Product Description

PowerShot SD450 Digital ELPH is styled to impress and powered to perform. A 5.0 Megapixel CCD, genuine Canon optical zoom and advanced technology ensure superb images, while a new 2.5 inch LCD screen makes shooting and playback both fun and convenient.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6526 in Camera & Photo
• Color: Silver
• Brand: Canon
• Model: SD450 Digital ELPH
• Dimensions: .90" h x 2.10" w x 3.40" l, .40 pounds
• Display size: 2.5

Features

• 5-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 13 x 17-inch prints
• 2.5-inch LCD display; optical viewfinder; 3x optical zoom
• Shoot high-quality movies at up to 60 frames per second with Fast Frame Rate Movie Mode
• DIG!C II Image Processor for faster processing, vibrant colors, and excellent image quality
• 12 shooting modes including My Color settings for customization while shooting

From the Manufacturer
The Canon Powershot SD450 maintains the style and sophistication for which Powershot is renowned. Featuring a new interpretation of the iconic 'box and circle' design, the Powershot SD450 has a unique starburst design radiating from the lens ring, and is finished in silver-white palladium plating on stainless steel. As ever, the functionality behind this new Powershot model is as stunning as the camera itself. The cameras boasts DIGIC II processing, and a massive 2.5-inch LCD. The Powershot SD450 has 5.0-megapixel resolution and comes with 3x optical zoom.

Style statement
Each Canon Powershot is a statement in style, and the Powershot SD450 is no exception. The sleek lines and graceful feel of the Powershot SD450's all-metal perpetual curve body embraces Powershot luxury.

Large LCD with wide viewing angle
The camera features an oversize 2.5-inch LCD display, while retaining all key controls and preserving a sleek and slim body. The large LCD with wide viewing angle makes it easier to view and share images and movies during playback. The big LCD also makes it easier for the user to frame their shot and view menus, and is adjustable to 15 levels of brightness. New slide show functions allow review of images with stylish and contemporary transition effects applied in camera to create impressive slide shows with minimum user effort.

UA elements and megapixels for bigger prints
The Powershot SD450 operates with 5.0-megapixel resolution, which can give photo-quality 13 x 17-inch prints. The Powershot SD450 lens is constructed with 7 elements in 5 groups and includes two Ultra High Refractive Index Aspherical (UA) elements for true-to-life colors and crisp, high-contrast images.

DIGIC II Processor
The SD450 features DIGIC II--Canon's renowned processor that ensures images have superb resolution and color quality, as well as giving improved camera performance overall. With 9-point AiAF, the camera automatically focuses on the subject, even when it is off-center. iSAPS intelligence ensures that the camera assesses the scene and adjusts the settings to achieve the optimum results. Three methods of exposure control can be selected, evaluative, center-weighted, and spot, and the ISO can be set to Auto, 50, 100, 200, or 400. For rapid downloading of images, the Powershot SD450 utilizes a USB 2.0 Hi-Speed interface.

Shooting modes and special effects
The Powershot SD450 covers a wide range of photographic situations by providing users with 15 or 14 different shooting modes, respectively. A selection can be made from Auto, Manual, Portrait, Landscape, and Night Snapshot modes, or from the scene modes that now include an underwater setting, allowing users to take full advantage of the optional All Weather Case AW-DC50 (not included--must be purchased separately). Underwater mode adjusts the white balance specifically for underwater shots, allowing capture of the most authentic colors and minimizing any blue cast.

My Colors allows the expansion of creativity in digital photography. Special effects such as Color Swap or Custom Color, which allows users to select their preferred color balance for any given shot, can be performed in-camera and viewed on the LCD while shooting stills and movies. These effects could previously only be achieved using PC software after shooting.

Intelligent orientation sensor
The Powershot SD450's Intelligent Orientation Sensor recognizes when the camera is rotated from horizontal to vertical, automatically rotating stored images for correct playback.

To help keep the camera level with the horizon and to assist with image composition, users can also opt to display gridlines on their LCD.

Other user interface options have been enhanced or added, including the new world time zone display. This allows the user to set home and destination country time zones, as well as animated displays and improved warnings for camera shake. The camera menu can also be displayed in 22 different languages.

More than just photos
The Powershot SD450 records high quality VGA movies; users can select between VGA and QVGA at 30 or 15 frames per second. Continuous filming is available until the file size has reached 1 GB or 60 minutes--whichever is reached first. A fast frame rate of 60 frames per second is available, allowing for slow-motion playback. Digital zoom can be employed whilst shooting, and for added effect, My Colors may also be used. Compact Movie mode, or QQVGA (160 x 120/15 frames per second), is designed to make sharing movies via e-mail as simple as possible.

Printing images
When used in combination with Canon's new Compact Photo Printer Selphy CP710 and Canon's Ink and Paper Set (KP-108IP), prints can be produced for just 30 euro cents each. Printing via a Selphy CP Compact Photo Printer also allows the user to print handy ID prints and movie prints.

When connected to the latest range of PictBridge compatible PIXMA printers (also released today) image enhancement is possible with functions including Noise Reduction and Vivid Photo as well as the new Face Brightener feature.

Printing of images without having to connect to a PC is made simpler via the Print/Share button, which also acts as an easy upload button for Windows XP and Mac OS X.

Comprehensive software
The Powershot SD450 comes bundled with the following Canon software:

• ZoomBrowser EX 5.5, PhotoRecord 2.2 (Windows), ImageBrowser 5.5 (Macintosh): For easy image download, storage and retrieval, as well as management of image layout and printing.
• PhotoStitch 3.1: Creates stunning panoramas and can be used with Windows and Macintosh.
• Movie Edit Task: For editing and enhancement of movie footage. Also included is PhotoStudio, the photo manipulation software by ArcSoft.

Purchasers of the Powershot SD550 are eligible for membership of Canon iMAGE Gateway, where they can upload images and customize their camera settings.

The bundled software supports Windows 98 (SE), ME, 2000 (SP4), XP (SP1/3) and Macintosh OS X v10.2-v10.3. The camera supports PTP for driverless transfer to supported Windows XP or Macintosh OS X.

What's in the box
PowerShot SD450 body, Lithium battery pack NB-4L, battery charger CB-2LV, 16 MB SD memory card SDC-16M, wrist strap WS-600, Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM, USB interface cable IFC-400PCU, audio-video cable AVC-DC300

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Customer Reviews

Best compact camera
I bought this to replace SD400. I thought SD400 is perfect, and the perfect just got better. Here are the highlights of my opnion

Pro (Common with the predecessor SD400)
* Superb image quality (this is also agreed by dpreview.com). Image quality is not just mega pixel, but also the clarity and sharpness. Canon cameras produce less "noise" than other brand. In case you don't know what noise in photography means, it looks like random sand grain on a low-light photo
* FAST! Much faster than Sony (turn on, shoot, and zoom)
* Despite its small size, it has many shooting modes (e.g. portrait, night), including manual
* It can stand on a flat platform for a timed self portrait (some super compact camera can't)

Improvement from SD400
* 2.5" screen as opposed to 2"
* Timezone feature. Now it is easier to set the time when you travel. No need to wait until the 0th second of the next minute to press OK.
* Guide line option. When enabled, you can see the screen divided into 9 equal rectangles. It is particularly useful when shooting geometric object (e.g. a painting at a museum)
* It tells you the shutter speed when you half-press the shutter if longer than 1/60 seconds. This is useful information under low light.

Cons
* Movie files are not compressed enough

A FEW SMALL ANNOYANCES
I recently bought this camera as a replacement for my worn-out Pentax Optio S50. Overall, I have been pleased with the Canon though it has a few little problems.

Pros:
-Very rapid turn-on and shoot time (about 1 second)
-Short time between shots. There is a feature that you can select where you can hold down the picture-taking button, and it takes one photo about every .5 seconds until you release the button.
-Good control of manual features; you can take photos while using the function menu. The menu is displayed on the side and bottom of the screen.
-Optical viewfinder. One of the biggest reasons why I bought this camera was because it had an optical viewfinder. Most very portable cameras do not. Optical viewfinders are not for everyone; they are basically only good if you take a lot of photos and you worry about the battery. Obviously, buying an expensive spare battery negates this issue.
-Nice movie features. Even though it is not MP4 so the compression isnt great, the movie works great. On the issue of compression, storage capacity is getting so cheap anyway it doesnt matter; i dont think anyone needs to be filming 1hr documentaries or something. Anyway, there are two movie settings: the 30 fps is fine, and you can zoom while filming. There is an even better (though more space-using) 60 fps for faster subjects. One nice thing about the video is that you can still do different light settings; and in fact the camera adjusts light settings automatically.
-Small. As small as any other compact camera, though the lens extends unlike some other ones.
-Buttons work well. They seem to be in the right place, press well, and just feel very good. Some cameras have very annoying buttons.

Cons:
-Battery level unknown; I havent figured out how to know how much more battery life I have left.
-Night settings TERRIBLE. This is probably my biggest problem. If you use either the autocamera settings or the night photo settings, they simply do not work. You need to manually adjust the ISO and Exposure level.
-Manual settings a pain. When you change a manual setting they stay that way; there is no reset. so you have to go through all of your manual settings to figure out what you have.
-Zoom a pain. The zoom function is clunky and inexact. You spend a lot of time trying to get the zoom level you want.

I can't say this is the best camera out there; obviously, there is no perfect camera, it's just a matter of picking what strengths you want and accepting whatever faults you can.

amazing!
This camera is amazing! I would recomend it to anyone that wants a great camera for a great price. Overall, the cameras pros highly outweigh its few cons.

Pros
-Easy to operate
-Small, compact size and it looks great!
-Big LCD screen at 2.5" It seems so much larger than the SD400's 2" screen. 1/2 inch really makes a difference!"
-Takes photos quickly, sharply and accurately
-Great photo quality at ISO's under 200 (400 max ISO)
-Many different scene/shooting modes that are usuful for all kinds of moments
-Videos look great

Cons
-Grainer images at ISO 400, although it's not bad
-Flash can be overpowering at times
-Video files are very large

Obviously this camera's ability to funtion and take great shots is very high, and as you can see, this camera has few things that are dislikable. I would recomend this camera for any person, regardless of age or experience. It's a great camera, and wheter you want to take artistic shots or take pics of family and friends, I would recomend this camera over any other.

Also, check out my customer images to see this great camera in action!