Canon SD630 Performance

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Canon SD630 Performance

Timing and Performance

Canon PowerShot SD630 Timing
Good speed for a consumer camera.

Startup/Shutdown
Power on to first shot	1.3 seconds	Time it takes for LCD to turn on and lens to deploy
Shutdown	1.7 seconds	How long it takes to retract lens
Buffer clearing time	1 second	Worst case buffer clearing time. -- This is the delay after a set of shots before you can remove the card. Some cameras won't retract their lenses and shut down until the buffer is cleared.
Mode switching
Play to Record, first shot	2.6 seconds	Time until first shot is captured
Record to play	2.5 seconds	Time to display a large/fine file immediately after capture
Display recorded image	1.7 second	Time to display a large/fine file already on the memory card.
Shutter response (Lag Time):
Full Autofocus Wide	0.45 second	Time from fully pressing shutter button to image capture, zoom lens at wide angle position.
Full Autofocus Tele	0.63 second	Time from fully pressing shutter button to image capture, zoom lens at telephoto position.
Prefocused	0.074 second	Time to capture, after half-pressing and holding shutter button.
Cycle time (shot to shot)
Single Shot mode Large Fine JPEG	1.62 seconds	Time per shot, averaged over 20 shots
Single Shot mode 640x480 JPEG	1.38 seconds	Time per shot, averaged over 20 shots
Early shutter penalty?	No	Some cameras refuse to snap another shot if you release and press the shutter too quickly in Single Shot mode, making "No" the preferred answer.
Continuous mode Large Fine JPEG	0.48 second (2.10 frames per second); 1 second to clear	Time per shot, averaged over 20 shots
Continuous mode 640x480 JPEG	0.48 second (2.10 frames per second); 1 second to clear	Time per shot, averaged over 20 shots
Flash recycling	5 seconds	Flash at maximum output
Download speed
Windows Computer, USB 2.0	2752 KBytes/sec	Typical Values: Less than 600=USB 1.1; 600-770=USB 2.0 Low; 771-4000=USB 2.0 High

The Canon PowerShot SD630's performance is pretty good overall, starting with its fairly quick startup time of 1.3 seconds. Shutter lag is good at wide angle and telephoto, with a quick "prefocus" time of 0.074 second. ("Prefocus" means half-pressing and holding down the shutter button before the final exposure.) Shot to shot cycle times are a little better than average, at about 1.62 seconds for large/fine JPEGs, averaged over about 20 shots. Continuous-mode speed is slightly slower, at a bit over two frames/second, for 20 shots or more. The flash takes about five seconds to recharge after a full-power shot, about average for this class of camera. Connected to a computer, download speeds are very fast. Bottom line, the SD630 is a good overall camera, with quick response under most normal conditions, despite a slightly limited continuous mode.

Battery and Storage Capacity

Battery
Short battery life.

Test Conditions	Number of Shots
LiIon rechargeable battery	160

The Canon PowerShot SD630 uses a custom rechargeable LiIon battery for power. The table above shows the number of shots the camera is capable of, based on CIPA battery-life and/or manufacturer standard test conditions. Given the short run time, you should definitely consider purchasing a second battery to pack along on extended outings.

Storage
A 16MB SD card is included with the Canon PowerShot SD630.

Image Capacity with 16MB Memory Card		Fine	Normal	Basic
2,816 x 2,112	Images	5	9	18
2,816 x 2,112	File Size	2.9 MB	1.7 MB	848 KB
2,272 x 1,704	Images	7	13	26
2,272 x 1,704	File Size	2.2 MB	1.2 MB	610 KB
1,600 x 1,200	Images	14	26	49
1,600 x 1,200	File Size	1.1 MB	610 KB	322 KB
640 x 480	Images	55	85	134
640 x 480	File Size	288 KB	186 KB	119 KB