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Editorial Review :
More of Everything You Love About ELPH.Significant technology upgrades and a richly sophisticated design make the PowerShot SD4500 IS Digital ELPH camera so easy to say "yes" to. Your best shot is never too far away, thanks to a hugely powerful lens that boasts a 10x Optical Zoom. Your videos will have all the lifelike realism of Full HD (1920 x 1080) - and you'll share them instantly on your HDTV with a simple cable connection. You'll shoot what you want, when you want, and in every situation your images will be better than you ever imagined. Canon's HS SYSTEM (10.0 Megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor plus DIGIC 4 Image Processor) delivers gorgeous images in low light, while the advanced Smart AUTO intelligently manages an expanded, diverse array of shooting situations for stills and videos, so you can focus on composition and creativity. You'll have easy, intuitive access to features that put your photography on the cutting edge, like Super Slow Motion Movie and High-Speed Burst. While this fresh, modern take on a style icon will certainly get your PowerShot SD4500 IS Digital ELPH camera noticed, you'll find just as much to notice in its ramped up power and performance.
Customer Review :
Thank you Amazon, Thank you Canon
I have been following the SD4500 shipments since it was announced. The Amazon site went "In Stock" on Wednesday morning (I think) and I received it Thursday. Thank you Amazon -- nobody else appeared to have it (at least two days ago).
The SD4500 is just as advertised -- set for the point and shoot crowd, not the S95 "set everything just right" crowd. You can literally go from in your pocket to taking an exposure in like two seconds -- no lens cap, it comes up in whatever mode you left it in from auto to a specific program mode. Controls seem quick and intuitive -- The reason I got this one was that shots happen in seconds and you have a choice of getting the perfect one or one. In Auto in normal light seems to give great shots, even blown up to pixel size. And all of those tricky special modes are available so easily -- I can't imagine anything that can't be done in seconds from when your wife says, "Oh look at that flock of birds - freeze them as they fly away." (Of course, the way that would go down is "I'll bet you missed that one ... Oh! How did you do that so quickly?")
Speaking of wives, aside from the "great shots don't wait for you to fumble" phenomenon, one of the reasons I settled on this one is that she has zero patience for cameras, but does have a great eye. If she can hit the On button, do a quick zoom if needed, and squeeze off a shot, we're going to get some great photos.
The Handheld Night mode does give images better than other modes, but I haven't gotten the hang of the focus I guess because they come out very "soft" (more later when I am more than 2 hours experienced with the camera.)
The size is terrific -- I've had an S50 and an SX3 and this is much smaller -- and has the zoom range of the SX3 and possibly better low light than the S50. The lack of a bit wider wide angle is somewhat noticeable, but given everything else this does, who cares!
By the way, Amazon was so quick getting this one listed and to customers that they appear to have caught the web folks at Canon flat footed. They don't have it listed in a camera you can register, and when you go to look at the accessories from them, the site barfs.
Rating : 
WOW! What a Great Camera
We bought our Canon PowerShot SD4500IS this week. It functions above and beyond what we expected. Very easy for a grandmother to operate and very engaging for my husband to play with.
The Automatic feature is wonderful for most shots, even detecting the type of shot and making settings to match.
The special additional features make the camera fun. A few of them are:
1. Set it to take 5 rapid shots and the camera picks the best one.
2. Set it to for smiles and it will wait until it detects a smile before taking the photo.
3. Set it for wink and it will take the shot after detecting the wink - this lets you get in the photo and signal when the camera takes the photo.
4. Taking photos at night, the camera combines 5 photos to create a great nighttime shot.
5. The movie feature lets you take up to 2 hours of video, if you get a 32 GB card.
All this plus Consumer Reports rates its predecessor as one of the top 2 digital cameras, and this one is even better.
Rating :
A Rank Amateur's Review #2
I can't write an in depth review of this camera because I simply don't have the knowledge of either cameras or photography. But I can tell you what I, as a rank amateur, like about it and why I chose it.
This is the second Canon digital camera I've owned. Last year, I bought the PowerShot SX120IS (and wrote an Amazon review of it with the same opening sentence as this review as well as some other similar bits). I did a fair amount of research into brands and models before purchasing that camera and ended up loving it. It was very easy to use and met all of my relatively simple needs - right up to the moment I dropped it in the Strait of Juan de Fuca when I was ferrying back from Vancouver Island a few weeks ago. (Don't ask.)
Because I'd been so happy with that camera, my first impulse was to pick up the same model as a replacement. But knowing how quickly technology seems to change, I decided to check out the new models before making a purchase. That's when I came across the SD4500IS . Admittedly, I was kind of seduced by its design - all sleek and shiny, just lying there tempting me (and I, for one, love the color). But I knew I wouldn't be happy with it unless, like the SX120IS, it met my criteria which is:
1. Must be very simple to use. And I mean simple for ME - the aforementioned rank amateur.
2. Must take decent pictures even for casual operators with very little experience (again, that would be me).
3. Must have a fast shutter speed because grandkids and dogs can move really, REALLY fast.
4. Must fit into my purse. (The new purse, with the zipper that I am counting on to pevent things from falling into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, or any other body of water, for that matter.)
5. Most importantly, must have Canon's Optical Image Stabilizer.
Canon's Optical Image Stabilizer is a feature I discovered in my search for cameras last year and which quickly became my new best friend. I have a tremor condition that causes fine shaking in my hands. It doesn't bother me and doesn't always affect close work, but it can make holding something steady - say, for instance, a camera - almost impossible. As you can guess, the result of that shakiness when snapping photos is, most often, lousy photos.
The Optical Image Stabilizer is like a miracle for me. With it, I can take close ups that are startlingly clear - not every time, of course, but MOST times. And, in combination with a fast shutter speed, the Image Stabilizer really helps me to get some great shots - even action shots - of my grandkids and my dog. I love this feature and would never consider purchasing another camera without it.
I had a great salesman, Jeremy, who didn't mind taking some time with me. (Luckily for me, he spoke English in addition to Camera-Techy.) Cleverly picking up on the way I kept gazing longingly at the SD4500IS, Jeremy was able to persuade me that it would meet my needs just as well as the SX120IS had. Like the SX120IS, it's genuinely easy to to operate (even for me! I know! I was shocked, too!) and has the necessary fast shutter speed as well as the Image Stabilizer. It fits into my new purse. Jeremy assured me that if I was happy with the shots I was getting with the SX120IS, I would be equally or even more satisfied with those I would get with the SD4500IS. And, now that I've had a chance to use it, I can confirm that he was right - I'm getting shots that I consider terrific. Yeah!
The following features on the SC4500IS also factored into my decision to buy it:
1. The HD video capability. I've only used the video mode a couple of times to date (full disclosure: though Jeremy had shown me this feature, my son did have to help me "remember" how to both shoot and view videos), but the quality was truly wonderful. Even with my shaky hands, I was pretty impressed with the end product (and kind of amazed that I had done the filming). I don't have a separate video camera and I'm excited to have the option to shoot some videos on occasion, particularly when visiting the grandkids that live 2,000 miles from me.
2. The high speed burst mode. I tried this out by taking some shots of my granddaughter playing frisbee with my dog. I really love the `stop-action shots' look and I think this feature is going to be a lot of fun. I enjoy messing around in Photoshop and I already have some ideas for how I can use pictures shot in this manner creatively.
3. The low light performance system. I hadn't given this feature much thought until Jeremy was telling me about it. But because my house doesn't get a lot of natural light, particularly in the winter, I believe this will come to be a feature I really appreciate.
Of course, its still very new but, so far, I'm loving the new camera and recommend it. While it cost more than the SX120IS, I'm satisfied with my purchase and don't regret spending the extra money. (I'll admit, it helped that I had a gift card.) However, if you're looking for something with a lower price tag, I still highly recommend the SX120IS as well, which is currently listing for $150 less here on Amazon.
Rating :
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