Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Silver)

2 Replies to “Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Silver)”

1. W. Chan says:

   April 21, 2011 at 10:59 pm

   427 of 435 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Revolutionary! Beautiful and Powerful, March 24, 2009

   By 

   W. Chan (New York City) –
   
     

   This review is from: Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Black) (Electronics)

   OVERVIEW
   Canon SD780IS is the perfect travel/everyday camera. It weighs a little over 4 ounces. The size of the camera is astonishing. It is smaller than my iPhone 3G and my wallet. I love the new 720p video recording HD feature on the 2009 Canon P+S line. The image stabilization for video/image stills is a winner. The clips are sharper and clearer than the clips from the Creative Vado HD and the Flip Video MinoHD.

   PLAYBACK ON COMPUTERS
   For video playback without choppiness on the computer, you need to have at least a Core 2 Duo 1.66 GHz or higher processor on Windows (Vista/XP SP2/XP SP 3) or Core Duo 1.66 GHz or higher processor on Mac OS X (v10.4-v10.5)

   MEMORY CARD
   You should get at least 8GB Sandisk Extreme III SDHC (Class 6 or higher) memory card for the camera. 4000×3000 resolution images can quickly fill up your 2/4GB SD memory card.

   CONCLUSION
   + Quick Continuous Snapshots
   + 720p HD Video Recording with Image Stabilization
   + Lightning Quick Startup
   + Ultra-Compact Point & Shoot Camera (Thin + Light Combo)
   + Beautiful Design
   + Great for Beginners (Very Easy To Use)
   + Bright LCD Screen
   + DIGIC IV Technology
   + Blink Detection
   + Can Edit Video Clips on the go
   + Scene Detection Mode works Flawlessly

   – No Optical Zoom in Video Mode while Recording (You can Digitally Zoom)
   – Monotone Sound in Video Mode
   – Only 3x Optical Zoom for image stills
   – View Finder is Useless
   – Little Noisy/Grainy when Using Higher Than ISO400 but Acceptable

   SCORE/VERDICT
   09/10: Recommended

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2. U. Wilkins says:

   April 21, 2011 at 10:51 pm

   1,059 of 1,079 people found the following review helpful:

   
   A True Pocket Camera with HD Video, March 16, 2009

   By 

   U. Wilkins (San Jose, CA USA) –

   This review is from: Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Black) (Electronics)

   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! (1280×720) 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.

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