Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Canon Powershot SD700 IS-IXUS 800 IS
Canon’s SD700 IS is the replacement for the SD500 and SD550 digital cameras released last year. The SD700 IS or Ixus 800 IS is the first of the Powershot SD series to incorporate image stabilization into the camera housing.
The SD700 IS retains the new curvier housing style introduced in the SD500 but cuts the resolution down to 6 megapixels. While the new housings are more stylish they are larger overall than the boxier but more compact design of the SD450 type style.
Some key points of this camera:
- 4x zoom
- 2.5” LCD
- first Powershot compact camera with image stabilization
- ISO 800 speed 16:9 wide screen photos
The new widescreen recording mode (2816 x 1584 recording pixels) captures still images at 16:9 format – designed for viewing images on widescreen television or printing wide photos with a SELPHY CP series Compact Photo Printer. Canon did not extend this feature to the SD700 IS’s movie mode, probably not to take away from their digital video camera business.
Canon SD700 IS/IXUS 800 IS Specs |
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| Format: | Compact Camera | Manual Focus: | N |
| Megapixels: | 6mp | Focal Length: | 35-140mm |
| Optical Zoom: | 4x | Image Stabilization: | Y |
| LCD: | 2.5" | Connectivity: | USB, AV |
| Digital Camera Memory: | Compact Flash | Movie Mode: | Y |
| Aperture: | f2.8-5.5 | Battery Type: | NB-5L |
| RAW: | N | Hot Shoe: | N |
| Shutter Speed: | 1/1600-15sec | Dust Removal: | N |
| Exposure: | ISO80-800 | ||
| SD700 IS/IXUS 800 IS Dimensions (WxHxD) | 3.5 x 2.2 x 1.0 in (90 x 57 x 26mm) | ||
| SD700 IS/IXUS 800 IS Weight (inc. batt.) | 6.9oz (195g) | ||
| SD700 IS/IXUS 800 IS Intro. price (US): | $499.99 | ||
Canon SD700 IS/IXUS 800 IS Reviews, Previews, Ratings, Comparisons, Specs
DPreview’s full review of the Canon Powershot SD700 IS / IXUS 800 IS concludes:
“Whereas virtually ever other Ixus/ELPH camera I’ve reviewed over the last few years has failed, in some way, to produce image quality that quite lived up to the promise of such attractive and luxurious external design and construction, the SD 700 IS really does, for the most part, deliver the goods. Having started the review with the slightly weary feeling that - image stabilization aside - this was just going to be another pretty, but slightly disappointing ‘style’ camera, I found myself more and more convinced that Canon had finally pulled something a little bit special out of the hat. For the first time in years I found myself using a Canon compact I really found hard to fault, and really wanted to keep.
The SD 700 IS is, in essence, everything a pocket camera should be; fast, easy to use, well designed and - above all - reliable. When you’ve got little or no manual control the reliability and accuracy of the automatic focus, exposure and white balance systems is of paramount importance, and it is here where the SD 700 IS really shows its mettle; out of the 750+ shots we took for the gallery no more than a handful had any problems at all with exposure, focus or color. That’s an impressively high hit rate, and one that inspires the confidence needed for someone like me, used to endless tweaking of camera controls, to use a true ‘point and shoot’ model. It’s also surprisingly good in low light, with the combination of image stabilization and usable ISO 400 (even ISO 800 is fine for social snaps), meaning you can shoot without flash if you want to. If you do use flash it’s fast and exposure is excellent (though the range is a bit limited unless you crank up the ISO).
Of course it’s not perfect; the battery life could be better, and I cannot understand why the option to see aperture and (especially) shutter speed on-screen isn’t at least an option; even with an effective image stabilization system I like to know what shutter speed I’m using. “
Imaging-Resouce’s review of the Powershot SD700IS/ IXUS 800 IS concludes:
“Though it’s a pricey little camera, the 6-megapixel Canon PowerShot SD700 IS offers some great tools for improving your photos that go beyond megapixels. In particular, the camera might change how consumers think about taking low-light photos. Instead of “nuking” your subject in a flash of harsh light, turn on this camera’s Image Stabilizer and set it to one of the higher ISO light sensitivity levels and you’ll be able to take very nice, atmospheric shots with little blur. Speaking of high ISOs, while some competing models offer ISO settings above the SD700 IS’ maximum of 800, Canon’s latest models do a better job controlling noise in their images. This can make a big difference when deciding whether to keep or trash an image, especially if you’re considering printing it out. In the case of the SD700 IS, images captured in low-light at ISO 800 made excellent 4x6’s and not-bad-at-all 8x10s. In regular lighting at lower ISOs, things improved further with the camera providing solid image quality, good color and accurate skin tones.
The camera’s Image Stabilizer—which comes in three flavors, Continuous, Shoot Only and Panning—also helped keep it steady when the SD700 IS was zoomed out to its full 4x; and while shooting closeups via its 2cm Macro mode. Cosmetically, the camera is a welcome refresh to the classic Digital ELPH design, which was starting to get a little long in the tooth. Blending three different colored materials on the camera’s curving body gives the SD700 IS a distinctive look that’s pleasing to hold. The only one gripe I had about the design was the small, plastic mode dial which is difficult to turn and doesn’t seem suited to this upscale camera.
Despite some other small criticisms of the camera—no dedicated IS button, small and inaccurate optical viewfinder—if you want a superior compact camera that doesn’t put all its resources into megapixels, you will not go wrong with the SD700 IS, making it an ideal Dave’s Pick.”
Canon SD700 IS/IXUS 800 IS Press Release
Canon Powershot SD700 IS / IXUS 800 IS Key Features:
- 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
SD700 IS 4x optical zoom with Image Stabilizer
Smaller, lighter camera bodies are more susceptible to camera shake from handheld shots, especially in low light situations. The Digital IXUS 800 IS employs the same optical Image Stabilizer (IS) technology used in Canon’s professional EF lenses to reduce the image blur caused by camera shake. IS allows for sharper flash-free shooting by enabling photographers to shoot at shutter speeds up to 3 stops slower. It also allows for steadier macro shooting when using the camera’s 2cm Macro mode. To incorporate this technology into such a compact space, a new IS processor chip was developed by Canon’s engineering team. The new chip accurately controls the movement of lens elements, delivers fast, precise shake correction – processing up to 4000 signals per second –
The 4x optical zoom lens incorporates an Ultra-High Refractive Index Aspherical (UA) lens to achieve a focal length range of 35-140mm (35mm equivalent) while allowing the camera to maintain a slender profile. The camera retains a real-image optical viewfinder despite its compact size, enabling users to frame without the LCD and further extend the camera’s impressive 240-shot battery capacity.
IXUS 800 IS Increased ISO speed
The Digital IXUS 800 IS incorporates ISO 800 to facilitate flash-free shooting indoors - ideal in low-light environments where the use of flash is not desirable or appropriate, such as churches and concerts. A new High ISO Auto setting automatically sets exposure using the higher range of ISO sensitivities, prioritising faster shutter speeds to avoid blur from camera shake or moving subjects.
Powershot SD700 IS / IXUS 800 IS New design
In keeping with its status as a new class of IXUS, the Digital IXUS 800 IS has a resolutely unique appearance that sets it apart from its predecessors. In an evolution of the Perpetual Curve design found on the Digital IXUS 750, the camera’s elegant contours are accentuated by a striking tri-coloured design – ‘ice metal’ silver and ‘moonlight’ silver in satin and glossy finishes, complemented by an ebony black gloss surrounding the LCD screen. Designer Kosei Takahashi has dubbed his concept ‘Curvature and Stream’, a reference to the elliptic curves of each coloured segment and the bold, flowing lines that appear where segments meet.
The large 2.5” LCD screen gracing the back of the camera features a wide viewing angle for easy sharing of images. A selectable Grid Line Display helps with image composition, while Night Display aids screen visibility after dark. The camera’s mode dial is embedded into the body of the camera, leaving thumb space clear for an easier grip.
Canon’s Powershot SD 700 IS Creative shooting
Canon’s My Colors photo effects can now be applied to images both before and after shooting, offering users more opportunities to customise their creations without having to connect to a PC. The Digital IXUS 800 IS offers 16 shooting modes including Manual mode. Preset scene modes assist with tricky lighting conditions, including an Underwater mode for shooting underwater with the optional Waterproof Case. Color Accent and Color Swap modes enable dramatic colour effects to be applied to both images and movies.
A new Widescreen recording mode (2816 x 1584 recording pixels) allows for still image capturing in 16:9 format – perfect for viewing images on widescreen television or printing wide photos with a SELPHY CP series Compact Photo Printer.
The camera’s powerful movie features enable recording of 30fps VGA movie clips of up to 1GB . A 60fps QVGA mode is ideal for recording fast action sequences and analysing them in slow motion, while the handy Compact mode records up to 3 minutes of footage in low resolution for easy sharing via email.
Canon SD700 / IXUS 800 Printing and other new features
A new Print menu simplifies printing of multiple images. Full PictBridge support means users can print directly to any PictBridge compatible printer without the need for a PC. The camera’s ID photo and movie stills features are also available when connected to a SELPHY CP Compact Photo Printer. A Print/Share button allows one-touch printing and easy uploads to Windows or Mac systems.
The camera’s menu system now features support for Arabic, bringing the total number of supported languages to 23.
Canon SD700 IS / IXUS 800 IS Optional Accessories
An optional Waterproof Case (WP-DC5) allows users to bring the camera to a depth of up to 40 metres for compelling underwater shots. Specially designed Weights (WW-DC1) are available to control camera buoyancy.
Other accessories include:
- High Power Flash HF-DC1
- Soft Leather Case (DCC-70)
- Digital IXUS Metal and Leather Neck Straps
- Compact AC Power Adapter (ACK-DC30)
The camera is compatible with MMC/SD cards, and comes supplied with a 16MB Canon memory card.
Canon Digital Camera Technologies Explained
Canon DIGIC II
Canon’s purpose-built DIGIC II (DIGital Imaging Core) image processor links all primary camera functions for maximum efficiency. High-speed processing results in outstanding responsiveness, rapid auto focus and extended continuous shooting ability. Advanced image processing algorithms deliver superb image detail and colour reproduction with accurate white balance and minimal noise. DIGIC II operates efficiently to extend battery life, for longer shooting on a single charge.
iSAPS
iSAPS (Intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) automatically optimises key camera settings before every shot. Each scene is analysed and cross-referenced against Photographic Space – a vast in-camera library of photographic data. This enables the camera to make optimal adjustments to auto exposure, auto focus and auto white balance before image capture occurs.
9-Point AiAF
Canon’s 9-point AiAF (Artificial Intelligence Auto Focus) automatically scans and selects subjects from a set of nine focusing areas across the scene. This ensures accurately focused images even when subjects are not in the centre of the frame.
Canon Powershot SD700 IS Optical Image Stabilizer
Canon’s optical Image Stabilizer (IS) technology uses special vibration sensors to detect and correct slight camera shakes that can cause image blur. It allows photographers to shoot at shutter speeds up to 3 stops slower with no perceptible increase in image blur. IS is extremely helpful in low light situations, at full zoom and when shooting macro photography.
Canon SD700 IS / IXUS 800 IS Ultra-High Refractive Index Aspherical (UA) lens technology
Canon’s UA lens was the world’s first ultra-high refractive index glass moulded aspherical lens. Made from glass with a higher refractive index than other aspherical lenses, it allows for an exceptionally slim and compact lens unit. The glass moulded aspherical shape delivers remarkable image quality and avoids the image aberrations that can occur with spherical lens designs.
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