this camera could deliver at a moderate price of less than US$250.

PowerShot SD1000 ELPH


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Top and Bottom views


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Battery and SD card compartment


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Major Features/Specs:

Lens-

  • Focal length - 5.8-17.4mm F/2.8-4.9 (equivalent to 35-105mm in 35mm film)
  • Focusing Range - Normal 1 ft (30cm) to infinity; Macro 1.2" to 1.6 ft (3 to 50cm)
  • Digital Zoom - 4X

    Viewfinder/LCD-

  • Viewfinder - Real image optical zoom viewfinder
  • 2.5" TFT color LCD, 230k pixels

    Aperture/Shutter

  • Aperture - f/2.8 to f/4.9
  • Shutter Speed - 15 t0 1/1500 sec

    Exposure Control

  • ISO Setting - Auto, High auto, 80/100/200/400/800/1600
  • Light Metering - Evaluative, Center-weighted, Spot
  • Face detection at Auto Focus
  • Exposure Compensation - +/- 2 stops in 1/3 stop increment
  • White Balance Control - Auto, Daylight, Tungsten, Fluorescent & Custom

    Flash

  • Built-in Flash - Auto, Auto w/Red-eye reduction, slow synchro, flash off
  • Range to 11 ft (3.5m)
  • Recycle time 10 sec or less

    Shooting

  • Mode - Auto, Portrait, Special Scene, Night Snapshot, Digital Macro, Stitch Assist, Movie
  • Self Timer - Activates after 2 to 10 sec. delay, custom
  • Wireless control - not available

    Image Storage

  • SD memory card, SDHC
  • Format - JPEG and AVI
  • Still photo - 640x480, 1600x1200, 2048x1536, 2592x1944, 3072x2304, 3072x1728
  • Movie - 640x480 and 320x240 (30fps/15fps)

  • Interface

  • USB 2.0
  • Video out NTSC/PAL
  • Audio out - monaural

    Battery

  • Rechargeable Lithium NB-4L 3.7Volt
  • Appro. 210 shots
  • Battery Charger (110 & 220 Volt)

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    In the package

  • Manual in English & Spanish for U.S. Market
  • Canon Digital Camera Solution Disk V.30.0 for Mac and Windows
  • SD Memory 32MB
  • Battery & Battery Charger
  • Camera Strap
  • 5mm to RCA video/audio cable
  • USB cable

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    Comment from Sidney @ 2007/08/08
    Although the SD1000 does not have RAW image capability, the bundle software includes RAW image process. This is good news because I believe Nikon charges for this software.

    Canon Customer Service is quite responsive in using email. The review unit "dust inside the viewfinder" required me to send the unit to local repair facility. Rather than doing that, I simply returned it to Sam's Club where I purchased it and I walked out with a new replacement.

    The Canon Rebel was also returned to the retailer for replacement when the flash did not work the first time. I wonder what others may experience with Canon quality control.
    Comment from wutske @ 2007/08/09
    no ISO test ? It's incredibly important to know, film grain or not. Sometimes you have to bump the ISO and it's nice to know whether this will return a useless image or a somewhat usefull image. Some camera's (escpecialy the smaller ones) even have a lot of noise (and noise reduction artifacts) at lower ISO settings.
    Comment from jmke @ 2007/08/09
    Find ISO setting for me
    http://www.madshrimps.be/?action=get...&articID=5 89
    Comment from wutske @ 2007/08/09
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jmke View Post
    press up ?
    Comment from jmke @ 2007/08/09
    lol didn't see

    http://www.imaging-resource.com/PROD...00/SD1000A.HTM

    Quote:
    Though the SD1000 has an ISO of 1600, the noise levels were too high for my taste. I usually kept it set to ISO 800 or below.
    Comment from Sidney @ 2007/08/09
    I normally stay away from using any high ISO; no difference than film. Likely compensate by using tripod for longer exposure or fill in flash. Higher ISO means more grains or Noise.

    Nikon D40 has ISO starting 200
    Comment from wutske @ 2007/08/09
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by lazyman View Post
    I normally stay away from using any high ISO; no difference than film. Likely compensate by using tripod for longer exposure or fill in flash. Higher ISO means more grains or Noise.

    Nikon D40 has ISO starting 200
    sometimes, a tripod or a long exposure isn't always possible or wanted. I usualy stay away from high ISO too, but sometimes you can't do anything but using high ISO. Luckily my camera supports RAW .

    The D40 might start at ISO200, but it has a CCD that is a lot larger, so signal/noise ratio is compareable to a fixed-lens camera at ISO50.
    Comment from Sidney @ 2007/08/09
    Night vision camera
    Most compact and ultra compact Digicams don't have RAW, you have to pay for it.
    There is only slight improvement; it is a matter of physics despite image compression. We will get there closer. Otherwise, we don't need flash.

    Better to have a fast lens if money is not the issue.
    Comment from jmke @ 2007/08/16
    IXUS 30 Macro shot, cropped, no resize ->
    Comment from Sidney @ 2007/08/16
    I'm stealing this picture
    Comment from jmke @ 2007/08/16
    no manual F setting, otherwise I could have gotten much sharper photo
    Comment from Sidney @ 2007/08/16
    manual F setting = $$, that's why I'm keeping the oldie
    Comment from jmke @ 2007/08/16
    Canon G5 on ebay $200 Gdzilla just bought one, Piotke payed his G5 $250 one year ago, also ebay unit. I bought mine in store, $700 total (change $ to € for EU readers)
    Comment from wutske @ 2007/08/16
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by lazyman View Post
    manual F setting = $$, that's why I'm keeping the oldie
    Canon A570IS, full manual control for only $177.
    Comment from Sidney @ 2007/08/16
    Yeah, you are correct; even the SD1000 and Samsung have manual F stop but limited to two settings only.

    I meant to say manual focus

    Must be old age, I did it twice in two days.
    Comment from jmke @ 2007/08/16
    sorry for confusion F I did not mean focus put aperture
    Comment from Sidney @ 2007/08/16
    Now you know the difference of age gap
    Comment from jmke @ 2007/08/16
    are you suggestion "young" people don't mix things up or make mistakes? you are kidding yourself if you believe that

     

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