By itself, this ultra-compact could be considered reasonable for its class. However, given its price and competition, there is no reason that can justify buying this camera other than its looks. Take the Canon Powershot SD500 for example, which goes for $30 more: it has more zoom, more megapixels, a larger LCD, an optical viewfinder, faster continuous shooting, a better movie mode, better image quality, better battery life and does not require the use of a camera dock. Also. the Fuji Finepix F10, though not as ergonomic, produces much better pictures for less money. Even the Canon Powershot SD400 is better in every respect except for slightly softer images.

In addition to the many problems that plague cameras of its class, the Canon Powershot SD30 has a tiny 1.8" LCD, a shorter 2.4X optical zoom and requires the use of a camera dock for charging its battery and connecting it to a TV screen. The main drawbacks of a camera dock are that you cannot use the camera while a battery is charging and that there is something else to carry while traveling.