Canon Powershot SD300 Digital Camera

LCD broke twice

Posted Apr 17, 2006 - The LCD on my SD300 broke twice. It failed once while under warranty. I took a picture, and afterwards put it in a cabinet for safe keeping. On next power up, I noticed the screen was pink/black with what appeared to be a crack. Canon repaired it, and 6 months later it failed again. Again,it was working when put away, and failed during power up. It's a crap shoot whether this camera will survive a power off/on cycle. The price to repair is around $170.00

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I highly recommend this camera for those that want ...

Posted Nov 12, 2004 - I highly recommend this camera for those that want high quality picture AND a small camera. It was a toss up between the Sony DSC T1 and the canon s410 ... i was going to go with the s410 b/c eventhough it was bulkier than the Sony it had better picture quality.. BUT then a friend found this one the Canon sd300 - That's when I realized I could have it all - Small Size and High Quality pics , not to mention a generous LCD screen - 2 inches. The Lcd is not as big as the Sony (2.5") but not as small as the Canon s410 (1.5"). The choice was clear plus it was cheaper than the Sony and very near the same quality as the s410. All in all I have had it for a day and i absolutely LOVE it ..no regrets - its perfect. Software is easy (just don't hook up the camera to the computer BEFORE installing the software. Install software FIRST and then hook up the camera, this will ensure everything runs smoothly) and camera is user friendly. Now you can take excellent quality pics and be able to carry the camera with you in your pocket or purse. Did I mention it was lightweight too? Hope this helps somebody!

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Have owned many of Canon's ELPH digital cameras (S ...

Posted Jan 15, 2005 - Have owned many of Canon's ELPH digital cameras (S110, S300, S330, S410). This is by far the smallest and fastest camera yet. Easy to carry with you all the time and quick to take first picture from startup (huge difference to older S330 or S410). Love the new larger LCD - it really makes a difference. Picture quality is excellent. If you are looking for a small point and shoot with excellent quality, then this camera should be on your (very) short list. I would recommend a fast SD memory card such as the Sandisk Ultra II series so you can take full advantage of the fast speed of the camera! As with all Canons I owned, I would also recommend a second battery for backup when you're out and about as it has a rechargable battery, not regular AAs or AAAs.

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This is a fantastic little camera. I carry it with ...

Posted Dec 10, 2004 - This is a fantastic little camera. I carry it with me everywhere. It fits easily into my shirt pocket and powers up quickly when I am ready to use it. The picture color is excellent. I have found that the focus assist light works very well in low light situations. When it focuses, it shows the area that is being focused on. I find that very helpful. If it is not focusing on the object at the correct distance, I can move the camera, refocus, and then move it back to the desired framing prior to taking the picture. The zoom in the view mode is great. It lets you zoom to a very small part of the picture. This allows you to easily determine if the focus was correct for the photo taken. I like the large screen on the back of the camera and use it all of the time instead of using the optical viewfinder. I use a 512 MB SD card and can get 435 pictures on the card at the default resolution/quality setting. The pictures are very sharp and allow for a quite a bit of cropping without losing print quality. Some people with big hands, like mine, complain about the difficulty of handling a small camera like this. I have found that it is easy to handle and use. The controls are well placed. The flash does have a limited range indoors, especially at full zoom (about 6 feet). There is a lot of red eye in flash pictures, but it is easily removed with software. I have had a few pictures with reflected flash in the eyes that is not easily removed. I am not very impressed with the hinge on the door that covers the USB port. It is not that easy to open and it has a flexible strip hinge that does not allow it to stay open by itself. The battery life is limited if you are using the flash a lot, but the battery is so small that it is easy to carry a spare with you.

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Very sound little camera, solid. I have a 10d also ...

Posted Nov 29, 2004 - Very sound little camera, solid. I have a 10d also but to hard to take with all the time the SD300 will fill in very well. I now have had this camera for 2 weeks and I have not changed my mind. The macro mode is great I will send pictures to any one who wants one. The landscape mode is as with all small len point and shoot a little weak, but then I still have a few settings to master. Group or portraits look great indoor pictures also look great, red eye has been no problem, but if it is you can fix that very easy. Check it out before you buy I always buy in town so I can take it back.A little purple on under developed pictures in the frindges I see no weak corners yet, but still early.

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I'm a camera fanatic, and I've owned more than 15 ...

Posted Nov 29, 2004 - I'm a camera fanatic, and I've owned more than 15 digital cameras, and I must admit the SD300 wowed me when I got it. It's tiny (think size of a deck of cards), performs well (fast, thanks to the DIGIC chip that processes the photos on the same chip that writes to the memory card), has an awesome sensor (4 megapixels, enough for you to print a 11x14 photo!), and a huge lcd screen (2"). The video mode rocks. You can do 640x480 video in 30 frames per second. Canon also introduced a 60 fps at 320x240, which is great for doing action video like your taping your kids at little league where they're swinging at the bat (you can freeze frame and the video shot is clear as day). The only downside to this camera is the weak battery life (I can take only about 40 photos with flash before the battery runs out). Also the camera comes with a small memory card (16 MB) so you'll have to go out and buy a bigger one if you want to take more than 4 photos. Bottom line--this camera rocks--it's tiny, fits well in your pocket, and is great for snapshots in all conditions!

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The speed at which this camera moves through menus ...

Posted Dec 3, 2004 - The speed at which this camera moves through menus is amazing. Most menus are very easy to navigate through and I'm sure with more time I'll master them all. Because the camera's so small I'll take it everywhere--a top consideration for me. Losing a few manual controls is a small price to pay for such a tiny yet capable camera. I agree with others who have said "it's just a matter of time before the plastic A/V door breaks off," though. I am actually very impressed with the video function of the camera; I wasn't expecting much at all but was taken back by its video playback on the LCD. What an LCD, too! Beautiful camera all the way around!

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I got this camera for Christmas. I did about 3 we ...

Posted Dec 29, 2004 - I got this camera for Christmas. I did about 3 weeks of research on various digital cameras before I settled on this one (obviously was not a surprise gift). This camera got high ratings at DPreview and Steve's Digicams. Perhaps the biggest feature I needed in a camera was compact size. My husband has a Canon 20D, which is what we use for "important" pictures. However, this camera is cumbersome, especially when you start lugging around 2-3 lenses. So, I decided I wanted a small point-and-shoot that I could carry everywhere in my purse. Since I have a small purse, I need a small camera. This Canon fits the bill perfectly. The video mode is awesome. You can shoot in 640x480 at 30 FPS. This came in very handy on Christmas. My nephew proposed to his girlfriend during presents, and I was able to capture the moment. I was able to quickly switch between photo and video mode without any problems. Shutter speed is awesome (which is why I chose it over the SD500 - which has significantly slower startup times and shutter speeds). Image quality is good, though it could be better. If I cared more about image quality than size, I would have gone with the Sony P-150. However, Canon's other strengths were enough to convince me to go with the SD300. Overall, I am very pleased with the camera. It will be great to have a camera with me for everyday purposes. This camera is 4 megapixels. If you don't need 4, then go with the SD200. It is almost an identical camera, with the exception of it being 3 megapixels instead of 4 (and $100 cheaper).

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The Canon Elph SD300 is my second in the Elph seri ...

Posted Dec 26, 2004 - The Canon Elph SD300 is my second in the Elph series, the first being the S200. The line has much evolved, with the cameras getting more compact, larger screens, and more features. This camera is absolutely amazing, has a 2" screen that is crystal clear, and can vary displays for even low lit areas. The camera shoots great pictures and movies, and has a very easy to use menu option for changing any quality or photo settings. The thin nature of the camera makes it a true pocket digital camera. It is a bit heavier than other cameras of its class, partly due to the metal casing. The only weaknesses I have seen from this camera is that it does not include a dock, nor is one made for this camera. Transfer can only be done by a USB cable or by removing the SD card. Secondly, the USB and battery doors on the camera seem like they could break off if not handled gently each and every time they are opened. That is one concern as a broken door, while not disabling any functionality, takes away from the looks of the camera. Also, not a true weakness, but the battery is proprietary and if you need a spare, it needs to be purchased specifically for this camera. Although the battery that comes with the camera can handle well up and over 100 shots without the need to recharge.

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One Very Real Weakness

Posted Sep 28, 2005 - I've enjoyed using it, it has fantastic manual capabilities, it is remarkably smal and handy. It has all the top qualities of great small cameras, but the flaw is one that you should search the net about and consider.

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I always want to buy a small pocket digital camera ...

Posted Dec 1, 2004 - I always want to buy a small pocket digital camera with a relatively high megapixel. Though 4 MP is not high, it is just enough. I would definitely carry it with me all the time. It is also very fast. So it is easy to operate and save your time. The image is good too, though a little "red" eye. And it is still a little heavy. I hope there could be SD400+ in the future with a higher megapixel and zoom. I would like to recommend it to anyone who wants a small, fast, capable camera.

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I love this camera. Primarily, I was looking for ...

Posted Dec 5, 2004 - I love this camera. Primarily, I was looking for a small camera that I can take with me everywhere. This is one of the smallest cameras out there with a 3x optical zoom. Although the picture quality may not be quite as good as some of the larger cameras, but for its size, it is one of the best. One of the things that I like about the camera is its ability to take video at 30frames/sec 640x480. You will need a faster SD card to utilize this capability. A slower card will get you about 17~20 seconds worth of video. However at 15 frames/sec slow cards seem to work fine. As with most small cameras, you will see red-eye in your pictures. However, this can be removed using software. There are "modes" that you can set your camera to: auto, indoor, "kids-and pets" etc. There are only a few things you can control manually. However, not being a professional photographer...this doesn't really bother me :) The only thing of concern on the camera is the flimsly plastic door over the battery/memory compartment. You really have to be careful or it will break. All things considered though, this is definately the camera to get if you are looking at getting a small camera.

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The convenience of having it in my purse is the be ...

Posted Mar 8, 2005 - The convenience of having it in my purse is the best point. I liked it for that reason, also the screen is a good size. The quality of the pictures were excellent; one of the best I've encountered.

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I first purchase a Canon A95, but felt it was a bi ...

Posted Jan 14, 2005 - I first purchase a Canon A95, but felt it was a bit heavy, although full of features and an excellent value. Going into a more lightweight camera for travel, the Canon SD300 is outrageous, espeically the new faster frame movie mode. We took a few videos at a night acrobatic show and the SD300 out performs any other digital camera that we've owned... it's almost like a digital movie camera built into a digital camera. I shoot mostly with available light, so the redeye negative feature wasn't an issue for me at all. Also, I always leave the redeye reduction feature on when using flash. The USB connection to a PC is such a convenient feature to download straight from camera to PC. My suggestion is to buy a 512Mb or 1Gb SD memory card immediately as you will enjoy what you're able to do with the extra capacity high speed memory card. Menu system is very easy to learn!!! My main complaint is the small memory card included with camera is useless, only 6 photos on fine resolution or 7 seconds of video. Also, the flimsy door over the battery/memory card compartment will probably have problems down the road.

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This is my first digital camera and my first impre ...

Posted Jan 9, 2005 - This is my first digital camera and my first impression of this camera was how small this camera truly is. I am comparing its size with a Canon A80. Being small, however, does not detract from the fact that it is solidly built and the "Made in Japan" label gives me superior quality assurance. Once I turned it on, the LCD screen is very vibrant and sharp. The camera takes about 1 second to turn on from being off. When viewing pictures, its processing speed between pictures is very quick. The layout of the buttons is excellent and the functions of each of the buttons are very intuitive. The battery/memory card cover seems very flimsy but it shouldn't break if you are careful in handling your camera. As for image and video quality, it is very clear and crisp on the 2" LCD. The video quality is one of the best I've seen so far when comparing my video quality with other people's digital camera I've seen; the video is smooth and not choppy. The pictures quality is very good as well. The camera does tend to have red eye effect on dimly lit pictures but I haven't had any persistent problems with it unlike some of the other reviewers. The software bundle included with the camera easily removed the red-eye effect from the pictures affected. I think the one big weakness of the camera is the battery life. I have had to recharge it four times already in owning it only for 10 days. The battery life tends to last for 130 pictures before the low-battery-indicator turns on; less if you take video clips as well. It is too bad that Canon doesn't seem to have a longer lasting battery pack available. Overall, this very compact camera is excellent with great image and video quality and the ease of use. I'd highly recommend it.

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