"Sunlit" Portrait:
(This is my new "Outdoor" Portrait test - read more about it here.)

Good color with all three white balance settings tested. High resolution and strong detail, but contrast is high and highlight detail limited.

• Exposure compensation: +0.7 EV, a bit less than average.
• Contrast/Tone: High, some highlight detail lost in the shirt and white flowers, but decent midtones.
• White Balance: Auto is best, though the Daylight and Manual settings are also quite good.
• Color accuracy: Very good, blues are a little dark, but overall saturation and color are quite good.
• Skin tones: Very good, natural-looking.
• Resolution/sharpness: Good, slightly soft in the Marti's face (seems like the camera was focusing on the bouquet), but good detail overall.
• Shadow detail: Good, fairly low noise.
  
  

To view the entire exposure series from zero to +1.0 EV, see files SD4OUTAP0.HTM through SD4OUTAP3.HTM on the thumbnail index page.

Higher resolution and very good fine detail, but again rather high contrast.

• Exposure compensation: +0.3 EV, about average.
• Exposure/Tone: High contrast results in harsh skin tones and deep shadows.
• Detail: Excellent, increased detail and resolution.
• Distortion: Good, 3x zoom lens avoids strong distortion close-in like this.
  

To view the entire exposure series from zero to +1.0 EV, see files SD4OUTFACAP0.HTM through SD4OUTFACAP3.HTM on the thumbnail index page.

Normal Flash +1.0 EV

Slow-Sync Flash +1.0 EV

Slight underexposure with the flash in the normal setting, though a brighter exposure with the Slow-Sync mode. Warm color cast, though.

• Exposure: Just slightly dark at +1.0 EV, very dim at default exposure. Brighter exposure with Slow-Sync setting, at +1.0 EV.
• Flash balance with room lighting?: Good, no artificial blue highlights from the flash. Slow-sync is rather warm toned though.
• Color: Slightly red skin tones, and dark colors in bouquet.
  

 To view the entire exposure series from zero to +1.0 EV in the normal flash mode, see files SD4INFP0.HTM through SD4INFP3.HTM on the thumbnail index page.

To view the same exposure series in the Slow-Sync flash mode, see files SD4INFSP0.HTM through SD4INFSP3.HTM on the thumbnail index page.

Auto White Balance

Incandescent White Balance

Manual White Balance

Very good color with the Incandescent and Manual white balance settings, about average exposure compensation required.

• Exposure: +1.0 EV, about average.
• White Balance: Manual setting most pleasing, though Incandescent also good (slightly pink). Auto setting rather warm.
• Color: Skin tones pretty good, blue flowers are dark and purple, but other flowers good. (Pretty good, given the tough light source.)
  

 To view the entire exposure series from zero to +1.3 EV, see files SD4INMP0.HTM through SD4INMP4.HTM on the thumbnail index page.

ISO Series:
Noise is generally low at the lower ISO settings, and increases (as you'd expect) at higher ISO settings. Even at high ISOs though, the noise is better-behaved than that in most digital cameras, particularly some competing subcompact models. Shots at ISO 200 are quite usable for making 8x10 inch prints, something you can't always count on with a subcompact digicam. Shots at ISO 400 are soft and grainy-looking when printed at 8x10 inches, but quite acceptable at 5x7 and below.

Auto White Balance

Daylight White Balance

Manual White Balance

Very good color with all three white balance settings, with high resolution but soft details. Bad blurring in the corners though.

• Sharpness/Detail: Details are slightly soft overall, but fine detail is still strong.
• Sharpness in Corners: Corners are very soft, much more than average. (Unfortunately, a common failing with subcompact digital camera models.)
• Color: Auto white balance best, though Daylight very close. Manual setting also good, just a hint cool.
• Detail lost to anti-noise processing?: A moderate amount in the shingles and shaded bricks.

High resolution and strong detail, but details are again slightly soft, and the corners of the frame are very soft indeed. High contrast limits the dynamic range as well.

This image is shot at infinity to test far-field lens performance, and to present a near-infinite range of detail to the camera. NOTE that this image cannot be directly compared to the other "house" shot, which is a poster, shot in the studio.

• Sharpness/Detail: A lot of fine detail, though details are again soft overall.
• Sharpness in Corners: Very strong blurring in the corners.
• Color: Very nice.
• Dynamic Range: A lot of lost detail on the highlight end, but good detail in the deep shadows.
• Detail lost to anti-noise processing?: Very little.
  
  

Resolution Series:

ISO Series:

Color Effects Series:

Color Effects Series
Neutral Color	Vivid Color	Black & White	Sepia	Low Sharpening

Lens Zoom Range

A typical 3x zoom range.

The SD400's focal length range of 35-105mm equivalents is typical of most point & shoot digital cameras. It corresponds to a moderate wide angle to a modest telephoto.

	Wide Angle
	3x Telephoto
	4x Digital Telephoto

Auto White Balance

Daylight White Balance

Manual White Balance

Slightly warm color, but still good results. High resolution and strong detail.

• White Balance: Daylight most appealing, though slightly warm. Auto too warm and Manual setting too cool and magenta.
• Color: Slightly warm color overall, but good skin tones. Blue background and robe both dark with slight purple tints.
• Sharpness/Detail: Very good. (Pushing the limits of the poster though.)

Standard Macro Shot

Macro with Flash

A *very* tiny macro area with pretty good detail. Flash has trouble up close though.

• Minimum Macro Area: 0.97 x 0.73 inches (25 x 18 millimeters), really excellent.
• Softness in corners?: Some, but about average. (Most digital cameras get fairly soft corners in macro mode.)
• Flash performance in macro mode?: Poor, shooting distance is too close for the flash, resulting in overexposure. (Plan on using external lighting for your closest shots.)

Auto White Balance

Daylight White Balance

Manual White Balance

Great color with all three white balance settings. Good exposure as well.

• White balance: Auto setting best overall, though Daylight and Manual settings also produced good color.
• Color Accuracy: Generally good hue accuracy, reds and greens are a bit oversaturated, yellows are a bit undersaturated. Cyans are sifted toward blue, a common trick to get better-looking sky colors. Other colors tend to be quite accurate. Better than average color overall.
• Shadow detail and noise: Limited detail in the briquettes, moderate noise.

The results in the tests below mirror those seen above in other test shots. The test series are repeated here without further comment, for the benefit of our more quantitatively-oriented readers.

ISO Series:

Color Effects Series:

Color Effects Series
Neutral Color	Vivid Color	Black & White	Sepia

My Colors Series:

My Colors Series
Red	Blue	Green	Positive Film	Darker Skin Tones	Lighter Skin Tones

Low-Light Tests

Good low-light performance, though noise is slightly high. Good color balance. AF works at 1 foot-candle without AF-assist light, capable enough for average city night scenes.

• Exposure limit: 1/16 foot-candle at ISOs 200 and 400. (About 1/16 as bright as typical city street lighting at night.) 1/4 - 1/8 foot candle at ISOs 50 and 100.
• Autofocus Limit: One foot-candle with normal AF, 1/4 foot-candle with AF assist.
• White Balance: Good.
• Noise Levels: Moderate at the lower ISO settings, but higher at the higher sensitivities and lower light levels.
• Detail loss to anti-noise processing?: Moderate at 1/16 foot-candle.
• General Notes: The Canon PowerShot SD400 does pretty well under low-light conditions. It can properly expose shots down to the 1/16 foot-candle (about 1/16 as bright as typical city night scenes) limit of our test, its autofocus system works down to 1 foot-candle with the AF-assist light turned off, and it can focus down to about 1/4 foot-candle with the AF-assist turned on. Images are a bit noisy at the lowest light levels and at high ISO settings, but not as bad as those from many subcompact digicam models. Bottom line, a fine camera for use after dark in typical urban settings.

(Note: If you'd like to use a light meter to check light levels for subjects you might be interested in shooting, a light level of one foot-candle corresponds to a normal exposure of two seconds at f/2.8 and ISO 100.)

	1 fc 11 lux	1/2 fc 5.5 lux	1/4 fc 2.7 lux	1/8 fc 1.3 lux	1/16 fc 0.67 lux
ISO 50	3.2 sec f2.8	6 sec f2.8	13 sec f2.8	15 sec f2.8	15 sec f2.8
ISO 100	1.6 sec f2.8	3.2 sec f2.8	6 sec f2.8	13 sec f2.8	15 sec f2.8
ISO 200	1/2 sec f2.8	1.6 sec f2.8	3.2 sec f2.8	6 sec f2.8	13 sec f2.8
ISO 400	1/5 sec f2.8	1/2 sec f2.8	1.6 sec f2.8	3.2 sec f2.8	6 sec f2.8

Flash Range Test

Underexposed at eight feet, with decreasing intensity from that point on.

• Flash range at telephoto lens setting: Less than eight feet.

8 ft	9 ft	10 ft	11 ft	12 ft	13 ft	14 ft
1/60 sec f4.9	1/60 sec f4.9	1/60 sec f4.9	1/60 sec f4.9	1/60 sec f4.9	1/60 sec f4.9	1/60 sec f4.9

ISO-12233 (WG-18) Resolution Test

Good resolution, 1,250 lines of "strong detail." Average barrel distortion at wide angle, no distortion at telephoto. Low chromatic aberration, particularly at telephoto, significant softening in the corners though.

• Resolution: 1,300 lines horizontally, 1,200 vertically. (Here's a sample shot with the Low Sharpness setting.)
• Artifacts begin at: ~800 lines.
• Extinction point: ~1,600 lines horizontally, and 1,700 lines vertically.
  
  
• Barrel/Pincushion distortion: 0.7 percent barrel at wide angle, 0.04 percent at telephoto (about one pixel).
• Chromatic Aberration: Very low at wide angle, virtually none at telephoto.
• Corner Sharpness: Quite soft at wide angle, and some softness at telephoto as well.

Resolution Series, medium focal length

Wide Angle	"Fine" JPEG	"Normal" JPEG	"Economy" JPEG
2,592 x 1,944	SD4RES2592F	SD4RES2592N	SD4RES2592E
2,048 x 1,536	SD4RES2048	-	-
1,600 x 1,200	SD4RES1600	-	-
640 x 480	SD4RES0640	-	-

 

Resolution Test, Zoom Series

2,592 x 1,944 (Fine, Wide Angle)	SD4RESW
2,592 x 1,944 (Fine, Telephoto)	SD4REST