Customer Reviews

Canon Powershot SD10 4MP Digital Camera (Black)

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

if canon's sd100 was still too big for you, the sd10 is an even smaller alternative. but you give up the optical zoom.

pros:
- 4MP resolution!
- ultra-compact at 3.6 x 1.9 x 0.7" weighing 3.5oz. this is the smallest canon to date.
- stylish, all-metal body and you it is available in four colors: bronze, white, black, or silver.
- fast startup.
- fast shot to shot times.
- minimal shutter lag at faster shutter speeds.
- impressive overall photo quality for such a small camera.
- 5 point AiAF system.
- Quick Shot feature allows you to take pictures without prefocusing.
- very good macro performance.
- AF assist light is very useful for low-light focusing.
- has a metal tripod mount, which is not present in all the ultra-compact cameras.
- easy to use menu system.

cons:
- some redeye.
- above average noise.
- some barrel distortion.
- no optical zoom.
- more manual controls would have been nice (or at least some scene modes).
- no optical viewfinder - this makes it tough when you use this camera in bright sunlight.
- solidly built except for the camera/SD door which feels less robust.
- RAW and TIFF formats not supported.
- expensive for the feature set but you're paying for the ultra-compact package and the panache of this little gem.
- metal body scratches easily.
- 32MB SD card provided is inadequate so add $$ to your budget to buy external memory.
- proprietary battery - again, a few more bucks for a spare.

this is another solid effort from canon. i particularly like the photo quality (especially coming in an ultra-compact package), the AiAF system, the AF assist light, and the body color options. not having optical zoom and very few manual controls top my complaints, but i guess some compromises had to made to come up with these features in such a small package. competitors would be the pentax optio s or casio ex-z3 which are slightly bigger and only have 3MP resolution but have 3x optical zoom. for even better image quality (in a slightly bigger package), also consider canon's sd100. if you can live with a bigger camera, take a look at canon's a80, which has a lot more features in the same price range.

i hope this helps you with your buying decision. peace.

The following website suggested that our SD10 cameras were limited to 256MB of SD Memory: http://www.ec.kingston.com/ecom/configurator/modelsinfo.asp?SysID=+16648+&distributor=0&submit1=Search

So, I e-mailed Canon's technical support group, and they replied with the following information: "As long as the memory is the standard SD memory card you will have no problem at using any size card you would like with the SD-10. Hope this clears up any confusion."

So, If you are tempted to buy a 512MB SD card, just make sure it is "standard SD memory" and you will be fine. I recently bought a 512MB SanDisk card myself because the movies chew through lots of memory.

I am a hard-to-impress techno geek, and I really like this product. The first thing everyone said when I went to took pictures during Thanksgiving was "look at how small that camera is!" It is tiny! And, I am amazed at how many features they were able to cram into that tiny package. I have another 2MP Polaroid digital camera with built-in printer. It is a monster to carry around. My justification for upgrading to the 4MP SD-10 was that it would be easier to carry around. And, so it is.

When I went to buy memory, I was a little disappointed at the fact that the SD memory is so much more expensive than the Compact Flash memory. I found 1GB cards of compact flash out there for around the same price as the 512MB SD memory cards. So, going with another version of the Powershot that uses compact flash could make economical sense if these memory prices persist.

I shot some pictures without the flash in a "barely-lit" room with ISO400 turned on, and the pictures turned out to be as bright as if the sun were out. I was amazed at how well they turned out in the low lighting.

The super-macro feature is "mind-bogglingly-awesome". I shot a picture of a tiny piece of lint, and it turned out to show a ton of detail on the lint. It was as if I was looking through a microscope or something. That is a super-cool feature of this camera that I have never seen before.

I don't really miss the viewfinder since the LCD screen is very high-res and easy to see. The camera is so small that it almost feels like you are taking spy pictures in an old James Bond movie.

If they would just throw a hand-held PC, MP3 player, and cell phone into this camera, I would only have to carry 1 device around with me. I'm sure versions of this already exist, but just not with such a high-quality version of a 4MP camera.

My bottom line is that this camera is still a winner (5 stars) despite the higher cost of memory, lack of a view-finder, pricey cost of the camera itself and lack of optical zoom capability.

I just got the camera yesterday and immediately started playing with it. Like all other Canons, robust built, feels and touched nice and expensive. Didn't have to read the manual since this is my fouth Canon over the past several years in the ultra compact line. I like my camera to be very small and light and still robust enough to survive small accidents. The startup time is excellent, pretty much like point and shoot. The display adjusts very rapidly to different lighting conditions. An optical viewfinder wold have been great, but the display is sufficient for me. The picture quality in daylight is great, evening pictures with flash are good . Movie quality in low light condition is for me at least sufficient with little distortion. The audio playback in this tiny device is loud enough to understand everything recorded. The camera can be customized with different startup pictures and sounds for all kinds of functions. The camera came with the usual software, an updated version of Zoombrowser ex and some editing software. Since I use my own preferred software to organize and edit my pictures (good old photoshop and picasa), I only assume that Canon put together an easy to use software package for the novice user.
But the camera also has some drawbacks: It is quiet difficult for people with bigger hands to remove the SD card safely and without breaking the card/battery door. As stated by the previous post, the door somehow doesn't fit the rest of the camera. It is made of cheap plastic (the rest of the camera is metal) and doesn't close all the way. I'm afraid it might break off when changing the SD card or battery in a hurry. (better keep your fingernails long to pull out that SD card!)
The battery life seems to be sufficient, but I ordered a spare battery just in case.
The leather case that came with the package is well made but a little oversized for the camera. It is also missing a pocket for a spare battery or addtl. SD card.
Alltogether it was well worth waiting for this device after they stole my old S 330 about two months ago.

Eclipsed ONLY by the lower-end Casio Exilim cameras in sheer compactness, the appeal of the SD10 in all its various colors is obvious: 4 megapixel snapshots in a package so compact that it won't even feel like a presence in your pocket. For those desiring a digital camera half as a camera and half as a fashion accessory, this is the way to go.

For those more performance minded, however, consider the following.

Pros:
-Smallest 4 megapixel digi-cam on the market.
-Slightly above average start-up time (especially important for snapshooters, whom this camera is geared toward).
-Sleek, sexy design.
-Canon's 5 point autofocus system, while not especially powerful, is better than the average ultracompact 4 megapixel camera's system.
-Canon's image sensor captures better quality images than most other cameras do, within the same style.
-Canon STILL uses Compact Flash technology, which is a significantly cheaper media than sD or xD, so you save money here as opposed to competing cameras.

Cons:
-Picture quality is noticably worse than Canon's other 4 megapixel cameras (S400/410, A75/80, S45). You pay for the compactness somehow: apparently this is how.
-No optical zoom. While a larger-than-you-might-think majority of people actually do not have much need for optical zoom in an everyday setting, those purchasing this camera for trips may be disappointed.
-NO OPTICAL VIEWFINDER. Again, most people who purchase an ultracompact digi-cam aren't photo enthusiasts and are content to snap off pictures using the LCD as their only reference, but this is bound to be a factor for some customers. I wouldn't purchase this camera on this point alone, but only because I avoid using the LCD for anything at all times because of the drain it puts on the battery. Not to mention Canon compacts have a tiny (1.5") LCD that warrants use of the optical viewfinder.

Having said all that, I have to recommend that anyone looking at getting this camera STRONGLY consider the Canon S410 as an alternative. It is only mildly larger than this camera and has the same resolution, settings, but much better photo quality. It also has a 3x optical zoom lens, which ends up being an asset at times you didn't expect (think: those 30th row floor seats at a concert, capturing that mountain view from a distance, that gorgeous woman you spied walking across the other side of the club).

Misc. Note for a large number of digi-cam purchasers:
90% of people who purchase a camera with higher than 3 megapixel resolution do not need it. With a 3 megapixel camera, you can make prints of up to 5 x 7 without a noticable loss of quality, and barely any loss of quality for 8 x 10. If your computer is running at 1600x1200 resolution, the maximum size picture taken by a 3 megapixel camera will more than fill the screen. The moral of the story is this: do not be lured by larger megapixel sensors that you do not need. Look at how the camera performs in other ways, and what features you'd find the most useful. The only reasons you might want a larger resolution camera are: because you intend to crop a large majority of your photos, because you want to make poster-size prints, or because you're a graphic artist that needs to be working with as many pixels as possible to ensure quality.

I got this small camera because I needed a quality camera which I can carry on my belt for those instant shots. Boy, I am extremely impressed with the quality of the pictures! I also have a Sony F828 8 Megapixel and let me tell you, this camera is up there if you are just printing an 8x10. It was a bit difficult to tell which pictures came from which camera unless you look really close. I also have a Sony Cyber Shot V1 (5 Meg) and the Alph is also up there with the V1, but the Alph's pictures are more colorful than the V1. The V1 is also an impressive camera but not as portable and not quite as color-saturated. The flash on this is much better than the Nikon 5000 because the Nikon flash was too bright most of the time and inconsistent. The color saturation of the Alph is similar to the old Nikon 950, which I love - but the images are much sharper on the SD-10 Alph. It comes with a very nice leather belt holster about the same size as your cell phone and it's just great for portability, virtually un-noticeable. I just absolutely love this camera and have it on me all the time. Get one, you won't regret it.

The picture at Amazon makes it look huge in comparison (once you take it out of the box, you will be stunned at the actual size). I almost made the mistake of getting the Casio because it is so tiny, but reviewers said the 4MP Casio was a complete sham (more like 2MP) so I got this one instead. Very glad. Night mode is excellent and everything else is Elph quality- basically what you'd expect. Pretty tough too.

Just to be sure, I got a "standard" memory card because I was told the other ones wouldn't be compatible?

This is perfect for you if you are looking for a small, portable digital Camera. You can take this thing anywhere.

Pros:
1. Size and weight - I love the fact that you can just drop it in your pocket and head on out. It's small, sleek, and light weigt.
2. Picture quality - At 4 megapixels, this is not a technological lightweight when it comes to picture clarity. The pictures I have taken so far have come out excellent.
3. Canon Quality - Canon makes great digital cameras that feel sturdy and are well - built.

Cons:
1. Digital Zoom/Lack of optical zoom - The zoom feature of this camera is not good at all. It's a trade-off for its compact size. When using the digital zoom, the pictures dont come out very sharp.
2. Red-eye - You will note a tendency for images to have a bit of red-eye in the subjects. That's not much of a problem if you have image editing software.

Suggestions:
1. Buy a bigger Memory Card - the one that the camera comes with is too small. At the very least, get a 128mb card, 256/512mb is my recommendation.
2. Buy an extra battery - this way when you are out, you can just swap batteries without having to worry about how much power you have left.
3. Buy a USB 2.0 memory card reader - If you take a good number of digital pics and your computer has a USB 2.0 port, then a reader is excellent for downloading pictures and transferring it to your computer. USB 2.0 is very quick and where a typical transfer may take approximately 5 minutes, with USB 2.0 the same transfer will take 45 seconds.
4. Get image editing software- This affords you the opportunity to brighten images, sharpen images, take the red-eye out, crop images. I use adobe photoshop, but any image editing software should do. It just gives you a greater sense of control over the output.

Conclusion:
You know that there will be a trade-off in some camera functions for its small size, and for me, I have no regrets about it. I simply can't get over how small the camera is. It excels in close to medium distance images in daylight. At 4 megapixels, the resolution of the pictures is very satisfying. This camera delivers as promised.

My wife brought the bronze version for me for Christmas. I'm an adv. amateur and have had a number of Canon cameras. I find it to be a perfect walk around camera to complement my Canon G1 & 1D. It's a great looking camera too. Usually, Canon cameras are set up to slightly underexpose to prevent highlight blowout. But the SD10 pictures come out perfectly exposed right out of the camera. Skin tone, expecially on light skinned people is great. On the other hand, with my G1, I usually had to reduce the magenta, bump up the red, and add a dash of green to get the right color balance for light skinned people. Still, I put all pictures I care about through PhotoShop to get everything perfect.

I don't miss the zoom lens at all. In return I get really sharp pictures. The macro mode is fantastic, allowing focus as close as 1-1/2". Just remember to switch out of macro when done because it stays in this mode thru a shut down.

The flash is surpringly powerful but it's no 550EX. I get just acceptable shots with group pictures but it works well for 2 people. It does a good job of adjusting the exposure based on subject and distance, but again, its not perfect. Ex: I would not recommend for weddings (black groom/white bride).

The camera startup is really fast. The focus speed is also very fast, probably due to the non-zoom lens - much faster than my G1. I was concerned about the level of image noise due to the really small sensor on this camera, but it's fine for 4x6 prints, even at ISO 200. ISO 400 for dark night shots (no flash)is not usable for me. I had no problem focusing in low light, such as in restaurants, because of the bright focus assist light

I carry it around all the time and have used it to take snapshots of white board diagrams at work. Its small size really encourages me to take a lot of picture. I bought some extra non-Canon batteries & additional charger on ebay at cheap prices. They works fine.

i was completely and absolutely dazzled by how powerful and small this camera is.

i've seen smaller cameras in the market, like the infamous casio exilim, but as far as i'm concerned, canon has truly achieved the smallest size a camera could have WITHOUT prejudicing its quality.

i've previously owned a canon powershot s110, which has only about 2MP, and i truly loved it. i was almost completely satisfied with my s110, as its image quality was stupendous: the only problems i had were regarding the shooting speed and the camera's size (which, i know, is considered small. but even so, i wanted an even smaller one).

so my main goal was a camera which could take great-quality pictures, which had a very short shooting-speed and yet was small enough to fit in a pocket.

well, i've come to learn that s10 is well-packed with all the requirements above.

previously to buying this camera, my major concern was its shooting speed, as i didn't see any reviews on that. well, here goes the first one:

this camera has two shooting modes: one is short, and the other one is shorter. amazing!

the "short" one is with the auto-focus function enable. it takes about 1 second to take a picture with perfect focus on the angles selected by the user (it draws little green squares on the screen, showing which areas it is going to focus). and to do that, all you have to do is press the shutter button half-way down, wait for its artificial inteligence to focus on the desired subject, and then press what's left of it.

the "even shorter one" is an "emergency" kind of shot. you just simply press the shutter button all the way down, and BAM: you have an almost instantly picture taken. it's truly unbelievable.

of course the picture quality in the shortest mode isn't as great as it is in the AIAF (artificial intelinge auto focus - you'll hear that a lot) mode, but it's for sure a big helper for situations on which you don't actually have time to wait up for the camera to focus (not even one little second).

other one of the impressive camera features is the possibility of choosing the startup image (the image that is shown on the LCD when the camera is powered on), the startup sound, etc., and, fabulously, the auto-shutter sound - which is great! i, for instance, recorded cartman's voice (from south-park) and set it to play as the auto-shutter goes of. you can have really funny pictures with tricks like that, because the people on subject have no idea of what that sound is and start giggling as the picture is taken. and then, there goes a smiley, happy picture. you can upload to the camera any sound or image on your computer, or use one that is already in the camera.

the time the camera takes to turn on is also something to be noticed. it's about one second (or even less). so if you're on a hurry to take a quick-shot, you're most likely to achieve your goal.

at last but not least, some people say that the only flaw this camera has is that it has no zoom. well, i say that this camera is flawless. my previously camera had 3x optical zoom / 5x digital zoom, and i don't remember using it not even once, because i mainly take short-distance pictures. so, if to reduce the camera's size they needed to cut-off the zooming feature, i can only applaude them. it didn't make any difference to me at all. in fact, this is probably why the camera is also so fast at shot-taking and at powering on and off: it doesn't have to pull-back an enourmous set of lenses.

this camera is what i needed indeed. if you are, in any way, in the needs of what i described above, search no more, because this is the camera for you. i'm 100% satisfied with it.

I purchased this camera to use for close-range stuff in clubs, bars, street photography and while having fun (pictures of friends, family, etc.) I wanted a simple point-and-shoot, something with decent specs (wanted at least 3MP) and *especially* something with a form factor as small as possible.

The unit fits into my pocket unnoticed...especially in comparison with most other digicams out there with similar specs. The unit starts up fast (uner 2 secs...nice!) and is fast in taking pics and saving them (don't have a high-speed SD card, oh well...) Focusing I wish was instantaneous, but it is way faster than my Dad's old digicam ever was. It takes maybe 2 - 3 seconds on average, sometimes less. Annyoing, but probably endemic with all digicams in the ballpark range.

The image quality of this unit is super-nice. Color is pure, natural and "living." Detail is high. The superfine JPEG mode is very nice. I wish it had a "raw" option (it may, I don't know how to get it to do that if so), but I don't think it does. Superfine JPEG clocks in at about 2MB per 4MP picture. Not bad, a decent trade-off.

Once you get down into Fine territory, you start to see ever-so-slight fuzziness and jpeg compression artifacts. I am the type of person who appreciates HD video-type signals, and like to see the blackhead on the nose of the guy across the bar. So, take this minor gripe for what it's worth.

The other "negatives" about this unit are no optical viewfinder (you use the review screen to frame shots...believe me, NO big deal AT ALL...preferable for me) and no optical zoom. The optical zoom thing I am of two minds about: on one hand, I have had the *occasional* use for clear zoom. On the other hand, if it means adding even a millimeter to this unit, FORGET about it. So, at the end of the day, it's fine by me.

The images are detailed and sharp. As long as you can keep your hands reasonably still, you will get insane detail to images. Slight softness in high-contrast, distanced situations (such as dark text against a light backgrond on a candy bag on the far end of your shopping cart, for example) exists, but I am splitting hairs.

The DiGIC chip is awesome...images come out consistenly well-balanced (hump in the middle of the graph) and there are plenty of options for displaying image info as they are shot. Also, there are plenty of manual controls, good white balance, etc. WAAAAY more than a user like myself (I understand these things on a surface level, but mostly just want everything done for me...I like point-and-shoot for my applications).

All told, I am very impressed with this unit. It also looks really cool, to boot (I have the silver, and the circular, shiny brushing/grooves on the front look great in club/bar lights or anywhere else...very attractive). Body is metal housing, have had no problems with it. I notice that there are slight dimples if I turn the unit sideways in the light, they were there from the beginning. No biggie, can't see them straight-on.

If you are looking for a light, compact, purse and especially *pocket*-sized unit, I can think of no better than this one. Surprisingly I was able to get it new in West Hollywood, CA. for a significantly lower price than listed here.

The great thing about this unit is the value factor:
a.) good price
b.) you don't have to pay for processing and you can take way more pics with freedom, freeing you to experiment and snap more casual/unposed stuff since there is no extra outlay financially
and
c.) you capture irreplaceable moments in high-detail that easily justify the cost of the unit