Digital Trends

Canon PowerShot SD1000

April 8th, 2007 | by David Elrich

Testing and Use

Even with a retro look, the new SD1000 has some very current technology, including DIGIC III, Canon’s newest processor. This chip speeds overall performance (start-up, shot-to-shot times), plus it enables Face Detection, the digital camera world’s “Feature Du Jour.” As we reported in our review of the new Sony DSC-T100, Face Detection maximizes the camera’s ability to capture properly exposed and focused images of human faces (sorry, no animals allowed). When you put the camera in this mode using the simple onscreen menu system, the camera will look for up to nine faces. A box appears around each one, and the camera goes to work. For the record, Fujifilm digicams handle up to 10, while Sonys take care of eight. As noted in the Sony review, it’s fun watching the boxes move around the LCD as FD tries to do the job. I compared the SD1000 to three other new models: the T100, the Fujifilm FinePix F31fd, and the Pentax Optio T30. The Canon was the winner, as the results clearly showed on my 8.5 x 11 full bleed prints. Sony was the runner-up.

Along with Face Detection, the SD1000 has the usual coterie of scene modes available through the menu system such as Landscape, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, and so on. The camera also lets you add colors or modify them if you’re feeling creative. This is a pretty useless feature (in my humble opinion), but the scene modes are good for point-and-shoot simplicity.

When you’re in Auto mode, the camera is in control; your only options are resolution. Since this is a 7.1MP digicam, maximum file size is 3072 x 2304 pixels. If you want to shoot widescreen for your new TV, resolution drops to 3072 x 1728. A 2-gig card lets you take 622 shots in best quality. If you move to Manual, you can adjust exposure compensation, white balance, and type of metering. In order to adjust shutter speed (15 seconds max) you have to press Exposure Compensation to reach that adjustment. This was the only wrinkle in an otherwise no-brainer menu system. Guess the Canon software engineers took a long lunch that day…

I hate to say it, but this camera is cute and fun to carry around. I know some photo snobs will turn up their noses at that comment, but this isn’t a Canon EOS 1D Mark III; it’s targeted to people who want a camera for everyday use. And you can’t beat the portability. Try sticking a D-SLR in your pocket and you’ll know what I mean. After taking a load of images in Auto and the various Manual options, I turned out a bunch of 8.5 x 11 full bleed prints. The results were pretty much as expected.

Overall, the quality of the images was quite good, in classic Canon style. After testing dozens of digital cameras from myriad companies for over five years, you realize they handle photos very differently in terms of the final output. I tend to favor Canon for their natural, realistic feel. This is hard to quantify, but I simply like their prints better than competitors. Granted, this is not always the case throughout a company’s entire lineup, but it was certainly true for the SD1000. And, in the case of Face Detection, it did the best job. One area where the SD1000 disappointed a bit was handling digital noise. Once you hit 400, it was pretty noticeable, and above that there was no avoiding it. Although there’s a 1600 setting, it’s pretty useless. In other words, use the flash when shooting indoors. I was glad to see Canon didn’t make any pretensions of some sort of phony image stabilization that raises shutter speed and ISO. Just use good camera-holding techniques with your elbows pressed into your body, and you’ll eliminate a lot of blur.

Image Courtesy of Canon