REVIEW: Top Canon PowerShot "Digital Elf" Cameras

One of this year's most popular point and shoot cameras, the Canon SD1100IS 8.0 MP digital camera replaces last year's popular Canon SD1000 7.1 MP model. The SD1100IS has the added feature of Image Stabilization, a longer zoom (38-114 mm), and an additional megapixel of resolution. (Price & More Info).

The PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital Elph brings you high-resolution images that maintain their sharpness and vivid impact even when they’re enlarged and cropped. The 3x optical zoom is a clear winner when it comes to getting up close and personal. And Canon’s invaluable Optical Image Stabilizer reduces the blur of camera movement, even in tricky, low-light situations.

Canon PowerShot SD1100IS Features and Highlights

Face Detection WB: Skin tones are not affected by overall lighting Enhanced Canon Face Detection Technology Canon's powerful Face Detection Technology delivers even better results with the new SD1100 IS Digital Elph. The Face Detection Technology continues to recognize faces in a scene, and concentrate exposure (daylight or flash) and focus upon them. But the SD1100 IS Digital Elph adds more: Face Detection WB means the camera concentrates upon faces when calculating white balance for the best possible skin tones. Face Select and Track lets the SD1100 IS Digital Elph user highlight one face among several in a scene, and the camera concentrates on that person, even as they move around the scene. Face Detection Technology is a powerful contributing factor in Canon's new Motion Detection Technology.

Motion Detection Technology: Automatically reduces blur Life doesn’t stand still for picture-taking. That’s why Canon included its advanced Motion Detection Technology in the PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital Elph. This sophisticated feature works in the background to instantly evaluate how fast your subject is moving. Then it automatically selects and sets the optimal exposure and ISO settings to keep everything looking sharp and clear.

When you need higher ISOs for action-stopping shutter speeds, Motion Detection Technology provides it. But when no movement is detected, it allows lower ISOs for excellent color and detail. So whether you’re shooting a bride walking down the aisle, a ballet recital or even a child’s soccer game, you can relax and shoot with confidence knowing you’ve got the picture you intended.

Automatic exposure and ISO: These settings help to reduce blur when your subjects are in motion.

Selectable Shooting Modes: With 18 Shooting Modes including 9 Special Scene Modes, you’re ready for whatever shot comes your way.

2.5-inch PureColor LCD II: For bright, accurate color The PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital Elph gives you large 2.5-inch LCD screen for excellent control when framing your shots. Canon’s PureColor LCD II offers more spectacular color, resolution and contrast even when viewed at an angle (compared to PureColor LCD). The screen is highly durable and easy to see in any light with a scratch-resistant, anti-reflective coating. It also features Night Display for easy viewing in low light -- a perfect feature for gathering friends and family around to see your images.

DIGIC III Image Processor: For sharper images and improved functionality With DIGIC III, your images boast superior quality, the camera operates at top efficiency and battery life is enhanced. What’s more, DIGIC III enables Canon’s Face Detection Technology and Red-eye Correction to give you better, more true-to-life people shots. Simply press the Shutter Button halfway down, and the camera automatically pinpoints the faces in the scene and chooses the ideal focus point. The camera controls exposure settings and flash to keep every face looking bright and natural. Red-eye Correction can be handled in-camera, in two ways. The entirely new Red-eye Correction during shooting uses the Face Detection Technology to recognize and remove red-eye from flash images as they're taken, before the file is written to the memory card. It's also possible to correct red-eye during image playback, using simple settings in the SD1100 IS Digital Elph's menu.

iSAPS Technology: An entirely original scene-recognition technology developed for digital cameras by Canon. Using an internal database of thousands of different photos, iSAPS works with the fast DIGIC III Image Processor to improve focus speed and accuracy, as well as exposure and white balance.

Red-eye correction Red-eye Correction provides three options for removing red-eye from subjects in flash pictures.

The new Red-eye Correction during shooting actually identifies and corrects red-eye in human subjects as pictures are taken.
The SD1100 IS Digital Elph can be set to automatically detect and correct red-eye during image playback.
The user can manually locate any red eyes in a scene during image playback on the LCD screen, and command the camera to remove them.

High ISO: The PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital Elph features ISO 1600 and High ISO Auto settings that reduce the effects of camera shake and sharpen subjects in low-light situations, giving you greater shooting flexibility.

Canon SD1100IS Price & More Info.

Canon PowerShot SD1000 and SD750

One of the smallest ultra compact point-and-shoot digital cameras available, the PowerShot SD1000 7.1 MP Digital Elph camera measures only 3.4" x 0.8" x 2.1" and weighs in at just 4.3 ounces. You can't go wrong with the SD1000 and the SD750 -- depending on whether you want a larger LCD (SD750) or a viewfinder (SD1000). (Price & More Info).

The SD1000 is a great little camera, slightly less expensive than the SD750 and similar in many respects. Some of the differences are that the SD1000 has a slightly smaller LCD screen (2.5" diagonal) than the SD750. This makes room for an optical viewfinder on the SD1000, which most ultra-compact point-and-shoot cameras now do not include. The SD750 is also less boxy than the SD1000, and I find it slightly more ergonomically well designed.

Canon looked to the very first ELPH for inspiration when designing the PowerShot SD1000 Digital ELPH, and came up with a quintessential iteration of the icon: slim, clean-lined and fully flat. Inside, the SD1000 Digital ELPH looks only to the future: 7.1 megapixels, a 3x optical zoom and advanced DIGIC III ensure top-quality images, while focus is fast and sharp and red-eye is automatically corrected.

The large and more colorful LCD screen now has a tough, anti-reflective coating that makes it as durable as it is beautiful. Shutter Speed - 15-1/1500 sec.; Long Shutter operates with noise reduction when manually set at 1.3-15 sec.

Specifications

7.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 15 x 20-inch prints
DIGIC III Image Processor; Face Detection Technology and Red-eye Correction
Vivid, high-resolution 2.5-inch PureColor LCD
17 Shooting modes, including 8 Special Scene modes
ISO 1600 and High ISO Auto settings

Additional Features

Metering - Evaluative; Center-weighted average, Spot; Control to incorporate facial brightness in Face Detection Shooting Modes menu - Auto, Camera M, Portrait, Special Scene (Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Aquarium, Underwater, Indoor, Kids & Pets), Night Snapshot, Color Accent, Color Swap, Digital Macro, Stitch Assist, Movie Image Files - Still Image - Exif 2.2 JPEG / Movie - AVI (Image - Motion JPEG; Audio - WAVE (Monaural) Selectable image resolutions - Still Image - 640 x 480 (Small), 1,600 x 1,200 (Medium 3), 2,048 x 1,536 (Medium 2), 2,592 x 1,944 (Medium 1), 3,072 x 2,304 (Large), 3,072 x 1,728 (Widescreen); Movie - 640 x 480 / 320 x 240 (30 fps/15 fps) available up to 4GB, 320 x 240 (1 min. at 60 fps), 160 x 120 (3 min. at 15 fps), 640 x 480 (2 hrs. at 0.5 fps/1 fps. Playback at 15 fps) Play modes - Still Image - Single, Magnification (approx. 2x-10x), Jump, Auto Rotate, Rotate, Resume, My Category, Histogram, Index (9 thumbnails), Sound Memos, Sound Recorder, Slide Show, Red-eye Correction; Movie - Normal Playback, Special Playback, Auto Rotate, Resume Video output is NTSC and PAL compatible Has USB 2.0 port for image transfer to PC or Mac Unit Dimensions WHD - 3.38 x 2.11 x 0.76 in. / 85.9 x 53.5 x 19.4mm; Weight - About 4.41 oz. / 125g.

More Information and Pricing

You can learn more about these cameras and read current owner reviews. The SD1000 comes in an all Silver model, or in a Black-trim model (see photo):