Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS Review

The Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS design has a sensor with a resolution of 14.1 megapixels and a 4x optical zoom lens with a range similar to 28-112mm on a 35mm camera. This provides a suitable wide-angle to a moderate telephoto perspective.

Throughout the zoom range, the maximum aperture shifts from f/2.8 to f/5.9. To fight blur caused by camera shake, Canon thoughtfully built the SD1400 IS with genuine optical image stabilization technology. This helps the camera capture more explicit images.

The Canon SD1400 IS has no optical or electronic viewfinder; the LCD on the back of the camera is used for all interactions. The display of the PowerShot SD1400 has a diagonal measurement of 2.7 inches. It delivers a resolution of 230,000 dots, roughly equivalent to a pixel array measuring 320 by 240 pixels with three beads per color.

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Canon PowerShot SD1400IS 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical...

Last update was on: March 28, 2024 4:58 pm

It is believed that the LCD coverage is roughly one hundred percent. The Canon SD1400 is capable of recording high-definition movie clips at a resolution of 720p (1,280 x 720), as well as standard definition movie clips at either VGA (640 x 480) or QVGA (320 x 240) resolution at a rate of 30 frames per second in H.264 MOV format, and including monoaural audio. It can also record still images at resolutions up to 4,320 x 3,240 pixels.

Regarding ELPH cameras, the Canon SD1400 is the model that offers everything you might want. You only need to frame the subject, make any necessary adjustments to the composition by zooming in or out, and then hit the shutter button. The Canon SD1400 IS is responsible for all of the strenuous work. And at the end of it all, you’ll get a great photo with 14 megapixels.

Bode And Design

Look and Feel

The Canon SD1400 must not include any animal products. If you feel around for it in your pocket or handbag, you can confuse it with your mobile phone because of how thin it is. Make sure you’re not getting mixed up by utilizing the wrist strap.

Another reason to utilize the wrist strap is that the front surface of the Canon SD1400 is entirely smooth. There is nothing, not even elevated type, to grasp onto. There is nothing. It has no grip.

Although Canon provided the black version for our evaluation, the device has a silver exterior. The black variant had a nice appearance, but it wasn’t easy to determine what each indicator represented. After becoming familiar with the functions of the buttons, you won’t spend a lot of time reading the icons, although the black shell did provide one challenge.

I was attempting to open the hatch leading to the battery compartment on the camera’s underside. I found it peculiar that there was a pretty colossal rubber flap. My curiosity led me to wonder if the Canon SD1400 is so thin that the battery cover consists of nothing more than a gasket. So I lifted the lid and removed it entirely without first opening the compartment, which may be accessed by moving to the right and sliding outward.

The secret is to remove the battery and then secure the plastic door when finished. After that, bend the two flaps backward so the post may be moved forward from its base. As you insert the bar into its hole on the compartment cover, you’ll see it creates an excellent handle. After you have turned the head through, you may realign the other components of the body, and it will be seated back into its original position. It is preferable not to remove the flap in any way.

Because the body of the Canon SD1400 is so narrow, the typical Zoom lever was reportedly unable to be incorporated into the design. However, the little switch located next to the shutter button on Canon cameras is functional and was the company’s solution.

In addition, there was no space on the sides for anything other than the eyelet for the wrist strap. To conceal the USB and micro HDMI ports, Canon designed the rear panel with a small door in the board’s upper right corner.

The socket for the tripod on the bottom panel is made of metal. On the black model, the only other feature that can be considered glossy and dazzling is the chrome shutter button.

Controls

The power button on the Canon SD1400 is relatively small and located in the middle of the top panel. It has a slight depression, allowing you to find it by touch, but being in the center of everything is a significant benefit. I was concerned it would be challenging to identify and use, but it did not turn out to be the case. It served its intended purpose, but only just barely.

The Zoom switch located directly to its right has very little travel and insistently protrudes outward. That is a positive development. Because the zooming was so smooth and quick, without any jerkiness, I could arrange my photographs without having to flip the Zoom lever on the Canon SD1400.

Even though it does not project from the top panel, the vast Shutter button was not challenging to locate. Pressing this button in Playback mode initiates the Record mode on the camera. Unfortunately, it looks like you’re holding a little bar of hotel soap, and the only discernible control is the Zoom button, which is significantly, very slightly raised.

A Mode switch can be found on the rear panel of the Canon SD1400. It is located to the right of the Playback button. That makes a great deal of intuitive sense. The Mode switch toggles between the three recording modes, and the Playback button permits rapid access to your captured images (or quickly returns to Record mode).

The Playback button on the Canon SD1400 also turns the camera on and off, which has the added benefit of preventing the lens from retracting. So if you power the camera on using the battery, all you need to do without switching it off is hit the Playback button on the back of the device. Otherwise, it will simply take you back to the Record screen.

Just below it is the standard ELPH four-way navigator, which also has a Func./Set button in the center of it. In the Record mode, the Up arrow also controls the EV Compensation; in the Playback mode, it prevents the rotation—the proper arrow critical cycles through the several Flash mode options. In Record mode, it is pressing the Down arrow cycles between the several self-timer settings, while in Playback mode, it deletes photos. Additionally, you may access several focus modes, including Macro, Normal, and Infinity, by pressing the Left button.

The navigation on the Canon SD1400 presented me with a few challenges. First, because it is a single ring but somewhat recessed, so it required more work than it should have to push any arrow keys. I would frequently use a fingernail to depress an arrow key completely.

The buttons for displaying and accessing the menu are located underneath the navigator. For example, the Display button on the Canon SD1400 moves you through the various LCD settings, while the Menu button navigates you to the camera’s many configuration options.

The LCD is 2.7 inches in size (as opposed to the 3-inch LCD that many compacts use today), and it has 230K pixels (which counts as high resolution in a compact digicam). Because it can be seen even at an angle, you can hold the Canon SD1400 over your head and still have some notion of what the camera is focusing on. On the surface, which reduces glare, it is possible to leave fingerprints, although they may be removed relatively fast. However, I must confess that I did not miss having a 3-inch LCD.

Lens

The 28mm wide-angle to the 112mm medium telephoto coverage provided by the Canon SD1400’s 4x optical zoom lens is comparable to a 35mm camera’s focal length range of 28mm to 112mm. However, I frequently found myself shooting in the field of a digital zoom four times, even when the subject was just a fair distance away, such as across the street.

Because the lens of the Canon SD1400 is equipped with Canon’s optical image stabilization, blurring caused by camera shake will not be an issue even if you are forced to disable the flash (in a museum, foFlashmple).

The wide-angle lens has a maximum aperture of f/2.8, while the telephoto lens has a maximum of f/5.9. On the other hand, the Canon SD1400 IS does not provide you with any direct control over the aperture or the shutter speed.

Modes

Recording modes on this year’s ELPH cameras from Canon have been made more user-friendly. The Scene and Special Scene modes have been significantly condensed and are now grouped under the Program setting. This is feasible because the green Auto setting has been upgraded to a Smart Auto, which pleased me by being slightly quicker than the clever auto of other tiny digital cameras (including the SD1300 IS). At long last, a high-definition video option has been incorporated into the Canon SD1400.

Canon’s implementation of intelligent Auto is referred to as Smart Auto. However, unlike the other methods, Smart Auto does not choose a Scene mode. Instead, it analyzes the situation and adjusts the camera to one of 22 possible presets. Each of these presets has its own symbol and color scheme that can be viewed on the camera’s LCD screen.

If the camera finds humans in the picture, for instance, it will evaluate whether or not those people are backlit by a vital source of light, such as the sun, or whether or not the sky is blue. If the illumination is dim, it checks to see if the camera is mounted on a tripod (how it determines this is something I haven’t been able to figure out). The symbol representing humans, which may or may not include the sun or moon, will appear in one of three colors based on the circumstances detected by the camera.

Distance and nearby subjects, such as landscapes (which may contain a fourth color), should be treated similarly.

In Smart Auto mode, the camera takes all the decisions about exposure for you (including turning off EV Compensation, ISO, and White Balance, among other settings). Still, there are a few that you may customize. These include the Flash (just Auto or Off), all Flashe options for the Self-Timer, and the Image Size.

The program is still considered an automated mode (you can’t directly adjust the shutter speed or aperture, but you can modify the ISO), even tho it provides you control over most decisions. On the four-way navigator, the EV Compensation option, the Focus mode option, and the full Flash option are all turned on. In addition, the menu has options for ISO, White Balance, My Colors, Metering, Release Mode, and Image Size that are accessed by pressing the Func./Set button.

Menu

A new design of menu that is entirely vertical and displays two Scene modes.

In addition, you may access the Canon SD1400’s Scene modes through the Program mode. These include Program, Portrait, Night Snapshot, Kids & Pets, Indoor, Smart Shutter (Smile, Wink Self-timer, Face Detection Self-timer), Low Light (3.5-Mp image size), Color Accent, Color Swap, Fisheye Effect, Miniature Effect (reduced depth of field on landscapes), Beach, Underwater, Foliage, Snow, Fireworks, Long Shutter, and Stitch Assist. There is also a Miniature Effect.

Using the Smart Shutter technology offered by Canon, you can take photos that automatically catch grins or set the self-timer to activate once a wink is made. In addition, when you enter a scene, your presence will be detected using a facial detection self-timer mode.

Movie mode may record video at a resolution of 1,280 by 720 at a frame rate of 30 frames per second for up to 10 minutes or 4GB for each clip. Additionally, it can record video at 640 by 480 or 320 by 240 at a frame rate of 30 for up to 60 minutes or 4GB per clip. You can use a quiet digital zoom, and the sound will still be captured. Memory cards with an SD Speed Class 4 rating or above are suggested.

The Movie selections are shown on the LCD as 1280 or Standard. However, the number 1280 should not be mistaken for the number 1080. This is because the Canon SD1400 can record video in 720p format, which is the more compact of the two HD formats regarding picture height.

When you have mastered the controls, the menu system, and other components of the Canon SD1400, you will find that they are pretty user-friendly (which seems to change a little on each model). Press the Function button after selecting a Record mode to view the available shooting modes and settings. Use the Menu button to access. Then, use general camera settings options anytime.

The menu system found on the Canon SD1400 differs slightly from that seen on earlier Canon cameras. Displayed horizontally, Canon’s primary menu selections are usually on the screen’s left side. In contrast, submenu options are at the bottom of the screen. On the other hand, the submenu options for the Canon SD1400 are displayed on a second vertical menu adjacent to the one on the left side of the LCD. Believe it or not, that took a little time for me to get accustomed to.

However, it had the benefit of being able to scroll without being stopped. If you want to see all of the Scene mode choices on the SD1300, you must first hit the Display button. On the other hand, you only need to keep scrolling while using the Canon SD1400.

Storage & Battery

The Canon SD1400 is compatible with the following types of SD cards: SD, SDHC, SDXC Memory Cards, MultiMediaCards, MMC Plus Cards, and HC MMC Plus Cards. A card with a Class 4 or higher rating is suggested when capturing video.

One thousand fifty-eight high-resolution photographs may be stored on a card that is 4 gigabytes in size (a 3,597K file size). A 4-gigabyte card can hold 21 minutes and 23 seconds of video at the highest quality level.

A compact lithium-ion rechargeable battery is the source of power for the Canon SD1400 (NB-4L). According to CIPA standards, Canon estimates the battery will last approximately 230 shots. The cost of a second battery is going to be $59.99. In addition, a fake battery serves as the power connection for the optional AC adapter kit (ACK-DC10), which may be purchased for $70.

Shooting

Because the Canon SD1400 is such a sleek-looking portable device, I didn’t give it a second thought before bringing it wherever I went. Of course, airports, restaurants, parks, museums, and just about everything else are included in this category.

Fish-eye. No issue.

It was so quick that I could beat an iPhone for a picture at a restaurant and take candid photos of the people at my table before anybody realized what I was doing. Of course, this sleek black casing does not eBut, ofctly scream “Camera!” to the world.

The flash performance of the Canon SD1400 was both intelligent and powerful, holding back for close subjects such as the light bulb while simultaneously illuminating the entire garage. This performance was comparable to that of the SD1300.

In addition, taking close-up pictures with the Canon SD1400 was a great deal of fun. Even though the carpenter’s pencil demonstrates the shallowest depth of focus when shot at ISO 75, it is still crisp enough to display good detail.

The collection includes a few macro photographs of flowers, some of which have an almost three-dimensional effect. To achieve an excellent up-close shot, combine the Program or Auto mode with the Macro focus option (located on the left arrow), and your camDetailll does the rest.

If you want to assess the full-resolution 14-megapixel photographs displayed on your computer accurately, you need to move your chair back twice as far as you usually would. But, again, this is just a word of warning.

In the end, the photographs are somewhat grainy and not nearly as crisp as those produced by the Canon SD1300; this is typically the trade-off made when a camera is made to be this compact. You can determine whether the Canon SD1400 will function well enough for you by looking at the print quality shown below.

Fish-eye and Miniature are two scene modes that are not accessible on the SD1300 that I experimented with. However, fish-eye is a fascinating distortion to play around with, demonstrated by the gallery photo of an SD card.

Digital Zoom. Keeps its form well.

The Miniature, on the other hand, was more challenging to execute successfully. First, you must choose a suitable topic and place it in an appropriate context. The effect blurs the top and bottom of the frame, giving the impression that you are shooting a close-up photograph of a miniature.

The process is commonly known as tilt-and-shift, although that description does not reflect what is happening here. The band shell in Golden Gate Park provided me with the greatest possible sample.

The photographs taken at the park were captured using the Auto and Program shooting settings. Unfortunately, when trying to preserve several highlights, I had to sneak into the Program to use the EV Compensation feature.

The statue of Verdi serves as an illustration of the issue. The initial photo is taken in Auto mode. The next option is the Program setting with -1.3 EV. Finally, I examined the histograms in Playback mode to assess the results.

The Quality of Lens

Regarding sharpness, the Canon PowerShot SD1400’s wide-angle end of the zoom range exhibits significant blurring in the frame’s extreme corners, with the most pronounced occurrences occurring in the right corners. On the other hand, blurring of this magnitude does not extend very far into the primary picture region. When set to telephoto, the Canon SD1400 created reasonably crisp corners.

Distortion of the Geometry

At wide-angle, there is a barrel distortion comparable to the average (0.7 percent), whiccomparedcient to be observable. At telephoto, a very slight degree of barrel distortion is present (0.2 percent). However, it does not significantly affect the image quality.

Aberration of Chromatic Color

Chromatic aberration is severe regardless of whether the lens is set to wide-angle or telephoto, and there is a clear distinction between the bright pixels at either end of the zoom range.

Macro

Even though there is significant blurring and chromatic aberration radiating around the corners and edges of the picture when using the Macro mode on the Canon PowerShot SD1400, the camera can capture crisp details in the center of the frame.

The smallest area must be covered 1.48 inches by 1.11 inches (38 x 28mm). The flash on the camera created a highly uneven eFlashre, caused mainly by the position of the moment on the camera and how close it was to the subject. Therefore, the optimum illumination for the nearest macro images will come from the outside.

Image Quality

Color

Bright greens are pushed quite a bit by the Canon PowerShot SD1400, and intense blues and reds are likewise a little bit oversaturated in the camera’s output. Regarding hue accuracy, cyan leans more toward blue, certain reds lean more toward orange, and brilliant yellows lean more toward green.

Yellow undertones can be seen in darker skin tones, although lighter skin tones can also be described as having a yellow undertone. The performance in this area is somewhat below average, but it is insufficient to be categorized as poor.

ISO

Noise and Detail, even though canon PowerShot SD1400 IS making apparent attempts to minimize picture noise as early as ISO 80, most tiny details may still be seen in the image. Fine detail is preserved instead well up to around ISO 200, but beyond that, definition detailly decreases. See the “Printed findings” section below for additional information on how this appears on paper.

Flash

Even when the ISO was increased to 500 in our tests, the manufacturer-recommended mDetail wide-angle distance of 13 feet still produced brilliant results. This can be seen in the image on the right.

The pictures are still quite brilliant when taken at a telephoto-rated distance of 6.6 feet; however, the ISO was increased to 500. Therefore, as long as you stay within the recommended light output distances, the flash that comes with the Canon PowerShot SD1400 should be able to handle most Flashal scenarios.

Incandescent

Although the Manual white balance setting of the PowerShot SD1400 IS did the best in this scenario, the Auto setting wasn’t too far off the target either. The effects of using the incandescent set were quite pink.

Performance

Shutter lag

The lag time for the full autofocus shutter is decent, coming in around 0.57 seconds when shooting at wide-angle and 0.60 seconds at maximum telephoto. The prefocus shutter latency is 0.081 seconds, somewhat slower than the norm but still relatively fast.

The length of one cycle

In single-shot mode, the camera has a cycle time that is rather sluggish, taking a picture once every 2.58 seconds. According to Canon, the SD1400 has a burst speed of 0.7 frames per second while shooting at full quality.

Recycle Flash Lights

After a discharge of its maximum amount of power, the flash of the Canon PowerShot SD1400 takes seven seconds to recycle.

In the Box

  • These items are included in the retail package:
  • Digital ELPH camera housing for the Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS.
  • NB-4L Battery Pack that is Powered by Lithium-ion
  • Charger for a CB-2LV Battery
  • WS-DC7 Wrist strap
  • IFC-400PCU USB cable
  • AVC-DC400 AV cable
  • Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM

Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS Specifications

Body typeUltracompact
Max resolution4320 x 3240
Other resolutions4320 x 2432, 3456 x 2592, 2592 x 1944, 2144 x 1608, 1600 x 1200, 640 x 480
Image ratio w h4:3, 16:9
Effective pixels14 megapixels
Sensor photo detectors15 megapixels
Sensor size1/2.3″ (6.17 x 4.55 mm)
Sensor typeCCD
ProcessorDigic 4
ISOAuto, 80,100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
White balance presets5
Custom white balanceYes
Image stabilizationOptical
Uncompressed formatNo
JPEG quality levelsFine, Normal
Focal length (Equiv.)28–112 mm
Optical zoom
Maximum apertureF2.8–5.9
AutofocusContrast Detect (sensor)SingleLive View
Digital zoomYes (4x)
Manual focusNo
Normal focus range50 cm (19.69″)
Macro focus range3 cm (1.18″)
Articulated LCDFixed
Screen size2.7″
Screen dots230,000
Touch screenNo
Live viewNo
Viewfinder typeNone
Minimum shutter speed15 sec
Maximum shutter speed1/1500 sec
Aperture priorityNo
Shutter priorityNo
Manual exposure modeNo
Subject/scene modesYes
Built-in flashYes
Flash Range4.00 m
External flashNo
Flash modesAuto, On, Off, Red-eye, Fill-in, Slow Syncro
ConFlashus drive0.7 fps
Self-timerYes (Flash or 10 sec, Custom)
Metering modesMultiCenter-weighted spot
Exposure compensation±2 (at 1/3 EV steps)
Resolutions1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
FormatH.264
MicrophoneMono
Storage typesSD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC/MMCplus/MMCplus HC
USBUSB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
HDMIYes
Environmentally sealedNo
BatteryBattery Pack
Battery descriptionLithium-Ion NB-4L battery & charger
Weight (inc. batteries)133 g (0.29 lb / 4.69 oz)
Dimensions92 x 56 x 18 mm (3.62 x 2.2 x 0.71″)
Orientation sensorYes

Final Verdict

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Canon PowerShot SD1400IS 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical...

Last update was on: March 28, 2024 4:58 pm

The Canon SD1400 is one of the most visually appealing digital single-lens reflex cameras that Canon has produced. In addition, the expanded Clever Auto mode can configure the camera in 22 ways, so you don’t have to fumble with the settings. The thin design with rounded corners is also reasonably intelligent, and what is also intelligent is that the upgraded Smart Auto mode can set the camera.

The program mode allows you access to all of the camera’s settings besides the aperture and shutter speed, making it ideal for those who enjoy tinkering. And, of course, you always have the option to play about with the optical image stabilization, the 4x optical zoom, and the 4x digital zoom.

Fish-Eye and Miniature are the two extra Scene modes with the Canon SD1400, which can be purchased for around $50 more than the SD1300 IS. Additionally, the Canon SD1400 is capable of recording 720p high-definition video.

Due to the high noise levels on the 14-megapixel sensor of the Canon SD1400, the picture quality of the photographs produced by this camera is poorer than that of the SD1300. Therefore, if you intend to make big prints or crop your photos, you must forego the unique features and sleek form of the Canon SD1400 in favor of the crisper SD1300. This is because the Canon SD1400 cannot do either of these things. I would also like it if the optical zoom range was more extensive if exposures in bright sunshine did not cut the highlights, and if the video could zoom out from the beginning scene rather than simply in.

Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS Price

Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS FAQs

When did Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS come out?

2010 marked the debut of Canon’s PowerShot SD1400 IS digital compact camera.

How do I charge my Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS?

You can use the battery adapter that came with the Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS and plug it into an electrical socket to charge the camera.

Another option for recharging the battery is to use the included USB connection to connect the camera to a personal computer.

Can I use Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS as a webcam?

Although the Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS is not equipped with a webcam, it is possible to use the camera in place of a webcam by installing third-party software and establishing the necessary connection.

What is the price of the Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS camera?

There is a possibility that the price of the Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS will differ from one seller to another as well as contingent on the camera’s situation.

On the other hand, given that it is an earlier model, there is a possibility that it can be purchased at a more competitive price than versions that are currently in production.

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