Along with providing solid image quality in regular lighting conditions with good color and accurate skin tones, the SD630 incorporates many of Canon’s technological advances for shooting with high ISOs.

Although a solid camera I did find myself wishing for optical image stabilization since the camera is so small, it’s hard to hold rock steady. For less than $400, that’s too much to ask for. If you want it, Canon has the new $499 6MP SD700. That said anyone who picks this baby will be happy with the decision.

The 6-megapixel sensor is modest compared to the sensors of many of the SD630’s rivals, but it should be plenty powerful for most casual photographers. Image quality stood up remarkably well in the PC World Test Center sharpness and distortion tests when compared to cameras with more pixels. Its color fidelity also impressed us, but it scored below par in our exposure accuracy tests.

The Canon PowerShot SD630 is an extremely solid ultracompact, with performance and photo quality that more than make up for its few design flaws. It’s a surprisingly good shooter, and its feature set makes it quite flexible for a camera of its size. That said, it’s basically a more expensive version of the PowerShot SD600 with a larger screen and no optical viewfinder.

Ultimately, the SD630 is a good camera, but it sometimes comes across as a prototype for something else. The 3-inch screen is very eye-catching and great for sharing photos, but it also acts as a hindrance to the unit’s functions and lifespan. But it does take excellent photos and features some neat features. If you can handle the sometimes uneasy balance, then you’ll have a good ultra-compact digicam in your hands.

The six-megapixel Canon PowerShot SD630 is a fine camera for most casual shooters. It has a luxurious LCD display, a fair number of scene modes, advanced settings, and automatic image rotation. However, it is expensive for a camera whose battery life is moderate, has no optical image stabilization, and lacks a viewfinder.