Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS vs. Samsung SL720: A Hands-On Comparison of Two Ultracompact Cameras

When it comes to ultracompact digital cameras, the choice can feel like trying to pick the best ice cream flavor in a one-scoop shop - sure, they're all sweet, but you want the one that truly satisfies your personal taste and shooting style. Today, I’m diving into a detailed comparison between two such contenders from the late 2000s: the Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS (also known as the IXUS 130 or IXY 400F) and the Samsung SL720 (aka PL70). Both cameras were designed for consumers wanting pocketable convenience without the bulk of DSLRs or mirrorless systems.

Though their launch dates are close - Canon’s announced in early 2010 and Samsung’s in mid-2009 - there’s a fascinating story in how each one balances features, image quality, ergonomics, and creative control. Having personally tested cameras in this ultra-portable class extensively over the years, I’ve made a point of pushing their limits in various real-world shooting scenarios to uncover which excels where.

Strap in for an in-depth exploration spanning image quality, autofocus prowess, video capabilities, build quality, and everything in between. I’ll also tackle how each handles diverse photography disciplines, from cozy indoor portraiture to breezy street snapshots. And yes, I’ll lean on my practical experience harnessing these models - warts and all - so you can make the best call when adding one of these compact companions to your kit.

Getting Acquainted: Build, Ergonomics, and Design

Before diving into technicalities, let’s talk about first impressions - because if a camera feels good in your hands, you’ll want to use it more often. Both the Canon SD1400 IS and Samsung SL720 slot firmly into the ultracompact category, meaning they’re small, lightweight, and easy to pocket. However, a comparison of their physical dimensions and ergonomics reveals subtle but important differences.

The Canon SD1400 IS measures approximately 92 x 56 x 18 mm and weighs a featherlight 133 grams (battery included). The Samsung SL720, while similarly compact at 92 x 61 x 23 mm, tips the scale at 168 grams, making it a bit chunkier and heavier. These small differences translate perceptibly in hand. The Canon’s thinner profile and lighter weight render it almost unnoticeable in my jacket pocket, perfect for casual strolls or travel days when you’re trying to minimize load. The Samsung, on the other hand, feels a little more substantial - while still pocketable - even if it doesn’t quite vanish in your palm.

Ergonomically, neither camera offers manual focus rings or traditional dials. Both rely on menus and buttons for exposure and settings, but I noticed that Samsung tried to add a slightly more pronounced grip area on the SL720’s right edge. It’s subtle but gives a bit more confidence when shooting one-handed compared to the more slab-like Canon.

Taking a peek at their control layouts offers further clues on usability.

The Canon SD1400’s top view reveals a minimalist design with a simple power button and shutter release. The absence of dedicated manual exposure buttons or modes cements its role as a fully automatic point-and-shoot. Meanwhile, Samsung’s SL720 packs a similarly minimalist top surface but includes a physical zoom lever surrounding the shutter button - a common convenience. Both cameras lack a dedicated mode dial, reinforcing their target audience of casual shooters prioritizing simplicity.

In summary: if you prize ultra-lightness and sleek symmetry, Canon’s SD1400 IS feels like a natural extension of your hand. Samsung’s SL720 offers slightly more substantial grip, which some may appreciate for steadier handheld shooting.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: Heads Up for Pixel Peepers

Now, onto the all-important sensor specs, the beating hearts of digital cameras.

Both cameras use a 1/2.3” CCD sensor - the typical size for ultracompacts of their era - with very similar dimensions (Canon’s at 6.17 x 4.55 mm versus Samsung’s 6.08 x 4.56 mm, differing by mere fractions of a millimeter). However, the Canon SD1400 IS boasts a 14-megapixel resolution, edging out the Samsung SL720’s 12 megapixels.

At face value, that implies Canon might capture crisper details or provide larger print sizes. Yet, higher megapixels on such a small sensor can introduce noise challenges - especially at higher ISOs - because the individual photodiodes are smaller and more prone to gathering less light. This is something I encountered firsthand.

In practical shooting, under good lighting, the Canon’s images exhibit slightly more resolution, lending themselves better to modest cropping or larger prints without detail loss. However, I noticed a tendency toward more pronounced noise creeping in past ISO 400, which somewhat diminished neatness in shadows or skies.

The Samsung SL720, while lower resolution, delivers images with slightly cleaner tonal gradations and more forgiving noise levels at ISO 400-800 - a testament to slightly larger pixels gathering more light per unit. Canon’s sensor redness and contrast can also feel a tad punchier, which some may enjoy; the Samsung likes a more neutral color palette with softer transitions.

Neither camera supports RAW capture - both limit you to JPEG. This caps post-processing latitude, so nailing your exposure and white balance in-camera is especially important. Speaking of white balance, both cameras offer custom white balance modes, a welcome feature if your indoor lighting tends toward tricky tungsten or fluorescent hues.

Overall, image quality differences are subtle but present. Canon leans toward detail and sharpness, favoring daylight shooting. Samsung aims for cleaner rendering with a more faithful color balance, a slight advantage in softer or mixed lighting contexts.

Viewing and Composing Your Shots: LCD Screens and Interfaces

When an electronic viewfinder is absent (as it is on both models), the LCD screen becomes your primary window to compose and review images. So how do these two fare?

Both cameras sport a 2.7-inch fixed LCD with 230k-dot resolution - decent but by today’s standards, somewhat modest. In bright sunlight, I found both struggle to maintain visibility, requiring shade or angling for a better view. Neither has touch input, so navigation through menus relies on physical buttons - a bit old-school but straightforward.

The interface design on both is simple, though the Canon has an edge in intuitiveness. Its menus are streamlined, with fewer nested submenus, which is a boon when shooting quickly. Samsung’s interface includes a few extra settings tucked away, which adds flexibility but can feel fiddly if you’re in a hurry.

Neither camera offers live histogram overlays, an omission that I sorely missed when trying to manually expose tricky scenes. And no exposure compensation or manual modes exist on either model, reinforcing their beginner-friendly focus.

For video, Samsung’s LCD felt slightly sharper and more responsive, which was a modest bonus considering its more limited recording specs (more on that shortly).

Autofocus and Shooting Speed: Catching the Moment

Autofocus (AF) performance can make or break moments - especially with subjects prone to movement. Both cameras feature contrast-detection autofocus, which works well for static or slowly changing scenes but tends to be slower and less confident tracking fast action compared to phase-detection AF.

Surprisingly, Canon’s SD1400 IS autofocus felt a touch snappier and more consistent locking onto subjects than Samsung’s SL720, particularly under ample lighting. However, neither is suited for sports, wildlife, or fast-moving subjects: the SD1400 offers a continuous shooting rate of only 1 frame per second, and Samsung’s specs don’t even report burst speed - which usually means it’s too slow to mention.

Both cameras lack face detection and eye detection AF, nowadays commonly found even in entry-level digital cameras. For portraiture, this is a drawback because the AF systems require you to center subjects manually. Neither supports manual focus, a limitation in macro or creative controls.

If you anticipate shooting kids running around or street scenes with unpredictable movement, these ultracompacts won’t keep pace.

Zoom Lenses: Versatility vs. Reach

Fixed lens cameras live or die by their lens zoom ratio and aperture. Here, the Canon SD1400 IS features a 4x optical zoom covering 28-112 mm equiv. with an aperture range of f/2.8-5.9. The Samsung SL720 offers a slightly shorter zoom range of 3.6x, from 28-102 mm equiv., at f/2.8-5.7.

Both start at a reasonably wide 28 mm, giving you flexible framing indoors or in landscapes. The Canon’s longer reach to 112 mm is a minor advantage for portrait headshots or casual telephoto, though neither lens will erase the limitations of ultracompact optics at the long end - expect some softness and chromatic aberrations creeping in.

Notably, both cameras have macro focusing capabilities: Canon as close as 3 cm and Samsung at 5 cm. I found Canon’s shorter macro focusing distance useful for capturing small details and textures, but the limited aperture range and fixed lens design restrict creative depth-of-field control. Still, neither rivals a true macro lens on a DSLR or mirrorless camera.

Flash and Low Light: Illumination Matters

Both cameras have built-in flashes with auto and manual override modes, but their effective ranges differ slightly - Canon quotes 4 meters, whereas Samsung reaches about 4.6 meters. In indoor low-light shooting, I noticed the Samsung flash blankets subjects with a slightly broader and softer light, but at the cost of noisier ISO adjustments.

The Canon’s image stabilization system shines here - using Canon’s Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) to compensate for shaky hands, it allows slower shutter speeds without blur. Samsung, in contrast, lacks image stabilization, which hurt its handholding performance at slower shutter speeds, resulting in more unusable shots indoors or at night.

Both max out at ISO 1600, but I wouldn’t recommend pushing either beyond ISO 400 for quality-critical work, especially given the small sensors and noisy images under dim conditions.

Video Capabilities: Not a Cinematographer’s Dream but Handy for the Casual

Video recording could be a make-or-break feature if you want more than stills from these pint-sized cameras.

The Canon SD1400 IS shoots 720p HD video at 30 fps (1280 x 720), encoded in the more efficient H.264 codec. This resolution holds up decently on small screens and is pretty much the bare minimum for casual HD video.

By contrast, the Samsung SL720 sticks to standard-definition video maxing out at 640 x 480 pixels (VGA size) at 30 fps or less, recorded as Motion JPEG, which makes for larger files and lower quality. Given this, the SL720’s video offering feels dated even for its release period.

Neither camera includes external microphone inputs, headphone jacks, or advanced audio controls. Video stabilization is minimal to nonexistent; handheld footage looks jittery especially on Samsung. If video recording is a priority, Canon’s SD1400 IS wins hands down.

Battery Life and Storage: Practical Considerations for Travel

Both cameras accept SD/SDHC memory cards but with some nuances: Samsung also supports MMC cards and includes internal storage, which can be a fallback if a card is missing. Canon foregoes internal storage entirely.

Battery life specs are not prolific in official documentation for either model in my experience. The Canon SD1400 IS uses the NB-4L lithium-ion battery; Samsung SL720 uses the SLB-10A. Both are rated roughly for 230-250 shots per charge under ideal conditions, a typical figure for ultracompacts.

Given the small batteries and power-hungry LCD screens, it’s smart to carry a spare or extra memory card for long outings.

Connectivity and Extras: What’s Missing in Action?

Both cameras lack Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, or GPS, which today might seem shocking but was par for the course for cameras circa 2009-2010. They do include USB 2.0 ports for file transfer, with Canon adding HDMI output for playback on HDTVs - Samsung skips the HDMI output, requiring connection via USB for TV viewing.

Neither has weather sealing, splash, dust, or shock resistance, making them better suited for fair-weather casual use than rough outdoor adventures.

Summing Up Technical Scores and Performance Ratings

Though neither camera has been tested by DxOMark (a gold standard for quantitative image quality benchmarking), my own hands-on testing aligns well with general expectations in ultracompact performance.

Broadly speaking, the Canon SD1400 IS wins on image resolution, video capability, and optical image stabilization, making it the better all-arounder for casual photographers wanting sharp daylight images and HD video for vacations or family gatherings.

The Samsung SL720 shines with a slightly cleaner rendition at ISO 400, stronger built-in flash reach, and marginally better ergonomics for those needing a steadier grip.

How Each Camera Serves Different Photography Genres

It’s time to get down to what really counts: how these cameras perform across different photography disciplines. Here’s my breakdown:

Portrait Photography

Neither camera sports face or eye detection autofocus, nor manual focus options, so nailing sharp portraits demands patience and decent lighting. Canon’s longer zoom and better lens aperture give it a small edge for portraits, enabling more flattering background separation. However, bokeh is very limited owing to small sensors and lens design.

Landscape Photography

Landscape snappers will appreciate the Canon’s higher resolution and wider dynamic range in daylight, although neither sensor excels in shadow recovery. Both start at a nice 28mm wide angle suitable for landscapes, but lack of weather sealing curtails serious rugged use.

Wildlife Photography

With sluggish autofocus and slow continuous shooting (Canon’s 1 fps is practically comatose), neither camera suits bird or fast animal photography. The Canon’s longer zoom helps some but won’t replace a dedicated telephoto lens system.

Sports Photography

Same story as wildlife: poor burst rates and slow AF tracking mean missed action shots and frustration.

Street Photography

The ultracompact size, discreet designs, and decent low-light capabilities make both candidates acceptable, with Canon’s lighter weight benefiting spontaneous shoots. Lack of manual control can be a limitation for experienced street shooters.

Macro Photography

Canon’s 3 cm minimum focus distance yields better close-up performance than Samsung’s 5 cm, but the absence of manual focus and image stabilization puts a cap on quality here.

Night and Astrophotography

Both cameras struggle with noise at high ISO and have limited exposure control, so neither is great for night skies or stars - best avoided altogether for astrophotography.

Video

Canon SD1400 IS outclasses the Samsung SL720 with 720p HD video recording and stabilization. Samsung’s VGA-quality video is watchable only for casual use.

Travel Photography

Canon’s compact, lighter design with better image stabilization and video makes it my travel companion pick - easy to carry and versatile.

Professional Work

Neither camera is meant for professionals - they lack RAW support, manual modes, reliability for tough environments, and professional workflow features.

Wrapping Up with My Recommendations

Having piloted both cameras in a variety of real-life scenarios (yes, including a sun-soaked city break and dimly-lit family dinner), here’s my verdict:

• If you want a simple, pocket-friendly camera for everyday snapshots, travel, and casual HD video recording, the Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS is the better overall choice. Its superior resolution, optical image stabilization, and HD video make it more versatile, especially in varied lighting.

• If you prioritize build quality and grip and don’t mind forgoing HD video and image stabilization, Samsung SL720 offers a slightly more solid feel and cleaner JPEGs at moderate ISO. However, its clunkier shape and VGA video limit appeal.

• For photographers who want advanced control, raw capture, faster AF, or better optics, neither of these cameras will suffice. Consider stepping up to entry-level mirrorless or DSLR systems or advanced compacts like the Canon G-series or Sony RX100 family.

• Budget-conscious buyers seeking a simple ultracompact for social shoots might find used or discounted SD1400 IS models on the secondhand market a worthwhile grab.

Final Thoughts: Ultraportable Cameras Then and Now

Looking back, both the Canon SD1400 IS and Samsung SL720 are time capsules of an ultracompact era where manufacturers fiercely competed to cram features into the smallest shells possible. The Canon edges ahead today thanks to better video and stabilization, but by modern standards - especially with our smartphones pushing the envelope - both feel limited.

Yet, for a photography enthusiast who appreciates the pure joy of a tiny camera in the pocket without the fuss, these remain charming companions. Just don’t expect fast action or professional-grade images - these are simple tools for capturing life’s quieter moments without hassle.

Sample Images: Side-by-Side Quality Comparison

To illustrate the image quality differences discussed, here’s a gallery of sample images shot with both cameras under various conditions.

Canon SD1400 IS screen back Samsung SL720 front Samsung SL720 screen back

Pay attention to sharpness, noise, and color rendition. Despite similar sensor size, the Canon’s higher resolution reveals more detail, while Samsung’s images appear smoother in some shadow areas.

In sum, these two cameras reflect divergent philosophies in ultracompact design - Canon favors a slightly more feature-rich, lightweight, all-around shooter, while Samsung offers modest ergonomics and solid basics. Knowing what you want from an ultracompact will guide your choice.

Happy shooting - and may your next camera fit your hand as well as your vision.