"Picky Details" for the Canon Powershot SD200 digital camera
(Timing, Power, and Storage Info)

Timing

When you press the shutter release on a camera, there's usually a lag time or delay before the shutter actually fires. This corresponds to the time required for the autofocus and autoexposure mechanisms time to do their work, and can amount to a fairly long delay in some situations. Since this number is rarely reported on (and even more rarely reported accurately), and can significantly affect the picture taking experience, I routinely measure both shutter delay and shot to shot cycle times for all cameras I test, using a test system I designed and built for the purpose. (Crystal-controlled, with a resolution of 0.001 second.) Here are the numbers I collected for the Canon Powershot SD200:

Power

Slightly better than average battery life for a compact model, but think about buying a second battery anyway. The Canon PowerShot SD200 uses a custom rechargeable LiIon battery for power, and uses a custom power adapter, so I couldn't perform my usual direct measurements of its power consumption, but did check how long it would run on a fully charged battery. Like most compact digicams, battery life on the SD200 is a little on the short side, with a worst-case run time (capture mode, with the LCD turned on) of 107 minutes by actual measurement. This is better than many compact and subcompact models, but I'd still strongly recommend purchasing a second battery along with the camera, and keeping it charged as a spare. (Digicam batteries always die at the worst possible times.)

Storage Capacity

The Canon Powershot SD200 stores its photos on SD / MMC memory cards, and a 16 MB card is included with the camera. (I strongly recommend buying at least a 64 MB card, preferably a 128 MB one, to give yourself extra space for extended outings.) The chart below shows how many images can be stored on the included 16 MB card at each size/quality setting.