Canon SD700 IS Digital ELPH Canon SD700 IS Digital ELPH

[Jonathan B.]

My principal interest in digiscoping is documentation of fleeting views of rare migrants and vagrants, rather than aesthetic shots of residents. To date I have done all digiscoping hand-held with Nikon Fieldscope III ED. I have shot through the zoom lens at 20X, with a borrowed Canon PowerShot G2 zoomed to 6.7X. Results have been mixed, but I have captured some good documentary photos.

I am very interested in getting one of the point-and-shoot cameras with IS, and also in getting the 24X wide angle eyepiece for the scope. I have been reading reviews in dcresource and have doubts about the Panasonic FX models, some of which have exhibited poor color balance.

Can any of you experienced digiscopers comment on the specs for the forthcoming Canon SD700 IS? It looks pretty interesting to me. The following is a summary from dcresource, rather than from Canon.

-6.0 effective Megapixel CCD
-F2.8-5.5, 4X optical zoom lens, equivalent to 35-140 mm
-Optical image stabilization
-Same compact "perpetual curve" design as the SD500/SD550
-2.5" LCD display; 50% higher resolution than on SD550
-AF-assist lamp
-Point-and-shoot operation, save for white balance
-Records movies at 640 x 480 (30 fps) with sound until 1GB file size is reached
-Uses SD/MMC memory cards; 16MB card included
-Battery life greatly improved since SD550; using the new NB-5L battery you can take 240 shots per charge
-Optional underwater case
-USB 2.0 High Speed supported
-Ships in April for $500

[iporali]

Can any of you experienced digiscopers comment on the specs for the forthcoming Canon SD700 IS? It looks pretty interesting to me.

Hi Jonathan,

That Canon looks very interesting indeed. The only detail that slightly puzzles me is that the zoom will be 4x. The same change in the A-series (from A95 to A620) made the lens noticeably longer, which increased the camera's tendency for vignetting. OTOH the general size of the SD/Ixus series is much smaller, which may permit the added extension. Otherwise the SD700 looks like an improved Panasonic FX9. But if you mainly use the camera for documentary purposes, I would not think the Panasonic's color balance will be a problem (at least in good light).

Best regards,

Ilkka