The Canon Powershot SD450/ Digital IXUS 55 digital camera a perfect stocking stuffer
Written: Nov 15 '05 (Updated Nov 16 '05)
Product Rating:
Ease of Use:
Durability:
Battery Life:
Photo Quality:
Shutter Lag
Pros: Ultra compact, 2.5" LCD, 5 megapixels, very fast, user friendly, and ISO 50 sensitivity
Cons: Average battery life, red-eye, chromatic aberration, and noisy ISO 400 images
The Bottom Line: Canon Powershot SD450/Digital IXUS 55 digital camera provides users with a near perfect balance of compact size, tough as nails durability, high speed performance, and super images.
Howard_Creech's Full Review: Canon Powershot SD450 / IXUS 55 Digital Camera
Canon has long been the leading player in the ultra-compact digicam business and the new Canon Powershot SD450/Digital IXUS 55 digital camera clearly demonstrates why. This digicam is truly tiny, but Canon's engineers managed to stuff a 5 megapixel CCD image sensor, a fully retractable 3X optical zoom, a fast 9 AF point AiAF auto focus system, a powerful new built-in flash, a 2.5" LCD screen, intuitive point & shoot ease of use, and a very sophisticated feature set into a stylish metal clad body that's small enough to be dropped into a shirt pocket and tough enough to go just about anywhere.
The Canon Powershot SD450/Digital IXUS 55 digital camera is built around Canon's second-generation DIGIC II processor. DIGIC (Digital Imaging Integrated Circuit) technology efficiently combines image processing, power management, and most primary camera functions (Exposure, White Balance, JPEG compression, gain control, and most auto functions) in one chip to more effectively manage camera operation. DIGIC II images are optimized for sharp resolution, balanced contrast, lower noise, and bright colors.
NUTS & BOLTS
LCD/Viewfinder
Canon Powershot SD450/Digital IXUS 55 digital camera features a real-image coupled (zooms with the lens) tunnel style optical viewfinder. The SD450's optical viewfinder is pretty squinty and only covers about 82% of the image frame, but it is sharp, bright, and imminently useable (there's no diopter correction adjustment for eyeglasses wearers).
The most prominent difference between the SD450 and the SD400 (which it sort of replaces) is the SD450's new 2.5" LCD screen (the SD400 had a 2.0" LCD screen). The Canon Powershot SD450/Digital IXUS 55 digital camera's new LCD screen is not only larger than its predecessor it's also brighter. Color is accurate, movement is fluid, and the SD450's Night Display Function automatically brightens the subject in dim/low light. The Backlight function boosts brightness (without boosting power consumption) for improved visibility in bright outdoor lighting plus there's a Quick Bright function that temporarily boosts LCD brightness to the maximum setting by simply holding the display button down for 1 second (just press the display button again for 1 second to return the LCD screen to its original brightness setting).
The LCD info display provides shooting mode, exposure compensation setting, white balance setting, ISO setting, flash setting, the light metering option selected, and resolution/compression data, but neither the aperture nor shutter speed selected by the SD450's AE (auto exposure) system. The LCD screen shows 100 per cent of the image frame, but full time LCD use will more rapidly drain the SD450's tiny battery. In Playback mode, a histogram display provides a graphic readout of the tonal distribution in captured images (to help evaluate dynamic range), which is helpful in determining over or under exposure (allowing the image to be re-shot), but a live histogram would have been better.
Zoom Lens
The SD450 features the same f2.8-4.9/37-111mm (35mm equivalent) all-glass 3X zoom (featuring Canon's Ultra High Refractive Index Aspherical technology) that graces it's big brother, the SD550. When the camera is powered up, the lens automatically telescopes out from the camera body. When the camera is powered down the lens is fully retracted into the camera body and a built in lens cover slides into place to protect the front element. The SD450's zoom exhibits noticeable barrel distortion (straight lines bow out from the center) at the wide-angle end of the zoom range, some negligible softness in the corners, and very minor pin cushioning (straight lines bow in toward the center) at full telephoto. Chromatic aberration (purple fringing) is slightly above average at the wide-angle end of the zoom range, especially at the maximum aperture. Zoom operation is fast, smooth, and relatively quiet.
Minimum focusing distance (in Macro mode) is 1.2 inches, but the zoom is locked at the wide-angle setting. Macro shooters should be careful when shooting close-ups in Digital Macro mode because the digital zoom (which usually only kicks in after the maximum telephoto setting is exceeded) is enabled for close-ups, which seems like Rube Goldberg engineering (since using the digital zoom causes a noticeable degeneration in image quality) and kind of self defeating in a situation where maximum resolution is the goal.
Auto Focus
The SD450's 9 focus point AiAF (Advanced intelligent Auto Focus) system quickly analyzes what's in front of the camera and automatically decides which of the 9 AF points is closest to the primary subject (closest subject priority) and then locks focus on that AF point. Savvy shooters can manually line up a specific AF focus point with the most important element in the image (like the face or eyes in a head and shoulders portrait). Users can turn AiAF off (via the Record menu) and the SD450's AF system defaults to the center AF point for traditional looking landscapes, classic portraits, group shots, etc. The SD450 also provides an AF assist beam for quicker and more accurate focusing in dim/low light. The Canon Powershot SD450/Digital IXUS 55 digital camera's AF is consistently fast and accurate.
Flash
The Canon Powershot SD450/Digital IXUS 55 digital camera's built-in multi mode flash provides auto, auto with red-eye reduction, flash on - with red-eye reduction (for portrait fill), flash on (fill), slow synch, and flash off settings. Maximum flash range (according to Canon) is 9.0 to 15 feet, which seems a bit optimistic --- 6 to10 feet is probably more realistic. Anything beyond 10 feet is going to be fairly dark, unless shot against light colored backgrounds with lots of ambient lighting. The flash needs 8-10 seconds to recharge after a full power shot.
Flash coverage is a bit uneven for close-up shooting and at the wide-angle setting, which is bad news for macro shooters and those looking for a good bar/party/event camera. The good news is that the SD450 can use Canon's nifty HF-DC1 External Slave Flash, which more than doubles (30 feet) flash range
Memory
The SD450 saves captured images to SD (Secure Digital) memory media. SD cards (available in capacities up to 1 GB) are substantially smaller and noticeably faster than the CompactFlash (CF) media used in earlier Canon micro-cams. Canon includes a 32MB starter card.
Image File Format
JPEG
Connectivity
USB 2.0 and A/V out
Power
The Canon Powershot SD450/Digital IXUS 55 digital camera uses the new NB-4L rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack designed for the SD550. Realistically Micro-cam batteries (since they must be very small) can't store as much power as larger batteries. Based on my (admittedly unscientific) tests a fully charged NB-4L should be good for 120 – 150 exposures (full time LCD use, occasional flash use, and moderate to heavy review) and (according to Canon) up to 500 exposures with the optical viewfinder. Micro-Cam users rarely resort to the optical viewfinder and most will insist on reviewing every image they shoot, so battery duration will vary substantially. Shooters who plan on using the SD450 on extended trips or for daylong outings should purchase a back up battery. The included charger (which plugs directly into a wall socket) needs about an hour and a half to juice the NB-4L back up to full power.
EXPOSURE
Canon's micro-cams have always been popular with a broad range of users. This is due (at least in large part) to the Digital Elph mystique (the cameras are stylish, small enough to be dropped in a pocket, incredibly easy to use, and offer consistently excellent performance). The SD450 continues that tradition, providing users with a remarkably simple and highly sophisticated auto exposure system that provides an amazingly broad range of exposure options including Full Auto, Scene modes (Portrait, Night Snapshot, Kids & Pets, Indoor, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, and Underwater), Manual mode (which is actually Programmed AE mode since the camera always controls aperture and shutter speed settings), Movie mode, and Stitch Assist mode. Canon’s exclusive iSAPS (Intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) technology produces consistently exceptional exposures in all scene modes. The camera instantly matches the scene in front of the lens with an on board database of known scene types and then compares that information with the specific scene's subject distance, white balance, contrast range, lighting, and color (just before the image is recorded) to determine the best exposure. The SD450's auto exposure system does more than just average exposures, data and images are consistently and noticeably better than average.
Movie Mode
The Canon Powershot SD450/Digital IXUS 55 digital camera provides aspiring Peter Jackson wannabes with four Movie mode options. Standard movie mode (either 640x480 or 320x240 resolution and run rates of either 30fps or 15fps with duration up to the capacity of the SD card mounted), Fast Frame Rate (320x240 resolution @ 60fps for up to 60 seconds), Compact movie mode (160x120 resolution @ 15 fps for up to three minutes), and My Colors movie mode (either 640x480 or 320x240 resolution @ either 30fps or 15fps, up to 1GB). Focus and (optical) zoom setting are locked at the first frame. Movies can be edited in-camera (in Playback mode) and then previewed – users can then opt to save the edited video clip, the original video clip, or both.
Metering
The Canon Powershot SD450/Digital IXUS 55 digital camera's evaluative metering system (the DIGIC II processor divides the image frame into zones and separately evaluates each zone to determine the best overall shutter speed/aperture combination) consistently renders accurate exposures in all but the most difficult lighting situations. A Spot metering option biases exposure on a small area at the center of the frame (useful for back lit, off center, and high/low contrast subjects) and the center-weighted option allows savvy users to create traditional looking landscapes and classic portraits.
White Balance (WB)
The Canon Powershot SD450/Digital IXUS 55 digital camera's White balance system provides a slightly better than adequate selection of color balance settings including TTL Auto, daylight, cloudy, tungsten, two fluorescent modes, and a custom mode. The SD450's auto WB setting produces the consistently warm colorcast typical of Canon micro-cams. Color is bright, slightly over saturated, and hue accurate.
Sensitivity
TTL Auto, and user selected settings for 50, 100, 200, and 400 ISO (35mm equivalent).
In-Camera Image Adjustment
The Canon Powershot SD450/Digital IXUS 55 digital camera's My Colors function provides nine creative color options: Positive Film (mimics slide film color, saturation, and contrast), Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Color accent (shifts images to B&W, except for one user selected color), color swap (allows users to switch one color for another), custom color (users can adjust color balance for red, green, blue, and skin tones /-2 arbitrary steps in 1 step increments), and Photo effects (vivid or neutral color saturation, low sharpening, sepia, and B&W). Shooters can also adjust Exposure compensation ( /- 2EV in 1/3 EV increments) or opt for the extended exposure times (1-15 seconds) in the Long Shutter mode.
DESIGN, CONTROLS, & ERGONOMICS
The Canon Powershot SD450/Digital IXUS 55 digital camera is a stylish ultra compact point & shoot micro-cam with a tough stainless steel body that makes it a great choice for anyone who wants a camera that can be taken along anywhere and used easily by just about anyone. The SD450 provides an almost perfect balance between the physical constraints of miniaturization and the creative/technical design limits imposed by form and function. The SD450's re-designed user interface is intuitive and uncomplicated with logical and easily accessed controls. Most users will have no difficulty using the camera right out of the box. The SD450 (like it’s predecessors) will appeal to travelers, trekkers, gadgeteers, mountain bikers, backpackers, snap shooters, and casual photographers who value style, compact size, super fast operation, and point & shoot ease of use.
Technical Specifications
Resolution: 5 megapixels (2560x1920)
Lens: f2.8-4.9/37-111mm (35mm equivalent) all-glass zoom
Viewfinders: Real-image optical & 2.5" LCD
Auto Focus: TTL AiAF nine AF point autofocus system
Exposure: Auto
Metering: Evaluative, Center-Weighted, or Spot
Exposure Compensation: Yes /- 2 EV in 1/3 EV increments
White Balance: TTL auto and presets for daylight, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent, fluorescent H, and custom (manual)
Sensitivity: Auto and user selectable settings for ISO 50, 100, 200, & 400 (35mm equivalents)
Memory Storage Media: SD cards
Image File Format: JPEG
Connectivity: USB 2.0 & A/V out
Power: Rechargeable NB-4L Lithium-ion battery
Canon WP-DC70 waterproof case, Canon HF-DC1 external slave flash, AC/DC adapter, and soft camera case.
In the Field/Handling & Operation
My friend (who sells new and used digital and analog cameras and photographic equipment) managed to finally get his hands on a brand new Canon Powershot SD450/Digital IXUS 55 digital camera for us to evaluate. It was harder for him to shake loose an SD450 than it was to get an SD550.
We started off by shooting some color tests using a homemade macro stage and a selection of brightly colored (red, green, yellow, orange, blue, and purple) plastic children's beach toys arrayed against a white background. This test allows us to check not only color accuracy but also the precision of the white balance system. The SD450's colors tested out bright and slightly over saturated, but consistently hue accurate.
After we finished our color tests, we headed for nearby Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville's unofficial arboretum. The last couple of weeks we’ve had some really mixed weather, the temperatures have gone from the mid forties to the low seventies and there's been lots of rain. Cave Hill is the Derby City's oldest graveyard (chartered in 1848) and one of the best remaining examples of 19th century U. S. landscape architecture. The old cemetery's 300 acres are home to an almost dizzying variety of exotic tree, bush, and shrub species. We are just past the peak fall color season, but because of the many exotic species growing in this old graveyard, fall color always lasts a week or two longer at Cave Hill than anywhere else in the region. For our visit, skies were blue with puffy white clouds and the temperature was in the high 60's.
With Veteran's Day on the horizon we wanted to shoot the uniform rows of small white marble headstones on the sloping hill that serves as a final resting place for thousands of Union casualties who died in Kentucky (most from disease) during the Civil War. At the crest of the hill are a smaller number of Confederate graves, making this area as the only place in the country where the Stars & Stripes and Stars & Bars fly (more or less) jointly above the graves of Yankees and Rebels laying at rest together. After we finished up on the military side of the cemetery we drove around to the oldest section of Cave Hill searching for spots of color amid the 19th century native limestone grave markers and Victorian monuments.
We also shot pictures of some of the hundreds of ducks and geese around the lake. The resident waterfowl are quite tame (since most of the folks they see have bags of stale bread in hand) making them very easy to photograph. It was a real treat to be out shooting on one of those gorgeous fall days (with absolutely perfect lighting) that we often get here in Louisville during early November.
After we had exhausted our photographic options at Cave Hill we drove over to nearby Cherokee Park and hit the scenic loop to shoot some outdoor "people" pictures. Driving along the twisting deeply shaded two lane road it was hard to believe we were in the middle of a large urban area, rather than out in the country somewhere. The old growth trees along Beargrass Creek are starting to look pretty bare, but once we got into the open meadow areas along the loop, they were filled with parked cars, runners, skaters, bikers, and dog walkers out enjoying the gorgeous weather. We spent about an hour shooting folks having fun in the late autumn sun before calling it a day.
For our second (and third) outing with the Canon Powershot SD450/Digital IXUS 55 digital camera we got together (with a Ukrainian friend in tow) on a lovely Saturday morning and headed for the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center to watch (and photograph) the U. S. Disc Dog National Finals round. The small open field behind the South wing of the KFEC was filled to capacity with dogs and their handlers, an ESPN crew, numerous officials, a handful of Pro photographers and videographers, and a small but dedicated and very enthusiastic crowd of fans. As the owner of a large pooch who won't return the Frisbee after he catches it, I was amazed at just how talented all the "flying disc dogs" were. Not only did they regularly catch Frisbees at the apex of high mid air arcs, they returned the discs to their handlers, without hesitation.
Our Ukrainian friend sat in the bleachers with the rest of the fans (many of whom brought their dogs) to watch the show. I couldn't believe the dogs in the stands, who watched each competitor with rapt attention and barked enthusiastically every time the crowd applauded an especially impressive catch. Neither the SD450's 3X zoom nor the Kodak P880's (which I was also testing) 5.8X zoom had enough reach to capture the dogs in mid air full frame, we still had fun trying to track and nail the flying dogs. The SD450 was fast enough to freeze the dogs in mid air, but the zoom just wasn't long enough to capture really impressive full frame Flying Fido shots.
I would have loved to shoot the event with the rig one of the Pro photographers was using (a Canon EOS 5D with a Canon f2.8 70-200 zoom). We returned on Sunday for the Championship round, but the weather was gray and ugly with a stiff wind, which made it even tougher to capture anything spectacular.
PERFORMANCE
Image Quality
After reviewing the images we'd shot over the course of our SD450 test (on a 19" NEC CRT monitor) we both agreed that the outdoor images were consistently well exposed (we didn't shoot anything indoors) and that the overall image quality was nothing short of amazing (for such a tiny camera). The tiny little SD450 consistently delivered image quality that was very good to excellent. Exposure is accurate, but highlights are sometimes blown out in contrasty scenes. Images are always sharp, but without the visible over sharpening and edge enhancement effects often seen in upper tier high-resolution digicams. ISO 50 images are essentially noise free and ISO 100 images are also excellent. Noise levels begin to rise noticeably after ISO 100 (but not as much as the 7 megapixel SD550). ISO 200 images are pretty good, but do show a visible loss of detail. ISO 400 images are noisy and look a bit soft, but they are usable. Color is bright (looks closer to slide film than print film) and slightly over saturated, but hue accurate.
Timing/Shutter Lag
The SD450 is noticeably faster than most of its rivals. The boot-up cycle, shutter lag, shot to shot times (between 1.0 and 1.5 seconds), and write to card times are all faster than average. With pre-focus shutter fire is virtually real time and from scratch the SD450 needs less than half a second to lock focus and trip the shutter.
A Few Concerns
Chromatic aberration (purple fringing) is higher than average at the wide-angle end of the zoom range (especially at the maximum aperture) and corners are a tiny bit soft across the board. The SD450 (like all ultra-compact digicams) has red-eye issues. With cameras this small it is not possible to physically separate the flash and the zoom sufficiently to avoid having them on the same plane. Battery life is only acceptable and ISO 400 images are much too noisy.
Conclusion
Micro-cams were born in Riga, Latvia just prior to World War II when the Minox spy camera (the very first micro-cam) made its debut. I bought my first micro-cam (a Rollei 35S) a long time ago and since that time I've seen an amazing evolution in diminutive imaging tools. Tiny cameras today capture images digitally, rather than on film, and they provide features that veteran photographers never even dreamed about. With the introduction of the S100 (the first digital elph) in 2000 Canon took the lead in creating a whole new generation of innovative, capable, and feature rich digital micro-cams. The SD450 continues that impressive tradition. The little SD450 is a worthy successor to that first micro-cam and it will make an absolutely stunning stocking stuffer. Recommended without reservation.
IMAGES
If you would like to see a selection of images that are very similar to and typical of the sort of test pictures I shoot for my epinions digital camera reviews -- click on the top link under Favorite Links on my profile page (to get to my EPS profile page from this review, just click on my name under about the author above). The Favorite Links link will take you to my forum page at DCR -- Click on the find all posts by Howard Creech link (under Forum Info). My DCR reviews each feature a selection of my images.
The observations, opinions, recommendations, and conclusions provided in my digital camera reviews are based on more than 30 years experience as a photographer and extensive hands on testing of each of the cameras reviewed. I receive no compensation from DCR.com for your visit or any subsequent purchase you may make. You can return to epinions at any time (either open the link in a new window or hit your back button). The Canon Powershot SD500 and the Canon Powershot A520 posts were submitted as text only reviews and the images that illustrate those two posts were shot by a DCR staffer.
Looking to ramp up your digital imaging experience in your own digital darkroom? Check out my review of a very capable (and currently very heavily discounted) Pro quality ink-jet printer, the Epson Stylus Photo 2200 http://www.epinions.com/content_167980076676
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