Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS Review

This Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS review shows a very nice compact camera that will deliver really good image quality for beginning photographers. The SD1400 has some issues with response times -- trust me, you'll quickly become frustrated seeing the "Busy" message on the screen -- but the SD1400 compares adequately to other sub-$200 cameras and offers a good value.

I would like to have seen the SD1400 have a slightly larger optical zoom lens than 4X and a slightly larger LCD than its 2.7-inch screen. However, this camera's image quality makes up for its flaws. If you can find the SD1400 for under $200, it's a nice value.

Image Quality

With 14.1 megapixels of resolution, there's very little to be disappointed with in terms of image quality with the PowerShot SD1400 IS camera. It shoots outstanding photos, both indoors and outdoors, with sharp focus, and its image quality is among the best I've seen in a camera in this price range.

With the camera's small built-in flash, you may experience washed out photos occasionally, but most of the time, the flash does a nice job.

The SD1400 can shoot 720p HD video, which is great to have in such a small camera. Additionally, Canon included an HDMI port with this camera, making it easy to upload the HD video.

Performance

One of my biggest problems with the SD1400 involved its shot to shot delays. You'll see a "Busy" message after shooting nearly every photo -- other than in burst mode -- which is extremely frustrating. Its other response times are very good, with a fast start-up and very little shutter lag.

The LCD measures 2.7 inches diagonally, which is about average for cameras in this price range. A slightly larger LCD would be nice to have, but the LCD on the PowerShot SD1400 IS is very bright, and it doesn't suffer much from glare when used outdoors. If you're moving a lot, the LCD's image does lag a little bit, which can be annoying when shooting video, but the overall LCD quality is pretty good.

A larger zoom lens would've been nice with the SD1400, but the 4X zoom should work OK for the snapshot types of photos most people will shoot with this stylish little camera.

Design

The SD1400 looks a lot like other "Digital ELPH" cameras from Canon, as it's colorful and thin. The SD1400 only measures 0.7 inches in thickness, and it's easy to operate one-handed.

When switching between still image, playback, and video modes, the PowerShot SD1400 IS makes use of a toggle switch, which works well and makes it almost impossible to inadvertently end up in the wrong mode.

The SD1400's menu structures are pretty easy to use. However, moving through the menus likely will be a bit of a challenge for anyone with large fingers, as the four-way button used to navigate the menus sinks into the camera body just a little bit, making it difficult to press the directional button. This problem is something you may want to test with this model before you buy it, as it is frustrating to use.

Another frustration occurs with the placement of the flash in the upper right corner of the camera (as seen from the front). If you hold the camera with two hands, and your left index finger or middle finger slips off the top of the camera body just slightly, you'll end up blocking the flash.

The SD1400 is a nice camera, and its image quality is outstanding for such a thin, inexpensive model. It has just enough frustrating problems that I can't give it my highest recommendation. However, it is a strong enough model that it's definitely worth consideration. Try it before you buy it, as you might not experience the same types of problems with the design that I had.