Canon PowerShot SD100 3.2MP Digital ELPH Camera w/ 2x Optical Zoom Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)the sd100 delivers a stylish, ultracompact camera but with only 2x optical zoom and very limited manual controls.
pros:
- very good resolution, especially for a 3MP ultra-compact.
- good color response.
- good reliable metering.
- no color cast when using flash.
- low noise at ISO 50 (keep in mind that ISO 50 for this camera is actually ISO 100 for everyone else; likewise, ISO 100 is in reality closer to ISO 200, etc)
- 9-point AiAF.
- the LCD monitor (1.5") is bright and has an anti-reflective coating - gives good live preview and review even in well lit situations.
- shooting priority play mode (a half-press of the shutter release always returns to shooting).
- fast shot-to-shot times.
- fairly good startup time, especially for an extending lens camera.
- as with most canon digicams, the sd100 feels solid.
- USB connectivity.
- good battery life, although i would recommend carrying a spare since canon's batteries are proprietary.
- ultracompact: 3.3 x 2.2 x 0.9 in, weighing only 6.5 oz.
- has continuous shooting function, which you don't normally find in ultra-compacts.
- 15 second night exposure ability.
- long movie clips possible at VGA mode (up to 3 minutes including audio).
cons:
- limited 2x optical zoom.
- very few manual controls - no aperture priority, no shutter priority, no manual focus (this is okay if all you want is a point and shoot).
- average macro performance.
- you'll need to remove from tripod to open the battery compartment or replace the SD card.
- very small mode dial.
- the supplied 16MB SD card is inadequate - be prepared to shell out a few more bucks for at least a 256MB card.
- proprietary battery - again, a few more bucks for a spare.
- case tends to show fingerprints.
the sd100's mission in life is to take nice pics with as small and light a footprint as possible. on the nice picture category, it delivers. however, there are at least two other cameras that are smaller, have better optical zoom (3x vs the canon's 2x) and have a wider feature set: the pentax optio s and casio ex-z3. as much as i like canon digicams, i would recommend these two over the sd100.
i hope this helps you with your buying decision. peace.

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With the Canon PowerShot SD100, you've got the best of both worlds--the compact size and high style of the Digital ELPH series plus the higher resolution of a 3.2-megapixel camera. The PowerShot SD100 also features a 2x digital zoom, 9-point artificial intelligence autofocus (AiAF) for accurate, automatic focus, and movie mode with sound.
Optics and Resolution The PowerShot SD100 offers a 3.2-megapixel CCD sensor that produces images up to 2048 x 1536 pixels for photo-quality 8 x 10 inch prints or medium-quality 11 x 14 enlargements. Other resolution modes include 1600 x 1200, 1024 x 768, and 640 x 480. The 2x zoom lens has a focal length of 5.4-10.8mm (equivalent to 35-70mm in 35mm photography). It also incorporates a 3.2x digital zoom for a total 6.4x zoom. The PowerShot SD100 also features Canon's nine-point AiAF system for focusing accuracy, shutter speeds of 15 to 1/1,500 second, and fast sequence shooting at a rate of 2.2 frames per second (fps).
Movie Mode In addition to taking still photos, the SD100 can also record up to 3 minutes of video with sound. It has three resolution settings: 640 x 480 (VGA), 320 x 240, and 160 x 120. You can record for up to 30 seconds per clip at 640 x 480, or 3 minutes at the lower resolutions. Note that you cannot use the optical zoom when in movie mode. The included 16 MB memory card can hold 13 seconds of video at the highest setting.
More Features The SD100 starts up quickly, taking under 2.5 seconds to extend the lens and prepare for shooting. The built-in flash has auto, red-eye reduction, on/of, and slow sync modes and has an approximate 10-second recycle time.
Canon's DIGIC (DIGital Imaging Core) processor ensures excellent color rendition and white balance for every shot, as well as super-fast auto focusing, noise-free imaging, and advanced flash exposure performance.
1.5-inch LCD with real image zoom viewfinder
Shooting Modes: Auto, Program, Manual, Stitch Assist, Movie
Photo Effects: Vivid Color, Neutral Color, Low Sharpening, Sepia, Black & White
Continuous shooting mode: 2.2 shots per second with LCD and Large/Fine mode off
Self timer with 2 and 10 second options
Printing Canon has introduced a series of printers designed to work directly with its lineup of digital cameras. Using these printers, no computer is required--simply connect the camera to the printer and start printing. Printers include Canon's bubble jet direct printers i900D and i960, and card photo printer CP-200 and CP-300. Of course, photos from your camera can also be printed on any home computer system with an inkjet printer, sent off for online processing, or simply enjoyed on your computer screen.
Storage and Transfer Images are stored on Secure Digital (SD) or MultiMedia (MMC) memory cards; a 16 MB SD card is included. When shooting in Large/Normal mode, you can store 30 images on the included memory card. Images can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC via USB 1.1, which means the camera can be connected to any USB-based Windows Me/2000/XP and Mac OS 8.6 or later computer without installing any software.
Power and Size The camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery (NB-3L, included). It measures 3.35 by 2.20 by 0.94 inches and weighs 5.82 ounces (excluding battery).
What's In The Box This package includes the PowerShot SD100 digital camera, 16 MB Secure Digital memory card, rechargeable lithium-ion battery (NB-3L), battery charger (CB-2LU), USB and AV cables, and wrist strap. It also comes with ArcSoft Camera Suite and Digital Camera Solutions CD-ROMs with imaging software and USB drivers for Windows and Mac.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS70S 7MP Digital Camera with 3x Image Stabilized Zoom Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a a very easy to use camera. I like that you can use the exposure control with the push of a button instead of going into de menu and the settings. So you can go from taking a picture under the shade to one with no shade and have the same exposure with a lot of ease and not looking around for the menu on the LCD display.
It has very good image quality and light, and has a image stabilizer that allows you to take pictures still even if your had shakes.
There is an normal mode: -intermediate users
It has a lot of options for different kind of displays en purposes. You have 4:3 ratio to display on standard TVs or monitors, thinking of slide shows or wall papers. It gives you different size options, up to 7.2 MP
It has a 3X2 ratio that is optimized for printing 4X6 pictures or bigger prints. Althoug this only gives 2 MP or 6 MP pictures.
It also has a 16:9 ratio for displaying or slide shows to be watched on widescreen TV's or Monitors. -This is my fave setting. But it only gives you 2 MP or 5.5 MP sizes.
You can turn on and off the digital zoom, in my case I don't like it so I turned it off, but you might like it and you may turn it off and while zooming in it will tell you once you start digitally zooming.
It has a basic mode: -beginners
It sets up everything automatically and with very basic options instead of size in MP it gives you options like email pictures, 4X6 or enlarge. With everyday language instead of techie language
It has a scene mode: -more advanced
This allows you to take pictures according to the lighting, weather conditions, portraits, sports etc. This gives you more control over how you want to take your pictures.
It Takes video in standard 4:3 format and 16:9 Widescreen format, which is not very common in this price range or in cameras in general. Still i prefer to have a camcorder to shoot video.
The only two things I don't like is the LCD screen which is bigger than the ones in my previos 2 cameras, is exposed to being touched, so you have to keep cleaning it if you don't want your finger prints on it. The battery life seems shorter than the Canon A75 that I replaced, but I guess that's because it records bigger files, has a bigger display and only uses half the batteries two instead of four. I'd recommend as with all digital cameras to get rechargable batteries as well as at least a 1 GB memory card. With 2 GB with the Widescreen at 5.5 MP it takes under 800 pictures, files are about 2 MB each so the 27 mb internal memory woulld barely allow me to take 13 pictures, less in 3:2 mode and even less on 4:3 7.2 MP format.
At this price range you won't find a better camera, even some 5 MP or 6 MP cameras are selling even higher than this one.
Before I bouhght it I did a lot of research and tried a lot of cameras of different brands and different MP size and this one was the one I like the best for quality image and options, most cameras don't have Widescreen option which I was very interested. This is good for beginners, intermediate or expert.
This is the same as the Lumix LZ7S except for the zoom wichi has a bigger range on the other one, but for 3X you would have to pay 50 bucks more.

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Item #: PANDMCLS70S.Customers also search for: Panasonic® DMC-LS70S Lumix Digital Camera

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