Canon PowerShot SD750

Viewfinder (0.0)
With the enormous LCD screen, the Canon PowerShot SD750 doesn’t have room for an optical viewfinder. For users who are still hanging on to that feature, Canon’s SD1000 has it. The SD1000 is basically the same camera, but has a smaller 2.5-inch LCD and the optical viewfinder. The SD750 uses its LCD screen as a viewfinder.

LCD Screen (9.25)
The LCD screen is beautiful. The 3-inch screen has enormous graphics, huge menu font, and a smooth resolution of 230,000 pixels. The low-temperature polycrystalline silicon TFT display greatly improves upon its predecessor, the SD630, which had a 2.5-inch LCD and 173,000 pixels.

Canon calls its new screen "Pure Color" and flaunts its wide viewing angles, scratch resistance, and anti-reflective coating. The LCD can be seen when held out to the right or left, so it’d be great for friends to crowd around and view a slideshow – especially with the large screen. Don’t try to view it from above or below your eyes, though; the screen solarizes and can hardly be seen at all. It isn’t made for those glorious above-the-head rock concert shots.

The SD750 has an anti-reflective coating that reduces glare from the lights and almost looked purple when the camera was turned off. That coating didn’t seem to work at all when a fingerprint greased the screen, though. Keep a clean cloth handy for the best viewing, or at least keep the seam of your shirt clean so you can wipe the screen down every once in awhile.

In the Recording menu, display overlays can be added to show the following: grid lines, 3:2 guide lines, both, or none. Users can quickly change the view by pushing the designated display button in the lower left corner of the back.

The refresh rate of the LCD screen is excellent. It is near the standard 30 fps most of the time, but when the exposure is locked it smoothes further to about 60 fps. The view looks just as it should.

The 3-inch LCD screen is gorgeous, but hikes the total price of the camera up a good $50. It’s really nice to have, but the SD1000’s 2.5-inch screen has the same resolution and is still a great size. If you can splurge or require large fonts to read, the SD750 is a good choice. Otherwise, the SD1000 is still a great, practical option.

Overall, the Canon SD750’s enormous LCD screen makes a fantastic viewfinder that is easy on the eyes and easy to view in many situations.

Flash (3.25)
The flash unit has a very unfortunate position on the front of the camera: its located where the left fingers wrap around the camera, so they frequently block the flash’s light. This is only part of the problem with the flash. It is weak to begin with. It is effective from 1.6 to 11 feet when the lens is zoomed out and 1.6 to6.6 feet when the lens is zoomed in. Add in the spotty coverage and the SD750’s flash isn’t very impressive at all. The SD750’s flash is effective from 1 to1.6 feet in the Macro mode. If you get any closer than a foot to the subject, it will be completely blown out.

A few flash options can be accessed with the right side of the multi-selector: Auto, On, and Off. If users want to add red-eye reduction or a slow sync effect they will have to go into the Recording menu. Even with the red-eye reduction turned off, there is still a quick preflash. The red-eye option emphasizes the preflash, but doesn’t take any longer to take the picture – a problem common on other digital cameras.

Overall, the Canon PowerShot SD750’s flash unit is typical of those found on slim digital cameras: spotty, weak, and easily blocked.

Zoom Lens (6.0)
The Canon PowerShot SD750 has a 3x optical zoom lens used on many other Digital Elph cameras. The same proprietary lens is included on this camera’s budget companion, the SD1000, and predecessor, the SD630.

The 3x lens measures 5.8-17.4mm, equivalent to 35-105mm, so it isn’t very wide. The zoom is controlled by a small ring around the shutter release button; a tiny nub on the front is pushed to the right and left to zoom in and out. Its total movement is less than a quarter-inch, so the index finger will feel a bit cramped when pushing it around. If users tap it lightly, they can eek six focal lengths from within the range. The zoom isn’t very smooth; it seems to backfire a little once the control is released.

Although changes in zoom can be viewed on the LCD, there is no digital numerical display. Many cameras use display to indicate where users are at within the zoom range. A numerical display (eg. 4.1x) appears only when the digital zoom is in use. The 4x digital zoom can be turned on and off in the Setup menu.

The lens extends from the camera in two segments and isn’t large at all. It folds down into the camera when turned off, and two plastic covers slide shut to protect the lens’ glass.

The max aperture when zoomed out is f/2.8, which has become the standard for compact digital camera lenses. When zoomed in, the aperture closes to f/4.9. Unlike its many of its competitors, the SD750 doesn't have an optical image stabilization system, which helps to reduce hand shake and blur in photos caused by moving subjects. Consumers seeking this feature should consider its cousin, the more expensive PowerShot SD850IS.

Overall, the Canon lens is decent, but not a standout. It has a typical 3x range and uncomfortable control, both common features on compact digital cameras.