In our in-depth Canon SD790 IS review, Chris Coleman checks out this popular 10-megapixel compact camera with optical image stabilizer.
Review summary of the Canon PowerShot SD790 IS:
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 The Canon SD790 IS is a typical 10-megapixel compact in an innovative body. The feature-set is workable and includes optical image-stabilization, though the panorama assist is lacking, and we would have liked to see more additions like manual control and different flash modes. Thankfully the interface is greatly boosted by a wheel controller, a mode toggle and cool inlaid buttons. Image quality is decent for this price range - we've seen better and worse - though noise management is exceptional. All-in-all in the SD790 is by no means a disaster, but it fails to stand out. Release: April 2008. Price: $330.
Pros: Inlaid buttons. Well-integrated wheel control.
Cons: Not the best 10-megapixel images we've seen. Lacks features, particularly manual control.
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Full Canon PowerShot SD790 IS Review:
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Design - Very good
The Canon SD790 IS has a typical compact body with interesting flourishes. The exterior is a standard point-and-shoot cuboid, but Canon has given the surfaces a nice finish to stand it apart from the toyish appearance of lesser compacts. The camera is also weighty and durable-feeling, so it seems less prone to breakage.
The button layout on back is typical of a standard design, but there are some intriguing differences. The shortcut 'buttons' are actually built into the body itself, such that nothing extends beyond the surface. To make selections you simply press into the body itself. The inlaid buttons lend the Canon SD790 IS an almost futuristic appeal, not to mention a definite sleekness.
Canon surprises again with a four-way controller that doubles as a wheel control. This functionality is well integrated and works seamlessly with the four-way controller, and it integrates perfectly into the camera's interface. Finally, as always, we appreciated the inclusion of a twist-zoom around the shutter release and the exclusion of an electronic viewfinder.
Features - Good
The Canon SD790 IS has a solid feature-set for a 10-megapixel compact, with optical image-stabilization and plenty of standard point-and-shoot aids like face detection. Continuous shooting is available but no burst mode, though at least the delay timer can be customized, from 1 – 30 seconds. Built-in red-eye correction is accounted for, and the flash also has slow-sync support.
Canon has included a manual mode, but that designation is a bit misleading: it only allows for setting the white balance and ISO, which is similar to the auto mode on most cameras. Many features, like continuous shooting, are only available in the manual mode, so ultimately the restricted auto-mode feels unnecessary. It would have made the interface cleaner simply to have called the 'manual mode' the 'auto mode' and then gotten rid of the featureless auto-mode altogether.
ISO sensitivities range from an acceptable 80 – 1600, while shutter ranges from 1.3 – 1/1500 seconds, though as we mentioned, shutters and apertures are out of the user's control. There's also a panorama assist mode, but, as far as we could tell, it only helps line up shots to be stitched together on a computer afterwards. This is an OK feature, but it's preferable for a camera to build panoramas in-camera via intelligent blending. On the other hand, the Canon SD790 IS has a surprising wealth of in-camera color processing, including color swap and accenting. The former allows users to exchange one color for another to create interesting effects, while the latter preserves one specific color and makes the rest of the image black and white.
Interface - Very good
The button layout on the Canon SD790 IS is excellent, thanks particularly to its wheel controller. There's even a dedicated button for printing, and all important shooting functions (ISO selection, continuous / delayed shutter, flash, and macro) are immediately accessible through shortcuts. The camera also has a mode toggle which quickly selects between standard, scene and video modes. The menu system is easy and intuitive, and all shooting parameters can be quickly cycled through the function menu.
Image quality - Good
The SD790 provided good outdoor photography, with nicely saturated colors right out of the camera. Indoor photography was a little more problematic, mostly because the flash could be so blindingly overpowered, which ultimately made up-close flash-photography all but impossible. The Canon SD790 IS should be plenty capable for general vacation shots, but unfortunately it just might make you the scourge of the party, especially once the blinded dancers start bumping into furniture.
The camera's ISO management was generally excellent, with tightly packed noise and a good dispersal of digital blocking. Noise was admirably restrained up until ISO-800, where it became visible at sub-100% zoom, but even at 1600 the camera took usable exposures. White balance remained consistent across the board. The SD790 does lack ultra-high sensitivities like ISO-3200 and beyond, but on the other hand, these ISO speeds on compacts are typically useless, anyway.
Scene test
The Canon SD790 IS gave a solid result in this scene test, especially considering the drab lighting conditions in which the photo was taken. Overall clarity is high, and colors are nicely saturated (though the red is so prominent that we fear that, on a sunny day, reds might be blown out). Overall noise is good for an ISO-200 exposure, though the chain-link fence is a tad murky.
Edge test [telescopic]
Edge test [wide]
These edge tests also produced serviceable results. Very little fringing is evident in the telescopic shot, and only a small amount of blooming is present. The wide-angle result is even better, considering how most compacts produce epic fails at their lowest focal lengths. With the SD790 there's only a small amount of aberration along edges, and the focus falls out in the corners, both of which are more or less expected of lower-range lenses.
Macro test
The macro performance from the Canon SD790 IS was decent, though the flash tended to overpower macro photos, as seen here. A simple EV compensation control on the flash would have fixed this, but unfortunately the camera offers no such setting. Otherwise, the camera can get fairly close to subjects, but we've seen closer, and with better resolution.
Scene-mode test [auto]
Scene-mode test [indoors]
As with most compacts, the scene mode essentially just locks in a specific ISO and white-balance, as pertaining to expected movement and lighting conditions. The Canon SD790 IS performs as expected: the auto shot and the 'interior' shot are visually identical, because all the 'interior' mode does is force a tungsten-calibrated white-balance and lock the minimum ISO to 250. In terms of quality, shooting in full-auto is actually preferable when using flash, because the camera will be able to use lower ISOs.
Price and availability
The Canon PowerShot SD790 IS will start selling for $330 () in April 2008.
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