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The Canon PowerShot SD630/Digital IXUS65 Digital Camera - The Micro-Cam comes of age
Pros
Fast, stylish, ultra compact, user friendly, huge 3.0" LCD screen, excellent photo quality
Cons
Mediocre battery life, chromatic aberration, noisy ISO 800 images, vignetting, redeye, no optical viewfinder
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Canon's new PowerShot SD630 Digital Camera rewards consumers with a near perfect balance of compact size, impressive ease of use, robust performance, go anywhere toughness, and outstanding images
The first Micro-cam I ever saw was a classic Rollei 35S. Since falling in love with that wonderfully primitive little 35mm scale focuser (almost forty years ago) I've witnessed an amazing evolution in diminutive image making machines. Tiny cameras today capture images digitally (rather than on film) and provide features that we never even dreamed about back in the day. Canon created a new generation digital micro-cams with the introduction of the first Digital Elph in 2000 and Digital Elph models have dominated the micro-cam market niche ever since. The Powershot SD630 continues that tradition - it's a worthy successor to my little Rollei 35S and all the nifty micro-cams that came after it.
The SD630 is built around Canon's new 6 megapixel image sensor and second-generation DIGIC II (Digital Imaging Integrated Circuit) processor. The DIGIC II processor combines power management, image processing, and most primary camera functions (Auto Exposure, White Balance, JPEG compression, and Sensitivity) on one chip. DIGIC II image files are optimized for sharp resolution, balanced contrast, lower noise, and bold bright colors. The SD630 features a 3X optical zoom, a huge 3.0 inch LCD screen, a very useful ISO range, and almost intuitive ease of use -- all shoehorned into a metal alloy body that's small enough to be dropped in a shirt pocket (or small purse) and tough enough to be taken just about anywhere.
NUTS & BOLTS
LCD Screen
The SD630 doesn't provide an optical viewfinder, so users will have to rely on the 3.0 inch LCD screen for all framing and composition chores. The SD630's hi-res (173,000 pixels) LCD is this tiny camera's most prominent feature - it completely dominates the camera's read deck. LCD images are bright, sharp, hue accurate, fluid, and the display gains "up" (automatically brightens) in dim lighting - users can also manually boost LCD screen brightness. The LCD screen shows almost 100% of the image frame and is useable in bright outdoor lighting. The LCD info/status display provides all information the SD630's target audience is likely to need.
Zoom
The SD630 features an f2.8-4.9/5.8-17.4mm (35-105mm – 35mm equivalent) all glass 3X optical zoom. When the camera is powered up, the lens automatically telescopes out of the camera body. When the camera is powered down the lens is fully retracted into the camera and a built in lens cover slides into place to protect the front element of the lens. The SD630's zoom exhibits noticeable barrel distortion (straight lines bow out from the center) at the wide-angle end of the zoom range, some minor softness in the corners, and very minor pin cushioning (straight lines bow in toward the center) at full telephoto. Chromatic aberration (purple fringing) is slightly above average at the wide-angle end of the zoom range (especially at maximum aperture) and I also noticed some very minor vignetting (darkened corners). Colors are bold, bright, slightly over saturated, and hue accurate - but native contrast is just a bit on the hard side. Zoom operation is fast, smooth, and relatively quiet.
Minimum focusing distance (in Macro mode) is 1.2 inches, but macro shooters should be very careful when shooting close-ups because the digital zoom (which usually only kicks in after the maximum telephoto setting is exceeded) is enabled for close-ups and that seems (since using the digital zoom causes a noticeable degeneration in image quality) kind of self defeating - in a situation where tack sharp resolution is the goal.
Auto Focus (AF)
The SD630 utilizes Canon's proven 9 focus point AiAF (Advanced intelligent Auto Focus) system. AiAF instantly analyzes what's in front of the camera and decides which of the 9 AF points is closest to the primary subject (closest subject priority) and then locks focus on that AF point. AF is consistently fast and accurate and there's an AF assist beam for quicker and more accurate focusing in dim/low light.
Manual Focus (MF)
The SD630 doesn't provide any manual focus capability
Flash
The SD630's built-in multi mode flash is a small underpowered unit. Flash options include: Auto (fires when needed), On (fill flash), Red-Eye Reduction, Slow Synch, and off. Canon claims the maximum flash range is about 15 feet (3.5 meters), but anything beyond 10 feet is going to be fairly dark unless shot against light colored backgrounds with lots of ambient lighting (and at the High ISO Auto setting). Canon's optional HF-DC1 auto (slave) flash extends maximum flash range to about 30 feet. Flash coverage is a bit uneven for tight macro/close-up shooting.
Memory Media
The Canon PowerShot SD630 utilizes SD (Secure Digital) memory media to save captured images. SD cards are substantially smaller (and generally faster) than the CompactFlash (CF) media used in earlier Canon micro-cams. Canon includes a 16MB SD "starter" card.
Image File Format(s)
JPEG
Connectivity
USB 2.0 (HS) out and A/V out
Power
The Canon PowerShot SD630 draws its juice from Canon's NB-4L Li-ion rechargeable battery pack. Canon claims the NB-4L provides higher capacity with a smaller footprint than its predecessor, but realistically Micro-cam batteries (since they must be very small) can't store as much power as larger batteries. I didn't keep precise track of exposures (Canon claims the NB4L is good for about 160 exposures) so I can't quibble with Canon's numbers, however based on my admittedly unscientific tests a fully charged NB-4L should realistically be good for something like 100-125 exposures. The included charger needs about 90 minutes to fully charge the battery.
EXPOSURE
The Canon PowerShot SD630/IXUS 65 Digital Camera offers users a surprisingly simple and at the same time highly sophisticated auto exposure system. Exposure options include Full Auto, Scene modes (Portrait, Night Snapshot, Kids & Pets, Indoor, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Underwater, etc.), Manual mode (which is actually Programmed AE mode - since the camera always controls aperture and shutter speed settings), and Movie mode.
Canon's exclusive iSAPS (intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) technology produces excellent images in all scene modes. The camera instantly matches the scene in front of the lens with an on board database of known scene types and then compares that information with the specific scene's subject distance, white balance, contrast range, lighting, and color (just before the image is recorded) to determine the best exposure. The SD630's auto exposure system (coupled with the DIGIC II processor and ISAPS Scene recognition technology) does much more than just average exposure data - so images are consistently and conspicuously better than expected.
Movie Mode
Canon PowerShot SD630/Digital IXUS 800 Digital Camera users can record video clips (with audio) at 640x480 @ 30 fps with duration limited to 1GB (about 8 minutes at maximum resolution). The SD630 can also record up to 60 seconds of fast frame rate QVGA (60 fps) video clips and several lower resolution video options. The SD630 also provides a voice-notation mode that allows users to add audio notes (up to 60 seconds) to their image files.
Metering
The SD630's (default) evaluative metering system is dependably accurate in all but the most challenging lighting. Novice photographers won't have to worry about metering at all. More experienced photographers can opt for either Spot metering or Center-weighted Averaging metering.
White Balance (WB)
Canon PowerShot SD630 provides users with an adequate selection of white balance options. WB settings include TTL Auto, Day Light, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Underwater, and a custom (manual) mode that allows savvy shooters to use a white card (or white wall or ceiling) to insure accurate color. At the auto WB setting the SD630's native color interpolation is bright, a bit warm, and slightly over saturated.
Sensitivity
Like its siblings (SD700 IS, SD600, et al) the Canon PowerShot SD630 provides an excellent range of sensitivity settings including - Auto, High ISO Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, and 800 ISO.
In-Camera Image Adjustment
The SD630's target audience probably won't utilize this digicam's in-camera image adjustment capabilities much, but more advanced shooters will appreciate the very useful range of creative photography options since in-camera image adjustments are always simpler than post-exposure image manipulation.
Very light or very dark subjects can trick light metering systems into underexposing or overexposing images. The SD630's Exposure Compensation mode allows users to subtly modify exposure parameters over a 4 EV range ( /-2 EV in 1/3 EV increments) to compensate for difficult lighting and subject/background reflectance/non-reflectance problems or to compensate for environmental exposure variables.
Canon's My Colors mode permits users to adjust color saturation, select Positive Film (mimics slide film color, saturation, and contrast), Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Color accent (shifts images to B&W, except for one user selected color), color swap (allows users to switch one color for another), custom color (users can adjust color balance for red, green, blue, and skin tones over +/-2 step range in 1 step increments), and Photo effects mode (vivid or neutral color saturation, low sharpening, sepia, and B&W).
DESIGN, CONTROLS, & ERGONOMICS
The Canon PowerShot SD630 is a stylish, metal alloy bodied, ultra-compact digicam. Like its SD family siblings, the SD630 is a point-and-shoot digicam with only nominal (WB, ISO, etc.) user input. All controls are logically placed and all shooting functions are easily accessed. Canon followed arch rival Nikon's lead and outfitted the SD630 with an eminently logical (playback) rotary jog dial/scroll wheel similar to one on Nikon's nifty CP S5/S6 digicams. The SD630's compass switch (4 way multi-controller) features the familiar control configuration (up/down, left/right, and center buttons) surrounded by an ingenious rotary jog dial/scroll wheel for rapid scrolling, back and forth image browsing/comparison, and simplified menu navigation. Experienced photographers will have no problem using the SD630 right out of the box and beginners should be able to shoot consistently decent images after a quick scan through the user's manual.
Technical Specifications
Resolution: 6 Megapixels (2815x2112)
Viewfinder(s): 3.0" LCD
Lens: f2.8-4.9/5.8-17.4mm (35-105mm – 35mm equivalent) all glass 3X optical zoom
Auto Focus: 9 AF point AiAF
Manual Focus: no
Flash: Built-in Multi-mode
Exposure: Auto and Program AE
Metering: Evaluative, Center-weighted, & Spot
White balance: TTL Auto, and 6 user selected pre-sets
Sensitivity: Auto, Hi ISO Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, & 800 ISO (35mm equivalent)
Image Storage Media: SD/MMC cards
Connectivity: USB 2.0 and AV/out
Power: NB-4L Li-ion rechargeable battery pack
Included
16MB SD card, NB4L Battery, Charger, Wrist Strap, USB & A/V cables, software CD's, and (printed) user's manuals.
Optional
HF-DC1 slave flash unit, underwater housing, and Canon soft camera case.
In the Field/Handling & Operation
I often get together with an old friend who shares my passion for photography. He works in the business (selling new and used digital and analog photographic equipment) so we can almost always come up with something new to play with. Between us we have more than fifty years of hands on experience with hundreds of cameras (digital and film), scores of interchangeable lenses (zooms and primes), dozens of flash units, a truckload of filters, and bunches of tripods.
My friend was finally able to get his hands on a Canon Powershot SD630 for us to check out. The first thing we did was to run some color tests. We use a homemade macro stage and a selection of brightly colored (red, green, yellow, blue, orange, and purple) plastic children's beach toys arrayed on a white photo paper background. This test allows us to check color accuracy and the precision of each camera's white balance system (and compare the results from camera to camera). The SD630 showed consistently accurate (hue) color balance, although typically (for consumer digicams) colors are somewhat oversaturated.
Our first outing with the diminutive SD630 was a Saturday afternoon trip to Cave Hill Cemetery (Louisville's unofficial arboretum). Cave Hill started out as a small heavily forested farm on the outskirts of the city and became Louisville's primary burial ground in the mid 1830's. Since that time more than 200,000 people have been interred and the 300-acre walled cemetery has been planted with thousands of trees, shrubs, flowers, and bushes – both native and exotic. Cave Hill is one of Louisville's most popular sites with local photographers because there is always something to photograph. In addition to all the plant life, there are thousands of 19th and early 20th century headstones, adjacent U.S. and Confederate Civil War military cemeteries, dozens of ornate mausoleums, a rustic old groundskeeper's cottage, and (on any pretty day) several family groups feeding the hundreds of ducks, geese, and swans that call the small lake at the center of Louisville's oldest cemetery home. We spent about two hours shooting a wide variety of subjects. The snazzy little SD630 does a consistently super job outdoors, especially in good light.
After we finished up at Cave Hill we took the SD630 to Butchertown, a tiny area of mid 19th to early 20th century shotgun houses and small mansions lining narrow shady old streets. Butchertown is one of Louisville's oldest neighborhoods. The residents fill their tiny front yards with flowers and colorfully paint architectural details and exterior trim - so there is almost always something interesting to photograph in this part of town. By the time we got started the afternoon golden light was working nicely for us. After a couple of loops up and down Washington Street, we headed for the nearby Extreme Sports Park to shoot some action.
Skateboarders, BMX bikers, and roller-bladers are drawn to the park 24-7 to perfect their moves and hone their technique in the industrial sized full pipe, 3 interconnected bowls, and twelve foot half pipe. We had to move in pretty close because the SD630's 3X zoom just didn't have enough reach to allow us to stand off at a safe distance and still get frame filling shots. Getting close to the action can be pretty scary because skateboarders and Vertical BMX bikers love taking risks - so getting hit by a 150-pound kid moving at up to 30 MPH is always a possibility.
The kids at the Extreme Park make great subjects because many of them are very talented athletes and they all love showing off for the camera. We spent about two hours trying to get the elusive optimal framing/timing (centering the subject in the frame and stopping the action in mid air) just right. The SD630 is very fast and that simplified tracking and framing, so I did manage to get a couple of nice shots.
For action shooters the SD630 will do the job (if the photographer picks his subject well, manages his/her backgrounds carefully, and pre-focuses on the spot where the peak action will occur) but using the LCD screen as a viewfinder makes it a bit tougher than it would have been with an optical viewfinder. Optical viewfinders allow serious photographers to eliminate everything they don't want in the picture, while the arms length composition style required to use the LCD screen - centers the photographers attention on the area he/she wants to capture, but the rest of the scene is still visible and that can be distracting. After we finished up at the Extreme Park we called it a day and headed home (with almost a hundred images saved to the SD card and the SD630's tiny battery running on fumes.
When we got together Sunday morning it was gray and overcast, but we didn't let that discourage us as we headed out for Cherokee Park. We followed the scenic loop as it wound through a couple miles of steep hillsides covered with old growth trees. We spent about an hour just circling around, stopping whenever anything interesting caught our attention. We primarily wanted to shoot Eliot Porter style intimate landscapes. Ambient light was pretty dim under the old growth trees along Beargrass Creek and that provided an excellent opportunity for us to check out the SD630's low light capabilities. Our images were pretty dull (which was not the fault of the camera), but both of us were impressed with the SD630's noise management at ISO 400. All our images were flat and almost monochromatic looking (dark water, lots of greenery, last year's leaf litter, and dark tree trunks). Some image noise was visible in the shadow areas, but it wasn't too objectionable -- certainly not as bad as we'd expected.
When it started to rain we headed for the Heine Brothers Coffee Shop on Bardstown Road for a cappuccino and some sneaky attempts to capture some of our fellow refugees from the dismal weather. We grabbed a table along the wall and placed the SD630 (set to ISO 800) on the table with the zoom facing our fellow patrons and the LCD screen pointed toward us - making it easy to swing the camera in a 180 degree arc (that took in about half the interior of the dimly lit coffee shop) and snap surreptitious candids of our fellow java junkies. Noise at ISO 800 is way too high - ISO 800 images are usable, but will (for most shooters) be limited to 3x5 prints or VGA resolution e-mail shots.
The Canon PowerShot SD630 does a very good job in decent light - rendering virtually any type of outdoor scene nicely, but indoors (in poor lighting) pictures tend to be a bit lackluster. When we reviewed the images we'd shot over the course of the weekend (on a NEC 19" CRT monitor) both of us were impressed with just how good many of the pictures were.
PERFORMANCE
Image Quality
The SD630's auto exposure is generally accurate, but highlights are sometimes blown out in contrasty scenes. Images were consistently sharp in the center of the frame, but corners were slightly soft. ISO 80 and ISO 100 images are indistinguishable and essentially noise free. Noise levels begin to rise noticeably after ISO 100 (for consumer digicams more megapixels plus higher ISO sensitivity settings usually equal higher noise levels). ISO 200 images are pretty decent, but show minor noise and some visible loss of detail. ISO 400 images are noticeably noisy and look a bit soft, but they do seem better than the ISO 400 images from earlier digital elphs. ISO 800 images are very noisy, but they should be OK for non-critical 3x5 prints and for e-mail photos. Chromatic aberration (purple fringing) is slightly above average, but well controlled - more troubling is the slight vignetting (darkened corners) I noticed in a couple of shots.
Timing/Shutter Lag
The Canon PowerShot SD630 is surprisingly fast, especially for an ultra-compact P&S digicam. The boot-up cycle, shutter lag, shot to shot times, and write to card times are all faster than average. With pre-focus shutter lag basically disappears and from scratch the SD630 needs less than half a second to lock focus and trip the shutter.
A Few Concerns
The SD630's greatest weakness is its feeble battery life. Corners are a bit soft and occasionally dark. Like all ultra-compact digicams the SD630 has red-eye issues because with tiny cameras it just isn't physically possible to separate the flash and the lens sufficiently to avoid having both on essentially the same plane.
Conclusion
Canon's Digital Elph series digicams are famous for delivering impressive ease of use, snappy performance, tough as nails durability, and very good to excellent image quality and the SD630 doesn't deviate from that winning formula. The SD630 is an excellent choice for casual photographers or first time digital camera buyers who want a camera that can be taken along just about anywhere and used easily by just about anyone. This camera (like it's predecessors) will appeal to casual photographers, travelers, snap-shooters, and family photographers who value style, compact size, fast operation, and point & shoot ease of use. Those who feel the SD630's asking price ($425.00-$499.00) is a bit high should check out the very similarly featured (and significantly cheaper) Fuji Finepix V10.
Links
For definitive advice on How to Choose a Digital Camera please see my (updated) review:
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-2E46-17B174E2-39A418E3-prod1
If you would like to see a selection of images that are typical of the sort of test pictures I shoot for my epinions digital camera reviews, click on the top link under Favorite Links on my Epinions profile page (to get to my EPS profile page from this review, just click on my name under about the author above). The Favorite Links link will take you to my forum page at DCR. Click on the Find all posts by Howard Creech (under Forum Info). My DCR reviews each feature a selection of my images.
The observations, opinions, recommendations, and conclusions provided in my digital camera reviews are based on more than 30 years experience as a photographer and extensive hands on testing of each of the cameras reviewed. I receive no compensation from DCR.com for your visit or any subsequent purchase you may make. You can return to epinions at any time (either open the link in a new window or hit your back button). The Canon Powershot SD500 and the Canon Powershot A520 posts were submitted as text only reviews and the images that illustrate those two posts were shot by a DCR.com staffer.
The SD630 is built around Canon's new 6 megapixel image sensor and second-generation DIGIC II (Digital Imaging Integrated Circuit) processor. The DIGIC II processor combines power management, image processing, and most primary camera functions (Auto Exposure, White Balance, JPEG compression, and Sensitivity) on one chip. DIGIC II image files are optimized for sharp resolution, balanced contrast, lower noise, and bold bright colors. The SD630 features a 3X optical zoom, a huge 3.0 inch LCD screen, a very useful ISO range, and almost intuitive ease of use -- all shoehorned into a metal alloy body that's small enough to be dropped in a shirt pocket (or small purse) and tough enough to be taken just about anywhere.
NUTS & BOLTS
LCD Screen
The SD630 doesn't provide an optical viewfinder, so users will have to rely on the 3.0 inch LCD screen for all framing and composition chores. The SD630's hi-res (173,000 pixels) LCD is this tiny camera's most prominent feature - it completely dominates the camera's read deck. LCD images are bright, sharp, hue accurate, fluid, and the display gains "up" (automatically brightens) in dim lighting - users can also manually boost LCD screen brightness. The LCD screen shows almost 100% of the image frame and is useable in bright outdoor lighting. The LCD info/status display provides all information the SD630's target audience is likely to need.
Zoom
The SD630 features an f2.8-4.9/5.8-17.4mm (35-105mm – 35mm equivalent) all glass 3X optical zoom. When the camera is powered up, the lens automatically telescopes out of the camera body. When the camera is powered down the lens is fully retracted into the camera and a built in lens cover slides into place to protect the front element of the lens. The SD630's zoom exhibits noticeable barrel distortion (straight lines bow out from the center) at the wide-angle end of the zoom range, some minor softness in the corners, and very minor pin cushioning (straight lines bow in toward the center) at full telephoto. Chromatic aberration (purple fringing) is slightly above average at the wide-angle end of the zoom range (especially at maximum aperture) and I also noticed some very minor vignetting (darkened corners). Colors are bold, bright, slightly over saturated, and hue accurate - but native contrast is just a bit on the hard side. Zoom operation is fast, smooth, and relatively quiet.
Minimum focusing distance (in Macro mode) is 1.2 inches, but macro shooters should be very careful when shooting close-ups because the digital zoom (which usually only kicks in after the maximum telephoto setting is exceeded) is enabled for close-ups and that seems (since using the digital zoom causes a noticeable degeneration in image quality) kind of self defeating - in a situation where tack sharp resolution is the goal.
Auto Focus (AF)
The SD630 utilizes Canon's proven 9 focus point AiAF (Advanced intelligent Auto Focus) system. AiAF instantly analyzes what's in front of the camera and decides which of the 9 AF points is closest to the primary subject (closest subject priority) and then locks focus on that AF point. AF is consistently fast and accurate and there's an AF assist beam for quicker and more accurate focusing in dim/low light.
Manual Focus (MF)
The SD630 doesn't provide any manual focus capability
Flash
The SD630's built-in multi mode flash is a small underpowered unit. Flash options include: Auto (fires when needed), On (fill flash), Red-Eye Reduction, Slow Synch, and off. Canon claims the maximum flash range is about 15 feet (3.5 meters), but anything beyond 10 feet is going to be fairly dark unless shot against light colored backgrounds with lots of ambient lighting (and at the High ISO Auto setting). Canon's optional HF-DC1 auto (slave) flash extends maximum flash range to about 30 feet. Flash coverage is a bit uneven for tight macro/close-up shooting.
Memory Media
The Canon PowerShot SD630 utilizes SD (Secure Digital) memory media to save captured images. SD cards are substantially smaller (and generally faster) than the CompactFlash (CF) media used in earlier Canon micro-cams. Canon includes a 16MB SD "starter" card.
Image File Format(s)
JPEG
Connectivity
USB 2.0 (HS) out and A/V out
Power
The Canon PowerShot SD630 draws its juice from Canon's NB-4L Li-ion rechargeable battery pack. Canon claims the NB-4L provides higher capacity with a smaller footprint than its predecessor, but realistically Micro-cam batteries (since they must be very small) can't store as much power as larger batteries. I didn't keep precise track of exposures (Canon claims the NB4L is good for about 160 exposures) so I can't quibble with Canon's numbers, however based on my admittedly unscientific tests a fully charged NB-4L should realistically be good for something like 100-125 exposures. The included charger needs about 90 minutes to fully charge the battery.
EXPOSURE
The Canon PowerShot SD630/IXUS 65 Digital Camera offers users a surprisingly simple and at the same time highly sophisticated auto exposure system. Exposure options include Full Auto, Scene modes (Portrait, Night Snapshot, Kids & Pets, Indoor, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Underwater, etc.), Manual mode (which is actually Programmed AE mode - since the camera always controls aperture and shutter speed settings), and Movie mode.
Canon's exclusive iSAPS (intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) technology produces excellent images in all scene modes. The camera instantly matches the scene in front of the lens with an on board database of known scene types and then compares that information with the specific scene's subject distance, white balance, contrast range, lighting, and color (just before the image is recorded) to determine the best exposure. The SD630's auto exposure system (coupled with the DIGIC II processor and ISAPS Scene recognition technology) does much more than just average exposure data - so images are consistently and conspicuously better than expected.
Movie Mode
Canon PowerShot SD630/Digital IXUS 800 Digital Camera users can record video clips (with audio) at 640x480 @ 30 fps with duration limited to 1GB (about 8 minutes at maximum resolution). The SD630 can also record up to 60 seconds of fast frame rate QVGA (60 fps) video clips and several lower resolution video options. The SD630 also provides a voice-notation mode that allows users to add audio notes (up to 60 seconds) to their image files.
Metering
The SD630's (default) evaluative metering system is dependably accurate in all but the most challenging lighting. Novice photographers won't have to worry about metering at all. More experienced photographers can opt for either Spot metering or Center-weighted Averaging metering.
White Balance (WB)
Canon PowerShot SD630 provides users with an adequate selection of white balance options. WB settings include TTL Auto, Day Light, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Underwater, and a custom (manual) mode that allows savvy shooters to use a white card (or white wall or ceiling) to insure accurate color. At the auto WB setting the SD630's native color interpolation is bright, a bit warm, and slightly over saturated.
Sensitivity
Like its siblings (SD700 IS, SD600, et al) the Canon PowerShot SD630 provides an excellent range of sensitivity settings including - Auto, High ISO Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, and 800 ISO.
In-Camera Image Adjustment
The SD630's target audience probably won't utilize this digicam's in-camera image adjustment capabilities much, but more advanced shooters will appreciate the very useful range of creative photography options since in-camera image adjustments are always simpler than post-exposure image manipulation.
Very light or very dark subjects can trick light metering systems into underexposing or overexposing images. The SD630's Exposure Compensation mode allows users to subtly modify exposure parameters over a 4 EV range ( /-2 EV in 1/3 EV increments) to compensate for difficult lighting and subject/background reflectance/non-reflectance problems or to compensate for environmental exposure variables.
Canon's My Colors mode permits users to adjust color saturation, select Positive Film (mimics slide film color, saturation, and contrast), Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Color accent (shifts images to B&W, except for one user selected color), color swap (allows users to switch one color for another), custom color (users can adjust color balance for red, green, blue, and skin tones over +/-2 step range in 1 step increments), and Photo effects mode (vivid or neutral color saturation, low sharpening, sepia, and B&W).
DESIGN, CONTROLS, & ERGONOMICS
The Canon PowerShot SD630 is a stylish, metal alloy bodied, ultra-compact digicam. Like its SD family siblings, the SD630 is a point-and-shoot digicam with only nominal (WB, ISO, etc.) user input. All controls are logically placed and all shooting functions are easily accessed. Canon followed arch rival Nikon's lead and outfitted the SD630 with an eminently logical (playback) rotary jog dial/scroll wheel similar to one on Nikon's nifty CP S5/S6 digicams. The SD630's compass switch (4 way multi-controller) features the familiar control configuration (up/down, left/right, and center buttons) surrounded by an ingenious rotary jog dial/scroll wheel for rapid scrolling, back and forth image browsing/comparison, and simplified menu navigation. Experienced photographers will have no problem using the SD630 right out of the box and beginners should be able to shoot consistently decent images after a quick scan through the user's manual.
Technical Specifications
Resolution: 6 Megapixels (2815x2112)
Viewfinder(s): 3.0" LCD
Lens: f2.8-4.9/5.8-17.4mm (35-105mm – 35mm equivalent) all glass 3X optical zoom
Auto Focus: 9 AF point AiAF
Manual Focus: no
Flash: Built-in Multi-mode
Exposure: Auto and Program AE
Metering: Evaluative, Center-weighted, & Spot
White balance: TTL Auto, and 6 user selected pre-sets
Sensitivity: Auto, Hi ISO Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, & 800 ISO (35mm equivalent)
Image Storage Media: SD/MMC cards
Connectivity: USB 2.0 and AV/out
Power: NB-4L Li-ion rechargeable battery pack
Included
16MB SD card, NB4L Battery, Charger, Wrist Strap, USB & A/V cables, software CD's, and (printed) user's manuals.
Optional
HF-DC1 slave flash unit, underwater housing, and Canon soft camera case.
In the Field/Handling & Operation
I often get together with an old friend who shares my passion for photography. He works in the business (selling new and used digital and analog photographic equipment) so we can almost always come up with something new to play with. Between us we have more than fifty years of hands on experience with hundreds of cameras (digital and film), scores of interchangeable lenses (zooms and primes), dozens of flash units, a truckload of filters, and bunches of tripods.
My friend was finally able to get his hands on a Canon Powershot SD630 for us to check out. The first thing we did was to run some color tests. We use a homemade macro stage and a selection of brightly colored (red, green, yellow, blue, orange, and purple) plastic children's beach toys arrayed on a white photo paper background. This test allows us to check color accuracy and the precision of each camera's white balance system (and compare the results from camera to camera). The SD630 showed consistently accurate (hue) color balance, although typically (for consumer digicams) colors are somewhat oversaturated.
Our first outing with the diminutive SD630 was a Saturday afternoon trip to Cave Hill Cemetery (Louisville's unofficial arboretum). Cave Hill started out as a small heavily forested farm on the outskirts of the city and became Louisville's primary burial ground in the mid 1830's. Since that time more than 200,000 people have been interred and the 300-acre walled cemetery has been planted with thousands of trees, shrubs, flowers, and bushes – both native and exotic. Cave Hill is one of Louisville's most popular sites with local photographers because there is always something to photograph. In addition to all the plant life, there are thousands of 19th and early 20th century headstones, adjacent U.S. and Confederate Civil War military cemeteries, dozens of ornate mausoleums, a rustic old groundskeeper's cottage, and (on any pretty day) several family groups feeding the hundreds of ducks, geese, and swans that call the small lake at the center of Louisville's oldest cemetery home. We spent about two hours shooting a wide variety of subjects. The snazzy little SD630 does a consistently super job outdoors, especially in good light.
After we finished up at Cave Hill we took the SD630 to Butchertown, a tiny area of mid 19th to early 20th century shotgun houses and small mansions lining narrow shady old streets. Butchertown is one of Louisville's oldest neighborhoods. The residents fill their tiny front yards with flowers and colorfully paint architectural details and exterior trim - so there is almost always something interesting to photograph in this part of town. By the time we got started the afternoon golden light was working nicely for us. After a couple of loops up and down Washington Street, we headed for the nearby Extreme Sports Park to shoot some action.
Skateboarders, BMX bikers, and roller-bladers are drawn to the park 24-7 to perfect their moves and hone their technique in the industrial sized full pipe, 3 interconnected bowls, and twelve foot half pipe. We had to move in pretty close because the SD630's 3X zoom just didn't have enough reach to allow us to stand off at a safe distance and still get frame filling shots. Getting close to the action can be pretty scary because skateboarders and Vertical BMX bikers love taking risks - so getting hit by a 150-pound kid moving at up to 30 MPH is always a possibility.
The kids at the Extreme Park make great subjects because many of them are very talented athletes and they all love showing off for the camera. We spent about two hours trying to get the elusive optimal framing/timing (centering the subject in the frame and stopping the action in mid air) just right. The SD630 is very fast and that simplified tracking and framing, so I did manage to get a couple of nice shots.
For action shooters the SD630 will do the job (if the photographer picks his subject well, manages his/her backgrounds carefully, and pre-focuses on the spot where the peak action will occur) but using the LCD screen as a viewfinder makes it a bit tougher than it would have been with an optical viewfinder. Optical viewfinders allow serious photographers to eliminate everything they don't want in the picture, while the arms length composition style required to use the LCD screen - centers the photographers attention on the area he/she wants to capture, but the rest of the scene is still visible and that can be distracting. After we finished up at the Extreme Park we called it a day and headed home (with almost a hundred images saved to the SD card and the SD630's tiny battery running on fumes.
When we got together Sunday morning it was gray and overcast, but we didn't let that discourage us as we headed out for Cherokee Park. We followed the scenic loop as it wound through a couple miles of steep hillsides covered with old growth trees. We spent about an hour just circling around, stopping whenever anything interesting caught our attention. We primarily wanted to shoot Eliot Porter style intimate landscapes. Ambient light was pretty dim under the old growth trees along Beargrass Creek and that provided an excellent opportunity for us to check out the SD630's low light capabilities. Our images were pretty dull (which was not the fault of the camera), but both of us were impressed with the SD630's noise management at ISO 400. All our images were flat and almost monochromatic looking (dark water, lots of greenery, last year's leaf litter, and dark tree trunks). Some image noise was visible in the shadow areas, but it wasn't too objectionable -- certainly not as bad as we'd expected.
When it started to rain we headed for the Heine Brothers Coffee Shop on Bardstown Road for a cappuccino and some sneaky attempts to capture some of our fellow refugees from the dismal weather. We grabbed a table along the wall and placed the SD630 (set to ISO 800) on the table with the zoom facing our fellow patrons and the LCD screen pointed toward us - making it easy to swing the camera in a 180 degree arc (that took in about half the interior of the dimly lit coffee shop) and snap surreptitious candids of our fellow java junkies. Noise at ISO 800 is way too high - ISO 800 images are usable, but will (for most shooters) be limited to 3x5 prints or VGA resolution e-mail shots.
The Canon PowerShot SD630 does a very good job in decent light - rendering virtually any type of outdoor scene nicely, but indoors (in poor lighting) pictures tend to be a bit lackluster. When we reviewed the images we'd shot over the course of the weekend (on a NEC 19" CRT monitor) both of us were impressed with just how good many of the pictures were.
PERFORMANCE
Image Quality
The SD630's auto exposure is generally accurate, but highlights are sometimes blown out in contrasty scenes. Images were consistently sharp in the center of the frame, but corners were slightly soft. ISO 80 and ISO 100 images are indistinguishable and essentially noise free. Noise levels begin to rise noticeably after ISO 100 (for consumer digicams more megapixels plus higher ISO sensitivity settings usually equal higher noise levels). ISO 200 images are pretty decent, but show minor noise and some visible loss of detail. ISO 400 images are noticeably noisy and look a bit soft, but they do seem better than the ISO 400 images from earlier digital elphs. ISO 800 images are very noisy, but they should be OK for non-critical 3x5 prints and for e-mail photos. Chromatic aberration (purple fringing) is slightly above average, but well controlled - more troubling is the slight vignetting (darkened corners) I noticed in a couple of shots.
Timing/Shutter Lag
The Canon PowerShot SD630 is surprisingly fast, especially for an ultra-compact P&S digicam. The boot-up cycle, shutter lag, shot to shot times, and write to card times are all faster than average. With pre-focus shutter lag basically disappears and from scratch the SD630 needs less than half a second to lock focus and trip the shutter.
A Few Concerns
The SD630's greatest weakness is its feeble battery life. Corners are a bit soft and occasionally dark. Like all ultra-compact digicams the SD630 has red-eye issues because with tiny cameras it just isn't physically possible to separate the flash and the lens sufficiently to avoid having both on essentially the same plane.
Conclusion
Canon's Digital Elph series digicams are famous for delivering impressive ease of use, snappy performance, tough as nails durability, and very good to excellent image quality and the SD630 doesn't deviate from that winning formula. The SD630 is an excellent choice for casual photographers or first time digital camera buyers who want a camera that can be taken along just about anywhere and used easily by just about anyone. This camera (like it's predecessors) will appeal to casual photographers, travelers, snap-shooters, and family photographers who value style, compact size, fast operation, and point & shoot ease of use. Those who feel the SD630's asking price ($425.00-$499.00) is a bit high should check out the very similarly featured (and significantly cheaper) Fuji Finepix V10.
Links
For definitive advice on How to Choose a Digital Camera please see my (updated) review:
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-2E46-17B174E2-39A418E3-prod1
If you would like to see a selection of images that are typical of the sort of test pictures I shoot for my epinions digital camera reviews, click on the top link under Favorite Links on my Epinions profile page (to get to my EPS profile page from this review, just click on my name under about the author above). The Favorite Links link will take you to my forum page at DCR. Click on the Find all posts by Howard Creech (under Forum Info). My DCR reviews each feature a selection of my images.
The observations, opinions, recommendations, and conclusions provided in my digital camera reviews are based on more than 30 years experience as a photographer and extensive hands on testing of each of the cameras reviewed. I receive no compensation from DCR.com for your visit or any subsequent purchase you may make. You can return to epinions at any time (either open the link in a new window or hit your back button). The Canon Powershot SD500 and the Canon Powershot A520 posts were submitted as text only reviews and the images that illustrate those two posts were shot by a DCR.com staffer.
