ChrisBunting.com

A choice has been made. After weeks of scrutinizing over the various ultra-compact digital camera sites, reviews, opinions, and comparisons, my wife and I decided to purchase the Canon PowerShot SD400 Digital Elph camera. In the end, it simply came down to size and price. The whole point of us searching for an ultra-compact, was so that we would end up with a camera then can fit anywhere, inconspicuously and comfortably, and take great pictures. All of the cameras we were reviewing had at least a few reviewers that claimed the picture quality was excellent, so that criteria didn’t really help us narrow the field. We decided to visit the local electronics stores so that we could get our hands on as many of the cameras as possible. It’s very important for me to be able to handle and look at an item that I’m debating purchasing, especially when I’m expecting to pay a fair some of money for it. I think being able to see and hold the SD400 versus some of the other cameras was the clincher. We were both very impressed with how small the camera was, yet how durable it felt. Of course, we weren’t thrilled with the plastic doors that cover the battery/memory card slots and the input/output ports, but that was mentioned in many of the reviews.

As for the price, we obviously wanted to get the most bang for our buck. Therefore, I closely (even desperately) monitored many of the price comparison web sites, waiting for the lowest possible price that I could find. I subscribed to the Dealnews alerts for digital cameras, but the SD400 never showed up. I actually missed the best opportunity to get the SD400 for dirt cheap, when Dell had one of their many sales and were offering a coupon code on the Canon cameras, that brought the price down to $287. I hesitated (too long) since Meg and I were still in the discussion phase, and missed the sale price. Since that time, I noticed a 3-week delay on the SD400’s from Dell. So, we settled on buying from Newegg, for a price that was lower then what they have offered since, and the best price on the web from a legitimate site (one that won’t offer an outrageous price, but only because they want to tack on ridiculously priced accessories).

We have already had the opportunity to put the camera to use, and I’m very pleased with the results. The SD400 really does take great pictures, and it’s small size makes it very easy to carry around, without being too small that it feels like you’re going to drop it everytime you attempt to take a picture. Once I get that gallery closer to stable, I’ll be able to show off the images that we’ve captured with the SD400 so far. Until then, if you are in the market for an ultra-compact, I really think you can’t go wrong with Canon’s SD400. If you’re in the market for a camera, and have been looking at some of the same models we were considering, feel free to leave a response with any additional questions or comments you might have and I’ll be sure to answer or respond to them.

UPDATE (7/20/2005):

Dell Home is offering the Canon PowerShot SD400 for $339.15 (close to what I paid for it through Newegg). BUT, there is also a coupon code that can be applied to that price to give you $30 off! Use this code at checkout: Z9?TN9XD63741V. In addition, you’ll also receive free shipping on your purchase. Hurry though, this coupon expires July 21, at 7:00 am ET, or after 7,000 uses. Courtesy of Dealnews.com.