Review based on a production Canon Digital IXUS 900 Ti (SD900)
Announced (along with a handful of other PowerShots) just before Photokina in September 2006, the SD900 (we'll call it this throughout the review - see below for EU/Japanese names) sits at the top of Canon's successful ELPH / IXUS range and offers the highest resolution yet; 10 megapixels (on a 1/1.8" CCD). It also features Canon's new DIGIC III processor and another first; a solid titanium body, which as well as adding a touch of class makes for a lighter, more durable camera. Otherwise there's no surprises here; the IXUS formula is one that has served Canon well, and the SD900 is functionally pretty much indistinguishable from its other recent stable mates. So is the SD900 the ultimate ELPH or a megapixel too far dressed up in a snazzy jacket? Let's find out, starting as ever with the headline features:
| Street price | • US: $399 • UK: £298 |
|---|---|
| Naming | US name: Canon PowerShot SD900 Digital ELPH |
| Body Material | Metal and plastic |
| Sensor | • 1/1.8 " Type CCD |
| Image sizes | • 3648 x 2736 |
| Movie clips | • 1024 x 768 @ 15fps |
| File formats | • JPEG Exif 2.2 • DCF • DPOF • AVI Motion JPEG with WAVE monaural |
| Lens | • 37-111mm (35mm equiv) |
| Image stabilization | No |
| Conversion lenses | No |
| Digital zoom | up to 4x |
| Focus | TTL |
| AF area modes | • AiAF (Face Detection / 9-point) • 1-point AF (fixed center) |
| AF assist lamp | Yes |
| Focus distance | Closest 5cm |
| Metering | • Evaluative • Center-weighted average • Spot |
| ISO sensitivity | • Auto • Hi-ISO Auto • ISO 80 • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 • ISO 800 • ISO 1600 |
| Exposure compensation | • +/- 2EV • in 1/3 stop increments |
| Shutter speed | 15-1/1600 sec |
| Aperture | F2.8-4.9 |
| Modes | • Auto • Manual • Digital Macro • Color Accent • Color Swap • Stitch Assist • Movie • Special Scene |
| Scene modes | • Portrait • Night Snapshot • Kids & Pets • Indoor • Foliage • Snow • Beach • Fireworks • Aquarium • Underwater • ISO 3200 |
| White balance | • Auto |
| Self timer | • 2 or 10secs • Custom |
| Continuous shooting | approx 2.1fps until card is full |
| Image parameters | My Colors (My Colors Off, Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, B&W, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Custom Color) |
| Flash | • Auto |
| Viewfinder | Real-image zoom optical viewfinder |
| LCD monitor | • 2.5-inch P-Si TFT • 230,000 pixels |
| Connectivity | • USB 2.0 Hi-Speed • AV out |
| Print compliance | • PictBridge • Canon SELPHY Compact Photo Printers and PIXMA Printers supporting PictBridge (ID Photo Print, Movie Print supported on SELPHY CP printers only) |
| Storage | • SD / SDHC / MMC card compatible • 32 MB card supplied |
| Power | • Rechargeable Li-ion battery NB-5L • Charger included • Optional AC adapter kit |
| Other features | • Optional High Power Flash HF-DC |
| Weight (No batt) | 165g (5.8 oz) |
| Dimensions | 91.2 x 59.6 x 28.2 mm (3.6 x 2.3 x 1.1 inch) |
If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital
Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help
you understand some of the terms used).
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Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based on the opinion of the reviewer, you should read the ENTIRE review before coming to your own conclusions. Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of the image, clicking on the image will display a larger (typically VGA) image in a new window. To navigate the review simply use the next / previous page buttons, to jump to a particular section either pick the section from the drop down or select it from the navigation bar at the top. DPReview calibrate their monitors using Color Vision OptiCal at the (fairly well accepted) PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the (computer generated) grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally A,B and C. |
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This article is Copyright 2007 Simon Joinson / dpreview.com and the review in part or in whole may NOT be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author. For information on reproducing any part of this review (or any images) please contact: Phil Askey
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