Tuesday, December 9, 2008

The Smallest Canon Camera

Canon makes some very small digital cameras but it's actually a little difficult to tell which is really the smallest canon digital camera. The stats below show Canon's two tiniest ultra compact digital cameras.

PowerShot SD1100 IS


Dimensions (WxHxD)
3.42 x 2.16 x 0.87 in./86.8 x 54.8 x 22.0mm
Weight
Approx. 4.41 oz./125g (camera body only)

PowerShot SD770 IS


Dimensions (WxHxD)
3.39 x 2.13 x 0.80 in./86.0 x 54.0 x 20.4mm
Weight
Approx. 4.59 oz./130g (camera body only)

As you can see, you have the SD1100 IS which is the lightest canon compact. And you have the SD770 IS which is the shortest in length. The SD770 IS is shorter by .03 inches or .8 mm. Certainly that is not a big difference in size. And on the other side of the coin, the SD1100 IS weight less than the SD770 IS by .18 ounces or 5 grams. Not a hell of a big difference either. I hardly think either of these cameras would feel any different in one's pocket.

The SD1100 IS is priced at $149 at Ritz Camera. The PowerShot SD770 IS is $159 at Amazon and $149 some other places. So for all intents and purposes, the price is the same. So is there much difference between these two little digitals?

Shutter speeds are the same at 15-1/1500 sec. Flash range is the same at up to 11 ft. The 770 can use the SDHC memory card where the other cannot. But they both handle SD & MMC. The SD1100 IS is nicely designed with a stylish colors available. The other compact digital is apparently only available in traditional silver. The SD1100 also features a pinhole viewfinder for those who want an option to the LCD screen.

Reviews seem to favor the SD1100 for picture and video quality. Although the raw stats don't yield much discernible differences, but it has the edge in design and look and feel. Price points are similar on these two ultra compact digitals so if your shopping give the canon SD1100 IS a try for sure. Certainly it can't hurt to compare the two but if you're undecided, general recommendations favor the SD1100. Regardless you will have a camera that fits comfortably in your pocket, purse or backpack. As new models are released I will update this topic as needed. Digital cameras are being released all the time as you know!

Monday, December 1, 2008

A List of Small Digital Cameras

I love small cameras. So I am researching which are the smallest. Here is the list of compact digital cameras I have come up with so far. I will be adding to this post and creating others that describe and compare the features of the these and other tiny cameras. My criteria for small is that they have to be pocket-sized. My experience is with Canon, so this will be mostly information and feature comparison and not usage and experience based. Here's the list so far:

Canon Powershot SD1100 IS
Canon Powershot SD770 IS
Canon Powershot SD790 IS
Canon Powershot SD880 IS
Canon Powershot SD990 IS
Casio Exilim EX-Z300
Nikon Coolpix S210
Olympus Stylus 1050SW
Olympus Stylus 790SW
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS3
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX150
Pentax Optio M50
Samsung L210
Sony Cyber-Shot T200
Sony Cyber-Shot W150
Sony Cyber-Shot W300