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Like designer footwear, the SD20 is more about fashion than function. It looks great, but its feature set is as streamlined as its form. No matter--this little camera takes great pictures.
 Available in four colors--Garnet (pictured), Midnight Blue, Zen Gray and Silver--the SD20 comes with an attractive leather case. Measuring 3.6"x1.9"x0.7", the SD20 will slip easily into even the slimmest of pockets or bags. With a camera this small, there are some compromises. The SD20 has no optical viewfinder and the LCD is only 1.5". There's no optical zoom, but rather a 6.5x digital zoom of limited use. However, this camera does have a super macro mode that works very well.
The SD20's feature set includes scene modes, EV (exposure compensation), manual ISO, three metering options, custom white balance, special effects, a Quick Shot mode (which decreases shutter lag) continuous shooting and movies with sound. There's also a print/share button for easy printing with compatible printers, and a histogram in playback mode lets you see how well your image was exposed. However; you don't have to use any of the "manual" features to get great photographs with this camera; even first-timers will be happy with their snapshots.
Although the SD20 doesn't break any records for start-up or shooting speed, this camera's performance is more than acceptable. Where the camera really snaps to is with autofocus (even in dim light), and it has excellent battery life.
Our test shots were quite nice, with sharply focused images, vivid colors and accurate exposures. We noticed purple fringing along high-contrast edges and noise at around ISO 200, but we were quite pleased with the quality of shots from the SD20. Dollar for dollar, there's some stiff competition coming from models with optical zooms and additional features, so shop around for the best price. Yet for looks and simplicity, the SD20 definitely has it goin' on.
-THEANO NIKITAS
PowerShot SD20 Digital ELPH: 
Canon | www.powershot.com | 800-652-2666 | $350
Pros: Fashionably chic, classy colors, ultra-compact, excellent image quality, fast and accurate autofocus, aboveaverage macro shots, great battery life, easy to use, print/share button.
Cons: Pricey for the feature set, no optical viewfinder, no optical zoom.
Requires: USB port, OS 10.1.5 or higher
macHOME recommends: High-capacity SD card
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