Canon PowerShot SD200

The PowerShot SD200 Digital ELPH is a totally new design in Canon's line of compact point-and-shoot cameras. The SD200 takes everything that made the S410 great and makes it smaller -- except for the LCD, which got a lot bigger. Other features on the SD200 include a 3.2 Megapixel CCD, great VGA movie mode, an AF-assist lamp, and a couple of manual of controls. For those who want more resolution, Canon also offers the 4 Megapixel PowerShot SD300.

The old Digital ELPHs were my favorite point-and-shoot cameras

The SD200 is known as the Ixus 30 in some countries.

Since the SD200 and SD300 are nearly identical, I will be reusing most of the SD300 review here.




The PowerShot SD200 has an average bundle. Inside the box, you'll find:

The 3.2 effective Megapixel Canon PowerShot SD200 Digital ELPH camera
16MB Secure Digital card
NB-4L lithium-ion battery
Battery charger
Wrist strap
USB cable
A/V cable
CD-ROM featuring Canon Digital Camera Solutions, ArcSoft Camera Suite, and drivers
177 page camera manual + software manual (both printed)
Canon includes a 16MB Secure Digital (SD) card with the camera. That holds just eight photos at the highest quality setting, so I'd advise that you buy a larger memory card right away. I'd say 128MB is a good starting size. The camera can use SD or MMC cards, though I'd advise against the latter. The camera takes advantage of high speed SD cards, and one is recommended if you plan on using the VGA movie mode.

The SD200 uses the brand new NB-4L lithium-ion rechargeable battery. This small battery packs a paltry 2.8 Wh of energy, which translates to 140 photos per charge using the CIPA battery life standard. I figure that's around (or maybe a tiny bit below) average for small cameras like this. The old S410 did a little better in this department.

good picture quality

My usual complaints about proprietary batteries like the one used by the SD200 apply here. They're expensive ($50 a pop), and you can't put in a set of alkalines to get you through the rest of the day like you could with an AA-based camera. Also the screen is very fragile i threw mine on the bed then bam! the screen cracked.

canon powershot sd300

After using a HP "point 'n shoot' for the past 3 years, it was time to move up to a camera that allowed me to have more control. One limiting factor was size...I carry my camera on mountain bike rides and a small camera is a plus. I also wanted the ability to shoot video. The SD200 (and the SD300) offers a lot of features in a very compact size. When I first soaw the SD200 in person, my first thought was that it was TOO small. In fact, it's turned out to be the perfect size for my needs. Picture quality is excellent in the various supplied shooting modes. The SD200 allows the user to manually adjust the various settings to if he/she so chooses. The menus are easy to navigate and the various settings can be selected quite quickly. The video quality is also quite good. Shooting video eats memeory so be sure to get at least a 512mb SD card. I'd have to say that I very pleased with the SD200. I'm still learning about all of the many features that this camera offers. If you need a small digital camera that takes quality photos and video, the SD200/SD300 are a good choice.

Compact size, Photo and video quality, easy to use in auto mode, offers many manual adjustments

Proprietary battery, battery cost ($59.99 msrp), output cable door seems fragile