A Great Camera That I Cannot Recommend To Anyone
Written: May 04 '06 (Updated Mar 28 '09)
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Pros: Amazing picture quality, tons of features, large screen, cheap memory cards, price
Cons: No Viewfinder (this camera is allergic to sunlight)
The Bottom Line: This camera is well suited for any vampire that wants great pictures. If you ever go out in the sun, buy a camera with a viewfinder (Any other Canon Elph).
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| noangels's Full Review: Canon PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH / IXUS 65 Digit... |
What? Why would someone give a camera 5 stars and not recommend that anyone buy it? Let me explain....
Why I Give The SD630 Five Stars...
The SD 630 is one of the latest cameras in Canon's Digital Elph Line, being released at approximately the same time as the Canon Powershot Elph SD 600 and the SD 700 IS. Previous models in this line have been very popular, especially the Canon Powershot Elph SD 450, SD 400, and SD 300. These cameras are known for the small design and high quality pictures.
Picture Quality
The picture on the SD 630 is great. The camera has a 6 megapixel CCD, allowing you to blow the pictures up to poster size without losing quality. It also has the DIGIC II processor, one of the best processors on the market. (In my opinion, it is the best on the market). The processor has a big impact on the quality of the image and in this case, your camera will have the same processor as the $5000 professional grade Digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) Cameras in Canon's EOS line. What does that mean to most people? The processor is hard core. This processor is used in conjunction with Canon's new ISAPS technology which is said to improve the image quality even more over the old models.
The pictures are clear and the colors are vibrant. Colors are captured correctly and require little correction with photo editing programs. There is very little noise in low light, usually only at the highest light sensitivity settings (ISO 800). Candlelight and sunlight are both captured correctly and the pictures are rarely under or overexposed if you use the settings correctly. Automatic mode does a pretty good job of correcting this by itself, but in some extreme cases some pre-set mode changes may be useful.
Battery Life
This camera takes the NB-4L lithium ion battery. This is the same battery used in the SD 300, SD 400, SD 450, SD 600, SD1000, and the SD1100IS. The battery life is very good but varies depending on the screen and flash usage. With screen on and no flash, it averages about 290 shots. The battery retails for $39.99 for a generic brand and as always, I recommend keeping a spare. As great as lithium batteries are, if you only have one and it dies before an important event when you have no time to charge it, you're going to be going to a drug store... not to buy a battery as they won't have it, just to buy a disposable camera.
Flash and Lens
The lens is good quality and when the camera is off, the lens is retracted completely and the front of the camera is flat. This definitely helps keep the lens well protected.
The flash is strong for a built in flash. It's not the same as an external but is adequate for most situations. The flash is well placed in relation to the lens as to minimize red eye. The available flash modes are fill-in, slow syncro, auto, off, and red eye reduction.
Lag
I have noticed very little lag on this camera and even less with a high speed memory card. The camera starts up quick and recovers quickly between pictures.
Physical Appearance
The camera is small and sleek. It doesn't weigh very much. This kind of camera is one of those "always have it with you" cameras. These kinds of cameras are great for amateur photographers and family memory keepers like people who like to make scrapbooks.
Operation and Control
Although this camera does include a number of advanced features, it is relatively easy to operate. One read of the manual and someone who isn't a technology buff should be able to operate most features of the camera. Someone who has owned a camera previously could probably learn the basics without the manual.
The buttons are conveniently placed for the most part. A few controls on this model are placed on the top of the camera and can be accidently hit easily. These controls are all by the LCD screen on the older models and the current SD 600. Be careful. Might be easier to deal with if you have small fingers but I must warn you that I have small fingers and if it's a problem for me, it may just have to be something you get used to over time.
Zoom
The SD 630 features a 3x optical zoom. This is an average zoom for a camera of its size and the camera stays focused as it zooms in. It also includes a 4x digital and as with every camera, I recommend not using it. It crops the edges of the photo off while blurring the photo as it digitally stretches it. It throws away information from the picture. If you really feel the need to do this to your photos, wait until they are on your computer so the original can be saved. There is an option to turn off the digital zoom and by default, it is turned off.
Features and Settings
Scene Modes:
Portrait mode: This mode will blur a background and bring a subject into focus. It's great for pictures of people within a few feet.
Stitch assist: I haven't had much use for stitch assist but it should theoretically allow you to stitch images together to make panoramic pictures.
fireworks: Great for pictures of fireworks, focusing on the light from the fireworks and sharpening their edges. I also find fireworks useful for pictures of fireplaces.
underwater: This camera has an underwater mode to take pictures underwater in a specially designed underwater case that is available through Canon. Do no submerge your camera unprotected and take pictures underwater.
indoor: Works well to reduce noise in low light pictures. Ideal for indoor situations such as parties.
foliage: For pictures outdoors of foliage.
beach: Use this mode on the beach to reduce the problems of overexposure. This mode will help you capture the colors of that new bathing suit without washing them out.
kids & pets: This mode is meant for things that move around. Fast shutter speeds help you freeze moments in time.
digital macro: a close up mode
night snapshot: Reduces noise at night
snow: For bright scenes in snow. This mode ensures that the white balance is configured with the snow as white.
Color Options:
This camera includes Black & White, Sepia, Positive, Neutral, Vivid, and My Colors as color options. Color Accent and Color Swap are an added bonus. Color accent allows you to target a color and when you take a picture, that color will show up and every other color will show up as black and white. Color swap allows you to target a color and replace it with another. It sounds complicated but once you get the hang of it your camera will become one of the most expensive toys in your house.
Light Sensitivity:
The camera allows for a number of ISO settings; ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, and ISO auto. The ISO 800 setting is new to the Elph series, now being included in the SD 600, SD 630, and the SD 700 IS.
White Balance:
White balance options are: Fluorescent, cloudy, tungsten light, daylight, fluorescent light, and automatic.
Aperture and Shutter:
The Lens Aperture Range is f/2.8 Wide - f/4.9 Telephoto. The maximum shutter speed is 1/1500 second.
Self Timer and continuous shooting:
The included self timer mode is easy to set and can be set to a 2 second or 10 second delay. The continuous shooting can take 2.1 frames per second. That's relatively fast considering Canon's Digital Rebel SLR takes 3 frames per second.
Video Mode
The video mode is impressive on this camera and includes sound. The sound is clear and the video sharp for that of a digital camera. I would compare it to some low end Mini DV camcorders. It's not great quality but not bad for a digital camera. In video it can shoot up to 30 frames per second. The resolutions are: AVI - 640 x 480 at 30 fps, AVI - 640 x 480 at 15 fps, AVI - 320 x 240 at 30 fps, and AVI - 320 x 240 at 15 fps.
LCD Screen
The LCD screen is very large at 3.0 inches. It is very clear and sharp. The screen definitely does the pictures justice. There were previous problems with the LCD screens in the Canon Elph series, specifically in the SD 300, SD 400, and SD 500. This was a manufacturers defect and has since been corrected. I recommend keeping it in a case at all times (even if you put it in something else like your pocket or your bag). I have seen many cracked screens from people doing that to their cameras.
Memory Cards
This camera takes an SD (Secure Digital) Memory card. The camera comes with a 16 megabyte SD card. A lot of people complain about the included memory but almost every camera out there only comes with a 16-32 megabyte card. These cards are not meant to be used as your sole memory card and I'm not going to complain that it is a small amount because of this. SD cards are the cheapest to buy and have a high speed option which I highly recommend taking advantage of. High speed memory cards reduce lag. The camera has several quality settings and at the highest quality (6 megapixels and superfine) a 1 gigabyte card will give you 331 images. These cards retail (high speed) for $79.99 but can be as low as $49.99 on sale. I use the San Disk Ultra II 1GB SD memory card.
Connectivity
The camera comes with a USB cable and software to hook it up to a computer. It is very easy to hook up and the software is easy to use. You may also use a memory card reader to transfer your pictures. An Audio/Video cable is also included to view your pictures and videos on your television.
Price
This camera is reasonably priced at $399.99. It just came out but I imagine it will drop in price in about 2 months or so.
Why You Shouldn't Buy This Camera
Now you read all of that and you're thinking, so what's the problem. This is the first camera in Canon's Digital Elph series that does not have a viewfinder. What does that mean? I'll tell you...
I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that most people who are thinking about buying this camera don't live in a dark cave and only come out at night. For all of you vampires, go ahead and buy this camera. A viewfinder is that little hole you look through to see what you are taking a picture of. In sunlight, (perhaps you have seen this happen on your cell phone) an LCD screen becomes hard to see if not impossible to see. This occurs on laptops, cell phones, PDAs and cameras. If you buy this camera, you have just spent $400 on a camera that is nearly useless outside. That's right, $400 on something you will be holding in the air and hoping it takes a good picture.
I know a lot of people aren't going to listen to me on this one until they see it for themselves when they are dolphin watching on a boat in the middle of the ocean wishing they could remember it forever and can't even tell if they got one decent shot or sight-seeing at an amusement park and missed little Timmy's first Ferris wheel ride because they didn't realize little Eric's Mom jumped in front of them with her digital camera that had a viewfinder. If you plan to stay indoors please go for it. This really is a fantastic camera. The SD 600 and the SD 700 IS are also great cameras (one is even cheaper than the SD 630) and although their screens may not be as large, you will be able to use them outside. But if you're going to spend this much money on a camera, please take the time to think about where you will be using it and if there is a better model for your needs. For those of you who insist on buying a camera with no viewfinder and will endlessly adjust where you're standing to try and get a clear view of your screen, good luck! :-)
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 399.99
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
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noangels
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Member: Jamilynn
Location: Staten Island, NY USA
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So glad to almost be done with Christmas shopping!
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