The Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS is claimed to be a low light killer. We put the new compact point-and-shoot to the test in our comprehensive review.
Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS Overview
The Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS sprung out from Nowhere Town, as the new compact's first announcement jolted us out of our seats earlier this month. A back-illuminated CMOS sensor, bright f/2.0 Aperture, and Canon's latest Digic DV 4 processing was enough to reel us in, but we wanted to see if the company's latest top PowerShot point-and-shoot compact backed up its "improved low light" shooting claims.
Because if you think about it, that's really all the new Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS has going for it. The PowerShot SX210 IS suits the zoom-happy advanced beginner, the PowerShot SD3500 IS has a nice 3.5-inch touch-screen LCD for those who like to touch things, and the PowerShot SD1400 IS excels in the ultra compact arena for size freaks. But lo and behold, our one major request from Canon across all three models was improved image quality. Peculiarly enough, the Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS is announced a few short months after our wish. But this is really not the camera we were expecting. In a way, it's baffling.
Shooting with the Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS
So we've got a super compact point-and-shoot that rivals a small smartphone in terms of size and appearance. We liked Canon's odd asymmetrical body design on the PowerShot SD4000 IS because it fit in our pocket easily, even while tearing it up on the dance floor to some killer house music. External controls were whittled down to two buttons and a circular control dial. We got a fairly uncomfortable shutter button zoom toggle and annoying Mode switch, but the Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS was not crafted for Ansel Adams.
What chaps our behinds is that the camera is downgraded to a 3.8-inch optical zoom and there's no Manual mode. Right there, that limits the Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS to beginners and cameraphobes. But then why toss in a back-illuminated CMOS chip and bright f/2.0 aperture? Hold tight. The Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS only offered TV (shutter) Priority, AV (aperture) Priority, Program AE, and a handful of Scene modes. So, there was no way to independently set the Aperture and Shutter Speed. Also, in TV Priority, the camera automatically set the ISO to 125. There was no way to adjust ISO in TV Mode.
Even though the PowerShot cameras that rank beneath the SD4000 IS don't offer Manual mode, we would have really liked one, especially with such a nice Aperture range and a Shutter that reached down to 15-seconds. We could zoom in video mode, but it was slow. The good thing was we could apply Image Effects in video mode and had a new 240fps Super Slow Motion recording mode to play with. For the most part, the Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS was identical to its previously mentioned peers in terms of control, navigation, and playback.
Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS Still Image Quality
This is the moment we've all been waiting for. What exactly is transpiring within the confines of the Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS's strange little chassis? Well, we've got a 10-megapixel back-illuminated CMOS chip, bright f/2.0 aperture, and the latest Digic DV 4 processing, so something good is bound to come of this, you say. Well, we're not entirely blown away, but we recognize the fact that Canon has made an improvement.
Our biggest issue with such a wide aperture is that in Program AE, the PowerShot SD4000 IS will shoot at f/2.0 every chance it gets. That equals a very shallow depth of field, and really only suits Macro and Portrait shots. If that's what you plan on doing most of the time, then this camera will be the ticket. However, most other times you'll have to shoot in AV Priority to get any real depth.
Canon is really going for such a wide aperture to aid low light, and it worked. We also noticed a definite higher ISO improvement, even shooting up to ISO1600. Look at some of the image samples and compare them to Canons we've reviewed earlier this year. You'll find that bright light is about the same, while high ISO shooting exhibits less noise with the Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS.
Are we sold? No. We'd like to see this technology migrate to the Canon PowerShot SX210 IS, where we have full Manual control and a killer zoom. We think that's where it belongs. However, for shooters looking to limit flash usage and rely more on natural light for shallow depth of field shots, then the PowerShot SD4000 IS is the ticket.
Like the rest of the PowerShot fleet, the Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS gave us a solid 720p HD video performance. We loved Super Slow Motion video, even though we could only record at 320x240, 240fps. It's no Casio Exilim, but Canon's Super Slow Motion video is a start. Low light was slightly improved in Video mode as well, and the lack of noise was impressive. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 and friends can't shoot low light video, and that's where Canon takes the torch and jets with it.
Price and availability
The Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS will be available in late May 2010 for $350.
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