Canon Powershot SD630 Review



Click to take a QTVR tour of the SD630
The PowerShot SD630 camera maintains the classic trim, thin, linear design aesthetic that is the line's hallmark. Despite a body thickness of less than an inch, the PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH camera accommodates a retractable 3x optical zoom with an equivalent focal length of 35-105mm. The PowerShot SD630 features an ultra large 3.0-inch wide viewing angle type 173,000-pixel LCD screen with adjustments for 15 levels of brightness. What's more, the camera also features an innovative new touch control dial - similar to those found on many popular MP3 players - that allows users to easily scroll through captured images or change the camera's menu settings. In order to accommodate the larger LCD screen, the PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH camera does not include a real-image optical viewfinder, which Canon offers on most other Digital ELPH models. The new Digital ELPH cameras have many of the latest advances in Canon technology including the proprietary DIGIC II imaging processor. The processor enhances picture definition, vibrancy, and quality, while helping increase the speed of the cameras' startup, autofocus, shutter response, playback, and image processing speed while reducing power consumption by 35 percent compared to the original DIGIC chip. Consumers benefit from accelerated image transfer speed of a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port. All of the new models offer a new widescreen 16:9 ratio resolution setting that facilitates creating panoramic-style prints. Additionally, all new PowerShot models support 23 languages (now including Thai and Arabic). The new cameras have an improved direct printing function that permits greater flexibility in print settings, including a face brightener setting for backlit photos. Canon also enhanced the 'My Colors' mode found in the new PowerShot line. Where previously, users could only enable 'My Colors' while shooting, the current iteration permits captured images to be retouched as well, without the need for special software applications or tools. Available My Color playback modes include Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, and Vivid Red; lighter and darker skin tones, as well as options for creating black & white, sepia, neutral and positive film effects. A color accent setting turns all colors but the one selected by the user to monochrome and the color swap mode enables users to alter specific colors in an image by sampling another color from the same image or any other image on the camera's memory card. So, 'My Colors' provides PowerShot users with an incredible range of creative photo effects that can be accessed directly in the camera with no need for post-processing in a computer. For those who consider the ocean depths part of the Digital Elph camera line's "go anywhere" promise, Canon offers individual optional waterproof housing systems. With a depth rating of 40m/130 feet for the PowerShot SD700 IS Digital ELPH, the PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH and the PowerShot SD600 Digital ELPH cameras, these models are a natural choice for underwater photo enthusiasts, SCUBA divers and even snorkelers.
Like all PowerShot digital cameras, these new Digital ELPHs work seamlessly with Canon's
petite SELPHY Compact Photo Printers - an essential PowerShot accessory. Consumers simply
connect their PowerShot digital camera to a SELPHY printer - such as the
SELPHY CP510 and
CP710 models. Press the lighted Print/Share button, and within seconds , images emerge.
Presto! It is that simple. Canon's SELPHY Compact Photo Printers are PictBridge
compatible. They work with PictBridge enabled digital cameras and offer excellent image
quality and ease-of-use, especially when paired with a Canon digital camera. At 28
cents-per-print, printing photos directly from a digital camera is both easy and affordable.
Powershot SD630 Features:
The PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH camera will be available in April for an estimated
selling price of $399.99.
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Physical Views







The SD630 compared to a standard CD disc.


The Powershot SD630 and the Fujifilm F470
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Features & Controls
PowerShot SD630 Specifications
Camera Effective Pixels | Approx. 6.0 million |
Image Sensor | 1/2.5-inch CCD (Total number of pixels: Approx.6.2 million) |
Lens | 5.8 (W)-17.4 (T) mm (35mm film equivalent: 35 (W)-105 (T) mm) f/2.8 (W)-f/4.9 (T) |
Digital Zoom | Approx. 4.0x (Up to approx. 12x in combination with the optical zoom) |
Optical Viewfinder | Real-image zoom viewfinder |
LCD Monitor | 3.0-inch, low-temperature polycrystalline silicon TFT color LCD, approx. 173,000 pixels (Picture coverage 100%) |
AF System | TTL autofocus Focusing frame: 9-point AiAF/1-point AF (fixed to center) |
Shooting Distance (From the front of the lens) |
Normal: 30 cm (1.0 ft.)-infinity Macro: 3-50 cm (W)/30-50 cm (T) (1.2 in.-1.6 ft. (W)/1.0-1.6 ft. (T)) Infinity: 3 m (9.8 ft.)-infinity |
Shutter | Mechanical shutter + electronic shutter |
Shutter Speeds | 15-1/1500 sec. The shutter speed varies according to the shooting mode. Slow shutter speeds of 1.3 sec. or slower operate with noise reduction. |
Metering System | Evaluative, Center-weighted average or Spot (fixed to center) |
Exposure Compensation | ± 2 stops in 1/3-stop increments |
ISO Speed | Auto, High ISO Auto, 80/100/200/400/800 equivalent |
White Balance | TTL auto, pre-set (available settings: Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent or Fluorescent H) or custom |
Built-in Flash | Auto, auto with red-eye reduction, flash on with red-eye reduction, flash on, flash off, slow synchro |
Flash Range | Normal: 50 cm-3.5 m (1.6-11 ft.) (W), 50 cm-2.0 m (1.6-6.6 ft.) (T) Macro: 30 cm-50 cm (1.0-1.6 ft.) (W/T) (When ISO speed is set to AUTO.) |
Shooting Modes | Auto, Camera M, Portrait, Special Scene (Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Underwater, Indoor, Kids & Pets, Color Accent, Color Swap), Night Snapshot, Digital Macro, My Colors, Stitch Assist, Movie |
Color Effects | Vivid, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Custom Color |
Continuous Shooting | Approx. 2.1 shots/sec. (Large/Fine mode) |
Self-timer | Activates shutter after an approx. 10-sec./approx. 2-sec. delay, Custom Timer |
Recording Media | SD memory card/MultiMediaCard. This camera has been tested with SD memory cards through 2GB. All memory card functions cannot be guaranteed. |
File Format | Design rule for camera file system and DPOF compliant |
Data Type |
Still images: Exif 2.2 (JPEG) Movie: AVI (Image data: Motion JPEG; Audio data: WAVE (monaural))
This digital camera supports Exif 2.2 (also called "Exif Print"). Exif Print is a standard for enhancing the communication between digital cameras and printers. By connecting to an Exif Print-compliant printer, the camera's image data at the time of shooting is used and optimized, yielding extremely high quality prints.
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Compression | Superfine, Fine, Normal |
Number of Recording Pixels (Still Images) | Large: 2816×2112 pixels Medium 1: 2272×1704 pixels Medium 2: 1600×1200 pixels Small: 640×480 pixels Wide: 2816×1584 pixels |
Number of Recording Pixels (Movies) |
Standard, My Colors: 640×480 pixels (30 frames/sec., 15 frames/sec.) 320×240 pixels (30 frames/sec., 15 frames/sec.) Recording can continue until the memory card is full (can record up to a maximum of 1 GB at one time). Fast Frame Rate: (can record for 1 min.) 320×240 pixels (60 frames/sec.) Compact: (can record for 3 min.) 160×120 pixels (15 frames/sec.)
Using super high-speed SD cards (SDC-512MSH recommended).
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Playback Modes | Single (histogram displayable), Index (9 thumbnail images), Magnified (approx. 10x (max.) in LCD monitor, advance or reverse through magnified images possible), Jump (jumps to every tenth or hundredth image, to the first image of those sharing a certain shooting date, to movies, or to the first image in a folder. In index playback mode, it displays 9 images at once.), Sound memos (up to 60 sec.), Slide show or Movie (edit/slow motion play back possible). |
Direct Print | PictBridge compliant, and Canon Direct Print and Bubble Jet Direct compatible |
My Camera Settings | Start-up image, start-up sound, operation sound, Self-timer sound, and shutter sound. |
Interface | USB 2.0 Hi-Speed (mini-B), PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol) Audio/Video output (NTSC or PAL selectable, monaural audio) |
Power Source | Battery Pack NB-4L (Lithium-ion Rechargeable battery) 160 shots / 210 min. playback time (CIPA) AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC10 |
Operating Temperature | 0-40°C (32-104°F) |
Operating Humidity | 10-90 % |
Dimensions | 3.39 x 2.11 x 0.85 in. / 86.0 x 53.5 x 21.7mm |
Weight | Approx. 140 g (4.94 oz.) (camera body only) |
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Features & Controls
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