Canon PowerShot SD110 Digital Camera Review

Value (7.5)
For the $299 retail price tag and $200 street price, the Canon PowerShot SD110 provides great competition in its point-and-shoot price range. For the beginning user who wants an easy to use camera, look no further. This Canon comes with 3.3 megapixels, which is enough to make great 8 x 10-inch prints, something most beginners don't do anyway. The only major drawback to the SD110 is its weak handling of noise. The camera's issues with noise are so extreme, the SD110 will only provide clean images when using the ISO 50 setting in bright light environments. Therefore, I would recommend this camera as a worthy purchase for the beginning user who wants a small digital camera they can carry around in a pocket and use to record instant snapshots. For more experienced users, even for $200 USD, the image quality will be disappointing.

Comparisons
Canon PowerShot SD10 - Introduced in July 2004 at a retail price of $349, the SD10 continues the ELPH legacy of trendy compact cameras. Weighing a mere 3.5 ounces in an attractive exterior shell, the user has the option of four selectable body colors. The SD10 has 4 megapixels on its 1/2.5-inch CCD, compared to the SD110's 3.2 MP. The cameras share the same 1.5-inch LCD, ISO and Playback options, and even Movie mode. The SD10 goes for a bit under $300 online, but probably isn't worth the full price. The PowerShot SD10 has a different layout that isn't as clean as the SD110. Plus, it doesn't have a zoom lens; it has a fixed focal length lens with 5.4x digital zoom.

Kodak EasyShare DX7440 - The point-and-shoot Kodak EasyShare DX7440 was introduced in August at a retail price of $299.95, which translates to about $240 on the street. The 4 megapixel camera weighs in slightly heavier, at 7.9 ounces, but it packs more options too. The Kodak EasyShare DX7440 comes with a 4x optical zoom lens, 32MB of internal memory, and a 2.2-inch LCD screen. The camera comes with 16 scene modes for the automatically inclined and plenty of manual options for the budding photographer. An added 800 setting to the ISO range is a nice feature. The Kodak model does share a few features with the Canon SD110; they both have a designated Print/Share button and a two frame-per-second burst mode but the key distinction is the frame size, pairing a compact, square-styled point-and-shoot body with the larger DX7440's frame.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P73 - Sony introduced this point-and-shoot model in August 2004. The P73 retails for $249.95, but can be found for about $215. This camera is neither as compact nor as good-looking as the Canon SD110. However, it does have six scene modes and a movie mode that shoots at 30 frames per second. It also has a 3x optical zoom lens and 4.1 megapixels in its 6.4-ounce body. The P73 has the same-sized 1.5-inch LCD screen, but it only has 64,000 pixels compared to the Canon SD110's 118,000.

Fuji FinePix E500 - The FinePix E500 is not as compact or slim as the Canon model. It wouldn't fit in a pocket and wasn't built for ease of use and portability like the SD110. The 4.1 megapixel digital camera has a right-hand grip and a 3x optical zoom lens. The Canon and Fuji lenses are similar in that they retract into the camera body and snap shut. At 6.2 ounces, the E500 retails for $249.99 and comes with the same USB and video out ports and ISO settings as the Canon SD110. Perhaps the best feature about the E500 is its full manual control, aperture and shutter speed included. The E500 can shoot in JPEG and RAW format, but has a weak movie mode that shoots a sluggish 10 frames per second in either 320 x 240 or 160 x 120 resolution. The E500 has a nice 2-inch LCD screen with 154,000 pixels.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters- This camera is easy to use and easy to look at. With its trendy and attractive frame and compact form, the SD110 is perfect to tote in a pocket to a party and show off to friends.

Budget Consumers- With its $200 price, the SD110 can please budget consumers who are looking for a compact point-and-shoot camera.

Gadget Freaks -There are definitely other cameras that have more gadgets, but the PC-control feature is very cool.

Manual Control Freaks- Manual control freaks may be disappointed in the SD110. It is missing two key manual controls: aperture and shutter speed. To its credit, it does have a manual white balance setting. Judge for yourself.

Pros/Serious Hobbyists -This camera could be for pros or serious hobbyists if they were headed to a club downtown and needed a camera that could fit in a pocket. Otherwise, this camera does not have the options to please a photo fanatic.