SD400 image quality - really disappointing...

[duffwant]

I've just looked at the images produced by this model on dcresource, and I am extremely disappointed.

www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_sd400-review/gallery.shtml

Look at this pic:

www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_sd400-review/IMG_0053.JPG

and compare it with the same shot by SD500:

www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_sd500-review/IMG_0020.JPG

Even the image made by its predecessor, the SD300, is considerably sharper.

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_sd300-review/IMG_0601.JPG

Just look at the statues (how blurry they are on the SD400) as well as the text on the main entrance. You can barely see the letters, while the other two cameras produce great shots.

The rest of the gallery exhibits the same blurry images. They are considerably worse than I expected.

I've ordered this baby from Dell last week, but now I am considering refusing delivery when it arrives on Wednesday... What are your thoughts?

[Rex914]

Different shooting conditions and parameters can cause some variance in the images. Does Dell charge a restocking fee? You might want to try out the camera for yourself before sending it back. Even if the images come out a little soft, you could crank up sharpness a notch as that usually fixes things up.

[eksplicit]

It is to be expected that the quality of the SD500 is better but I really do not hope that the SD300 is better, since I have also just bought the SD400 :confused:

I hope that is is the lightning conditions that does the trick. As you can see the shadows on the picture taken by the SD400 is longer than the others, and the SD500 is taken with the most light.

It really would be shitty by canon to go back on quality.....

Please dcresource.... make the review finished.... there are absolutely no reviews yet on the net :(
We are waiting in anticipation :o

Eksplicit

[imadmax69]

I have also noticed the blurriness and softness of the sample picture :eek: .
Please, for the love of GOD, finish the SD400 review and if possible address the LCD cracking problem as well (rumoured to have plaqued the other SD series).
Thanks,
Best Regards,
imadmax69 :o

[red]

thank god i got the sd300


p.s. remember me? im still alive.just didnt post much.
psp rocks!

[olias]

I posted some shots with the SD400 which I bought for my gf and some older shots I took with the S400. I don't think the SD400 is that bad, but have a look for yourself: www.pbase.com/octobertide/compare

[Causeway]

SD400 rocks!

[Rex914]

It really turns out it was a fluke. Jeff's reshooting those 2 photos that were messed up. I really hope you didn't refuse delivery. :)

[eksplicit]

Thank you Rex, that is a relief :)

I am really happy with this cam and it is its moneys worth for me.

Still, it is my first digital camera so I have no frame of reference and would hate to discover that I could have had more value for my savings with an older model :rolleyes:

Looking forward to seing a review with new great pictures, and go discover if I as a beginner can make some just as nice :o

Regards
Eksplicit

[imadmax69]

I just bit the bullet and ordered one from Dell home for $302 shipped after 15% +$30 +10% dell pref act. after reading pretty ok consumer reviews. I will keep u guys posted.
ttfn
imadmax69

[Rooney]

Hi. My first post in this forum. I'm about to buy my first digital camera and I've been trying to find the right model. I've narrowed it down to SD400, SD500 and the Panasonic DMC FX7. I hear the optics on the FX7 is supposed to be good. I don't know how it compares to that of the SD-models? Also, is there any downside to having 7 Mp on the SD500 instead of 5 Mp as on the SD400? In terms of more noise etc. Like the title says; I'm new to this and I don't really know what to look for, and I am certainly no expert in photography.

Still, after reading this thread I'm now leaning towards the SD500 even though I thought much of the same features found in the SD500 were also found in the SD400. My final question is if anyone knows if Canon will make a true underwater case for the SD400 (down to 40 m). The SD500 can use the same case as for the Ixus 500. It would suck if I got the SD400 and then couldn't get an underwater housing for it (not the "all weather case").

I do hope you take the time to give some simple replies to my questions because I can't come to a decision between these 3 cameras. Didn't have time to look through the other threads to see if this has been asked before, sorry about that.

Cheers.

[JTL]

Also, is there any downside to having 7 Mp on the SD500 instead of 5 Mp as on the SD400? In terms of more noise etc. Like the title says; I'm new to this and I don't really know what to look for, and I am certainly no expert in photography.The answer to this question is no. Thankfully Canon took care of this by using a larger sensor on the SD500. My photos from the SD500 are noise-free at ISO 50, effectively noise-free at ISO 100, moderate but tolerable noise at ISO 200 (actually as good as a lot of other cameras at their higher settings) and have noticible noise at ISO 400 (scan my posts and SamuaraiJack's posts in the gallery for examples).

FYI, The SD400 is "noisier" than the SD300 because they share the same sensor.

To save you some time, here are some examples from my SD500...

http://JTL.smugmug.com/photos/19881830-L.jpg
http://JTL.smugmug.com/photos/19903839-L.jpg
http://JTL.smugmug.com/photos/19903850-L.jpg
http://JTL.smugmug.com/photos/20013029-L.jpg
http://JTL.smugmug.com/photos/19456250-L.jpg
http://JTL.smugmug.com/photos/19876834-L.jpg
http://JTL.smugmug.com/photos/18309978-L.jpg
http://JTL.smugmug.com/photos/19390235-L.jpg
http://JTL.smugmug.com/photos/19955886-L.jpg
http://JTL.smugmug.com/photos/20365925-L.jpg

[Rooney]

Thanx JTL.

I'm leaning more and more towards the SD500. I noticed you can buy an extra flash for the SD500. The weak flash is one of the main downsides if you want to take underwater photos with any regular camera but the underwater case for SD500 is not built to fit the extra flash also I think. Can anyone confirm this?

Some newbie thoughts on the noise. Let's say you want to take pictures of some fast moving objects with ISO 400. Will the SD500's 7 MP then cause a problem even with the larger sensor (i.e. give more noise)?

Finally, I wanted to order the camera yesterday but after reading about the "hum" during video recording and the general quality issues, I decided to wait. Since I'm ordering online, I don't want to go through the hassle of re-sending in case there is something wrong with it from the start. Is it a case of the first batches having this error and if so, how long does it usually take before the manufacturer corrects these sorts of problems?

Sorry for the, once again, lengthy post.

Cheers.

[JTL]

Rooney:

As far as the underwater case goes, you are right; you are limited to the built-in flash. I have no idea how well this works...I haven't read any posts anywhere from someone using the SD500 underwater...you might try a Google search and see if anything comes up.

As far as noise goes, you will always have noise at ISO 400 on a point-and-shoot. I use Noise Ninja and it takes care of this problem most of the time. The only way to go for no/low noise at a high ISO setting (400 and higher) is a dSLR...

And finally, there's has been some quality control issues (none with mine) reported with the SD500, the video hum being one of the more prevalent...although there are plenty of them out there without this problem. My advice is, since it appears to be hit-and-miss, is to buy from a reputable dealer that has a flexible/reasonable return policy.

Hope I was of assistance... :)

[Rooney]

Rooney:

Hope I was of assistance... :)

Yes, indeed. :)

There was an interesting post in the Panasonic forum in which someone wanted advice on which one of the SD500 and the Panasonic DMC FX7 to buy. This was also one of my big headaches. In the replies, they only recommended the FX7 and said the Leica lens and the OIS made the choice easy. But in a thread in here (about landscape mode for the SD500) the SD500 image quality was said to be much better. There doesn't seem to be any correlation between the opinions. Even though the posts in the different manufacturer's forum may be a bit biased they come to exactly the opposite conclusion. :confused:

[JTL]

Yes, indeed. :)

There was an interesting post in the Panasonic forum in which someone wanted advice on which one of the SD500 and the Panasonic DMC FX7 to buy. This was also one of my big headaches. In the replies, they only recommended the FX7 and said the Leica lens and the OIS made the choice easy. But in a thread in here (about landscape mode for the SD500) the SD500 image quality was said to be much better. There doesn't seem to be any correlation between the opinions. Even though the posts in the different manufacturer's forum may be a bit biased they come to exactly the opposite conclusion. :confused:I'm sorry to say, but must truthfully confess that you will find bias with me as well. But my bias has a basis in fact. I did not and would not ever consider the FX7. First...only 5MP...not good enough for my 13x19" prints. Second, no optical viewfinder...you never know how important one is until you need it. Third...the longest exposure time is 8-seconds...not long enough for me by half. Fourth...the battery life is pitiful. Sixth...this is more in the added bonus department, but, it doesn't have a VGA video mode. Fifth, the LCD does not cut it in low light at all (which ties back to the no optical viewfinder issue). And last, but most important...in my opinion the image quality is simply not as good. I suggest looking at Jeff Keller's example shots from the reviews and comparing side-by-side. For the same price, I feel that the SD500 represents a much better value...something that Canon is not really known for....but in this case I think it's true.

[Rooney]

I suggest looking at Jeff Keller's example shots from the reviews and comparing side-by-side. For the same price, I feel that the SD500 represents a much better value...


Thanx JTL.
I did take a look at the pictures for comparison and I don't know if I'm in deep water here, but the pictures of the FX7 did look a bit "brighter" and the colors weren't as dark as on the SD500. I looked carefully because I really wanted to think the SD500's photos looked better, but I'm not sure. I agree with you on the rest of the pros for the SD500, but the SD500 is more expensive than the FX7 if I'm not mistaken? In Europe where I live, there is a €50-€80 difference. But the SD500 is newer so I guess that makes up for part of it.

Are they priced the same in the US?

Cheers!

[JTL]

Are they priced the same in the US?

Cheers!Well...they started out the same price...but, I just checked and at the high-end, they're both still around $500. USD. But at the low end there's a big disparity...the FX7 is as much as $100 less. I didn't go so far as to see which retailers had which camera for what price. I guess the price has widened because the FX7 has been out longer...

So, I see that you're right. The FX7 can be had at a reasonable price relative to it's features and quality...

[dman081]

How about the SD400 compared to Pentax s5i? Any thoughts? The actual user reviews of the s5i seem to indicate that in real use its one of the best, whie the pro reviews rate it at just above average. I'd really like to get any of your thoughts on it.

[s5sa3]

sd300 > sd400 in terms of sharpness?

[JTL]

How about the SD400 compared to Pentax s5i? Any thoughts? The actual user reviews of the s5i seem to indicate that in real use its one of the best, whie the pro reviews rate it at just above average. I'd really like to get any of your thoughts on it.
I didn't even seriously ever consider the SD400. I didn't like the idea of 5MP on the Canon 1/2.5" sensor. You can see the noise. As far as the S5i goes, I tried it out for only around ten miniutes before I rejected it for what I consider to be a fatal design flaw...the on/off button is to the right of the shutter release button in the shooting position. You (I) wind up turning off the camera every time while trying to take a shot! And forget about your friends and family who use it...or those impromptu shots where you ask a passer-by to take a shot of you and the person you're with. They'll wind up turning off the camera instead of taking the shot and the moment will be lost as they give you that annoyed look as you try to get them to take another. Also, like the Canon SD400, I find the images too noisy for my tastes. Being able to charge the battery in the camera is a convenient feature though.

Needless to say, I wound up with the Canon SD500.

[imadmax69]

After taking over 200 shots in all different modes, I came to the conclusion that there was just too much noise and softness in most of the pictures indoor and outdoor, so I returned the camera back to dell. Although the features and the size were amazing........

Any suggestions for a perfect ;) 4MP+ pocket sized camera????

Thanks!

[straden]

SD500 all the way :D

[JTL]

SD500 all the way :DYeah, baby yeah!:D

[Causeway]

For those who are considering the SD400 - I have taken at least 200+ pictures with my SD400 and am very pleased. I have taken pictues in various light situations - indoors and out. All in all the performance is fantastic and the picture quality is vey nice.

[duffwant]

After some consideration, I've decided to refuse delivery on SD400 and instead went with SD500.

After numerous phone calls to Dell and concession coupons, it came out to be even cheaper than what I paid for the SD400.

Extremely happy with SD500.

There are plenty of rave reviews about SD400. People say they like its image quality. Possible explanations include variation in quality of SD400 models, or lack of comparability with higher end cameras.

Just my 2 c. worth.

[bigstudd]

duffwant- exactly how much did you end up paying for the SD500 with the coupons?