Canon Powershot SD1000 Review

The SD1000features a 3x (35-105mm in the 35mm format) f/2.8-4.9 all-glass aspherical zoom lens. When powered down, the lens is retracted inside of the body and a built in shutter closes to protect the lens.

An advanced TTL AiAF 9-point autofocus system permits the camera to automatically select the primary subject even when off-center. Focusing range is 1.0 ft. (30cm) to infinity in normal mode and macro coverage is 1.2 in.- 1.6 ft./3-50cm wide, 1 - 1.6 ft./30-50cm telephoto. The autofocus is light-assisted and works properly even in the dark.

The built in flash offers Auto, Auto w/ Red-eye Reduction, Auto w/ Slow Synchro, Flash On, Flash On w/ Red-eye Reduction, Flash On w/ Slow Synchro, and Flash Off. Flash range is 1.6 - 11 ft./50cm - 3.5m (Wide angle), 1.6 - 6.6 ft./50cm - 2.0m (Telephoto) or 1 - 1.6 ft./30-50cm (when sensitivity is set to ISO Auto). The focus-assist lamp also serves as the red-eye reduction lamp.

The optional HF-DC1 external flash can be used with the SD1000to double the flash range of the built-in flash. Compact and elegantly designed, the High-Power Flash HF-DC1 complements your PowerShot perfectly and requires no accessory shoe. With a strong light output (guide number 59 ft.) and wide angular field (28mm), it delivers proper illumination up to approximately 30 feet and in all zoom positions. The flash fires in synchronization with the main flash, and output is adjusted accurately and automatically.

You can frame your pictures with the color LCD or to save precious battery power you can use the optical eyelevel finder. This is a coupled viewfinder with approx. 80-85% coverage. It has no dioptric adjustment. Next to the finder are two LEDs that indicate the flash and focus status.

On the back is a large 2.5-inch "PureColor" LCD monitor which can be used for framing, review and changing settings. Advanced features include new multi-level coating that reduces glare, a protective layer which resists scratches, smudges and fingerprints as well as a "Quick- bright" function which switches the brightness to the highest setting by pressing the DISP button for 1 second. When shooting in dark lighting, the LCD is automatically brightened to make it easier to frame and focus on the subject.

Controls on the back: Mode Switch with positions for Camera, Move and Play. The Print/Share button allows you to easily print and transfer images to your computer (Windows users only). The 4-way controller lets you navigate menus and select images during playback. In record mode you press "Up" to change ISO sensitivity, press "Right" to change flash modes, press "Down" to change the drive mode and press "Left" to change the focus mode. In the center is the FUNC./SET button which gives you access to the Function menu in record mode or accepts menu options and settings. The DISP button turns the color LCD on/off and controls the amount of data displayed on it. The MENU button calls up and dismisses the menus.

On top you can see the power On/Off button, microphone, and the shutter release button with the zoom controls mounted around it. The zoom lens control also functions as the magnify and index buttons in playback mode.

The AV Out handles the monaural audio and video signal which can be connected to your TV set with the supplied cables. The high-speed USB 2.0 port for image and movie download. The USB port can also be used for direct printing to any PictBridge compatible photo printer.

The Powershot SD1000 is equipped with a card slot that supports use of SD or MMC cards up to 2GB or SDHC cards up to 4GB, and comes with a 32MB SD. Shown here with a Lexar 1GB SD card - see the tables below for the approximate storage capacity.

Approximate Storage Capacities

The SD1000 comes with a Canon NB-4L 3.7v 760mAh lithium rechargeable battery pack. The supplied rapid charger plugs directly in the wall socket and charges the battery "out of the camera" which is very handy if you have a second battery (highly recommended!)  The normal charging time is approx. 90 minutes.

Battery Life

The optional Waterproof Case WP-DC14 (WP-DC5 shown above) allows you to take the SD1000 underwater up to a depth of 40 meters (~130 feet). It is also ideal for using your camera in any weather condition, at the beach or on the ski slopes.