Current Canon Digital ELPHs
Posted By RichC on November 23, 2005
Christmas is coming and being the ‘go to guy’ when discussing photography in my family I was asked to give an opinion on the tiny Canon Powershot Digital ELPHs. A buddy of mine just purchased the SD450 model for a ski trip to the Canadian Rockies and didn’t want to be bothered with his larger SLR and offer to let me see it.
My first impression is that it is a great little camera for anyone wanting point and shoot simplicity and a tiny size. The quality of the metal case is perfect and it still offers top of the line features ‘if and when’ you need them. Perhaps the biggest difference most will notice between the 400 and 450 or 500 and 550 is the LCD screen on the back.
This is important for those of us with aging eyes and larger size is well worth the extra dollars. Besides having ease of use features that allow most anyone to click away at family events, the small compact size allows one to slip the protected covered lens design in a pocket or purse. (when camera is off) My friends camera had a worthless case that made using it a real pain so spend some time looking at slipcovers that protect but simplify regular storage.
For those already Canon-ized (familiar with modes) the Digital ELPHs will be easy use but for those new to digital cameras I highly recommend a short course or time in the manual to get the most out of the camera. There is little sense writing an indepth review when dpreview.com is around. This is by far the best website for those enjoying cameras or wanting to compare cameras. If you are looking to spend $300 on a high quality compact digital camera that fits the most peoples needs … I’d recommend the Canon Powershot SD450 ELPH. (for a few more dollars and a couple more meg CCD the 550 would no doubt be a tad better but only if you are seriously looking to enlarge your photos … otherwise the 400 and 450 will suffice)
Since I was previewing this model in a restaurant, about the best I can do to squeeze the limitations would be a low light macro test … I’ll include a resized photo below.
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