With the addition of an extra
million pixels, last year's SD10 becomes this year's SD20.
Indeed, without the model name inscribed on the camera, outwardly
the SD20 would be indistinguishable from the SD10.
Yet, aside from the change in CCD,
there are some subtle differences. For one, the SD20 is available
in four colours: red, blue, gray and silver, such as the one
presented here. For another, it has a direct print button, as
it is PictBridge compatible and can be connected directly
to a similarly compatible printer to produce photos without the
intermediary of a computer.
Power button,
and the Shutter release. The Power button is designed
to avoid having the camera turned on accidentally, and is not
only mounted flush to the body's surface, but needs to be held
pressed in for at least a second before it turns on the camera.
The shutter release, the larger of
the two buttons, is a standard 2-stage release
that provides autofocus lock and auto exposure lock simultaneously
when pressed and maintained at the halfway point.
The Mode Switch serves
to choose one of the main modes of the SD20: the Playback mode ,
the Movie mode ,
or the Still Image capture mode .
Set to the Movie mode, the SD20 is able to record video clips with
sound at any one of three frame sizes:
640 x 480 pixels: 10 frames per second, maximum
30 seconds.
320 x 240 pixels: 15 frames per second, maximum
3 minutes.
160 x 120 pixels: 15 frames per second, maximum
3 minutes.
Auto focus, exposure and white balance are set and fixed
at the first frame.
The button
is the uppermost of 3 buttons that are clustered around the 4-direction
control. In use, not only does the MENU button display the Recording
or Playback menu, it also serves to access sub-options of the FUNC. menu (see
the Characteristics section of the review for a list of the menu
options.)
The 4 directional arrows of the control also have additional
uses. Starting with the up and down arrows, when
the camera is set to Still Image capture mode, the arrows
can be used to control the digital zoom (6.5X) if it is enabled
in the Recording menu. The digital zoom of the SD20 is a cropping
system that selects a progressively smaller centre area of
the full frame as the zoom is increased and then interpolates
the cropped section to the image size in use currently.
In as such, the SD20's digital
zoom lowers the image quality as the interpolation is made from
a smaller and smaller portion of the frame. And, to highlight
the range of magnification that can still yield an acceptably
sharp image when printed out to postcard size, the digital zoom
magnification factor is shown in green on the monitor (1.3X,
1.6X, and 2.0X), switching to yellow for the rest of the range
(2.5X, 3.1X, 4.1X, 5.1X and 6.5X).
Similarly, in Playback the up and down arrows
also serve to zoom in —approximately 10X— and out
of a photo displayed on the 1.5 inch, 78,000 pixel LCD
monitor. In addition, with an image displayed on the screen,
the down arrow also
serves to call up the Delete sub-menu.
Back in the Still image capture mode, the right arrow of the 4-direction
control provides for:
Choosing the Flash Mode:
Auto with Red-eye Reduction, Auto, Forced On with Red-eye
Reduction, Forced On, Forced Off, Slow Synchro.
While the left arrow serves to
activate the Self-timer, which can have a delay of
either 2 or 10 seconds, as chosen in the Rec. menu; or the Continuous
Shooting mode which is able to capture 0.9 frames per
second (Fine/Large).
The last two external buttons of the SD20 are aligned below the 4-direction
control. Starting on the left, the first button:
calls up the Function menu which
serves to select the most commonly changed photographic settings
such as shooting mode, sensitivity, exposure compensation
etc. (See the Characteristics section of the review
for an overview of the settings contained in the Function
menu.)
In addition, as with some other
recent Canon cameras, if the FUNC. button is pressed and
held for more than a couple of seconds while the camera is on,
it displays a clock for a length of time that can be set from
0 seconds to 3 minutes in the setup menu. The clock display is
connected to the camera's orientation sensor and any movement
causes the display to change colour.
Finally, the button on the right is new with the SD20:
Called the Print/Share button,
it serves to transfer pre-selected images automatically
when the camera is connected to a Windows computer running
the software Canon supplies with the SD20. Moreover, the
button also serves to select print options and start the
printing process once the camera has been connected directly
to a printer that supports PictBridge, Direct Print, or
Bubble Jet direct.
With a relatively high price tag
for a camera that lacks a zoom, the PowerShot SD20 cannot be
considered entry-level. It offers a 5-megapixel resolution and
an ultra compact size, features that make it attractive to those
that want a high resolution image in a package that can be carried
easily.
Compare Prices for Canon PowerShot SD20 Duracell Battery
Introduction
,
the Movie mode 
,
or the Still Image capture mode 
.
button
is the uppermost of 3 buttons that are clustered around the 4-direction
control. In use, not only does the MENU button display the Recording
or Playback menu, it also serves to access sub-options of the FUNC. menu (see
the Characteristics section of the review for a list of the menu
options.)
and down 
arrows
also serve to zoom in —approximately 10X— and out
of a photo displayed on the 1.5 inch, 78,000 pixel LCD
monitor. In addition, with an image displayed on the screen,
the down arrow 
also
serves to call up the Delete sub-menu.
