Canon PowerShot SD940IS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-inch LCD (Black)

by Canon

• 12.1-megapixel resolution; 28mm wide-angle lens with 4x optical zoom and Canon's Optical Image Stabilizer
• Capture 720p HD movies; HDMI output connector for easy playback on your HDTV
• Crisp 2.7-inch PureColor System LCD with wide viewing angle
• Improved Smart AUTO intelligently selects from 22 predefined shooting situations
• Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.5 x 2.2 x 0.8 inches ; 4.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B002LITT6U
• Item model number: SD940IS Black
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (165 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,963 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: August 19, 2009

Product Description

Color: Black

From the Manufacturer

Your camera says a lot about you--and according to Canon’s new PowerShot SD940 IS, you’re into hot design and cool technology. Emerging from your jeans pocket or purse like a sleek little jewel, the PowerShot SD940 IS makes a statement before you even take a picture. And the new menu ensures easy access to all its advanced Canon technology, where 12 megapixels, improved Smart AUTO Mode and 720p HD movies are just the beginning.

PowerShot SD940 Highlights

4x optical zoom in action

Never leave home without this sleek polished camera
It’s so easy to have the PowerShot SD940 IS on hand wherever you go. Sized to fit anywhere from your jeans pocket to your smallest handbag, you’ll never miss another photo op. All those imitators out there can’t begin to capture the design icon status of a Canon ELPH. New for the PowerShot SD940 IS: smooth lines and brilliant simplicity are rendered in four memorable metallics.

12.1-megapixel resolution, a 28mm Wide-Angle Lens with 4x optical zoom and Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer
Canon’s commitment to innovation defines the excitement of the PowerShot SD940 IS. 12.1-egapixel resolution is more than a number, it’s your cutting-edge link to the outstanding clarity and quality you’ve always wanted in your images. Think bold and big, because razor-sharp oversized prints are a breeze. Get the picture? It’s absolutely brilliant.

The PowerShot SD940 IS has a 4x optical zoom lens that makes it easy to get the inspiring, emotive close-ups that will make your images lasting keepsakes. This magnificent lens gives you the power to shoot distant subjects with razor-sharp precision and stunning lifelike color. So you can brilliantly capture a closer shot of a landscape, or a child’s big smile.

The PowerShot SD940 IS is equipped with Canon’s acclaimed Optical Image Stabilizer Technology that automatically detects and corrects camera shake--one of the leading causes of fuzzy or blurred shots. Even when zoomed in, you can get the steady, crisp, brilliant images you’ll be proud to shoot and share. And Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer Technology is so convenient to use. It functions perfectly with or without a flash.

720p HD movie shooting capability plus HDMI output
The PowerShot SD940 IS lets you record video in beautiful high definition (1,280 x 720 pixels). The camera also makes it easy to enjoy HD movies (and still photos) on your HDTV with a mini-HDMI connector for direct connection to a high-definition monitor or TV. You’ll enjoy the HD experience with no degradation of image or audio in the signal, plus the ability to display up to 130 thumbnails at once.

Large, crisp 2.7-inch PureColor System LCD with wide viewing angle
The PowerShot SD940 IS gives you a large 2.7-inch PureColor System LCD screen for excellent control when framing your shots. Canon’s PureColor System LCD offers spectacular color, resolution and contrast even when viewed at an angle. The screen is highly durable and easy to see in any light with a scratch-resistant, anti-reflective coating. It also features Night Display for easy viewing in low light--a perfect feature for gathering friends and family around to see your images.

Improved Smart AUTO Mode intelligently selects the proper settings
Just set the Canon PowerShot SD940 IS to Smart AUTO and you’re ready for maximum enjoyment from your picture taking every time. It’s a relaxing and satisfying way to shoot because you can completely concentrate on your subject, knowing that the camera has the technical details covered. Advanced Canon technology intelligently analyzes your situation and shooting conditions. Then it automatically selects an appropriate setting from 22 specially defined settings. So whether you’re photographing flowers, a captivating sunset or your friends at the park, you can be confident that you’re getting dramatic, memorable images. Even if your subject is moving, Canon’s advanced detection technologies capture the action as it happens.

Shooting Modes
Advanced presets for the best possible photos under certain conditions. With 20 Shooting Modes, you’re ready for whatever shot comes your way.

Easy to use with built in hints and tips
PowerShot SD940 IS lets you focus on the fun and creativity of photography by making your shooting experience easy and intuitive. While you’re shooting, you’ll see helpful hints and informative tips for each function right on the PureColor System LCD monitor. Shooting information is in plain language--no advanced photographic knowledge required. And Canon has even made it easier to search for images on your computer by including the shooting date in the folder name.

What's in the Box

• PowerShot SD940 IS Body
• Lithium-ion Battery Pack NB-4L
• Battery Charger CB-2LV
• Wrist Strap WS-DC7
• Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM
• USB Interface Cable IFC-400PCU
• AV Cable AVC-DC400

Product Description

Never leave home without this sleek polished camera; in timeless colors of muted metallics to match any mood. Filled with features such as a 12.1 Megapixel resolution a 28mm Wide-Angle Lens with 4x Optical Zoom and Canonapos;s Optical Image Stabilizer. 720p HD movie shooting capability plus HDMI output connector for easy playback of video and photos on your HDTV. Large crisp 2.7-inch PureColor System LCD with wide viewing angle great for sharing photos and videos with friends. Improved Smart AUTO Mode intelligently selects the proper settings for the camera based on 22 predefined shooting situations. Easy to use with built in hints and tips.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

176 of 182 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable little camera! September 30, 2009

By "Gimpy" Peach Johnson

Color Name:Silver|Amazon Verified Purchase

My last digital camera was a 3.1 MP Kodak EasyShare DX6340 -- a nice little point and shoot in its day, but that was seven years ago! Though it still works like a champ, I decided it was time to upgrade to something a little more compact that also offered better picture quality *and* HD video. I spent over a month shopping around, looking at Canon, Panasonic, and Sony models, and toyed with the idea of sacrificing small size (and HD video) to go with the new Canon G11. Finally, I settled on the new SD940 IS as a reasonable compromise between size, features, and picture quality. I'm very happy I bought this thing -- so far it has really impressed me!

This thing is TINY -- it's about the same size and weight as my old Motorola RAZR cell phone (when folded closed). Still, it feels quite solid. Despite the compact size, it delivers amazing performance. It boots up quickly, menus are snappy, and shot-to-shot delay is minimal. Picture quality is very good -- nothing extraordinary, but nothing to sneeze at either. I shot a number of test photos over the past couple days and I'm quite pleased. Macro mode shots are amazingly crisp and detailed. Outdoors in medium sun, I did notice some tell-tale "purple fringing" around high contrast areas (the dark green leaves of a tree against a white cloud had a discernible purple halo around them when I zoomed in on the image). I don't know that other P&S cameras of this size will necessarily do any better with the purple fringing, but I didn't find it to be too bothersome. On my monitor colors looked quite natural, not overly-saturated nor washed out. I tried some of the manual ISO settings and below 400 I didn't notice any grain or problematic fuzziness. Obviously, you can't expect SLR quality with a P&S, but I'm very happy with the pictures this thing turns out.

The aspect that really sold me on this camera is the HD video. Of course, I mostly wanted this to take stills, but I wanted the flexibility to switch to video when the moment calls for it. For such a tiny camera, the HD video quality is stunning! Very fluid motion, sharp picture, and remarkably clear audio! The video is best in brightly-lit situations of course, but it does quite well in low light too if you don't mind a little grain in the image. You can choose between several memory-saving standard-def settings and high-def (which switches to widescreen format automatically). While the optical zoom cannot be used in video mode, you CAN use the digital zoom up to 4x while recording -- a nice little bonus. The video files produced are .MOV files which I was able to import into iMovie on my Mac with complete ease (and very quickly too!).

The control buttons are indeed small and flat, but I have had no trouble managing them (it helps if your fingernails are not trimmed too short). People with larger hands or very short fingernails might have a little more difficulty. I'm still getting used to menu navigation on this, but it seems fairly intuitive. I spent ten minutes reading through the "getting started" guide that comes with it, and that was helpful in outlining the basic features, but there are a lot more that the guide doesn't cover. This *does* use a proprietary battery, but the charger is fortunately very compact and charges the battery to capacity in 90 minutes. It doesn't bother me that the battery has to be taken out of the camera for charging. So far, after two days, I have not depleted the battery, so I can't comment yet on how long battery life is, but mine has already lasted through several hours of use and is still going strong.

This may not be the most versatile camera on the market -- full manual controls are limited -- but for a simple-to-use, high-quality P&S camera with crisp pictures and HD video, I think it would be hard to beat the SD940 IS. It is extremely small and lightweight and does all that most casual users could want. It may be a bit pricey compared to some others, but it's worth every penny. By the way, if you plan to use the HD video feature, be sure to get a Class 6 or higher SD memory card for best results. (Lower-rated cards may not be fast enough to capture the stream of information being written to the card). Don't skimp on the card -- cheap off-brands are not always reliable and may soon die, taking your irreplaceable photos and videos with them. I got a few SanDisk Extreme III 8GB Class 6 cards to go with this and they work great!

Highly recommended!

142 of 153 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed, looking for replacement December 31, 2009

By Kevin K. Fosler

Color Name:Black|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have had many Canon cameras over the years, so I expected a lot from this camera. Prior to this one I had a SD880IS which was larger but had a really good design with a larger LCD and raised controls (not flush like this one).

More about the camera .....

The main thing I don't like about the camera is that with the auto mode I got some blurry shots. That was indoor on auto with flash off while subject is not completely still.

I had much better luck in program mode. I think for what I was trying to do the "kids and pets" scene mode would have worked better.

I always take shots with the flash off because I want natural lighting so maybe I'm just expecting too much of the camera.

What I do like:

- Black color, very nice looking

- VERY portable. With the leather case I could keep it with me all the time. The leather case has a belt loop and fits the camera very well.

- HD movie mode, although it can get jumpy if you are indoors and moving around, so the camera needs to be very steady (using both hands helps a lot).

The menus are OK but I'd like access to ISO via a dedicated button rather than through the menus.

So, I am selling mine at a very low price. The other reviews, IMO, are accurate -- I am probably just expecting too much from this camera's auto mode.

Update:

I sold the camera today (1-11-2010). The camera I bought to replace it is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. It produces much better pictures in Auto mode, produces consistently good pictures in other modes, has better HD video that is much more stable, and many other things that I prefer (including 12x optical zoom).

Note, however, that it lacks one major advantage that the Canon SD940IS has -- the incredibly small size. It was a hard decision to sell the SD940IS because with its small size and the excellent belt case available that fits it perfectly, I could have it with me wherever I went and I would hardly notice it on my belt. For a lot of people that will be the deciding advantage, so it's a matter of priorities.

In the end, I decided that it was too confusing for me to have two cameras. I have found that every camera has its learning curve, and that to take good pictures with many cameras one must take the time to experiment with the various settings. The Panasonic is much more forgiving and produces better point-and-shoot pictures with less experience. I suspect that the Canon SD940 can also provide good results but that to obtain them I would have had to spend more time learning how to use the manual settings.

I will still keep my eye on the Canon Elph cameras and predict that I will come back to them at some point in the future. For now though the Panasonic meets my needs better -- your mileage may vary.

Update 4-2-2010

I bought the successor to this camera, the SD1400IS, and like it much better. It seems like it sometimes takes Canon a few iterations of a "form factor" before they get it right (in my opinion). The pictures are clearer, and the video much more smooth on the SD1400IS. I wrote a review of that camera and suggest people skip the SD940IS and consider the SD1400IS instead.

76 of 80 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Upgraded from Canon SD750 September 29, 2009

By M A

Color Name:Black

Please do not be scared away from this camera because of the idiotic 1 star review over battery charging preferences. This is an amazing camera that takes terrific quality photos. The auto mode is fantastic. Just literally take out of the box and start to point & shoot and pictures are clear, lighting perfect ,etc. The IS function is great. This was lacking in my 750 (which I loved - but had to replace when I lost it). Also added HD video which is a nice touch. My videos are super clear and the sound is quite good as well. Setting it to Manual mode is quite fun and can really enhance pictures, especially low light and outdoor photos. The ISO settings aren't nearly as good as my now ancient Fuji F10 but just ok. However, this camera makes up for it with its incredible auto mode, lightweight feel and crisp clear photos. If you are looking for SLR quality then go buy one of those. If you are looking for a very portable camera that you can take with you everywhere and makes new meaning to the saying 'point-and-shoot', then this camera is for you. Don't miss any shots while trying to find the perfect settings. Set it to Auto and go! This camera will not disappoint.

PS. I have this one in the blue color. Be careful it scratches easily. Get a protective sleeve if you are concerned about that kind of thing. I however am more concerned with the quality of my photos. ;)