Canon PowerShot SD700 IS

Picture Quality / Size Options
The Canon PowerShot SD700 IS has several image sizes that can be selected from any mode from the Func/Set menu. Normal, Fine, and SuperFine JPEG compression modes can be found nearby. The largest size is 2816 x 2112 pixels, with the next few being 2272 x 1704, 1600 x 1200 and 640 x 480 pixels. There is also a widescreen-optimized 2816 x 1584 pixel size for panoramic shots. These selections are made user-friendly; they also list the number of shots the camera take at that image size considering space left on the card. This number changes as users scroll through the options.

Picture Effects Mode
One of the improvements the SD700 IS makes from its predecessors is the availability of the My Colors mode. In older models, users could only use the interesting effects before recording. Now they can be added in playback as well. The recording mode options include the following: Vivid, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone and Custom Color. The Color Swap and Color Accent modes are available from the scene mode menu.

This is a different setup than in previous models; they used to be all grouped together. The placement and execution of the My Colors modes aren’t intuitive. While reviewing the SD700 at the Canon booth, at least three people came to the counter, played with the camera and had trouble finding the color modes. None of them got the Color Swap to work in the recording mode. I tried it and it does work, but the on-camera instructions get a bit lost amidst all the other viewfinder information.

The Color Swap option is cool (once users get it to work). By pressing a few buttons and arrows, users can swap the red on the Canon sign in their captured image with the white color of the nearby wall in the same frame. This would be great for those family reunion pictures when Great Uncle Hal wears his bright orange shirt instead of the classy white everyone else is wearing. The Color Accent mode lets users highlight one color and then turns the rest of the image into muted black and white colors. The Custom Color mode is a mini editing program and lets users adjust red, green and blue channels, as well as the saturation, contrast and sharpness – all in +/- 2 ranges.