Canon PowerShot SD630 6MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom
by Canon
|
Our Price: $799.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $38.00 (click here) Category: Digital Camera See more product details |
|---|
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon PowerShot SD630 6MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom
Customer Review: sd630 is some of canon's best work
Summary: 5 Stars
Canon truly put themselves out by making this terrific camera. Of course there a few minor frustrations here and there, but nothing that wouldn't come with any typical snapshot camera. Here are just some little things I'd like to point out:
-Since only the 700 has the image stabilization feature, the 630 has a little blurring with shaky hands and action shots, but does well overall. If you use the flash, it usually will eliminate the blur.
-The sd630 does very well in dim lighting, as long as you have a sure hand.
-The fireworks and color swap features really don't work THAT well, but they're fun to play around with. A lot of the canon features make subtle differences though that only are noticable on a computer screen size--don't doubt that there's a difference! A good example of this is the "vivid" color feature. The colors do not seem that different on the lcd screen, but on a computer screen, the color is gorgeous.
-I would say that the enormous lcd screen makes the camera worth going for this over the 600, without a doubt. Not only does the screen make it wonderfully easy to snap pictures, but the styling really separates this camera from the others in the line, or even other brands (notably, the sony cybershot). I wouldn't normally care too much about the camera's appearance, but the sd630 offers great performance as well as a stylish look. People often stop and comment at how much they like the camera. One note of warning-the screen is succeptible to scratches because of its size, so be sure to have a camera case.
-How to handle the software: I was very annoyed when my pictures were downloaded and each day's pictures had their own file. If you would be annoyed with this as well, heed the following advice. Because the software did that, this meant that I had about 20 different folders and could not look at my pictures that I'd taken in the past month all together. My advice:when the download window comes up on your computer, choose the "select images" option. This command will bring up another window, which you ought to choose "select all images" and then click "download pictures". When the final window pops up, check the "create subfolder" option and choose "new name" from the list. This way, the pictures that you download all at once may be placed in one large folder under "my pictures" or wherever you have placed your pictures. This really makes it much easier to view or show others pictures on the computer.
-If you'd prefer to use the canon software, by all means, go ahead. However, having used the canon software, I would advise downloading Picasa, Google's pciture software. It's a free and wonderfully simple download and the software is infinitely better. The only feature Picasa does not have is stitch assist, but for the ease of use, who cares?
-The sd630 has many great options, like direct printing from the camera and slideshow mode. Also, the 630 can erase all images at once, it is just a menu option. Reviewing pictures with friends is delightfully easy, and you can zoom in very far, very quickly. The options for picturetaking are endless-you may choose the iso, flash type, and even use digital macro along with other features. The digital macro is amazing- you can come within centimeters of your subject.
-The 630 is great for sharing your pictures with people because the camera is SO simple to figure out-no tricks. One main button controls flipping between camera mode, picture taking, and reviewing. Zooming is a breeze and no one ever questions which buttons to press to take a picture. The buttons have been refined to a stylish few and are unobtrusive. All are labeled, so there's no guesswork. The picture taking options are under the menu option, and may be chosen on the screen--may be changed very quickly. This eliminates the rotating button with confusing symbols like that of the sony cybershots.
-Finally, and most importantly, the color and pictures are great. Canon has a very distinguishable picture--the typical "Canon color" is meant to please the owner and it sure does. The colors are bright and crisp. The pictures are the true reward for owning this camera.
Customer Review: One Awesome Camera
Summary: 5 Stars
This Canon SD630 camera replaced my "garbage" Sony that suddenly stopped working. I love this camera!
PROS:
1. HUGE 3" LCD screen (the main reason I bought this camera).
2. Excellent picture quality.
3. Tons of pre-set settings including "fireworks" (which takes perfect photo's of fireworks).
4. Lots of manual settings if you prefer, including high ISO, white balance, etc.
5. Takes top quality videos (at up to 30 frames/sec at 640X480 - similar quality as that of full-featured video cameras).
6. You can upload any WAV and JPG files to personalize all the camera's settings (the sound and picture that shows when you turn on your camera, the sound the shutter makes, the sound of the buttons when navigating settings, etc.).
7. When reviewing your pictures, the built-in "gyro" will flip the orientation of your photo when you tilt the camera going from "portrait mode" to "landscape mode" and vice-versa.
8. The "colour swap" feature will have designers and decorators drooling. You take a picture of say, a house, then aim the pin-point in the middle of the LCD screen at a colour on the house that you want to change and press the shutter button, then aim the camera on the colour you want to change it to and press the shutter button, then voila!, the original picture of the house now appears with the new colour you had just personally selected!
9. It takes only about 15 minutes to fully charge the battery (NB-4L, Li-ion) in the included external battery charger.
10. The "auto create directory" feature is great. You can set the camera to create a new directory every day (or at a certain time) so when returning from your holiday, all your pictures are filed in folders according to the date you took them.
11. The "photo stitch" feature is awesome. Select this feature then snap a picture, rotate yourself a few degrees, take another picture, rotate, etc. The PC software will take all these shots and combine them into one panoramic picture.
CONS:
1. There isn't a visual battery-life meter; it only appears when the battery is almost dead, so it's hard to tell how much battery life you have left until it's too late. I bought a second battery that I carry with my camera just in case.
2. Flimsy cover on the USB and AV/OUT terminals.
3. When you connect the camera to your PC, the camera isn't recognized as a "removable device" (which is preferred with digital cameras), so you can't just copy pictures back and forth in Windows Explorer. The camera requires it's own software to download your pictures.
4. The built-in speaker is located on the top of the camera (it isn't facing you), so it's difficult to hear videos when you're playing them back on the LCD screen.
The "PROS" far outweigh the "CONS" with this camera. I couldn't be happier with my purchase. Prepare to meet new people when you're out using this camera - people are amazed at the size of the LCD screen.
Customer Review: Envy of the office
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me just start by saying that I made a point to read all of the reviews listed here in regard to this camera, sorting them by negatives first, before I made my decision to purchase. I am glad I did not allow the negatives to sway my decision. I am not necessarily a professional photographer - no - but I have used many cameras (both good and bad) and
I know the difference between a quality point and shoot and a hunk of [insert word here].
This camera is a great buy. I am really impressed with its design and its functionality. Its got plenty of really cool features the first time camera buyer is going to get butterflies over, and many features the serious camera buyer will appreciate as well. The screen is huge; amazing color with lots of viewing area to scrutinize what you captured and to show your friends and co-workers (who will inevitably be peering over your shoulder). I did not find the buttons too small (I have big fingers), but then I like things compact.
Too many features to list, but plenty of decision making room for any lighting situation; and you certainly can't beat the macro function. Also color accent feature is really inspiring as it allows even the most novice of photographers to create artistic shots.
This camera lists itself as a combination of 12X zoom, but 3X is optical and 4X is digital, so it really is a 3X zoom, because we all know that digital zoom is completely horrid and coarse.
Video - amazing for a camcorder, much less a camera! When using the "fast frame rate" mode with video set to 640 X 480 at 30 fps, you'll think the clip was taken with a high end video camera. Need at least a gig SD card, though.
By the way, the only review that worried me was the one about the consistent blurry pictures and the frustrations some where having with getting really crisp pictures. I will say this camera is sensitive to movement and to lighting conditions, but I did not experience the degree of frustration others seem to have had. First - remember to press the capture button halfway to lock in focus (it will beep) then all the way to take the picture. Also, if you have the camera set to auto (without a flash) and its somewhat dark (dimly lit room/nighttime) then the shutter will snap slower which captures more movement. So, rule of thumb - if you are taking a picture at night without a flash, use a tripod. Other than that, check your settings and make sure the resolution is set to 1600 X 1200 or higher. Otherwise you'll be trying to zoom in on it when you download to your computer and that causes graininess.
Hey, I took a chance and I'm extremely happy. Spend a little more and get the case for it as well. You'll want to protect this baby!
Customer Review: Sweet camera - multi functional
Summary: 5 Stars
We purchased this camera to upgrade from a Canon SD410. Canon cameras are excellent - we owned the SD410 for a few years and took wonderful photos with it. The SD630 greatly improves on what is already a great line of point of shoot cameras. It is pretty amazing how many features they can pack into these tiny cameras. Some highlights:
*The first thing you'll notice is the beautiful 3" LCD. It absolutely great to see the images right on your camera - and @ 3", you notice a lot more details than you do on smaller screens. In playback mode, there are some neat slideshow settings you can use to check out your photos.
*The other huge upgrade on this camera is the ISO 800 shutter speed. This very fast shutter speed gives you the ability to take awesome indoor photos without the flash. One benefit of no flash = no red eye. Red eye is always going to be an issue shooting indoor photos and using the flash - this camera helps to alleviate the red eye problem as it gives you the speed you need to shoot without the flash. The fast shutter speed also allows for crisp images even when holding the camera by hand (no tripod). I shot a few test images (auto ISO setting) in a dimly lit room w/out the flash and the images came out awesome.
*This camera is so easy to operate as a point and shoot (auto mode will work for the majority of shots), but for the serious (or quasi serious) photographer, this camera has additional shooting modes (e.g. portrait, kids & pets, nighttime, indoor, landscape, digital macro, etc...) and manual settings galore. Even includes long shutter mode, self timer, and movie mode - that is also greatly improved from SD410.
We prefer this very compact camera as it is easy to carry anywhere - especially hikes, day trips, etc... We took our old SD410 to Belize, Yosemite, Niagara, etc... and have beautiful photos to show off. Definitely small enough for a purse or pants pocket. This camera only has 3x optical zoom - so if you want more zoom (shooting sports, etc...), consider a larger camera (like Canon's S2). We keep the digital zoom turned off as it reduces your image quality. You will definitely need a larger memory card. Get @ least 512 MB and more (like 1 - 2 GB) if you plan to use your camera for movies. No case included - we opted not to buy the accessory pack, because the camera case looked bulky. We prefer a small case that fits snug on the camera so we can 'stay light'. We found some great cases that did the trick by going to Wolf Camera. Take your camera with you when you go so you can try the cases out to see how they work for your needs.
Canon makes a phenomenal product and this one is no exception. Highly recommended.
Customer Review: Crystal Clear Point and Shoot Memories
Summary: 5 Stars
I borrowed my daughter's SD630 on a 10 day trip to Greece with some friends. One of them had brought a new Canon EOS 5D but forgot to pack his flash (it doesn't have a pop up). I had a scandisk ultra II 2G card but I was taking so many good shots, I had to download the photos each day onto my laptop which allowed us to compare the performances between SD630 and EOS 5D daily. My SD630 took crystal clear shots just like the 5D (which retails for about $2,500??) on outdoor shots which is pretty remarkable but SD630 with High ISO (800) setting blew away the 5D on indoor shots. During the trip, we visited many museums where flash photography was not allowed, and my SD630 was the only one in the group taking incredibly sharp pictures in low light situations with consistency.
SD630 with its large LCD (which automatically switches between landscape and protrait in review mode) and easy to use thumb dial allowed me to take shots with great ease in changing conditions. I was able to turn off the flash, set the ISO to high, and etc with ease that I was able to take shots so quickly where as a slower trigger might have missed the shot.
I also tested out the macro settings where the SD630 performed flawlessly.
It is small enough to fit in my palm while large enough for the trip of a life time. Unlike SLR's, I was able to take the SD630 everywhere during the trip which meant I was merely a power button away from a great shot. I was so impressed with the SD630, I finally chose Canon over Nikon in buying a SLR for myself. I bought a new Rebel XTi with 18-55mm lens. I do like the XTi's combination of versatility and functionality, but so far especialy on indoor shots where no flash is to be used, I am just amazed by the quiet and yet powerful performance of the SD630. Maybe I just don't know how to use the XTi to its potential yet, but so far, I think the SD630 is taking better shots than the XTi or the 5D. The pictures speak for themselves for me. I don't think I will return the XTi, but seeing the photos, my wife is convinced that I am keeping the SLR because it is a "cooler" looking gadget than the point-and-shoot. Deep down, I think she's right. SD630 is a fantastic point-and-shoot camera which produces high end results. As I use my new XTi on the next photo opportunities, I will be wondering if the shots will be coming out as good as the SD630 can produce.