Picture Quality / Size Options
This 8-megapixel digital camera has a CCD image sensor that measures 1/2.5 inches and has a total of 8.3 megapixels, although only 8 of those are effective for imaging. This resolution is a small step up from the SD1000, which has 7.1 megapixels on the same size sensor.
The JPEG images can be taken in the following sizes: 3264 x 2448, 2592 x 1944, 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, and 640 x 480 pixels. Widescreen images of 3264 x 1832 pixels can also be taken. Normal, fine, and superfine compressions are available. The image sizes can be changed in the Function menu, and resized in the Playback menu.
Picture Effects Mode
Canon PowerShot digital cameras have come with My Colors effects for a few years now. The SD1100 shows no surprises. All of the options can be found in the Function menu: Vivid, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, and Custom. The Custom option lets you adjust the contrast, sharpness, and saturation along with red, green, and blue channels. It can also adjust the tint of skin tones. All of these are adjustable on +/- 2 full-step scales. If you really wanted a black and white shot and missed the chance to use the effect from the function menu, you can still get the shot in the playback menu.
In the exposure mode portion of the menu, there are two modes that act more like effects. The Color Accent and Color Swap modes allow you to pinpoint colors the same way you set the custom white balance. The Color Accent mode lets you choose one color and then dulls the other colors to black and white. The Color Swap mode allows you to select two colors, and then replaces one for the other. For instance, you can make your red car turn green in an image. This is not a replacement for Photoshop, though: the color is flat and doesn’t transition into shadows or highlights well. There are plenty of picture effects in the Recording and Playback menus on the SD1100 IS.
