Canon PowerShot TX1 Concise Review

Announced back in February just before this year's PMA, the PowerShot TX1 is an unusual offshoot of the hugely popular IXUS / ELPH range that attempts to straddle the divide between digital stills and digital video cameras with its unusual vertical styling and 720p HDTV video capture. Despite its diminutive dimensions (it's little bigger than a pack of playing cards) the TX1 packs a fairly impressive punch, offering a 10x optically stabilized zoom, 7.1MP CCD, vari-angle LCD and 1080i HDTV component video output. So does the TX1 represent a new direction for compact digital cameras or has Canon set off down a blind alley? Let's find out, starting as ever with the headline features:

• New vertical design
• New 1/2.5-inch 7.1 million pixel CCD
• Vari-angle LCD monitor (1.8-inch)
• 10x optical (39-390mm equiv.) zoom lens - 12 elements (one UD & one Aspheric element)
• Optical image stabilization
• ISO 80-1600
• DIGIC III and Face Detection
• 720p (1280 x 720) movies at 30 fps with stereo sound
• 1080i component video output
• Flexible movie / still shooting Shoot a full-resolution still image during movie recording, or start movie recording by simply pressing record button

Canon SD900 Digital ELPH Review

Announced (along with a handful of other PowerShots) just before Photokina in September 2006, the SD900 (we'll call it this throughout the review - see below for EU/Japanese names) sits at the top of Canon's successful ELPH / IXUS range and offers the highest resolution yet; 10 megapixels (on a 1/1.8" CCD). It also features Canon's new DIGIC III processor and another first; a solid titanium body, which as well as adding a touch of class makes for a lighter, more durable camera. Otherwise there's no surprises here; the IXUS formula is one that has served Canon well, and the SD900 is functionally pretty much indistinguishable from its other recent stable mates. So is the SD900 the ultimate ELPH or a megapixel too far dressed up in a snazzy jacket? Let's find out, starting as ever with the headline features:

• Titanium body with Perpetual Curve design and Touch Control Dial
• 10.0 Megapixels and 3x optical zoom
• DIGIC III with Advanced Noise Reduction and Face Detection AF/AE
• Digital Tele-Converter and Safety Zoom for extra telephoto reach
• 2.5” super-high resolution LCD with wide viewing angle
• ISO 1600 for flash-free low light shooting
• 18 shooting modes including XGA movies
• My Category automatic image tagging
• Range of optional accessories including Underwater Case

Canon SD800 IS Digital ELPH Review

The SD800 IS (IXUS 850 IS), announced just before Photokina 2006 back in September, is a sister model to the popular SD 700 IS (IXUS 800 IS), one of the better ultra compact models launched last year. As well as an extra million pixels or so, the new model has one very welcome new feature; a 28-105mm (equiv.) zoom lens, making it one of the few cameras in this sector of the market with true wideangle capabilities. Other changes include an ISO 1600 option, DIGIC III processor (complete with face detection focus mode) and a better screen. We liked the SD 700 IS a great deal, and on paper the SD 800 IS looks like another winner. So let's find out if it can deliver the goods, starting as ever with the headline specification:

• 7.1 Megapixels and 3.8x zoom
• Wide angle 28mm lens with Optical Image Stabilizer
• DIGIC III with Advanced Noise Reduction and Face Detection AF/AE
• Safety Zoom for extra telephoto reach
• ISO 1600
• High resolution 2.5" LCD
• 17 shooting modes including VGA movies (30 fps) with sound
• Range of optional accessories including Underwater Case

Canon SD700 IS Digital ELPH Review

Announced just before PMA 2006 in February, the 6 megapixel SD700 IS is the new flagship model in the long-running and very successful IXUS / Digital ELPH range. The SD 700 IS is the first Canon ultra-compact ever to feature optical image stabilization, and the first to sport a 4x zoom lens, though in most other respects it is very similar to the previous 'top of the range' SD550. Ostensibly a 'point and shoot' fully automatic model, the SD700 IS nevertheless has a fairly comprehensive feature set packed into its slim metal body. Let's start, as usual, with the headline features:

• 6.0 million effective pixels
• 4x (35-140mm equiv.) zoom
• ISO 800 and optical IS for flash-free indoor shooting
• Canon's DIGIC II image processor, iSAPS and 9-point AiAF
• Wide viewing angle 2.5" LCD screen
• 16 shooting modes
• My Colors photo effects
• Widescreen (16:9) stills recording
• 30fps VGA movies

Canon PowerShot SD550 Digital ELPH Review

Announced August 2005 (only 6 months after its predecessor), the SD550 (which goes by the names of Digital Ixus 750 in Europe and IXY DIGITAL 700 in Japan) is the latest in a long line of ultra-compact 'ELPH' or 'IXUS' cameras stretching back to early 2000 (and a lot farther back than that in the film camera world). The SD550 is a fairly minor upgrade to the SD500 (Ixus 700) it replaces; aside from a larger screen (2.5 inch as opposed to 2.0 inch) and a slight redesign of the body and controls, the majority of the changes consist of tweaks to the user interface. Let's take a look at some of the SD550's key features to whet your appetite;

• 7.1 megapixel CCD
• 2.5-inch color wide viewing angle TFT monitor
• 37-111mm (equiv.) F2.8 - 4.9, 3x optical zoom
• 640 x 480 movies at 30fps
• Fast frame rate movies (320x240 pixels @ 60fps)
• Print/Share button
• Custom white balance
• Spot, center-weighted and evaluative metering
• DIGIC II and iSAPS
• 9-point AiAF
• Nine scene modes

Canon PowerShot SD500 Digital ELPH Review

Announced just before PMA in February 2005, the SD500 (which goes by the names of Digital Ixus 700 in Europe and IXY DIGITAL 600 in Japan) is the latest in a long line of ultra-compact 'ELPH' or 'IXUS' cameras stretching back to early 2000 (and a lot farther back than that in the film camera world). The 7 megapixel SD500 is curvier and slightly wider than previous models, and replaces the S500 (IXUS 500) as the flagship of the range (it's around 8% lighter than that model). Other changes (many also seen in the new SD400) include a new mode dial, faster USB 2.0 connectivity, improved performance thanks to the DIGIC II processor and upgraded movie capabilities. Like its predecessors, the SD500 lacks much in the way of manual controls, but it does manage to cram a lot of high end features into its diminutive all-metal casing;

• 7.4 megapixel CCD
• 2.0-inch color TFT monitor
• 37-111mm (equiv.) F2.8 - 4.9, 3x optical zoom
• 640 x 480 movies at 30fps
• Fast frame rate movies (320x240 pixels @ 60fps)
• Print/Share button
• New 'hold' feature
• Custom white balance
• Spot, center-weighted and evaluative metering
• DIGIC II and iSAPS
• 9-point AiAF
• Nine scene modes

Canon PowerShot SD450 Digital ELPH

Announced in August 2005, the SD450 (which goes by the name of Digital IXUS 55 in Europe) is the latest in a long line of ultra-compact 'ELPH' or 'IXUS' cameras stretching back to early 2000 (and a lot farther back than that in the film camera world). Essentially a fairly minor upgrade to the popular SD400 (Ixus 50), the SD450 incorporates two UA (Ultra-high Refractive Index Glass Molded (GMo) Aspherical lens) elements which has allowed Canon to produced its smallest cameras yet to feature a 3x zoom. New features include a larger 'wide viewing angle' 2.5-inch monitor, a direct access ISO button, a nifty orientation sensor that rotates the display of images as you turn the camera round in playback mode and some fancy playback effects. It may be smaller than a credit card, but Canon has still managed to cram a fairly comprehensive range of features into the SD450;

• 5.0 megapixel CCD
• 2.5-inch color TFT monitor
• 35-105mm (equiv.) F2.8 - 4.9, 3x optical zoom
• 640 x 480 movies at 30fps
• Print/Share button
• Fast Frame Rate movies (320x240 pixels @ 60fps)
• 'My Colors' feature
• Seven special scene modes
• Custom white balance
• Spot, center-weighted and evaluative metering
• DIGIC II processor & iSAPS
• 9-point AiAF

Canon PowerShot SD400 Digital ELPH

Announced in February 2005, the SD400 (which goes by the names of Digital IXUS 50 in Europe and IXY DIGITAL 55 in Japan) is the latest in a long line of ultra-compact 'ELPH' or 'IXUS' cameras stretching back to early 2000 (and a lot farther back than that in the film camera world). Like the SD300 before it, the SD400 incorporates two UA (Ultra-high Refractive Index Glass Molded (GMo) Aspherical lens) elements which has allowed Canon to produced its smallest cameras yet to feature a 3x zoom. It may be smaller than a credit card, but Canon has still managed to cram a fairly comprehensive range of features into the SD400;

• 5.0 megapixel CCD
• 2.0-inch color TFT monitor
• 35-105mm (equiv.) F2.8 - 4.9, 3x optical zoom
• 640 x 480 movies at 30fps
• Print/Share button
• Fast Frame Rate movies (320x240 pixels @ 60fps)
• 'My Colors' feature
• Six special scene modes
• Custom white balance
• Spot, center-weighted and evaluative metering
• DIGIC II processor & iSAPS
• 9-point AiAF

Canon PowerShot SD300 Digital ELPH/Digital IXUS 40 Review

Announced at the end of September 2004, the SD300 (which goes by the names of Digital Ixus 40 in Europe and IXY DIGITAL 50 in Japan) is the latest in a long line of ultra-compact 'ELPH' or 'IXUS' cameras stretching back to early 2000 (and a lot farther back than that in the film camera world). The SD300 (along with little sister the 3MP SD200) is the smallest, slimmest and most powerful ELPH yet, and features several key improvements over the previous generation. The SD300 and SD200 are the first cameras to incorporate two UA (Ultra-high Refractive Index Glass Molded (GMo) Aspherical lens) elements which has allowed Canon to produced its smallest cameras to feature a 3x zoom. It may be smaller than a credit card, but Canon has still managed to cram a fairly comprehensive range of features into the SD300;

• 4.0 megapixel CCD
• 2.0-inch color TFT monitor
• 35-105mm (equiv.) F2.8 - 4.9, 3x optical zoom
• 640 x 480 movies at 30fps
• Print/Share button
• Fast Frame Rate movies (320x240 pixels @ 60fps)
• Voice annotation (sound memos)
• Custom white balance
• Spot, center-weighted and evaluative metering
• DIGIC II and iSAPS
• 9-point AiAF
• Six scene modes

Canon PowerShot SD100 Review

The PowerShot SD100 (Digital IXUS II) is Canon's latest ultra-compact digital camera, from a body design and lens point of view it is loosely based around the PowerShot S230 (Digital IXUS v³) which was announced at Photokina last year. Although there are several subtle improvements over the S230 the SD100 will go down in Canon history for one reason, it's the first Canon digital camera to use SD / MMC storage instead of Compact Flash. This has allowed the designers to shave a couple of millimeters off the camera's depth, width and height, although not as much as we would have expected. The SD100 has a two times optical zoom lens (improved), stainless steel case, Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery, DiGiC processing and an orientation sensor.

Canon PowerShot S80 Review

Just over a year after the launch of the 7 megapixel PowerShot S70 Canon revealed its replacement, the new S80, which boasts a slight redesign, an extra million pixels and a few new features - including the latest DIGIC II processor. The S80 is smaller and lighter than the S70 yet it packs a much larger (2.5") wide viewing angle LCD monitor, a control wheel / 4-way controller, XGA video capture (15 fps), USB 2.0 High-speed and SD/MMC storage. Some may, however, be a little disappointed to hear that RAW capture has been dropped.

• Wide-angle 28-100mm (35mm equivalent) 3.6x Optical Zoom Lens
• 8.0 Megapixel CCD and UA Lens Technology for Superior Image Quality
• Full photographic control
• 21 shooting modes
• 2.5-inch Wide viewing angle LCD screen
• DIGIC II Processor
• USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
• Newly-designed easy-to-use interface
• High Resolution (1024 x 768 pixel) XGA Movie Mode

Canon PowerShot S70 Review

On August the 19th of this year Canon announced a new flagship addition to its successful 'S' range, the 7 megapixel PowerShot S70. Aside from the black paint job and new sensor the S70 is identical to the PowerShot S60 (reviewed August 2004), sharing that model's new slim body design, wideangle lens and improved movie mode. Here's just a few of the S70's key selling points to whet your appetite:

• Wide-angle 28-100mm (35mm equivalent) 3.6x Optical Zoom Lens
• 7.1 Megapixel CCD and New UA Lens Technology for Superior Image Quality
• 13 Shooting Modes Including Enhanced VGA Movie Mode
• Exclusive Canon DiG!C Image Processor and iSAPS Technology
  for Superior Image Quality and Faster Processing Speed
• Print/Share button plus ID Photo Print and Movie Print; Direct Print and PictBridge support

Canon PowerShot S60 Review

On May 19th of this year Canon announced the PowerShot S60, the replacement to the fifteen month old PowerShot S50. Despite the '60' in its name the S60 has the same five megapixel CCD as the S50, this will no doubt be the cause of some confusion for buyers who will assume that it is a six megapixel compact. There are a wide range of differences and improvements with the S60 compared to the older 'S' cameras, here's a summary of changes since the S50:

• New body design, smaller and lighter (with a much improved sliding cover mechanism)
• New wide angle lens: 28 - 100 mm equiv. (3.6x), F2.8 - F5.3
• New image size option: 2048 x 1536
• New movie clip size: 640 x 480, 10 fps, up to 30 sec
• Max shutter speed up to 1/2000 sec from 1/1500 sec
• PictBridge support
• Higher capacity NB-L2H battery

Canon PowerShot S50 Review

Just before PMA 2003 Canon announced the five megapixel PowerShot S50. This camera is virtually identical to the four megapixel S45. Indeed other than the five megapixel sensor, case cover, silk screen labels and embossed chrome '5.0 mega pixels' strap eyelet it really is the same camera. Thanks to Sony's 1/1.8" five megapixel CCD sensor the S50 becomes 'yet another' digital camera originally designed for the 1/1.8" four megapixel sensor and quickly upgraded to continue to compete in the (ever more ridiculous) megapixel race.

Because this camera is virtually identical to the S45 the first half of this review is based on that camera's review, people who have previously read the S45 may want to skip to the timing and performance page, from there onwards will be the meat of what the upgrade from four to five megapixels has meant for this camera.

Canon Powershot S5is Review

The enduring popularity of Canon's 'big zoom' range began on the day the original PowerShot S1 IS was announced back at the start of 2004, heralding a return to a sector of the market many believed the photo giant had abandoned when the Pro 90 IS was discontinued a few years earlier. Since then it has been rare for there not to be an S series big zoom PowerShot in our top 10 most popular cameras (measured by clicks) despite stiff competition from Panasonic (responsible for the reinvigoration of the whole 'superzoom' sector), Sony and a handful of other players. Perhaps this is why Canon has been loathe to tinker too much with the formula established in the original model for subsequent generations. Sure, the S2 IS was a much-needed upgrade (bigger lens, big performance boost), but since then Canon has pretty much left well alone with fairly predictable upgrades to the sensor and screen, and minor feature tweaks.

And so we arrive at the camera on test here, the PowerShot S5 IS, another incremental upgrade to its predecessor that adds a couple of welcome (and some would say long overdue) features but, for the most part, doesn't mess too much with what made its predecessors some of the most appealing cameras in their class. The extra two million pixels and bigger, better screen were inevitable, the flash hot shoe a welcome surprise. Surprising too is that Canon avoided the temptation to go for a longer zoom range (now that 15x and 18x optics are becoming commonplace) - the S5 IS has exactly the same lens as the S3 IS and S2 IS before it, meaning you still don't get a true wideangle unless you attach the large optional lens converter. There is also still no raw mode (perhaps the most requested feature from serious S3 IS users) - it would now seem certain that Canon has abandoned raw capture in non-SLR models.

Canon PowerShot S45 Review

A year after I reviewed the PowerShot S40 I'm here reviewing a camera which to all intents and purposes looks identical to that camera. The PowerShot S45 has the same case, lens, CCD sensor, LCD, control layout etc. as the S40. However what has changed significantly are the internals of the camera. This is immediately noticeable upon first using the camera with its modified menu layout and new FUNC button for quick control of photographic settings such as exposure compensation, white balance, ISO sensitivity, drive mode etc.

Other less noticeable changes include the use of Canon's new DiGiC processor technology which promises better image quality, improved auto focus and auto exposure, better automatic white balance, lower noise, faster image processing and extended camera features. Another new addition is an orientation sensor which allows the camera to automatically orientate the image correctly (portrait / landscape) at playback.

Canon PowerShot S400 Review

Canon announced the ultra-compact four megapixel, three times optical zoom PowerShot S400 (AKA. Digital IXUS 400) just a few days before PMA 2003. The PowerShot S400 is the latest in line of Canon's ultra-compact PowerShot series, this camera packs a four megapixel sensor and three times optical zoom lens into a package the same size as PowerShot S230 (three megapixels, two times zoom, announced in September 2002). Unlike previous ultra-compact Powershot's this camera disposes with the 'looks dirty easily' stainless steel case to be replaced with an all new 'Cerabrite' material which is a mix of metal and ceramic. It's still cool to the touch, doesn't show up fingerprints and doesn't scratch easily.

Canon PowerShot S40 Review

The PowerShot S30 and S40 mark a revival by Canon of the higher end 'S' series of digital cameras. Clearly since the S10 and S20 Canon have explored the ultra-compact 'pocket' type digital camera, the S30 and S40 are a little larger but more feature rich. These two new cameras (virtually identical apart from their output resolution S30 - 3mp, S40 - 4mp) now sit between the PowerShot 'G' series (G1, G2) and the IXUS / ELPH (S100 / S110 / S300) digital cameras.

Canon DIGITAL IXUS 330 Review

The DIGITAL IXUS 330 (known as the PowerShot S330 in US/Canada) is Canon's updated to the popular IXUS 300 (PowerShot S300). The IXUS 330 is a steel cased, two megapixel, three times optical zoom ultra-compact "carry everywhere" digital camera. The DIGITAL IXUS 330 was announced at CeBIT 2002 along with the updated DIGITAL IXUS v² (two megapixel, two times optical zoom). The IXUS 330 has various new features and improvements over last years model (see below) but best still is that the street price of this camera appears to have settled some $200 less than its predecessor ($400 street price in the US).

Canon Digital IXUS 300 Review

First off, names, the Digital IXUS 300 is this cameras European (and SE Asia) name, it is known as the PowerShot S300 Digital ELPH in the US and the IXY Digital 300 in Japan, the cameras are identical apart from the name. The Digital IXUS 300 is a progression from last years Digital IXUS, with the same 2 megapixel sensor the new Digital IXUS 300 now features a 3x zoom lens and a moderate number of improvements.