Canon PowerShot SD1300IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Blue)

Review by Robert S. Tobias for Canon PowerShot SD1300IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Blue)
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…is one you’ll have with you. The nice thing about the Canon ELPH series is they easily fit into your pocket, are well built/designed, don’t cost a lot, come with a boatload of features, and take great pictures. The SD1300, the latest in the ELPH line continues in that tradition, adding considerable additional sophistication and sacrificing some useful functionality in the interest of cutting cost.

It is a small camera and carries with it the baggage that comes with the convenience of having to carry so little baggage. (sorry, couldn’t resist) None of the issues raised, given that they comes as part of the convenience trade-off made me consider anything other than the 5-star rating this camera deserves.

– Many of the functions are only accessible through menus, sometimes several levels deep. The good new is the Automatic and scene modes are pretty good (as long as you spend a few minutes reviewing what they really do). This camera is not intended to be used in aperture or shutter priority, let alone full manual.

– The battery life might be shorter than you expect. That’s a trade-off for having a camera that’s small and light; you get a battery that is small and light. One thing you can do is get a spare battery. That is good advice for any camera. Another thing that will help is to keep the display off as much as possible. That means using the monitor as little as possible. The “sad” part is that Canon chose to drop the optical viewfinder in this model. That means a camera that is simpler and less expensive to make but will go through batteries quicker because you must use the display when taking picture.

– The camera response is a bit slow for effectively capturing children and pets. The trick for doing that is to either have a great sense of timing and a shutter that reacts instantly or a reasonably fast ( > 4x / sec ) burst mode. This camera has neither.

Some other suggestions that apply:

– Use the lowest ISO available given your requirement for either aperture or shutter speed. To avoid getting technical, higher ISO always introduces higher noise. At issue is when it becomes noticeable. In newer dSLR cameras you can get over 1000, maybe well over depending on the camera, before the noise becomes noticeable. For this camera keeping it at or below 200 is a good idea.

– Don’t use in-camera sharpening. Digital pictures will almost always benefit from sharpening but you are better off doing it with a photo editing program. Compuer-based algorithms tend to be more sophisticated and you can better judge the results on your monitor as opposed to the camera LCD.

– If you want more vivid colors and have the choice use sRGB instead of Adobe RGB. While you get fewer colors they are distributed over a wider range. They are also render better on computer monitors, many commercial labs, and any other place your pictures are likely to show up.

Finally, I’ve found the Caselogic QPB-1 Compact Digital Camera Case (Black/Gray) is just the right size for this camera. It’s semi-rigid so you get a fair amount of protection but doesn’t add a lot of bulk. It’s made even better by using one of these, Nite Ize SB1-2PK-01 Size-1 S-Biner, Black, 2-Pack, to secure it to a belt loop.

Review by Robyn C. for Canon PowerShot SD1300IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Blue)
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Bought the SD1300 specifically to have a small camera while traveling across the country following Route 66! (I have a Canon S5IS which I took to Germany and Italy, but found it inconvenient to carry daily.) THIS camera takes exceptional pictures and video, is convenient to carry and the battery lasts for DAYS before needing a charge. On a week trip to Maryland I did find the VIDEOS I shot at full zoom were blurry, but I didn’t notice it until I downloaded them to view on my computer. Only for that reason did I not give it 5 stars. Full zoom PICTURES are fine. I love using the SD Card to directly download pictures (but then, that’s a positive point of my computer). I did purchase an extra 4gb SD card but have not had to use it yet. (I have over 600 pictures and probably 40 minutes of video on the first one.) I do suggest purchasing a camera case of some sort for protection. I found one at Target which is just a padded cloth type, and it prevents the camera from getting scratched up in my purse but doesn’t take up much room. I do put the strap over my wrist while shooting because it is so small you can drop it easily. Buying from Amazon.com allows me to purchase a really GREAT product saving the tax I would pay at a retailer, and it ships for FREE. It’s well worth the price, and I see it’s even dropped $10 from the July 2 price. Pick your favorite color and buy it if you’re looking for a small, convenient camera that takes great pics at a reasonable price.

Review by Lady Linda for Canon PowerShot SD1300IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Blue)
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I bought this camera for my husband. He needed something simple, handy and small enough to fit in his pocket. My friend had a Canon PowerShot 1200 series that she took when we went on a 2 week horse back riding vacation to Ireland. She took the best pictures, always able to quickly set up her timed shots so we 4 ladies could all be in the picture. She could quickly pull her camera out of her jacket pocket to take beautiful scenery as we rode by. She came off her horse on the beach and the camera survived better than her body!

This 1300 series is even better! First test was at our daughter’s wedding this Saturday where my husband took the best candid shots. It was great to be able to so easily review wedding shots on the TV, especially to show the older grandparents the next day. He is leaving for Bonneville Land Speed Trials next week and I bet he uses this camera more than his big one with the big lens.