Canon PowerShot SD40 Digital Camera Review

Connectivity
Software (6.75)
This digital camera comes with ZoomBrowser EX software that has several viewing modes: zoom, scroll, and preview. The zoom mode shows thumbnails fit onto one page from selected folders; the size of the thumbnails can be adjusted. The scroll mode shows thumbnails with a scroll bar at the side so they don’t have to be squashed onto a single page. The preview mode shows a large picture at the top of the window, with the file info and histogram on the right, and a row of thumbnails along the bottom. There is a Filter Tool in each viewing mode that separates the images according to their rank as favorites or categories.

Slide shows can be played, with 32 different transitions and an option to play photos every 1-120 seconds. Pictures can also be edited with a primitive toolset. Red eye correction, auto adjustment, color/brightness adjustment, sharpness, trim, and insert text are all that’s available in this program.

Images can be sent to a home printer or to friends and family via email. Overall, the ZoomBrowser EX software isn’t the best that Canon offers, but it is good enough for simple editing functions and organizational features.

Jacks, ports, plugs (3.0)
The Canon PowerShot SD40 has only one port on its bottom: It’s a USB port that hooks into the included Camera Station. From the dock, users can transfer images to a computer, television, printer or other device with the USB and AV-out jacks. There is also a power adaptor jack and a cable included so that the camera’s battery can charge while sitting in the dock. The USB 2.0 hi-speed port uses a mini-B jack. The AV-out function can be set to NTSC or PAL for viewing anywhere in the world. The camera’s USB jack also connects directly to Canon CP and Selphy compact photo printers. Having most of the camera’s jacks on the included dock keeps the SD40 uncluttered, but it also means that users will have to tote around a slew of cables and accessories on vacation.

Direct Print Options (8.25)
Photographers who want to print pictures directly from the camera will appreciate the designated Print/Share button that transfers photos to the printer. DPOF print orders can be made through the playback menu. A sub-menu in the system includes quite a few options that let users select the images, quantity of each print, and whether to print the dates or not. Print orders can be custom made or easily selected by category, folder, or all images at once. Index prints can be made, as well as standard ones. The PowerShot SD40 has a USB jack on its bottom that sits directly on Canon CP and Selphy compact photo printers. With these printers, the SD40 can create ID photos for passports and movie prints from video clips. The SD40 can connect to other PictBridge compatible printers via its USB cable and the camera dock.

Battery (3.75)
The SD40 comes with a skinny NB-4L rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack. This tiny battery fits in a slot on the right side of the camera next to the memory card slot. The skinny battery only gets 190 shots per charge, which isn’t very impressive. To make things worse, the battery costs $60! One is included with the camera, so be sure not to lose it. Also in the package is a camera dock that charges the battery. If users want a wall-mounted charger, they’ll have to fork over another $50 for it. The smaller charger may be a good idea for photographers who frequently travel and don’t want to carry the camera dock and cable for charging.

Memory (3.75)
The Canon SD40 comes with a 16 MB MultiMediaCard that is enough to snap four pictures at top quality. This isn’t enough memory for ten minutes at a birthday party, so consumers will want to consider getting more memory at the time of purchase. The SD40 accepts MMC, SD, and SDHC memory cards up to 4 GB.

Other features (4.5)
Camera Dock – The Canon PowerShot SD40 comes with a Canon Camera Station CS-DC1a in the box. This consists of a white oval-shaped body that has a infrared sensor on the front and several ports going out the back. A separate power cable attaches to one of the rear ports. USB and AV-out cables connect to the back too. The infrared sensor on the front detects the wireless remote control that also comes in the package. The remote is very small, barely bigger than a CompactFlash memory card. The remote has a navigational control and buttons for the menu, set, and deletion functions. This control allows users to sit on their couches and scroll through photos, play slide shows, and watch a big screen when the camera is hooked up to a television or computer.

Stitch Assist – This feature is hidden within the shooting menu rather than being listed as a mode in the Func./Set menu. Users can choose whether to shoot left to right or right to left. Once an option is chosen, the camera shows a widescreen-like live preview. When a picture is taken, an overlay of one side is shown so users can line up the next shot. The SD40 lets users snap as many pictures as the card will hold in this fashion. The images aren’t stitched together until loaded into the included PhotoStitch software on a computer.