Canon SD4000 Review

Canon announced the Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS Digital ELPH

This camera is called the IXUS 300 HS in Europe. 

Canon announced a new low-light camera. Is it a winner, or just marketing hype?

The Canon S90 is a remarkable camera, and is possibly this year's #1 camera so far for underwater photography. How does the Canon SD4000 compare?

Canon SD4000 specs:

Aperture/Shutter priority controls

F2.0 lens

230,00 pixel LCD

28-105mm equivalent focal range

High-speed  back-illuminated CMOS sensor

1/2.3 sensor size (6.16x4.62mm)

720p hi-def video (S90 has no HD video)

No full manual controls (P, Av, Tv) 

No RAW

No control ring like the S90

10 megapixels

Slow-motion video feature (missing in the S90)

Burst rate: 8fps (faster than the S90)

Retail price: $349, available at end of May

Canon SD4000 Verdict for underwater photography

Based on the specs, I personally wouldn't get this camera. The Canon S90 is great, and is $365 at Amazon. Need I say more?

Why give up RAW, manual controls, control rings, a larger sensor, and a 461,000 pixel LCD? Given the choice, buy the Canon S90! Unless HD video is that important to you, and you're not doing underwater photography.

On a postitive note, Ikelite has created a compact underwater housing for the camera, which looks like a good deal.

Even though the SD4000 sensor is smaller, it's supposed to be more sensitive to light, so it is possible that is has better low-light performance than the Canon S90 - I guess we'll see when we get our hands on it.

 Further Reading:

Olympus E-PL1 review - specs, image tests and alot more