Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS - Product Review

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Canon SD1300 IS Overview

The Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS design features a 12.1-megapixel sensor, and sensitivity ranges between ISO 80 and ISO 1,600 equivalents. A 4x optical zoom lens graces the Canon SD1300, equivalent to a range of 28mm to 112mm on a 35mm camera; a useful wide-angle to a moderate telephoto. Maximum aperture varies from f/2.8 to f/5.9 across the zoom range. Canon has included a true optical image stabilization system in the SD1300 IS, which combats blur from camera shake.

The Canon SD1300 IS lacks any form of optical or electronic viewfinder, with all interaction taking place through its rear-panel LCD display. The PowerShot SD1300's display measures 2.7 inches diagonally, and offers 230,000 dot resolution, which equates to roughly a 320 x 240 pixel array with three dots per color. LCD coverage is said to be approximately 100%. As well as still images at resolutions up to 4,000 x 3,000 pixels, the Canon SD1300 can record standard definition movie clips at either VGA (640 x 480) or QVGA (320 x 240) resolution, with a rate of 30 frames per second in Motion JPEG AVI format, and including monaural audio.

Exposures are calculated using the Canon SD1300's evaluative metering system, which also offers center-weighted average and spot modes. No manual control over the look of images is provided, with the Canon PowerShot SD1300 instead providing a choice of Auto, Program Auto, and twelve scene modes. Seven white balance modes are available, including Auto, five presets, and manual. The PowerShot SD1300 IS has a seven mode flash strobe with a range of one to 13 feet at wide-angle, or 1.6 to 6.6 feet at telephoto.

The Canon PowerShot SD1300IS stores images and movies on Secure Digital, SDHC, or SDXC cards. Connectivity options include NTSC / PAL standard definition composite video and USB 2.0 High Speed data. Power comes courtesy of a proprietary NB-6L lithium-ion rechargeable battery, rated as good for a battery life of 240 shots.

Canon SD1300 IS Conclusion

Canon's compact, automatic ELPH line has grown up a bit since last year. But it has matured in two pleasing ways. First, it's smaller (and, yes, lighter). Second, it's simpler than it has ever been to just take pictures. And Smart Auto extends that simplicity to a few more difficult scenarios. Menus and options are simpler too, with even the Scene modes cut back to a healthy, but minimal set.

The Canon SD1300 IS brings as 4x zoom with optical image stabilization and a 12.1-Mp sensor to the ELPH party in your choice of colored case at a very attractive price. It's quick and a pleasure to use. The only disappointments were in shooting into the sun, low light shooting, and video capture's lack of an HD setting. Contrast in outdoor scenes was a little too much for some of our subjects, but generally that's a good thing. Printed results were quite good, with every ISO setting producing good quality at a common print size, ranging from an impressive 13x19 inches at ISO 80 to a good 4x6-inch print at ISO 1,600.

Canon ELPHs continue to be one of the more affordable.