Customer Reviews

Canon PowerShot SD630 6MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(175)
4 star:		(39)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I have had tons of digital cameras before and I have always sold them on eBay to get rid of them. Canon is by far the best digital camera I have ever owned. I previously had an SD10 for the last 3 years and am still happy with it. 3 yrs is a long time for me considering I am a bit of a techie that likes to change all of my electronics whenever a new one comes out. So for me the SD630 is finally a well deserved upgrade...
LOVE IT. The LCD screen is amazing and there are tons of new features that I did not have on my SD10. Everything with this camera is terrific. The only thing and only thing I can say is that there is not a battery meter, the meter only shows up when it is already running out of battery. This was the same for the SD10 and it was quite annoying. Anyways, definately buy a backup battery just in case.
Other than that, you cannot go wrong with this camera...

I just received my Canon SD-630 in the mail today and can already say I am very happy with my purchase. I had been researching cameras the entire week, looking for the right one for my needs.

When I went to the store, Best Buy, I had written down a few camera model numbers that caught my eye. Over the next few days it was interesting to see how my perceptions of these cameras had changed. I had at first liked the 7.1 Megapixel Sony I had put at the top of my list at Best Buy. I based this on merely the camera having a high megapixel count and the looks of the outer casing. But after getting on Amazon and reading product descriptions, going over reviews, and looking at shots submitted by customers all of my original perceptions changed.

While the Sony may have looked good and had a higher megapixel count than my Canon, it was the features that attracted me to the SD-630. I liked that it had some interesting options to play around with besides just the usual camera settings like outdoor, indoor, etc... Besides the basics, the Canon has options like Color Accent and Color Swap. These features really let you produce some unique prints without having to do any post manipulation with programs such as Photoshop. I myself had done similar work with photos using Photoshop, to make certain objects color while the rest of the image remained black and white. But this takes time depending on the object and its nice to be able to achieve the same results without any work! Its also very easy to use and I took some great shots in no time.

Another camera I was interested in was the Kodak V570. After reading the feature list on this camera, such as the Panorama Stitch and Wide Angle Lens I thought it was perfect. Plus the pictures I viewed looked very cool when incorporating these modes. But some of the reviews on the camera turned me away somewhat. Such as having to use the supplied dock as well as Kodak software just to upload the images to my computer or charge the battery. I like the flexibility of the Canon, allowing you to transfer images via USB cable or memory card without having to use any other software. The battery charger is also very compact, no cords or large battery trays, just a simple charger that has a folding plug for easy transport (the charger is the size of a small cell phone - probably smaller).

Yet I still liked the Panorama Stitch option that the Kodak offered and was really considering this camera as my final pick. So I decided to go back to the store and look at these cameras again now that I had done the research and knew what I was looking for. It was a whole different experience than my first visit to Best Buy. When I played with the Kodak it just didn't live up to what I had hoped for. I was put off by the button layout and the overall feel of the camera when compared to the Canon. After finally figuring out how to do the Panorama Stitch, while it was a cool little feature, it just wasn't all that great on the camera. The screen is small and when your grouping so many different images together, 3, its hard to really see what you are doing and to get a shot exactly as you want. I'm sure after some use I would get use to it, but to get the full effect you would have to upload the image to a computer and look at it from there to see if it came out the way you intended. The camera just seemed simple in terms of functionality.

The Canon, which I had tested out before this camera, was a whole different story. I really liked how everything was laid out and the big screen made looking at images so much easier. Thus when you used an option such as Color Accent, you could really get a sense of how the final product turned out and decide if you were happy with the shot (or needed to do a retake) without having to view the image on a computer. It has so many different options to play with that are very useful in the simplest terms; such as Vivid Colors. I took a few pictures of the same objects using this mode and some in just Auto. You can really see a nice subtle difference and in some cases the colors just pop when compared to normal. It is very nice to use and is a great compliment to the camera. Simple features such as this are excellent and let you take great pictures without having to adjust manual settings. But if you would like to tinker with manual options, the camera leaves plenty of room to do this as well (which was another feature I was looking for, as I wanted to get more involved with the camera over time).

The video on this camera is also excellent. I remember taking videos on older digital cameras I have used and they were pretty low quality. I do a lot of video editing and such, and found the video option on this camera to be very nice. It really lets you take some quality footage, that if you showed a clip to someone off of your computer they would think it was taken with a camcorder. Another nice thing about the video is that you can use Color Accent and Color Swap, which I did not know was possible until reading the manual. It makes your video much more interesting if used in the right way and adds a touch that would require high level video editing software (AVID, After Affects) to attain. This does it without any other work.

Overall I am very pleased with this camera and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is thinking of purchasing this model. Like I said, after reading reviews and customer feedback on Amazon as well as other sites that tested these cameras, I completely changed my initial impressions of what I thought I was looking for. If I were you I would make sure to go out and test out cameras you have in your Top 3 after reading all the great information found on this site. It really helps you make a confident decision in your purchase, such as the one I made. I had read before that Canon made excellent digital cameras, some of the best available, and can definitely back that up with my experience in just one day of use. I cant wait to use this camera more often and really get to know the many features it has to offer. I made sure to upload some pictures I just took today for others to see, hope this review has helped in some way.

The only things I would seek to improve on this camera would be the addition of a wide angle lens and better construction of the tiny little door that covers the USB connection and AV cable connetion. It seems a little brittle and I would be very careful when opening and shutting it. Im sure it will be fine with proper caution, but if you were to open it fast or tug on it hardly, it could possibly rip and detach. Only gripe I see to express, but nothing too major.

This Canon SD630 camera replaced my "garbage" Sony that suddenly stopped working. I love this camera!

PROS:
1. HUGE 3" LCD screen (the main reason I bought this camera).
2. Excellent picture quality.
3. Tons of pre-set settings including "fireworks" (which takes perfect photo's of fireworks).
4. Lots of manual settings if you prefer, including high ISO, white balance, etc.
5. Takes top quality videos (at up to 30 frames/sec at 640X480 - similar quality as that of full-featured video cameras).
6. You can upload any WAV and JPG files to personalize all the camera's settings (the sound and picture that shows when you turn on your camera, the sound the shutter makes, the sound of the buttons when navigating settings, etc.).
7. When reviewing your pictures, the built-in "gyro" will flip the orientation of your photo when you tilt the camera going from "portrait mode" to "landscape mode" and vice-versa.
8. The "colour swap" feature will have designers and decorators drooling. You take a picture of say, a house, then aim the pin-point in the middle of the LCD screen at a colour on the house that you want to change and press the shutter button, then aim the camera on the colour you want to change it to and press the shutter button, then voila!, the original picture of the house now appears with the new colour you had just personally selected!
9. It takes only about 15 minutes to fully charge the battery (NB-4L, Li-ion) in the included external battery charger.
10. The "auto create directory" feature is great. You can set the camera to create a new directory every day (or at a certain time) so when returning from your holiday, all your pictures are filed in folders according to the date you took them.
11. The "photo stitch" feature is awesome. Select this feature then snap a picture, rotate yourself a few degrees, take another picture, rotate, etc. The PC software will take all these shots and combine them into one panoramic picture.


CONS:
1. There isn't a visual battery-life meter; it only appears when the battery is almost dead, so it's hard to tell how much battery life you have left until it's too late. I bought a second battery that I carry with my camera just in case.
2. Flimsy cover on the USB and AV/OUT terminals.
3. When you connect the camera to your PC, the camera isn't recognized as a "removable device" (which is preferred with digital cameras), so you can't just copy pictures back and forth in Windows Explorer. The camera requires it's own software to download your pictures.
4. The built-in speaker is located on the top of the camera (it isn't facing you), so it's difficult to hear videos when you're playing them back on the LCD screen.

The "PROS" far outweigh the "CONS" with this camera. I couldn't be happier with my purchase. Prepare to meet new people when you're out using this camera - people are amazed at the size of the LCD screen.

I purchased this camera as a replacement for my SD-400. I loved the SD-400 except that I broke the LCD twice. I was not about to replace the LCD for a second time so I went shopping for a new camera. I take over 1,000 photos a week on this camera as I use it as a primary tool in my job. They have added a rigid protection barrier for the LCD whih pretty much eliminates my only complaint with previous SD Models. Let me give you my quick Pro / Con List:

Pros:

-Size: It is the perfect size. I can't imagine working with a camera that is any smaller.
-Weight: It is light weight and easily fits in your pocket even after you put it in a hardshell case.
-Picture Quality: Far superior picture quality as compared to other 6 MegaPixel Cameras. This is of course due to the higher quality lenses and the precision auto focusing.
-Availability of backup batteries: Duracell makes an excellent battery for this camera. NB-4L It is fairly inexpensive as Lithium Ion batteries go and it is easy to find.
-SD Memory: It takes SD card memory which make life easier and less expensive.
-3" LCD. The LCD on this camera is very larger and it is beautiful. Feels like I am using my MiniDV Camera.
-Software Interface: This camera is very easy to use and the menus are intuitive and simple to navigate.
-LCD Protection: The LCD is behind a rigid clear protecting surface which seems to be fairly resistant to damage.

Cons:

-Battery Life. This camera does not use AA Batteries so if you have a 512MB card or larger, then you will probably have to charge the battery before you get through the entire card. The large LCD uses a bit more energy so this camera doesn't have as much battery life as its predecessor. The trade off is well worth it in my opinion. I recommend purchasing a backup battery (NB-4L) for those long sessions.
-No View Finder: There is no view finder, means in the really bright sun it is somewhat difficult to take pictures. Although it is not as others I have owned.

I recommend this camera to anyone who wants fantastic quality photos and an easy to use easy to carry camera.

Good Luck!

The Canon PowerShot SD630 is a small yet fierce compact point-and-shoot camera. This little 6-megapixel camera managed to bundle performance and snappy photos into a package you can easily carry in your shirt or pants pocket. I recently upgraded from the Canon SD450, and I am so glad that I got the SD630 (rather than the SD600). THE SD630 is almost identical to its little brother, the PowerShot SD600. The SD630 incorporates the same sensor, lens, and internal components. The only advantage over the less expensive SD600 is its 3-inch LCD screen, but had to lose the viewfinder in the process (which I never used anyway).

The first thing that jumped out and caught my attention is the (relatively) HUGE 3" LCD screen. It provides plenty of room to frame your shot but not so much room to operate the camera. Granted, the pixel count on this screen is the same as the 2.5" screen on the SD600, I still like the larger view. The buttons on the back include a standard four-way rocker control pad, menu, display, and a button for printing when the camera is hooked up to a PictBridge-compatible printer. If you have large hands, you'll probably find its control layout a little uncomfortable, and it doesn't have an optical viewfinder, but the SD630 is still a great compact camera. Once you get the hang of it, the pad allows "easy" navigation around the menu system, and you can directly set options such as the self-timer, continuous shooting, macro, flash, and ISO sensitivity. The top edge of the camera holds the shutter release, the zoom rocker, the power button, and a slider for switching between photo, movie, and playback modes. The zoom rocker is a tabbed ring around the shutter release similar to the SD600, facing the front edge of the camera. Some users have mentioned that it is uncomfortable for large fingers and extremely awkward to operate with one hand, especially when zooming out. I have large/x-large hands, and I find no problems using the controllers.

The Canon PowerShot SD630 has a decent amount of features that give its tiny form a nice amount of flexibility. Canon couples a 6-megapixel CCD with up to 3x optical zoom (35mm-to-105mm equivalent) lens. The lens has a pretty narrow maximum aperture of f/2.8 to f/4.9, with a shutter-speed range of 1/1,500 second to 15 seconds, average numbers for models in this space. The camera has automatic, program, and manual exposure modes with a range of plus or minus 2EV in 1/3EV steps, which is also on a par with the competition. Its sensitivity range goes as high as ISO 800; that's not quite as much as Fujifilm's and Sony's latest offerings, but it will still give you more low-light flexibility than most cameras of its size.

I won't go into the details of the measurements, but I have to mention that it is less than an inch thick with its lens tucked in (great to carry around). It is easier to carry around than the SD450, or my ancient S200 (yes, the CompactFlash version!). I liked that the right side of the body is somewhat shaped/curved, because it lets the user hold the camera comfortably in your right hand.

In addition to standard automatic and manual exposure modes, the SD630 offers a handful of scene modes. One will also find options for photographing beaches, plants, snowy days, and fireworks (not available on the SD450). It even has an underwater mode to use in conjunction with the optional underwater housing (for extra $$). Color Accent and Color Swap modes can filter and change colors in the camera, producing some neat artistic effects. And, the camera has an awesome 30fps VGA movie capture mode, which can be used in conjuction with the Color Accent modes and other features. I've shot a 45 minute movie of my 4-month old daughter (I have a 2Gb SD card) with no hiccups, and I think I could have gone longer.

The SD630 takes a little over a second from power-on to the first shot, and takes about 2 seconds between shots, which increases marginally with flash. I haven't tried the burst mode yet, but it is supposed to shoot at 2.1fps with no buffer constraint on the number of shots.

So far, the photos I have taken with the SD630 were quite pleasing, looked crisp and clear, and nice color reproduction (at least with my poor eyes) at the lower ISO range. However, images become noisy at ISO 400 and ISO 800 (as expected), but still usable. I will be doing a field test against my Digital SLR (Nikon D100), results pending. Also, I have not used the bundled software, which is supposed to be very good.

Conclusion:

I am happy with my purchase of the Canon PowerShot SD630. It is an extremely solid ultra compact, with performance and photo quality that more than make up for its very few design flaws. It's a surprisingly good shooter, and its feature set makes it quite flexible for a camera of its size. It is a more expensive version of the PowerShot SD600 ($50-100 more), with a larger screen and no optical viewfinder. Personally, I don't use the viewfinder, so I am willing to give it up for the larger LCD.

I borrowed my daughter's SD630 on a 10 day trip to Greece with some friends. One of them had brought a new Canon EOS 5D but forgot to pack his flash (it doesn't have a pop up). I had a scandisk ultra II 2G card but I was taking so many good shots, I had to download the photos each day onto my laptop which allowed us to compare the performances between SD630 and EOS 5D daily. My SD630 took crystal clear shots just like the 5D (which retails for about $2,500??) on outdoor shots which is pretty remarkable but SD630 with High ISO (800) setting blew away the 5D on indoor shots. During the trip, we visited many museums where flash photography was not allowed, and my SD630 was the only one in the group taking incredibly sharp pictures in low light situations with consistency.

SD630 with its large LCD (which automatically switches between landscape and protrait in review mode) and easy to use thumb dial allowed me to take shots with great ease in changing conditions. I was able to turn off the flash, set the ISO to high, and etc with ease that I was able to take shots so quickly where as a slower trigger might have missed the shot.

I also tested out the macro settings where the SD630 performed flawlessly.

It is small enough to fit in my palm while large enough for the trip of a life time. Unlike SLR's, I was able to take the SD630 everywhere during the trip which meant I was merely a power button away from a great shot. I was so impressed with the SD630, I finally chose Canon over Nikon in buying a SLR for myself. I bought a new Rebel XTi with 18-55mm lens. I do like the XTi's combination of versatility and functionality, but so far especialy on indoor shots where no flash is to be used, I am just amazed by the quiet and yet powerful performance of the SD630. Maybe I just don't know how to use the XTi to its potential yet, but so far, I think the SD630 is taking better shots than the XTi or the 5D. The pictures speak for themselves for me. I don't think I will return the XTi, but seeing the photos, my wife is convinced that I am keeping the SLR because it is a "cooler" looking gadget than the point-and-shoot. Deep down, I think she's right. SD630 is a fantastic point-and-shoot camera which produces high end results. As I use my new XTi on the next photo opportunities, I will be wondering if the shots will be coming out as good as the SD630 can produce.

First of all, I am a Canon girl. My first digicam was one of the first Digital Elphs on the market (the really thick ones). When everyone was getting their Sony cybershots for Christmas, I bought a SD10 and everyone was jealous of it. Then I moved on to the Canon digital rebel, but I was in the market for a new compact one. I still love my SD10 as a compact camera, but I wanted one with more features.

My first choice for my new digital camera was going to be the SD700. I was determined to get it by the time I got to my local best buy. The SD630 and the SD700 sat right next to each other in the display and the SD630 was the one that caught my eye. I think it was the bigger screen. I wanted to play around with the SD700 a little bit, but it was not charged so I couldn't really get a feel for it. But after going back and forth with the SD630 and the SD700, I decided on the SD630 for 2 reasons: (1) I didn't really need the stabilized zoom of the SD700. (2) I liked the bigger screen of the SD630. Those were pretty much the big differences between the two. That and the $100 difference which I used to splurge on a 2 gig memory card.

The camera SD630 is an amazing product for the price. Its resolution is 6.0 megapixels, which isn't the highest anymore but is the same as the original Digital Rebel from Canon, which I also own. This camera is replacing my Fujifilm 4800 which I bought 5 years ago at $500. This camera was only $270, about half the price and 3X the resolution and 1/3 the size of the 4800! Here's my breakdown of the camera:

PROS:
very compact
solid construction
large 3" LCD screen
Excellent optical lens
amazing video capibilities (rivaling camcorders)
lots of options to play around with
great stitching tool makes it a breeze to create panoramic views from several photos
80-800 ISO
fast start up
fast shutter speed (15 sec-1/1500 sec)
excellent macro option
great price

CONS:
Battery life is somewhat weak compared to other cameras in this class
LCD isn't the highest resolution for a large screen
flimsy battery/SD card door
can't switch SD cards while on tripod
NO image stabilization
options in menus can be somewhat hard to find
EXIF doesn't let you see the ISO for some reason
35mm is not wide enough view for a 2006 camera
No battery life indicator until its almost dead
comes with a pathetic 16meg SD card (buy at least a 1 gig)

All in all this camera is an awesome value, 6 megapixels is plenty for enlargements and the picture quality is almost as good as my Rebel. Better than a $3000 camera just five years ago shows how technology just keeps getting better and better and cheaper.

Canon truly put themselves out by making this terrific camera. Of course there a few minor frustrations here and there, but nothing that wouldn't come with any typical snapshot camera. Here are just some little things I'd like to point out:

-Since only the 700 has the image stabilization feature, the 630 has a little blurring with shaky hands and action shots, but does well overall. If you use the flash, it usually will eliminate the blur.

-The sd630 does very well in dim lighting, as long as you have a sure hand.

-The fireworks and color swap features really don't work THAT well, but they're fun to play around with. A lot of the canon features make subtle differences though that only are noticable on a computer screen size--don't doubt that there's a difference! A good example of this is the "vivid" color feature. The colors do not seem that different on the lcd screen, but on a computer screen, the color is gorgeous.

-I would say that the enormous lcd screen makes the camera worth going for this over the 600, without a doubt. Not only does the screen make it wonderfully easy to snap pictures, but the styling really separates this camera from the others in the line, or even other brands (notably, the sony cybershot). I wouldn't normally care too much about the camera's appearance, but the sd630 offers great performance as well as a stylish look. People often stop and comment at how much they like the camera. One note of warning-the screen is succeptible to scratches because of its size, so be sure to have a camera case.

-How to handle the software: I was very annoyed when my pictures were downloaded and each day's pictures had their own file. If you would be annoyed with this as well, heed the following advice. Because the software did that, this meant that I had about 20 different folders and could not look at my pictures that I'd taken in the past month all together. My advice:when the download window comes up on your computer, choose the "select images" option. This command will bring up another window, which you ought to choose "select all images" and then click "download pictures". When the final window pops up, check the "create subfolder" option and choose "new name" from the list. This way, the pictures that you download all at once may be placed in one large folder under "my pictures" or wherever you have placed your pictures. This really makes it much easier to view or show others pictures on the computer.

-If you'd prefer to use the canon software, by all means, go ahead. However, having used the canon software, I would advise downloading Picasa, Google's pciture software. It's a free and wonderfully simple download and the software is infinitely better. The only feature Picasa does not have is stitch assist, but for the ease of use, who cares?

-The sd630 has many great options, like direct printing from the camera and slideshow mode. Also, the 630 can erase all images at once, it is just a menu option. Reviewing pictures with friends is delightfully easy, and you can zoom in very far, very quickly. The options for picturetaking are endless-you may choose the iso, flash type, and even use digital macro along with other features. The digital macro is amazing- you can come within centimeters of your subject.

-The 630 is great for sharing your pictures with people because the camera is SO simple to figure out-no tricks. One main button controls flipping between camera mode, picture taking, and reviewing. Zooming is a breeze and no one ever questions which buttons to press to take a picture. The buttons have been refined to a stylish few and are unobtrusive. All are labeled, so there's no guesswork. The picture taking options are under the menu option, and may be chosen on the screen--may be changed very quickly. This eliminates the rotating button with confusing symbols like that of the sony cybershots.

-Finally, and most importantly, the color and pictures are great. Canon has a very distinguishable picture--the typical "Canon color" is meant to please the owner and it sure does. The colors are bright and crisp. The pictures are the true reward for owning this camera.

I purchased this camera when it was first released in anticipation of my upcoming summer trip to Europe. I upgraded to this 6MP Canon from my two and a half year old 5MP Sony DSC-P10, a camera that was becoming increasingly irritating both because of the small 1.5" LCD screen and how long it took to take a simple photo.

Let me tell you-- when I was traveling through Europe, I was so glad I had this camera.

Not only did it take fantastic pictures, the 3" LCD screen made it easier to see photos (although it was a little difficult in bright sunshine, a problem when I was in Greece) and decide whether or not I wanted to retake a particular picture. I loved all the different shooting options, and the color accent was particularly fun to play around with. It was a little more difficult taking pictures at night, and it would have helped if this camera had the image stablization that comes with the SD700 and now the SD800 as well. Both the optical and digital zoom were amazing, although using the digital zoom produces noisier pictures as expected.

I also loved the navigation wheel on the camera, which functions almost like an iPod when you're scrolling through pictures. It made it easier to find the photo I wanted and fast! There's also a slideshow, which I used every night when reviewing my pictures from the day's adventures.

I didn't mind that there was no viewfinder, because I never used it anyway. My biggest problem is that there is no battery indicator, so I was constantly nervously charging my battery at night when I was in hostels, just to be sure that it wouldn't die on me the next day. It was only a problem when I was in Paris and the battery died because I didn't charge it the previous night. I didn't take that many pictures a day, maybe 50-60 max daily, but I spent a lot of time playing around with the pictures after I took them, or just looking at them on the LCD screen later that night. I can't really comment on the battery life since I charged it almost every night while I was traveling, but it sure would have been useful to have a battery indicator to let me know how much was left. I would definitely recommend getting a backup battery, just in case.

I definitely like this camera much more than my previous one. It's faster when taking pictures than the Sony ever was, and the screen makes it more enjoyable to take photos. My family has several digital cameras, and of all of the different brands we own I think that Canon is superior (vs. Olympus, Leica digital, and Nikon). This camera took a little getting used to when compared to the others, which I could simply take out of box, charge, and use. I had to read the manual to learn how to navigate through the menus, but it's easy to pick up and learn.

All in all, this camera was well worth the money when I bought it over a hundred dollars more than it's listed for on Amazon now, so at the price it is now it's a bargain!