Canon SD940IS Brown 12.1-megapixel brown PowerShot Digital ELPH digital camera

Your photos look good. You look good. It's all good

Today's point-and-shoot digital cameras are ultra-portable, which means they go with you wherever you go. Accordingly, they shouldn't be drab gizmos, but rather stylish little numbers. At the same time, however, you don't want to sacrifice performance for style . . . the camera should still take stunning photos. Take the Canon PowerShot SD940 IS Digital ELPH for a spin. On the performance side of things, this compact digital camera's 1/2.3" CCD image sensor gives you the ability to capture highly detailed 12.1-megapixel still shots. That's enough resolution to make large prints without the risk of losing any detail or clarity. Further, a 4x optical zoom and 28mm wide-angle lens allow you to capture broad shots or crisp images of distant subjects. And then . . . what was it we were saying about style? Oh, yeah! The cameras in the SD940 IS line are available in a variety of sleek, modern, muted metallic finishes. High style and high performance from the Canon SD940 IS.

Not just stills, not just video . . . HD video

Chances are you won't tire of shooting high-resolution 12.1-megapixel still photos with the SD940 IS digital camera. (Especially with its combo of a powerful 5x optical zoom and diverse range of Smart AUTO shooting modes.) But, just in case you need to spice things up just a little, Canon has equipped the SD940 IS to record HD video. Let's say that one more time: HD video. Capture detailed video in high definition 1280 x 720p resolution, and then share your footage with friends back at home on your HDTV using the SD940 IS's built-in mini-HDMI output. High-resolution photos and high definition video, all from the Canon SD940 IS.

It's auto. It's smart. It's Smart AUTO

Sometimes the last thing you want to do is worry about configuring the right camera settings for a shot. Sometimes events are happening too fast to allow time, and sometimes you just want to be a part of the action. In any case, what you seek is a little automation. You seek the Canon SD940 IS Digital ELPH with Smart AUTO mode. Smart AUTO technology gives you the ability to take stunning, perfectly exposed photos under a variety of conditions, effortlessly. After intelligently analyzing shooting conditions, Smart AUTO technology automatically selects an appropriate range of settings from 18 specially defined categories. Whether you're snapping shots of kids and pets at a park, friends out on the town at night, fireworks, beach scenes, or landscapes, the SD940 IS automatically optimizes your shots.

Masterful portraits

Sure, you enjoy dabbling in landscapes, cityscapes, and wildlife photography, but by-and-large, people are your most common subjects. Capturing well composed, well exposed photos of the human face, however, can be a tricky business. Well, unless you're using the Canon PowerShot SD940 IS. Combining a variety of technologies, Canon's DIGIC 4 technology enhances and simplifies photographing people. First, Face Detection technology finds and tracks the faces of moving subjects until you're ready to shoot, then delivers optimal focus, flash, and white balance for balanced, natural skin tones and properly exposed backgrounds. Intelligent Contrast Correction controls the compensation level in pixel units to brighten dark areas while leaving bright areas unchanged for improved portraits when a person's face is shadowed. Third, Red-eye Correction makes it possible to remove red-eye from photos either automatically while you're taking them or manually at a later time. Fourth, Motion Detection Technology optimizes ISO sensitivity and exposure settings to improve clarity when subjects are in motion. Finally, a Face Detection Self-Timer automatically detects an increase in the number of faces and makes the appropriate adjustments. For example, the SD940 IS will allow the photographer to leave the camera on a tripod and enter a group photo before snapping the shot.

Bye-bye, blur

We've all done it: taken a blurry photo. Whether it was the excitement of the shot or an unstable shooting platform, shaky hands led to fuzzy, unclear shots. Equipped with Canon's acclaimed Optical Image Stabilizer Technology, the SD940 IS digital camera takes great strides in minimizing or eliminating the effects of camera shake. Take steady, crisp, brilliant images, even when using the optical zoom!

Included with purchase

The following items are included with the purchase of the Canon SD940 IS digital camera: PowerShot SD940 IS body, Lithium-ion battery pack (NB-4L), Battery charger (CB-2LV), Wrist strap (WS-DC7), Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM, USB interface cable (IFC-400PCU), and AV cable (AVC-DC400).

Write A Review

great camera (June 29, 2010)

Ease of Use		(5/5.0)
Value		(5/5.0)
Performance		(4/5.0)
Overall Rating		(5/5.0)

Reviewed By: Q N. - San Jose, CA

This camera works really well. the quality of the photos is quite impressive, and so is the shutter speed. its not bad at all to charge just the battery. the camera is quite small and can fit into your pocket well if you are looking for something portable.

Not what I expected ....... (March 22, 2010)

Ease of Use		(4/5.0)
Value		(2/5.0)
Performance		(3/5.0)
Overall Rating		(3/5.0)

Reviewed By: Tauseef Ur Rehman - Minneapolis, MN

I had been looking forward to buy a good carry-around digital camera for quite some time. I was looking at the canon powershot series and was very glad to find a good deal on the 940is. Because on-paper it is probably the best of the bunch, wide-angle zoom, HD recording, small and elegant form factor.

However, I was pretty shocked when I used the camera for the first time. The pictures are extremely grainy and soft. At first I thought this was because I was taking pictures indoor, but my experience outdoors was not impressive as well. I tried to tinker around the settings but there are not much choices in the first place !! This is supposed to be a simple point and shoot camera without any manual mode where you can set aperteur and focal length. And that was my reason for buying it in the first place, I wanted a nice handy camera where I dont have to mess with the settings.

Having said that, I later on realized that the biggest problem was the auto mode which really shoots for a high ISO. Any picture taken above an ISO above 200 is very noisy and useless. And in auto mode even if you take the picture in broad day light, the ISO will be set at 400 or more which is the root of problem. If I set the ISO in manual mode to 200 and then adjust picture settings like light conditions and white balance, the results are more acceptable. But even then its just acceptable and not great.

Apart from the picture quality though, this camera is very good. Small size, easy to carry around, shot-to-shot time is extremely quick, flash recharge time is short, battery lasts for a while and the menus are easy to navigate. Basically everything else is well done and what i was looking for in a good camera.

At first I thought that something was wrong with my camera, but after playing around it for a while, I decided to keep it. But only because it will make a good gift. Myself I am looking for good picture quality and will do further search into other brands like Panasonic.

Great Camera (March 14, 2010)

Ease of Use		(5/5.0)
Value		(5/5.0)
Performance		(5/5.0)
Overall Rating		(5/5.0)

Reviewed By: Nathan L. - Cherry Valley, IL

Great camera, easy to use, packed with features. Fast service and shipping.

AWESOME CANON CAMERA (February 14, 2010)

Ease of Use		(5/5.0)
Value		(5/5.0)
Performance		(5/5.0)
Overall Rating		(5/5.0)

Reviewed By: Joshua R. - Arlington Heights, IL

This camera is unbelievable. I love it! Thank you VANNS ..............

Perfect gift she loves it (February 11, 2010)

Ease of Use		(5/5.0)
Value		(4/5.0)
Performance		(4/5.0)
Overall Rating		(4/5.0)

Reviewed By: John R. - Las Vegas, NV

I purchased the SD940IS canon camera for my wife, we have been planning a trip to Barbados and she wanted something compact that she could easily carry around, was easy to use and shot good quality pictures.
For the type of camera you cant beat the SD940IS if you do however need to shoot primarily using flash or at night you probably need to go the SLR route.

Comparison Specifications

Maximum pixels: 12.1-megapixels, effective (12.4-megapixels, total) / 1/2.3" CCD image sensor
Memory: Support for SD/SDHC, MultiMediaCard (MMC), MMC+, and HC MMC+
Zoom power: 4x optical zoom / 4x digital zoom / 16x combined zoom
Shooting modes: Auto, Portrait, Foliage, Snow, Sunset, Fireworks, Aquarium, Underwater, ISO 3200, Indoor, Kids & Pets, Night Snapshot, Color Accent, Color Swap, Digital Macro, Stitch Assist
Flash modes: Auto, Red-eye Reduction, Auto Red-eye Correction, Flash On, Flash OF, FE Lock, Slow Synchro
Movie mode: HD movie capture / 1280 x 720 (30fps), 640 x 480, and 320 x 240 video
Viewscreen: 2.7" TFT color LCD display / Wide viewing angle / 230,000 dots / 100% coverage
Digital interface: 1 USB v.20 (mini-B jack) / 1 HDMI out (mini-HDMI)

Additional Specifications

DIGIC 4 image processor: Face Detection AF/AE/FE/WB, Face Detection self-timer, Red-eye Correction, Motion Detection Technology
Optical image stabilization
Photo effects: My Colors, Vivid (Blue, Green, Red), Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Custom Color
Still-image playback modes: Single, Magnification, Auto Rotate, Rotate, Resume, My Colors, My Category, Transition Effects, Histogram, Overexposure Warning, Index, Slide Show, Red-eye Correction, Trimming
Movie playback modes: Normal, Special, Editing, Resume
Light metering: Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot
Exposure control method: Program AE, i-Contrast, AE Lock
Additional connectivity: NTSC/Pal video out / Monaural audio out
Battery: Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery (NB-4L)
Battery capacity: Approximately 220 still shots or 360 min of playback

Manufacturer Specifications

White balance: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom
Lens: Wide-angle 24mm / 5.0mm - 20.0mm (28mm - 112mm @ 35mm equivalent)
Autofocus system: TTL Autofocus
Aperture: f/2.8 - f/5.9 / Shutter speed: 15 sec - 1/1500 sec
Formats: Exif 2.2 JPEG (Still) / H.264 with monaural LPCM audio (movie)
ISO sensitivity: 80 / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600
Additional shooting modes: Long Shutter, Creative Light Effects
Display languages: English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Simplified/Traditional Chinese, Japanese
Display languages: Russian, Portuguese, Korean, Greek, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Thai, Arabic, Romanian, Ukrainian, Farsi
Self timer: 2 sec or 10 sec delay / Face Detection Self-timer / Custom