Canon PowerShot SD750

Connectivity
Software (7.75)
Along with the camera, wires, and battery charger in the box, there is a CD full of organizational and editing software. Version 30.0 of the Canon Solution Disk is included, and it comes with a variety of programs for both Windows and Macintosh operating systems. ImageBrowser 5.8, PhotoStitch 3.1, and the EOS Utility 1.1 are for Macintosh computers. Windows operating systems can install the following: ZoomBrowser EX 5.8, PhotoStitch 3.1, Camera TWAIN Driver 6.7, and EOS Utility 1.1. Apple’s QuickTime 7 is also included so movies can be played back.

I took a quick look at the Windows version of the software. The ZoomBrowser EX 5.8 program is excellent for organizing; it is a nice extension from the SD750 that allows you to categorize pictures and sort them into folders on the camera. Users can look at pictures in zoom, scroll, or preview modes and adjust the sizes of the images to their liking. Pictures already on the computer are loaded into the program, so you don’t have to worry about loading pictures manually.

From tabs on the left side, you can perform all kinds of tasks. You can rename multiple files at once, play slide shows, create screen savers or wallpaper, or print and e-mail pictures. There is also a tab to edit that leads users to a menu with primitive tasks like red-eye correction, auto adjustment, color/brightness adjustment, sharpness, trim, and insert text.

The Canon SD750 has two Panorama Stitch modes, but the pictures aren’t actually stitched until they are loaded into this included program. PhotoStitch 3.1 has a “launcher” that is the springboard for two programs: a viewer and the actual stitching software. The viewer only allows you to view and print the image, while the stitching program does all the work. You can open photos and then automatically stitch them. You can also tweak the pictures if the automatic setting didn’t function to your liking. I tried a series of seven pictures and the automatic stitching worked perfectly; I couldn’t even tell where the seams were except for the rough edges. The edges of the stitched picture are trimmed off when saved so the final image is shaped as a perfect rectangle. My seven-image picture came out to a whopping 12011 x 1559 pixels, so the only trimming is done vertically.

The included software with the Canon PowerShot SD750 provides great organization, decent editing, and a few interesting extras like panorama stitching.

Jacks, ports, plugs (6.0)
There are two jacks beneath a small square-shaped door on the right side of the camera. One jack hosts the USB 2.0 hi-speed mini-B jack and doubles as the AV jack, which can be set to output in NTSC or PAL standard via the Setup menu. The other round jack is for the optional DC in cable.



Direct Print Options (5.0)
The Canon SD750 is PictBridge compatible and connects to a printer with the supplied USB cable. Print orders are made from the Playback menu, where users can select which pictures to print and how many of each to make. The menu allows 0-99 prints to be created in the DPOF order. Pictures can be printed by category, date, folder, or all at once. Print orders can be deleted or saved and transferred to a printer at a later date via the LED-adorned print button. The print button can be set to perform other tasks when in the Recording mode; this feature can be set in the Recording menu.

The print button itself is a bit confusing. It is really only for transferring images. All print orders are made in the Print submenu in the Playback mode. I kept pushing the print button in the Playback mode thinking it’d mark the image for printing, but a menu would appear that prompted me to categorize the image instead. People, Scenery, Events, Category 1, Category 2, Category 3, and To Do are the categories available.

Once the order is made, it is easy to transfer and print with the included USB cable.

Battery (4.0)
The SD750 comes with a rechargeable NB-4L lithium-ion battery that gets 210 shots per charge. There is a battery indicator that flashes when there are about two minutes of power left. The PowerShot comes with a wall-mount battery charger. The skinny battery didn’t last long, and will require frequent rests with the wall charger.






Memory (2.0)
There is no internal memory on this digital camera and it only comes with a 16MB card, which can only hold nine pictures at full resolution. The Canon SD750 accepts SD, SDHC, and MMC memory cards in a slot next to the battery in the compartment on the bottom of the camera.

Other features (4.0)
Stitch Assist – There are two Assist modes that can be found among the Exposure modes. They do basically the same thing, but one mode aligns the images left to right and the other right to left. The “assist” means that once users snap one picture, a semi-translucent sliver of the image remains to help line up the next shot. These can be used to create panoramas, but they can’t be stitched together until they are uploaded into the included software. Some cameras that have this feature only allow strings of four or five images, but the Canon SD750 snaps away until the memory is full.

Digital Macro – This mode also resides with the other Exposure modes. It can focus from 1.2-3.9 inches. Its live preview is fine until users zoom, and then it looks pixilated. This Macro mode doesn’t provide much advantage over the Standard Macro mode.

Sound Recorder – This feature is located in the Playback menu, although it is an odd placement for it because it has nothing to do with image playback. The sound recorder feature records mono audio at three different sampling rates: 44.100 kHz, 22.050 kHz, and 11.025 kHz. The first option is definitely the best, as it sounds very clear. The latter option isn’t nearly as crisp and sounds like a river is running in the background.

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