Canon Powershot SD20 5MP Ultra Compact Digital Camera (Zen Grey)
By: Canon Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 28
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 On: 2007-06-12
canon is awesome hands down. bought mine 2+ years ago for $330, this camera has dings and scratches on it from world wide traveling and yet has no problems. where ever i go i can throw it in my jeans pocket and take candid snaps on the go. fits smaller than a pack of ciggs, what more can you ask for? video is decent but sonys is just better, what makes this better than my old sony is the picture quality, so much sharper!! learn the settings and modes and youre set for great pictures no matter where you are.
On: 2007-04-10
I have had this camera since it came on the market. I love it! The size is a major factor - I can stick it into my pocket and use it anywhere I go. The pictures are great (sometimes the photographer is not so great). There is red-eye, but that is easily repaired by enhancement software.
Since I love digital photography, I am always looking for upgrades, but I have not yet seen anything that will satisfactorily replace this camera. Needless to say, for the professional, a digital SLR would be the best bet. But for the average person who likes to record life on a day-to-day basis, this is the camera for you.
On: 2006-12-14
Im pleased with this camera even though it didnt have the optical zoom on it. Takes great pictures and I love how small it is.. I take it everywhere I go. The battery life is pretty good and it charges back quickly. Very easy to use
 On: 2006-09-25
We bought this camera last October....It is small and compact which is a major plus. I have noticed that 80% of the pictures I have taken, have the red eye. We just recently went on a cruise, and the camera does not take very good quality pictures inside a comedy club with decent lighting... the people moving around were blurry. Lastly, when I went to power on the camera yesterday, it makes an awful noise, and then the screen blinks the canon logo, then goes black with an E18 error. I contacted Canon, and its not covered by warranty, and the repair will cost more than the camera did new. They claim that it was due improper use or mishandling. The camera went dead while it was on, and the shutter is left extended... Recharged the battery, and now the shutter will not go back in... and thats MISUSE? I will never buy another Canon ever...which is why Im at Amazon.com right now to purchase a new camera.
On: 2006-09-24
We bought this camera last October....It is small and compact which is a major plus. I have noticed that 80% of the pictures I have taken, have the red eye. We just recently went on a cruise, and the camera does not take very good quality pictures inside a comedy club with decent lighting... the people moving around were blurry. Lastly, when I went to power on the camera yesterday, it makes an awful noise, and then the screen blinks the canon logo, then goes black with an E18 error. I contacted Canon, and its not covered by warranty, and the repair will cost more than the camera did new. They claim that it was due improper use or mishandling. The camera went dead while it was on, and the shutter is left extended... Recharged the battery, and now the shutter will not go back in... and thats MISUSE? I will never buy another Canon ever...which is why Im at Amazon.com right now to purchase a new camera.
On: 2006-07-08
Ive used this camera in some of the worst conditions you can imagine. Being deployed to Iraq, Ive used this in 20 Degree to 130 Degree heat, sandstorms, being banged around, etc.
I have no major complaints about this camera at all, its very good, and the pictures come out crystal clear. Even the movies come out clear, which is suprising for a P&S Camera.
Only flaws I noticed about the camera, is it sucks for shaky hands and vibrations. For instance, in a gun-truck going down the road, or if your hands are shakey. Also, the flash causes red-eye alot, but you can touch it up in photoshop.
On: 2006-05-17
Had the SD20 for nine months. The portability is the best. So small and lightweight. Friends are amazed at the quality of my pics including some close up Macro pics taken from 2 inches away. Great for reviewing pictures through the TV and just delete if you dont like them.
Red Eye a bit irritating on some pics but that can be edited using the picure quality feature in the software.
This is an awesome camera, can be taken anywhere, small size, great quality, great pics.
PS - I did change the 32MB SD Card for a 256MB SD Card which holds hundreds of pics on the medium resolution.
On: 2006-04-01
1. capable of taking great photos; 2. clarity of the photos are good; 3. compact; 4. cute
On: 2006-03-11
The things that are wrong/bad about this camera are the following:
1. no optical zoom- when you use the digi zoom, the pictures come out not clear or win big pixels / NOT flawless
2. it ALWAYS makes the eyes red
3. battery doesnt last for a long time. i had to buy 3 more batteries for this camera.
4. the flash range is just short.
I love the sd450 more. takes great photos in great colors!
On: 2006-03-10
The things that are wrong/bad about this camera are the following:
1. no optical zoom- when you use the digi zoom, the pictures come out not clear or win big pixels / NOT flawless
2. it ALWAYS makes the eyes red
3. battery doesnt last for a long time. i had to buy 3 more batteries for this camera.
4. the flash range is just short.
I love the sd450 more. takes great photos in great colors!
On: 2005-12-07
This has got to be the hottest camera out there for an active lifestyle. It is stylish, small and sexy. It is the size and form of a cell phone, so it feel just right in your jeans pocket. It is perfect for clubs or anywhere you go. At 5 megpixels, I find it has more than enough resolution for high-quality enlargements.
I love to use it to express myself and since I always have it with me I can capture the moments of my life. You can take it everywhere and will use it all the time.
Uploading pictures is a breeze in Win XP with the USB cable. It has the full range of features found in Canons larger cameras for manual lighting adjustment, white balance, night shots, close-up macro mode, etc. It even records video clips with sound. The only drawback is no optical zoom, but for an active lifestyle who needs it.
I highly recommend a high-speed 512MB card. This is perfect balance between size and price. I get over 200 high-res pictures or 15+ minutes of video. Even while traveling I rarely ever used more than this.
For more on living a beautiful life, check out my blog at http://alexandertripp.blogspot.com.
On: 2005-12-06
This has got to be the hottest camera out there for an active lifestyle. It is stylish, small and sexy. It is the size and form of a cell phone, so it feel just right in your jeans pocket. It is perfect for clubs or anywhere you go. At 5 megpixels, I find it has more than enough resolution for high-quality enlargements.
I love to use it to express myself and since I always have it with me I can capture the moments of my life. You can take it everywhere and will use it all the time.
Uploading pictures is a breeze in Win XP with the USB cable. It has the full range of features found in Canons larger cameras for manual lighting adjustment, white balance, night shots, close-up macro mode, etc. It even records video clips with sound. The only drawback is no optical zoom, but for an active lifestyle who needs it.
I highly recommend a high-speed 512MB card. This is perfect balance between size and price. I get over 200 high-res pictures or 15+ minutes of video. Even while traveling I rarely ever used more than this.
For more on living a beautiful life, check out my blog at http://alexandertripp.blogspot.com.
 On: 2005-09-22
This camera was purchased for my wife who doesnt have patience for too many controls or settings. She loves this camera and uses it readily. She has allowed me to try it out some and I like it too; although I dont think it gets quite as good results as the 5 MP Konica that I regularly use. The Konica seems a little better on indoor/flash shots and the autofocus rarely misses. I think that with a little experience with the useful range of the flash, the Canon should meet our needs nicely, however. It fits so nicely in a shirt pocket that there is little excuse to leave it home.
On: 2005-09-21
This camera was purchased for my wife who doesnt have patience for too many controls or settings. She loves this camera and uses it readily. She has allowed me to try it out some and I like it too; although I dont think it gets quite as good results as the 5 MP Konica that I regularly use. The Konica seems a little better on indoor/flash shots and the autofocus rarely misses. I think that with a little experience with the useful range of the flash, the Canon should meet our needs nicely, however. It fits so nicely in a shirt pocket that there is little excuse to leave it home.
On: 2005-08-30
If you are looking for an easy to use, point and shoot camera, with great picture quality, that is ridiculously portable and stylish - this is it! The camera easily fits in (almost) any pocket and even the smallest of purses. Its about the size of a small cell phone. I constantly get comments on the color and the size of the camera. And the matching camera case-color just adds to it!
But enough about aesthetics - the camera provides excellent picture quality in really any type of setting (although i havent tried underwater)- as do all canons. And the menus and features of the camera are very user friendly. You can read the specs yourself - but the main features I use regularly are the various shooting modes (nightime, indoor, auto, etc.), quick shot and video.
For the cons, the camera doesnt have optical zoom, the LCD is fairly small (a little over an inch square) and there is no optical viewfinder. The lack of optical zoom is the biggest drawback in my opinion. However, with 5MP - I can zoom and crop to my hearts content without losing much if any clarity/quality - particularly when you are talking 4x6 photos or online photos. I imagine the small LCD can be tough if you dont have great eyesight - but hasnt bothered me at all. The lack of an optical viewfinder is tough when you are taking pictures in a dark area (like at a nightclub) - you really cant see anything. In the second when the flash goes off you can adjust a little if you are pointing in the completely wrong area. Which goes to my last thought on cons. In a review I read before buying someone warned that if you have big hands, or unsteady hands - the camera is so small it can be a little unwieldy to hold still. And this can result in blurry pictures. Ive only had this happen once - when a waiter was taking a group picture for me. Disappointing - but in the year Ive had this camera has only happened once. In fact, Ive tried to take blurry pictures by shaking the camera while shooting, and the pictures still come out clear....cant really figure that one out.....
Overall, I really like this camera. I was looking for a small stylish camera that I could take anywhere easily but that would also take great pictures. I hate carrying things around, so if i couldnt fit it in my pocket or my tiniest purse, I knew i would never end up using it. I was aware of the drawbacks to this camera before I bought - but for my point and shoot and portability needs decided it would work for me. And Ive been very happy with it.
The lack of optical zoom/viewfinder may drive some people crazy - if so I might recommend the canon sd400. Its only slightly bigger than the sd20 (but only comes in silver), and has expanded features. Its slightly heavier also. But still, a very portable camera.
On: 2005-08-20
I am totally satisfied with this camera. It was shipped extremely quickly. Also, it takes wonderful pictures. Overall I love it.
 On: 2005-08-04
No optical zoom! Even at 5 mega-pixels, I end up missing shots I used to get on my 2.1 MP elph. I also have quite a bit of difficulty with blurry pictures. Consider the larger elph with the zoom.
On: 2005-07-26
this camera is definitely worth the money. i love it. it is so small but takes the best pics and videos. i was sad when i lost my last camera, but now im glad because this one is much better! the clarity of the photos is amazing--
On: 2005-07-08
I was pleasantly surprised by the size and portability of the camera, but more so by its aesthetics. Many people have commented on how good looking the camera is. The quality of the pictures I have taken is superior to other digital cameras I have used in the past. Great buy!!!
On: 2005-05-14
I love this canon camera for it is really small and nice looking, it runs a little slow on original 32mb card, I will purchase a faster 256/512 sd card in near future, the bonus is the very nice and comfort leather case, almost same color as my cameras garnet. 5mp is good enough for daily shot. The only think lask is the A(aperture priority) mode which I always using with my nikon cp5000.
I bought from dell $265 in total with 15% off and 35 of 300 coupon from ebay.
On: 2005-04-06
I bought this camera for my boyfriend for Christmas and its great. Its so small he can carry it comfortably in his pocket, and everyone is impressed when he plugs it into the TV to show his pictures. He has had no problem downloading the pictures either. Im not a techie person, but I used it easily and it took great pictures. The bonus is how cool it looks, which is always a factor with gadgets. A great little toy! It definately needed a bigger memory card though.
On: 2005-02-25
I recently purchased this camera for a ski trip out to Sun Valley, Idaho. I was concerned that the camera was so tiny that my hand would shake, and the images would come out blurry. But despite the small size, I took hundreds of pictures, and theyve come out beautifully.
I transferred them to my Apple IPOD Photo, as well as my Apple Imac computer, and have even printed them through Apple. Now dont get me wrong....I know I sound like Im writing a review on Apple, but once I printed the pics, I was astonished at the clarity and the amazing details from the pictures once I received them.
The big "con" of the camera is the small screen on the back. There are so many new small point and shoot cameras that now have 2-inch to even 2 1/2 inch screens on the back of the camera. And theres no optical viewfinder on this camera, nor an optical zoom - but its all really unnecessary when you have a camera this small.
Those are the tradeoffs. BUT, this is a camera that you will certainly want to carry along with you everywhere! Its not bulky, and you never even notice that you have it in your pocket. I went down the ski slopes with it, and even stuck it in my jeans pants pockets. It never bothers you with its weight, and youll see that youll always pull it out to snap some photos of friends.
Advice: Buy a backup battery!! Buy a big SD file card. I got a 1GB card, and on superfine mode, and the highest resolution, it allowed me close to 400 pictures!
Great camera, and highly recommended.
On: 2005-02-23
We bought this excellent camera due to recommendation from my neice. The camera is so small I do not mind carrying it around everywhere. The 5 mega pixels lens and chip give good picture quality. We got the best deal from Amazon.com for this camera. We priced checked it at www.PriceComparison.com and found Amazon.com to be the cheapest + free shipping too. Can not go wrong with this camera.
On: 2005-02-12
Ive been using this camera for about 4 months and after adjusting to a few little things ( flash, complicated viewing procedure, short movie mode) my only real complaint is that it is really slow not just on but firing with or without a flash. no doubt i love this camera, i own a canon 20d but dont want to take that with me every where and this tiny guy can take some incredible pics and wont weigh down your pants. better than most 5meg small cameras, sony cant touch it, casio is close. i highly recomend this camera to anyone who wants a portable powerhouse, im constantly amazed by this thing and im really not impressed easily.
On: 2005-02-04
Ive had the SD10, the older model of this camera for over a year now. Its cute, stylish, compact and takes great pictures, but my main complaint is that digital zoom merely crops the picture rather than actually zooming, so the zooming makes you lose quality and all my pictures that were zoomed are very grainy. I have to use a huge setting and just manually crop my pictures myself on adobe if I want to "zoom". Aside from that, there are no complaints, although I think Id opt for a Sony the next time around because of their "burst" feature (I think its fun, but unnecessary).
On: 2005-01-23
This is a perfect second camera for someone who takes lots of pictures and already has some prosumer model. It also would make an excellent camera for the casual photographer. The camera is tiny, really really small but takes great pictures. Despite size of camera, alll controls are easy to use. Complex menus are Canon-easy-to-use but you could also just point and shoot and never worry about the menus. Only fear about this camera is losing it. Thought of getting the SD300 but who needs the zoom really for the use this camera will be seeing? And lack of zoom apparently makes picture quality better as camera is optimized for the fixed focal length lens.
On: 2005-01-18
I use a Nikon D100 for most of my digital pics, having gone digital completely 2 years ago. As I was a die-hard 35mm fan, it was a tough choice then- and when I decided I wanted a more compact camera to keep in my purse, pocket etc, I was incredibly picky. Looks counted, I wont lie - and this camera is just adorable! I find the buttons easy to work with and the quick power on is really great! We recently went on a ski trip and I took this camera in my ski jacket to get the best shots on the slopes of my entire family and the scenary.
The only disappointment is the flash can be a bit harsh on indoor shots and even with red-eye reduction on, youll still get an annoying red-eye most times. Work with the camera, figure out how to avoid these things with ambient lighting and other camera settings for your personal style and youll be fine.
This one wont disappoint - the price is great and the size is even better! For moms on the go, this one is light and VERY easy to use. Go for it!
On: 2004-12-27
This is probably the perfect digital camera for anyone who likes to take family pictures, pet pictures, friends pictures, vacation pictures, or even artsy pictures. I have done all of these. The camera is so small, and light, and extremely easy to use. Theres even an editing thing for the little videos you can take. I would recommend getting a larger memory card, since its amazing how quick the one it comes with fills up.
One drawback, there is only digital zoom. This makes it a little hard to take pictures that are not blurry (when you zoom that is), but then again, you could just use a tripod.
On: 2004-12-27
The SD20 is a super cool, super compact, super amazing digital camera! In order to give everyone out there an easy to follow and easy to understand review, I wont get into all the details, but some important features about this camera are; 1 - its size! The camera is ultra small and very lite! It puts my older S200, which I had always considered to be small and lite, to absolute shame! Throw it in your shirt pocket and head out. Just be sure to remember you brought it along or you may forget its there. Thats how small and lite it is. The image quality is amazing! Just like all the other Canon cameras Ive had, the SD20 is no diferent. The pictures are sharp, crisp and very clear. This is one of the best point and shoot 5 Megapixel cameras on the market today! No doubt about it and if youre shopping around, dont look any further! Its packed with great features even to please the most stringest photographer, if not amaze them! Take my word on this one, this is one awesome camera! The one drwaback, well its not a drawback, being that it packs 5 Megapixels of punch, youre going to need a nice sized CD memory card to store all those great pictures. I opted for a 1GB. With a 1GB card at full 5 Megapixels and Super Fine quality, you can store around 400 images. At Fine quality still at 5 Megapixels, the storage bumps up to 700 images. Drop the image quality a bit more, and 1GB card can hold thousands of images. Its your best bet! So dont wait around, get your SD20 today and see why I and so many others are praising it!
On: 2004-12-21
This was my first digital camera purchase and I am very pleased with it so far. The only thing that is missing is an optical zoom. I think the missing zoom is compensated for when you consider the excellent quality of the pictures it will take and the very convenient small size. The pictures are crisp and have nice color - I had several people tell me already that my camera has taken some of the best pictures of them they have ever seen. The carrying case is a very nice extra. Also - if you buy a canon printer with the camera (which I did) you get a $50 gift card from Visa.
On: 2004-12-20
I did some research before i bought this camera. I had heard that Canon made quality products and i liked the specs of this camera so i decided to go with it. Sure there are cheaper 5 megapixel cameras out there, but they do not capture true to life color in their pictures like this camera does. Go to the canon website and download a full resolution picture that was taken with the SD20 if you dont believe me.
Pros:5 megapixels
True to life color
Very detailed pictures
User friendly yet also has advanced features
Tiny, tiny compact size
Easy to take anywhere(i take mine with me everywhere)
Video has decent quality
Camera is beautiful
Comes with a leather case
Bundled software is fun to use
Battery life is awesome(ive gone 3 days before recharging)
Charging time is only an hour to hour and a half
Cons:I still havnt found any. An optical zoom might be nice but i havnt missed it.
This camera is great. It looks beautiful and everyone around you is going to want one. More importantly though it is a quality product in a small compact case. If you plan on taking this with you on vacation though, i would recomend a bigger memory card. It comes with a 32MB card which will allow you to store 20 pictures on the highest resolution but i bought a 512MB card which allows me to store 350 Pictures at the highest resolution. Hope this review helped!
On: 2004-12-14
This is the gift of the year. You can change the language of this camera to Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, etc... It does not have optical zoom. However, for me and most people, we dont zoom that often. Its light, but not very light that it feel cheap. The look is to kill. I purchase it for my aunt and she was so please with it that she wants another as a gift for her friend. I help others purchase this and the silver one too. I prefer it with color. Silver is kind of plain. The other good part about this camera is that it comes with a leather camera case. I think the case alone is worth over $30. Its great for everyday use. You can purchase a large memory card and use this camera as a camcorder. Memories are so cheap now. If only it can be use as a webcam. Then its a perfect machine. Canon is always on top of its game. Dont bother with the mega pixels. As long as its over 3 mega pixels from Canon, its fine. Other cameras with higher pixels dont even take better pictures. Also, Canon compress the files, so you can take more pictures and use less hard drive space on your computer. I have a Fuji and it break right after the warranty is over. Dont bother getting any thing fix, just sell it on eBay and use the money for a new camera. Send me questions, if you need advise.
On: 2004-11-12
I just bought the SD20 and it is excellent. The design works perfectly for my needs. I wanted to be able to carry my digital camera and get excellent pictures where ever I go. I was maticulous in my selection and my research paid off in this camera. Initially I was going to go sony for their design and memory stick capability. But, I wanted the Canon quality that people spoke of in their reviews. The solution: The Canon Powershot SD20. Now I leave my Canon Rebel SLR at home, and dont miss it much. I love the built in zoom, the point-and-shoot, the cristal clear quality and numerous shooting modes. Usually I dont need the full 5MP and I set the camera at a convenient lower setting so no resizing is neccesary when I load the pictures onto my computer. This makes it very easy to send my friends the pics by simply selecting the file from my desktop as an attachment. I love this thing! I cant wait for the holidays to come around so I can take tons more great pictures with this super little camera!
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