Canon PowerShot SD700 reviewed

Digital Camera Tracker got a chance to check out Canon's PowerShot SD700 6 megapixel digital camera and came away impressed, giving it an 8.5 out of 10. Packing a 4x optical zoom in a sleek and sturdy body, they gave the camera high marks for its high quality images, great color balance and saturation, image stabalization, nice LCD, and high 800 ISO. On the downside, the camera is a mite bit expensive (about $500 list), the optical viewfinder apparently stinks, and apparently the auto focus a bit noisy. It's probably not a camera for the pros out there, but it seems like the more point-and-shoot inclined should be happy -- as they usually are with Canons -- if they can justify the somewhat hefty price tag.

[Via DP Blog]

[Herbert @ May 28th 2006 10:56PM]

I bought this camera a few weeks ago and I am very happy with it so far. Great for point and shoot photography. Would agree that the optical viewfinder is too small, but that's what the display is for!!!

Not full manual, so it's definitely not for the pros out there...

I paid HK$3,080 which is about US$395. The camera also came with a 1GB SD card... no complaints here.

[JD Pavkovich @ May 28th 2006 11:21PM]

I own this camera and I just wanted to say that this is the best camera you can possibly get without going into a dSLR. The image stabilization really makes a world of difference! (at least in my personal opinion)

[Hanmo Li @ May 28th 2006 11:56PM]

I just bought this camera and I am REALLY enjoying it. image quality is great; so is video quality. optical viewfinder does stink, but with a 2.5" LCD you won't really need it. my only complaint is the lack of a battery indicator...

[D Gearless @ May 29th 2006 6:06AM]

I own the SD450, I can say that if the 700 is an improvement you will surely love it. High ISO is mostly a waste because the images come out too grainy. So, you want to shoot with a lower ISO, but then the shutter is open way too long causing blur. I can imagine the IS feature cures allot of this issue. The viewfinder is barely used and a bit small, I mostly use it when I'm sneaking a few snaps of a hot girl without her noticing (which is much more obvious when using the LCD.) It's also a bit more helpful when shooting in lower light. The lack of a battery indicator really sucks --- nothing but a 5 minute warning when it's almost drained (SD450).

I am also the owner of a Nikon D70s. For a pocket point and shoot, I love my ELPH.

[David @ May 29th 2006 12:02PM]

I have one of Canon's earlier point-and-shoots, and it's great. I use it for travel and social stuff, and have a Nikon DSLR for more serious shooting.

[quanta @ May 29th 2006 1:50PM]

I own a S110 and a SD500 - if it makes the reviewer feel any better, the lack of battery meter and the 85% picture coverage optical viewfinder is prevalent on pretty much every pro-sumer PowerShot since 1999. I don't know why, but Canon apparently doesn't think they are serious enough problems.

What I am interested in reviews is the major change between SD500/SD550 and the SD700, the Image Stabilization. The current Achilles heel is lack of flexibility in low-light conditions. High ISO only does so much. So...does the IS work?

P.S. Auto-focus being "loud" is a strange criticism to have. I didn't think it mattered.

[jonjons @ May 29th 2006 3:11PM]

I bought one of these 3 days ago and have been very pleased with it. I like the way it puts a box on the screen to indicate which area it will use for auto focus, giving you a chance to quickly re-compose. Combined with the IS, these features produce a much higher ratio of keepers than any point and shoot I have used before. No manual mode but plenty of specialized scene modes and accurate exposure and colour balance in a wide range of lighting conditions.
It also has a lot of nice touches like a fade between pictures in playback and a camera orientation sensor that also works in playback mode. The menu system also has an OS X look and feel with dashboard-like transparency. A bit gimmicky but adds to the overall feeling of quality. Only misses are the creaky plastic SD/battery door under your thumb and the price.
Remember that the IS is not the same as high iso/fast shutter. In low light it will help with shake but subject motion will still be blurred. If you want high iso capability wait for the Fuji F30 (and deal with it’s purple fringing).

Jon