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Photograph: Chris Manners
Canon PowerShot SD700 IS Digital Camera (6.0MP, 2816x2112, 4x Opt, SD/MMC)
Pricing
Latest Price: $249.99
- Spec Navigator
- Digital Format
- Display
- Exposure
- Image Processor
- Included Hardware
- Included Software
- Lens
- Shutter
- Storage
- LCD Screen
- Exposure Controls
- Dimensions
- Power
- Flash
- Lens Features
- Connectivity
- Other Features
Image Processor
| Number of image sensor pixels | 6 megapixels |
| Image sensor | CCD |
| Maximum horizontal image resolution | 2816 |
| Maximum vertical image resolution | 2112 |
| Image sensor quantity | 1 |
| Image format | JPEG |
| White balance | 0 |
Lens
| Accessory Lens | No |
| Lens Model | Canon Zoom Lens 4x IS. |
| Telephoto Aperture Maximum | 5.5 mm |
| Wide-Angle Aperture Maximum | 2.8 mm |
Exposure Controls
| Maximum shutter speed | 1600 |
| Minimum shutter speed | 15 |
| Bulb setting | 0 |
| ISO equivalencies |
|
| Exposure settings | 0 |
| Exposure compensation range | 0 |
| Number of scene modes | 11 |
- Lab Tested
- How We Test Cameras »
Pros
Image stabilization seems effective
Focuses swiftly
Cons
Lacks a quick-review button
High price
Bottom Line
Offers anti-shake, an orientation sensor, and widescreen mode. Has few manual controls, however, and the price is high.
Canon PowerShot SD700 IS
PowerShot SD700 IS Digital Camera (6.0MP, 2816x2112, 4x Opt, SD/MMC) Review, by Alan Stafford July 26, 2006
Canon's Digital Elph models have always been very nicely made cameras, with finely machined metal bodies and high-quality controls. The latest Elph, the SD700 IS ($500 as of 6/15/06), takes that build quality to a new level. It's attractive without looking like a cheap bauble, with shiny accents in just the right places. Plus, it has image stabilization for sharper images.
At 6.8 ounces, it's chunkier and heavier than many other point-and-shoots, though it doesn't fit too badly in a shirt pocket. The buttons are easy to press, with the exception of the mode dial, which is a little small and recessed into the body, so you may need to use a fingernail to turn it.
Some clever tweaks to the playback mode deserve special mention: There's a brief transitional fade between images; and when viewing multiple images at the same time, the picture you've highlighted is slightly larger than the others (in much the same way that the Mac OS X dock highlights icons). Also, the camera automatically rotates images, using an "intelligent orientation sensor" to determine how you're holding the camera. These minor points make the camera seem more sophisticated.
It's difficult to test image stabilization, but Canon's system seems to work. I tried to beat it by shaking the camera while shooting in dim lighting--and more often than not, I got a sharp picture. However, as comparisons with other current Digital Elph models show, image stabilization is a costly feature; you can save about $100 by foregoing stabilization with the PowerShot SD630 (which has a larger LCD) or $150 by opting for the SD600, which has the same-size LCD and no stabilization.
All three Elphs use the same 6-megapixel sensor, the resolution of which is modest compared to that of many other point-and-shoots. In our image-quality tests, the Elph earned scores that were slightly above average on nearly all measures, from distortion to sharpness to color quality. I noted few problems with red-eye, even in images that I thought would produce it. It scored slightly below average for exposure in a flash shot. In our battery life tests, the SD700 IS scored a bit above the average for our test group, holding out for nearly 3 hours and 300 shots.
The camera has an admirably long zoom lens (4X magnification), and its image stabilization should be especially handy when you're at full zoom. In addition, you can use a new high-ISO mode to shoot fast action or in low light; a dedicated ISO button on the back selects this mode (it's actually ISO 800). Like previous Elphs, this one lacks manual shooting modes (aperture priority, shutter priority, or full manual).
The camera focuses swiftly and easily, even when I attempted to beat its image stabilization system. It starts up quickly and takes pictures as fast as you can press the shutter release. (However, if you hold the shutter down, the camera won't take another picture until you release the button; instead, it will show you your last picture.) The quickness makes the camera more usable overall because you don't have to worry about compensating for shutter lag, for example.
An excellent 2.5-inch LCD panel dominates the back of the camera. The image is sharp and bright, and it's fast enough that looking at it is like watching a small television. You can choose a movie mode that captures 60 frames per second (albeit at 320-by-240 resolution), and the LCD easily keeps up. Or you can opt for 640-by-480 resolution at 30 fps. The image does get slightly grainy at full zoom--but that has no effect on captured image quality, of course.
One annoyance: The camera has no quick-review button, so to review more than one image, you must switch to playback mode using the dial. And as with many Canon models, the battery gauge only tells you when you're about out of juice--that's of little help when you're far away from an electrical outlet. Thankfully, Canon still furnishes a great little travel charger that's the same size as the camera, with prongs that fold inward for easy portability.
Alan Stafford
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PCWorld Lab Results
- Rating Breakdown
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81
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76
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84
- See Complete Lab Results »
Performance Comparison with Similar Cameras
81
72
87
77
Performance
| Battery Life (minutes) | 185 |
| Battery Life Score | Very Good |
| Image Quality Score | Good |
| Image Quality, Color | 64.4 |
| Image Quality, Distortion | 57 |
| Image Quality, Exposure | 60.3 |
| Image Quality, Exposure--Flash | 57 |
| Image Quality, Exposure--Normal | 61.7 |
| Image Quality, Overall | 60.9 |
| Image Quality, Sharpness | 42.5 |
| Number of Batteries | 1 |
| Number of Shots | 338 |
User Reviews
Average User Reviews for Canon PowerShot SD700 IS Digital Camera (6.0MP, 2816x2112, 4x Opt, SD/MMC)
1 Review Add your own »
- Latest User Reviews 1 review
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Reviewed by: lover
Duration of ownership: 2 Years
Strengths: high
Weaknesses: no weakness
Overall: it is very good
Review Now! Already own it? Tell us What You Think
User Reviews From Around the Web
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Reviewed by: ivanhoe31
Strengths: - Robust - Easy to use - Quality of images is generally good
Weaknesses: - The memory card that comes with the camera is useless.
Overall: Strengths- Robust - Easy to use - Quality of images is generally goodWeakness - The memory card that comes with the camera is useless. The first thing I recommend is a good memory card with decent storage.
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Reviewed by: wolfbbg1
Strengths: Good image quality (for a P&S digicam), image stabilization, [barely] usable ISO800, 4X zoom (35-140mm), compact, light-weight, nice 2.5" LCD, still has an optical viewfinder
Weaknesses: Flash is very, very weak; optical viewfinder is tiny
Overall: We bought the SD700IS for the times when I didn't feel like lugging around the DSLR and assorted lenses. 6MP is plenty since we typically never print anything larger than a 5x7 from a P&S -- our previous compact digicam was only 3MP (it died), so this was a big step up.My wife is intimidated by the plethora of controls on my DSLR, and she loves the SD700 because it has few controls. This is especially true when you are in the auto mode. However, I have been blown away by the image quality even when using the auto mode. Focus and exposure are almost always spot on.Since cameras of this form factor are so lightweight, the image stabilization is almost a necessity. Since Canon does a better job at taming noise in these tiny sensors than _anyone_ else, my friends are amazed at the natural, low-light shots I get from this camera (ISO800, no flash). I'm not going to print an 8x10 out of the resulting photo, but it looks fine at 5x7 and it captures the moment.You can read a thorough review at DPReview -- they did a great job. This camera has been superceded by both the SD800IS and the SD850IS. Both of these cameras have higher MP sensors, but the SD700IS can still hold its own.It's getting harder and harder to find these now, so good luck! I paid $295 in June 2007.
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Reviewed by:
Strengths: Great features
Weaknesses: very fragile
Overall: certainly not the strenght of the older Canon Power shot s series. I have a s20 that has worn corners from all the abuse I put it through. In a padded case the camera shell pulled apart from a 2 foot drop. I had read reviews that mentioned this but now I believe. Was very lucky to be able to shove and wedge it back together and have it still work. Just have to hope nothing goes wrong with it cause warrenty is void now after two days of use. Trying to super glue case. Will be very hard to carry with now without subjecting to normal wear and tear. fingers crossed but not hopeful. Nice camera if you treat it like an egg, construction cheap with metal retaining clips that deform causing shell to seperate.
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Reviewed by: nyyanks81
Strengths: Small and compact and takes great quality pics
Weaknesses: It can be made of better material (metal?) to be a bit stronger.
Overall: This is a great little camera. It takes great shots and its easy to transfer photos to your computer. The software is easy to use. Photos come out crisp just the way it should be. It has many fucntions for whatever you may be using it for. The digital zoom is perfect for those shots from a distance away.
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Reviewed by: CompactCameraFan
Strengths: Anything good as said in all ads and reviews
Weaknesses: Bad video recording sound and data downloading
Overall: The background noise is too high when taking video and the recorded sound is very low during the playback; The camera functions easily die when downloading data from the camera to a computer through the cable, and I have to take out the battery to re-start the camera in order to restore its functions very often.
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