The Canon SD900 Digital ELPH features a compact, stylish case with rounded horizontal edges, and a retracting lens to make it pocket-friendly. The Canon SD900 includes a 10 megapixel imager, and a Canon-branded 3x optical zoom lens covers a fairly standard range of 37-111mm equivalent, a moderate wide-angle to moderate telephoto. Exposure is fully automatic, but the user can tweak it with 2.0EV of exposure compensation, and three metering modes to handle difficult lighting, while 11 scene modes keep the camera approachable for beginners.
A long-exposure mode in the Canon SD900 ELPH also lets you manually set exposure times as long as 15 seconds, and a large 2.5 inch LCD display plus an optical viewfinder -- rather rare on digicams these days -- helps frame images on bright days.
The Canon ELPH SD900 also sports a rather wide ISO sensitivity range, from 100 to 1,600 with a special scene mode offering ISO 3,200 equivalent, for better performance in dim lighting.
A long-exposure mode in the Canon SD900 ELPH also lets you manually set exposure times as long as 15 seconds, and a large 2.5 inch LCD display plus an optical viewfinder -- rather rare on digicams these days -- helps frame images on bright days.
The Canon ELPH SD900 also sports a rather wide ISO sensitivity range, from 100 to 1,600 with a special scene mode offering ISO 3,200 equivalent, for better performance in dim lighting.
Canon also manufactures a line of photo printers, and prides themselves on the level of integration between their cameras and printers. The Canon SD900 is PictBridge capable, so is able to print to any printer that supports PictBridge directly, without the need for a computer in the middle. When connected to a Canon printer, though, you can set paper size, print quality, and a number of other parameters, capabilities lacking in basic PictBridge connections.
Canon PowerShot SD900User Report
Intro. Megapixel counters will be drawn to the 10 megapixel sensor on the Canon SD900, the most yet on a Digital ELPH. But there are three other cool new features on this little ELPH worth noting.
Canon has tweaked their already quite competent low light performance with a high ISO of 1,600. But they didn't stop there, adding a Scene mode that shoots a small image size at ISO 3,200, too. It's a wonder they put a flash on this thing.
Being able to shoot without flash in ordinary room light means no red-eye. And if you take lots of pictures of people, that's enough reason to like the Canon SD900. But it has an even more compelling argument with Canon's new Face Detection ability. Half press the shutter and the SD900 will show a focus target on the nearest face it finds. No more focusing on the wall between two heads.
Canon has tweaked their already quite competent low light performance with a high ISO of 1,600. But they didn't stop there, adding a Scene mode that shoots a small image size at ISO 3,200, too. It's a wonder they put a flash on this thing.
Being able to shoot without flash in ordinary room light means no red-eye. And if you take lots of pictures of people, that's enough reason to like the Canon SD900. But it has an even more compelling argument with Canon's new Face Detection ability. Half press the shutter and the SD900 will show a focus target on the nearest face it finds. No more focusing on the wall between two heads.
The Canon SD900 can also tag your images with one of several categories as you shoot or after. Either way, you can organize them before you transfer them to your computer, which strikes me as a very bright idea.
The compact size of the titanium Canon SD900 makes it ideal for travel. You never have to worry about the shutter or aperture on an ELPH, but you can tweak exposure by playing with the ISO, something you may want to do in dark churches or museums. And battery life is generous enough you can rely on it for a day's outing.
Design. Even if you never look at the Canon SD900 to see its gorgeous titanium exterior, you'll appreciate the way it feels in your hand. It looks bulky, but it actually fits your palm quite comfortably, lending a feeling of security as you travel
around with it. So don't let the shape put you off.
The compact size of the titanium Canon SD900 makes it ideal for travel. You never have to worry about the shutter or aperture on an ELPH, but you can tweak exposure by playing with the ISO, something you may want to do in dark churches or museums. And battery life is generous enough you can rely on it for a day's outing.
Design. Even if you never look at the Canon SD900 to see its gorgeous titanium exterior, you'll appreciate the way it feels in your hand. It looks bulky, but it actually fits your palm quite comfortably, lending a feeling of security as you travel
around with it. So don't let the shape put you off.The titanium shell wraps smoothly around the body, raising up slightly to frame the 2.5 inch LCD and to set a dial or button. You can stand the SD900 up on its end or its side, and I found both useful.
Its weight falls in the middle of the pack among compact digicams, but that's a good thing. A little heft helps stabilize a small camera.
Its weight falls in the middle of the pack among compact digicams, but that's a good thing. A little heft helps stabilize a small camera.
Like previous ELPHs, it's comfortable not only to carry but to shoot with, easily managed with just your right hand. The Canon SD900's new Mode dial design has a sculpted face that makes it easy to switch modes with just your thumb. And the Touch control dial can be set so it detects light pressure on any of its control points. The Display button has been moved up, just under the Mode dial, which has the benefit of leaving the Menu button all by itself under the Touch control dial, where you won't confuse it with anything else.
There's no real front or back grip, but the shell of the Canon SD900 is designed with a slight but helpful bulge in front and the Mode dial actually wraps around your thumb on the back. So, while you can't see the grip, your hand naturally finds it and you feel it. Very clever.
There's no real front or back grip, but the shell of the Canon SD900 is designed with a slight but helpful bulge in front and the Mode dial actually wraps around your thumb on the back. So, while you can't see the grip, your hand naturally finds it and you feel it. Very clever.
I can't say enough about the large shutter button, ringed with the Zoom lever. It doesn't protrude but is always easy to find.
While it's a great point-and-shoot design, it's also very well suited to travel (which is a bit more demanding). You hardly ever have to worry about exposure options. Just attach the Canon SD900's wrist strap, charge the battery and put a large SD card in it, and off you go. You'll come back with great shots every time.
Display/Viewfinder. The Canon SD900 has both a large LCD and an optical viewfinder, a rare paring these days. The advantage of the optical viewfinder is undeniable. In bright sun when you can't se
e what's on the LCD or in darkened venues where a bright LCD is not welcomed, an optical viewfinder lets you get the shot. As Luke noted when shooting the test shots, the SD900 sports "another truly awful viewfinder," but having one is better than not having one. True, it shows about 80 percent of what the sensor will capture, but that's enough to center the subject and get the shot.
While it's a great point-and-shoot design, it's also very well suited to travel (which is a bit more demanding). You hardly ever have to worry about exposure options. Just attach the Canon SD900's wrist strap, charge the battery and put a large SD card in it, and off you go. You'll come back with great shots every time.
Display/Viewfinder. The Canon SD900 has both a large LCD and an optical viewfinder, a rare paring these days. The advantage of the optical viewfinder is undeniable. In bright sun when you can't se
e what's on the LCD or in darkened venues where a bright LCD is not welcomed, an optical viewfinder lets you get the shot. As Luke noted when shooting the test shots, the SD900 sports "another truly awful viewfinder," but having one is better than not having one. True, it shows about 80 percent of what the sensor will capture, but that's enough to center the subject and get the shot.At 230,000 pixels, the 2.5 inch LCD on the Canon SD900 enjoys a bit more resolution than its cousin on the SD700. That's good news. Also good news is the extremely wide angle at which you can still see the full color image on the LCD. It approaches 180 degrees (which, of course, is unattainable), so you can hold the camera over your head or drop it below your belt and still compose your shot. That's something you can't do with an optical viewfinder.
Performance. The closer you look at the Canon SD900's performance numbers, the more impressed you are. It ranks above average (and well above) for startup time, shutdown time, autofocus shutter lag, prefocus shutter lag, cycle time, and download speed.
The only categories it ranks average in are its flash cycle time, weight (which I find advantageous), and its 3x zoom (which is pretty much the standard zoom ratio these days). The Canon SD900's 3x optical zoom is buttressed by a 4x digital zoom.
Considering how powerful the flash is, having an average cycle time is a miracle. My informal shooting around the house impressed me by how well the flash lit up even large rooms.
Luke also pointed out the SD900 has "exceptional low light focusing ability. Very few point-and-shoot cameras will go below EV3 without the assist light." Finding focus can be a real headache even with an SLR. But the Canon SD900 has very little trouble. Toss in Face Detection autofocus and it's probably the most reliable focus I've ever used.
One thing that surprised me was how hard it was to get a sharp shot at 1/30 second. The camera shake warning, a red hand, was constantly waving at me on the LCD as I went around in the rain to take a few outdoor shots. It seems like 1/60 second was the best I could do with the Canon SD900.
Performance. The closer you look at the Canon SD900's performance numbers, the more impressed you are. It ranks above average (and well above) for startup time, shutdown time, autofocus shutter lag, prefocus shutter lag, cycle time, and download speed.
The only categories it ranks average in are its flash cycle time, weight (which I find advantageous), and its 3x zoom (which is pretty much the standard zoom ratio these days). The Canon SD900's 3x optical zoom is buttressed by a 4x digital zoom.
Considering how powerful the flash is, having an average cycle time is a miracle. My informal shooting around the house impressed me by how well the flash lit up even large rooms.
Luke also pointed out the SD900 has "exceptional low light focusing ability. Very few point-and-shoot cameras will go below EV3 without the assist light." Finding focus can be a real headache even with an SLR. But the Canon SD900 has very little trouble. Toss in Face Detection autofocus and it's probably the most reliable focus I've ever used.
One thing that surprised me was how hard it was to get a sharp shot at 1/30 second. The camera shake warning, a red hand, was constantly waving at me on the LCD as I went around in the rain to take a few outdoor shots. It seems like 1/60 second was the best I could do with the Canon SD900.
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