Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Digital ELPH Digital Camera Review

The Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Digital ELPH is the best Point and Shoot digital camera on the market today. Anybody looking for an ultra-compact camera is going to be extremely satisfied with the performance and functionality of this dynamo. It doesn’t take the pictures that a digital SLR is going to, nor does it have the same features. But anybody looking at this camera realizes that already. When looking at performance vs. convenience and portability, the SD780 is the choice.

Whether you're just getting into digital photography or a seasoned pro, The SD780 is a smart choice.  You don't have to go to digital photography school to take great pictures with this camera.

The Canon PowerShot SD780 takes fantastic photos in all conditions, indoor and outdoor, day and night, up close and far away. This camera has just enough features to make any budding photographer or weekend picture snapper very happy without overwhelming them with features that take an advanced knowledge of photography to be of use.

One of the features I found most favorable on the SD780 is the special color effects. Many cameras give you the ability to change the photo to black and white or sepia. This camera allows the user to do that plus enables you to change to color accent, color swap, vivid green, vivid blue, vivid red, positive film, or creative light. It also allows you to change the skin tone of those in the picture with a lighter skin tone/darker skin tone feature. And did I mention this camera allows you to take HD video in 720p.

These are nice pictures to the right, but did I mention that this camera is about the size of a credit card?  It's very small and very powerful.

Here are some of the features off the box:

· 12.1 megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo quality poster size prints

· 3x optical zoom lens with Optical Image Stabilizer

· HD movie shooting capability plus HDMI output

· 2.5 inch widescreen PureColor LCD II screen

· Face detection

· Compatible with SD/SDHC, MMC/MMC Plus/HC MMC Plus

When purchased new, the box should include

· PowerShot SD IS Digital ELPH body

· Lithium-ion battery pack

· Wrist strap

· Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM

· USB interface cable

· AV cable

It WILL NOT INCLUDE an HDMI cable or SD memory card.

Here are some of the pros for he SD780:

Ø Very small form factor

Ø LCD is bright and crisp

Ø Option to turn off LCD display with one button to save battery

Ø On/Off button does not allow for accidental pushing

Ø Mini HDMI output

Ø HD video (720p) is very good quality

Ø Image stabilization

Some of the cons for the SD780:

Ø Only has 3x optical zoom (probably due to the small size of the camera)

Ø No optical zoom in Video Mode while recording (you can zoom then record)

Ø Monotone sound in Video Mode

Ø View Finder is Useless (just a tiny hole to look through, just use the LCD display)

Ø Gets a little noisy/grainy when using higher than iso400 but not all that noticeable.

Ø It is very delicate and susceptible to scratching. If you carry it in your pocket make sure it’s the only thing in your pocket.

I would absolutely recommend this camera. When purchasing, remember to also buy the accessories to accommodate some of this cameras features, like the HDMI cable and large GB SD memory cards if you plan to shoot in full resolution.