Digital Camera Review

Digital Camera Review

Jan 30, 2007 - By Emily Raymond
The Canon PowerShot SD40 follows the SD30 by adding a few more megapixels, a whole new image processor, and a few adjustments to the specs. This 7.1-megapixel Digital Elph comes in four trendy colors and measures smaller than most cell phones. It has a 2.4x optical zoom lens and a 1.8-inch LCD screen. The biggest innovation on the SD40 is the Digic III image processor that touts face detection and noise reduction technology. In September 2006, Canon announced the SD40 along with two other PowerShot cameras. The company claims that its newer Digital Elphs, including the SD40, are designed to be a little more upscale than previous models. The Canon PowerShot SD40 looks to be just that with its stainless steel housing and trendy styling. The digital camera retails for $349.
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Likes
- Effective face detection technology
- Slim stainless steel body
- Nicely organized menus
- Good movie mode
- Unlimited burst mode
- Wide ISO range
- Fun My Colors effects
Dislikes
- Small LCD screen
- LCD collects fingerprints
- Non-intuitive navigational/zoom control
- Tiny ineffective flash
- Small 2.4x lens with insensitive control
- Slow burst mode
- 190-shot battery

Conclusion
The newest Digital Elph comes with 7.1 megapixels and a Digic III image processor with some trendy technology. The Canon PowerShot SD40 not only has a sleek sturdy body, but it also includes effective face detection technology that ensures portraits are always sharply focused. The SD40 has plenty of other great perks too: a high-quality movie mode, a wide ISO range that allows for low light photography, and interesting My Colors modes that make for fun effects. Despite all this, though, the Canon SD40 isn’t all that it should be for its $349 retail price. Canon really skimped on this camera’s components. The 2.4x optical zoom lens has limited apertures and a horrible control. The built-in flash unit is undersized and hardly lights anything beyond arm’s length. The LCD screen measures only 1.8 inches, making up only a third of the camera’s back. While this PowerShot may be one of Canon’s most attractive models, it is full of trade offs in terms of quality and performance.

Overall Impressions Page 11 of 13 Specs / Ratings
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