Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS 4x

The back interface uses a touch screen and other new features include several additional photo effects, increased resolution and Eye-fi support. There is no optical view finder as canon is going with a larger back screen for taking the picture instead of looking through the viewer.

You can easily choose one of the many predefined settings for the specific types of pictures you are taking. The camera will determine the lighting and other external factors and then choose the best preset option for the picture that you are taking.

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.

- 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. Computer-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.


Best Buy SD1300 IS is equipped with the acclaimed Canon Optical Image Stabilizer, which automatically detects and corrects camera shake--one of the leading causes of fuzzy or blurred shots. Even when zoomed in, you can get the steady, crisp, brilliant images you'll be proud to shoot and share. And the Canon Optical Image Stabilizer technology is so convenient to use. It functions perfectly with or without a flash. 


With an ISO of 400-6400, the Low Light mode takes the Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS Ixus boldly into the shadows! Now even scenes notorious for having insufficient light, such as those lit by candles, fire, or street lamp, come through in fantastic color and clarity, with less noise. You can keep the feel of the scene intact without adding additional light, so the result will be scenes with the visual accuracy, depth and clarity you expect from a Canon camera.