Canon PowerShot SD30

Reviewed October 2005

Introduction

The Canon PowerShot SD30 (IXUS i Zoom in Europe) is yet another of those cameras that are as much jewellery and fashion statement, as camera.

This is evidenced by the fact that the SD30 is available in four colours which have appropriate monikers: Glamour Gold (shown here), Tuxedo Black, Rock Star Red, and Vivacious Violet.

Completely metal-clad, the SD30, whatever its colour, is accented by large sections of highly polished metal that include the lens trim and the wrist strap mount. The SD30 is very compact, measuring (L×H×D) 96.1×45.1×23.9mm (3.78×1.78×0.94 in.), but still incorporates a 1.8 inch LCD monitor which also serves as viewfinder.

Still, the small size of the camera means that space is at premium, and indeed there are few external controls.

The Mode Switch is first, aligned to the top of the 1.8 inch, 118,000 pixel TFT LCD monitor. The switch has three positions:

• Still Image Capture,
• Movie,
• and Playback .

The button below, labelled with , is the Print/Share button, now a common feature of Canon cameras.

• All Images: transfers and saves all images to the computer.
• New Images: transfers and saves to the computer only the images that have not been transferred previously.
• DPOF Trans. Images: Transfers and saves to the computer only those images with DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) settings.
• Select & Transfer: transfers and saves images that are selected one at a time.
• Wallpaper: transfers and saves single images to the computer, displaying them on the desktop.

In addition to navigation, the right and left arrows also support specific functions when the camera is set to a capture mode:

	The right arrow serves to select the Flash mode: Auto, Auto with Red-eye Reduction, Forced On with Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Forced Off, or Slow Synch.
	The left arrow cycles through; Single shot, Continuous Shooting Mode: shoots as long as there is space on the memory card at approximately 1.8 frames per second Self-timer: the Self-timer can be set to have a 10-second or a 2-second delay, or use a Customized setting that can take from 1 to 10 shots, and offers delay times that can be set from 0 to 10 seconds, or at 15, 20 or seconds.

• Shooting Mode: provides a selection of 8 modes, one of which is a Scene mode setting which in turn offers a choice of 7 scene types. Worth noting of the modes listed below, only the Manual and Macro mode provide full access over the options of the Function menu. Other modes, identified below with an asterisk (*), reduce the options available to leaving only the Shooting mode selection (this option) and the option for image size (see further):
  • * Auto: the point and shoot mode of the SD30, it places the camera in charge of all settings, and removes most options from this menu.
  • Manual: provides the maximum amount of flexibility, including access — once enabled — to a Long Shutter option.
  • Macro: allows the SD30 to focus on a subject 10 cm from the front of the lens when the zoom is at the maximum telephoto setting.
  • * Portrait: uses a wide aperture to shorten the depth of field and blur the background, emphasizing the subject, an effect that is more pronounced if the zoom is set to the telephoto end. By default, when the mode is selected the camera sets the flash to Red-eye Reduction.
  • * Landscape: looks for focus near infinity, but while the mode sets the flash to Off, it can still be set to another mode.
  • * Night Snapshot: increases sensitivity to minimize camera shake so that a subject against a twilight or night background can be captured without using a tripod. The flash is set to Red-eye Reduction mode.
  • My Colours mode makes it possible to alter the colours recorded by the camera using any one of a group of options. The mode provides nearly full access to the options of the Function menu, with one change (see further):
    • Positive Film intensifies the reds, greens and blues.
    • Lighter Skin Tone makes skin tones lighter.
    • Darker Skin Tone makes skin tones darker.
    • Vivid Blue emphasizes blues.
    • Vivid Green emphasizes greens.
    • Vivid Red emphasizes reds.
    • Colour Accent makes it possible to select one colour from all those showing on the monitor, and then capture the scene with all other colours except that one converted to black and white.
    • Colour Swap makes it possible to select a colour, chosen from those showing on the monitor, and swap it for another also chosen from those showing on the monitor.
    • Custom Colour makes it possible to adjust the colour balance freely between red, green, blue and skin tones to obtain subtle effects.
  • * Scene Mode:
    • Kids and Pets optimizes the shutter speed and sensitivity to allow capturing subjects that move around.
    • Indoor prevents camera shake by increasing the sensitivity as required and adapting the colour balance so as to capture natural colours under either incandescent or fluorescent lighting. The exposure is regulated to avoid the use of the flash as much as possible.
    • Foliage accentuates green tones.
    • Snow increases the exposure to counteract the influence of highly reflective snow on the camera's meter and ensure that snow appears white instead of bluish.
    • Beach also applies exposure compensation so that subjects photographed in the highly reflective environment of a beach and water are exposed correctly.
    • Fireworks captures a 2-second exposure with the focus set to infinity and the flash forced off.
    • Underwater applies a colour correction so that the image shows natural colours when images are captured using the optional waterproof case (AW-DC40).
• Exposure Compensation: offers a compensation range of ± 2 EV in 1/3 EV increments. And, in the Manual Mode only, pressing the MENU button replaces the Exposure Compensation option by the Long Exposure option, which offers a selectable exposure time from 1 to 15 seconds.
• ISO serves to set the CCD sensitivity: Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400 ISO.
• White Balance: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten (incandescent), Fluorescent (warm white or cool white), Fluorescent H (daylight) and Custom (user set for the ambient light conditions).
• Effect: Off, Vivid (increases contrast and saturation), Neutral (decreases contrast and saturation), Low Sharpening (softens sharpness), Sepia, or Black and White.
  Note that when the My Colour Mode is selected this option gives access to the various colour modes (Positive Film, Lighter Skin, Darker Skin, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Colour Accent, Colour Swap or Custom Colour).
• Metering Mode (only available when the camera is set to the Manual mode):
  • Evaluative divides the image into several zones to evaluate the exposure.
  • Centre Weighted measures the entire frame, but gives greater importance to the reading obtained at the centre of the frame.
  • Spot concentres the metering on a small area at the centre of the frame.
• Resolution: Sets the image resolution (see the Characteristics section of the review).
• Image Quality: accessed by pressing the MENU button, serves to set the image quality (see the Characteristics section of the review).

With all movies the optical zoom position is locked at the first frame, sound is recorded in mono, and the focus is fixed at the first frame. Exposure and white balance, however, are adjusted dynamically.

The FUNC. SET button has three other uses. First, if selected in the menu, the FUNC. SET button can also be programmed to be a vertical shutter release, becoming the release when the camera is held vertically, and returning to its normal use of calling up the Function menu when the camera is held horizontally.

Second, when pressed and held for more than 2 seconds while the camera is on, the button serves to display a clock on the LCD monitor. By default the clock display lasts for a few seconds, but the length of time it stays on-screen can be decided in the Setup menu. (See the Interface and Software section of the review for more information about the Setup menu and its content.)

Third, in Playback and when a movie is on the monitor, it superimposes Play/Edit controls at the bottom of the screen (see the Characteristics section for more information).

The last button, on the right, is to display the SD30's menu that corresponds to the mode currently set with the Mode Switch (for more information about the contents of the DS30's menus see the Characteristics section of the review).

Elegant and beautifully crafted, the PowerShot SD30 appears at a glance to be a classy but simple camera, an impression that stems from the fact that it has few external controls. Yet the reality is that the SD30 is a surprisingly capable camera, but that most of the modes and controls provided are contained within its various menus, making it more complex to use that it would appear if its functions and capabilities are going to be fully utilized.