Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Black)
by Canon
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Black)
Customer Review: Excellent travel camera
Summary: 5 Stars
I was in the market for a new point and shoot since my Canon S40 was a dud. I cam across this and was immediately attracted by its size and weight. I primarily use this camera on travel for photos however I also use it for other things as well. By no means am I a professional or even seasoned amateur when it comes to photography. I simply needed something to capture the moments. This little thing fit the bill quite nicely and I couldn't be any happier with it.
The features that impressed me the most were the 12MP, Lithium ion battery, size/weight, and functionality of it.
With a lot of other point and shoots, the camera's have selector wheels that allow you to adjust the settings based on the environment, lighting, etc, to get the best picture. Only problem is that, when taking that once in a lifetime shot, screwing around with the selector wheel is the last thing one should be worried about. This camera is a true point and shoot which is what I liked the most about this camera. You simply turn it on, point and snap. The start up time for the camera is very quick (I'd say 2 seconds). Since I don't have to screw around with a selector wheel, this camera allows me to snap away at whatever i want and let the processor figure out what's best for the shot. An often overlooked but really great feature of this camera.
The video recording on this is so-so although I wouldn't expect high grade video quality from something like this. Overall though, it's a nice little feature of this camera since it takes videos in 720p resolution. The files are limited at 30 minutes a piece and, if plan on using this thing for video purposes, you're going to need a large SDHC card since the video files can get massive in size, real quick. I currently use a 32GB card with a 16GB for backup and those workout great for me. I also purchased an aftermarket extended battery for this off eBay for $5 and really like that as well.
The picture quality of the camera is quite nice. For the average 3x5 or 4x6 photo, this camera will capture almost every detail in the pic. The large size of the photos come out at 4000 x 3000 pixels which can be blown up to poster size (if i'm not mistaken). I recently had some photos blown up to 12 x 18 posters and there was no loss of quality in the pics. Really nice picture quality for those scrap booking people. The 12MP is a way overkill for a 4x6 photo but it never hurts to have photos that are TOO clear.
The size/weight of this is almost negligible. It's tiny, lightweight and you'd almost forget you're carrying it around. Fits in my jean pockets or my backpack cellphone case without any issues. Recently took this on a snowboarding trip and it stood up to the cold and some wetness without fail. I wouldn't go so far as to call this thing very durable as the matte finish is a magnet for scratches, however, it does work well in pretty much any condition and can withstand normal wear and tear.
My only real "complaints" about this thing is the picture quality in low light conditions and the size of the LCD screen. When snapping photos in low light/nighttime settings, the pictures come out looking like you're in the middle of a snow storm. I'm sure the preferences can be fine tuned a bit in manual mode however I haven't gotten that far yet with this thing. the LCD size is a bit on the tiny side but still works for using as your main viewfinder and reviewing pics/videos you've taken.
Overall, I'm really happy with this thing and it should be my main point and shoot for some time. It has pretty much all the features the average person needs or is looking for in a camera. Since the new SD line is out, I'm sure you can pick this one up for cheaper than I did. For those looking for a true point and shoot that's functional, look no further than this one.
Customer Review: They don't come much smaller
Summary: 5 Stars
Coming from an old Coolpix 2000 (but also owning a D200 and having used plenty of new digital cams), this camera is pretty darn impressive. First, startup time, for a pocket camera it seems great to me, it's ready to go a lot faster than any pocket cam I've used. Shutter lag is short, though focus speed indoors isn't all that impressive unless you're close and the illuminator works. Usability wise, I'm a big guy with big hands, and I still found the camera to be pretty easy to operate. Part of that may be from twiddling all the little buttons and dials on my D200, but I found it easy to use and very thoughtfully designed in both Auto and Program mode.
The one big downer to this camera, I haven't personally tested it, but from several reviews is the battery life. CIPA puts it at around 210 shots, and most sites get less than 250. Being that this unit can't take standard batteries that could be an issue. For me it's not that big of a deal, this is just an occasional shooter when I don't have the "big" camera with me, and I got a 2nd battery just in case.
EDIT: Having taken the camera to the Detroit auto show i can say that the battery life with the flash off is excellent. I took around 150 shots and the battery indicator was still showing full. I can only assume the sites and the CIPA test make extensive use of the flash. The pictures the camera produced at the auto show really exceeded my expectations in pretty much every way. My friend thought they were so much better than her husbands because I had used my digital SLR and she was shocked to find out the little Canon took them. Everyone I've shown this camera is shocked by its size and image quality and assumes I must have spent hundreds on it.
I wasn't that impressed by the video mode, but I don't really care about it and I didn't test it extensively. For how tiny the camera is and how much else it does, it was still pretty impressive, but I'm not sure that "HD" video from this is much better than SD video from my miniDV camcorder. I also found that indoors without flash the high ISO images get massively smeared by noise reduction. This is the price you pay for a camera this tiny, and I expected it. With the flash on the camera limits itself to ISO 250 and takes great pictures with plenty of detail. The flashes reach is pretty weak though due to it's size, so if you want to take pictures of a whole room, like for a realtor or something, this isn't a good solution. For taking pictures of a group of people relatively close in a dark room however, the flash should work great. Even at higher ISOs if you're downsizing or printing on 4x6 type paper you shouldn't have much issue with the NR softness.
Finally, to touch on size again, this camera is AMAZINGLY small. We're talking deck of cards small, credit card covers it completely up small. I knew it was small before I recieved it, but it's still shocking the first time you pick it up if you haven't used a real small camera before. I wouldn't use this as a serious primary camera, but if you want something that still takes great pictures in most situations and can literally fit in a pocket, you can't go wrong with this camera. I lusted after this camera on release due to the size vs performance, and finally got one and have to say, it lived up to my expectations and then some. I'm normally a Nikon enthusiast but this camera is one of a number of examples of why Canon is the way to go in point and shoot cameras.
Customer Review: A Rare Combination of Functionality and Beauty
Summary: 5 Stars
Purchased SD780IS from Amazon and has been using it for several months. It is purchased as an upgrade from my existing SD700IS Canon PowerShot SD700 IS 6MP Digital Elph Camera with 4x Image Stabilized Zoom, which is a excellent camera itself.
Note: despite the lower numbers, both SD700IS and SD780IS are actually the higher end ones of Canon ELPH camera family. Canon REALLY needs to work out a better product numbering scheme. It takes me a while to figure out the differences between various models.
Image Quality:
- Excellent picture quality using auto mode in well lit settings. Fair picture quality in high ISO low light situation, which is expected for a compact point and shoot camera.
- The smart auto mode automatically detect the setting, for example, back light situation. It works so well that I no longer use the manual mode even though I'm fairly comfortable with setting various modes due to my experience with digital SLRs.
- The 720p HD movie mode delivers very good quality HD video, up to 70 minutes on a 16GB card.
- With a under water enclosure Canon WP-DC31 Waterproof Case for SD780IS Digital Elph Camera, it takes great under water pictures and videos.
Built Quality:
- Despite its small size, the SD780IS feels solid in hand. All buttons and controls have the right amount of tactile feedback force.
- The only minor issue is the battery/memory door feels a bit flimsy and need a bit of attention when closing to avoid mis-latch.
Features:
- Super slim and stylish body/color.
- Very fast turn on time. A useful little feature: press Play button directly turns the camera on with lens retracted, great for showing pictures/movies to family and friends.
- Smart auto mode works great.
- Face detection is amazingly accurate, and is very useful for taking people shots.
- Lack of panoramic mode is a major draw back, comparing to SD700IS.
Comparing to other models:
- Smaller than SD960IS Canon PowerShot SD960IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.8-inch LCD (Silver), almost the same feature except 3X zoom vs 4x zoom. I recommend choosing this over SD960IS.
- From the specification, the newer SD940IS Canon PowerShot SD940IS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-inch LCD (Black) is almost identical with SD780IS, but with wider angle lens and 4x optical zoom. If you don't mind the extra $50, I think it is a better buy.
Summary:
Pros: Image quality, HD video, slim size
Cons: Lack panoramic mode, less wide angle and optical zoom than SD940IS.
Overall, SD780IS is a rare combination of high quality engineering and stylish design.
Customer Review: A True Pocket Camera with HD Video
Summary: 5 Stars
I just purchased this Canon on a whim, earlier today at Best Buy. I have been tinkering with it for the majority of the evening. My previous SD300 is still working like a champ, however I have been considering a video camera for some time...after some peering at the video camera counter I wandered over to the point and shoot table... what initially drew me in to the SD780IS was its appearance on the display stand. The sleek matte-black body is very eye-pleasing...then I looked at the specs. and realized that it shoots video in HD! (1280x720) Then all the other attributes made me realize that it was time to update my "everywhere, anytime" camera.
I proceeded to check out some of the other Canon SD cameras. The SD960 became the other candidate...it has a little more glass(4x)zoom, over the SD780's (3x)zoom. The SD960 has an appealing f2.8 apeture over the SD780's f3.2. The SD960's screen is more tailored for the HD video capture as it has a 16:9 ratio LCD panel. (Kinda nice for instant viewing ON THE CAMERA)
After some thought I went with the SD780 for these reasons:
1. The HD video capability is awesome and comparible with the SD960. It has a HDMI jack. The traditional 4:3 screen does not bother me, because the video is ultimately going to be viewed on a HD TV.(There will be an upper and lower bar on 16:9 playback through the SD780's LCD).
2.The weaker 3x zoom is not a big deal as this camera is for general shooting(out w/ freinds, bars, random afternoon at the beach, mountain biking, etc.)and with this camera EASLIY fitting in my jeans pocket or camelbak, the portability is what gives me the opportunity to document those moments, that would otherwise be missed. The SD960 is a little bulkier(but still small). I do also shoot with a Canon 40D, accompanied with L optics, but the weight and bulkiness do not lend to certain shooting circumstances. (as mentined above)
3. The user interface on the SD780IS is like most (if not all?) preceeding SD cameras. While there is not much control in the way of shooting settings, feature buttons like flash override, AE lock, AF lock, and exposure compensation are present on the camera body. The SD960IS has two buttons and a jog wheel, which lend to swims in the menu. I'm sure the new interface on the 960 is intuitive, but I liked the 780 due to its similarity to my old SD300.
I am very happy with the results produced thus far with the SD780IS. The HD video is excellant, however it should be known that once recording you can only zoom digitally. Low light cabilities and sound in video mode are excellent. The stills I have taken look great. Also, to the budget-minded who are upgrading from older digital point-and-shoots, a class 4 minimum 4GB or 8GB SDHC card would be well suited due to the demanding memory of the 12.1 million pixels, and HD video. Also, most old card readers will not process the the SDHC cards so you may have to purchase a new card reader as well.
I have to mention it again...the small size of the Canon SD780IS is mind-blowing...and the functionality actually mirrors its beauty.
Customer Review: Canon Powershot SD780 IS
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this camera on the number and positive reviews at Amazon, which is how I purchase many things here. I was not disappointed. This is a great little point and shoot camera and an excellent value for the money. I work on a ship and had started taking pictures of other vessels to post on the web, so I really wanted a camera that had a large optical zoom, but I wasn't ready to lay down the cash for an expensive DSLR. Other point and shoots, like the COOLPIX, had more optical zoom, but the feedback was not very good, so although the Canon Powershot SD780IS has only 3x optical zoom I bought it on the strength of the reviews. I ordered it from the ship, had amazon deliver it to the agent in the next port, and had in a few days. The camera is VERY small, and comes with a USB connection, wrist strap, manual, software, battery and charger, but you need to purchase a memory card (I also got a spare battery). You have to charge the battery before you use it, but that was pretty fast. Having been using my 6 year old OLYMPUS 3.2 megapixel camera, I was blown away between the difference in the quality of the images. With it's image stabilizer, up to about 8x digital zoom, the Canon Powershots pictures are excellent, after that up to the max of 12x they start getting a little more grainy, but still pretty good. The screen on the back of the camera is good sized and you can adjust the brightness, but like most of this type of camera it still can be difficult to see it in bright sunlight. It also has an optical viewfinder but it is tiny and somewhat difficult to use. The camera's manual is pretty good and not to hard to follow and like most of these cameras you have a full auto or manual setting in addition to being able to shoot video. Most of the features I haven't tried yet, but one I do like is being able to adjust the ISO setting in the manual mode, disable the flash and get pretty good images using the ambient light. This is great at concerts or other venues where you don't want to disturb others. I didn't care for the image software that came with the camera and instead I use Photoscape (free on the web) and Photoshop Essentials, which came with my Canoscan 8800F scanner. The photoscape software is very easy to use. As mentioned the camera is small, so it can easily fit in a purse, pant pocket or inside suit jacket pocket, but be careful as keys, loose change or other hard objects can easily scratch the view screen. The camera seems well made, but I would suggest buying a case if you plan to use it on hikes, trips or other extended outings. I gave the camera 5 stars because I was very happy with it and the overall purchasing experience. I am certainly not a photo expert, but I think most folks like me that want a decent little camera at a good price will like the Canon Powershot SD780 IS.