| Canon Powershot SD400 5MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom | ||
 |
by Canon  Powered by rechargeable Lithium-ion battery; stores images on SD memory card DIGIC II Image Processor provides fast, accurate image processing Enhanced movie mode with fast 60-frame-per-second capture rate 3x optical zoom; 2.0-inch LCD display; ultra-compact design (.8 inches thick) 5-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 13 x 17-inch prints |
|
| From the Manufacturer Canon's 5.0-megapixel PowerShot SD400 features a 3.0x optical zoom, a large 2.0-inch LCD, high quality VGA video clips at 30fps limited in length only by the capacity of the memory card , high speed USB 2.0, 'My Color' in-camera color editing and a Print/Share button for easy PictBridge direct printing and fast file uploads. Its 5.0-megapixel sensor allows detailed enlargements up to 13 x 17 inches. For fast start-up times, responsive performance and superb, accurate colors and image rendering, the camera features the same high speed DIGIC II processor found in Canon's latest professional series digital SLR cameras. Superb Quality, Great Performance DIGIC II also helps achieve a fast start up time of just over a second and uninterrupted 2.1 frame per second shooting until the memory card fills. A new USB 2.0 high-speed interface provides one of the fastest upload speeds in this category. An abundance of processing capacity also supports a new high-speed image playback function, image jump function (jump 10 or 100 images at a time or jump to previous shooting date), fast image rotation, and an increased card writing speed. Bigger, Brighter Screen New Stills Features Shooting Modes Self-timer functionality improves with the facility to select from range of delays (1 second to 10, 15, 20, or 30 seconds) and the number of shots taken at the end of the delay (from one to ten shots). Improved Movie Features Built-in Assistant Advanced Accessories Easy Printing, Easy Sharing Software and Access to Canon iMAGE Gateway Camera ownership entitles the purchaser to register for 100MB storage space on the Canon iMAGE Gateway, an online gallery where images and movies can be stored in albums and shared to selected friends and family. New My Camera functions (such as shutter sounds and start up images) can also be downloaded to the camera from Canon iMAGE Gateway. What's in the box Which of the SDxxx Series is right for you?
Let me begin by saying that Canon makes exceptional digital cameras; the best in the market right now. This is because they have always used high quality components since they began manufacturing digital cameras. This one is no exception. Now that I've sold you on a Canon, which one should you choose? First off, let's see if you really need an SDxxx camera, or would be better suited with a cheaper non ultraportable camera. The SDxxx Series offers several key advantages over less portable models: -Beautiful, sleek design and metallic body will wow anyone who sees it. -Gorgeous 2 inch LCD screens -The excellent Dig!c 2 processor (other Canons only have dig!c 1) -Much better movie mode than previous Canons -Small light, easy pocketability On the other hand, there are some significant drawbacks due to the components Canon had to use to get the camera so small: -Few manual controls. -Pictures are not as sharp as those of similar non ultraportable cameras. -The flash is very close to the lens (lots of redeye problems) -More purple fringing issues than other Canons -Proprietary batteries that are expensive to replace -The LCD is very fragile. Read the SD200 and SD300 reviews to see lots of unhappy people whose LCDs broke. Canon's warranty does NOT cover this either. My suggestion? Buy using a credit card that offers a warranty in addition to the manufacturer's. If your lcd breaks, many CC companies will replace the camera no questions asked! If you don't need the ultra portability and flashy looks of the SD cameras, a slightly larger camera with more features might be right for you. I would highly suggest Canon's A510 or A520 if you don't need an SD model. If you still want an SD model, which one should you choose? The SD200 with 3.2mp, the SD300 with 4mp, the SD400 with 5mp, or the SD500 at a whopping 7.1mp? Your first instinct may be that more megapixels is better. Today, however megapixel ratings are similar to Ghz ratings in the computer world: They used to mean a lot, but they don't mean as much anymore. More megapixels do NOT mean a better image. They mean a larger printable image. Unless you have to have huge prints, you simply do not more megapixels. In fact, the 3.2mp of the SD200 is enough for anyone who doesn't plan on printing pictures larger than a standard 8.5x11 sheet of paper. That having been said, there are some differences between each SDxxx model. In order to get the larger 7.1mp sensor in the SD500, Canon had to make the camera larger. Thus, it is around a quarter inch thicker and 30% heavier than the other 3 models. The larger size did enable Canon to pack more features into it, however: Features unique to the SD500: -1/4 inch thicker -30% heavier -50% longer flash range -14% more battery life The SD400 and SD500 also share these benefits over the SD200/SD300: -New "Night Display" feature which brightens the LCD in low light -My Colors feature lets you highlight or swap colors right on the camera -USB 2.0 High Speed support The following are shared by all the SDxxx Cameras: Pros: -Beautiful, eye catching design -Great image quality, though not as good as non ultraportable models -New Dig!c 2 image processor -Excellent Movie Mode -3x optical zoom is adequate for most people -Excellent, intuitive manual controls -Huge 2.0 inch lcd that looks great under various lighting conditions -Uses widely available and cheap SD cards Cons (most of these are minor quirks): -Some purple fringing problems -Proprietary batteries are expensive to replace and inconvenient at times -Lots of issues with fragile LCDs -No RAW support -Few manual controls If you do choose this product, the first thing you should buy is a larger SD memory card. The camera comes with a 16mb card (32 in the SD500), which is pretty much useless. You should also immediately purchase a case and some screen protectors to protect the LCD. Fantastic Stuff
First off, why I didn't give it a 5: There is no mode for raw pictures, and the settings for manual doesn't allow actual dialing in of iso's under 50. That said, this is a terrific camera. Terrifically portable, really nicely made. Great ui/speed of use. I can hit the power button andshoot in what seems like a second. The pictures are pretty terrific. See here: on my weblog for a sample image and some other impressions. You won't be wasting your money. I did purchase a second battery, but I only started to need it after 100 or more pictures at a run, with a healthy use of flash. I haven't used it till death. Also, it being usb 2.0 is a very nice feature. Pictures d/l in no time. ive been holding out... and finally what i wanted is here!
first! :) anyways, this is a great camera. ive had an olympus c-3040 zoom for a long time, and while it takes great (outdoor) pics, ive been waiting for a good small camera to carry around all the time. what i wanted was: 3x optical zoom +, 5MP +, CCD, something tiny, a decent LCD screen, something by canon/olympus/nikon, something not too outrageously priced, AF and MF, decent video, etc. the sd400 has it all! very easy to use - i try and not use the user manual until i have to. i did have to use it to find out how to switch the resolution of the pics im taking though. other than that its really intuitive. i also didnt install the software that came with it, and was still able to get the pics onto my desktop (running win xp pro) easily. indoor pic quality is so-so, outdoors is very nice. lots of cool options. the autofocus area indicator is sweet. very small and compact. like i said, everything i wanted and at a good price. bought a 512MB card and im waiting for my leather case to be shipped and im golden. cons - the 3 things i dont like about it. 1) you have to press pretty firmly on the button to take a picture. too much so. 2) the cover to access the USB port is connected using a plastic/rubber thing instead of a hinge. i never trust those things to last. 3) the LCD screen rendering is a bit laggy, if you swivel around quickly its somewhat blurry. the best case i have found for the sd400 is the IXY Digital 40/50 Custom Leather Case from Japan. thats it, good buy and a good deal. Small camera, great pictures and Canon quality
The SD400 is an outstanding point and shoot digital camera for the average to slightly tech-inclined photographer. I previously had an S500 which was a great camera. So far, the SD400 seems to improve on the S500 in every way. It has nice and large LCD screen. Unlike some of the other smaller cameras, it also has a traditional viewfinder. The most striking feature of the camera is its small size. It fits in a pocket perfectly and is smaller than my flip phone. The time from powering up to taking pictures is ridiculously fast. The pictures are great and the camera is easy to use. Some may complain that this camera lacks features. However, for the average person who just wants to take everyday pictures, it's great. So far, no complaints about this one. The flash lights up a completely dark room w/ no problem. I have no qualms about recommending this camera to anyone looking to pick up a quality digital point and shoot camera. Great Little Camera
It's easy to use, easy to upload, easy to carry around. I've had my camera for about two weeks. Took tons of pictures and mini-movies of my 2 year old son and our dog - all came out great. Of course, I had to buy a larger memory card - but it was all worth it. Highly recomended for non-technically inclined users who love taking pictures. Wonderful, recommend to everyone
No other camera can come close on the color accuracy and quality in this price range. This just has to be the best pocket-sized camera on the market. I tested Everything, and the only other camera that caught my eye was a larger Kodak (Z/DX)7590, but that one is much larger. Armed with a large SD card (gotta love those things better than CF) and a LI battery (too bad they make you buy them extra), this just has to be an unbeatable camera in it's class. Love this camera!!!
I have always had Canon's for my digital cameras, and recently received the Sd400 as a gift to replace my digital elph. I have nothing but good things to say about this camera. The size is amazing. The shutter speed is fantastic and I love the new version of the ZoonBrowser. The movie feature works fabulously. I can't wait to get a bigger SD card to start taking more pictures. The 16 MB one that comes with it isn't even worth the cost of making it. Your going to have to get a bigger one, obviously. I would highly recommend this camera. Dual purpose camera for pictures and videos
I am not going to write a long review since the others have done an excellent job with that. I just want to point out that with this camera you don't really need a handycam video camera anymore since it takes very good videos with sound at 640x480 resolution at 30 frames per second. Using Windows Movie Maker you can create your own movies and email them in compressed format to your friends. That is much more versatile than working with a Handycam. The main drawback on the video function is that you can't zoom while filming. So I suggest taking several clips and stitching them together later with Windows Movie Maker. With that software a 1 minute video is only 5 MB in wmv format (or whatever size you want), so it can be easily emailed alongside your pictures. I suggest getting a 1 GB SD Card with it if you plan on taking lots of movies. They really have come down in price. Make sure you get a "high speed card" (45x or faster). Compared to similar Sony cameras, the Canon uses much cheaper non proprietary SD memory and has a viewfinder to save batteries. This camera is so small that you can carry it with you at all times taking pictures and video anywhere you go. What good is a camera if you don't have it with you when the perfect Kodak moment is in front of you? SD400 only improves the Elph series
Whenever a new version of a favorite product is released, I always worry that it won't be as good as the last, that I'll be disappointed in some way. The SD400 is the third Canon ELPH I've owned, and it does not disappoint. As a long time user, I was extremely pleased that not only did the SD400 improve upon my last Canon (S400), it also didn't change or remove any of the functionality that I had grown accustomed to using. Plenty of reviews here praise this camera in general terms, so I will instead compare major changes compared with the Canon S400/410. Some are subtle, others more obvious. * Smaller and lighter than the S400 * A larger LCD than the S400. * USB 2.0 (notably faster) instead of the USB 1.1 in the S400. * 5MP instead of 4MP. * Digic2 instead of Digic (only the SD cameras and SLRs have it at this time). * Shoots video at double the resolution (640x480) steadily until memory card is full. * The default version of ZoomBrowser software (5.x) is much improved from the older versions -- faster and smoother to use, with better features to control the camera. The new version can be downloaded for older cameras. * Same metal casing, but a small plastic hinge flap covers the output ports now, instead of a rubber one. * Uses SD memory cards instead of CF1. These can be notably faster than CF1. * The physical controls are slightly more closely packed together, but I had no trouble with pressing the wrong ones by accident or anything like that. If anything, the small controls are better organized than previously. I always used to rotate the S400's dial into the wrong mode, which has not been a problem with the new layout which uses a slider switch and software menus. * Far more shooting modes (such as portrait, pets&children, night snapshot, etc), and better control over focus method, flash metering, exposure metering, etc. It's not a manual SLR, but it gets as close as pocket digital camera can. * Much faster feeling. Shooting a photo and having it stored to my "ultra" (high speed) SD memory card seems to take less than half the time it used to with the S400. Highly recommended, no complaints at all. SUPER CAMERA!
This is the first digital camera that I have bought. All I have to say is that this is one of the smartest buys I have ever made. The photo quality is absolutely impeccable. The 2 in. LCD is a very high resolution. AutoFocus, start-up, and shot-to-shot times are all quicker then possibly anyone would need. I recommend buying this camera in conjunction with a Canon PIXMA photo printer in which case you can get a $70 mail-in rebate from Canon... so if you buy a Canon PIXMA iP3000 printer from amazon you basically will only be paying 10 bucks for it. Overall I highly recommend this wonderful camera to all classes of photographers... from beginners to experts. I never expected so much could be packed into such a small device. P.S. Macro Mode in the SD400 IS ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!!!! No complaints - great camera
Same story as the other reviews: fantastic camera. It is about the size of a pack of cards, or smaller; IMO, this is about as small as most people would want. Pictures are excellent. Video is excellent. I disagree with another review, in which it was stated that you cannot zoom while video recording; my SD400 can zoom while video recording just fine. However, the zoom control is pretty loud in the video clip. For me, this camera eliminates the need for a separate video camera. I have a 1-gigabyte SD card, which is enough for more than 8 minutes of video. If you want to spice up your DVD slide shows with occational video clips, as I do, this is perfect. Battery life seems to be greatly improved over the older digital elph model I owned. IMO, most people would never exhaust their battery in a full day picture taking. Recharge takes only 90 minutes. Camera menus are simple and easy to navigate; a pretty big improvement over my old elph. Soft Focus, Disappointing Results
As a digital photography enthusiast and a fan of Canon cameras, I had high hopes for the SD-400, hoping it might be a smaller and lighter weight replacement for my Canon S-50, one of three Canons I own. What I discovered was that the SD-400 (that I ordered from Amazon) is incapable of capturing sharply focused photo. Every photo -- wide angles from distance, medium-range, head and shoulders, close-up, macro -- everything was every-so-slightly out of focus. It's best described as soft focus. Out of fairness to Canon, perhaps it could be chalked up to a bad lens on this particular camera, which I returned. But the picture quality was also consistently washed-out and no where near accurate or realistic. Compact, but flimsy !
I bought the SD400 two months ago. I had a S410 prior to this. The main reason I upgraded was for the 5 Mega Pixels and SD compatibility. But I realized my upgrade wasn't worth it. Pros: * Compact Size, fits in a palm * Video Quality is great * Outdoor Shots are comparable to any camera in its class * Quick Startup * Decent Battery Life Cons : * My LCD Broke while it was in my pocket and Canon doesn't cover this in the warranty. Repair Costs $110.00 * Indoor shots in "Auto" Mode were very very grainy * Low Light shots are just pathetic * Although the camera comes with enough manual controls, the camera shake warning comes up very often. SD400 - a Fantastic Digital Camera
The SD400 is a breakthrough in technology by canon, making a very small camera perform like a larger one. Besides having 5 megapixels, the camera has one of the best movie modes in the business. I have seen a lot of movie modes by Fuji, Sony, and others. Canon has the best, hands down. The reason is how they compress the movies. Canon has the least compression (movies must be compressed from a large file to a smaller one to fit on the SD card.) The new Digic II processor assists the movie mode to a full 30 frames/sec. Also a fast start up time of just over a second and uninterrupted 2.1 frame per second shooting. The only camera in the Canon line that has a better movie mode is the new S2IS camera. This one also gives you stereo sound. However, it is a much larger camera. The thing that appeals to me about the SD400 is that you can carry it anywhere and it will be there to get the shot. Either still picture or movies. There is a new trend of smaller cameras such as the SD400, the Sony T series, and Casio having much larger LCD screens. These screens are 2" or larger. With a larger LCD, you must also take care of your camera better. With the older cameras, the screen was small, and less likely to get damaged. Here are some tips that should keep your SD400 from ever having a cracked screen, or for that matter any of the newer cameras from Sony, Casio, Fuji, etc. that have larger LCD screens. (You can damage any LCD screen regardless of brand). [1] Do not place camera in with sharp objects like keys, lipstick holders, or any metal objects. I would suggest this even if you have the camera in a thin case, as the thin case is still no protection from sharp objects that can exert a lot of pinpoint pressure. [2] If you carry it in your pocket, you should not do it in tight pants, and do not sit on the camera! I recommend not carrying it in your pants pocket (too easy to bump into hard objects). I never have and never had a problem. If you feel the need to carry it in your pants, carry it so the LCD is NOT on the outside and vulnerable. The older models were too thick to fit in your pocket. I think you are seeing a lot more people improperly carry this camera because of its thin size. [3] The best bet would be a well padded case (not a thin one). Padding is the key here. Pamper your new camera. [4] Do not drop camera. Always put the strap around your arm when taking your camera out of the case. That way you never will drop it. Any digital camera will have a high probability of damage if you drop it. These are delicate electronic devices and need to be treated as such. [5] Do not leave your camera in your car. Extreme heat or extreme cold is very bad for any electronic device with an LCD screen. The SD400 is no exception. There is a silent majority of SD400 owners out there that are enjoying the camera, but have not left reviews. I would like to hear from them. Let people know of your success with the camera and you can even post images here that you have taken. Respect the camera, and it will give you a long life. Update: Just went on a trip to Europe. Two girls on the trip had the sd400 camera. They did have cases for their cameras, but one did not even have a strap on their camera. Both cameras survived the trip with no problems. They even took the cameras to the beach, and up mountains, and on several boats. They did not put the camera in unprotected pockets. My favorite digital camera
Great camera, compact, takes great pictures and movies. Its always with me, not like a larger camera which is a pain to carry around. I don't carry a camcorder, since this camera has an excellent video mode with sound. I carry mine in a case and never had a problem. As noted in the previous review, you have to take care with any camera with a big LCD. I am one who takes care of any of my electronic devices (whether cellphone, camera, or mp3 player. You want this camera.
I have been buying digital cameras from the beginning, starting with some brands that are now extinct and some cameras that offered less than 1 megapixel resolution. My most recent acquisition was a Pentax Optio SV which I panned in a review posted here on Amazon. Anyway, Canon is the benchmark for all other digital cameras. This model offers excellent, sturdy build (it was dropped onto a stone floor when it was only a few days old....even though it made a pretty bad sound, it wasn't dinged or scratched. I'm not sure how that can be, but it is a fact) and very good visual appeal. The size and weight are perfect. It is small enough for a purse or even a pocket, but not so small that it is hard to grasp while shooting. The LCD screen is the best I've used; 2 inches and readable even in bright sunlight. The optical viewfinder (I just don't like cameras that make you rely upon the LCD only for framing images; sometimes I feel I need to frame an image the old fashioned way) is tiny but very bright and also features all of the menu items you select from setup (or none if you prefer). The 3X optical zoom is smooth and fast and in most cases that's enough zoom power, though I did buy that Optio in search of even more power. For the record, pay no attention to digital zooms. They are computer trickery that enlarges the central part of your image at the expense of image resolution. For example, a 2X digital zoom effect exactly halves your resolution, making such images often unfit for printing. Talking about resolution and printing, the 5 megapixels available on this model allows for high quality 11" x 14" prints. The camera is also capable of functioning as a camcorder in a pinch, offering full motion (60 FPS) video and sound limited only by the size of your memory card. The controls of the SD400 are simple and intuitive and the menus have evolved nicely, making it much easier than it was with my S200 to navigate and adjust things. That said, the SD400 is part of a class of cameras designed mostly for automatic users; if you crave control, you're probably not shopping for this type of digicam. I find the Canon colors to be about the truest, though performance in that area is degraded when using the flash. Also, "red eye" is a problem, though newer software programs like Microsoft's PictureIt! Photo Premium 9 have finally made red eye fixes really easy. While I agree that the Canon's need for a proprietary battery is a pain, I am satisfied with the battery life--about 140 shots with the LCD on and the flash not in use--and I like the very compact charger included with the camera. To be on the safe side, I ordered another battery here on Amazon (a generic that is not too expensive and works identically to the branded one that came in the box). Of course the included 32 meg SD memory card is too small to be useful, but that is the case with every single digital camera I've bought. No matter, these cards are reasonably priced (though not quite as cheap as the larger CompactFlash format) and now come in gargantuan sizes if you like. I paid about $50 for a 512 MB Ultra II card that will hold hundreds of images. Lastly, I want to commend the new Digic II processor in the SD400. It is ready to shoot in about one second after it is powered up, and there is almost no shutter lag at all. Recovery time for a second shot is similarly brief. Shutter lag is a big factor when selecting a digicam and this one jumps that hurdle very nicely. All told, I'd give the SD400 a "best in class" ribbon. Excellent
I like the canon sd400 very much. Just went to Disney Land and I loved the pictures I took. Great compact camera
I have been using the Canon SD400-5MP for about 2 months now and overall, this is a great product. The picture quality is amazing, the camera is easy to use, and best of all, it is tiny! I had a larger Canon in the past and I never took it anywhere because it was slightly too large to fit comfortably in my pocket. The SD400 fits easily even in the same pocket as a cell phone. The only reason I do not give this product 5 stars is because the screen is overly fragile. Just putting it in my pocket (no accidents), the screen became scuffed up. The marks are not really noticable when the camera is on, but it's disappointing to see just how fragile it is (unlike my A70 which had a hard plastic covering over the screen). My solution was to buy a Palm Pilot screen guard and cut it down to fit on the camera's screen. Since then, no more problems. The second problem I've had (and this goes for all Canon digitals) is that there is no battery meter. I can't figure out why Canon refuses to put this feature on their cameras. While this is annoying, you do learn to charge the battery ahead of time and you get a good feel for how long it will last. Brilliant!!!!
I've had a few Canon digital cameras and just bought the SD400 after my S500 stopped working properly after only 4 months. I'm thrilled with the SD400 though, the better size than the S series is brilliant, the extra features make for much better photos I'm thoroughly impressed with my new purchase. E18 error
Our Canon PowerShot digital camera lens froze and with the E18 error. We rarely used the camera and kept it in perfect condition (locked up and well protected). But one day the lens would not retract, and the display only showed the error code "E18" in the lower left corner. I took out the battery and replaced the flash card with a new one, tried everything else I read about.... There is no reason why my camera should have stopped working, unless it was manufactured to do so... My friends told me that their PowerShot camera did the same thing, so instead of sending it back and getting another that would soon give another E18 error, we decided to purchase a Sony Camera that works. Canon should take responsibility for this! Perfect Point & Shoot
Before this camera I was shooting with a Nikon 5200, which was substantially larger. In comparison this takes sharper, more accurate images, fits in my pocket as comfortably as my cell phone, and has more intuitive menus. I took this on a vacation to Africa, it shot very sharp wildlife photos and was unscathed sitting in my pocket for days on end, sometimes in high temperatures. I have used its zoom quite a bit, and it takes very sharp pictures across its 3x optical, and very acceptable quality up to about 8x (combined digital and optical), but beyond 8x and up to the max 12x (3x optical * 4x digital), the quality is almost unusable. So it wasn't the best for distance photography, but very acceptable. There is minor purple fringing as with all point and shoots, but not at all noticeable on an any print 5x7 or less. And negligible even at 8-10 at its worst. While you will probably not get the quality of photo that you will get with a DSLR, that is not what this product even pretends to offer. It is a fantastic point and shoot, super small, and compared to others that I've seen it takes by far the best pictures (great contrast, colors, and sharpness). Also, its super super fast, unlike my previous Nikon 5200, which I missed quite a few shots with. For its size, picture quality, and functionality, it is best in its class. The only camera you need for outdoor photography
I've had the Canon SD400 for about 2 months now, and I would like to compare it to my other camera, Canon G3, which I bought 2 years ago. I am amazed by the advance in technology in 2 years. The Digic 2 chip really is much faster. Startup time, shot to shot time, focus times are all significantly faster. The SD series of course is much smaller than the G series. For outdoor daytime photography, I can't tell the difference between the picture quality of the 2 cameras. They both take excellent pictures but the SD focuses a bit faster. For indoor flash photography, I have the Canon 420EX external flash for the G3, and hence I can get higher quality pictures by completely eliminating red eye and also by using bounce flash. However, sometimes the G3 has a lot of trouble focusing, whereas the SD400 does not. One final benefit of the SD400 is that it uses USB 2.0 transfer which is much faster than the G3 USB 1. Also note that the SD200 and SD300 are also USB 1. I feel that everyone should have 2 digital cameras, a super compact one like the SD400 for take-anywhere outdoor phtography, and a digital SLR for indoor and outdoor when you want more control and versatility. Canon SD 400
I love this camera. Excellent quality of image. Very easy to use. Ideal for moms on the go. Only thing I can't figure out without reading a manual is where the indicators for battery and memory. Would be 'great' camera if not for....
Nice camera. Only does date stamp in 'post card' mode (1600X1200 resolution)and digital zoom does not work in all shooting modes. Takes a pretty good picture and does decent video (thats why they make 'video' cameras). Fast startup and if you use a fast SD card you are ready to take the next picture very quickly. Bought it for my wife and she really likes it because of size, operation and quality of photos at high res setting. Quite Awesome! :)
The NEW Canon SD400 Camera is such a great little camera. It is so tiny that you can take it wherever you go without worrying about a huge case with a huge camera in it. Fits perfectly in your purse, and your pocket (although it isn't safe to put it in you pocket). I would reccomend 2 major things to go along with this camera 1. A new 1GB Memory Card to store more photos 2. A GOOD STURDY CASE. This camera is obviously tiny in size, but also fragile. WATCH OUT! Nice point and click
I am not a camera expert. Just started using this camera. Works fine. After downloading the images, you see complete details even at 100% zoom. Sometimes, loses focus & hence details. I suppose this would be with all point & shoot. I think this is customizable with manual controls. Yet to read manuals for that. Beautiful Pictures and clarity
My father owns the Fujifilm Finepix E510 5MP Digital Camera with 3.2x Optical Zoom and I bought the SD400. I found the canon to take clearer and more detailed pics. The clarity even when changed to a jpg on my computer was outstanding. I was trying to take pics of my new puppy with the fuji, the dog didn't sit still and the pics came out blurry 8 out of 10 times. Even with the little running guy as the shutter speed setting. The canon did just the opposite with about 2 out of 10 moving pics coming out blurry with the automatic speed (camera decides). If you dont believe me, test it out in the store, that was the first thing i did, was take pics of ppl walking, and my rotating hand about a foot away. The camera is small and dainty, but for $350, you should handle it with care anyway. I fear for the lcd because of most reviews. Thats why i bought mine at costco, cause they take back year old meat!!! The fuji went thru costco kirkland batteries after 20 pics. I counted them. The camera wouldn't even start on Dollar store batteries. I dont know about duracell's, its not my camera. So far the canon has taken more than 20 and its not dead yet. The menu's were easy to use, the sub menus required a bit of explanation and reading. As a tech geek, the more the better though, just goes to show what it can do. The software was easy to use and again, had a lot of bells and whistles to edit your pics. It even came with an instruction manual to really do some damage if you prefer. But for super tech novice, you did not need the book. I recommend this camera as a novice photgrapher, but i think with this baby, ill be taking a lot more pics. If i have any probs, I'll update this one. Great little camera.
This is my second digital camera. The first I got 3 years ago and its like one of those old cell phone in the 80's. This thing was a brick. The SD400 I can fit comfortably in my pocket. I do worry about damaging the LCD screen but I would with any digital. Pros: Small, quick start up, great picture quality, alot of different features packed into small camera, no software required to download pictures (Windows XP), It automatically orients the picture after you take a horizontal or vertical picture when viewing on the camera LCD. Cons: No battery power indicator so it just warns you when its almost out which is usually only a few more pictures, I turn off the LCD and manage to take a few more before it won't even power up anymore. The serial number rubbed off before I bothered to write it down but I don't really care to much, just a warning to you. Its a great little camera for quick snap shots of me and my family. My sister liked it so much she is going to get one too. i like this camera
Well i think this is a good camera, from my time using it I have found that it works as a great point and shoot camera. I still have yet to do much experimenting with the manuel features. The pictures that I have taken seem very clear and focused. I especially love how small and light the camera is and how it is easy to keep in my pocket for any random moments!!! The only thing that I would say is not entirely up to par is the loudness of the zoom, this is so minor that it doesn't matter!! I strongly recommend it to anyone!!! WONDERFUL!! TOTALLY SPEECHLESS.....
This is my second camera, and I just got it today. The SD400 truly impressed me with it's literally *pure* image quality, large LCD screen for easy viewing, and absolutley *beautiful* colors (I am not exaggerating at ALL). I am truly truly truly happy with my new digital camera. However, there is one important factor. The camera itself is so small and lightweight compared to other cameras, so TAKE CARE OF IT! Overall, it's a PERFECT camera. Just what I was looking for. *If you are interested in buying this camera for a very good price, I highly reccomend Butterfly Photos. (...) Quite happy about it
I'm quite happy that I bought this camera. It takes nice crispy pictures and it's very intuitive to use. It has some very good modes like 'Against twilight' and 'kids and pets' to use. Contrary to some other users comments I found the flash pretty powerful and helps the shooting a lot. Well.. but i'm not a professional photographer. The CONS are probably that it it doesnt show battery status and it's your guess when it'll run out. Also I donno if it's normal but the camera gets hot pretty quick after taking 10 or more pictures. In dark background the pictures tend to be blur with even very slight shake, but this is a common problem with all cameras. Not quite point and shoot...
This is a great camera. I particularly appreciate the small size. The fact that it can fit in pocket makes it very simple to bring almost anywhere. The speed of the camera to turn on and take a picture is one of the most compelling reason to purchase this camera. User friendly, ultra-compact and great pictures
I evaluated the Sony T-7, Nikon S5, Canon SD500 before picking up this product. Here's why: 1. The Sony picture results were not in the same class as the other 3 products, and was thrown out early. 2. The SD500 was noticeably bigger than the SD400, and with both being ultra-compacts, paying $100 more for a bigger camera with a nominal picture improvement (7 megs to 5 megs in very layman terms) was not attractive. 3. Finally, size and elegance won out in favor of the SD400 over the nikon S5. (This is in spite of my using a Nikon N80 with comprehensive kit over the last 5 years.) After having used this camera for a couple of vacations since my last trip, it has performed almost flawlessly. A few points to note: 1. Flash range is limited, but don't expect anything better in ultra-compacts. Within the flash range pictures come out quite good. 2. I have taken great Vegas night shots by placing the camera on a ledge with a 2 second timer. 3. The battery life lasts you a full day of flashing, and if you are careful enough to recharge it at the end of the day, you can manage without a spare. 4. I picked up a Sandisk Ultra II 512 MB card, and the faster card makes downloads a breeze. The card is also supposed to make multiple exposures work better, but I haven't tried that out. My SLR is better for that. 5. The view finder crops a lot of the picture. Just compare the image in the viewfinder with the one on the LCD display. All said and done, the camera has limitations, but gives you a fantastic picture for its size !!! It's just OK. Not great.
What I like: - Video (movie) mode is very good. 640x480x30 movies are very clear. Better than my friend's Sony camera's movie. - Very small. It is probably one of the smallest 5MP camera. - Transfer to computer via USB 2.0 is very fast. (I just use the Window XP Photo Wizard program. I did not install any software that comes with the camera.) What I do not like: - Still picture is not as sharp as my old Canon S410 4MP camera. - Still pictures looks great in bright sunlight/outdoor conditions. Focus much slower in slightly darker conditions. - Camera gets warm after a little while. The camera (and the chips inside) are not hot, but it is uncomfortable to have warm metal in your hand. Sure Shot
Excellent camera. Its easy to manage photos. THe download is fairly easy once you get to the right software. Quality of photos are good. Absolutely the BEST small camera
Just finally replaced my old Sony Cybershot 2.1 MP camera. After just a few weeks with this camera it was no doubt the right choice. The features packed into this small size are fantastic. I used a 1GB card I was using with my iPaq in this and now I am set. The software that it comes with is even better then any other digital camera software out there. PROS: - Tons of features, including movie mode w/sound, B&W Pictures as well as color accents (B&W with just a specific color showing), many different modes to accommodate all your possible needs. - SMALL...SMALL, enough said. - Battery life is outstanding, 2 weeks, tons of pics and still haven't recharged - Small battery charger that is easy to bring on trips, no wires, just plug it into the wall - Large LCD for a small camera CONS: - Just takes some time to learn how to use all the features, but worth it. - Average person that just wants to take pics can, but really overkill if you just want a standard point and shoot camera. Overall, I love it and would recommend to anyone that likes digital pictures, wants something small, but is tech savvy enought to learn how to use all the features. Hope this helped. Still has reliability problems
The Canon S400, S410 and S500 have all had serious reliability problems. Read the reviews on this website and you will see that many customers have had a mysterious 'memory error' and/or the lens jamming (E18 error). These problems have shown up at about 18 months on all of these models. [...] Great package for the price!
I'll admit it. I'm a sucker for small brushed aluminum-look consumer electronics. I found this camera at a major retail chain. For $350, plus I got a $40 gift card to use. Such a deal. I replaced an old Olympus Stylus, which will not be missed! Now, on to the camera. Out of the box, the SD400 impresses right off the bat. Sleek case, cool metal finish. I keep my camera in a microfiber bag inside it's case, so I haven't had any scratches like I've read in other reviews. This thing isn't a tennis shoe, so I wouldn't treat it like one. I found the documentation and the quick start guide to be more than adequate. After installing the supplied software, I was ready to go. I am impressed with the quick startup of this unit. It fires up and is ready to go, right away. Just the thing for capturing spur of the moment shots. Like a lot of guys, I like to play first, and read later. The instructions, that is, so I was off and running. The menus were pretty easy to figure out. I was able to adjust resolution, adjust flash settings and choose my photo mode within about 2 minutes of starting. Not bad. The supplied SD card is only 16MB which is inadequate if you're going to take high resolution shots, but fine if you're going for low-res quick shots suitable for email. Quality is great even at low levels of resolution. Details are great at medium to high resolution, so much so that you might reduce it after seeing a couple shots of yourself. No one needs to see that much of me! I chose the SD series because of the SD card, that also works with my new Panasonic DLP. Battery life is outstanding, even with extensive use of the flash and LCD display. I'm sure I could extend it further by turning off the LCD, but the viewfinder tends to crop the field of view a bit. All in all, I'd strongly recommend the Canon SD400. It's all the camera you'll ever need. Canon PowerShot SD400 LCD screen
I saw that S. Slotnick and some other reviewers mentioned something about covering the LCD screen with plastic protectors or palm pilot screen protectors. Can you guys elaborate on the names of those products and how much they cost and how well it works. Thanks Love the form factor but pics are too soft
I've owned a Canon since the days of the 2.1MP S10. I then upgraded to the 3.2MP S30 and love its pictures in terms of sharpness and vibrant colors. Due to a recent good deal on an SD400 I had to take the plunge and upgrade. First of all, SD400 is a piece of art as much as technology. I was pleasantly surprised by its dimunitive form factor then I was surprised again with its operating performance. This is one FAST camera compared to my S30. Starts up in an instant and autofocus is quick due to the new DIGIC II chip. In contrast, S30 has no DIGIC(not even DIGIC I) and you can definitely notice the slower performance compared to the SD400. However, while SD400 excels in operating speed it lacks in picture quality. I've noticed photos taken so far are softer than the ones from the S30(taken of the same subject with S30 sharpness set to middle setting). Also colors from the SD400 are not as vibrant as on the S30 (again saturation set to middle setting). I know some might say SD400 might have more 'accurate' colors but I (like most people) prefer vibrant colors even if they're bit exagerated. There is no sharpness setting on the SD400 but it does have custom color setting where you can adjust the saturation but it only works when in My Colors mode. I know sharpness can be applied on the PC but I don't want to mess with the picture again if I don't have to. Also looking at indoor pictures, SD400 definitely has more noise compared to the S30 with both cameras set to auto mode. Noise is more prominent in darker areas of the picture. That said, S30 is more then twice(3x ?) the size and weight of the SD400 so obviously Canon had to make some sacrifices. Lens quality is lacking compared to the bigger lens of the S30. Also SD400 uses the smaller 1/2.5" CCD compared to the 1/1.8" on the S30. Squeezing in 37% more pixels into a smaller CCD does create room for more noise. Think of it like speakers. For example, a miniature BOSE system has decent sound but there are larger speakers that will give you better sound for less money. I'm not saying in any way SD400 is a bad camera and most folks will not notice these issues unless they make the effort to compare the pictures side by side with another camera. This goes without saying and its a great camera for portability but if you're serious about photography you might want to look elsewhere. Even an A510 or 520 will give you better pictures if you don't mind the size. Small and great
I was intimidated when I first took this out of the box - it was SO small, how could I manage to use it? But in fact, the controls are easy to use and the camera is small enough so that I take it with me everywhere (as opposed to my previous digital camera, which was bulky enough to discourage my taking it places). The pictures are great, the features are great and easy to use. great little camera
This is my first digital camera, so I don't really have anything to compare it to, but so far it's almost perfect. My only complaint would be the battery display.. there is none, but oh well. design is great, zoom is fantastic for regular everday pictures, and I love how small and compact it is. The LCD isn't as flimsy as I thought it would be. Battery life is pretty good - on one charge I got about two days worth of sightseeing and tours. I also like the fact that it tells you how many more pictures you can hold according to your settings and sd card. you can also add voice memos to your pictures. The color accent and swap features are really cool too. Overall, sleek design, great features, easy to use navigation, and worth every penny! Hope this helps. canon sd400
Excellent camera. Takes wonderful pictures and the size is great to keep in pocket or purse SD400 Digital Elph
This camera was extraordinarily easy to use. I took several hundred pictures on a cross country road trip. I was impressed at how quickly the camera turned on and was ready to use. I captured several roadside attractions as we drove on by. Amazing. pricey bit of fun
you pay for the size of this camera, but overall a great little toy! you need to read the instructions carefully on how to use the features and even then you won't use every feature. battery power life seems to correlate well with the volume of the 256mb memory card pros--size (smaller than a wallet), variety of settings, clarity of photos (when used properly). cons--cost, poor 1.5--3.0 optical zoom quality, too many settings for the amateur, pricey sd memory cards. Beware of E18
8/17/2005 We've had the SD400 for exactly 34 days. Error message E18 is already upon us (if you've researched Canon cameras already, you'll know this is apparently a common problem, but usually occurs just after the warranty period ends and Canon requires approx. $150 to fix). I guess I am an optimist, and will return the camera for another SD400, as I have been impressed by it's convenience and photo quality. Good luck if you decide to roll the dice... 4/28/06 I should have updated this review a long time ago...Returned the camera to Amazon as defective. No hassels there except that my family went on vacation before I recieved the replacement- bummer). Have been using the replacement camera for about 9 months now with no problems at all. Not an improvement over the original Digital ELPH
After owning an original S100 Digital Elph for several years, I finally decided to upgrade to the SD400, expecting big improvements. After several months with the SD400, I have concluded that it was a waste of money because I have yet to realize any true advantages over the S100, and there are even a few drawbacks! What's definitely better: * USB 2.0. Much faster downloads that before. Be sure you connect to a USB 2.0 port, though. * Movie mode. Nice if you want something besides a still. What's better, perhaps: * Higher resolution (5.0 megapixels vs 2.1). But except for enlargements, I am not finding much benefit to this, and naturally the file sizes are bigger. I know that I can shoot at lower resolution, but then what's the point? * Smaller (only half as thick). This is nice, but not compelling. It doesn't fit anywhere that the S100 wouldn't. * Much larger display. I like it, but I'm concerned about its fragility. The old S100 had a smaller display but could be treated roughly without worry. What's not improved: * In automatic mode, you STILL cannot choose to force the flash to be used; you still only have the choices of auto flash or no flash. Has Canon never heard of fill flash? You have to go to manual mode to select this feature, which I find annoying. What's worse: * Annoying and fragile plastic lid over the USB connector. This thing isn't going to last long. * And the thing that I REALLY don't like about the SD400: blurry pictures. A significant number of the pictures that I have taken have been blurry for one reason or another, but mostly due to camera's choice of too low of a shutter speed. If you select the option of "no flash" this problem is particularly likely. Supposedly there is a "camera shake" warning indicator to help prevent this, but good luck seeing it when you need it. At a minimum, Canon needs to provide an option to prevent pictures or force flash if it computes the need for a shutter speed that is below a reasonable hand-held limit, which I have always taken to be 1/60 sec. So even after purchasing the SD400, I'm still using my old S100 much of the time, mostly because it is much more rugged, and also because I have never had blurred picture with it. SD400..easy, plus it takes great pictures
Not only did I find my camera cheaper on Amazon, it was great not having to pay for tax or shipping! I advise reading the manual when getting started, but when you get used to the camera, using it's a breeze! I love all of the features it has. The zoom feature is fantastic. I would definitely recommend purchasing this camera. All of my pictures have come out perfect, and very clear! Excellent Camera
I got two of these cameras at the same time, one for me and one for a friend - we are both thrilled. It exceeded our expectations by far. It's easy to use, picture quality is terrific, and it is so much fun. I am not a professional, but have always loved taking pictures, and I was very disappointed with my last digital camera (Kodak)and just stopped taking pictures altogether. Now I am constantly taking pictures again. The only problem is...my huband loves it too..and he keeps hogging it. This camera is worth every penny, and Amazon offers the best price I've seen around. Fuzzy close-up quality
Like the size of camera and the quick response, but the quality of picutres is not as good as the Sony I have. The close-ups are not as clear. Great Camera
I have found it a terrific camera that is easy to operate and most important fits in my pocket so it's always available. very disappointed...
I had canon digital camera since their first serie. my last one was S30. I recently bought SD400. almost none of my pictures at night are focused. my daytime pictures are just okay. the camera is fast to load, to take pix, and has nice menu system and absolutely compact. but the quality is unacceptable. only pictures of a sunny california day appear flawless. the rest are just bad. i wouldn't suggest this camera. in fact it might be my camera! i'm going to retunrn it to canon for a checkup. Great Camera lousy LCD
This camera takes great pictures and is easy to use right out of the vox. Unfortunaely the LCD onthe bac of the camera stopped working after one week of use. OK in bright light, horrible in low-light conditions
Bought this camera to replace an aging Canon Powershot S300 that took much better pictures in low light than the SD400 did. The SD400 produced good shots outdoors in bright light, but images taken in the shadows or indoors without flash had a large amount of "noise" that made them look extremely grainy. Focus wasn't the issue, it was just electronic noise as a result of the camera automatically cranking up its "ISO" in low light. Lots of point-and-shoot cameras do that, but this one's noise level at high ISO was horrible-looking. Yes, of course you can use NoiseNinja or PhotoShop to improve the grainy appearance, and you can use flash indoors. If you are comfortable with noise-processing software--or like the way flash portraits look--you'll probably enjoy this camera for its size and convenience. However, I returned it for a refund after a weekend of shooting. Love It!
This little camera is awsome! Nice big LCD, very small and thin (pack of cards!) and takes great photos. Only thing I don't like is that its zoom seems to max out at 1:1 (if this were an SLR camera it would be like having a 35-50mm zoom); that is the images are smaller/farther away than I would like. But I suspect that is the curse of all cameras with small lenses. Cautionary Tale: Repair Problems
I bought this camera and was very pleased with many of its features. The other reviews do a good job discussing its strengths and weaknesses, so I'm only going to contribute something that many readers may not find it easy to gain information about: repair problems. The Canon Powershot SD400 I bought broke the first time I used it. There was a problem after uploading the pictures to my PC, and the screen froze. That's when the troubles began. I mailed it to the Canon factory for repairs--having just been purchased it was still under warranty. The part they needed to repair it was out of stock and needed to be back ordered. So far, the camera has been in the factory for a majority of its owned life, with no prospect of my seeing it for another month or so. Moreover, Customer Service has been exceptionally unhelpful. For one thing, they claim to have no direct communication with the repair factory. This is my caveat to all who consider purchasing this camera--if you get a defective camera as I did, you will be waiting a long long frustrating time to get it back (or maybe forever--I still haven't gotten mine back, after all). I can not recommend this camera for purchase. It's great
it's easy to use and takes wonderful pictures. The best I've ever seen. Love it
After extensive research I decided on this cannon poweshot and I couldnt be any more happy. I absolutely love it. A major factor for my purchase was the fact that the camera is small (since I'm a woman and have lots of tiny purses). The pictures look absolutely fabulous. I went to a black tie party, where it was hot and dark and we were inside and outside a lot. All my pictures came out great. They were clear and sharp and not blurry at all. I did practice point shooting the day before to get use to holding the camera. The features are great. Pros Lightweight/Slim/small Great pictures Features (black and white photos look absolutely amazing) The video clips come out great Cons The memory card the camera comes with is terrible, you can only take about 8 pictures with it. I recommend getting a memory card with a larger capacity (I bought one for 250 pictures from [...]for about 35 bucks) I absolutely love it, however I also recommend getting some kind of pouch (not necessarily a case) to keep the camera in, especially if you're going to throw it in your purse or pocket with other items. Just plain love it!!
I have had this little and I do mean little camara now for about 2 weeks. It took me forever to find the perfect one. I tried a few Nikons and one Sony, but as soon as I got my hands on this one and took a few pictures I knew it was the one for me. With the others I had problems with blurry pictures in an indoor setting were I couldn't use flash. But with this one it does really well! It's so small I carry it my purse, just in case I stumble upon a photo opportunity. I definately recommend this camara. Great Little Camera
I am no pro. However I must say that I think this camera is great. It fits in your pocket if you don't mind the bulge, or can be worn on your belt if you don't mind appearing a bit geekish. I took some pictures of my Pembroke Corgi and my American Pit Bull Terrier together and they look fantastic blown up on my 17" imac screen. The resolution is great and the lighting is perfect (I used the auto mode in a partially backlit situation). Small, but versatile.
Have been using this camera during my most recent vacation, and am very pleasantly surprised at how well it's done. Despite the small size, the features are easy to navigate and the 2" LCD is amazing, even in bright desert light. I brought my regular digital camera along for the trip as a backup, but could have saves the extra weight. At least two people I've met on this trip have expressed interest in getting one of their own. rock solid
Great quality in a small camera you can fit in your pocket. Make sure you plan on buying an additional, much larger memory card. Good Choice for Animation
We use these cameras in our clay animation workshops and we have been very pleased with them, even with heavy use. We switch out the memory cards to empty the photos, and allow students to keep filming without moving the camera. The two features that make this camera work well for animation are: 1. Auto power-shutoff disabling. So the camera doesn't turn off while you adjust your puppet. It does go to sleep but a half-press of the shutter button wakes it right back up. 2. Timer mode, 2 seconds. You can set it to take a picture exactly two seconds after you press the button. It beeps repeatedly which reminds the animator to take their hand off the camera (mounted on a tripod or stand) and out of the frame. The result is much less camera movement and accidental hand shots in your animation. Without this, even the pressure of your finger as you press the shutter button moves the camera enough to create shifting frames. We chose the 3x zoom, which is pretty low as far as zooming capabilities go, since we can always get the camera close to the artwork to get a clear close-up. The macro focus feature on this camera is easy to use, even for kids. A flower graphic on the button and the LCD screen indicate macro-focus is on. Canon Powershot
We are very impressed with how easy the camera was to use and the price that we paid for it. This replaces our less expensive Cannon Digital and is well worth it. Great and Easy
My previous Canon camera served my family very well until my daughter got it wet. This new SD400 camera is GREAT! It's easy to use and very small (but big screen). Don't forget to use your ipod socks to protect your new camera. It fits perfectly. Very happy with this camera
I've been a very happy Canon G2 user for over 3 years. However it is not very easy to carry around. The SD400 came on a 1 day sale for $249.99. Couldn't resist the bargain so picked it up. Based on the few shots I've taken, the results are stunning! Shot at 1600x1200 as well as the full 5M Pixel resolution and printed them at a Kodak kiosk that uses Kodak's "Perfect Touch" processing ($0.29/print). Prints look fantastic! I've also sent these images to winkflash.com ($0.12/print + $0.99 shipping) to compare the results. The only design flaw is that if I want the date imprinted, the camera steps the resolution down to 1600x1200. Since I like to use the full 5M Pixel resolution, I have to post process all my images thro' DCE Autoenhance to embed the date on each image before printing. Not that big a deal but wonder why Canon overlooked this. Overall I'm very happy with the SD400 and the price I paid. Am still keeping the G2 for indoor pictures with an accessory flash. Can't beat the bounce flash picture quality! GREAT little camera for point and shoot with manual controls
This is my 5th digital camera (I still own several Nikon SLR cameras and lenses) and I am an amateur photographer. I own a sony DSC-V1 which is a prosumer camera and has many more features (manual focus, aperature and speed and program settings, ISO to 800, etc.) which takes great pictures but too bulky for casual shooting and everyday carrying. I have also owned a 1 MP Nikon (sold for upgrade), 2MP Nikon (dropped and broken) and 3MP Nikon (too plastic and pictures always needed color balancing in Photoshop). The Canon SD 400 takes it all in terms of everyday use --- due to the easy learn features and size. For the average user, this is a GREAT CAMERA and GREAT VALUE for the price. The SD 450 has a 2.5 LCD and is heavier... After reading many reviews of the Sony T-series and SD 400 at Amazon and [...], I decided on the Canon SD 400 camera as it had many more features than the Sony T-series and was a bit lighter. Both the Sony DSC-T1 and T33 were the same price as the Canon SD 400 and about two ounces heavier. I am more than delighted with the features of the Canon SD 400 and find the pictures great for such a small point and shoot. Pros The Manual Mode setting will let you customize various settings for shooting vs. using the Automatic Mode settings. Stitching program in Manual Mode will assist you in stitching together a panaorama shot rather than software which is more difficult to match multiple images (get it right when you are there rather than trying to adjust images that are not going to look right stitched together because you stepped back or angled the shot by accident). Ability to choose from 2 autofocus settings. The AiAF setting which is the default will take longer to focus, so you can turn it off and use a single vs. multiple focus read. Continuous shots with little lag (as long as battery lasts and memory card has storage). Easy to learn controls (the manuals that came with this camera weighed 10 times more than the camera) and features. Viewfinder with LCD (most ultracompact cameras like the Sony T-series only have LCD screens and no viewfinder). 2 inch LCD. Small Size (smaller than a deck of cards) --- carry it all of the time Relatively long battery life. Easy to purchase extra batteries (non-Canon) that are reliable and safe for the camera on E-Bay. Cons Viewfinder only shows 82% of the picture vs. the LCD (You won't see that extra tree that you will have to crop out later in Photoshop). Manual is difficult to read (more a reference than a read as the camera is easy to use). Not retaining exposure change adjustments and flash settings from various shooting modes. Color swap features are hard to learn without reading the manual. Get a 1GB secure digital camera and shoot 350+ pictures in the highest resolution (super fine) and size. Carry it and you will find that you take more pictures. However, for a special occassion where there is a need to capture more detail and more manual features, I will use the Sony DSC-V1. However, I think it may get sold on E-Bay if I find that I really have the same quality of pictures that I shot with the Sony DSC-V1. Overall, I think anyone purchasing this camera will use it everyday and most, it will do more than you expected. Very pleased with my first Digital Camera
I am far from an expert on the wonderful world of digital cameras and what makes some superior over others. I was told by a friend I trust to invest in this camera and was incredibly happy to have followed that advice. This camera is so easy to use and as a first time user, that was something that was important to me. Yes, you do have to read the manual to get accustomed to the different features, but once you read the gist and understand things, it makes your picture taking experience rather enjoyable. My only complaint was in the zoom feature. Sometimes, I wanted to zoom in on details of different things, and the clarity wasn't always there. My scenic shots came out beautifully and in addition to the portraits of family and friends, that was the most important thing I was hoping would turn out. I took over 350 pictures and only a small handful came out blurry. I would definitely encourage a friend to give this little gem a go. Error 16 and Unexplained lock-ups.
I only owned this camera for one night, so all I can give it is one star. After taking a few snapshots, which looked good on the LCD, it froze. Don't know why. After getting it powered down by pulling the battery, I tried again. Took a couple of shots and it blinked off. The screen relighted momentarily with the code E16 displayed. Went through several repetitions before calling it a night. Recharged battery the next morning, hoping it was just a battery or memory card problem. At that point it was unusable. Called Canon (Saturday morning). After a short discussion and talk through, the tech said, "Your camera is defective." That was enough for me. I returned it via Fedex for credit, and now I'm looking for something else because when I tried to find out about E16, I found out about E18 I don't know how many "E"s they have (at least 18, I guess), so I don't think it's a good idea to try another one of these little jewels. It's a shame though. I loved the design, and I think the photos would have been nice. Perhaps the Sony Cybershot or the Casio is a little better quality. Maybe the Olympus. The new Nikon S4 looks great, but it doesn't look pocket-sized, so I'm floundering here. The perfect gift for a 20 year old art major.
My son was absolutely thrilled with his birthday gift on his 20th birthday. It is a wonderful camera, with much versatility, sharpness and small size. I could not have found a better birthday present. He constantly takes pictures, whether it be nature close-ups or panoramic views of the spectacular Chicago skyline. All the pictures turn out nearly perfect without having to tweek anything. Great little camera
Wanted a digital camera that was small enough to fit in my shirt pocket. This one is. Also wanted a state-of-the-art camera that took great pictures for personal or internet use. I felt this one fit the bill, and it does. Stop splitting hairs...this is a great camera
I just got this camera and started learning the options, different shooting modes, etc... and I am not disappointed in any aspect of it. Most people who have problems with image quality or blurriness either have shaky hands or are trying to take a picture in such dim light that a darker, noisy photo is to be expected. This is a compact camera that costs a lot because of its size and amount of options for a camera that small. It is not going to win you any photo awards, but as an amateur photographer or just snapping pictures for fun, it's perfect for your needs. The movie mode, as well, in 30 or 15 fps (you have the option to choose), is just as high quality as any other camera on the market. Pros: - Image quality is fantastic so far, inside and outside. - Movie mode is very easy to use and playback/upload to computer - Blazing fast start-up speed - Small, attractive design - Canon is a reputable brand - LCD screen size/viewfinder. People, you're holding this thing one to two feet from your face, you don't need a 2.5" LCD screen that eats up batteries and pushes out a viewfinder. This camera has a 2" screen WITH a viewfinder, which is great for me. It saves batteries, gives you the option to use a viewfinder if you're in extreme sunlight or something malfunctions with the LCD while you're on vacation and can't bring it in for repairs Cons: - I honestly cannot think of any cons that a typical consumer would find with this camera. The image quality is great (I was this close to getting a Sony T-1 but read reviews about how the image quality was very, very poor, which steered me away from that brand, as well as the insane cost of the Sony memory sticks). - There are some negative reviews about error messages and LCD screen malfunctions with the camera, which I paid close attention to before making my decision. Ultimately, I decided to get my camera at Best Buy and got a warranty for 4 years. This way I'm covered, and I can go into the actual store and talk to someone in person. It's much more relaxing and I suggest that course for any camera that is purchased. Overall, this camera is so well-worth the money for yourself or as a gift. [...] If you are interested in seeing sample images from a real person who has basically no professional photography experience whatsoever. I'll show you how well this camera takes photos. Canon camera does what we need
This is our first digital camera. It is small & light so we take it with us. Step one to getting the pictures: have a camera. Once we got used to it, it is easy to use. I love this camera!
I love the 5MP Canon Digital Elph! This is the third digital camera I have owned, and it's by far the best of the bunch. I took it to the Grand Canyon a few months ago, and the pictures were amazing, even though I had only limited experience with the camera, and I'm a horrible photographer to begin with. Let me state this simply. I am the world's biggest idiot when it comes to taking pictures, but this camera is completely idiot-proof! Even I can't take a bad picture with it. That means YOURS will be spectacular! The Elph works extra-well for me because I can share Compact Flash with my MP3 player. Most of the buttons are intuitive enough that you can take quality pictures the first time you hold the camera without reading much documentation. Other settings require only a little reading to understand. This is an extremely intuitive camea, and ergonomically, it fits very naturally in you hand. Bottom line, you can't go wrong with this one! Canon Power Shot SD400
I've owned this camera for about a month and so far I have found it to be better than I expected in every way. I have owned 3 Sony digital cameras 2,5 and 7 mp and so far the little Canon outdoes them all. I bought it mainly because of the size but the quality is amazing. It is hard to take a bad picture! The Sonys were good but you get dark or poorly exposed pictures often, unless you really learn the camera menus and settings. The Canon you can get creative but the point and shoot settings are usually right on, leaving you more freedom to compose the picture. It was hard to bring myself to change manufactures but I am sold on the Canon 400, it is small enough to fit in a pocket, but the quality of the pictures is what really shines! Try one you'll be glad you did. Lovely, with a major defect looming
I love the design of the Elph digitals, and have used mine with much pleasure for a year. As much as I have enjoyed it, mine has ceased to function, due to the very common issue with some of these cameras around a "memory card error" which is actually a camera malfunction. A noticable number of digital elphs seem to fail between one and two years of ownership with this error. Cannon has been unsupportive. I should note that mine is the 4MP version...but I direct you to do a search on problems with the SX00 series. It's heartbreaking to enjoy and recommend a little camera like this, and then have it leave you without a financially viable alternative. Great Camera
I was at first a little questionable about how to upload the memory card onto the computer but once I figured that out everything else was a breeze. The product is user friendly and its picture is crystal clear. Clearity has always been an issue with me and with this camera its all that much easier. The pictures almost look professnial. The Canon Elph Shines Again-Now With 3x Zoom & Large 2.0" LCD & More
The Canon Powershot really sizzles and outperforms almost ALL other Competitors in the 5MP Digital Arena! I have always been interested in Canon products, especially the optics on their Digital and SLR cameras. The Canon Powershot SD400 Digital Elph has outperformed ALL of the previous cameras that I have owned. There are many cameras available with 5 megapixels or even more. It's important to pay attention to the quality of the camera in a number of different areas and NOT to just focus on the number of megapixels a camera has. I purchased this camera when it first came out-probably one of the first off the shelf. I should have waited for all of the rebate offers and sales, however I wanted to replace my previous ELPH and pass it on to a nephew so I could get the newest Canon Digital Camera. I had read all of the reviews online and in periodicals that I like to read. It was unanimously agreed upon that this camera really packed a true bang for the buck! I am a photographer and use typical SLR and Medium Format Cameras for the most professional work. I've incorporated digital photography for moments when I don't have the time to put the whole camera outfit together or when I am traveling and don't want to carry a heavy camera, lens, flash, etc. Recently I put the Canon to the test. I was called upon to photograph a Canadian Competition Bicycling team, from Toronto, that was training in sunny Arizona. The photo shoot went very well and I was comfortable that the photos would turn out great. In addition to taking my typical "35mm Film" photographs, I chose to use my Canon Powershot SD400 to see how it would compare. I developed all of the 35mm photographs and had prints made for all members of the racing team. After I finished this 4 day process, everything from taking the photos to developing the negatives and finally making prints of the best photos, I turned to my new ELPH and used my laptop computer to view the pictures. I was totally astounded by the incredible performance of this small but mighty camera. I decided to take it another step higher and took my Memory Card to a Kinko's Copy Center and had enlargements made-everything from 5 x 7's to 8 x 10's. The colors were brilliant and it was impossible for me to see any differences in quality between the original small prints and the 5 x 7's and 8 x 10's! As a semi-professional photographer, like so many others, I assumed that I would see a difference once the digital photos were enlarged. Not the case with this awesome digital Canon Powershot SD400 5MP Elph Camera! I hung 2 prints on the wall, both 8 x 10's from my 35mm SLR Camera, and then placed the digital 8 x 10's from Kinko's just below them. It would take a very, very professional eye, with a very, very powerful magnifier, to discern any differences in quality. I've always been impressed with the Canon Digital Cameras that I have owned, but this 5 megapixel Elph is a true gem and the best digital camera I have ever owned. I ended up with 4 photos on the wall, that still remain there, as I enjoy showing clients the power of a high quality digital camera. I hope this review offers some assistance to you. There are so many technicals points that I could have discussed with you, however I wanted to present an honest review as a result of a true experience I had with this incredible camera. There are so many to choose from, so many sales and specials and rebates, etc. If you're looking for a great camera that will guarantee you performance that even a professional would expect in a camera-then the Canon Powershot SD400 is the camera for you. this camera is so much fun!
i love this camera! i had so much fun using it on my recent vacation. i was pleased with the quality of the photos, i found it user friendly, the lcd screen isn't too small and the timer feature allows you to take several photos over the amount of time that you set. the audio could be better as well as the fact that the lcd screen became scratched easily even though it was very carefully handled. my friend has and older sony that has been much used and his lcd screen is perfect still. unfortunately my camera was stolen. i will be buying a replacement and will most likely buy the same model. Software
The Camera works great with crystal clear images. The software to convert the images to print is difficult. I want to select images and send to a processor and it is not clear how to do this. Thanks Mark Feature Rich and Easy to Use(*)
Disclaimer: I've never owned a camera of nearly this quality before, so I don't have much basis for comparison. I can't tell you if this is better than some similar camera, since I haven't used any others. That said, I'm really liking this camera. Out of the box, it's very easy to figure out how to point-and-shoot and use basic functions with all possible adjustments set to the default "automatic" setting. After that, you'll have to hit up the manual. Due to the compact design, there's no room for a verbose menu system, so everything is icon-based. To figure out how to access more advanced features, you're going to have to reference the manual. The manual is quite comprehensive, though, and handily indexed so I've been able to find what I wanted without much trouble. The manual also does a reasonable job of explaining not just how to adjust the settings, but what the different settings mean, e.g., "ISO 50" vs "ISO 400". It tells you how to change it and a brief explanation of why different settings may be desired. The picture resolution is quite spectacular. In fact, if you're just looking to take casual pictures to send to family members over the internet or a camera to take standard-sized photos with, you could certainly get away with a cheaper camera. This camera takes pictures of sufficient resolution to print as a small poster! (Or a very large glossy print.) The video mode is quite nice as well. With a 1 GB memory card, you can record over 15 minutes of video at maximum quality, or over 45 minutes of video at a medium quality (or over 2 hours of video at lowest quality). The video also includes sound, though I have doubts as to the quality of the built in microphone. The built-in flash is great and it has a red-eye reducer. The optical + digital zoom is fairly impressive and there other other features such as rapid-fire picture snapping (where you hold down the button as the camera clicks away) and macro mode (allowing you to take a magnified shot of something really close to the lens). Transferring data to your computer is also quite simple, with the included connections and software. You can also, of course, review stored images using the camera itself and erase whatever you want from there. As the camera only comes with a very tiny memory card, I advise getting a bigger memory card and an extra battery when you buy this camera. I got the 1 GB card and can honostly say it's more space than I could ever possibly want. 1 GB holds hundreds of top quality pictures -- or almost 2000 pictures at 1600x1200 resolution! There are cameras that take even higher resolution pictures than this one, but unless you know for a fact that you want to use your camera to print large posters, you truely don't need more than 5 megapixels. Small, sleek and great images.
Overall, this I've been pretty pleased with this camera. The size is good (ultra portable), but I almost feel as if it's a little TOO small (making it a little hard to handle). The picture quality is great, but the red eye is pretty bad in any condition that isn't bright outside light. There are enough manual controls to keep me happy, and it's a great point and shoot camera, but for those who want more manual control, you might be disappointed. My first digital
I love this camera. I researched a lot before I bought, and this had every thing I was looking for. It is small enough to fit in my purse, but sometimes a little hard to hold onto because of the size, but I still love it, I just always make sure I have the strap on my wrist incase it slips. Still learning more about it. Go Canon!
I've become a Canon fan through their cameras. I've gone through the G3, the G5, and the S1, and although these were all amazing cameras, I realized that what I really wanted was a small camera that I could fit in my purse, take everywhere with me, and use everyday without fumbling through the controls to take that one picture of my toddler wearing her dress backwards and upside down. 1. This camera is small but has a relatively large screen. Very beautiful. I suggest an LCD screen protector for this. 2. The controls are easy to use. This little camera still has a lot more features than I use on a daily basis, but they're there when I need them. 3. The battery life is excellent. If you travel a lot, I suggest buying extra extended batteries from eBay. I bought some just before I went on my overseas trip this past summer and I'm glad I did. 4. I no longer need my camcorder. I know, the quality isn't as good as a dedicated camcorder, but I found myself not using the camcorder at all since it took a while to set up. With the handy movie feature of this camera, I can take videos of my family in a snap. I also suggest extra SD cards, preferably the 1GB or more cards, if you do plan on taking a lot of short movies. 5. The picture quality is excellent. One little caveat, though. Take as many pictures of the same subject as you can, so that you can have your pick. I've found that I really have to keep the camera steady in lower light conditions without using a flash, especially close ups and macro mode. Otherwise, the picture comes out blurred. It's a little hard to tell on the LCD screen. If you have a steady shooting arm then this won't be a problem for you. 6. When I travelled this past summer, I found that I was able to do away with a bulky camera, the camcorder, and the laptop for downloading all the photos. So, if you want to take lots of pictures and don't want to be bothered by juggling three or more devices, I suggest: a. Buy the Mega View 566 PMC. It has a 20GB storage capacity, a screen, and an SD slot. I was able to store all the photos and movies from a full SD card, empty the card, and start over again. This will also fit in your purse or backpack without adding bulk. b. In addition, buy two or three 1GB SD cards for those times when you can't stop long enough to download your photos. On a 3 week vacation, I easily took 20GB of photos and movies, and could have probably used more. c. Buy extra batteries. They're relatively cheap. And you'll always have power when you need it. d. But the CAnon leather case. Great for protecting your camera in your purse. e. For places where there will be a lot of moisture, dirt or sand, like beach, rainy places, ski slopes, in the pool, buy the Canon all weather case. f. Buy a little make-up case to fit the charger (it's pretty small too with input of 100v-240V), the batteries for both the camera and the PMC, and your extra SD cards. These will all fit in your purse or backpack nicely. Well, that's my take on a camcorder free life. If they can make a camcorder the same size as the SD400, with a 5 MP or more resolution digital still camera, I'd switch. Until then, I'll stick with the high resolution photos, good quality video, and the highly portable size of the SD400. PERFECT
I bought this as a replacement to my three year old 2.0 MP Canon Elph. This camera is a huge improvement on past models, while retaining all the features and easy user interface that I love. This is a great camera. Fits in your pocket for all family and friend events. More than I expected
This camera is AWESOME! 1) Besides of being a good looking camera is really small and light, and most important, Canon makes no sacrifices in performance to achieve this. The zoom is very good. The resolution of the pictures is great. 2) The pictures it takes at night impressed me, it's awesome the quality of the pictures in places that are poorly illuminated. 3) The most outstanding feature is the MY COLORS MODE (the best are Color Accent and Color Swap), no other camera has something like this. Playing with colors is really fun and you can put your creativity to work. And you do it all from your camera, before taking the picture, not AFTER and having to use special software. 4) It also lets you set the begging and the end of a video (cutting it) and watch the videos in slow motion. 5) The software is useful and easy to use and install. There's ONLY ONE THING I DIDN'T LIKE, it doesn't come with a carrying case. So I bought the Canon PSC-90 Deluxe Leather Case, which works great and it looks cool. Also it comes with a really small memory card (like every camera in the market) you will always need to buy a bigger one. I bought the Sandisk SDSDH-1024-901 1 GB Ultra II. You probably think that 1 GB is too much and maybe it is. But the size of a 2-minutes-video in the highest quality is about 190 Megabytes! ------------ IN COMPARISSON TO OTHER MODELS/CAMERAS ----------- *This camera has the same features of the SD450, the only difference is that the SD450 has a 2.5 inch LCD screen (instead of 2.0), but it usually cost between $70-$100 more and the controls in the back are smaller; so is not really worth it. * Is very similar to the SD500, the main difference is that the SD500 has 7 Megapixels. But it is bigger and more expensive. And more Megapixels don't always mean its better. I mean with my SD400 pictures can be of 2.5 Megabytes (that's a lot), so you won't always take all your pictures at the full resolution and full size. * I really thought about getting a Panasonic Lumix, mainly because of the Optical Image Stabilization, but I haven't had troubles of blurry pictures with my Canon and the MY COLORS MODE is a better feature. great camera, great price
this is totally worth the money. you can't get a camera of this quality in it's category for this price. My only complaint about it is the opening where you plug the cable into the camera to connect to your computer. It's really hard to open and really flimsy, so be careful. I ended up buying a separate USB card reader so I don't have to worry about it anymore. I would also be careful opening the compartment that holds the battery/memory. The flap is plastic and seems easily breakable. All in all, no regrets. I'm happy with it for what I paid! Great Camera
I really enjoy using and playing with this camera - it is small which is difficult for my husband. But I love it! Cannon Powershot
Excellent camera. It is so small that it fits well in pocket, easy to tuck away and carry for when it may be needed for that special picture. It is easy to use. I'm happy with it
I bought this camera a few months ago. I loved it from the start. As an 18 year old male, I needed a camera that I could just throw in my pocket and take around town to do the things that we do. I hoped it would take abuse, but I overlooked that fact that the SD 200 and 300s both have fragile screens. That turned out to be a major oversight. I broke my LCD after only two months. Luckily, I was one of the few people who received the screen replacement for free. From what I've read about Canon, they usually charge a hefty $120 fee for that. So overall, I am very happy with the company, however I do wish that the screen would hold up better. In such an expensive camera, you expect it to be able to survive in a pocket. 300 vs 400
One of my uncle's recently bought the SD 300 and I was that it was pretty kewl. I too decided to buy a cannon SD camera and got the SD400 [...]. The 400 is also nice but what worries me a little is the LCD screen. It's got to much static compared to the SD300, I see a lot of grains in the screen. The pictures are pretty clear but it's a little disturbing to look at the screen when taking photos. If you were to move the camera fast then the image is blurry in the screen. The 300's LCD screen was pretty clean and neat. I requested Dell to send me areplacement and they sent me one, not much improvement though, the LCD is brighter in the 1st one compared to the second one and the static is more in the first one. The 300 has much less static....But when I checked a SD400 at a near by best buy store it was much more clear and had less static so now am wondering what to do...return SD 400 and get a SD 300 or just get a SD 400 from a local store at a costlier price... I guess I liked the 300 compared to the 400 because of the LCD. I believee with the 300 you could take decent 8.5 x 11 prints and I would not need larger prints. Not Perfect
While this camera is almost perfect in term of design and features, the image quality is its Achilles heel. This is my fourth digital cameras of all sizes and has the easiest menu to navigate and select through. Fast start up time is a great for though prefect moment. I love the little metal compact design and feel. Maybe the new Casio Exilim EX-S500 is sexier. The falling price makes this camera a great value, since the newer Canon sd450 and sd430 are coming out. My beef with this camera is the burry images. People say you can compare apple to orange with pocket digital camera to larger camera. But what is the point if you only get perfect image with outdoor shot with a lot of sunlight. Living in Seattle's cloudy fall and winter season, 1/3 to ý the images are blurry. Wow, no action mode means this little boy has a slow shutter speed. So taking pictures off a moving bus or car on a road trip is a joke. Anybody running too fast becomes blurry vision. Indoor shot with a flash is fine. Canon's images have the least amount of noise and pixilation of any brand. The image is very detail in perfect situation. For the best image quality for a pocket digit digital cameras out there now are the Fuji film FinePix Z1 and Casio Exilim EX-Z750. Camera that I owned or used. Best image, true color, sharpness, detail, under $500 - Panasonic FZ15 (large w/ 12x optical and image stabilizer) Best color saturation, vibrant color, indoor shot/ night shot, features- Sony DSC-F717 (new CyperShot lack sharpness) Cool factor, user friendly, little noise, blurriest- Canon SD400. Nikon Coolpix is below average and Olympus is fine but has robust body design. a little disapointing
I will start by saying this is my first digital camera, so I don't have much of a frame of reference... I have used my sisters considerably more expensive camera a time or two. I did a lot of research before I purchased this camera, and felt comfortable buying Canon, because of good things I'd heard. I knew that I wanted at least 5MP and some zoom capability. All that said, I have had my camera for 4 days and have taken quite a few pictures, and a lot of them aren't that great. I am more than willing to attribute the poor quality to my lack of skill as a photographer, but am not sure this is why. I have taken some shots out in the backyard that are beautiful. All of the pictures I have taken of people have sucked though. I guess I just expected a little better since this camera was billed as "point and shoot" by so many. The manual and directions are easy to read and helpful. I do not care much for the Zoom Browser software that accompanies the camera. It is very limited and the red eye reduction has yet to work for me. nice camera - no good in low light conditions
nice outdoors photos flash fills the picture very well (does not over burn the photo like my S50 ) easy to use very fast and responsive (much better than my S50, but not as good as SLR ) perform badly in low-light conditions high iso (400) is worse than nothing hard time focusing in low light env. If you need low light support go for the s60/70/80 which do a much better job for that matter battery/sd-card compartment of cheap quality (sd500 has a solid built) same goes for the usb cover( like all other compact digicams) Great price, great product
Bought this as a gift for my fiance's dad. He loved it. Small yet sturdy. I was even able to download the chinese manual so he can figure out how to use it on his own. Canon SD400 Digital Elph Camera Review
I bought this camera because for it's size vs performance; it has a lot of bang for buck. I took photos everyday for over 2 months while touring Europe and the camera never let me down. Really easy to sync with my iPod as well as computer kiosks to make photo CDs. A great travelers camera! Fast memory cards are key. A great litttle camera
I have now had my Canon SD400 for approx three months todate and have put it to considerable use already. I have taken it to two weddings and an eleven (11) day trip to Hawaii. I have taken scads of pictures. Here is my assessment of the camera: Out-of-doors it takes excellent pictures. Indoors the pics are OK, but you must know the limitations of the flash. According to the Users manual, the flash limit is 10 1/2 feet. And if you use the zoom indoors the flash limit goes down to 6 1/2 feet. These guiidelines are about correct, so don't expect to get quality pics beyond these limits. If you want better quality, the indoors must be lit with additional lighting or you must use another type camera with more powerful flash capabilities. The fact that the camera does not have a power meter is a negative. I ran my batteries completely out and there is a warning at this time that allowed only 2 - 3 more pics. I have both Canon and non Canon batteries and the non Canon batteries work just as well at a far lesser price. I bought this camera mainly because of the brand name and its size. I have had other larger cameras, and for a novice picture taker like myself, I find myself taking far more pics with the smaller camera, because I'm not having to "lug" along an unwieldy unit. Placing a protective film over the screen is a good idea, as I can already see a few minor scratches on the film. One can eventually peel off the protective film and replace it with new when you feel it is necessary This camera has a viewfinder which for me is an absolute must because when taking pics in the bright daylight, the screen is too difficult to view at times. Many mini cameras do not have the viewfinder which is a shame. I have now purchased 1GB and 2GB SD memory cards, as I have a habit of taking a bunch of pics. The 16 MB sd card that comes with the camera is only good enough to verify that the camera works OK after taking it out of the box. I have been setting the resolution to M1 and I got just over a thousand pics on the Hawaii trip on a single 1 GB sd card. I took just a few shots using movie mode and it really sucks up the memory, but the quality is excellent. I have used nearly all the bells and whistles of this camera and the more you use it the easier it gets. All in all, it is a great little camera as long as you understand its limitations. This is an update on this camera: I have now had the camera for just over a year, and just returned from a month vacation in Australia. I took the SD 400 with me and took approx 3000 pics and the quality on nearly all were excellent. The charger is dual voltage and the voltage in Australia is 240, the only thing is that I had to use a USA to Aussie electrical adapter. This worked out fine. I would move this camera up one more star as I had no problems with it. Just understand It is not a full blown model camera and it has its limitations. Great camera for a great price
Canon is one of the best camera makers in the world. Compared to the previous SD200 that I owned, the Canon Powershot SD400 is a sleek and powerful camera. The metallic casing on the sides makes the camera seem much greater than it is. The camera fits snug in my hands and the button placement makes it easy for my fingers to find what buttons I need. With any product, there come pros and cons to functions and durability. The greatest thing about this camera is the different modes you can take pictures in. If you're a beginner in taking pictures with a digital camera, or you just don't know how to set modes in the manual function, you can choose from different preset modes like "underwater" or "portrait". The best mode is "my colors" where you can change skin tone. You can also choose certain colors to appear brighter than others, or swap colors around in your photos. Another excellent point is the amazing battery life and how quick it takes to recharge. A big complaint about this camera is the LCD screen. The screen is remarkable. It is a 2-inch LCD screen and the picture never shows any noise. The worst thing about it is how easily it can be damaged, but with proper care you'll never get a scratch or break the screen. Another con about this product is the red-eye problem. When you're taking shots with flash, most of the time they will result in red-eye pictures. There is a red-eye reduction mode, but it didn't seem to work that great for me. An additional problem with modes is the manual mode. There isn't much you can do when you switch over to the manual mode when taking pictures. Uploading pictures onto your computer is very fast and very easy. You just plug the camera in and press a button. Editing pictures in graphic programs is also very simple. The best feature about opening a photo in a graphic program is the photo will rotate if you took the camera as a portrait. The automatic rotation saves a lot of time when it comes to rotating photos manually. As for the different modes, I find that the video mode works pretty well for a camera this tiny. Sound quality comes out well and the video quality is actually nice. You can also edit the video on the camera as well. Overall, this camera is great and it's easy to find a use for it everyday! Snap a shot of your children or maybe that bowl of fruit on your kitchen table. Any picture you take can look just like a professional picture, as long as you have a steady hand and creative mind. Don't just use this camera to take pictures of family and friends, take time to capture the smaller things in life. opted for the 450...
I ordered this and wasn't terribly impressed. I sent it back and got exactly what I wanted for just a few dollars more! The 450 is just nicer- quiter, larger screen and the price went down right after I received the 400. They're both beautiful point and shoot digitals. Cool
This camera surprised me. It's much more than I expected for a reasonable price. Great for tiny camera: bring on a dock next time !
I agree with all of the positive remarks from others but I have A HUGE Suggestion for the Canon engineers and designers working on the next batch of models: ADOPT THE IDEA OF A DOCKING STATION FOR BATTERY CHARGING AND IMAGE TRANSFER! -I got so used to this when using a Casio EX-Z55 that it should be the way to go for ALL digital cameras sold with rechargable batteries. -In case no one has noticed, that flimsy plastic trap door on this Canon SD400 (and all other SD models) that holds the battery and the SD memory is absurdly destined to break one day. I am not one of those "bull in china shop" rough fast rippers that seem to break everything, BUT, I have to use the utmost tedious care when opening it to recharge the battery or if I want to use my card reader to quickly view the images without moving them to my PC's hard drive. -I expect Canon to want a minimum of $100 to replace the battery door if it breaks. I paid $219 plus tax for the whole camera. -Do it Canon! steal the concept like Nikon, HP, and Casio have done with the innovative Kodak docking station idea. (The chrome plastic pressure fit cover for the USB cable is fragile also!) Nice feel, nice features BUT.......
Love my Canon G3. Wanted a smaller "point and shoot" that I could carry around with me everywhere I go. Tried out the SD400. Was stunned by the quality of the pictures.....vastly inferior to my G3 or Fuji 4700 (which I'd given to my wife). Am going to purchase the Casio Z750 instead. Was very disappointed with the SD400.. camera
Let me begin by saying that Canon makes exceptional digital cameras; the best in the market right now. This is because they have always used high quality components since they began manufacturing digital cameras. This one is no exception. Now that I've sold you on a Canon, which one should you choose? First off, let's see if you really need an SDxxx camera, or would be better suited with a cheaper non ultraportable camera. The SDxxx Series offers several key advantages over less portable models: -Beautiful, sleek design and metallic body will wow anyone who sees it. -Gorgeous 2 inch LCD screens -The excellent Dig!c 2 processor (other Canons only have dig!c 1) -Much better movie mode than previous Canons -Small light, easy pocketability On the other hand, there are some significant drawbacks due to the components Canon had to use to get the camera so small: -Few manual controls. -Pictures are not as sharp as those of similar non ultraportable cameras. -The flash is very close to the lens (lots of redeye problems) -More purple fringing issues than other Canons -Proprietary batteries that are expensive to replace -The LCD is very fragile. Read the SD200 and SD300 reviews to see lots of unhappy people whose LCDs broke. Canon's warranty does NOT cover this either. My suggestion? Buy using a credit card that offers a warranty in addition to the manufacturer's. If your lcd breaks, many CC companies will replace the camera no questions asked! If you don't need the ultra portability and flashy looks of the SD cameras, a slightly larger camera with more features might be right for you. I would highly suggest Canon's A510 or A520 if you don't need an SD model. If you still want an SD model, which one should you choose? The SD200 with 3.2mp, the SD300 with 4mp, the SD400 with 5mp, or the SD500 at a whopping 7.1mp? Your first instinct may be that more megapixels is better. Today, however megapixel ratings are similar to Ghz ratings in the computer world: They used to mean a lot, but they don't mean as much anymore. More megapixels do NOT mean a better image. They mean a larger printable image. Unless you have to have huge prints, you simply do not more megapixels. In fact, the 3.2mp of the SD200 is enough for anyone who doesn't plan on printing pictures larger than a standard 8.5x11 sheet of paper. That having been said, there are some differences between each SDxxx model. In order to get the larger 7.1mp sensor in the SD500, Canon had to make the camera larger. Thus, it is around a quarter inch thicker and 30% heavier than the other 3 models. The larger size did enable Canon to pack more features into it, however: Features unique to the SD500: -1/4 inch thicker -30% heavier -50% longer flash range -14% more battery life The SD400 and SD500 also share these benefits over the SD200/SD300: -New "Night Display" feature which brightens the LCD in low light -My Colors feature lets you highlight or swap colors right on the camera -USB 2.0 High Speed support The following are shared by all the SDxxx Cameras: Pros: -Beautiful, eye catching design -Great image quality, though not as good as non ultraportable models -New Dig!c 2 image processor -Excellent Movie Mode -3x optical zoom is adequate for most people -Excellent, intuitive manual controls -Huge 2.0 inch lcd that looks great under various lighting conditions -Uses widely available and cheap SD cards Cons (most of these are minor quirks): -Some purple fringing problems -Proprietary batteries are expensive to replace and inconvenient at times -Lots of issues with fragile LCDs -No RAW support -Few manual controls If you do choose this product, the first thing you should buy is a larger SD memory card. The camera comes with a 16mb card (32 in the SD500), which is pretty much useless. You should also immediately purchase a case and some screen protectors to protect the LCD. Fantastic Camera Loaded With Features
My younger brother, who loves to take photographs, had been pestering me to get him a camera of his own. After a lengthy survey of the various brands, models and prices, I decided to get him a Canon PowerShot SD400. He just loved my choice and I too must say that it is an amazing camera and performs exceptionally well. Being sleek and compact it is easy to carry while traveling. I was surprised when I read about the different features this small camera offers. The color swap feature is great, it is easy to navigate and you can customize various settings for shooting using the Automatic Mode. The battery life is just too good. My brother had taken the camera with him for him 2-day camping trip and in spite of taking tons of snaps he didn't have to recharge it. Moreover it tells you how many more snaps the SD card can hold. The feature of adding voice comments to your pictures is just incredible. But one thing that surprised him was that the camera doesn't show the battery status and the date. A few things which could have made SD400 a better one are: 1) the red-eye reduction mode - It didn't seem to work. 2) The outlet door that holds the battery and SD memory is very flimsy and looks as though it will break within no time. 3) Flash range is limited and the quality of pictures taken indoor is not so good. 5) The zoom doesn't work while using the video. I've heard about E18 error, E16 error and certain repair problems for the SD400, but I didn't have any problems like that and on the whole my brother and I are happy with it. It is a perfect camera for a budding amateur or an average person and I would recommend the Canon SD400 to anyone who is looking out for a quality digital point and shoot camera under 400 bucks Great while it worked.
This is an awesome camera. Good quality pictures, fast shutter speed, neat features, compact design. I loved it while it lasted. Too bad I can't comment about the battery life, because it stopped working on its first recharge cycle. The problem is that it is fragile. LCD screen stopped working, even though I bought a hard leather case and kept it in there while not in use. I never dropped it, I never did anything rough to it, but it still stopped working after little over a month of use. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. Do some research and read review pages, there's overwhelming amount of complaint about LCD screen breaking. Oh, and warrenty clearly states it doesn't cover something going wrong with LCD screen or lenses or battery leakage (come to think of it, it probably only covers the strap). Customer services will only accuse you of dropping it, and refuse to do anything about it. The only thing I can do now is to warn others. If you're thinking about buying this model, please reconsider. There are other digital cameras out there that are similar with competitive prices. Excellent for every ocasion
Pocket-size, great features, excellent speed. For traveling, family pictures, party and every situation. Be sure to have at least 512MB SD card so you can also record small videos. I'm not a professional, so I abandoned my reflex and carry this tiny camera everywhere. SD400 vs A610
My wife and I purchased each a Canon Camera at the same time so I did a direct comparison between the two. My camera is the PowerShot A610. Hers is the SD400. The SD400 has it all over the A610 in quality of construction. It is stainless steel and all of the controls are highly refined. The little camera reeks quality construction whereas the 610 is of average quality. The 400 has much quieter operation noises. You can hardly hear any of the mechanisms while they are working. The compact size is a major plus! The simplicity of the controls is also better and more accessible although it has less control features. (no manual control except 2 stop exposure correction for back lighting) It's close up flash is better controlled as the A610 washes out when closer than 18". The auto focus is usually right on. The picture quality is very good. The down side: The picture quality is not quite on par with the A610. It does not have as good of exposure control. Some pictures are too dark or too light depending on the lighting conditions. Some faces will wash out a little if the lighting is not well controlled. The flash is not as powerful, usually good for about 14'. It has much more low light level noise. This is due to the size of the CCD which is smaller and must compact the same amount of pixels on a smaller area which, I understand, is the reason for noise. My wife loves the camera and, I must admit, we usually take it along with us because of it's small size and leave the A610 home because it is more bulky. I don't think you will be disappointed in the little camera, but it does have some picture quality/exposure deficits as compared to the A610. Bad choice!
The only good thing about this camera is its looks and macro performance. It produces pictures that are out of focus and extremely, extremely noisy (fringing is unbereable). Anything taken with ISO above 50 is useless. Battery life is minimal. I have several Canon cameras and have used their products for a long time but this one is a big dissapointement. Canon repair and support is useless when it comes to SD 400. Stay away from it! The LCD screen is very delicate
I was over all very please with this product. The images, the camera size, the battery life etc.. were all satisfactory if not slightly above. I had the camera not more than 2 1/2 months before I had a problem. The camera was in a Lowpro rezo 10 camera case on my hip when the screen broke. It wasn't dropped and I didn't sit on it. My mistake was to sit too close to someone on a bus. I am told Canon classifies it as "impact damage" and will probably (I am in the midst of dealing with Canon customer service) do nothing for me. The camera still functions but most of the features are not accesable to me now. All I can say to date is what a waste!! I was a repeat customer (I owned a powershot 30) and quite satisfied up until now. CAN'T LIVE WITH OUT IT.
I LOVE THIS ITEM SO MUCH I AM UPGRADING TO THE SD 450 WITH THE BIGGER LCD SCREEN. IT TAKES GREAT PICTURES. I AM A MOM AND I HAVE IT IN MY PURSE ALL THE TIME. I AM SHOOTING PICTURES OF MY SON ALL THE TIME + MORE. THE BATTERY LIFE IS GREAT TO. I USE IT ALL THE TIME AND THE BATTERY LASTED FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS, BUT IT ONLY TAKE LESS THEN A HOUR TO CHARGE. IT ALSO HAS THIS COOL MY COLORS SECTION. OOOOOHHHH I CAN GO ON AND ON. Great little camera
I bought one of these after a friend of mine showed me the excellent pictures she took with her SD300 on a recent trip. I was amazed that such a tiny camera can take such good photos. And while I'm not getting rid of my much larger Canon S1 IS with its 10x zoom lens, the SD400 is terrific for just carrying around in my pocket. You never know when a great photo-op will arise on a trip or with kids, so I like always having it handy without taking up much space. The main reason I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 is that I get bad red eye in a lot of my pictures. That's easy enough to fix on a computer, but of course I'd prefer not having to deal with it in the first place. I really wish I could give it 4.5 stars because it seems harsh to penalize it so much for that one thing, but I don't give 5-star ratings unless something is pretty much perfect. Great for college student/young professional...
I purchased the SD400 over the SD500 about a year ago. The smaller size of the camera was more important than being able to print poster-sized prints. As a college student, the camera was great for parties - the form factor allowed it to comfortably fit into the small leg pocket of carpenter jeans for quick deployment. I would also let my girlfriend borrow it and it fit easily into the small evening purse she used. One of my first purchases on receipt of the camera was a 'da Oily Protector for the LCD screen. I have not used any other case and have not had a single problem. Another great combo for this item is the Sandisk Ultra line of memory cards. The Digic 2 processor is extremely fast - so fast that using a regular card creates a bottleneck in turnaround time. Higher speed memory chips make this issue non-existant. I have also noticed the "red-eye" issue, but a quick swipe of the red-eye tool in Picasa or any other photo editor fixes the problem. I highly recommend the product - especially with the release of the SD450 dropping the price on this just-as-good companion. Too much red-eye, but small and quick!
We bought this camera b/c we were dissatisfied with our Sony DSC-P10 (too big and too slow to take pictures). The Canon is certainly nice and small, and nice a quick to take pics, but almost ALL of my flash pictures have red-eye. I've seen in the other reviews that this is a common problem. It can be fixed easily on the computer, but it is a real pain to have to do it with each and every shot! I am also unhappy with how many of my pictures are out of focus. I am half thinking of going back to Sony (except for those darn Memory Sticks...) amazing camera but...lcd broke
This camera was amazingly easy to use and took GREAT pictures, even at a larger scale. The only thing was, my lcd screen broke less than a week after i got it, and relatively easily. Be sure to get a protective case. The memory card that comes with it is also laughably small, holds about 11 pictures. Otherwise, great camera. Very small too Canon is the best when it comes to digital Cameras
This camera is awesome. I love the compact size and ease of use. I am not one for gadgets but this camera is so easy to use even I (remote control challenged) could figure it out. I love the large display for the small size of the camera. The download button is a snap to use and Canon's software does wonders for photo organization. I would recommend this camera to everyone. From first time digital user to digital pro the performance and size just can't be beat. I take it everywhere and you should too. Excellent camera on many levels
I have owned three different digital cameras so far. And the SD400 is by far the best of the lot. When chosing a digital camera, it is very important to consider the company and the quality of the parts used. It is always better, in my opinion, to go with a company which has been making top notch regular cameras for a while. You are more likely to get excellent lens quality and camera parts. Canon has been known to make superb SLRs and other cameras. As such, their digital cameras are of the best quality and best lenses in the market. As such, SD400 is an excellent product. The SD400 is a wonderful product on a many counts. - It is ultra portable. It's compact design is not only a matter of form and asthetics. It is quite functional... making it easy to carry around without taking up space. - The LCD screen is very vivid and clear. - The controls are very intuitive so that picture navigation and editing on the camera are easy. - It has a wide array of photo modes to suit your needs. - It is very easy to customize what size and detail you want your pictures, depending on if you plan on printing them. (If you only make 4x6 prints, you will not need to use the highest setting on the camera. But if you plan on making an 8x11 print, you will need to increase the detail and size of the picture). - Convenient battery charger and easily removed SD card. - The picture quality is very good. I have made prints and taken many pictures with this camera. I have not noticed fringing problems or color problems. Some things that are not as good: - The LCD screen is a little fragile. Most digital cameras have this problem. But I did break it once... and it costs quite a bit to replace. - Because it is so small, it is easy to accidently touch the lense or cover the flash when you are using it. Things you will need: - Get a carrying case to protect your camera. - You may want to buy screen protectors. - Buy an SD card. All digital cameras come with a memory card, but they are always too small (16MB). My recommendations: If you want to buy this product, remember to get familiar with the photo modes and consider the photo sizes you want. Also, I recommend that you only use the optical zoom, and not the digital zoom, because digital zoom decreases the image quality. All in all, this is a very good product and worth buying. I am very happy with mine, and I am sure you would be happy with yours too. great Cameria with high quality and many different fitures
Canon is a great camera, especially Canon 400elph. this camera is great if you have a small purse. The quality is awesome. You can also video tape up to 15 min. I give it A. Great camera, terrible reliability
After waiting several months diligently reviewing the digital cameras available in the marketplace, I finally purchased the SD400 near the end of May. Initially, I was very happy with this camera - it seems to have the perfect combination of size, picture quality, and battery life. Unfortunately, the LCD screen on my camera cracked just a couple weeks ago, even though I've always kept the camera in its protective case. I was upset with myself, because I felt that perhaps I must have damaged it somehow, but a little research on the internet (enter "canon cracked lcd" into any search engine) indicates that this is a design flaw with the entire Canon SD series. Even worse, Canon refuses to acknowledge this as a real issue and continues to fight every customer who tries to claim a warranty repair, claiming that they must have damaged the camera somehow. Until Canon improves their product or customer service, I would recommend buying another camera. Worth it for the movie quality alone
This camera is excellent for taking clear, precise images, although I wasn't greatly impressed by the flash images it took. Themovie mode is excellent and I have edited some small films for friends and family that are of great qulaity on to DVD using iMovie. Fast, compact, and cool
The SD300 is extremely cool. It is very miniature, looks cool, feels sturdy and heavy in your hand with its stainless-steel case and metal buttons. It looks and feels durable as well. I perceive this camera as a piece of techno-jewelry from the aesthetical point of view - I am tempted to keep this camera just based on its looks and miniature size alone. The camera has a retractable lens that extends and has a lens cover that opens when the camera is powered on. When the camera is powered off, the lens retracts and the lens cover closes. The camera has an on/off button on the top deck as well as a zoom rocker, large shutter release button. The bottom of the camera has a metal threaded tripod mount and a battery and SD card compartment lid. The rear houses a bright 2-inch LCD monitor, an optical zooming viewfinder, control buttons and a cool-looking menu control metal disk with a select button in the middle. There is also a sliding switch between review, movie and still picture taking modes. This sliding switch has very well-calibrated effort - not too flimsy yet not too stiff, unlike the previous Digital Elphs, which had very stiff controls. The side has a metal cover, underneath which you can find a USB jack, A/V jack and a DC power input jack. Just as SD400, the SD300 is incredibly easy to use. I have not read the manual (I have not even opened it), but was able to use the camera and all its features in no time. The camera can be used by any member of the family and by photographers of all levels of expertise from novices to advanced ones (albeit it will not give you much control over the shutter speed or aperture). The SD300 comes pre-set to Auto mode. You do not have to do anything other than point and shoot - the camera takes care of the rest. The camera uses 9-area intelligent autofocus. You press the shutter release button halfway to make camera focus and the camera shows you (on the LCD screen) where it focused by displaying one or more green rectangles. Then you take the picture by pressing the shutter release button all the way. If you want more control, you can select Manual mode, which is not a real manual mode where you would be able to select the shutter speed and aperture, but rather a mode in which you get access to selection of several parameters. In Manual mode, you can set the ISO (50-400), white balance (several presets and custom), use exposure compensation to make pictures darker or brighter, use picture effects, color replacement effects, etc. The camera gives you instant access to the flash mode selection (flash off, red-eye reduction, night portrait, auto flash), macro or landscape mode as well as drive mode (single frame, timer or burst/continuous shooting) at a push of a button. The camera uses the latest version of Canon DiG!C processor - DIGIC II. It is the same processor used in larger Canon digital SLR cameras and it gives this Digital Elph amazing speed. The camera takes less than a second to power itself on in review mode and only about a second to power on and extend its lens in shooting mode. It feels instantaneous. The SD300 can capture images at about 2-2.4 per second in burst mode (I used Kingston Elite Pro SD memory card). In single-frame mode, the camera could snap pictures as fast as I could push the shutter release button (1-1.2 seconds per picture). The focusing takes less than a second (in bright light or in dark environments) and the shutter lag, when pre-focused, is almost unnoticeable. The focusing is slightly slower at telephoto, but still under a second. The zooming from wide angle to telephoto (or back) takes less than two seconds and is responsive, but has less steps than I would like. According to Canon, the camera can take about 140 pictures on one charge of its miniature battery (400 with LCD off). I have not validated this claim, but I took more than 60 pictures and 8 minutes of video and the low battery warning has not appeared yet (the camera has no real battery status indicator). The flash is rather bright for its size. It has an effective red-eye reduction mode and is sufficient at up to 10-12 feet away. It has a recycle time of about 7-10 seconds. The camera produces excellent photo with well-exposed, sharp, contrasty and richly-colored images (see the samples). The sample photo can be seen at http://www.review-shop.com/Canon_SD300/Canon_SD300_Sample_1_1.html (you can copy and paste the above address into your browser's address area) The skin colors are true to life and pleasing. The photos taken with the SD300 are sharp from corner to corner with only the very edges of the frame being slightly softer than the center. This will not be noticeable in printed pictures however since corners normally don't make it to the print due to the aspect ratio difference and other factors. Plus, the blurriness is so small, you have to enlarge the image to 100% on the computer screen to notice it. Usually, the smaller the camera and the higher the optical zoom it can provide, the softer the image becomes, especially at the corners of the frame as it is difficult to produce compact optics with high zoom levels. Surprisingly, the lens on the SD300 is so good, there is only a small amount of blurring in corners. Overall, the lens produces sharp results at all zoom levels and has impressive 3x optical zoom range. The image noise is absent at ISO 50 and cannot be found even in the shadows. It appears (slightly) at the ISO 100 in the shadows, gets more pronounced at ISO 200 and gets worse at ISO 400. Still, if you are printing 6x4 or 5x7 pictures, the noise should not be visible at all and will only be slightly visible at ISO 400 with larger prints. With 4-megapixel shots it produces, you can print your photos at up to 11x14 inches with good detail (ISO 50-200). Recommendation: I highly recommend Canon SD300 if you want a miniature, cool yet capable camera with 4-megapixels that produces excellent photos with print sizes of up 11x14 inches. It is extremely fast, easy to use and, dear I repeat it again, simply cool. If you want more control, you might want to check out slightly larger Canon PowerShot A520. Great Camera, but pix can be blurry
I recently purchased the Canon Powershot SD400. I absolutely love the size and quality of the pictures. The only con I have discovered thus far is the sensitivity of the camera. The pictures often turn out blurry because you must push the shutter button firmly and it moves the camera. There should be a better auto focus. Other than that it's a great little camera and I recommend it. Everything I wanted from a Point-n-Shoot
This camera was all i wanted plus more. This camera is small and compact while producing larger than life images. It is simply amazing the amount of technology in this tiny camera. Not only am I able to choose an automatic mode, but I am also able to adjust the ISO speed and change the white balance. I love this camera because i can carry it in my purse without it taking up any room at all. Plus, the minimal start-up time lets me whip it out for spur of the moment memories. I have captured so many laughs, sunsets, and family events through the span of just a month and I am certainly addicted to the camera's picture quality. canon is the best!
i use to have the 4mp s400. this new 5mp is smaller, has a bigger screen, and has 1 more mp! however the first one i ordered broke as soon as i got it (screen broke...stopped working), but the one i have now is fie. there is a one year warranty so i am not worried. i highly recommend it! Canon SD400 - Rated 1 Star!
Out of the box, this camera jammed and the lens no longer closes. The same thing happened to my brother's camera (SD500) which was about 2 months old. The good news is that Canon offers a 1 year warranty on this type of problem (common failure among Canon digital cameras). The bad news (disappointing news) is that they haven't yet fixed this problem. Just be careful when you buy a Canon SD series camera and do lots of research before taking the 300-500$ plunge. Perfect size & good quality
I got the canon powershot because I was sick of carrying around a bulky camera and having to leave it home when it wouldn't fit into my purse. I am thrilled with this camera so far because it works really well and yet it's not outrageously expensive or complex. I especially love the fact that you can take pics in black and white, sepia, and other tones. The menu button is helpful- some of the more amatuer tasks: you can turn off the sound so that everyone doesn't know you're taking a picture, you can erase all of your pics at once (can be dangerous), and you can even edit the sound so that you hear a bird chirp everytime you view a picture. In addition, There are many options that less skilled photographers would not understand, but the user manual does explain everything. The only real let downs were that the zoom capability wasn't extensive. If you use the ultra zoom the slightest shake and the pic is blurry. Also, I have yet to find a sport/moving function so I could take pics at sport games. Other than those things I am impressed. Just about every senior girl at my highschool has one and loves it. The leather case is also a great buy. Different LCD Problem
Mine didn't crack. Better yet, less than two months after buying it, the screen went white! I didn't drop or bump it. It was in my hand the entire time. I shut it off to save power and when I turned it back on, no functioning LCD screen. Mind you, the view finder is working, but I can't change any settings, can't see the shot's I've already taken, nor can I shut off the LCD power to save the battery. Must say that I am a little disappointed in Canon. However, I am getting it replaced (thanks, Amazon!) and am willing to try again. My friends have had no problems with their SD series, so I hope this was a most unfortunate fluke. Otherwise, its a cute, small camera that takes great pictures and video. I'll let you know if the replacement is just as much of a bummer as the first one I bought in November. canon elph sd 400
The product itself is beautiful, wonderful, fantastic! My issues are with delivery-why does it take WEEKS to deliver something so small? It's aggravating to have paid a large sum of $$$ to have the vendor continually changfe the date of arrival. Canon Powershot Digi Cam is GREAT!!!
Thoroughly enjoy this item! I ordered it new and that is how it came and it works great! Grat Job by a little Camera
The Canon Powershot SD400 has lived up to it's billing. The camera with a 1 gig memory chip took excellent shots on our trip to Europe AND the video feature with sound was excellent. Small and very versitile camera. Great camera
This camera is perfect to carry in purse or pocket so you are always ready to capture that "Kodak moment" Fast, small, good battery life but a couple of things could be better
This is my 3rd Canon Digital Elph. I love the quality feel, the small size and the great battery life, and the fact that I can tweak the picture settings a lot. The fast power up time and cycle time between shots is nice too. The 640x480 30fps movie mode (almost DVD quality) is great (though the lack of image stabilizing makes things sometimes unavoidably wiggly looking). My only real complaint is that with "auto" mode, outdoor shots of people sometimes have skin tone that's too blue, as if the camera guessed the wrong white balance. This happened with my older Canons too. It's easy enough to get around this by using manual mode though. Other reviewers mentioned that the LCD was fragile, so the first thing I did was order a thick plastic protector from www.daproducts.com. It's not beautiful but it sure looks like it'll help with avoiding accidental damage (note: this is NOT the thin peel on/off protector that you can find advertised elsewhere, it is a solid thick piece of plastic). Good Product, Fast Shipping
I was extremely pleased with this item. It arrived very fast. I am a novice photographer at best, and my main concern was to find a digital camera small enough to fit in my purse. Even in its case, this camera is extremely small. I am very pleased with this purchase. It has worked well. Great Buy
This unit is tiny in size only. It is hugh on features. As a retired commercial photographer I have plenty of camera's around. This camera is carried on my belt at all times. well worth it!
compare to the other brand digital camera above 5MP, it cannot be compared with this product. I am impressed with the quality of the pictures taken from this camera, I feel like I am a good photographer! With the rechargable battery and a charger, it is not to worry that when you have to replace a new battery. quick charge and long time to use. cannot ask for more. one thing about the memory card that comes in a box only has 16mb, so you have to buy another memory card. Good camera, but too many features
After purchasing the SD400 I read the reviews. A bad one complained of easily damaged LCD screen. Another reviewer indicated where to buy a plastic shield made by 'da products', which I did. I have used this small camera several weeks now. I carry it in my pants pocket on the job. No complaints, save one. Why can they not make a small camera with a decent lens and resolution simple, easy. Why does it need umpteen features that will never be used? Not as good as I thought
I write this reviews which compare to Casio Z750 I got: I like Canon SD 400, it has a very cool and slick design. It is very small, and I like the color. I don't like the Casio Z750 design as much, however, it does have a larger LCD screen, and it is thinner and lighter compare to SD400. Since Casio Z750 is 7mp. and SD 400 is only 5mp, it is pointless to point out the image quality. However, Casio z750 took way better night time(or dark environment) pictures than this Canon SD400, and also the color is way way way better and way vivid than the SD 400. It also got way faster camera starting time(only a second then it is on and ready to shoot), and way way faster shutter time..This is a huge plus to me. SD400 got very limited manual control and Z750 got tons of manual control which u can play around. well, one thing I love about canon is the charger, way smaller and easier to carry around than Casio z750..I have to say that one thing I hate about Casio z750 is their docking system. You need to use their dock to charge the battery and also transfer images...However, you can buy sandisk SD card which they have one have built in USB to solve this problem...(not the charging part though) The price are similar on amazon at this time, so I thought I could compare this two together. SD400 is THE perfect camera - Great quality Pics - movies - and a Macro mode!
First, know that I'm very picky and tough to please. (Note that this review also applies to the new SD450 which mainly has a larger screen.) I had a Canon SD110 (2MP) camera for 3.5 years and I loved it. I took a while and did a lot of research to find it. I had been waiting for the right new camera and I finally found it, the SD400. I've had it for over 6 months and I've been meaning to write up this review. I had taken over 9,000 photos with my SD110 in 3.5 years. With the SD400 in only 6 months, I've already taken over 1000 shots. Back when I got the SD110 Canon was not as well known. Now people recognize that Canon is a top-tier digital camera brand. My wishes for improvement over the SD110 were: - longer movie clips (only 15 seconds) - now unlimited - zoom in movie mode - YES - limited close-up range - new Digital Macro mode - higher resolution - YES - better zoom - YES The SD400 has all of this. The one thing it doesn't have enough of for my taste is zoom, but what can you expect from a camera .75 inches thick? I wanted zoom, but I didn't want to sacrifice portability. (I hate having a lens sitcking out of the camera.) In any case, it has a 3 x optical zoom which is pretty good. The best feature of the SD110 was it's compact size. The SD400 delivers more in less space. I take it with me everywhere I go. If I see a shot, I can take it. If I see a moment, I can capture it in a movie. And no hassle with carrying a separate case. It fits in my front pocket, even my tight jeans. (Just be careful not to put anything else in there or you might scratch the screen or even crack it.) One of the best features of the SD110 was the movie mode. It took great little clips of super high quality with sound too! Way better than any other camera. The only problem was they were limited to about 15 seconds in length. With the SD400, they are unlimited. You can trim them in the camera to save space too. It also can take 60 FPS for a high-speed camera effect. When you play it back at 30 FPS you get slow motion. The only issue is that you need to brace yourself to minimize camera shake. These movies are better than standard video recorder quality. They're close to HD TV quality if you use the 640 mode. There is no jumpiness period. The other big advancement is the Macro mode. This thing is practically a microscope. It can take shots at under 1 inch from the subject assuming you have good lighting that close. Add to that the digital macro zoom and you can photograph a mosquito so close that you can count the hairs on its legs! I love taking photos of flowers and always wanted to get closer. Now I can get as close as I want. Lots of people will say you need more than 5 MP to go over 8x10. It's not true. I did decent 8x10 prints (with the bundled Canon software) using my old 2 MP SD110. With the SD 400's 5 MP I have done enlargements to 12x18 that are excellent. The range of new settings on the SD400 are great. I would like more but they options are good. The best one is the ability to set the ISO speed. There's a focus lock and an exposure lock feature. I wouldn't know it if I didn't read the manual. Nice extras for sure. They're very useful if you're into photography. The least satisfying thing is the auto-focus. It's odd, but I've gotten used to it. Now, to be sure it's not perfect, but it is really good. I think it's better than 99% of the cameras out there. I chose it over the SD500 because the 500 was thicker and I didn't feel I needed the extra resolution of a 7 MP camera. It was the right choice. Note the following: - battery life is excellent, and the charger is tiny, but if you don't want to be caught short on vacation or when you're out on a long hike, get a spare battery and charge them both. I did this for the SD110 and I never ran out of juice. The battery is so slim, you can carry it easily. - do get a big memory card. I recommend the SanDisk Ultra II 1 GB. I have two of them. CRITICAL - get something to cover the screen. It's large and easy to scratch in your pocket. Also in your pocket be careful to put the screen against your body to prevent it from getting poked and cracked. I would not put it in a back pocket either. The biggest problem is holding still in low-light. I don't like flash and I like taking low-light shots. You will want a tripod or a mini-tripod if you do much of that. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Excellent & Compact camera
I bought this camera after reviewing several other models. Decided to write this review after 2 months of usage. Overall: It is the best camera available out there, so go and grab it if you find a deal. You can make excellent quality prints upto 8x11. You may need higher resolution camera only if you are going to print beyond that size. I use it mainly to snap scenaries, and it has never faltered even on a single photo. All of them have turned out excellently. I have snapped snow, dawn, dusk, photos on the run and all of them have come real great. One of the attractive feature with canon is the "Stitch assist..", and people who take panoramic view pics know what I am talking about. It helps you to take excellent pan-view photos. Buy the canon leather case as well, as the camera doesnt come with any. Pros: * Compact * Flash is reasonable, I often hear complains from people who use other brands of similar camera of small foot print. * "Stitch assist" Cons: * SD Card that comes with the camera is way too small. If you take Large size pics, you can snap only a two. Definitely upgrade it to whatever max the camera can support. (I have 512MB and it lasts for 100+ snaps) * Zooming - if I zoom and take scenaries, the color depth goes down. I dont know how it comes in other digital cameras. An excellent, compact, flashy camera altogether. Good camera
This is a good camera, but sometimes does not perform as good as I expected. It takes excellent pictures outdoor, but very poor indoor, especially pretty dark areas with variable lighting. This Cannon SD400 takes better pictures outside than my Sony F717, more precise in color. But it is a little slower than Sony, especially when the object is moving, and the picture is usually blur in this case. Sony captures the image faster and no blur (both in auto mode). The tone of Sony is not as good as Cannon, but it takes better pictures indoor for sure. I would suggest use Cannon for outdoor, Sony for indoor, if you want to have both. Great point and shoot camera
This is a very good camera to have on you to take quick photos with. Good Points: -Quick power up to start taking pictures time -Very small and easy to fit with in any pocket -Fast shutter speed -Very good sound quality on the video's -Long battery life -Great resoultion Bad Points: -Not good for dusk/low light shots -Zoom leaves much to be desired -Only a point and shoot camera not for anything more advanced. In the end this is a great camera, as long as you are not trying for manual control or prfessional settings. For point and shoot and a good pocket camera it does not get any better than this. I am extremely fond of it and plan on keeping it for a long time. Great camera
However fragile - mine broke when I dropped it, thankfully bought it with AMEX and am getting reimbursed. digital elph
The camera works great. I have taken close to a thousand pics with it in the month and a half I have had it. 5 MP is enough for daily shooting. Though it isn't great for night shooting. I would suggest at large storage card or you will be uploading to your computer daily. Waste of Money
If your Canon works great, congratulations... but if a problem does pop up, they will leave you out in the cold. AND A PROBLEM WILL POP UP!!!!! Their customer service is absolutely hideous, appalling, and unbelieveable. They take no responsibility for failures of thier products. Mine has the infamous "Memory Card Error". Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Why would you want to take the gamble? Aside from researching the camera model you are interested in, please also research Canon Customer Service Reviews. I would steer clear of these guys. Please read for yourself and spend your money elsewhere: http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=38477&forum_id=15&page=1 There are SEVERAL attorneys working on organizing class actions lawsuits against Canon due to their infamous "errors" that they won't admit exist. If these class action lawsuits apply to you, I encourage you to join. Dark around corners
For indoor shots, I consistently see dark spots around the corners. The picture quality is bad. To save yourself some frustration, avoid this camera. LCD: Lousy Canon Display
I love my SD400 to death, but just as most of the reviews warned may happen, my LCD screen broke. I had it in the standard Canon case in my bag and I pulled my camera out to view a few photos and the screen was cracked! I sent it back and they fixed it for free under warranty. Be warned! great camera
I bought this camera when I was on vacation in New Zealand and my other camera (the SD500) broke. I would actually have bought the SD500 again, but cameras are more expensive over there, so already I was spending more on the 400 than the 500 had cost me here, and I knew the 400 would serve my purposes for the rest of the vacation. Anyway, it's a great camera and is very well made - strong construction. And I can also say that Canon has excellent customer service - they've fixed my 500 and returned it to me, so I'm giving the 400 to my parents. Both cameras are very user friendly - they have tons of advanced features if you want them, but if you're not that technologically advanced (like my parents), the point and click settings make it really easy for anyone to take great pictures. Oh, and I love that you can charge the batteries without having to plug in the camera itself - if you buy an extra battery, you can leave one charging at home or in your hotel, while you are out using your camera, unlike my old Sony camera that you had to plug in to charge its battery. The canon external battery charger is great! LCD broke twice within first year
The LCD has broken twice on me within the first year of purchase. The one good thing was that Canon actually fixed it the first time for free, despite it not being covered under warranty. The second break cost me $107. Otherwise the camera is good (although some have mentioned the pictures come out a little dark). Great Camera!
I bought this camera, for $350 when it first came onto the market, now almost 10 months later still have it and am very happy with its performace and quality, great buy would recommned to a pro or to a avrg. joe Super Fast, Super Small, Super Good
It's a tiny camera, honestly its like the size of the new sony ericsson phones & the photo quality is commendable. Speedy response times, but that I cannot confirm for 'every' camera cause I actually did get a very speed card to go with it which kinda adds a boost to the speed. Video recording is only limited by the size of the card & it has got a respectable frame rate. Overall its a very good camera, I would recommend this for anyone looking to buy a digital camera though NOT for a person looking for advanced settings. For the price nothing will come even close to it ! Would buy again in heartbeat!
I bought this camera 8 months ago and still love it. I take so many more pictures now than I did with my horrible Sony Cybershot. I will never buy a Sony again. I recommend this camera to everyone I know. I cant wait for it to break so I can buy the newer model with more MP! Buy this camera and you wont regret it! Great camera, could be more reliable...
Giving it 3 stars because it works really well and takes great pictures but the reliability is poor. I have had to have this camera replaced twice (I got my moneys worth from the purchased guarantee). The button you press to take pictures just stopped working and I had to send it back. Then the LCD display went all red on one side. However, 3rd time lucky, it works great - takes excellent pictures without having to be a photography expert. I originally bought it for my mom but it is too small for her to use so I ended up with it. If you buy one, buy a store guarantee. Great Camera
I'm on my 3rd Canon, 2nd ELPH. My first Canon ELPH was an Advantix one (2001), great camera and still have it. 2nd ELPH was this one and its survived 3 months of military training and a 9 month deployment so far. Again great camera. My 3rd Canon was just bought last night (video camera). After a long search...
After a long search and trying out 3 other digital cameras, we found this one. I absolutely recommend it for the following reasons: -it is a good value for the money -it takes excellent photos -I've enlarged photos to 8X10 size and they look beautiful -it takes SD cards (also used in my PDA and can be fit into a $10 convertible USB memory stick) -it is lightweight and small -it has a lightweight, rectangular, rechargeable battery (I bought additional generic ones on ebay for $5 each) -battery lasts quite long-maybe for 100 non-flash pictures -battery charges quickly -it is easy to send photos to your computer The only thing I don't like about this camera is the photo quality when using the flash isn't very good. Sometimes the flash isn't strong enough and the pictures turn out grainy. I hope you enjoy it. BROKEN LCD SCREEN!!!
People are not kidding about the broken LCD problems with these cameras! We picked up our camera this morning to take pictures of our son opening his birthday presents and found our screen was cracked! We didn't do anything to it! We have taken GREAT care of this camera for 1 year. Lots of other people have also had similar problems with the LCD cracking suddenly and for no apparent reason! Beware! shuts down intermittently
I've had this camera for over a year now. I think I was able to use it for a good 4 months It is not being used right now because they took too long to send it back to me before I over seas. I gave the over a month to send it back to me. I bought this camera in June 2005. By October 2005, I started having problems with it shutting down whenever I tried to take a picture and left the lense protruding. I didn't send it in right away because I thought the problem would go away. I finally had to send it in because the problem increased. I got it back and it worked for a couple of weeks without a problem and then the problem started again. I had to send it in again and when I got it back the problem was even worse. So I sent it in a third time and requested that send me a new one but I got the same one back. I had to pay for the shipping all three times but they paid for the postage back. I wasn't charged anything since it was still under warranty. I don't know if they fixed the problem or not; I am very doubtful. I still gave them two stars because the size and the quality of the pictures in daylight and at night are really great. The battery and memory card cover is very flimsy. Perfect at what it was designed to do
You will read reviews, saying that the LCD broke, and other things just dont work. Personally, I have had no problems whatsoever. Yes I have a nice case that is padded that we keep the camera in when we are not using it, and no I am not a professional so I am not too incredibly pickey when it comes to the camera. The quality is great, eveyone enveys this camera who uses it. O also let me mention that we have had this camera for a year now and with two kids handeling it a times and have had no regrets so far. Pros: * Small * Sleek * Exellent picture quality * Great video playback * Good in-camera photo catalog * Durable (This is my experience..remember 1 year 2 kids, and a good case. * Good battery life & cheap batteries, I bought 2 extra batteries for like $20 on ebay. * Simple user interface Cons: * Red eye could be better on this camera * Get the 7.1mp version if you plan on cropping pictures and blowing them up to be large (using picasa2). Very Disapointed
I bought this camera to mainly use the Digital macro mode, it worked great for several months, now it will not lock focus, this camera is very frustrating, every picture that I take I have to edit to lighten the picture, I tried just about every setting to get the pictures to come out, to no avail, I am a commercial real estate appraiser, so I have taken close to 2000 pictures with this camera, and just about every one I had to lighten, now the Macro mode wont work, I will not buy another cannon product ever again!!! Great camera if you can afford one a year
I got this sd400 to replace my s400 which after a year started giving me a memory card error message. I now find out that was a design flaw. Anyway, i spent hundreds of dollars on this one, and now, just over a year after I got it, it won't hold a battery charge. I loved both cameras while they worked, but I can't afford a $400 camera plus the related accessories every year or so. I've written to Canon tech support. Unless they are willing to repair or replace this one free of charge, I'm moving on to another brand camera! Almost Perfect!
This is a wonderful camera! I got it for christmas '05. I took somewhere close to 6,000 pictures with it. The digic II processor in it is a beast! You could just take photo after photo after photo with it. Very little shutter lag, maybe just a smidge. Has a bunch of helpful modes making it very easy to use. My only complaint though is that mine died suddenly, just wouldn't start one day! No amount of charging or monkeying would bring it back to life. I believe it was some sort of lens error, but I really won't ever know. Handed it to customer service, the looked at it, told me it was broke and that I needed to buy a new one. That was upsetting... great camera
I bought this camera for my girlfriend, but I love it so much that I always ask to borrow it. I think it takes great pictures and if you use the tips in the manual, it works great in almost every situation. I do wish it was the casing was made with a protective coating or special cover because it gets scratched very easily. I have had no problems with it over the year since purchased. Without a doubt the best pocket camera on the planet
It's great when a product just "works". Read the manual to get the full benefit of this great camera. slim!
I bought this for my teenage daughter and she has loved it. It has been easy to use and is tiny, yet durable. In some pictures I did notice a blueish outline around people (their aura???) which was mentioned by some other reviews I had read, but I think that this is par-for-course with many of the digital cameras with a tiny lens. Since she primarily uses it to take pictures of reluctant parents, friends, family and her dog, this camera is just right. | ||