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• The Good: Retro look and slightly larger size make sense; three-inch screen makes sharing photos easy; photo quality is excellent; macro shooting is a real pleasure; improved battery life and button configuration
• The Bad: No optical image stabilization; flash's usefulness can be hit or miss; a higher optical zoom would've been nice
• The Verdict: An improvement over its predecessors
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After a so-so offering last year in Canon's PowerShot series with the SD630 and a decent one in the SD700, the imaging company comes back with a couple of new models in the SD750 and SD1000. This review focuses on the SD750.

The SD630 was the first in the PowerShot ELPH line to introduce a three-inch screen in the back. While it made photos look nice in playback, it also dwarfed everything else near it, including all the buttons. The SD700 introduced optical image stabilization and did a very good job of eliminating blur from photos, but the knock against it was the awkward placement of buttons.

Optical image stabilization isn't part of the package here, but the SD750 looks to fix all that with new features, a better form factor and increased resolution.

Pushing buttons

Button placement has always been an issue, since screen sizes have increased and the viewfinder eliminated to compensate for that. But with no room for features with dedicated buttons, a majority of those are found within the menu interface of the camera. This works for some, but only works to confuse others.

The same touchscreen interface that was introduced in previous models like the SD630 is back again and works much the same way. The selection is limited, like it was before, except that it's more responsive and is used via the scroll wheel in the back. It's a nice feature, but likely won't see much use when compared to the better button configuration offered.

The SD750 treads a fine line here in that it places the buttons in more functional locations and in more desirable sizes. Bringing back a three-inch screen basically cannibalizes the space on the back of the camera, but that's not as big an issue since Canon also increased the size of the unit itself.

The look and feel of the SD750 very much conveys a retro image, which Canon designers tell me was the original premise. Rather than make the model overly small and flashy with rounded curves and slick contours, the form of the camera is very much a straight-edged rectangle with a little bit of a curve on one side. In a way, it holds like a disposable film camera, only it's naturally a lot thinner and smaller. Not to mention that it easily slips into a jacket or pants pocket.

Improved style and quality

It was nice to see that the battery performance in the SD750 improved significantly from the SD630. The latter model topped up at 160 shots per charge, which was well below the average among competitors. Even though it had a lot to do with the battery-draining three-inch screen, Canon needed to improve that stat.

Based on some of my tests, the SD750 doubled that shot total, but it should be noted that general performance is also at the mercy of the LCD screen's use. Repeated playback and fiddling with the menu all contribute to a faster battery drain, but it's also unlikely that you would take 300 photos continuously without viewing them at anytime. It's also unlikely that you would take 300 photos without recharging the battery sometime in between.

Most impressive about the quality of the images is in features like macro and My Colors. The My Colors feature is old news, but it can be a lot of fun if you mix it up with some of the other shooting modes. Macro photos are excellent for a point-and-shoot camera, capturing detail that could be on par with some of the digital SLRs out there. A true testament to the lens on the SD750.

The SD750 does slip a bit when taking photos in lower-light settings. There's a dedicated shooting mode for indoor shots, both with and without a flash. There's also a night snapshot mode, so that monuments are lit up behind a subject. Both modes are good, but also very susceptible to camera shake. You would either have to use a tripod or set it on a flat surface to keep it steady for optimal results. Optical image stabilization would've been nice under these circumstances.

Face detection, a technology being pushed by several camera manufacturers, basically puts a box over a subject's face and interprets the focus and exposure needed. It can handle up to nine faces, though only four boxes will show up at one time. Using this can help in difficult lighting conditions, but don't expect any miracles, as it's still a technology that has room for improvement.

The flash is also hit or miss, but it would be good to learn how to use manual settings to diminish or increase its power.

A colourful and vibrant display

The best thing about the SD750 is that it's consistent in its image quality, regardless of shooting mode. There are some rough spots here and there, but a little time reading the instruction manual could help balance those out. Frankly, the SD750 is easier to use than some of its predecessors.

At 7.1 megapixels, the quality is assured, as you can print up to 13x19 prints if you're shooting at the highest resolution. Coupled with better battery life and more user-friendly controls, the SD750 is a nice little package.