Canon PowerShot SD780IS12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x

Awful. Time to try another camera brand. Adios Canon consumer products.
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I’m a member of Canon Professional Services and make my living using Canon cameras.

I have owned a number of point & shoot digital cameras, all Canon.

First the good. The 780IS is sleek and tiny. For a $200 camera, it creates pretty darn good HD video. Much better than expected. Nice still images on bright sunny days with non-moving subjects.

Unfortunately, we (bought for my wife) didn’t buy for its video capabilities, but to mainly capture images of our young kids. The Canon 780IS is a train wreck in the photographing moving kids department.

The shutter lag problem is the big deal breaker here. Push the shutter and wait wait wait. Holy cow, is anything happening? finally a photograph is made, literally 1 second, sometimes 2 seconds later. The 780IS is the absolute worst digital camera i have ever owned. AVOID it at all costs if you’re taking photographs of anything that moves (kids, pets, smiles, emotion). In low-light or a with a moving subject this thing performs worse than my very first powershot (circa 2000). Amazing that Canon would put out such a POS.

excelent but seems to be fragile
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I had a Canon PS 710IS and decided to change to a SD 780IS due to the tiny size and portability

Pros:

Tiny size ans easy to carry

Good quality movies

Fast shutter – allows to take more than 2 pictures in 2 seconds

Excelent battery life – taking more than 200 pictures with one full charge

Contras:

Seems to be fragile – don’t drop it

poor optical zoom – should be at least 4 x

do not use rechargeable common batteries

Diffcicult to use special effects and faetures

For my amateur and sporadical use due to the excelent portability this camera fits.

Love It
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is my first digital camera and I find it very easy to use. I bought it for a cruise and it took wonderful pictures. I purchased it in red and my husband purchased a black one. Highly recommend this camera.

A wonderful itty bitty camera!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I did a lot of agonizing between the SD940 and this camera. After all the 940 is almost the same camera, but with a slightly bigger screen, and slightly better optical zoom and wide angle. That’s a lot of slightlys. I had ruled out Nikons and Fujis only because I really wanted the HD video, and I love that it’s a MOV format instead of an AVI. (yes I’m a mac user). In the end I bought this camera because it was $169 on Black Friday and at an 90 difference I see no reason not to go with this camera. Currently at a $50 difference, I would say if you happen to have the extra cash, and those slightly better features are important to you, go with the 940 – but I think if you get this camera I think you would be quickly happy and forget what the differences were anyway.

This is a TINY camera. It’s quite a bit smaller then my iphone! When you are recording video, and I found the quality quite good for such a little package, make sure you don’t cover up the mic on top while holding the camera, which is easy to do since it’s so small. The IS works really well, I was amazed at what I could hand hold in low light. Macro is quite good as well. A feature I really like is you can have your playback display show both the whole photo and a 100% zoom so you can see the noise and focus quickly, which is super handy. There is not a lot of manual customization on this camera, but there is a program mode where you can control some things like slow syncro flash, WB, etc. I really wish it came with a case, but canon does make a case specifically for this camera, and you can get it on amazon.

I usually hate software included with cameras, but I was forced to try it out, because the camera does not mount as an external drive, so I needed it to import photos using the camera’s usb. Surprisingly I find the software pretty handy, particularly for trimming videos. I would recommend something else for actually enhancing your photos though.

All in all, I love the size, love the video, enjoy the photo quality, and highly recommend this camera.

Great Father’s Day Gift
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera as a Father’s Day gift for my husband. He absolutely loves it. It arrived in plenty of time and was priced comparably with like cameras advertised in the newspaper. The size makes is great for carrying to soccer games or orchestra concerts. Great present.

Perfect for vacations
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Bought this camera from Amazon, came quick. This is my third digital camera, my first was purchased in 1999. This camera is compact, I actually used the Video much more than taking photos. For best results, you should use Windows Media Play, download all the appropriate software at http://www.afterdawn.com to view .mov files, very smooth video. Quicktime application did not do such a good job. I have Dual Core 2, with 2 gig mem on my laptop. Canon did not include Mini-HDMI to HDMI, so I had to buy one for $11 from Amazon. I highly recommend the 16G SD with this purchase, it will record about 1.5 hr in 720P HD video. that is all that you will need. I played with the manual settings, but auto mode is really the way to go, results were great. The photos appear to be a bit soft compare to my current compact camera. You should also buy a flexible, bendable, mini-tripod with this camera.

A great pocket camera for the price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
One of the problems with writing camera reviews is that people never consider the “space” which this camera occupies in the market. For example, I know that a $200 point and shoot camera will never take as awesome photos as my $3500 digital SLR, or even as my Powershot G10. But at the same time, I’m not going to go out on a night of drinking with my friends and bring a digital SLR because a) it’s expensive and b) bulky.

Having said that, I’m really impressed at the output of the pictures. At the default high resolution JPG, I was blown away at how crisp the images were. At higher ISOs, the photos became progressively noisier – but that’s a problem that’s common among most point and shoot cameras. I’m not too worried – again, this is a camera I’m taking out and about and taking snapshots, not trying to be Annie Liebovitz. Prints at 8×10 look fine.

The 720p video is rather slick – even while goofing around taking videos, the videos were of decent enough quality that I’d be happy posting them to YouTube or Facebook. And no “rolling shutter’, which is kind of cool. I’d recommend getting a Class 6 SDHC card for the camera, so it’ll write the HD video fast enough to the camera without having to deal with dropping video. The optical zoom doesn’t work in video mode, but digital zoom does. Digital zoom, in my experience, generally leads to awful photos and videos, so I try to avoid it all costs.

The SD780 is easy to operate, and there’s virtually zero learning curve if you have experience with other Canon cameras.

One of the common complaints is that the camera’s casing will attract dings, scratches and other things that will keep your camera looking less than pristine. If you’re going to be buying this camera, you’re better off spending $25 extra to get the Invisible Shield cover for this camera.

For under $250, this camera is great. It’s smaller than my Blackberry and wallet, and makes up deficiencies by being a petite camera that fits in virtually any pocket.

Perfect truly portable memory maker
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I really wanted an HD camcorder, but haven’t gotten one due to prices, the fact I would need to buy a new computer to process the AVCHD files, and the nagging voice of reason that told me I wouldn’t use it as much as I think I would (based on my past experience with a Sony Handycam gathering dust in the closet). But I knew I needed something to capture my daughter’s moments. So far, I’ve been suffering through using the standard dev video on my Panasonic point and shoot which hasn’t been a bad experience, but the video quality can get quite dismal. So I started shopping for the new compact “pocket” camcorders ala Flip Mino HD and Creative Vado HD. After days of procrastination, ordered up a Vado for larger hard drive size, larger viewing screen, and cheaper price. Then I learned that the new point and shoots produce HD video. After cursing myself for my failed research, I went down to Best Buy and picked up the Canon SD780. I didn’t think I would keep the Canon just because I didn’t need another point and shoot but once I did a side by side video comparison with the Vado, it was a no brainer. The video colors from the Canon were more vibrant especially in lower light. The Canon also picked up sound much much better than the Vado which made people sound like they were far and tinny. In the end, the Canon won out and I have absolutely no regrets. It fits in the pocket nicely and is easy to manage. The still pictures are high quality Canon photos and having the still picture functionality is just an added bonus for me.

Good things come in small packages
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Fantastic camera. I moved up from a 5 MP Sony Cyber-shot. It was small and the pictures were good, but this is truly amazing for its size. The battery life is excellent and the media is coming down in price. It will read up to 2 TB SD cards, when they eventually get around to making them. I bought a HDMI cable to camera connector for my HDTV and the movie I made looked like it was made professionally.The “anti-shake” system worked beautifully. I couldn’t be happier with this camera.

Great Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Just go to auto mode and shoot away. One of the smartest Auto modes I’ve used in any camera. Picture is kind of grainy at 100% but who cares. I don’t upload 4000×3000 images anyway. Great, solid feel. Buttons are small but still very much usable.

Nice Camera with HD video.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My SD750 was dropped to the floor and the lens cover is broken. So, I got a chance to look around for a new camera. It comes down to ZS3, SD780IS, SD960IS, but end up with SD780IS mainly because size, capability HD, good indoor shot quality, and the price is pretty good.

The result is great, better photo quality compared to SD750, but video quality is much better. And it felt very small in hands, and fit very comfortably in jean’s pocket. And one bonus I got is I can reuse almost everything from SD750.

Excellent camera for the price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Think about this – this is a $220 camera. For the price, you get a real compact camera with HD video capability.

Camera review:

1) Great size. It’s amazing they are able to cram everything on something this small.

2) Great weight. It is real light and not a drag in my pocket when I’m wearing shorts or khaki pants.

3) The LCD screen is good. 2.5 inch is more than you need to do quick reviews, deal with the settings, etc.

4) The viewfinder is quite small but who uses that for point and shoot cameras anyway.

5) Buttons – no problems with using the buttons or the zoom knob. I have large hands and can navigate pretty easy.

6) Quiet – the motor is noticeably quieter than my old Canon SD600.

7) Picture quality – excellent as always. I tend to shoot in normal mode with either 12 or 8MP and the quality looks great. This is a point and shoot so you are not going to get vibrant pictures as you do with a DSLR. However the quality is real good so I have no complaints here.

Zoom – I like the 3x zoom. No problems. I think the digital zoom is okay but then it’s not always good on any point and shoot.

Video review:

1) Great video. It outputs in 720P HD quality. Nice look and feel when viewing on a computer or on tv. HDMI port is a bonus on the camera.

2) Only drawback is you can’t optically zoom while filming. But then think about the size of the camera – so plan your shots accordingly before filming. You’ll get good video clips for the web to share. Not going to produce an oscar-winning film with this

Overall:

What else can I or anyone else say? Great camera for all the features offered for $220. I love the color, red, too. Nice to have a different color than the same old silver or black boring colors.

If you are curious about the quality of pictures or video, go to Vimeo or Flicr and do search for SD780. It should be enough to convince you to buy this.

Enjoy!

I Love This Little Gem
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love this camera. It’s just what I wanted. I am the owner of several canon cameras so when my last canon died after several years of heavy use, I knew that canon was the only way to go. I went in search of reviews of highly recommended small cameras. After reading many reviews on different websites the Canon SD780IS captured my heart. I love the gold color. The pictures that it produces exceeds my expectations. It’s very easy to use straight out of the box. This camera has many features that one may never use but is there if you ever need them. Haven’t played with the video much yet so the jury is still out on that. I love that it is so small it fits in a pocket ready to pull out at a moments notice to capture that can’t miss picture. I highly recommend this camera to anyone no matter your level of photography experience.

Great camera for a novice photographer!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I had been looking for a camera for awhile and this one peaked my interest. i had diligently read reviews and was impressed on ratings and comments and decided to buy it. upon receipt, i understood the buzz. for a novice photographer like me, this makes my pics look like i know what im doing. im so very pleased with the picture quality, ease of use, and all the features this little camera has to offer. im very happy with my purchase

Amazing camera very small and beautiful, and superb photos.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Excellent wide angle (5.9mm)lens with 3x optical zoom to 17.9mm. (That’s the equivalent of 30 to 100mm in 35mm camera jargon.) The lens is stabilized (IS) and it works well. The wide angle is necessary for interior shots and for landscapes. Stabilization can be selected as continuous, only at shooting, or off for tripod work.The LCD (2.5in) is smaller than several of Canon’s SD series, but allows the presence of a bright optical view finder. I consider an optical view finder to be essential for operation in direct sunlight. Photographs are recorded as JPEG, and are magnificent at ISOs up to 200 (above an ISO of 400 noise starts to become apparent). I usually print them at 16×20in on an Epson Stylus PRO 4000. The camera will also record sound (monaural) and High Definition (HD) video (16×9) at 1280×720 pixels, 30 frames/sec as well as standard definition video. Movies are recorded in the MOV format. The program ZoomBrowser EX on the included CD contains a function to convert MOV files to the AVI format. The conversion is a bit slow taking about 10 min for a 1 min clip. The HD movies played on a 42in plasma TV are stunning. On a 16GB SDHC card, the camera will take over 5,000 photos at highest resolution, or about 90 min of HD video. The camera has a mini HDMI port, so videos and/or photos can be displayed on a HDTV through an HDMI cable (sold separately). The SD780 IS offers a large number of shooting modes. I often use the Macro mode to produce 16×20in prints of small flowers that on the final print are 4-times life-size. The camera comes with all the bells and whistles currently offered on many of the newest (and far more expensive) DSLRs. For example, the self-timer countdown can be set to start only after a new face enters the frame. Although most of my photography is with a medium format film camera using Velvia 50, the Canon SD780 IS produces comparable results, and it is always in my pocket. An amazing 12.1 megapixel camera! Congratulations to Canon!

Great little gift.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this for a friend, and it’s been working great. We love it. Seller shipped right away, she opened it just before the holidays, and she’s been using it daily since. It’s a great camera for someone who wants one, and doesn’t want to spend the money on a huge camera. It’s durable feeling, and has had no problems so far. This is the third Canon PowerShot SD I’ve bought. I have an older model for myself, and a newer for my mum, and this one for a friend. They all work great!

owner
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Nice machine. The only thing I do not like is the need to keep the camera really steady to take a photo. Once you get that down you can snap some nice pics.

Great Camera!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Our last digital camera was seven years old and stopped working. We normally don’t take that many pictures but there were a few times that my wife wished she had one and when I needed one for work, it was time to start looking. My cousin has the ELPH 1200 10 MP and I noticed it took great pictures. After reading reviews and checking out consumer reports we went with the Canon 780 12 MP. At first my wife thought it was too small when she took it out of the box. However, after charging the battery and using it, she can’t put it down.

It is so simple to use and so conveniently small, we almost always have it with us. We have been taking pictures for weeks, even on vacation, and only recently have we had to charge the battery for the first time. The battery lasts a very long time.

I don’t have too many technical aspects to report on, I’m not that camera savvy. I do have to tell that I needed to upload pictures to a site but they were too large. The manual has easy instructions on how to reduce the size of the megapixels and that solved the problem after taking new pictures. For an easy to use, everyday camera that you can take anywhere, I would definitely recommend the ELPH SD780

A great purchase!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera takes amazing pictures! I’m an amateur photographer at best but was able to capture a spectacular sunset that was chosen for a national website! This camera is small but powerful and very user friendly. I couldn’t be happier with it.

SD780IS Review
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera has been great. I went to a couple concerts and took some great HD video. I also was able to take some great photos. I don’t think there is a better point and shoot camera on the market right now. It’s like having a Flip and SD canon camera all in one. Canon for the most part has always had great support for their products.

A True Pocket Camera with HD Video
Rating:5 out of 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! (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.

My thoughts
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have a Konica Minolta Dimage X1 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Anti Shake Zoom (Cradle Included) which I love and have used for years but my problem was that only I could take pictures in focus with it. Which defeats the point and shoot aspect of a small camera.

So a few years later I upgraded. After reading reviews of all different brands and testing them at my local electronic super store, I decided on this Canon PowerShot SD780IS12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Black).

I am very happy with it and will continue to recommend it to friends looking for a new camera.

Its smaller than my old camera which was the smallest at the time and has a 12.1-megapixel resolution. Being able to carry the camera in my front pocket with ease is what I love about small cameras.

It takes great pictures, but most importantly to me is that other people can take great pictures with it and the camera stays in focus. Which means I can ask a stranger on the street to take a picture of something with me in the shot and it turns out every time. Very important to me.

Setting the camera to “smart auto” automatically selects an appropriate setting from 18 specially defined settings when I take a picture and it works.

Optical Image Stabilizer works like a charm to help with the hand shakes.

The face detection is awesome and works well thanks to the advanced DIGIC 4 image processor in the camera. A Face Detection Self-Timer automatically detects an increase in the number of faces and makes the appropriate adjustments so you can set up the family for the picture, jump in the group and still get a perfect shot. The camera knows when you are in place because it can “see” your face.

Red eye correction works as it should. Either the camera can be set to remove the red eyes from the picture when it detects them or after you take the picture you can go back into the picture while it is on your camera and remove them. Its easy to use and works.

The camera feels very well made but if you have a hard time pressing small buttons beware the camera has only small buttons. Not a problem for me though.

HD video mode works great and looks better. The HDMI out port makes hooking the camera up to my HDTV a snap. 280 x 720 resolution, 30 minutes / 4GB

Love the 100% all black

I am very happy with this camera and look forward to using it as my pocket camera for years to come.

The simplicity review: Why I love this little camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
It’s easy to get lost in feature lists and technical comparisons. I’ve done that with lots of devices, and certainly I could do so here. But my new-camera needs were fairly simple, and the bottom line is that this little gizmo fulfilled them all.

My husband used to be a professional photographer, and he is still most comfortable with a camera that gives him a lot of control; he wants and needs an SLR, and he cheerfully will adjust F-stops to get a photo to look just-so. Cool; he can have a high-end camera. But I’m a typical snapshot photographer who merely wants to record her vacation photos. I don’t pretend to be a good photographer; I just want to create pictures that aren’t embarrassing.

I want something simple enough to use without memorizing a manual, too. I like that I _can_ do more with the camera than the basics… but I especially like that I don’t have to remember how to twist a lot of knobs.

My needs were short and sweet: I wanted a camera small enough to carry with me that could make up for my weaknesses. (My 5-year-old Canon was too big to fit comfortably into my laptop bag, so I had to be really motivated to bring it along on a trip.) The PowerShot clearly fit the bill on the first requirement; it does literally fit into a breast pocket, so I actually have the camera with me. It’s fast to turn on, too, so I can be fairly spontaneous.

It’s solid, so a klutz like me can drop it without worrying too much (not that I admit that I’ve done this already…). And – okay, this sounds dumb, but it matters – it’s RED. So I can find it lurking at the bottom of my purse, otherwise known as The Black Hole From Which Nothing Emerges.

Primary among my weaknesses (the photo-taking ones, let’s not get too personal…) is a bad case of hand-shake. All too often, my pictures were out of focus, because I tend to move as I whack on the button. The PowerShot’s image stabilization delivered admirably. I took 88 pictures on a recent trip, and the only pictures that are out-of-focus are because someone was actively waving his arms while he was talking.

One extra that I appreciated — and I would never had shopped for — is the camera’s ability to identify faces and focus on those rather than, say, the potted plant next to my subject. I can tell that the camera is doing a better job for me; certainly my first batch of photos has a higher success rate than anything I’ve done previously. That feature certainly has changed the way that I look through the viewfinder.

I haven’t used the camera for video; I have a Flip Video for that use, which is even more dead-simple than this. (Perhaps this makes me sound like a Luddite. In reality, I’m a software geek. But I don’t care to be a geek about EVERYthing. I like convenience, too.)

Weaknesses? Well, I do agree that the on/off button could be a problem for people with big fingers (though it’s fine for me). And the place where I plug in the USB cable to connect to my iMac seems like it might be fragile. It probably is just fine; it just *looks* like I could break off that connector during a brain-dead moment.

But man, I love this little camera. It’s simple enough for me to use, but not so stupid that it gets in my way. That’s just what I wanted — and it might be exactly what you wanted, too.

Excellent Camera for its Size
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera mainly due to its size and ability to shoot HD video. I upgraded from a Sony DSC-P8, which took pretty good daytime pictures but horrible low light shots and the shutter lag was ridiculously long. Also, I couldn’t fit the camera in my pocket because it was so thick. This camera is an improvement in all of those categories. Of course I understand the Sony DSC-P8 is an older camera and most new cameras would be better.

This is the smallest, slimmest camera I have ever owned. I also have a Canon XSi DSLR which allows for more flexibility and takes professional looking shots but its by no means compact. When going out with friends or on a short trip, I’d much rather take the Canon SD780 IS which I can fit in my pocket. I also purchased the Canon PSC-1050 camera case from Amazon which is made specifically for this camera, as stated on the packaging. If you buy this camera, you should also get this case. Why buy a small camera only to buy a bulky third party case?

To me, the low light shots are acceptable for a point and shoot camera. The pictures still have a little bit of noise to them if you zoom in on your PC, but no where near the shots I took with my Sony. However, even though the noise is much improved, the sharpness of the pictures suffer a slight bit. The older Sony was better in this department. Overall, the low light shots taken with the Canon look much better than the Sony. I have no complaints with the daytime shots.

The shutter lag is also much better than the Sony. You can forget taking pictures of moving objects with the Sony. It sometimes took 3-4 seconds for the camera to take the picture from the point of pressing the shutter. The SD780 IS still has a shutter lag of about a second or less depending on the shooting conditions. For shots of moving objects like children and pets, I have my Canon XSi.

The buttons and on screen menus are easy to use and understand. Due to the small size of the camera, the buttons are small. I sometimes have trouble pressing the correct button. It’s not a major problem though. I would rather have small button and a large LCD than the other way around.

Overall, I am very pleased with the camera. I never expected it to be perfect since its a rather inexpensive and compact point & shoot camera, but it exceeded the expectations that I did have and serves its purpose well.

Wow
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
can’t beat this camera especially for the money. For years I’ve wanted a small camera to shoot both video and stills and not only is it here but it shoots HD and you can go super high quality on the pictures. All in an inexpensive Very compact little package. I wish I could get around using it’s software to download pics and video but it’s okay and it’s a small price to pay for an awesome camera.

best camera i’ve owned!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is simply fantastic. It has everything you could really want all packed into this tiny little elph! Takes great photos, the automatic scene feature is outstanding and works flawlessly. Macro shots look professional and the HD video is superior for a digital camera. My only complaint is no optical zoom during movie mode (only digital, which distorts the picture). Shoots well in low lit areas when using flash, otherwise pictures are a bit grainy. The camera is very attractive in design and small enough to take on the go. Battery life is average, but it only take 90 minutes for a full recharge! I’m glad I purchased this instead of the Sony w290.

Great little camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve been using the new Canon SD 780 for about a week now, and I like it. I’ve been a Canon point-and-shoot fan for some time. In my opinion Canon has the best optics. I have a Canon G10 for higher-end photography and although it is a compact camera, it is not quite a pocket camera. I wanted something I could easily keep in my shirt pocket all the time and the SD 780 fits the bill perfectly. I find that I shoot a lot less if I don’t have a really compact camera available. The SD 780 is Canon’s smallest camera to date.

It’s easy to use and the Canon layout is excellent. The buttons are small and it may take a day or two to get used to them, especially if you have big hands. The HD video is really great and noticeably better quality than the 640 x 480 mode of my G10. My quibbles are few:

– 3.2 maximum aperture instead of the usual 2.8

– No optical zoom in the movie mode.

– Grainy images at ISO of 400 and higher. This is a problem with most point-and shoot cameras, even my G10.

Overall, considering the very small size, it’s a great camera.

Great Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was really impressed by the pictures and the HD video I was able to take with this camera. I purchased this as a replacement for my older SD800is which I thought took great pictures. The only thing I would have liked to see was a bit more zoom, the camera is so small that if they made it slightly larger to accomadate more zoom it still would have been a smaller than average camera. It has an HDMI port but they do not include the cable you need to connect it to your tv out of the box. Those are only minor annoyances, I would definitely reccomend this camera to anyone looking for a compact that takes great pictures and video.

its a great camera but u need to be careful
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
you can get crisp beautiful pics but u need to have the right sunlight and the right setting on ur camera. basically u need to know how to work the thing, so read the manual before u freak out.

Great gift
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My husband purchased this camera as a gift for me last month. I absolutely love it. My previous camera canon powershot A720 was good too. I love everything about this camera.

Pros:

Easy to use

Simple controls

Nice settings

Bright LCD,

Excellent quality,

Good battery life,

HD Movie

Cons:

No superfine setting

Low-Light Performance

great camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This camera has many upgrades from it’s older Canon SD versions. It’s tiny in size but has all the features I wanted. It’s AUTO setting is amazing. It’s so smart that I dont even need to adjust anything I normally did in MANUAL setting

Tiny, Fantastic Camera!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is my 5th digital camera, my second TINY camera. It is absolutely miraculous what Canon has stuffed into this little package. I am mostly interested in close-up photography of flowers, mushrooms, insects and other small subjects. I also want a camera that can fit in my jeans pocket – this is it. Usually I have to fiddle with settings to get the lighting/focus right, but this camera does an excellent job on FULL AUTO. I’ve uploaded a couple of insect photos – take a look at those.

Like all small cameras with a small flash, photos of subjects that are farther than about ten feet away don’t always come out perfectly exposed – for this reason. I use the flash as infrequently as possible. Within the limits of the flash, it does a good job of illuminating faces and objects and not overexposing. It also achieves focus lock quickly – unlike other cameras I tested before purchasing this one.

The metal case (I bought the red one) feels substantial and sturdy, not cheesy. The buttons are small but I don’t have any difficulty using them (I have average-sized female hands) but a big man might find it fumbly. It is REALLY small – about the size of a Blackberry Phone – with rounded corners. It slips easily into my front jeans pocket.

The image stabilization works very well – it is very hard to shoot close-ups of plants and insects without some movement – this camera eliminates the fuzz. Very impressive!

I always purchase an extended warranty for my digital equipment. SquareTrade offered the best warranty for the money. I’ve happy with my purchase and would highly recommend this camera for someone who wants portability and GREAT shots using the fully automatic functions, and who would like the option for programmability as well. There are MANY settings on this camera, I’m just not sure I’m going to need them!

powerful little pocket machine, amazing results
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
first of all, i cannot stress 2 things more:

–> read the manual before starting!!

–many people buy point and shoots for typical picture taking but neglect getting to know all the features, including several here that give you just enough room for manipulation that can produce magnificent results.

–key thing to remember….if you see the [DISP] symbol pop up on the menu as you scroll through your different settings along the bottom of the viewfinder, PUSH “DISPLAY”, as it opens an entire addtl menu of more options or adjustment settings! one of my friends who also owns a canon point and shoot was oblivious until just recently that he could “stitch” his photos or adjust colors b/c he never discovered the hidden options!

–> secondly, my use of this camera once again solidifies the one piece of advice i’ve received from pro photographers time and time again: if you have the eye, even point and shoot cameras can produce fabulous results comparable or even better than the next guy with the fancy SLR [ie my boyfriend! ]

For the rest, i’ll try to be as concise as possible, but please keep in mind that i’m just an ordinary consumer–i don’t know much about electronics and/or photography, so if something i comment on seems really irrelevant and/or obvious, then sorry! i’m just trying to point out stuff found significant or notable in comparison to my past experiences with other point and shoots.

also, I’ve posted an array of photos i took right after buying this camera…if anything, they should be enough evidence as to what a great product this is! (in the end, canon’s digital camera sensors never disappoint, despite how much others tried to steer me towards nikon!)

1. beautiful, sleek body that stirs up complements EVERY single time i take it out; however…

–buttons may seem a little small for big handed guys (i’m a girl w/small hands, and even sometimes the power button is a little annoying)

–actual menu buttons, however, seem very easy to maneuver

2. this little monster actually has a viewfinder….yay!!! don’t forget how important this is for when you’re standing out in glaring sunlight and can’t really see your LCD screen!

3. start up as well as capture speed is awesome…had absolutely no issues missing out on spontaneous and candid photo ops.

4. manual setting really requires conscious adjustment of ISO, as camera has a tendency to pick up blur with just hand held pics in normal cloudy daylight. however…

5. i’ve never seen a point and shoot take such beautiful night pics!!!

6. having the wide format option is awesome: it really made a 100% difference in many of my shots in terms of composition (although wish it was truly a “wide angle” type of effect…instead, black bars just chop off the original top and bottoms of your view)

7. video is great except frames-per-second gets noticeably jittery during quick movements by the subject

8. i shot the majority of my pics in “vivid” color, but this camera steals my heart by giving me additional opportunities to adjust color on the pic after its been taken (saves the edited pic as a copy)

9. battery life is great…i would take pics from day to night during my vacation, spending several seconds before each shot playing with composition, white balance and pushing the shutter button halfway (for focus) over and over again (vs just simply pushing the button), and battery still lasted 2 days.

10. 3X optical zoom is a little weak; however, not ever really a major issue from my experience…however, i DO wish optical zoom worked in video mode.

11. 3 parameters that i found myself adjusting most often for the best pics = ISO, light source (although seems like “cloudy” setting when outdoors always worked best, regardless of amount of sun), and color…also, sepia and black and white were very fun–often when the lighting was just too bright washed out colors, switching to sepia always miraculously captured textural details that produced just as beautiful of a picture

12. black and white mode seemed to be a little weak in its capture of contrast, depsite how much i’d try pointing around at different places for the white balance that i wanted.

13. rarely used flash in my pics; however, when taking outdoor daytime pics in which my subject was backlit, using the flash managed to operate effectively even when i was sure that i was standing way too far from my subject.

overall…i give this canon SD780 a 10/10, as it has by far been one of the best purchases i’ve ever made! i’m especially thankful that i had it with me during a vacation in which i had so many opportunities to capture more artistic images. it’s a relief to know it don’t need a big expensive camera to do that! hope this helps

Love the portability
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Love that this camera can slip into you back pocket. So far so good. I have always used a bigger camera so it takes awhile to get used to this little one. Pictures look great – I think you always wish you could have more zoom. The only downfall I have found so far (and I may be able to adjust it) is the lag time before you can take your next shot.

canon does it again
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
i purchased this as a replacement for my last canon digital powershot elph. i was in love with my last camera, but it was lost/stolen on vacation. i got a great deal on this camera, so i went for it although i didn’t actually need all those megapixels (12+!). after shooting with this camera for my friend’s wedding i found it easy to carry, attractive, and with many nice features . it shoots great pictures. i adore the sepia and black and white shooting features. i am still having difficulty with the auto-face-focus feature (not always accurate, but pics come out nice anyway), and selective foreground focusing, but its really a great camera. i recommend.

Not what I expected from Canon
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
My first digital camera was a Canon Powershot. It took excellent pictures in sunlight, but when my kids were born, I discovered it was not sufficient for low light or action shots. I then purchased a Fuji FinePix F20, which took excellent action shots (for a point and shoot) of our kids. When my F20 died, I wanted to go back to Canon if possible because I really liked the colors the Canon produced. I was betting that Canon, after several years, had improved their capability of taking action shots since Fuji had done so well with this.

After reading a good review in Consumer reports, I purchased the SD780. I used this camera over Christmas and had to delete most of the pictures of the kids due to blur. This camera performs very well in low light, but only if the subject is completely still. I also took pictures in direct sunlight, and those images were noticeably soft. This was surprising. If I can’t even get good pictures in direct sunlight, what good is this camera to me? I did not use the video, so I cannot comment on that. I also discovered that the comments on the battery/memory card door are accurate – it feels like it doesn’t close completely and is cheaply made.

I returned the SD780 and tried the Panasonic Lumix ZS1 (which did not produce nice color), Canon Powershot AS1100 (which took terrible low light shots), and finally went back to Fuji to purchase an F70EXR. Of course the F70 is larger and heavier than the SD780, but it feels much more like a quality camera and not a toy. Why sacrifice quality just to have the tiniest camera around?

Update: Returned the F70EXR due to purple artifacts and severe overexposure in sunlight (even on automode). I’m at a loss here…

Canon PowerShot SD 780IS
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Small, lightweight, stylish, great “purse” camera. Love the photos produced in low light situations. Flat buttons are the biggest challenge when using this camera. Camera’s slim design is very delicate and should be protected and handled with extreme care.

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

Amazing camera!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’m impressed with this camera. It’s very small and sleek and takes great pictures. It seems very durable and not cheaply built like other cameras. I was taking picutres all day and the battery was still half way full. This camera also shoots HD video and the quality is better compared to the nikon coolpics. If you shoot alot of video consider buying a bigger storeage sd card. I have one 8 gig and 2 gig and lasts me all day. This camera has many great features and a very nice LCD. It even has a tiny viewfinder. I highly recommand this camera to everyone.

Small and Portable
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I LOVE this camera, the quality of the pictures are incredible and the zoom is outstanding. My only issue is the static it has before you snap a photo and after you record a video. Aside from that I won’t trade it for any other

Love this camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love the simplicity of this camera. It’s a great size with easy to use features. Pictures are sharp and clear. I actually had an older model of this same camera that I loved. As I was taking a picture of one of my cats, he accidentally knocked it out of my hands and when it hit the floor, the lens was bent beyond repair. Hence the 4 stars on durability.

Great travel camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera as a replacement for a travel camera, I’m not a pro photographer so all the techno mumbo means nothing to me…. the end product (pictures and video) is outstanding for any size camera and when you consider it’s small size! wow!

Tiny and great HD video
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought the SD 780 because I wanted HD video. It’s HD video is great. Some other reviewers complained about the HD video being noisy, especially in low light. However, I found that the SD 780’s HD video was just as good as, if not better than, than other compact cameras’ video abilities in low light.

My one complaint is that the SD 780’s video format is now Quiktime .mov (all earlier Canon SDxxx used .avi). This can be slightly annoying if your computer runs Windows and you expect to use Windows Media Player, Windows Movie Maker, etc. to view/edit videos because these applications can’t handle the .mov created by the SD 780. However, you can easily get quicktime viewer to view the videos on Windows, and you can get conversion software to turn the .mov into formats that work with whatever software you use.

Cannon PowerShot SD780IS12.1 Review
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is far superior to my last digital camera albeit my last one was 5 years old. It would seem that digital cameras had improved a lot in five years. The Canon takes great photos with little talent needed by the operator. The only area that I give it less than a perfect score is “ease of use” – the camera was much smaller than I expected and as I have large hands its very compactness makes it a little award for me to operate.

Good purchase
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Light weight, easy to use, great pictures. Wish it had more zoom. But you get what you pay for.

Fine if you want a small camera
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera for my wife in April ‘09 so that it would be easier to keep in her purse when needed. It is indeed small and easy to carry around. This is our third Canon Powershot camera. I must say that the first one we owned took better indoor, zoomed pictures. This camera is awful when zoomed to the optical limit of 3x. (indoors) Outside the shots are fine. The HD video is impressive for a small camera. I just can’t get over the BLURRRRRR every time a shot is taken indoors. Hmmmmm, I thought his had that new feature called Motion Detection Technology. If only I could get back my Canon 2MP camera. Oh well!

Everything and more
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I had researched several cameras before making this purchase. I typically take pictures with a Nikon D50, but I wanted a point-and-shoot that I could carry around more easily but still take decent pictures. This camera has not disappointed me. It’s tiny but incredibly sturdy, and takes excellent quality pictures. In addition, I had video recorded a Christmas concert, and when I played it on my computer I expanded the video to “full-screen” and the image did not become grainy at all. I love this camera. It’s an absolute steal for this price.

Great camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this as my daughter’s Xmas present & she almost didn’t get it because I wanted to keep it for myself. Its small & sexy with a large viewing area. Our family always uses cannon cameras & we love them.

Super fast service. I received it more quickly than I thought was possible, especially at Xmas.

Great little camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This little camera is awesome! It fits great in my purse, it takes beautiful pictures and videos and is very easy to use.

I LOVE IT!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’d been shopping around for a new camera, and bought the Canon Powershot 1100IS, but I wasn’t pleased with it. It didn’t seem to do much more than my old camera, which is nearly 5 years old. So then I came across the 780IS and I love it! I’m a college student, so it was fun to have one in such a bright red color! Also, it easily fits into my pocket, so I can carry it around to football games or parties or wherever else I go. Also, the color accent feature is a lot of fun. It’s easy to use, and you can create some really neat pictures with hardly any work involved. It’s great! I definitely recommend this camera!

Look Guys – Real View Finder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
On those bright sunny days or in the dark of night those bigger than life plastic panels are lousy for composing your subject. Try using a view finder no matter how small….it can save the day!

Pixel Peeper? Skip this one for sure….
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Very sad to say, this is the first Canon that left me very disappointed.

Pros

-Size

-Build quality (except for battery door)

-Looks

Cons

-Picture quality

-Refuses to use flash in Auto mode

-As a result of above, ISO shoots to 640, making for watercolor like photos..BLAH

-Battery door feels very flimsey,even when closed.

Summary: Such a nice looking and feeling camera, but OMG are the pictures soft, even outdoors at ISO 80, they are soft. Go indoors and it turns to crap.

Canon PowerShot
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Love this camera. And the price!!!! Cheaper than anywhere else– with free shipping too! I saw this camera in a store and am very happy that I checked Amazon before I made the purchase.

Best camera I’ve ever owned!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Fantastic quality, very compact, quick and easy to use. I’ve had several Canon SD series cameras and this one takes the cake. Its size is perfect for on-the-go, the picture quality is amazing, the settings are easy to use, and the pictures come out sharp and well-focused. I’m really very pleased! I’m convinced you can’t beat it for $200.

IMPRESSIVE
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Very happy with camera, have taken about 200 photos during my first month.

The picture quality is good, with tons of settings.

The HD video is a huge plus, the quality is amazing.

I like the size, it packs easily into my pocket, so i can take it everywhere.

At the price paid, this camera is a real value, I highly recomend it.

Ok for facebook photos outside, but makes sacrifices to reach it’s size
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Things I liked:

- It’s size

- It’s quick startup time

- It’s quick autofocus (shutter lag) time – first pocket camera I’ve had where the shutter lag started to border on “I didn’t even notice it”

- Real nice colors in the photos I took

Things I didn’t like:

- It’s small, but weighs enough to still be noticeable. The listed weights don’t back me up, but it felt like it weighed more than the sd1200 in my pocket.

- Resolution – despite being rated 12 megapixels, I got slightly *less* detail out of it in sunny conditions than I got out of my 5 megapixel kodak point and shoot that I bought 5 years ago for like [...].

- Things in the middle of a picture have the same detail as my 5mp kodak, but things around the edges are notably fuzzier and blurrier.

- Got a couple of out of focus shots even in bright daylight

- To be fair, it did do better in low light than my kodak, taking clearer and more color-accurate shots than my kodak in my apartment with the lights on.

If you’ve read the Consumer Reports review, it suggested this camera had really good ISO (low light perfomance). It’s rather misleading. I bought this camera hoping it had really good night shots – they were just as crap-tastic as other point and shoots that fit in your pocket. Even with lighting directly above them, I could not get a non-blurry picture of my friends at night without a flash. If I used a flash, it tended to give me the typical “faces way white and washed out” look.

I noticed while noise is technically well controlled, what happens is that the darker and higher the iso for the shot, the more smudgy and less detailed the photo gets. I mean, I thought they did a nice job at it – I didn’t get that “lots of noise” look to my darker photos. But those photos also clearly lost some resolution.

If you’re looking for resolution in your photos from the 12mp rating, or are excited about the supposed high ISO rating, this camera will be a disappointment. Even buying just a *slightly* larger camera like the SD1200 will likely (based on my shots + online sample photos) give you more resolution and slightly better low light performance, though the noise removal on this camera is pretty nice (perhaps the sd1200 will get replaced with a camera with the same processor as this one) but results in reduced resolution rather than additional noise in your photo. If you just want a tiny point and shoot to take pics to put on facebook, this camera is a very nice option. But I think the physically slightly bigger cameras are a noticeable step up in image detail over this tiny, tiny one.

Excellent Camera!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Simply put, this camera takes excellent pictures. The size is Very Small. The HD Video really surprised us. You can really see the difference. If you like a small camera that takes great pictures, look no further.

I’d Give It SIX Stars If I Could!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is AWESOME! Had a Cannon before and this is 1) much faster, 2) MUCH lighter, 3) 12 MP and 4) just simply works! No rocket science to taking good photos after the first time you charge the battery. That being said, if you want to do lots of fancy stuff – you can. I love the video in HD that can go up to 30 minutes. My previoius Cannon was non-HD and went for a max of three minutes. Another great feature is the zoom – which can be used while you are in video mode. Older Cannons did not allow you to do that. I’ve got three little ones and I can’t think of a reason why I would need to buy a separate video camera. So, now with just a couple of ounces, I can do it all.

I highly recommend any Cannon product, but this one is so outstanding I would suggest you just stop your search and buy it. BTW, I purchased it from the Amazon shop, not one of the other dealers though Amazon. I’ve never had anything but issues buying electronics outside the actual Amazon shop itself. Go though Amazon.

Don’t forget that most credit cards add additional time to your manufacturer’s warranty – mine (Chase Visa) gives me TWO extra years of coverage – nice!

Below expectations, too much hype, little substance
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
i bought this camera after seeing so many positive reviews from amazon. i didnot buy from amazon, but a different retailer since i wanted to evaluate it before a final buy. i didnot like the camera and here is why–

1. HD video – very grainy in low light. Video taken at home during evening hours with lights on appears very grainy. Camera is too small and too light to hold steady for 10-15 mins continously while taking video- stabilization doesnot seem to work. you will see small movements in the video which are irritating – reflects your hand moving during that time. No good surface to get a good grip and hold nicely.

2. Zoom – is useless in low light and at max zoom 3x images appear grainy. lot of fuzzy pictures at high zoom.

forget about digital zoom.

3. Pictures – quality of pictures (steady , no movement) is same as my old s410. Nature photos like trees,foilage are more clear with s410, appears fuzzy with sd780

4. File size – 12MP is useless, creates more grainy pictures and increases file size. A 8 or 10MP camera with better/bigger lens will take good pictures.

5. In good light – Nothing extra ordinary – any camera will take good pictures. dont see value in paying 225+$ for that.

6. Battery – Got very hot after about half an hour of charging. The battery charger and battery became very hot and i had to let it rest for a few minutes before inserting into camera.

7. LCD – very grainy. with a camera this expensive i want to enjoy taking pics. When i look at LCD, pictures appear grainy, so dont feel like taking a picture although i must say that the final pic is good. i can understand LCD resolution is less, but grainy LCD is definitely not appealing.

8. Sound- cannot use HD video so much, because microphone is too small and unable to capture sound clearly.

May be my expectations were too high after reading so many awesome reviews, or may be i like my s410, which is a canon too. May be other comparable cameras from sony, nikkon also suffer the same drawbacks – i dont know. Buy this camera if you want to take images in good sunlight at 3-4 feet away.

Great for on-the-move!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Bought it for my wife since we have a son who is running around a lot. Has worked perfectly for that, and is not too clunky where you have to strap it around your neck like the Digital SLR cameras. It fits in tight jeans barely even noticeably (wife). Takes great pictures, and has enough settings for an average photographer. I’m not too good with cameras, but this one seems to work swell with what I bought it for.

Awesome
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Update since purchase. It’s now 6/09. I like it even more now. I’ve been using the movie mode and it look pretty good. I have a 62 inch HDTV and it looks great!! This coming from a camera smaller than a disposable camera. I have an 8 gig memory card and never ever had to worry about memory capacity. It’s now a little cheaper so I’ll get one for my wife.

Awesome camera!! I am one impatient person. No problem with this camera. Turn this camera on and you are ready to snap pics in seconds. Second shot? No problem with lag time. It has and does everything I need. Plus, my favorite color is red. Easy to carry. Battery charges in less than 2 hrs. Software for the computer isn’t the greatest but it does the job. Battery life is great. No regrets with this camera. Haven’t even tried the HD video yet. I’m sold even if it didn’t have that feature. That’s how good it is.

fantastic purchase for me…
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
loved the camera….perfect..u can go on and on reading specs of diff. cameras and searching for the perfect one…but believe me, this is it! esp. for the price tag

Decent, but a bit disappointed
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Couple bummers for me: couldn’t connect to download pictures to computer w/ USB — I even downloaded the software and it still didn’t work. I got a card reader, so I’m able to now, but that was a tad annoying to work around. Also the viewfinder picture is a bit yellow and grainy — but the photo ends up coming out fine. The “shutter lag” is also a little frustrating, esp. when asking strangers to take you and your friends’ pictures! I guess you can press button 1/2-way down and that preps it to take the pic quickly after that, but that’s obviously too much to explain to anyone who you’re asking to take a picture. Anyway, I’ve always loved Canon, so I’m sticking with it.

Great camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Compact camera that takes great pictures. I was impressed by the quality of the pictures, even when taking photographs in motion. The video is also great, even after zooming. I am really impressed.

FAVORITE!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve got through quite a few cameras in the past few years. I’ve definitely decided that canons are the BEST cameras around, and so far this is my absolute favorite camera! It’s very compact and portable. The gold is chic and unique (so when a heard of cameras are snapping away you can always find your own). It’s got amazing point and click capabilities & the “auto” function is usually pretty precise (sometimes i have to go manual… but rarely). I’ve gotten so many compliments on my pictures…in all different lighting. I love candid shots and this is the PERFECT camera for such photos. GO CANON!

Poor noisy photos
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I wanted to like this camera. Size and features and speed are great.

But the picture quality is terrible.

Outside shots show well over saturated in the greens at all settings.

Pictures are extremely pixilated and noisy.

For 12mp I expected this to have sharper images than my Olympus 5mp camera but they were FAR worse. Printed and on a larger screen they don’t hold up.

Enlargements are terrible. All the images look like they’ve been digitally sharpened about 5 times.

Video feature is nice but 90% of the time I want to take photos with this and ones that appear natural not juiced.

SD780IS
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is an upgrade from my SD100. First off let me talk a little bit about what I’m comparing this to. The Canon SD100 was the first of the digital elph cameras and at the time it was very small, sleek and had a relatively high (3.2MP) resolution for a camera that size. Then, 10 years went by.. It took great pictures and was bulletbroof, I can’t remember how many times I’ve dropped it in snow, mud, sand etc and the thing would not die! So it was apparent that I needed a new camera, just by looking at friends photos they took with a modern point and shoot camera.

I settled on the 780IS rather quickly, just going for the current $250-$300ish Canon elph. 12.1 MP is enough, can’t see needing more than that for the next 10 years at least. We’ll see though. I like how fast it powers up and the intuitive menu, that is still similar to my old SD100. The picture quality so far is great, I’ve been using it for a lot of nature shots and I’ve found I don’t have to use the saturation setting as much in photoshop. It is also much lighter than the SD100, so better for backpacking and snowboarding and biking and anything else where weight matters. Going to Utah in a few months so I’ll really put this baby to the test. Can’t wait!

Great little camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The portability of this camera cannot be beat! However, do not expect SLR grade pics with it. Its a point and shoot, and really can do quite a bit. But its not going to give you the best picture quality you’ve ever seen. Also, the flash is fairly weak, probably due to the small size and power limitations.

I was also impressed with the speed. Others have said its slow, but I disagree. From power button press to picture taken is less than 2 seconds.

Overall, a great camera for slipping into a pocket and carrying with you.

Great Camera!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera on the recommendation of a friend who had an older version and have been extremely pleased. It is compact and lightweight and more importantly, makes great pictures. The image stablization feature is excellent. It is simple to use and I highly recommend it.

Try this….Beautiful!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This camera is really wonderful….when i first saw it i doubted it’s ability but it turned out to be awesome….try it and i guarantee that you will also like it………

Best digital camera I’ve ever owned
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This Canon is the best digital camera I’ve ever owned! I’ve been waiting for a digital camera that shoots great HD H.264 video and this one does the trick. It’s overall still quality is that of a good consumer digital camera so you’ll see artifacts when zooming in closely. Night shots are good for consumer cameras but not excellent.

One issue I’ve discovered on my Canon SD780is is that there are strange vertical lines sometimes in video mode if the camera is in direct sunlight. However, I can’t lower the rating level since everything else is so excellent at a $200 price level!

A great camera in a tiny size
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I just returned from a trip to Thailand where I used my new Canon PowerShot SD780IS. It was very easy to use and the battery lasted a long time. My pictures are sharp and videos clear. The size is very convenient. I bought a neck strap and wear it around my neck for convenience. Amazon’s price couldn’t be beat!

Movie Feature
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Bought this camera mainly cause I thought with its OIS it would be more stable than my Vado hand-held.

Turns out the Canon video shows plenty of noise, which makes me want to put it aside.

Worse, for a PC Windows user, I have yet find a satisfactory way to edit this Quicktime movie format. Even bought Apple’s Quicktime Pro, but this software is a bear of an application when it comes to make a movie out of several clips.

Any ideas are welcome.

Update: Used the ZoomBrowser software Canon provides with this camera to stich several video clips together into a large movie.

Was astonished to realize the software transformed the Quicktime mov file into an “avi” file, one that can now be played with the Windows Media Player-very good video results too, a big surprise.

Amazing Grace, Canon why are you not recording the videos in the “avi” format in the first place.

Perhaps this newly converted file can now be edited with an ordinary Windows based editing software?

Great camera for the size
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The Canon PowerShot SD780 is a great camera. I was drawn to the camera for its small size and HD video capability. The camera is comfortable in your hand and has all of the features of a standard point and shoot.

I am using a 16GB SD class 6 card for storage. I am getting 5001 12 megapixel pictures. Or 86 minutes of HD video.

On the plus side:

+ Very small form factor

+ LCD is bright and crisp

+ Optical view finder (can turn off LCD display with one button to save battery)

+ On/Off button does not allow for accidental pushing

+ Mini HDMI out port

+ HD video (720P) is good quality. Sound is good. (Quicktime MOV files)

+ Picture quality is good

+ Image stabilization helps alot

Neutral or Negatives:

- Only 3x optical zoom. This is probably due to small size of camera. Would like to see at least 5x

- HD video is recorded in .mov quicktime files. Fine for Mac users, but if you run Windows you will probably need to convert the files before importing them into editing software

- Some pictures look a little grainy in lower light

Canon PowerShot SD
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am very happy with the quality and performance of my camera. It is compact, easy to use and takes great pictures. Service received from Amazon is wonderful as well.

Take with a grain of salt
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera met all my expectations, but then again, I’m by no means a photography expert. I took it on vacation and it never failed. Great picture quality, slim, great battery life. Gets the job done.

Amazing!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’m absolutely amazed by this little camera! The photos are great but the HD video is absolutely astonishing!!! Great aluminum body and feels very sturdy. Fast action for a point and shoot. Works great with my Mac and the video quality off the camera is just great.

Can’t go wrong with this one or with Canon in general. Had problems with a previous 4 year old camera and their service was immediate.

Canon, you are one of my favorite companies!!! Great camera and great price!

great camera!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Let me mention a couple properties of this product.

This product works better when you read the manual book which exist with the product. Also, all the picture requirement can be fixed as your desir (look at manual setting to controll as your desire). It works great, and I did compare the picture quality with my friend’s 12.1 sony camera which cost more then $300 but this one was better!

A Digital Dream Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera on super sale on “Black Friday” and have been so pleased with it I can hardly contain my excitement. I adore it’s sleek design and compact size. A pocket is all you need to carry it around. Despite the camera’s small size it has a large screen for viewing. The features are easy to use and the quality is fantastic. I’m so enthralled with this product I cannot recommend it enough. While I’m certainly still learning to use it and all its features, I have already taken twice as many photos as normal and feel they are much better than before I started using the PowerShot. Its portability adds to my desire to shoot more shots. I can carry it anywhere and therefore am more apt to take spontaneous photographs. I bought the Canon in an attempt to improve my amateur photography skills and have been impressed with my progress so far.

No sound recorder!
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
The camera is designed very well. It feels very durable, and is small, with a quick start up speed. The photos and HD video look great so far. Here’s my only problem. Canon has removed one of the nicest features of its previous SD cameras: the sound recorder. With the lens retracted, you used to be able to record up to an hour of high quality audio. I’m very disappointed that they’ve removed this feature! Canon has also removed the fun “stop action video mode”. Perhaps they thought they were removing clutter from the menus, but they also removed some great features!

Incredibly portable, good pics
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Very compact and excellant pictures. The HD video is great, unless you zoom which quickly degrades image quality. Battery life is very good, and has a ton of present picture modes. A great buy, especially if you want an ultracompact camera.

I love this camera!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is an awesome camera! the HD video quality is pretty darn good, most people are surprised that the video I shot came out of this tiny little camera. The price is decent and it works great. I had a sony before that cost me an arm and a leg… never again!

Love it!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera takes GREAT pictures. The quality of the pictures is better than I expected. The image stabilization works really well. None of my pictures have been blurred, even when I have accidentally moved while taking a picture. The colors are very vivid. Movies come out great as well.

My only concern is the door for the battery/memory card compartment. The hinge seems kind of flimsy, so I am extra careful whenever I open it.

Other than that – I would highly recommend this camera. And the red color is absolutely THE BEST!!!!!!!

LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dual View Finders Makes this a Plus
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Most point and shoot cameras have eliminated the ability to look thru the view finder when shooting the picture. Regardless of how well the image stabilization software works, it is still difficult to get a sharp picture when you have to hold the camera in front of you. The Canon PowerShot SD780IS gives the user the choice between the large, well-lit LCD or the traditional viewfinder.

The controls are easy to identify and use and the battery life appears to be quite satisfactory. Picture quality is excellent.

Great investment!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve been looking for a high quality digital camera to take pictures for the holidays and this camera does not disappoint! It is so surprisingly durable and the HD quality video recording was so nice. I used this feature at a concert in Orlando and the sound quality was fantastic for being in a room filled with loud music! The camera is also ridiculously slim and portable and the picture quality is great!

perfect pocket camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Love this little camera, I have used Sony and panasonic but this Canon combines the best qualities in both in a work of industrial design art. The HD movie thing is just amazingly good for such a small camera. If you want a camera in your pocket this is the way to go.

An amazingly small camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
After almost 100 reviews, what is there to add?? Most of the 4/5 star reviews here are accurate.

This is a great camera. Amazing features packed into an unbelievably small package. I want to stress; this is a SMALL camera. Yes, it does easily fit into your shirt pocket. If you have it in your pant’s pocket you will not even know you’re carrying it. You might even lose it in your purse.

Dare I say it -it’s almost TOO small.

Since it is so small, I want to add the warning if you have large fingers this might not be the camera for you. I have relatively small hands and fingers, for a man, and I have some difficulty operating all the buttons and functions. You will find yourself using your fingernails to operate this camera.

Other than the smallness of the buttons, this is one amazing piece of technology.

Minus one star for difficulty with button/function operation.

Great little camera for the price
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Its a great camera in every level.. I gave it a 4 only because the shooting time is still slow.. by the time camera takes the pic, the event you are taking is over… but the delay is better than the camera I used have..

Love this camera! Face recognition, zoom, low-light functions rock
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve owned had a few Canon cameras in the past, but I never really loved any of them. We relied on my serviceable SD550 for years, and I had brief experience with a SD750, which was technologically superior, but I found it unintuitive to use.

I just bought the SD780IS for a major trip and wow, I had a great experience with it. This camera is tiny, thin, truly ultracompact. The best features to my mind are that it focuses quickly; I love the face-recognition feature that helps with focusing; and it’s low-light function and incredible zoom abilities blew my mind.

In addition to taking lots of pictures of people amidst complicated scenes, we spent time photographing cathedrals, which were both dark and detailed. This camera on the highest quality setting really did the trick. I ended up using it almost like a set of binoculars to examine the details of stained glass and statues later.

Three quick caveats: First, I have not fully explored the video function, which on first glance looks pretty good using the highest quality setting. Second, the shutter button is in a slightly awkward spot, but I got used to it. Third, the brushed-silver finish quickly started to discolor a bit where my fingers wrapped around on the front.

Overall though, this camera provides incredible function and value. I’ve finally found a Canon to fall in love with. Invest in a big memory card (8 GB gives me over 2000 photos on best quality) and enjoy!

Using it in Europe
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I did quite a bit of research before buying this camera and it works great. I’m very happy with the quality of the pictures and the easy to use menus. I didn’t think I’d ever use the video but I do I’m on vacation in Europe now and am very happy with the quality of the pictures and the easy menus.

This camera is great.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My nephew researched the best digital cameras using various websites and publications. He chose this camera as did his father. They both recommended it to me. After getting this and using it for about a month and a half, I have to agree with them – this is a good camera.

THE BEST CAMERA I EVER HAD!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is the BEST CAMERA EVER! [...]

When it does look at the GREAT QUALITY of my CANON SD780IS…on my gosh…the best camera! You wont be sorry…TRUST ME! It does it all. Video, Pictures, Close Ups, Editing…man its the best camera.

And I got the RED ONE and its HOT LIKE FIRE!!

Perhaps the most complete pocket camera ever made
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
How can something this small do so many big things. I put a 16GB card in it and wow! An hour & a half of HD video? Thousands of 12 mega-pixel photos? I took it to a Eric Clapton/Steve Winwood concert and came home with a lifetime treasure of concert movies. I’ll leave the hyper technical stuff to other reviewers.

This thing is so cool it’s like a little dog you can use to introduce yourself to girls! “Oohhh it’s so cute”…

Good camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I don’t know much about cameras, but I can’t imagine a much better one than this one. It is easy to use. The pictures turn out well. I even captured some high-def video with success.

what i expected
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
After reading dpreview.com, cnet, amazon & others; this camera lived up to the reviews. I’ve not tried the HD video cable output direct. But the video capture is excellent considering the size of the camera. Images are crisp & vivid. I used it side by side with a nikon slr and it excelled when you consider the difference in cost & optics. Form factor is unbeatable & spare batteries are cheap. Happy with purchase.

Great Camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a good product from what I have seen of it and the pictures it takes are nice to look at.

Awesome Camera and great pics!!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera as a Christmas gift to myself, it has become one of the best investments I’ve made. The pictures on this camera are the clearest and best pictures I’ve ever taken. Right now, I am extremely satisfied with the ease of using this camera seeing that I am not really good at working camera’s.

Small wonder!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Had a Canon SD1000 that fell out of a car and was run over on a dirt road. This camera is the same size, though more rounded, with many upgraded features and uses the same battery and memory so we can use them in the new camera as spares. It takes great pictures and because it is so small you can take it anywhere. Negatives? Sometimes the shutter doesn’t fire as fast as I would like. Especially in low light with the flash on. Also, be prepared to use your fingernails to push some of the menu buttons as they are small. I opted for the gold color and glad I did as it sets my camera apart and makes it easy to identify among other cameras.

Small yet very powerful!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is simply awesome. I purchased this as an alternative to my normal full size Canon DSLR and I have not been disappointed. I was a bit shocked when I opened the box at how small the body of this camera is, it’s tiny about the size of a cell phone. Still, don’t let the size fool you, this thing has a lot of advanced features such as image stabilization, facial recognition, video capture, etc. I often find that a point-and-shoot camera such as this is perfect for situations where you want to grab candid photographs or when carrying a heavy DSLR is not practical. This camera features a large bright LCD screen which makes composing a shot a breeze and a better alternative to the microscopic view finder. The size of this camera can be both a blessing and a curse, on the downside, if you have large hands or fat fingers you may find using the small control buttons a bit difficult. Most importantly, the image quality of this camera is outstanding and is good if not better than a full size DSLR. I am very happy with this purchase and I would certainly recommend this camera to anyone looking for a small, lightweight, high-quality point-and-shoot.

Excellent Product
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The Cannon 780s is a very fine point and shoot camera with extra features. The quality of the pictures is really good. The size is amazingly small and light, easy to carry around in your pocket. My wife who loves to take pictures but is not very adaptable to complex cameras finds this one very easy to use. The extra features of a viewfinder and movie capability also make this camera stand out.

great camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This little thing is the exact size of a credit card (well thicker of course) and takes fantastic pictures for a point and shoot, as well as very nice HD video. I have a 4GB memory card in it and can hold quite a bit of video if I want. Only gripe, and it’s very nitpicky is that shooting a lot of video kills the battery fairly quickly, but that obviously wasn’t its primary purpose. Battery is excellent if only taking photos

Canon SD780ISs
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
There is a whole planet of reviews for this thing on Youtube with actual footage from and of the camera. One of the best Ultra Compacts out right now!

Good camera- terrible customer support from Amazon.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This review is all about Amazon’s lack of customer support, not about the camera which happens to be great for it’s size and intended use. Between the day that I ordered this camera and before it was shipped there was a price reduction from Canon. After searching for a customer support # for Amazon, which is not easy, I was told by one of their overseas support staff that I would be credited the difference. Great.

I then received an email the following day stating that this is not true and I would have to pay the original price even though everyone else in the country was selling it for less. Not a good business plan on their part.

I highly recommend this camera but I suggest that you buy it elsewhere.

Cool looking camera……Bad video quality
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera from best buy on sale. I did a few days of research and was leaning toward the sony t500. Then I saw this canon on sale so I picked it up. I am now returning it because the video quality is really quite terrible. There is noise all over it! Even on a bright sunny day outside, you could still see noticeable noise in the video. Also, beware the HD video. I had seen online where some people warned that it takes a lot of cpu to edit it. Well my pc couldn’t even play back the video file without it being choppy. And I have a very nice pc! Just keep that in mind. I do have to say the camera itself looks very cool and the menu system is very intuitive. But looks can be deceiving.=)

Great camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
As long as the scene you’re taking a picture of isn’t dark, this camera is able to produce great quality pictures.

amazing cam
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve always loved Canon and this is one of my best purchases ever. The cam’s color is cute and the pictures’ quality are very good! Buy it. I’ll never regret!

Excellent Digital Camera, Amazing HD Video Recording, Tiny Body and Weight
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I consider myself an amateur photographer, and would probably be willing to spend more hours looking for the ‘right’ equipment than doing my homework. Now, that was the case when I purchased this little toy. I had a Nikon D40 dSLR (one of the big cameras), and I was looking for something smaller that I could carry around everywhere. Particularly, I needed something to take on my trip to Japan.

I spent days reading reviews and testing products at stores, and finally decided on this camera. I narrowed down my choices to Canon cameras, because although I love Nikon cameras and dSLRs, I think that when it comes down to point-and-shoot cameras (small, easy to use cameras) Canon cameras are simply the best. I’ve never been disappointed by one of these.

Among 10 different Canon models it was difficult to choose, but what finally made me decide on this one was the size and ability to record HD video. I watched on YouTube some of the sample videos (which you can find just by typing the camera model) and the HD was amazing, even in such a small camera! The resolution is great, and the picture quality simply great. 12MP of image resolution means more to love and more flexibility to crop when editing (it also means you should get an SD card with a couple of GB’s)

I got the camera with an 8GB card and I can take thousands of pictures at maximum resolution, or record over 45 minutes of video in one clip if I want to do so. This camera’s pictures rival my Nikon dSLR pictures, and the flexibility the camera gives you in manual mode is great. I mostly use it in automatic modes, and it works perfect.

If you are looking for a ‘photographer’ camera, then I’d still go for a Nikon D40 or something similar, since you can shoot in RAW format which is very valuable for heavy editing. But if you just want to capture easily all the beautiful things around you, and videos of your family/friends or you enjoying your days, this camera is perfect for all of it.

One more note, the camera feels great in my hands and it’s very easy to use. I was quite familiar with the Canon menus, so it might have been easier for me to use it, but I’m sure you can learn fast how to master this camera.

Ask any questions you may have.

great point and shoot
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Very easy to use out of the box. Not the best video quality but for a camera better than average.

Great for Product Photography
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Once in a while I do something smart. This is one of them. I had been using my camera phone and an old Fuji camera which kept blurring out or had poor white balance. So I took the plunge and got a better camera. I was concerned because it was so small, but was lured in by it’s slim and sexy design. I am so happy I did.

This camera takes great indoor shots, it’s a camera that works like a professional one when it comes to taking pictures of interior. Pictures shows dimension and depth. It’s auto feature is nearly perfect and the manual feature help control the white balance which is really important for product photography. Now I can post on ebay without being embarrassed about appearing cheap. I can use regular lighting without being concerned of the yellowish tinge.

People photography is fine as long as I’m not in it. Perhaps it’s a little too clear. Personally I like the fuzzy haze that makes a person look sort of dreamy. But my intention wasn’t for portrait photography so it wasn’t a major concern.

The video is like every other video camera, it’s great it can record up to 60 mins to 120 mins on a 4gb memory card (sold separate). It doesn’t zoom in too well without blurring out though. So I still need to invest in another video camera if I plan to ever zoom in super close. But for YouTubing it’s probably fine.

If you’re looking for a good deal. I’d be patient and buy it online at places that don’t charge tax and shipping. You may find yourself saving and additional $40 so you can put it into accessories like adapters, memory cards and extra battery. You’ll need it. It doesn’t use regular batteries.

For what I need it for, it works and I love it. It’s a great entry level camera, with super quality.

nice camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
bought this for a present for daughter who is a senior in college and who knows what she likes in a camera. she has been pleased with every aspect of it, takes good pictures easy to use really good red eye fix, videos pretty good. her sister also bought one

Great Camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Great camera for the price. The only thing that I wanted a little more of was shutter speed but light years faster than my kodak.

Very Dissapointed!
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I had been doing research into a pocket video camera and narrowed down my choices to either the MinoHD or the Vado HD until I came upon this camera. I read the rave reviews and decided to go down to the local best buy and check it out. It was so tiny and cool looking with a great list of features that I just had to have it! I started snapping some indoor and outdoor pics and videos as soon as I got home. I downloaded them to my computer and took a look at the results. They were not nearly as great as I was expecting after reading all the reviews so I decided to break out my old sd600 and take side by side shots and compare the two. I was shocked! My old sd600, which is only 6MP by the way, took much sharper, colorful and clearer pics than this camera! Even when I blew the pics up the sd600 still outperformed this camera. This made me wonder how the hd video would compare to the pocket cameras. I ordered the Vado HD from Amazon and received it two days later. I shot side by side video with both cameras to compare the two. The video from the Vado HD turned out to be much better in all lighting conditions. The video was clearer, sharper with better color saturation and was $100 less! So this camera is going back to best buy. Maybe I just happened to buy a lemon or maybe my old sd600 is just a really fantastic camera…who knows. I REALLY wanted to like this camera though! It looks really cool in red…lol

Good camera, good HD recorder, great size
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Great point and shoot and pretty good video recorder. You’ll need a lot of light to get crisp video, indoor will be OK, but will show a decent amount of grain. The size and portability is the real deal maker for this camera. I couldn’t find a case that fit it snug enough, so I bought a cell phone clam shell. It fits perfectly and I recommend it. The battery life is not the best, the view finder is literally like looking through a pin-hole on a piece of paper. But in a tight spot I guess it would function..but no better then just holding the camera and guessing.

Overall, a nice camera. I have used it a lot and it usually can determine the correct settings when in ‘auto.’ But the real reason i got this was for the HD and the size…both are good and I recommend this camera for those that aren’t going to ‘pixel-peep’.

Great little camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I got the camera so that I would have something small that I could throw in my purse so I could take pictures whenever and wherever. I wanted something that would take a great picture, and be easy to use because I am not the greatest with technology. This camera is all those things and not a bad price.

Canon PowerShot SD780IS Digital Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Deep Red)

I SINCERELY APOLOGIZE TO AMAZON FOR THE FIRST REVIEW I WROTE. The mistake was mine. I would give Amazon 10 stars if I could and the camera is a 5 star. After 12 seperate orders from Amazon, they have become my favorite store because of their exceptional customer service and the quality of their products. Items always arrive when promised and usually a few days before the scheduled delivery date.

FOLLOW-UP: My mother who is NOT a camera enthusiast liked this camera so much because of it’s small size, simplicity, and video/still shot picture quality that I gave it to her and ordered another one from Amazon for myself.

Love this camera!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I always buy Canon PowerShot cameras and this one is my favorte so far. It’s easy to use, creates quality pictures and is so small.

I like it!!!!!!!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The camera is very nice, and the shipping was on time.Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Silver)

Perfect P&S
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve had this camera for several months now. I was looking for a good P&S camera that I could carry with me at all times. My dSLR was becoming too much of a burden for me to carry everywhere.

While most people are giving you the technical aspects of the camera, I’ll talk more about the ease of use.

This camera was perfect for me. I have small hands and it’s the perfect size for me to hold. My fingers line up with all of the buttons.

Although the power button is flush with the top of the camera, it is not at all difficult to turn on and off.

Moving around to the different settings is also very quick and easy to do.

Overall, this is a great little camera.

Shipping for review
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Shipping from Amazon sucks.

I placed order on October 18th and after 6 days I got an email from Amzaon mentioning that the order is delayed. When I placed the order the item was showing “In Stock”. Now my order will be delivered on November 5th. I called Amazon customer service line and twice hung up upon. Third time, I spoke to Michelle, Supervisor, and she mentioned I cannot cancel the order and order will come by Nov 5 – Nov 12th. I feel like hostage at this time as I wanted camera by certain time. I can not buy it from other place and will have to be at mercy of Amazon to deliver product when it gets here. Amazon still shows that this item is IN STOCK with green light.

Great Canon PowerShot SD780IS
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Great Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with alot to offer.Very easy & simple to use.This camera allows you to zoom in & out as you record videos.It takes Great picture & videos.The Camera is small so it’s great to cray with you anywhere.

Bring it with you everywhere you go!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’ve been using Sony Cybershot T7 (with very slim & cool outlook) for the past few years. It has 2 weaknesses:

(1) The body is so thin & sensitive that those with shaky hands will not get sharp photos.

(2) The stabilizer for this model isn’t good enough. So it produces unacceptable blurry photos to capture movement.

As I’m taking more & more pictures nowadays with my frequent biz trips, I’m looking for another value buy camera which suits my style well & meets below criterion:

(1) reasonable price

(2) mini size & easy to carry

(3) reputable brand

(4) good stabilizer for movement capturing

(5) user friendly features

(6) quality downloaded photos

Here it goes, Canon powershot SD780IS! Now I almost rely on it for all my new photos. I just encountered once whereby it showed ‘Lens error’ & asked me to change my battery pack (I remembered I charged it full at home) when I wanted to use it outside during New Year eve. I’m not sure whether it’s because of the very cold temperature below zero which caused the disconnection of the battery pack. It resumed working when I was back in the train.

Overall, you won’t regret to own it!

love at first shot
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I absolutely love this camera! And when I first opened it was expecting the usual canon elph size but its even slimmer and is a perfect pocket camera. The black matte finish looks great. I have always been a fan of the quality of pictures that canons produce and this was no exception. I have used sony’s cybershot, fuji slim camera, nikon cool pix and others and this by far gives the superior shot every time. the picture always looks so clear and amazing unlike some other small digitals that give a little grainy look. It has great features for photo taking and special effects. It has the usual color changing modes to black and white or sepia but it also has some cool features tha will pick up just one color and do the rest in black and white. The HDMI is a great plus and HD video. Overall I really have to say that this camera is the most user friendly out of other camera’s out there. Its easy to hook up to any computer and uses and sd memory card so you dont have to get any converters like with the sony. The picture just comes out great with no effort at all. I definitely would recommend this camera to everyone and have since recommended it to my mother and a coworker- both of them love it!

Very comfortable, good Flip replacement, fast, good images
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
If you are thoughtful about quality of your photographs and plan to shoot things like sporting events in a badly lit gym, you probably won’t want the SD 780 as your only camera. Then again, you wouldn’t want any point-and-shoot as your only camera. On the other hand, if you need something to take on vacation, or something to have in your back pocket when you are outside with your kids and don’t want to miss anything, or are looking for an alternative to Flip, you can’t go wrong with the SD780.

Already an owner of a large DSLR coupled with a heavy lens, I was looking for something that would 1) produce acceptable pictures under regular conditions, 2) replace a Flip cam for shooting video, 3) always stay in the pocket in that unassuming way a good cell phone does, and 4) cost under $300. I’ve looked at and tried pretty much the entire Digital Elph line-up, and also seriously considered a Lumix because of their awesome wide angle lenses, but ultimately decided SD 780 was pretty much what I needed.

I’ve owned the camera for a couple of weeks, and here are some first impressions.

1) The video is great — much better than the old non-HD Flip. It seems that I shake the camera more than Flip because of its design, but, and that was a nice surprise since you can’t see it in the product shots, the Elph has a tripod mount. The file sizes are an order of magnitude larger, however, so stock up on a decent and fast (class 6) memory card right here on Amazon for about $15 for 8 Gigs.

2) The image quality is what you would expect from a camera of this class. Pictures are great in a perfect light, and not so great in all other light conditions. I haven’t seen a point-and-shoot that performs otherwise.

3) Given a choice between a couple of random extra features and smaller size, I would always go for the size. None of these extras make your pictures look significantly better, but a constantly bulging pocket is a major annoyance. This camera is very small. I have large hands (I’m 6′2″), and the small buttons haven’t been a problem. The camera is also very pleasant to hold and look at.

4) Fast start-up time. Shutter lag is ok. There are other point-and-shoot cameras with much higher frame-per-second numbers. If you are considering one of those pocket-sized Lumix cameras, Lumix are slower.

5) The other non-Elph camera I looked at was a Canon Powershot SX10IS with the crazy 20x optical zoom (28-560mm equivalent). The SX10IS is bigger, more expensive, and doesn’t have HD video, but if you are into stuff that requires powerful zoom, SD780 won’t cut it.

On the downside, the lack of manual controls is a complete waste. Also, does anyone ever use that tiny optical viewfinder on this thing? And why can’t they name their cameras in a way that doesn’t remind an alphanumerical soup?

Overall, SD780 is great at what it’s been designed to do. Manual controls and even a slightly wider lens would’ve earned it five stars in its class.

Good… until ‘Lens error’ started showing up.
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I loved this camera because of the design and portability, I just started hating it some weeks ago when the infamous ‘lens error’ started showing up. It worked for about 6 months. This is my third canon camera and the second one that has this issue. I think I should consider some other brand.

The best digi cam I’ve ever owned, still not perfect however.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
As far as picture quality and easy of use, this camera gets 5 stars. I found it took fantastic photos in all conditions. Indoor and outdoor, day and night, up close and far away. This camera has just enough features to make me very happy without overwhelming me.

The biggest bonus of this camera was the video quality. I made a couple videos early on and discovered the quality to be so good that I use the video feature quite often now.

The downside to this camera is more delicate then I feel that it should be. Just placing it in my pocket accumulated some large and irritating scratches on the screen. I ended up placing this camera in a sock to keep it from getting any more scratches. If I’m not careful I’m afraid the screen could become significantly obscured by scratches. I plan to see if I can find a screen protector for this camera.

Small, all-around.
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Out of the box, everything looks great. The camera is sleek, compact, well-fitted with easy-to-use features, and very lightweight. The image quality, though, is poor. The pictures lack life – the colors are very dull. This camera is probably great if you require an ultra-compact form factor, but for less money, you can get a better-looking picture (from Kodak among others).

Very cute camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Its a very slim camera. Picture quality is good. Since it is very small one, hard to press the buttons. Overall its a very good camera.

cannon digital camera is sweet
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is nice. picture quality is very good. the display is good. battery life is just fine. I’m not a fanatic on picture taking. use once in awhile and the battery life lasts for my use. It is a little small for the people that have large hands like myself. Other than that I am very Happy with it. Easy to use and carry.

Memory Card NOT included
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Pretty cheesy to not include the memory card…I have used an Elph for several years and wanted to upgrade…and here this is with no memory card. Should be clearly noted when ordering or considering buying. My star rating isn’t possible because THERE IS NO MEMORY CARD.

Great camera!!!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Camera is excellent for the price I got it. Take beautiful picture in the daytime as well as the nighttime. The video cam feature is top notch as well. Really happy with this product!!!!

Great small camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Does everything it says it will and does it well. This is a great camera for close to medium range shots, when traveling you can take great stills and very good HD video. Only thing I would fix would be the ability to zoom optically when in video mode. If you want a small camera that captures HD video …. buy this one SD780IS. Got this from Amazon $[...] bucks cheaper than any other retailer or on-line vendor $[...]… WOW!!! Also bought the 8gb sdhc class 6 memory card.

Incredible!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Prior to buying this camera, I did an extensive amount of research with cameras that would fit my budget. I finally was succumbed to the Canon SD780is. After much testing, it was clear that this little camera packed a punch. The quality of the photos blew me away. I also enjoy the features that allow you to bring out colors depending on lighting situations before you take the photo. The auto feature, which allows the camera to adjust for you accordingly, is excellent for beginners. It zooms 3x before sacrificing megapixels but it can go beyond that to 12x. The HD recording quality is excellent, but what blew me away was that it was able to record sound with almost perfect replication to the real thing. The camera is tiny and very portable. It is about the size of my cell phone. I was very pleased with the SD780is. I’m sure I’ll be enjoying these aesthetically pleasing photos for years to come.

Great small camera with HD video capabilities
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera to take to Europe. We wanted something that could take nice pictures AND have the option of video. I took tons of pictures and I’m really happy with them. This camera is tiny, which is great, and the battery lasts a long time (although the video recording does really eat up a lot of the battery). The charger works here and abroad (but you still need a plug adapter–not a voltage converter). That worked well for us too. I am very happy with the purchase, and Amazon had the best price.

Canon powershot DS 780IS
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I had a Sony digital camera which I absolutely loved, but it was big and bulky and I wanted a smaller camera that was easier to take around–something I could just slip into my purse. My daughter had an older version of this camera and loved it, and the reviews on line were really good, so I bought it. Well, the size is definitely a plus. It is nice and small and fits easily into my small purse, even with the case I bought with it. Without the case, it can fit into my jeans pocket. However I am very disappointed in the video part of the camera. I realize it takes HD video, and that HD takes up more space and takes longer to upload, so I turned the HD off, since I mostly want my video clips for uploading onto the computer and do not care if they are in HD or not, but even lowering the size, it takes SO LONG to upload even the shortest video clip (1-1 1/2 min. clip takes a good 8-10 min or longer to upload) that its almost not worth it. Taking videos also totally drains the batteries. I bought a second battery, that I keep with me all the time. Since I love taking videos of my grandson to send to relatives on the computer, unfortunately this camera is not really what I want it to do. So unless I am doing something wrong when I am uploading (don’t know how I could possibly be tho!) then I am disappointed in that part. As for the digital pictures though, they are great. So I will most likely keep the camera. Now I am looking at possibly buying myself a small video camera to supplement this camera. Any thoughts anyone?

Excellent Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is great. I used it on a recent trip where I was on a tour bus and i was able to get quick shots while the bus was moving. The pictures came out perfect, as if i was standing still while shooting them. The only issue I’m trying to figure out with the camera is why it gives pictures of people a different color tone (sometimes orange or red). I’m not sure if this is a result of the flash or the settings. Overall I’m satisfied with the camera.

Good; not great; flawed; expensive
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
My son dropped my Canon SD1100is, a great camera that I loved, so I bought SD780is as a replacement, and was ultimately disappointed and returned the camera. Both cameras are a very convenient size and they use the same battery. Problems I encountered with the SD780is are (1) that the door/piece/cover that covers where the battery and SD card are inserted was loose. It shifted/wiggled/moved every time I took a picture, just a little bit but enough to be annoying and unacceptable in an almost-$300 point-and-shoot camera. It just felt cheap and wrong given the price that I paid and given that other cameras don’t do this. At first I planned to exchange the camera, but then I found that the cover wiggled on the 2nd SD780is that I looked at too, so I got a refund. (2) Second, the HD video was a primary reason that I bought the SD780is instead of SD1200is, but when I viewed the HD video on my computers it consistently had a line/defect/artifact? through the video-not good. (3) Third, at one point the 780 camera screen didn’t seem to turn on and function when I hit the power button, though later at the store it did turn on for the salesperson, so I’m not sure how to explain this unusual event. (4) Fourth, still picture lighting and flashing was inconsistent, producing some disappointing photos in normal-usage situations. (5) Lastly, shutter lag is a problem; there’s often what feels like a half-second delay between the time that you push the button and when the picture is taken; this is a problem with a lot of point and shoots but is quite annoying even if lots of cameras have a similar flaw. Overall, this might be an okay camera but I would also consider alternatives, especially considering the price. I expected the newer, more expensive, SD780is to perform better than my older, cheaper SD1100is, but it did not deliver as I hoped and expected it would.

love it
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
love the camera. photos are great and is very user friendly (i’m not camera saavy at all)…its tiny and cute, no complaints so far. my friend who’s a photographer told me i can do so much with it, will comment when I get there…

good digital cam
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
we bought one, and this is our second digital camera; it was made with high quality crafsmanship and compact. The pictures are sharp.

Love it!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love this camera! It takes beautiful pictures. I highly recommend it. But be ready to read the manual. The things this camera can do are amazing! I still have yet to learn what all the buttons do. But then again, I’m not that technologically savvy.

“Memory Card Error”
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Do NOT buy this camera. It was an absolute hassle receiving it from Amazon. I’ve been an Amazon customer for years and I’ve never been so disappointed in my life. It took us a month to get it and we were without a camera for a weekend getaway. We finally got it in time for our honeymoon in Greece and were pleased as punch with it for TWO DAYS. After we had taken many pictures of us visiting once-in-a-lifetime sites, the camera read “memory card error,” was completely nonfunctional, and had lost all of our pictures. It wasn’t the memory card–it’s the camera. Now our sexy little Canon has no use other than collecting dust as we try to get our money back.

PS–We got an Olympus while in Greece and, while it cost a bajillion euros, we are in love with it. Check out an Olympus instead.

Fantastic Pocket Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My family and I do a lot of camping and off-roading, which makes this camera ideal. I carry it in my shirt pocket so that it’s instantly available. I’m taking many more shots now than I was able to do with my Canon digital SLR. I’ve also discovered several really neat features on this camera that I use all the time now, including zooming the image after it’s taken. I’m very happy with this camera.

great selection for first digital camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I received this camera a few days after I ordered it, and I have been very pleased with it. The camera is very easy to operate, yet it offers a lot of functionality. I think it is an excellent choice for a moderately-priced digital camera. One of my primary goals was to obtain good battery life, and this camera does that. I purchased an 8GB Sandisk memory card that permits storage of 2500 pictures. I also bought the Canon PSC-1050 Deluxe leather case that can be attached to a belt, an accessory that was invaluable on our recent trip to Arches and Canyonlands parks. Whenever I wanted to take a picture, I simply pulled out the camera in a single motion with one hand. The lightness of the camera, its ease of use, long battery life, and the quality of the pictures make this a great purchase for its price.

Only 1 word – Disappointing
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I had high expectations from this camera. Great reviews, great brand name, 12 MP, HD video recording, HDMI etc…so many features but I’m disappointed at the results of this camera.

Not sure if it is the piece I received, but the quality of pictures and video is very bad. The video was very grainy…the pictures didn’t live up to the expectations. My old 4MP Nikon coolpix did a better job than this. There are not many cameras out there for ~ $220 which have all these features, so I chose this camera. Returned it after a week of use. Tried in various surroundings – indoor, outdoor, hd video etc…nothing is good.

1 star to camera. 5 stars to Amazon for promptly processing the refund.

Great pocket camera / video recorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
If you are looking for a tiny camera / video recorder that will fit easily in your pocket to take easy shots whenever you want… this is what you are looking for. The power on time is super fast. The video quality is excellent.

The only down sides:

- You are going to want to get a descent sized card.

- Low light video quality isnt that great.

Perfect
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The small size (about as large a full size iPod) is perfect for those on the go like my college age son!

fits in my shirt pocket and is a great camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was looking for a good camera that didn’t require me to carry a case and this one fit the bill. Did the research on these “ultra compact” cameras and this one had high ratings on most sites I checked. The performance, battery life is excellent and the picture quality is outstanding. I do use a DSLR for special occasions, but for just snapshots, vacation pics, and enjoying life…this is the camera. It fits in my shirt pocket!….Just a great little camera all around…

Cannon Powershot SD780IS
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Great camera for what it is… small, inexpensive and stylish. I carry it when going out at night with friends, and anytime I even think I might want a picture… It is so small that I forget it is there! Night shots, image stability are not the best, but Im still learning how to use it to get the best pics in those conditions.For the $200 it is a really small, fast, well built camera. I was particularly excited about the rounded corners… after having a SD1200 (ex took it), my thigh was bruised from the sharp corners.

Love the speed!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera was bought entirely b/c my old camera would take too long after you pressed the button until it actually took the picture – this one is nearly instant on the children/pets setting. I spent a little extra to get the HD video feature b/c I think all things will be HD soon and I’ll be glad I made the investment. This is our only camera we use know to take pics and video of my infant son. It is awesome. The buttons are a bit small, but nothing that would deter me from buying the camera again in the future.

Best point and shoot canon
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
If your reading this, I suggest you buy this camera NOW! Best canon of all and I’ve owned a few!

Excellent camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This Canon camera is the best digital camera I’ve had yet. Its about half the size, but double the picture quality which is fantastic. I’ve found that Canon is always the easiest to use and takes the best pictures so you really can’t go wrong with this camera. It was also really worth the price. I HIGHLY recommend this camera to everyone!!

Worked fine for the people who designed it…
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
…but it’s pathetically small for everyone else. I don’t own this camera, but after trying it out in several stores, I found its buttons are just about too small to be usable. Just take that for what it’s worth ahead of time

This is an incredible camera!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have been taking pictures for over 50 years. This camera is amazing. Run, don’t walk and buy this little camera. You will not be disappointed.

Nightmare
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Let me start bt saying I have always purchased and loved Canon products. Until today.

I wish I could say this canon camera has been a good expereince, but it has not! I went in search of a new small point and shoot to take to outings where I would not want to take my Canon rebel DSLR and my Sony handycam, and after researching cameras, felt like the Powershot 780IS was the best of both worlds; decent picture quality and decent video quality. Initially I was pleased. After I received the camera I began taking snapshots and videos to see how it functioned. Grainy in low light, nice pictures in overcast .. . then the sun came out. . .oh boy. I began getting lines down the LCD in both picture mode and video mode that showed up in playback and on download. I was going to return the camera and after talking to Canon Tech they told me that it would be quicker and easier to go through Canon and get it fixed. When I complained that I would be getting a “refurbished” camera than for the price of a new one, they told me I could discuss that with them and “work it out” once it got there. With the countdown to my vacation I had purchased it to take on at 2.5 weeks, I sent it back to Canon. I received it back today, literally 1 day before we leave.. . and to my distaste, it continues to do the same thing. Again on hold with Canon, they continue to tell me they will “repair” only, and that I should send it back to them, even though they have replaced the ENTIRE INSIDE OF THE CAMERA! I attempted to take pictures AND video in my dining room where there are no windows ,just my chandelier, and now there are purple lines all down the LCD and on playback. With my vacation 1 day away, I now need to decide send it BACK to canon, whose Customer Service has left little to be desired, or send it BACK to Amazon, for either a return or exchange. With one day left until my vacation, clearly I will be cameraless. Perhaps this was an unfortunate incident, however if it was damaged and the inside replaced, it should be functioning properly. So either it wasn’t really fixed, or its a poorly made model. You decide, I still haven’t.

Awesome Little Camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is my 10th digital camera. I own variety of different brands of digital cameras for different shooting conditions ranging from underwater Sony camera to Nikon SLR.

The size is very compact. The camera takes awesome pictures with very good metering. The dynamic face tracking ensures all the faces are in focus with evenly balance exposure.

Pictures at highest resolution are not as sharp, with some distortion.

However, the 12MP is a bit over kill for me. It’s a waste of storage space and difficult to post or e-mail.

This camera is perfect for a night out with friends. I will probably use something with bigger lense for my travel.

Overall rating is excellent, for everyday use. It is definitely a “BUY”!

LOVES it
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I love this camera – it’s tiny, it’s sleek and it takes fabulous pictures. The picture quality is great and the focus is wonderful – it takes just as good pictures up close as it does farther away. It also does really well with shooting in motion. I recently went on a trip to Maui and took pictures from the car and they were great. I used to have a Nikon Coolpix and I’ve definitely become a Canon convert. My only complaint for this camera is that it doesn’t take pictures fast enough i.e. there is a slight lull in between when you press the button and when the picture is taken and when you can take the next one. There is an option to have it in a faster shutter mode but the pictures aren’t as focused. I’m not a photographer so this is too complicated for me – i just need a camera to point and shoot and take great pictures. Even with the slower picture speed, i LOVE this camera.

SD780 review (from a SD770 owner)
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The SD780 is Canon’s replacement for the 10 MP SD770 model released around a year before it. I upgraded to the SD780 as I was happy with my SD770 but liked the new features and smaller profile.

The interface has improved, most notably with the automatic shooting mode detection. As I have a dSLR for serious photography I used the SD770 as more of a happy snaps camera and as such it spent nearly all it’s life in the automatic profile. The SD780 utomatically activates a suitable shooting profile in auto mode (when taking a close range photo for example it will automatically select macro mode), and so far I’ve found this system to be very quick and accurate. It’s lighter than the 770 (which itself is quite light) and doesn’t cause any discomfort in your pocket thanks to it’s slim profile. Another improvement is a wider lens (it’s no Panasonic FX37, but a 33mm equivalent wide end is better than 35mm) which was one of the shortcomings of the older model. Unfortunately the SD780’s lens is f3.2-5.8 which means it does struggle at times with low light even with the optical image stabilisation system activated. The lens itself is quite good for a compact point and shoot, with no noticable barrel distortion. Shooting performance is excellent, as good or even better than the previous model with very quick power up to shooting times, shot to shot times and minimal shuttter lag.

The CCD resolution has been increased to 12.1 megapixels but is the same physical size. This coupled with quite agressive noise reduction means that image quality does suffer at high ISO settings. Combined with the relatively slow lens it’s night performance isn’t quite as good as some of it’s rivals, but is still adequate quality for casual shooting. While the extra resolution is a bonus in daylight shooting I can’t help wondering if the resolution increase was more of a marketing excercise than anything else, and whether the camera would have better served retaining the older 10 MP image sensor.

720P video is a welcome addition as is the switch from Motion JPEG to H.264 video. The video files are stored in the Quicktime container so Mac users especially will find it easy to work with video files from the camera. Battery life is best described as adequate, Canon has switched from the NB-6L to the smaller NB-4L which means battery life is rated at 210 shots, which is lower than average. The batteries charge quickly however and the battery life isn’t really a problem if you charge it after every trip.

Overall I would say that the SD780 is a solid camera with a couple of shortcomings, mainly due to the packaging constraints. I bought the 770 because I wanted something that was as carryable and convenient as a cameraphone but with decent quality images. If that’s what you are looking for you wont be disappointed.

Great small camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I wanted a camera that I could carry in my pocket to shoot HD video of my daughter’s graduation. I looked at those pocket camcorders, but when I found I could get a tiny Canon that would shoot HD video and was also a regular camera, that sounded more versatile to me. I have owned several Canon digital cameras before, and have always been happy with them. After reading reviews of this one, I had two concerns: Would it be so small that it would hard to operate with my average-sized male fingers, and would such a small device have adequate image quality? After using it at the aforementioned graduation, I am happy to say that neither one of those concerns was a problem. It has a quality feel and is VERY small, actually a bit shorter than my iPhone 3G, about the same width, and only a little bit thicker. But it is very easy to operate. It fits easily and comfortably in both my pants pocket and shirt pocket, but I bought a small cellphone case that fits it very nicely, so I can also clip it to my belt.

I have a couple of suggestions for anyone who might want to use this camera for video: First, I wasn’t sure how much memory card capacity I would need, so I went ahead and bought 2 16G SDHC cards. Good move! I filled the first one up before the end of the ceremony, and was able to quickly swap in the second one. The thing I didn’t consider, though, was battery life. I got a low battery warning even before I filled up the first memory card. Fortunately, there were two parts to the ceremony, and during the break I was able to find an outlet to charge up the battery. In general, I like the small rechargeable battery that comes with its own charger, but it would be good to have a second charged battery on hand. Another idea I had was to screw a mini tripod into the bottom to use as a handle. That worked out very well. It made it easier to shoot over the heads of the people in front of me, and was probably more comfortable too.

In summary, I’m completely satisfied with this camera. The image quality is more than adequate for my needs, and I love the small size.

awesome camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
when I first got this camera it was so small I thought, this can’t take very good pictures, but boy was I wrong, it takes great video and pictures, size is so portable you can just stick it in your pocket! My daughter loves it!

good for it size
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a very good camera for it’s small size.

The pic quality is very good in most cases but not so great indoors. The HD video is fantastic.

The user interface is simple and easy to use.

all in all it is a good buy.

GREAT BUY! NICE UPGRADE FROM THE SD 750
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
now, dont get me wrong, i was a total Canon SD750 junkie. that is still an amazing camera, so much so that i kept buying them after i would lose one. so, with a high precedent set, i eventually tried to go outside canon. I got the kodak 1033. pictures were ok, VIDEO WAS SO BAD. HORRIBLE Sound. returned it. went back to the canon. And i shopped around wanting to go a step above and FINALLY they released this little devil. so slim, so compact and amazing HD video!!! LOVE IT! and CANON! I also had a flip camera and it was so annoying carrying around 2 things! this little devil does both!! so happy

Perfect–with one minor detail
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera after my SD 790 IS died over the 4th of July weekend. I am a huge fan of the color accent mode which is why I bought this Powershot instead of the other models that don’t have this feature. The SD790 had the option to keep the original photo in addition to the color accent photo. Unfortunately, this little Powershot does not have the option to keep the original photo. That is a shame considering that is why I bought this camera and paid the extra for it.

Otherwise, I am very happy with it.

SD780IS–best compact camera for the money.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
As an experienced and picky photographer, I’ll try to be fair, objective, and to the point.

The bottom line is this is a great compact digital camera for the price. It takes great photos when set up right–auto-mode produces less-than-desired results (typical for “auto” set ups”) as they tend to be overexposed and lacking in color. Perfectly normal for auto. Use “P” mode and tune as desired. The lens isn’t that wide–I believe it’s a 28mm on 35mm equivalent, but it’s certainly wide enough for most uses. The lens is sharp but does have distortion at its widest end. Avoid taking photos of really defined horizons such as the ocean/sky.

One issue I have with this camera is the durability. After light-to-moderate use, the paint is either thinning, or rubbing and chipping off. I only had it a few months and it already looks beat and battered, especially when next to my friend’s 3-year old panasonic point and shoot which he uses a lot more than I use my camera and it looks almost new. Another friend has this exact same camera for about the same time ( a few months ) and it too is chipping, peeling, etc.

For more photos taken with this camera, you can visit my site at [...]

Great little camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this for my wife as a Christmas present and she loves it! We love the fact that it does 720p HD video and has HDMI so you can hook it straight up to the tv to watch your videos in High Def. It has some really nice features if you want to play with it a little to figure it out but just to point and shoot it’s pretty straight forward without having to open the manual. Very happy with this purchase!

I love this camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is the only camera that my husband and I use to capture the important moments of our baby’s life. The quality of the pictures are excellent. It’s flash speed is perfect to catch fast actions especially when the subject is not very still. The HD videos are much better than you would expect from such a compact camera. I liked it so much that I bought it for my parents as a Christmas present.

This thing has some horsepower
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is an amazing little camera. The thing is tiny in size (thinnest yet) but huge on performance. The still image quality is really, really nice and dude,…HD video at 720p out of this thing? Sweet.

We shot a recent trip to Europe with this camera and left our DSLR at home. I was worried about carrying around just a point-and-shoot but I gotta say that the pictures came out so beautiful.

You really can’t go wrong with this. I highly recommend. For me, it’s Canon for point-and-shoots and Nikon for DSLRs.

Canon SD780: Finally found the ultimate hybrid camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve had this camera now for about a week. The main reason for this purchase is the 720p HD video feature. I’ve been playing with all the recent point and shoot camcorders such as the Kodak Zi6 and the Creative Vado HD. I also have the not-yet-released-in-the-US Canon SX1 which does full 1080p HD video. I have also tried the Sony T500.

The first thing you’ll notice is how small this camera is. To date, its the smallest Canon camera yet almost to the point that its difficult to handle. I’d call it Ultra-compact and this thing can fit anywhere. The button are more flush than any other Canon which makes button finding and feeling a bit cumbersome.

I wasn’t expecting much from this camera in terms of performance but it blows all other point and shoot camcorders out of the water. The colors are much more accurate and the video overall is much smoother. Part of this due to the image stabilization feature. The toy cameras do not have this feature which is a huge necessity for something so small and light. It handles low-light situations better as well. Search SD780 on youtube for samples. Make sure you click the HD button.

The photos are secondary to me but they can be good in the manual mode. Using it with higher ISO setting will introduce noise. Then again, these photos are much better than the point and shoot camcorders. These are actually usable.

So with the point and shoot camcorders around the $200 mark (MinoHD, VAdoHD, Zi6), for $80 more (SD780) you get something that is much better overall.

+ Made in Japan and much better build quality than the toy camcorders

+ Removable SD storage card

+ Removable battery (uses the common NB-4L)

+ Image stabilization

+ Usable stills

+ Canon optics

+ Ultra compact (2/3 the size of a MinoHD)

+ Easy to use .MOV files

+ Stealth Black color

The only drawbacks I can think of are:

- Cannot use optical zoom during recording (let’s hope this can be changed via firmware upgrade)

- Photos can be noisy and grainy at times

- Mono sound recordings

Good camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Overall, pleased with this camera. Portability is great. Picture quality not as good when zoomed in. My first video seemed a bit “jerky” and not very smooth.

captures toddler
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera for my daughter who has toddler. She has said that this camera has stopped the little one in her tracks. Even when there is movement the camera takes pictures without blur, and it tracks the face to always stay in focus. I was a diehard Nikon user, but the reviews I read lead me to this camera. I sure glad I listened and now I want this camera for my own. The video is great too.

Canon SD780 IS digital camera is perfect for just about any use
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I had previously purchase the SD1000 camera back in March of 2007, which was an upgrade from the Powershot S45 model. Going to an Elph body brought with it lots of bonuses, like being able to take my camera to concerts and other places where a bigger camera was not an option.

After more than 2 years with the SD1000, it was time to upgrade both my camera and my wife’s. She got the SD1000 while I ended up with the SD 780 IS.

I would have purchased this camera locally, but the color options were limited to bright red and solid black, neither of which was appealing to me or where I would use the camera.

As with the SD1000, I used my camera on a self made camera mount on my scooter – a 2006 Honda Metropolitan. I film various videos throughout the spring and summer and having a small digital makes for some excellent footage.

This camera also has an HD mode for video, which I’ve only used a few times in test videos. In the near future, I will be using this mode more often.

Image stabilization is nice, but I’ve not noticed any major improvements over using a camera that doesn’t have it. Perhaps more testing with this feature is needed, but overall, I’ve not missed the IS feature.

Photo wise, it takes incredible pictures at just about any resolution. I have mine in 1600×1200 mode, which is 2 megapixel and perfect for most of my photo needs (blogging, family photos, gatherings, outdoors activities). One nice bonus feature is that it remembers your flash setting during a power off and power back on again. Meaning, if you turned off the flash the last time you used it, the next time you power it back on, the flash will remain off. This is a great feature when you are in a place where flash pictures are not allowed, making it so you don’t forget to check the flash setting before taking the picture.

For the price, this is a great camera for a wide variety of uses and it’s proven itself to be a great model.

The two gotchas are on this camera are:

- the SD1000 used a .AVI extension on videos. This SD780 IS changes it to .MOV. Using video footage from both cameras can prove to be difficult to manage individual files.

- the case is all metal which is nice, but if you have wet or greasy fingers, it makes it slippery. Adding a clear cover like InvisiSheild helps add some grip to the camera.

Best Canon Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve had several Canon cameras and one Olympus as well as used a Sony, and I always come back to Canon. It takes the best quality pictures and has the sleekest looks. This particular camera is definitely the best I have used. Not only is it tiny and gorgeous in red, but the picture quality is superb with improved anti-shake, and the pictures come out clear even when using zoom. To top it all off, the battery life is substantially longer than my last camera.

Great little camera with HD Video
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a great little camera. If your looking for a high quality camera that will fit in your pocket than look no further. Being little though you must realize the the buttons are small. The image quality is very good and the HD video is awesome however if you have an old computer you may not have a video card good enough to view it with. I got a new computer and it shows it fine but my old computer it is shaky on. I had an SD600 camera prior to this camera that I loved but the shutter expired after three years. Thanks to an awesome warranty through Office Depot I got my money back. I felt bad for buying from Amazon as Office Depot treated me very well but I didn’t want to wait to get a new camera and I didn’t know if Office Depot was going to come through but they did. The Amazon transaction was very easy and I have no complaints. Shipping was fast and communication was good. If I had an complaints it would be how small the power button is but like I said this is a very portable but powerful camera.

Excellent Camera!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is my 3rd digital camera, second canon. I absolutely love the camera. It is extremely portable, easy to use, takes very high resolution images and the image stabilizer is a huge benefit, it works very well too. Also, the camera has many pre-set options: black & white, sepia, sunset, fireworks, children, plants, etc. that truly enhance the image.

A very good camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I don’t like the color, black, makes features on the camera hard to read.

Camera works great. Transferring pictures from the camera to the computer is easy. Has a viewfinder which is wonderful. Zooms in & out very well. A fine camera. Glad I bought it.

great camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is great. It is so light and tiny it fits right into my wife’s purse. She loves it. Easy to take pictures.

A nice little all purpose camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
What caught my attention with this camera was its size. It is a very small camera, but packs a punch. The image and video quality is really good. We have used it in a variety of settings as well as image types and it all came out very well.

The small size of the camera could be an issue for some, but i highly recommend it.

Excellent
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera it’s amazing the size omg I love it it’s small and can be kept anywhere even your pocket. Recording my favorite HD very good quality. Although recorded videos are super heavy to upload to YouTube. Overall I’m loving this camera

Excellent, well made little camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is small and made quite well. If you compare it to other cameras in it’s class, you will immediately notice it is heaftier and made of metal, not plastic. The menus are easy to figure out and the camera is packed with a ton of features. The only negative is this: When you take a picture it takes a few seconds to appear on the screen, in the interim, a note that says “Busy” appears on screen. This is annoying.

Best in Class Ulta-Compact
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I read plenty of reviews and did much testing before deciding to buy this camera. Now that I’ve used it for over a month now and on several trips I can confidently say this is the best camera at its size and price. If someone can produce another camera at this size and weight with similar features and image quality with a lower price please provide a link to it. I tested Nikons and Panasonics and they all had worse IQ, and even other bigger Canons but disliked the bulk.

The best feature of course is its size, it fits comfortably in my pocket with a cell phone too. The pictures are great and the shutter speed is amazing, especially if you turn off the picture review and want to take many pictures in a row but just not in continuous mode. The Auto works great for most anything, however indoors and in low light, its best to raise your ISO and use program mode.

My minor complaints would be the display quality(noisy),audio quality, and only 3x optical zoom. I would love it with 5x optical zoom and better audio, but its not any worse then the audio on the Flip. This is the perfect compliment to my DSLR and I was very impressed with the camera’s performance given its tiny size.

Noisy, but good
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
If you want this little new camera from Canon it’s probably due to it’s attractive body and small size, something Canon has done well in the past and managed to improve upon in the SD780 IS. If those two things are topping your list, don’t bother reading this review. You’ve succeeded in finding a tiny, attractive little camera that can go just about anywhere. If quality and features also matter, it’s more of a mixed bag. As usual, when you make a camera this small, the form factor means sacrifices in more practical areas. Nonetheless, Canon does a nice job all-around in giving you an excellent value despite the shortcomings inherent in pocket photographic devices.

For owners of small pocket cameras, it should come as no surprise that noise is the number one problem with this device. With a 12MP sensor, it’s no wonder there’s so much noise in every photo you take. Outdoors, indoors, pitch black, whatever: it doesn’t matter. You will see noise no matter how well-lit your scene is, whether there are dark areas or not. This is a huge drawback if you’re printing large photos. If you’re like most people and only go beyond 4×6 or 5×7 for that occasional photo that warrants an 8×10, you don’t have much to worry about. Though cramming 12MP into a tiny little sensor, like the one used in the SD780 IS, is certainly a cause of the high levels of noise, the resolution it provides makes the noise imperceptible when printing small photographs. You may notice it in an 8×10 photo taken at night, but for your smaller prints you should get by just fine.

Where noise is a bigger problem is in the video mode. Since the introduction of their 5D Mark II DSLR, Canon’s begun to embrace high-definition video across their photographic line. Though few cameras in Canon’s arsenal can capture HD video at this time, I believe by the end of 2009 it should be more the norm than the exception. While the SD780 IS doesn’t capture 1080p video like the 5D Mark II, or it’s (much) bigger brother the SX1S IS, 720p is quite a feat for a camera this small. It’s comparable in size to the Flip Mino HD and only costs about $50 more (if you’re comparing by suggested retail pricing). Though not as straightforward and simple as the Flip, by virtue of being a still camera first and a video device second, if you’re looking for a device that does both and are willing to pay a little extra you’ve found it. The video quality in the Canon SD780 IS is more uniformly sharp (in daylight or indoors), though the Flip Mino HD tends to pick up slightly more detail in the distance (in daylight, not indoors). The SD780 IS gives you selective focus and stabilization. While you may not care for selective focus, the image stabilization offered in the SD780 IS is very nice to have when taking video clips. The image stabilizer allows for nice, smooth pans that are not offset by the “jello effect” you get with CMOS sensors. The Flip uses a CMOS and has that issue. The SD780 IS uses a CCD and does not. The SD780 also offers H.264 encoding at an average bit rate of about 24Mbps. For H.264 720p video, this is a very high bit rate from a device. Nonetheless, the files aren’t too big. If you’ve got a 16GB SDHC card you’ll get about an hour and a half of video. Where the Flip does a better job, however, is in noise.

Though the Flip isn’t exactly the best device in low light, it still manages pretty well for a tiny little camera. The SD780 IS looks noisy in every situation. While the high megapixel rating keeps the noise harder to see in a photo, when you’re dealing with 720p video the noise is very apparent. You can see it in perfect daylight, though it’s not that bothersome, and you can really see it indoors regardless of the lighting. This is a noisy camera. Though it’s forgivable in the photographs, in most cases, it really hurts the video mode. Given the limitations of the tiny hardware and the unfortunate megapixel race, noise reduction would’ve been nice. Nonetheless, if you’re looking for an incredibly tiny device that records HD video, the SD780 IS should by high on your list by virtue of its stabilization.

Being that this is a primarily a still camera and not a video device, there are a lot of positives to look at. Let’s start on the outside and work our way in. Canon’s clearly put a lot of thought into the form factor. Regardless of what color you get, I think most will agree that this is a very attractive device. It’s compact and light, so taking it with you will seem about the same as not taking it with you: you will often forget you have it. On one hand, that’s very nice. On the other, make sure you don’t lose it. Though it’s not the smallest camera you can buy, it feels a lot smaller than it is. This could be an issue for some people. I’ve owned and/or reviewed a large number of consumer imaging devices and I’ve never run into the problems that some seem to have with button size. I’ve used a Sony camera that’s a bit smaller than this one and had no issues, whatsoever, with accidental presses. The SD780 IS is the first device I’ve owned where I often make these mistakes. If you have big fingers, you will probably find this device extremely frustrating. For me, the problem is primarily with what I’ll call the function wheel. Kind of like an iPod, in the center is a Function/Set button surrounded by a wheel of four other options. Though this is not a new interface for Canon, it’s awfully small on the SD 780 and it’s very easy to mistakenly push the wrong button on the wheel (or the center button). Personally, I don’t find myself running into this problem too often because I’m not frequently changing settings. Nonetheless, it’s something you should consider if you’ve had trouble with accidental button pushes in the past.

The other switches, however, are quite easy to deal with. The other four buttons on the back panel have quite a bit of space around them, even when not considering how small this camera is, and pushing them is no trouble at all. One is a switch that goes from automatic photo mode to custom photo mode to video mode. Though I’ve come to prefer separate buttons for starting a video and taking a photo, much like Sanyo does with their line of convergence cameras (which they’re now calling “dual cameras”), this switch works well in the sense that it keeps you in the mode and saves you from remembering which button to push when you want something. More importantly, switching modes is about as fast as you could ask for. Though it’s not my preferred way to switch modes (because I prefer the devices to seem like there’s no switch at all), it doesn’t really end up being a problem.

Lastly, there are two buttons on the top of the camera. One is for the shutter and the other is the power button. If you have large fingers, good luck pushing the power button. It’s tiny and it isn’t raised at all. I consider my fingers normal-sized and have no difficulty pushing the button but if you’re concerned, go try the camera in a store before you buy it. As for the shutter, that’s no problem at all. You half-depress to focus and press fully to take the photo, like you would with pretty much any digital camera on the market. There is also a zoom ring around the shutter button which has a tiny little edge to it for your finger to flick. It works quite well, despite being as tiny as it is. For the most part, the camera is very easy to control despite its size. Though you may have difficulty when changing settings, when it comes to general operation (aside from turning it on and off) you shouldn’t run into issues.

My two favorite parts of the SD780 IS body are its large screen and port access. The screen is incredibly bright and clear, even at half brightness (which is where it starts out of the box and probably where you want to leave it), and is well protected by a glass covering. Smudging is easy to clean but be careful of scratches. The refresh rate of the screen is also excellent. Color accuracy is surprisingly good and realistic, assuming you’re not using the “my colors” feature. I’ve come to expect less from Canon’s devices (especially in the white balancing department) and I was pleasantly surprised. While that isn’t entirely the display’s job, what I see on the screen is what I see in reality. No complaints. If you prefer shooting from the viewfinder, which is perfectly reasonable, you will definitely be disappointed. The option is nice, of course, but it’s so incredibly tiny that it seems more for show than for any actual use. I appreciate Canon’s inclusion, but I can pretty much guarantee it will never be used for any practical purpose. My other favorite part is the port access, because it’s exactly how I like it. In the top left corner (if you’re looking at the back of the camera), you pull off this little piece of plastic to reveal a mini HDMI port and a mini USB port. There’s no proprietary connections. It’s nice to see a tiny camera not sacrifice connectivity for the sake of size. To transfer pictures, just pull the plastic covering away and plug the camera into your computer. The process is the same if you want to connect the camera via HDMI to your HDTV. Canon doesn’t include the necessary cable, which is a shame, but being that I’ve never once connected my camera to a television I’m not really bothered. They do give you a standard definition cable, however, so you’re not stranded with no options. On the bottom of the camera there is the usual slide-off access to the battery and memory card. Canon really crammed them both in there, but in a way that’s impressive and not cumbersome. Additionally, they managed a tripod head mount on the bottom as well, and you can pull away a little rubber covering to reveal a hole for the tripod head’s stabilizer (the little piece that doesn’t screw in but holds the camera in place on the head).

Overall, the camera body has an excellent design. It’s not only attractive but functional. The only drawback is the possibility of accidental button pushes, but that sort of comes with the territory.

What about the camera’s features? We’ve already discussed video mode, which is excellent aside from the noise issues. The still camera features and controls are quite good all around, with only a few silly omissions. Let’s start with the menu system. It’s very simple. You press the menu button and you have two columns. One is the very simple camera options column, only giving you four choices, and the other is the function column giving you much more to do. In the camera options, you can turn certain functionalities on or off. Despite the paltry zoom on this device, which is to be expected due to its size, I’d recommend turning off digital zoom. It’s on by default. Why it is even included in cameras is something I’ve never quite understood. As for the functions menu, you have a number of basic functions (display brightness, card formatting, etc.) but also some superfluous functions like changing the sound effects and the camera’s startup image. You don’t get many choices, and the dog bark shutter sound is absent from this device (which I always loved), but you get choices nonetheless. If you don’t want sound effects at all, there is a mute feature. You should note, however, that this camera makes noise on startup nonetheless. The body is a little noisy on its own. The image stabilizer also sounds like a fan is running. I haven’t heard the microphone pick up this noise in video mode, but if operation noise is a problem for you for whatever reason you can minimize it by turning off image stabilization. That said, aside from getting a couple of extra pictures out of your battery life, I can’t imagine why you’d ever want to turn it off.

Canon’s autofocus has lagged behind Nikon’s in the DSLR market, in my opinion, but in their consumer devices I’ve been pretty pleased with how well it works. Autofocus is very fast and, in my experience so far, very accurate. The only problem I’ve consistently run into is the minimum focal distance in normal mode. Turning on macro mode solves the problem, and seems to be the most versatile mode (as it has no problem, unlike some consumer cameras, focusing far off as well). The unfortunate issue with macro focus is that it resets every time you switch modes or turn the camera off. If you want it on, you need to set it every single time. It would be nice to either be able to change the default or for the camera to automatically switch to macro when it can’t manage to focus due to its proximity to the subject.

The flash does a pretty good job for being so tiny. Even from far away, it does well. Oddly enough, close subjects were not as blown out as I’d expected. Often times the photos looked surprisingly natural for a flash. Nonetheless, since you’re getting image noise regardless, I recommend shooting with higher ISOs if you have a reasonable amount of light in the room. It still tends to look more natural, especially after a little color correction.

Exposure controls and the self-timer meet expectations. There’s not a lot of room for innovation with these features, but you can adjust what I can only assume is the gain before taking a photo. Perhaps you’re adjusting shutter speed, though I’m not sure. You can also set a self-timer for 2 or 10 seconds. Actually being able to choose the time would be a nice step up, but I don’t think many have complained about the options given. They work just fine.

The SD780 IS also includes many superfluous but fun features common to Canon’s consumer line. My Colors is one of them. They give you so many different color modes (including positive film, monotone and sepia) I don’t know why you’d want to create your own, but you do have that option. You can also shoot in black and white with a color accent, if you’re trying to create the feel of Schindler’s List in your family photos (hopefully that includes no one), or just swap colors for whatever reason you’d want to do that.

Playback mode is excellent. It’s very easy to zoom in and out on your photos and navigate through them. You can even display a histogram and EXIF data while looking at the photo, which is pretty excessive but cool for a consumer device. Video playback provides a wealth of control, which even includes in-camera editing. This isn’t terribly new to Canon’s devices but it’s still nice. Personally, I’d rather edit outside of the camera but if you need space on your card and don’t have a spare it might be a good way to solve that issue (assuming you have parts of your videos that you want to remove).

As far as silly omissions go, when selecting an image size you can get the normal 4:3 or 16:9 (likely a result of the video mode). Where’s the 3:2 option? Digital cameras have pioneered the 4:3 format, which, personally, I do not like. When printing a 4×6 photo I’d prefer to avoid cropping. Both 4:3 and 16:9 require cropping, which is unfortunate. It seems ridiculous to not offer 3:2 shooting, but then again that’s not the norm with these devices. I think that’s unfortunate. As I’ve mentioned previously, the lack of an HDMI cable and noise reduction is also too bad. The HDMI is understandable as this camera is pretty inexpensive (and you’d never know that by looking at it), but noise reduction is sorely missed. It’s no replacement for an actual lack of noise, but a little bit would go a long way with this device.

The battery life is surprisingly good. Perhaps I feel that way because I haven’t used a camera this small in a long time, but being that it can make it through the day given all the crap I put it through with room to spare, I’m impressed. The camera also comes with a separate charger, which is great if you want to pick up a spare battery. It’s also very easy for travel. Though I always prefer the option, at least, to charge via USB (in case I forget the charger or don’t want to bother bringing it with me), the provided charger is very compact and makes charging the battery an easy thing to do. The only downside is that you constantly have to remove the battery from the camera, but they make that access easy enough (as described earlier).

Overall, there’s a lot to like about the Canon SD780 IS. The noise issue is the biggest drawback, but educated buyers should know to expect this when purchasing a pocket device. Everything else is mostly trivial. Though the noise issues are a major drawback, especially if you’re interested in the mostly great HD video mode, this is a great little camera and well worth the price thanks to the HD video mode.

In summary…

+ Attractive, tiny size and solid build

+ Surprisingly good battery life

+ Big, bright, color-accurate display

+ Menu system and on-screen interface is attractive and easy to use

+ Forgetting the noise issues, video mode is very good providing 720p video in H.264 with a high bit rate (average of 24Mbps)

+ Easy access to ports and easy to transfer photos or display them on your (HD)TV

+ The flash is surprisingly effective without being excessively bright

+ Inexpensive for what you get

= Very high resolution photos, though this comes at a cost (6 to 8 MP seems like a more logical choice)

= Image stabilization is excellent considering the size, but isn’t what you get with a larger device

= Has a viewfinder, though it’s pretty much useless

= Many superfluous but fun features, mainly color-related

- Physical buttons are often too small and accidental pushes are commonplace

- Images and video are extremely noisy, no matter the lighting conditions

Correct case for SD780 IS
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
After much searching I found the correct case for this camera. It is specifically made for the SD780IS, It is the Canon PSC-1050. It says made for the Powershot SD780IS right on the box and fits like a glove. Get the correct case.Canon PSC-1050 Deluxe Lether Case (Black)Canon PSC-1050 Deluxe Lether Case (Red)

What an amazing camera! Big camera performance, tiny package!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I selected this camera as a “always carry” item. I own a Canon 20D professional camera with many lenses and other attachements, and it is HEAVY. So I don’t take it unless I am on a photo shoot.

The SD780IS has a very important feature: an optical viewfinder. This is really helpful in bright sunlight, when you will have great difficulty using the LCD to frame a photo.

The image quality is great, the HD video is great, only complaint is that the mic is very susceptable to wind noise.

The ability to apply filters and cropping/resizing in the camera is very nice.

This camera is so small it is smaller than a credit card (only thicker). The flash works great, the focus light works great – I can take photos in complete darkness! The shutter lag is very very short.

If you are looking for an absolutely GREAT camera that will disappear in your pocket (you will forget it is there), this is the one!

The only limitations (in comparison to my “big” camera) is… no lens options (only built-in 3x zoom, with a very good digital zoom and image stabilizer function), and a slightly higher noise level in the image data (required because it uses a very tiny sensor). The noise is not visible for even very large prints (12 megapixels is a LOT of pixels). And, of course the adjustment options are limited (I like shutter priority, but can’t do that on this camera). However, the exposure system is EXCELLENT!

I usually shoot in Program mode, with -2/3 stop exposure. This is due to the fact that auto mode causes the image to often be slightly over-exposed (as viewed on the LCD). The image is usually NOT overexposed, just looks that way. Since I like to share the photos on the camera a lot, I use this to get great color on the LCD, not just on the computer. The additional image noise from this adjustment is very tiny.

Great camera! HD video in the palm of your hand! Waiting for Canon to release the 60D so I can do HD on my big camera, too!

Very Good I really like it
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was looking for a small portable camera with good picture quality.

The 780 met my needs. I would recommend the camera.

Awesome camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am far from a professional photographer but I have used many cameras over the years and I absolutely love this one. Great features, great quality, and a decent price for all of it.

Canon 780 IS
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Do not use a hdmi large to small adaptor on a hdmi cable.The one I purchased did not let the camera connect to the HDMI input on the tv. Had to purchase all-in-one large to small adaptor cable. Some reviews said that the telephoto did not work in video mode. On this camera it does work in auto mode. Camera was a great purchase.

SD780IS 12.1 MP
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Decided to upgrade from my Canon SD630. Chose the SD780IS based on the HD Video capture along with the 12MP camera. The video quality in HD has been a great upgrade from my previous Canon. Sound quality capture is bit low but overall the video is great. I compared this to other Flipp HD recorders and found the Canon to have the same FPS. For me, I wanted a single device for photo and video capture. I am not a fan of carrying 2 devices. The SD780IS is very small but easy to handle. It fits well in my pockets which makes it even easier to use when walking around or traveling. I would recommend this camera to folks that like a small point and shoot that captures HD video.

Great little camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I love my SD780. I won’t bore you with a lot of stuff, just hit the highlights.

* Great pictures in a variety of situations. 12 megapixels makes for some super sharp photos.

* 720p HD video looks great. To think you have a HD camera that’s not much bigger than most cell phones is incredible.

* Simple layout of buttons and features, though I wish some buttons were raised in order to give tactile clue of layout in dark or situations where it’s faster to not look at the camera.

* Long battery life. I’ve taken pictures at Disneyland, car shows, and just in general, where I’m literally taking pictures all day long and have not had the battery warning come up once. I’ve been able to take something like 350 pictures in a day before the battery finally gives out.

* The compact size makes it easy to take anywhere. I carry my cameras with me all day long, and having a small camera sure makes things easier.

* It has a viewfinder! Compact cameras like this don’t often come with a viewfinder. I have a Leica D Lux-3 and even THAT doesn’t come with a viewfinder. It makes things easier when you can’t use the screen.

* Speaking of the screen, good size for such a little camera. Quite sharp.

* Software that comes with it is redundant to what is most likely already on your computer. On my Mac I just use Image Capture to download pictures. It’s easier and quicker, and doesn’t require dealing with proprietary software.

* Best ELPH I’ve owned yet. Smaller by half to my old S500, with twice the megapixels.

* Great little camera.

video noise
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I was very pleased with the image capture. The pictures were very clear and it almost always took a great picture even if the lighting was poor or I was moving around a lot.

I was dissapointed in the video portion. The video itself looked great, but the audio that was recorded with the video has a lot of noise that is recorded from inside the camera somewhere. I recorded in complete silence, and the audio still had a humming that was quite loud.

What is the Best Camera to Use?
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have no idea of how long this little ELPH will endure heavy use. And there is always the chance that it will get dropped, bumped real hard, or ruined by getting wet.

I already own the Canon PowerShot A580. With 8MP’s and all its features, I think it is a little miracle of technology. And yes, I still prefer using it over the PowerShot SD780 IS ELPH that I am reviewing here. The A580 fits my hand better, has a 4X Zoom Lens with a f2.6 – 5.5 aperture, and the viewfinder is easier to use. The lens is superior to the ELPH in that the ELPH has only a 3X Zoom f3.2 – 5.8 aperture lens.

But as far as image sharpness, color quality, and portability, you simply cannot find a better choice of point and shoot camera than this ELPH. Someday maybe, but not yet. I won’t even go to the toilet without it. It is nothing to carry. And the photographs are truly superior for a point and shoot camera.

The problems with the ELPH as a point and shoot camera is that it is too small to handle with real proficiency. In fact, without the lanyard (wrist strap) attached, it is sure to be dropped most every photo session. And, while my A580 came with the lanyard attached,the ELPH lanyard was loose in the box. I guess the assembly people just couldn’t attach it. I had a devil of a time feeding a little flexible wire through the recessed metal loop that was part of the camera frame. I just have to hope that that is strong enough to keep the lanyard attached.

Some reviewers have called the ELPH viewfinder useless. I can use it, and I do use it for quick shots. This brings up anther subject. The time from when I press the shutter release until the shutter actually opens is a hindrance to action shots. But I am amused to look at the television through the cameras video screen. The rectangle in the viewer (when the camera is set to recognize faces) keeps shifting each time the television cameras switch from person to person or group.

I have not had time to do much with the HD movie function. I may have use for it to document some family events, but if I want to shoot a session for uploading to the net, ordinary digital will be less of a hassle and will do just fine. I have never tried to sell even a short movie, but I have sold a lot of still shots made with point and shot cameras.

Of curse no point and shoot camera will ever replace my Canon Digital Rebel XT. But the XT, with or without all its accessories, is too cumberson to carry around everywhere I go. I now use it only when I am going out expressly for a formal photo shoot. Someday I may upgrade it to another Canon Rebel.

The PowerShot SD780 IS, Digital ELPH, is a good camera to have in your pocket when that unexpected photo opportunity presents itself. I’m sure mine will pay for itself several times over.

just what i expected
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Size: this sucker is small. easy to carry around in your pocket.

Picture quality: I cant complain. Some people write about noisy photos, over saturation, washed out this and that, i just dont see it and honestly i think it makes people feel smart when they write reviews like that. to my eye, the pics look great. i am not a professional photographer so maybe thats the problem. if you are like me and are a regular consumer, i am sure you will be pleased.

HD movies: I was specifically in the market for point and shoot that did video well. let me say, the video in a brightly lit area is fantastic. hooked the camera up to my HD TV via mini hdmi and was amazed that this tiny little guy took such sharp video. in low light, the video can be a little noisy, but that is going to happen with any digital camera. that will even happen with a dedicated video camera, so no complaints from me.

Battery life: battery is great, once again, no complaints.

I think there is a reason that all the top selling camera’s on amazon appear to be Canon’s. This camera met all my expectations.

Canon PowerShot combined with near garbage amazon shipping
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
First things first, amazon.com sucked big time in shipping this order. Within an hour after I ordered, the status was changed to “items shipping soon”. That status remained for 8 days and they never shipped camera. Finally after contacting their customer support, it was shipped. Thus, it took more than 2 weeks before I had this one in my hand. From my personal experience with amazon.com for last couple of orders, “free super saver shipping” the status will change to “items shipping soon” within no time after you order so that you can’t cancel the order. Than you keep waiting and waiting and you will be really lucky to get your order within 2 weeks. Amazon shipping UUHHHH!!!!!!

About the Camera. Its absolutely great camera. It’s a great point-n-shoot camera but has many features of DSLR i.e you can go creative to great extent. HD video from this camera is also really nice. The color, contrast, sharpness, saturation is really good. I highly recommend it anyone looking for simple intelligent point and shoot camera.

Perfect
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was looking to get a compact digital camera that takes great photos and I couldn’t ask for a better quality camera than this. It’s sleek and looks very good. The pictures come out very nicely. There is no problem with taking pictures at night. I love the features it has.. very easy to use. My one complaint is that the gold looks more like copper.. but it is still very nice. If you’re a female I’d definitely get the gold. I LOVE this camera.

Perfect size and weight. Awesome photos.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera to take photos on a trip to Argentina a Uruguay. I wanted something I could take everywhere, easily and fit in my pocket. The SD780IS was perfect for that. It’s almost as thin as my iPhone and I couldn’t be happier with the quality of pics it took. Easy to learn to you, very small and convenient, beautifully designed. It turned out to be exactly what I was looking for.

Super little camera.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars

I was a bit leery of buying this camera because some reviews raised issues with picture quality, edge softening, lens flare, pinkish cast to tungsten settings and graininess.

I am happy to report that picture quality on my new camera is equal to that of my last 2 SDs, an SD1000 and an SD800.

There is absolutely no lens flare at 100X magnification.

AT iso 400, pictures taken indoors with tungsten setting with or without flash have no pinkish cast and are acceptable for prints up to 5X7 or so.

Picture edges are acceptably sharp.

Here are 2 really, really nice features; 1. The review button is separate, turns the camera on for review of pictures, and the pics can be cycled through rapidly.

2. The slider allows auto and a custom setting. I use Auto outdoors, and set the “C” setting for indoors using tungsten, iso 400 and flash off. Then when coming indoors just move the slider to the C position. It’s instantly set for most indoor shots with tungsten and good ambient light. If the light is low, just turn the flash to auto.

The camera itself is tiny and pocketable.

Cons: the optical viewfinder is really tiny. It’s hard to carefully frame a picture using it in low light. Buttons are also quite small, but arranged in the usual Cannon configuration. I found myself using a fingernail to quickly change settings.

So far pictures have been really stellar; makes me think some reviewers got sub-par cameras to test.

Great Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
We have only taken about 400 shots so far but we are impressed with the picture quality; especially in low light conditions. We rarely use the flash anymore and are able to take shots in marginal light. Next shot delay is minimal and the camera is a delight to use.

Remarkable Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
just loved it. size is really something you have to appreciate. Its just a credit card sized camera. Picture quality is too good. Low light performance is also very good. Using canon cameras for last 5 years. This one also did not turn me down like others. I recommend this camera for everyone who hates to carry a large camera but on the other hand do not want to compromise with picture quality. Go get it…

This is an amazing camera in a small package
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I had a Canon before this one that I loved, and was not happy when it died after a drop. Then I got this one…and love it more.

Positives:

- Versatile–great photos in a variety of conditions

- Good video

- Compact

- Fast–takes pictures relatively quickly and stores them very fast

- Overall excellent picture quality

- Many others I probably do not realize, since I was spoiled by my last Canon, which was a generation or two earlier version of this one.

Negatives

- Would have liked more optical zoom, but realized it was a sacrifice for size.

- Colored cases show every scratch and ding–I wish had got a sliver one instead of a black one

Have you every had a pair of shoes that you loved because they were comfortable and looked great and found that you wore them everywhere until you wore them out or could not resole them again? Well, this is the camera version of those shoes.

What were you expecting?
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I believe people who gave this camera a poor rating either don’t own it or may have been expecting way to much from it. Its no match for my DSLR’s but it isn’t meant to be. I’ll just graze over the pros and cons since so many have gone into detail already.

Pros

-Solid image performance

-Good HD video (as good as any of the mini camcorders out there and better stills to boot)

-Good feature set

-Some manual controls

-Decent speed

-Super compact

-Very stylish (if that’s your thing)

Cons

-Too many mega pixels (canon should have stopped at 8 to 10mp for point and shoots. I believe that was the sweet spot)

-ISO’s over 400 not really useable (by my standards anyway)

-Buttons are smallish

-Not much by way of zoom (and you cant zoom while shooting vids)

This camera is the perfect compromise when I don’t want to lug my 50D (or my xti for that matter). Its shirt pocket portable so there is no excuse not to have it with you. We all know the “best” camera is the one you have with you when you need it.

Canon SD780is Review
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This Camera has far exceeded my expectations. When I purchased this camera I did not think much of its so called HD video filming. That is of course until I saw the results. I hooked it up to my 32″ tv with an HDMI and the picture was so beautiful and crisp with exceeding details.

I carry this camera with me all the time now, hoping to film anything that I can. It’s a joy to watch whatever I can record.

The microphone on this tiny thing is super impressive, picks up sound with great detail. You can even zoom while you are filming, a feature absent from other digital camera models.

The video quality is much better than an actual Video camera which my girlfriend bought for $350.

It’s also amazing how small this thing is. I keep it in my pocket and it feels like a cellphone.

The battery life is also a wonder, I took a bunch of pictures and filmed about 25-30 minutes worth of video throughout one day and the battery was still at 3 bars. Amazing!!

The only thing this thing doesn’t have is manual focus which is pretty much native to SLR’s anyway.

This is some great BANG for the BUCK. I would definitely buy this one again.

I would give this thing a 9/10 just because I know there is always room for improvement, wouldn’t wan Canon to stop trying to improve their cameras.

Canon does it all
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’ve owned Canon cameras for over 40 years now starting with a Canon Pellix in the 60s, followed by an F-1 for many years. In between, I’ve owned (and still own) a number of other cameras including several Nikons and Leicas. Today, I have a G-5, my first digital camera, a Leica M-6 (forever camera), a Canon 30D and now the SD780IS. This little camera does it all. The G-5 is history. I use the Elph for candid stuff in bars and some occasional outdoor shots, too. I have to keep telling myself that the 30D is a better camera for quality photos since the SD780IS does such a great job with photos and does video as well. Some of the program features are great especially for indoors in low light, e.g. 3200asa. Perhaps the only issue is that it is so small (an attribute,too) that I’m afraid I’ll lose it! I haven’t master the video yet, but that will come in time. I simply can’t imagine a better P&S camera that this.

Great camera, not a great video recorder
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Love the camera. Very small. Very good Quality pictures. The video sucks because of the fact that it pics up very little audio, ever from a person only a two to three feet away. Even me holding the camera and talking from at the most a foot between the camera and my face, it was hard to hear and understand what i was saying (and this is indoors in a room with no other sound other than the person i am recoding and myself speaking). Great camera for photos though. If you just need pictures i would highly recommend it. If you need a somewhat decent video recorder, do not get this with that aspect in mind. Also, i bought it refurbished from a person on amazon, and i couldn’t even tell it was a referb in any way at all. Looked brand new.

very impressed
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera in the gold and couldn’t be happier. i took it to my garden along with my SLR camera and took 2 of several shots using both cameras. I printed them off and asked my family which ones were best. The little Cannon came in first every time. The pictures were professional quality. I bought the Canon PSC-55 Deluxe Leather Compact Case too and the camera fits in it perfectly.

edited:

I guess i should make myself clear. I have a brand new Nikon D40 also. I compared both cameras on auto setting. It’s not like I wanted to compare apples to oranges. I wanted to use the same setting on both cameras and see which came out better. I also have a brand new Cannon printer. I gave an honest assessment of the outcome. i’m not saying an SLR camera is not a good camera. I’m saying at the auto settings this camera came out clearer.

I assumed feedback was to give our opinion on how a product works for us so it might help others. That was what I attempted to do. Not to offend users of SLR cameras.

Nice little camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I wanted something nice and small to carry around with me. This camera is perfect for me. It fits very nicely in my shirt pocket and it takes a nice pic and video to boot. This camera is best for well lit scenes. Most digital cameras have the same issues with low light so I’m fine with that. For dark scenes, get a mini tripod and learn to use the long shutter. You can do great things with this camera if you learn how to use it. Read the manual…you’ll be glad you did. If you want award winning photos, get a digital slr if you just wanna take nice pictures of family, friends, and your dog, this camera is great.

Terrible picture quality
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Pros: credit card size makes it practically invisible in a pocket, decent video quality

Cons: very poor picture quality, except for portrait mode

I read all positive reviews and purchased this camera, but was very disappointed. As many reviewers noted the ultimate picture quality is worse than 4 megapixel Canon cameras of yore. Not a single picture I took was sharp, both in auto and manual modes. Digital noise is horrible at any ISO setting but 80. Considering the fact that this camera has an aperture of 3.2, the ISO 80 can only be used at bright daylight or with flash at close-up. I suspect that the absence of sharpness is due to very aggressive noise reduction algorithms combined with small sized ridiculously high 12 megapixel sensor in this camera. These algorithms make any backlight shot intolerably bad, mangling facial features beyond recognition. If Canon used a 6-8 megapixel sensor, the quality would have been way, way better.

Compared to Canon S90 this camera is a joke. S90 is small, takes great pictures, and video though not HD is still excellent. I wish its price were on par with 780IS, but I guess you get what you pay for…

Pocket Rocket
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve had 4 digital cameras and, without a doubt, this one’s the smartest and most compact camera I’ve ever owned. You can drop into a pocket and forget it’s there. The images are crisp and the ease of use is excellent.

The Stills are fantastic, but video leaves a little to be desired.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Like i said in the title, the pictures this camera takes are awesome, the best point & shoot i’ve ever owned. the white balance and color temp is spot on, and it’s very easy to use, i couldn’t be happier with that aspect of the camera. The let-down is in the “HD video”, I think that perhaps my expectations were set too high for this part of the camera The video is far better than the video that we’re all accustom with from older point & shoot cameras, but i think that i was expecting something more. The video is grainy and motion looks like it’s interlaced rather than progressive. all and all this is a great camera for the $$$, and at about $250, you can’t beat it.

Love it!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Love the slim form factor, the fact that it records HD video and takes high quality photos. One of my best purchases of the year.

This might just be the perfect little camera!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is great! I bought this for not only taking photos but for the 720P video with IS. If your looking to make short films, this thing works perfect. One of the best features of this camera is that its smaller then a pack of smokes. The battery lasts for a long time. I like it better then my Cybershot from Sony. I’d highly recommend this.

With such great power comes great resp- ..video?
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
As many have already left HUGE reviews on this camera I will try to be quick about it, but I did have to review this camera. This camera is great. When I say that I mean it. I work for a camera store and everyday I’m reviewing cameras to people’s faces and when this one came out I took one look at it and the features and told my boss “Oh yeah, we’ll be out by tomorrow” and we were. It sells FAST. Why? Because it’s a GREAT camera.

The form factor can’t truly be captured in a picture, you have to feel this thing in your hand to know what everyone’s talking about. 9 out of 10 people I show the camera to decide to buy once they’ve held it. It’s small, it’s REALLY small. It’s just a sexy form. The 2.5 isn’t screen isn’t because they wanted to be cheap, it’s because they couldn’t put a bigger screen on there without making the camera a good deal bigger. Same for the 3x zoom.

The Digic IV processor and iSAPS technology means this camera is fast and accurate. It’s constantly focusing and letting you know what it thinks you want to take a picture of. It’s facial recognition is so fast and accurate, it can track someone running quickly across the screen with a box around their face the whole time. And it picks up faces on magazines, ads, anything that has a human face on it. The iSAPS is constantly changing the mode to better suit what you’re shooting and it’ll show you the mode you’re in while it’s doing it(upper left hand corner of the screen).

The 720p high-def video is the one that seals the deal. You know it’s fast. You know it’s accurate. You know it’s easy. But the video, always catches you of guard. “Wait you mean to tell me this camera smaller then my blackberry curve can take high-def video as well as pictures??” Oh it can do more then that. Canon always has a few things thrown into video mode for the fun of it, like color Accent, as in taking away all but one color. Allowing your friend in the red shirt to be the REAL center of attention. And seeing that on the big screen only makes the camera more interesting.

And I even sold myself on buying the camera, with it’s sleekness, speed, accuracy, and high-def I just couldn’t resist. I’m not telling you to get the camera, but if you do, you won’t be disappointed.

Great small Canon SD 780
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is the smallest camera from canon that takes excellent pictures. The view finder is too small to use but can be used in a pinch. The flash is not that good because only works in short distances and the colors are off with the flash. I have set the camera to never use flash since most situations do not need a flash. I have a bigger Canon for flash pictures and bigger optical zoom. The small size of this camera means I am most likely to carry it when I go out.

Disappointed
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Records decent HD in Quicktime .MOV format – not easy for Windows PC users. Cannot stream to PS3 or XBox360. Picture quality on Auto is terrible for a 12MP camera – probably cause the lens is small. My 8yr old 4MP canon has much better quality pics.

p.s Amazon doesn’t mention the format HD movies are taken in – this is not good. Cannot buy cameras from Amazon.

The only good thing about this camera are the size and the color
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I am utterly disappointed with this camera. I needed to replace an old Sony Cybershot DSC-W7 with another point and shoot camera. I did a lot of research before deciding to buy this particular camera. The reviews for this are really good compared to other point and shoot cameras, which helped lead to my decision. I also liked the small size and portability. I thought that it would perform well and that I’d be pleased with it, but it was just the opposite.

Christmas day was the first time I used it. Since it was a gift from my husband, and I hadn’t had time to read the manual yet, I set it on auto mode and went from there. I didn’t end up with one decent picture or video out of it. Everything was washed out and the colors were wrong. I thought maybe it was me. I’m not a camera novice. I’ve had a Nikon D80 for over 2 years and take great pictures with it in all settings. This little point and shoot should be so much easier to use.

So a few days later I sat down and read through the entire manual, changed settings, tried different types (portraits, objects, etc.) of pictures in different settings (outside, inside). Every picture was horrible. They were grainy, blurry and the colors were off. The videos were very grainy and shaky. I can’t believe how bad the opitcal zoom is on this. Every picture using the zoom is unbelievably grainy. My old Sony takes better pictures, and has a better picture quality when using zoom. This camera is supposed to have great image stablization, and I made sure that it was turned on, but it didn’t work.

There is also the shutter lag issue. There were also problems with using the timer with the face detection setting. It took forever to detect a face and then actually start the countdown.

Frankly I’m shocked by all the good reviews. I did notice a few people who had the same issues that I did. Did we get faulty cameras?

I’ve already sent it back and I’m replacing it with a Nikon Coolpix s630 and hoping for better results.

UPDATE 1-23-2010: The Nikon Coolpix s630 is a very bad camera as well, slightly better than this Canon. I ended up testing it against a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 as well as a Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W290. The Sony definitely has the best picture quality of any of the cameras that I tried. The Panasonic was a close second with an awesome 12x wide angle optical zoom, but for me picture quality is the most important thing and the Sony definitely won out.

Great camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
A great little camera, perfect for James Bond types, it’s that small. Very easy to use, and even looks good to. We got the gold one. Takes very good pictures. Cannot find 1 problem, yet.

Noise and zoom problems!
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
This camera has very nice bells & whistles, especially the HD video mode. However, its overall video picture quality is very disappointing. I’ll tell you why…. The zoomed picture in the video mode is so surprisingly blurry. The HD video pictures are great as long as you do NOT zoom greater that 1.5X. (Yes, you can zoom while videoing with this camera!) But, why do you want to buy a camera that can’t zoom (in video mode) right? Also, the video sound will also include the camera motor and zooming noises. I mean your recorded video WILL HAVE these noises. You can hear these annoying noises clearly especially when you are in a quiet indoor place. Other users have reported these noise problems, too. These noise and zoom problems may appear to you to be a defect that can be easily repaired. But, I believe they are not repairable. If you live near a Canon warranty repair center, then go ahead, buy this camera.

Amazing Things Sometimes Come In Tiny Packages
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
After researching ultra-compact cameras for 2 weeks, I had narrowed down my choices to this camera, the Canon SD880 IS and a couple of models from other manufacturers (though I knew in the end I’d choose a Canon). As with most electronic purchases I make, it was an agonizing process. Every camera had a feature that I wanted, yet none of them had everything that I wanted. I would have liked a bit more zoom, and other cameras have wider lenses. In the end, the three features that won me over were the amazingly small size, the ability to capture HD video at a resolution of 720p, and the HDMI out.

As for the performance, I couldn’t be happier. Many of the reviews I read before purchasing mentioned a high amount of noise, but in my experience it only occurs at higher ISO’s, is not very noticeable, and seems to be in line with other compact cameras that I’ve used, no more, no less. I would NOT let this be a determining factor if I were considering this camera.

This is my first camera with image stabilization and it’s works very well. On a recent trip I took over 500 pictures (and filled up less than 1/4th of my 8-gig card at the highest resolution), and not one of them ended up blurry. The AUTO feature has also proven to be much better than I had anticipated: it changes between 18 settings automatically, such as macro, bright sunshine, etc., and so far, it’s been right on the money. Another complaint that I’ve read is that viewfinder is useless. While it is quite tiny, I have actually used it, and I find it to be quite serviceable. At some point, a camera gets so small that it’s difficult to squeeze everything onto its surface area. Kudos to Canon for even including the optical viewfinder at all.

My complaints are few, and none would be a dealbreaker for me. The small size and smooth, symmetrical shape sometimes make it hard to tell which side I am holding onto when I take it out of my pocket. When attempting to push the power button, I will often realize I am pushing on the bottom of the camera. I have to actually look at it to tell what I am doing. Also, as stated previously, the HD video takes a pretty beefy CPU to play back smoothly. My PC is 4 years old and has a hard time keeping up. The easy solution to this is to play back directly to the monitor/TV with an HDMI cable. It seemed improbable to me that a video made with a camera this small would look good on a 55″ HD television. I was stunned at how sharp it looked.

The bottom line is that anybody looking for an ultra-compact camera is going to be extremely satisfied with this one. 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. I went to an arts festival last weekend and was AMAZED at how many people are lugging around DSLR’s these days. It seemed like every other person had one. When looking at performance vs. convenience and portability, I’ll take the SD780 any day.

Replaced the Canon SD400 that I lost
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
It seemed tragic to lose my trusted SD400 that took such great pictures, but the SD780 is so much better! It really does it all, from crystal clear stills to surprisingly good HD video.

very Slow camera!
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Before this camera I had owned only sony cameras,thus I am comparing to them.

The first thing that bothered me about this camera is how slow the operations is. Let me explain:

Let’s imagine I have it in my pocket and I walk down the street and I see something interesting I want to take a picture of? With Sony T20 I reach into my pocket and by the time I get it to my eye level I have already slid the cover turning the camera on and it’s fully operational, I am ready to take a picture.If I need to use the zoom,it’s fast and responsive.

With canon: I reach into my pocket, I have to look at the camera to find the power button which is not raised and is also the same color as the rest of the background. 2-3 sec later I locate the button and now I need to press with my nail on it to turn it on. Very hard to do because it’s also very small! Now I have to wait another 2-3 seconds for the thing to boot up. Then I have to wait for it to focus another 1-2 sec, the it tries to detect the scene ( I always leave my cameras in auto mode in case I need to take a picture fast and I have no time to play with settings). Scene detection doesn’t work on this camera very well,so it will take another 2-3 sec until it just decides to switch back to auto mode.

If you need to use zoom, after each zoom adjustment it needs to start the whole focusing and scene detection again. So on average it might take you around 15 sec to take a shot!

Yesterday, I was walking in the park and this amazingly hot girl ran by me in booty shorts. Naturally I wanted to snap a picture of that. By the time I got the cam to be operational she was getting further away from. I decided to use zoom ( which is only 3x) but the camera could not focus on her body as she was running away from me. And that’s when I decided to return this camera!

The intelligent scene detection is a joke! I took about 200 pictures in different environments and it almost never detected the right scene. I only see it detecting macro consistently but it also detects macro when you try to take a picture thru the window glass. Of course you get a picture of the glass and not of what’s outside. I took pictures inside my room using different lighting,outside also with different lighting conditions, the intelligent scene detection does more harm than good. I’ll never forget how my camera decided to use flash on a bright sunny day when I was taking a pictures of the mountains miles away! wow!

One of selling points of this cam was HD video. It looks good if there’s enough lighting,but under any other conditions it’s grainy with way more noise that any sony camera has. If you don’t have a mac computer you will most likely not be able to play videos anyway. My pc computer which has no problem playing latest 3d games like “Crisis” and also having an ATI HD video card could not handle the video from this camera. I don’t understand why would Canon decided to use Apples MOV format? Basically if you have a PC, you are not going to able to edit or even play videos.

The zoom on this camera is really slow too. The lag is about a second between you pressing on the lever and anything happening,then of course the cam needs another 2 seconds to focus. Whe it does start to move it moves way too fast,so you have to go back and forth before finding the right setting. Forget about taking pictures fast when you need it.

Also the optical zoom is disabled when shooting movies, and if you use digital…hm..let’s just say the tiny 12 mega pixel sensor is not going to perform well. Just use your cell phone camera and you probably going to get a better picture!

After about two weeks, the lsd screen started losing pixels, so about 25 of them are gone already.

To sum it up:

extremely slow,

hard to operate

forget about movies unless you got a mac comp.

zoom is slow

the intelligent scene detection doesn’t work at all!

noise in pictures and movies

lcd failed before 30 days.

ask me questions, I’ll keep it until next Monday when my new Sony t90 comes in.

Very nice camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera and immediately took it on a two week trip in Europe where I got to use it both indoor and outdoor.

The main reason I bought it was to have the ability to take decent pictures with a camera that fits in side pocket of my jeans.

I was not disappointed at all. The pictures came out well, the camera feels solidly built, with intuitive menus and easy access to features.

The videos are decent even when shot in lower res mode.

My only complaint really is that the little switch that controls whether the camera is in auto/pro/video mode changes position pretty easily if you put the camera in a pocket, so one needs to be careful to check that the camera is in the right mode.

Overall: very good.

Canon SD780
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Excellent camera. Small and slim – fits in shirt pocket. Great HD video. Something that you will always want to carry with you wherever you go.

New Sleek
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
It’s very sleek. I like black color.

I have cannon 9MP, I feel which is better in taking picture than this model.

In automode when try to take picture, most of the time it’s blurry (Zaazy). Not getting clear picture.

To get the better picture in automode, You need to wait for moment before shake the camera.

Now I stop using in automode. It’s better than automode.

I don’t recamend this, better go for lower or higher version.

Great camera for under $200
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera for Christmas and so far it is one of the best cameras I have used. The picture quality is great and the video for such a small camera is amazing. I recomend the vivid setting for outdoor photgraphs. I highly recommend this for anyone who wants a camera under $200.

They don’t come much smaller
Rating:5 out of 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 4×6 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.

dont buy if you take your pics seriously
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
because it does not emit raw format, needed for computer processing. Computer processing is a BIG deal, it’ll make your pics look AMAZING, and you don’t want to shoot in a format that will forever lock your images out of this amazing capability.

5 years from now, you fire up the PC, get photomatix for HDR procesing (easy to do), and what? All you have is jpeg! awwww. All that opportunity, that “perfect, beautiful shot is down the drain!

SO wait for the mfrs to offer raw, or find one that does.

If you dont take your pics seriously, buy this. I have seen the most beautiful photos, amenable to the incredible power of processing, be in a crappy jpeg format. You have a power-house available in these cams 12 mpixel sensor. Getting jpeg is like towing a porsche with a child’s bicycle, or taking a french cuisine meal, throwing it in the blender, adding some soda pop, and serving it.

Amazon customer service = A+
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I write this not really to review the canon camera, but rather to talk about my amazon experience. I purchased the canon 780is for my wife for Christmas. She loved it. I thought it looked great, and took remarkable pictures especially in comparison with my 7 year old 4 mega pixel canon A520. After Christmas we took a trip to Coronado, CA and we were taking pictures while on a bike ride around the island. At one point the camera was dropped, while on and with the lens out. The camera landed right on the lens and jammed it in a way that it would not go back into the camera body, making the camera inoperable.

I emailed amazon when we got home and told them exactly how the camera was dropped and is now inoperable. To my surprise and excitement, amazon emailed back in about 45 minutes to say that they had placed an order for the exact same camera to replace my broken model. Just like that. Pretty amazing customer service policy if you asked me. My new camera has arrived and my old damaged camera is being sent back to amazon.

Customer service like this is what builds great companies. I will be visiting amazon for all of my online product shopping from this point on. Thanks amazon. I’m spreading the word.

Solid camera with very good video capability as a bonus.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ll give my observations of the HD video capabilities of this camera; I wouldn’t consider this a full review. I just wanted to test the limits of the camera in terms of battery life and recording time.

Procedure: I tested two times with a full charge and an empty 16GB card. I just put the camera on record and sat it on my desk.

Canon estimated that my 16GB card was good for around 85 minutes of video. It was pretty darn close. Note that this is an estimate and will vary due to the variable bit rate. I found that a 16GB memory card is the perfect match for the battery life.

Each video clip has a file size limit of 4GB due to the FAT32 limitations of current SD cards. There is also a 30 minute cap in recording time for each HD clip, although you will probably deal with the 4GB cap more often. There is an on-screen warning that the movie is getting close to either one.

The battery outlasted my memory card, but not by much. I recorded around 88 minutes of video and used up the entire card (15GB). The battery still had some life left so I popped in my spare 4GB card and the battery finally died around 2 minutes later. The average running time of the videos that reached the 4GB file size limit was around 22-24 minutes. A spare battery is recommended if you have a larger memory card and want to use this solely for video.

I hope you found this information helpful.

Tidbits:

- You can’t use optical zoom while recording, only digital zoom. This is basically the only thing you can adjust once you begin filming.

- Focus is set when you start recording and does not change until you stop and start again. You can preview focus with a half-press prior to recording.

- You can use one of the three focus modes (macro, normal, infinity) for filming.

- Image Stability does work on video recording.

- The audio for recording is Mono. I don’t see this as an issue. The sound quality is good, even if it is only one channel.

Unbelievable
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I just tested this out today, Christmas day by taking a few pictures of my guinea pigs. I hooked it up easily to my hd tv and was able to zoom in and still easily see crisp hairs on these guinea pigs. It is absolutely amazing. The video is much better then I expected. I am in love with the pictures this takes and that is why I bought it but the amazing videos are just another plus. Do not listen to these bad reviews this is the camera for you.

The best camera is the one you have with you
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Having been involved with photography since I was 10 years old back in the 1950’s, I have used every type of compact camera – Nikons, Olympus OM SLR’s, Leica CL, Minox, the famous 70’s Japanese point-shoot such as Konica, always seeking the maximum photographic flexibility in the minimum package.

Playing with the incredibly small Canon SD780 for a few days, it’s a good time to take a step back and recognize the amazing technology which has come to us through the digital revolution. There is simply no comparison to the photographic capability which one can now carry hardly noticed in a shirt pocket, including taking short high res VIDEOS! Amazing.

And the SD780 is not just small, it’s very well made and takes very good photos (although not the very best I’ve ever seen from a pocket camera). It is possible to quibble with a few design decisions – I would have voted for fewer pixels, 8 MP instead of 12MP – and get lower noise in return. The exposure sometimes leaves blownout highlights. But overall, it’s superb, with quite good results at ISO 800 and useable at 1600. The video function works extremely well and I use it all the time since I find a short movie (a few seconds) is a better remembrance of an event than a still photo. Canon is the leader in pocket cameras for a reason – they listen to customer feedback and keep improving each new model. Also their menus and interfaces are simpler and cleaner than some of the other makers.

Finally, the price is really very low for the sophistication that goes into one of these babies – the equivalent of about fifty bucks in 1970’s dollars when the first compact cameras hit the market at much higher prices.

The best camera is obviously the one you have with you when the opportunity arises for a priceless pic. So get one of these – no excuse to ever be without it.

Go buy yourself a Panasonic LUMIX instead….. or try SD940 IS?
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
On the heels of another reviewer, I just spent an hour going through years of archived photos having used the following cameras.

And to keep it short and sweet, I was shocked that the $137 Panasonic Lumix outperformed every camera EXCEPT for the HD Video of the new Canon SD780IS. However, the Panasonic family allows WVGA which takes up a LOT less disc space and perfect for Mac/PC viewing.

Canon SD200 = My first Elph camera worked perfectly in all conditions for over 3 years; ahead of its time. Under 1MB photos stored, but red eye reduction never worked.

Canon SD500 = Bought as upgrade with slightly noticeable difference for still & video, always kept photos in about 1MB size, worked like a charm before 2008 but red eye reduction never worked either.

Canon SD1100IS = the BEST Canon I have owned, but stolen last year. indoor, outdoor and video on AUTO were great! no complaints. Looking back, this camera outperformed the photo quality (all conditions) of the 12MP new SD780IS. I hear the 880IS is the ultimate compact model, though discontinued and NO HD. A Canon rep said its been their best model to date for consistent quality and wide angle lens. They sell refurbs at Canon w/ warranty.

Panasonic DMC-FS7 = THE BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK PERIOD. the still photos and WVGA videos are amazing and AUTO setting for Panasonic is much more effective than Canon’s technology. I was told the Leica lenses are far superior to Canon lens technology as well. This was also stolen overseas, so I bought the pricer FX48 below.

Panasonic DMC-FX48 = The still photos were NO different than the lesser priced FS7 and I tested all light conditions, speed etc. However, oddly, the HD video was terrible as compared to the Canon HD. It was very grainy and the motion sensor didn’t work well.

Canon SD780IS = WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! I am overseas now again after tossing the box and papers, and now stuck with this this lousy camera. The HD video is amazing, but the SmartAUTO focus never seems to work for indoor stills, the PROGRAM mode is a royal pain in the *ss, the flash always seems to be too bright for indoors even after changing settings, and good luck trying to photo moving children – takes 1/2 day to focus and shoot. In summary, I changed settings and ISO and cannot get the same quality photos as the Canon SD1100IS (now 1200IS).

12-12 UPDATE: I discovered the “night time” setting and WOW….. very close evening quality to the AUTO setting of the pre-2009 SmartAUTO technology.

ADVICE = NEVER USE AUTO FOR NIGHTTIME SHOTS – YOU WILL SEE BLURRY, YELLOW RESULTS. Switch into Program mode and use preset setting.,.. tested Kids/Pets mode and also works well indoors at night.

I’M GOING TO GRAB A 940IS (WIDE ANGLE) AND TEST SOON. It also has front HD mic so your hand doesn’t block top mic like 980 design complaints… AND it doesn’t have the annoying pop-up flash for 2-hand takers like me.

Hope this simple review helps, folks!

Terrific Little Point and Shoot Camera with a Great Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought the Canon Powershot SD780 IS Digital Elph a couple of weeks ago and couldn’t be more delighted. First off, it is tiny and light weight, smaller than a deck of cards or a pack of cigarettes. The LCD screen on the back is crisp, clear, and bright so you can see it even in daylight. There is also a viewfinder should you prefer. The camera has numerous settings for portrait, view and etc, and an automatic face finder which focuses on faces. Because it is 12 megapixels, the clarity of the photos is amazing. The lens pops out quickly, and there is a simple button at the top of the camera which allows you to bring objects in tight or wide. I had actually been considering buying a big SLR (the Nikon D5000) which is nearly $800 and obviously does much more, but this little camera (which also shoots HD video) is so wonderful, I am beginning to doubt if I want the bigger one. I love being able to slip this into my pocket (it is smaller than my iPhone!) and take it everywhere. Great camera!Canon PowerShot SD780IS12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Black)Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Silver)Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Deep Red)

Canon SD780IS-superb
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Great little camera. High quality shots and very good video. Perfect size for a shirt pocket or purse. Took it to Norway last month and shot over 800 photos and 60 videos. Only used Nikon D80 when I needed wide-angle in close quarters, like inside buildings or narrow streets.

great little camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a great camera, I love the size and how easy it is to use. My only complaint is that the indoor pictures tend to be a little grainy. I have tried different settings and found some that are not as bad, especially for close ups.

Outdoor pictures turn out great. We also have a Nikon DSLR and some of the picture from the canon powershot are just as clear and beautiful as the DSLR.

Perfect camera for everyday use.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is perfect for everyday use, high quality pictures and video, easy to use, very small and nice metal body. Camera was a great deal for an amazing quality camera. Highly recommend to buy. Battery easy to recharge with a wall charger, extremely fast to focus e the best thing that some people may don’t like is the feature ISO like the 35mm cameras, the best part is that you have great pictures in dark rooms without the flash, basically you can see everything in the room and just not the people. The report of bad quality may be due to the software that you use to visualize, some will display with a very poor quality but if you use the right one, you will be impressed!

My daughter loves her new camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My daughter asked for a Coolpix camera for christmas. After looking at the reviews, I decided on this camera. I was a little nervous she would be disappointed because it wasn’t what she asked for. She is 15 years old and very much into photography. She was thrilled with it. The picture quality is amazing.

My daughter knows much more than I do about digital cameras, in fact, she knows a lot more than her friends and older sisters. She is constantly saying “Mom, look at this!” and “I

love this camera”. We are very pleased with this purchase.

Not as good as I thought it would be
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera because my Olympus SW broke before a trip to Disney. From the reviews I thought it would be great. If you want HD Video, this is a great camera because the video truly is spectacular. I was not as impressed with the pictures despite it’s stellar review. My daughter has a Olympus FE-360 $99 point and shoot and we compare many similar images. That $99 Olympus was always in focus and colors were sharp. I cannot say the same with this $250 Canon. I was really surprised. As I used the camera, the face recognition frequently focused on the wrong spot and focus and colors both seemed off. If you want to pay $50 more than one of the Flips, this may be a good camera, though because the video was superb. I like the idea of HD Video but, would not recommend the pictures from this camera at the price.

No complaints!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
We had to buy a new camera to replace our beloved Canon PowerShot A95 and I have absolutely no complaints about the PowerShot SD780IS. I’m not a professional, just take pictures for myself and I still haven’t figured out all the features but it’s easy enough for the basics. I would (and have) recommend it.

Optimized for the size, look and performance
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Canon Powershot SD780 is one of the smallest Canon camera ever created. Along with the ultra-portable size, it comes with four colors, gold, red, silver and black. The camera is very sleek and fashionable.

Here is Canon Powershot SD780 IS spec:

* 12 Megapixel / 1/2.3 sensor

* 80-3200 ISO range

* 2.5 LCD screen (230k)

* Optical image stabilization

* 33mm- 100mm (3X zoom length)

* f/3.2 (W) – f/5.8 (T) aperture

* Record HD video

* Dimension: 3.43 x 2.15 x 0.72 in./87.0 x 54.5 x 18.4mm

* Weight: 115g camera body only

IMAGE QUALITY

Canon SD 780 IS has 1/2.3 sensor size which is considered very small but not the smallest. From my test, SD780’s image quality really depend on the lighting situation or what ISO setting that you use. In low ISO setting, like 80-200, the image quality is very good. But from 400 and up, the image started to break down (lose detail and unsharp edges) due to aggressive noise reduction. However, the color / contrast are still very consistent through out.

Like all Canon cameras, image straight out of the camera are generally vivid and punchy. Canon usually boosts the red and it makes the image warmer than reality.

This camera is not something you want to use for serious photography work, but it is very good for web sharing, regular 4×6 print. For ISO comparison images, please visit my blog.

BODY AND HANDLING

Canon SD780 body is surprisingly very good. It is very small, the width and length has the same size as credit card, and the depth is only 0.7 thick. It is smaller than many cellphone in the market.

The body feels very solid and dense, buttons are small, but not flimsy. The layout is typical of compact camera. It has playback, function, menu, display, flash, macro, self-timer/trash, direct print/exposure compensation, shutter button, zoom lever, and on-off button.

Surprisingly, it also has a optical viewfinder. But the viewfinder is so small (maybe around 0.2 x) that it is quite challenging to use it, especially for people who wear glasses. The viewfinder is electronic viewfinder meaning that what you see in the viewfinder is what you will see in the camera. However, for people who like to compose picture from eye level, this will be a nice addition.

It has 3X zoom lens, from wide 33mm to 100mm. This focal length is good for general purpose. It is great outdoor, but not very for indoor because it is not very wide. Taking group picture indoor will be a bit of a challenge but do-able. The maximum aperture is quite small, so it will be a challenge in low light or when you want to make a blurred background.

LCD screen is pretty standard. 2.5 inch is generally big enough but the resolution only 230k. It is not a the best but good enough to view your image and compose pictures.

OPERATION & FEATURES

This camera is pretty much a straightforward some settings that you can change. It has Auto mode, Program mode and video recording mode. The P mode can be changes in function menu to several scene modes, such as portrait, night shot, kids&pets, indoor and sunset.

If you want to change setting, just press the function button. From there you can change various settings such as shooting mode, ISO setting, white balance, color retouch, metering mode, shutter release mode and image size.

Regarding image size, you can choose either standard 4:3 ratio or 16:9 wide screen ratio.

Other features the camera has are face detection, blink detection and image stabilization.

OPERATION PERFORMANCE

Start up time is considered fast for compact camera. It only requires around 1 sec to power on. Auto focus speed and is generally fast as well (.5 sec). General operation are also very fast and nothing to worry about. Thanks to the DIGIC IV processor.

CONCLUSION

Canon Powershot SD780 IS Digital Elph is a compact camera that is optimized for its size, look and performance. Image quality is generally good for outdoor in a sunny day, but not very good in indoor setting or in low light situation such as in an overcast day. Regarding camera operation, it is responsive, and easy to use. I recommend this camera for casual snap shooters who need high performance, ultra portable compact camera.

For images, please visit my blog. You can click on my profile to get the blog address. Thanks for reading.

Canon Powershot Camera SD780IS
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The camera is terrific for close-ups, but not for landscapes.

It’s easy to use and small enough to toss in a purse, but a bit flimsy in construction. It is a bit awkward to dump photos into my computer.

I have not tried to take videos yet.

Overall I would recommend it.

More Than Expected!! Superb Photos!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
PROS: Easy to use, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, Bright LCD, Excellent image quality, Lightweight/Portable, compact volume

CONS: Poor Low-Light Performance, some noise in low light, tiny viewfinder, mini-HDMI to HDMI cable not included, SD/SDHC storage card not included

Amazon has the best price at under 250 bucks. Most sites are charging full retail since this camera is so popular.

High Definition video is very good at 720p. This will not replace a full size camera or the 5D Mark II for video quality. But, it is a lot better than most including the original Flip video camera.

An HDMI cable IS NOT INCLUDED with the camera. You will need it to watch HD video directly from the camera on an HDTV. I bought a 3 ft miniHDMI-to-HDMI cable online from Monoprice for 8 bucks including USPS first class shipping. They have quality cables for the lowest price on the Monoprice site.

UPDATE: I am very happy with the mini-HDMI to HDMI cables. They were so inexpensive that I bought 2 of these at 3ft long: one for the iMac, the other is for my travel bag. I bought a 6ft mini-HDMI to HDMI cable for the HDTV in the first floor family room. I should have gotten a longer cable since you have to control the video start/stop/next buttons on the camera. You have to get up often to start the next movie clip. I also bought a small 1×3/4inch miniHDMI to HDMI adapter to carry everywhere I take the camera which is everywhere!

UPDATE: The small cover that protects the miniHDMI and USB ports feels a little flimsy. The hinge stretches. I have to force it slightly beyond my comfort to insert cables. I can see this covering breaking off with a lot of use.

An SD storage card IS NOT INCLUDED. They are available at low cost, under 15 bucks, on the net. Check the Dealnews site for the latest sales. I used a 4GB SD high capacity (SDHC) card which will hold about 30mins of video.

Some complain 2.5inch is too small for the LCD. There is no place to put a larger 3inch LCD on this camera without making it a touch screen like the iPhone or increasing the camera size. Plus, 2.5 inch is common on a lot of cameras. I have no problems with it.

TINY VIEW FINDER: It was hard peering through the small hole. I mainly use the LCD screen about 95% of the time. So, NOT A PROBLEM.

Got this camera to try out the 720p HD, face/blink detection and other features. They all worked great.

I was surprised by the small size since I only saw this camera online and never tried it out at a store. It is slightly smaller than my average size business card and about as thin as a new deck of playing cards. I’m female, but, I never bought an ELPH-size Canon camera because they seemed too small. I was concerned I would not be able to comfortably operate the buttons or it would slip out of my hands. I don’t have that fear with the SD780. The brushed metal finish provides some friction. The buttons are placed well. Also, the wrist strap is always available as protection against dropping the camera.

SMART AUTO feature is great! I use it often to take closeup (macro) shots or when I don’t have time to adjust the settings. I hold the camera about 4 inches from an object and the camera self adjusts the settings. It amazing to watch it work. I partially press the shutter button to see where the camera is focused and move it to focus on my area of interest. The camera selects of the pre-programmed 18 modes to find the one that creates the best image.

As many stated, the images are superb thanks to the 12.1 mega pixel resolution, Digic 4, and the image stabilizer (IS) function. You should not live without IS unless you are into the artsy blurry pictures. It takes great pictures of kids who don’t sit still. Great if you don’t have steady hands. Images are crisp, clear and can be easily seen in the beautiful 2.5inch LCD.

I noticed the noise in some of the photos. Did not have too much problems with it.

The 3X optical is fine. Best for the photographer to move in or out to zoom/out on the subject matter and not worry about the camera lens zoom when just taking photos. Zooming during filming would be better. Hopefully, Canon adds this feature to future powershot ELPH models.

Overall, a great camera that is thin enough to hide in a small purse or pocket yet still deliver superb photos for it’s size!

(I have owned 7 Canon cameras including 5 digital cameras. I have used this camera for about 1 week.)

Great camera for elderly parents.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
After getting this particular camera for my parents as a Christmas present, I could not regret getting this one bit. Certainly turned out to be the best bang for the buck I could find in an under-$200 point-and-shoot. My parents live on the Canon brand, and it shows in their love for this one. Of course, brand loyalty aside, this is their second PowerShot. They had one from about six or seven years ago, which was one which used a Compact Flash card, had no optical zoom, had only 3.1MP quality, and ran on AA batteries, and it was NOT very user-friendly. This camera really changed that big time. Definitely a great choice for senior citizens to get into digital photography with.

I wasn’t about to look for a $1000 SLR with all these professional tools that they didn’t know how to use, but didn’t want such a cheap camera, that they’d complain after only a few times using it. This was right in the middle, it was not a cheap camera with lack of features, but it wasn’t so profesional SLR that they wouldn’t know how to use, either. This is a GREAT beginner’s camera where you get features that you’re going to use, and the simplicity that anyone from 8 to 108 can use. Picture quality is a blast, took a picture of our cat a couple of times, and printed out in full 8×11.5″ with great quality. My family chooses Canon for a reason, I was this close to getting them a comparable Kodak EasyShare, but glad I ultimately chose this PowerShot instead for them.

WOW!! amazing camera with amazing quality!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
wow!! This camera is such a gem! This is my third Canon sd series camera, and this is an amazing camera! The quality is first rate, and it catches images very quickly with no blur! I LOVE this camera! Smaller than my last SD series camera, better quality, and very classy looking, can’t mess up with this one!

Great little camera!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am really satisfied with this camera. I have had it for about a month after my old camera broke. The pictures are wonderful!

Great Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
i love this camera! years ahead of my Nikon coolpix. nice screen, very small body, and great picture taking. Canon by far is the leader in point and shoot. still trying to learn the funtions but pretty easy to figure out.

Can a “point and shoot” get any better?
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was already pretty awed by the Canon SD850IS when it came out…I had not seen such excellent color/contrast/focusing for such a variety of lighting conditions and subject matter on any other tiny automatic “point and shoot” camera. This newer model is even better, not because it has more pixels (12M versus 8M) but because it is even smaller (but somehow not too small, it is easy for “Mr. Thumbs” here to use) and somehow even more solid feeling. I suppose they could make the sensor and lens larger in some later model but for now this is THE most awesome “point and shoot” out there. Related Canon IS models are comparable, I prefer this model one, it is the thinnest canon camera ever made and the added “pocket convenience” is nice! The HD (720p) video capability is a great feature when this camera is in my pocket and my Canon Vixia is not around.

Great camera if you have a MAC
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Have had this camera over a week. Took many very good pictures. Took a lot of video. The pictures were easy to view after up loading with Zoom Browser EX (supplied). However, cannot view the video because the SD780is only produces MOV files. Canon recommends using Quicktime ONLY! Programs we use on our WINDOWS PC, do not support MOV files.

So, if you own a MAC this a great camera. If you own a Windows PC don’t waste you money!

CANON SD780
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Love this camera for point-and-shoot. Best among the Canon SD’s. Perfect for travel and everyday use.

Great pics and video
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My son is turning four and I wanted to get an HD video camera to capture his funny antics. I already had a nice Panasonic 8mm tape camcorder but for a variety of reasons rarely used it. The 780 is a perfect fit for me. It replaces my older powershot for photos and I can take decent HD videos too that I can immediately play back on my 52″ Samsung HDTV. I found indoor low light performance to be quite acceptable with some graininess. Mind you my old 8mm camcorder’s video quality is better than the HD video from this camera but the pros outweigh the cons. The one area where I see lots of room for improvement is when the video blurs as you move the camera itself quickly. Very slow movement is OK. The 12 megapixel pics are great but I expect them to be anyway. I’m taking a lot of videos now because its fun, super convenient, form factor is not at all intimidating and I can play back, record, upload with ease. It was funny though to see this very tiny camera perched on top of my big tripod at a recent family event. The 2-in-1 camera/camcorder convergence is a must have for me. I just could never lug around a camcorder in addition to a camera. The other tools I paid for are Quicktime pro for easy as ABC splitting/joining of (.mov) video files that this camera produces and Vimeo for uploading HD videos to share with family. Very happy with this Amazon purchase.

Great new Canon!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is my 4th Canon, and I was not disappointed. Easy to use, compact, and great picture quality.

cannon power shot sd780
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is my second power shot and is so much more portable with the same good quality shots and ease of use.

Love it!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have absolutely no complaints about this camera. It was everything it promised to be at a great price. Highly, highly recommended.

Excellent!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is one amazing little camera. I had done some lengthy research plus spoke to a Best Buy employee, and this turns out is the best P&S camera for the money. It really is!

I would suggest to all first time users, though, that you practice taking pictures at home and around your neighborhood before you take it to important events and occasions. The focusing is a little tricky and if you don’t give the camera enough time to adjust, your pictures will come out blurry. Give it enough time, and you will have some amazing pictures, though. Read the manual as well – there are apparently really nice tricks to do with contrast and all that, I just haven’t had time to practice it.

It is such a small camera that one can’t help but “baby” it out of fear of breaking it. May I also suggest buying insurance from Canon?

Simple and Powerful
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I used this camera first on a trip through the Southwest, taking pictures along side my nearly professional photographer husband, who was using 20 pounds of camera equipment. In most cases, except for some very low light situations, my pictures were clear, bright, focused and all I did was point/focus/shoot. It has a lot of built in smarts, so that it adjusts as you focus to shoot the scene. It also has some advanced features that I am still learning to use. Great “little” camera. The zoom part takes some getting use to. The view finder doesn’t work well, when you use the zoom feature.

LOVE IT !!!!!!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
THE BEST CAMERA!!! I did alot of research before this purchase. I had a Canon SD110 for 5 years and used it at least 5 times a week. This camera is everything an amateur could want at a reasonable price. I am very happy with it and it is easy to use. Point and click…can’t go wrong !!

Excellent For Still Pictures and Video
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera about one month back for an upcoming vacation. In that time, I can honestly say that this camera is the best for the price. Pictures… videos… they all come out excellent.

I viewed the pictures on my TV (52″ LCD) and I can state that they were the sharpest, most detailed pictures of all of my previous digital cameras (4 before the SD780 IS). Usually, when taking pictures, I leave the camera on the Auto mode and, for the most part, the pictures will come out great. For those other occasions, I switch to the Program mode and adjust the settings from there. I have not noticed any serious noise while taking pictures in low light. In fact, I shot quite a few pictures in a museum and the ones without the flash turned out better than those with the flash. The Image Stabilization mode works wonderfully. I’ve actually taken pictures while walking, but you would never know it by looking at the photos. 3X zoom is adequate most of the time, but I do wish it went a bit further.

The video quality is awesome for a camera in this class. I’ve converted the video to AVCHD DVD and played it back on my BlueRay player and I could not believe the quality. As far as I’m concerned, I no longer need my old mini DV video camera as this does most everything better. The video is sharp and smooth in the 720 mode. The only drawback is that you cannot use the optical zoom while recording. Set it ahead of time and you’re fine. You can, however, use the digital zoom, but you can see the degradation in the video quality while using it beyond 2.5X zoom. Not terrible, but something to be aware of. I have read some of the previous reviews on the sound quality being poor, but as far as I’m concerned, the sound quality has been nothing short of excellent.

Battery life is good as I got about 20 minutes of video and 160 pictures on one charge. Pick up a second battery as a spare so you don’t have to worry about missing any shots.

If you are looking for a simple point and shoot camera that takes excellent pictures and video, then this is the one for you.

Good overall but very noisy video in mid to low light situations
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The picture quality of this camera seems good. The macro mode is nice on these newer cameras. I (and my wife) are disapointed with the video quality of the canon sd780 in mid to low lighting. Outdoors during the daytime – video looks great. In dim lighting the video is extreemly grainy! Indoors with the lights on at night time in our house video looks grainy, in the kitchen with brighter lighting the video looked ok, maybe slightly grainy. If you are in a room with less than ideal lighting video looks very grainy/fuzzy. That was the case last night when we tested it in our greatroom that has average to slightly below average indoor lighting. We tested it via hdmi to our HDTV and also on my computer. I had a Canon sx200is (12X optical zoom, 720p video w/ hdmi output). The video was also grainy indoors at night time with the lights on but I don’t think it was as bad as the sd780 (it’s hard to say). I returned the sx200is because if I was going to have a camera with 12Xs zoom I wanted it to zoom during video and I liked the size of the sd780. The sd780 is a very nice sized little camera. The 2.5″ screen looks great and has the same resolution as the 3″ screen on the sx200is, in my opinion the 2.5″ looks sharper. I am happy overall but I don’t think it will replace my old HI-8 camcorder in low light situations unfortunately. And because there is no optical zoom I still will use the camcorder now and then. But for most situations it is nice to only take this small camera around for pictures and 720p video.

If you are looking for a camera that zooms during video (12X optical zoom)and has 720p video w/ hdmi and has great reviews look up the panasonic zs3 (the lcd screen is also sharper vs. the canon – twice as many pixels). I was debating between that one and the canon sd780. I chose the canon for the size and the price. The panisonic is about $399.

I almost gave the review 3 stars due to the dim video quality. But overall this seems to be a nice camera with great features that is a nice size and looks great.

Great pocket camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Bought this camera as a replacement for a previous model. It is thinner than the one I replaced. The size is great – fits easily into the pockets of my cargo shorts. Uses the same battery as previous model and charger. Now I have a backup battery and charger I can use for traveling. Great point and shoot camera. Great for snap shots at any gathering. Lots of modes – love the black and white and sephia modes. Fun to try out all of the features. Have enlarged pictures to 8×10 and am very happy with the quality. I got the red for fun.

THE BEST UNDER $250
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought an SD770 from amazon 3 months ago which is another 5-star. With the recent HD pocket cam craze, I wanted to get in on the action, and bought Kodak Zi6. DISAPPOINTING. Twice the size of this cam. Then bought Vado HD. A little better quality, still not great HD quality. I realized that all the video samples I had seen were played on my PC screen, and not on a HDTV. So, once I plugged the Vado to my HDTV, I was disappointed. But decided to keep it regardless. Very soon, I realized the drawback – I would have to carry two devices, both my SD770 and the Vado HD. Looking for solution – ENTER SD780 IS.

WOW!! The best video quality I have seen so far. This thing is MADE IN JAPAN (like it’s older bro SD770) and the build quality makes me think it was manufactured by UFO flying aliens. The black LOOKS SICK!!

Canon must not compress the video as much as Vado, even in HD+ mode. In HD+ mode, Vado shows 2h:12m remaining on 8GB. Canon shows only 44m n 8GB. May be that has something to do with “smoother” quality video.

Overall.. 780IS 720p video OWNS them all – in the compact HD category.

Excellent camera. Look no further.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The camera is as thin as they get. It takes HD video and great pictures. It does not come wth a sd card so I recommend to get a large capacity SD card because of the enormous space HD takes (32GB is as high as you can get it, 8 Gb would be fine)

Outstanding!!!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Thsi is a very practical cammera that takes excellent pictures. I got this for my son and he loves it!! It is amaising that such an small cammera can have such a great resolution. Definitly a great deal.

AWESOME product
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Got this camera for my girlfriend. She never took pictures before. She takes them now. Easy to use. Cool features. Super compact. Was recommended by a photographer.

LOVE IT
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I researched several cameras before purchasing the SD780IS. There were several features that I was looking for specifically. I wanted a camera that had several shooting modes, ultra-compact, in-camera red-eye fix, in-camera trimming, etc. This camera has all those features. One of the things the I like most about the SD780IS is the special “color” effects. Several cameras give you the ability to change the photo to Black & White or Sepia. This one enables you to change the photo to: Black & White, Sepia, Vivid, Color Accent, Color Swap, Vivid Green, Vivid Blue, Vivid Red, Positive Film, or Creative Light. It even lets you change the skin tone of those in the picture using the Lighter Skin Tone/Darker Skin Tone feature. I have had the SD780IS for a little over a month now and I am loving it. It takes great shots and the features are everything I expected them to be.

I just love it!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have always wanted a digital camera but it seems so difficult to take pitures with this new digital camera. There are just too many features and seems like so much to set before taking a photograph. Consequently, I have been toying with the idea until September of this year, I decided to place an order for SD780IS and to my amazement the camera is so good-looking. The photograph is not so difficult to take and above all the picture came out so nicely. I am happy with it and so please that I have made the right decision. The price is right too!

Great camera for a compact in this price range.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I have a higher end Canon Rebel DSLR with some pretty good glass and used it this past week at Disney world. While you can’t beat the quality of pictures from a DSLR in low light and on fast moving targets (not to mention all other times), it became a HUGE pain to carry around the park and to take on and off getting on rides.

So I read the reviews and found that the best carry-around camera was the Panasonic Lumix ZS3 (TZ7 in other parts of the world). Unfortunately, no one around here carries that camera, and online the prices are still in the $400+ range. So I decided to wade through the middle market and came across this camera, the Canon Powershot SD780 IS (IXUS 100 IS in other parts of the world).

The various Sony’s looked good as well, I just hate the memory sticks they use. I always like keeping everything the same, and since my Canon Rebel uses SDHC, I decided to go with a cam that used that as well.

It takes amazing pictures when there is plenty of light, such as outside or indoors with ambient lighting. Clouds look beautiful and are not blown out. Color is very vivid, like all Canon shots. The video quality is definately HD 720p quality and looks nice at a steady 30 frames per second. However, the minimum f-stop even at full wide is 3.5 and creeps into the 6’s with the zoom racked out. With that said, low light situations create such a grainy picture as to be unusable by my standards. The shadow areas are horrible and muddy. And the video exhibits this same nastiness.

I was able to figure out all camera features on my own without reading the manual at all, but if you want to, there is a VERY detailed manual that goes step by step with pictures of how to work the cam.

If you want to take over in full manual mode, they give you access to pretty much all the settings in one simple menu. Shoot in Program AE, change ISO, change white balance, change tone, self timers, continuous shooting, focus lock, exposure compensation, metering mode, AF frame mode and focal point, Servo AF, etc.

One of the best features of the camera (and I sugest you try all the cams out in the store to see what I mean) is how FAST it auto focuses and takes a picture. Right from power up, I can take a pic in under 2 seconds. On top of that, the shutter lag is about .02 seconds. You hit the button, the picture takes right then. AF on almost ALL other cameras I picked up had to hunt for the focus for several seconds, and some never gained focus at all, while others kept trying to refocus after acquiring a lock. This camera, even in up close macro mode, gained a solid focus lock in under a second and stayed there.

And macro mode is wonderful! You can be just over an inch from your subject and take some of the greatest, full focused images. Auto mode will sense how close you are and automatically change to macro mode.

You also have the ability to create folders on your memory card right from the camera. Very useful if you are hitting multiple camera ops in a day and would like to keep them all separate. All the menus are well laid out, but once you set up for your shoot, most of the buttons you will be using will be on the camera body. And again, as much as I like to set everything myself in full manual mode, I found that full auto is smarter than me most of the time. I guess the camera is calibrated to know what the best settings for its lens are. Reviewing images, zooming in on them to check details, deleting, tagging, watching videos, etc are all very easy. And videos are in the standard .MOV format making them easy to edit and stitch on a PC or a Mac.

I went ahead and picked up the Canon leather belt pouch as well for this cam as it keeps it on your side at the ready, looks professional, and is no bigger than a phone holster.

One additional note on why I picked this cam…it has cool accessories!

Just to name a few:

HDMI out to TV with standard Mini-HDMI to full HDMI.

Waterproof/dustproof case that you can take to 140ft underwater!

High power external remote flash.

All available on Amazon!

Another hint…you can find additional rechargeable lithium batteries for as little as $2 here on Amazon. The Canon brand goes for almost $50 and the others last just as long.

All in all, it was a good purchase and will be coming with me on all camera excursions and trips. It may very well be the camera that “gets the shot” that my big DSLR doesn’t because of it always being at my hip and ready to shoot in a couple of seconds.

Excellant Camera choise
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
We found this camera easy to operate and the photos obtained are some of the best.

WE highly recommend this camera for anyone interested in an easy to operate, super camera.

VERY disappointed by color
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
If your like me and thinking about getting this because of the pretty gold color- DON’T.

The color pictured is NOT what you will get. In the stock photo it’s a pretty light colored gold and what i got was a ugly penny colored cooper. In low lighting it has a lot of noise.

Great Little Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a great little camera for the price! Its small (although a little fragile) takes clear photos and HD video. I even ordered another for a Christmas present. Just purchased it about 2 weeks ago but so far…so good!

Compact and convenient
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
As a long time Canon user this camera is perfect for quick, on-the-go shots at parties, events, and to keep in your bag. Easy to use and little effort for really great pictures!

too small
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Cute camera. I bought the red one. Took great pictures. I sent it back, only because it is too small for me to operate easily. I would have to wear my reading glasses all the time with this camera. Returning the camera was very easy, thank you Amazon!! I will buy the SD890 as soon as the money is back in my account. I gave it a 4 star. BTW, The view finder is worthless.

Satisfied
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’ve been waiting for this camera to come out. I absolutely love the size of it, I finally have a small camera that I can take with me anywhere. I’ve been satisfied with the picture quality so far. I think I need to mess around with the settings a bit more – my macro photos are looking soso. My only main complaint so far is that the screen is small (would have loved to see a large screen that takes up more of the back of the camera) and the buttons are so tiny, you need to hit them just right with part of your finger. But it’s easy to use and I love the way it looks and the size and for someone who takes pictures like me (casually), it’s perfect. And there have been a number of photos that have turned out beautifully, great colors.

Small digital camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Great camera to drop in your coat pocket when traveling. It sacrifices some focal length on the optical zoom and some screen size to make the camera small and light. It is still a good camera with 3x zoom and 2.7 inch screen. The screen is not a touch screen which some manufacturers use to keep the screen large while eliminating manual controls. I prefer the manual controls, especially in bright sunlight situations. The controls are well thought out and the pictures are great. Free shipping, no sales tax and bundling the camera with an extra battery and memory card made it a good deal. I have a couple of Sony cameras and the memory cards are much cheaper for a Canon. If you want more than one card this becomes a significant cost consideration.

Great portable camera… I wish i could give it 4.5 stars
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
First, let me say that I am novice camera user. I have owned multiple point and shoot cameras and am currently expanding my knowledge and use into the intermediate level. That being said I love this camera however the pictures in low light are not as crisp as I would ideally like.

Why I love the Camera

- The camera is small enough that as a guy I can bring it with me to almost every occasion, as it easily fits in my jean pocket or coat pockets

- Despite its small size the camera takes amazing pictures, I use the camera for both personal, and quick professional landscaping photography

- The camera is relatively easy to use, it is a point and shoot camera

- The video quality is truly impressive for such a small camera

- For the size and price an extremely impressive camera

What I don’t like

- As a small camera the SD780 has trouble with crisp images in low light… This proves especially problematic as I purchased the camera to take out to the bar and to take photos with friends which often happen at night

- The buttons are flush with the camera, and can be hard to find, especially at night….. Which is not terrible when I take pictures, however, often I ask a third party to take a picture of me with friends, and they often fumble even trying to button to take a photo.

Conclusion

My favorite small point and shoot camera despite its limitations.

Great little camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a great little camera, great quality pictures, best outdoors. Have already purchase a second as a gift. If you are looking for a small camera with great quality, this is the one.

STUNNING
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve had this camera for about three weeks, and it’s amazing. I usually can’t take a good picture to save my life, but with the 780IS it seems as though I can’t take a bad one. The video is beautiful. Most amazing of all is the low light capability. You will need a large SD card, as the 720p video eats up memory quickly. I say Run, don’t walk to buy this one, and like me you may find yourself waking up in the middle of the night, unaware you have been holding the camera in your sweaty palms chanting “my precious”.

Great pictures and video for such a compact camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
All around, the best camera in it’s class of sub compact point and shoots. I was so impressed with how easy it is to use that I bought another one for my parents.

VERY SURPRISED That the video capabilty sealed the deal!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased my SD780is on Amazon just before black Monday for $169 (that price only lasted 24 hours)! I looked at MANY different cameras before purchasing. I wanted something that took great pictures and was easy to use. This camera gave me both. This camera is super small and it slips into my jeans pocket easily so I carry it much more than any other camera I’ve ever had.

If you want to go full manual it’s got that capacity but I’ve been shooting virtually all auto and I’m pleased with the results. The long shutter lag-time (the time it takes from when you push the shutter button till when the picture is actually taken) frustrated me on my old point-and-shoot but this camera’s shutter lag is very short.

The interesting thing was the video aspect. I really had no desire to shoot video with any point-and-shoot that I was about to buy. I have a video camera and figured that I’d buy a new one sometime later. Then I noticed that the SD780is shoots video in HD where others in it’s price range did not. I no longer shoot a lot of video but figured this camera might be able to do both. I’m very happy with the video I’ve shot and believe it’s picture quality is superior to my actual video camera. No more of those little tapes either!

If you do intend to shoot much video buy at least an 8Gig SDHC memory card (better yet a 16Gig) and DON’T BUY IT ON eBAY. Lot’s of angry buyers that ended up with 3Gig cards marked as 16Gig purchased from Chinese sellers.

Pleasantly surprised at video Quality
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve used lots of digicams. My initial impression of the SD780IS is that it does a great job for its size, and my Made-in-Japan version seems sturdy and well-built.

There are plenty of good reviews here about the PQ of the still shots, so I won’t comment there, and I’m not much of a photographer anyway.

But for the video, I’m very impressed. I’ve tried 3 or 4 different still cams that do HD video, and so far the Canon rules them all. It beats the video from my main digicam, a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5. Although the TZ5 lets you zoom while shooting, it inevitably loses focus while doing so. So that’s a wasted feature.

In contrast, you cannot zoom on the Canon while shooting, but you can pre-zoom before hitting the record button. This trade-off in my opinion, is worth the far better video quality of the Canon. The color is true and there is a lot less noise and graininess than the Panasonic. Just make sure you disable the digital zoom.

Don’t expect miracles for video from any still camera. My only expectation was respectable video quality under optimal (i.e. daylight) conditions. No still camera will ever replace my HF200 as a camcorder, but for spontaneous daylight clips, this camera is great to have in my pocket.

A very small but very powerfull Point-And-Shoot Camera!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
You would not need all it’s 12 Megapixels but it’s good to have them for zooming into details and cropping of the picture after you took it.

The picture quality is just perfect. Easy to use and very quick.

The zoom could be bigger but it’s more than enough for your everyday shooting situations and even a little more.

I just like it and that’s why we bought a second one for my wife. And she loves hers too. Especially how small it is.

It really fits into every pocket and you can have it always handy.

HD Video, can you believe it. Perfect quality. The audio is decent.

It’s hard to spoil a picture with this camera!!

Small Camera That Takes Great Shots!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My first priority was a small camera. I figure the smaller it is, the more likely I’d be to carry it with me, even if it didn’t take the best shots in the world. I did a lot of research and this was the camera that consistently got the best reviews. AND it takes great photos, so I feel like I didn’t need to compromise at all!

The red color is really sharp. I was leaning towards the Sony T77 since it was cool looking, but that thing is a fingerprint trap. The Canon UI is really easy to use, time to power on and take a shot is very fast, images stabilization works well, shoots HD video, doesn’t use that silly proprietary Sony format – it’s got everything I need! Only improvement I might like is a bigger screen, but I’m not sure how you would fit it on such a small camera. Very happy with this camera.

Nice little Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Very stylish, compact and the shots look great. The video is also petty good considering that it is a secondary function.

Powershot review
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a great camera for the money. It is quite small and appears well built. Picture quality in normal conditions is quite good. We are not camera experts. The only con is small dial for selecting features. Others have noted this. Hopefully Canon will take note.

LOVE IT!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Exactally what I wanted. I had an old Elph (2 or 3 megapixels), and wanted to upgrade, so I bought the Nikkon. Never used it because the thing took crappy pictures, and was difficult to figure out. FInally wised up and went back to the Elph! So easy to use, and the picture quality is awesome!

My review for Canon PowerShot SD780IS
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is possibly the best camera out there. It takes such clear pictures & the HD video is a plus. The only down fall i have on this camera is the buttons. They are extrememly small & sometimes hard to use. I have big hands but i manage well. Other then that i give this camera 5 stars. I love this camera. It is definitely worth the price. If you are looking for a little camera that takes extremely clear pictures & videos buy it. By the way i am 18 yrs old & my name is Salie. I am using my dads account to write this.

Great compact digital camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve had this camera for about a month and I’m very impressed. Previous camera was a Sony DSC that was about 4-5 years old. Digital cameras have come a long way since then.

Did quite a bit of online research on this camera, mainly looking at Amazon reviews. Considered buying the 1200 model but the reviews about the video quality of the 780 tipped the scales.

The size of this camera is remarkably small. The size of the display is remarkably large. I have been able to use it for still photos and video without needing to read the instruction manual. Uploading the photos to my computer and sharing on Facebook were a breeze as well.

I’m happy with the purchase, I think it was a good value and can’t wait to try it out on an upcoming trip to Europe.

Semi Pro
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Having the photography as my greatest hobby, and having taking pictures only using high end SLRs and Pro Lenses, I can tell this little monster is taking greater pictures than its size. I owned point and shoot cameras before, but none was as good as this one.

Incredibly clear photos and extremely portable
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This camera was a gift for my birthday – but I had been eying for a long time. In the past two weeks, I have used it at office parties, practicing inside shots with, and taken a few outside shots with it. I’ve been playing with the macro settings which offer amazingly clear photos from the 12.1 mpix quality.

I’m such an amateur at photography but I have LOVED learning using this camera. If a picture’s worth a thousand words, see my blog at [...]

All photos there have been taken in the past two weeks with this camera.

The only slight disappointment was that the camera doesn’t come with any memory card to begin with so be sure and order that along with the camera. I ended up making a run to the Walgreen’s store, twice, before I got the right one to go with this. If you’re going to be taking this with you a lot, I’d recommend a second battery and charger. For what I’ve shot, the charge on the battery seems to last about two days.

Downloading the photos is a breeze and the software offers a lot more features that I haven’t gotten into yet.

Being in my 50’s, the size of the print on the camera itself is a bit hard to read HOWEVER, the lcd display offers an extremely easy to read set of controls/menus. Once you’ve memorized the purpose of the 4 or 5 buttons, the menu’s offer a much wider variety of choices and they’re so much easier to read.

At first I was a bit disappointed that the camera didn’t offer more in the way of attachable filters and lenses however a friend reminded me that the trade off for that is that I’m not lugging around a whole suitcase full of supplies, parts, lenses, etc. This thing fits in your pocket or in a belt holster so easily…

The first thing most folks have said is “Wow, I can’t believe you’re getting THAT much out of that small camera!”

O boy
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was cool, then I bought this camera and became even cooler. So there you go?

Barthalamule.

Nice pocket camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was traveling and in a hurry, and made the mistake of buying a Pentax Optio M20 on sale when I found I’d left my trusty old Canon SD110 at home. I call it a mistake not because there was anything terribly wrong with the Optio, but because I found it harder to get good pictures with it than with the venerable SD110, despite a friendlier user interface, much higher resolution and image stabilization.

Since I use my Canon EOS 30D for my non-candid photo needs, the Pentax has been adequate for the past couple years. But as I flipped through more and more candid photos that were blurry (or focused on the plant behind the subject’s face), I decided to do a little research, and ended up pre-ordering the SD780IS.

I love the feel of this camera. It’s sleek and solid, and fits easily into my pants pocket. The small flash offers surprisingly good coverage, considering its size, and the LCD is nicely sized and clear. The daylight shots are crisp and colorful, and the multiple face recognition makes it easy to take quick shots of several subjects at varying distances from the camera. Start up is quick, as is the image read/display rate in playback mode, and battery performance is more than adequate for casual shooting.

The techie features are abundant as well. I love the blink detection and face timer, even though neither option saves much time or effort. I’m also impressed with how smoothly Canon has integrated digital zoom, so that when taking pictures at lower than maximum resolution, the effective non-interpolated zoom increases from the optical 3x; this is clearly indicated in the process, so that it’s not easy to accidentally zoom beyond 1-to-1 pixel capture.

There are, of course, small inconveniences that come with the miniaturization of this much technical sophistication. It took me a while to get used to the zoom lever due to its size and shape, and the navigation buttons on the back are slightly smaller than my thumb would prefer. Moving beyond ergonomics, the small aperture that this camera shares with others in the “pocket” genre means that low-light imaging is not always ideal (usually manifested as blur due to movement combined with a slow shutter speed; when the shutter speed is kept high, it is instead manifested as noise in the imagery due to the increased sensitivity at high ISO settings). The optical image stabilization does help, and it makes this a better candidate for low light than most of the small cameras that have come before it; it is certainly better than the two other small cameras I’ve owned (mentioned above) in this respect.

Being able to shoot high resolution video with this camera is refreshing, and I’ve enjoyed that feature. I had optimistically hoped that it would be good enough that I wouldn’t need a separate camcorder for video, but that was wishful thinking. It’s wonderful for short, candid videos but suffers from the small aperture and–ironically–form factor for longer shots. This is manifested as movement blur and camera shake. The movement blur is much less pronounced in good lighting, but the stabilizing lens can only move so much, and the human hand is notoriously unsteady when unbraced. The size of the camera makes it that much harder to hold still, as momentum tends to slow the movement of some of the larger cameras/camcorders.

In summary, I’m more than pleased with this camera and would have no second thoughts about recommending it to anyone looking for a small point-and-shoot. The defects it suffers are shared in common with all cameras of this size to some extent; as technology improves, more of these will be mitigated, but for the time being the convenience and fun being offered in this tiny package would be hard to beat at twice the price.

Excellent compact digital camera with 720p HD video
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Liked the compactness of the camera that can take quality photos as well as 720p HD videos. I was looking for something that can fit in my pocket and can shoot high quality photo or video. SD780IS fulfills my requirements.

I love my new canon.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I wanted a camera that was small enough to fit in my purse. It is so small yet so efficient. I can pull it out so quickly and snap a picture and not miss the special moments that only lasts seconds. Also I love the color choices. I always know exactly which camera is mine amongst the many silver cameras. I am so happy with it and would recommend it to anyone.

Nice size for on the go
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
So far, we like it. Really nice size. Controls are easy. I’m sure I could do more with it if I read the book!

Disappointing Image Quality
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Based on all the great customer reviews, I was excited when this camera arrived. It is extremely small but has a nice overall feel of quality and looks pretty cool. One gripe I have with the built is that the camera/memory card door is a bit flimsy and seems to be made of cheap plastic in stark contrast to the rest of the body. It wobbles slightly which may be minor for some, but it was enough to bother me.

I have small hands but this camera seems almost a bit too small at the expense of usability. The position of the flash is annoying and if you don’t remember to keep your fingers well out of its range you’ll cast dark shadows onto the picture. Some buttons are so tiny that you need to use your finger nail to push them.

But what ultimately made me return this camera is the soft focus, even in bright sunlight. Since the zoom is very modest I thought that the large number of megapixels would allow me to crop liberally. Unfortunately, this is not possible due to the soft focus and frequent purple fringing. I prefer sharp crisp images but was not able to find a setting which would please me.

The video is great if you don’t point at a light source, but that feature alone was not enough to make up for the disappointing image quality.

I wish Canon would stop churning out crappy camera models at an idiotic rate and just focus on making great quality again.

The best camera is the one you have with you
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I found I was reluctant to bring my larger cameras with me as they get in the way. This camera does everything I expected of it. Only 3X zoom but great for the small size. I wish you could recharge thru the USB connection as you can do with so many other devices. The main item that attracted me to this particular camera was that besides the view screen it also has a viewfinder. Bright sunshine sometimes makes the LCD screens hard to see. Although this one is quite bright.

Great compact camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a great compact camera,rugged metal body, easy to use. Wonderful pre-sets and long battery life.

Excellent Camera, Small and Good Quality
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This camera is nice and small, cool looking, very easy to use, and produces nice (albeit not perfect – thus the 4) results. I’m very happy with the price/quality ratio.

My only negative points would be that the color is a bit off (colors a little louder than real life), and zooming in doesn’t get what I would think this many Megapixels would. Oh yeah, and the recorded bits are humongous. I just ran it through a free program, WinFF and was able to reduce the size very nicely. The problematic parameter was the bitrate. I changed it from 20Mb/s to 1Mb/s. It would be nice if the camera had an option to do this internally.

That said, those are really picky points and its a great deal for the money. I really just love it’s small form factor because I can throw it in my pocket and not feel like I’m encumbered, yet it takes good quality pics easily!

Fantastic Ultra-compact point and shoot
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was looking for a camera that is extremely portable yet durable enough to take camping, hiking, and to amusement parks. I currently own a Nikon DSLR and an assortment of lenses. The DSLR is too large to haul around while hiking, biking, etc..

The decision was between the Sony W290 and the Canon SD780. When I saw the SD780 in the store I was immediately sold. The size of this camera is simply amazing! I can take it just about anywhere. The design is beautiful, simple, and intuitive. The build quality is superb, and the camera case is all metal, which gives it a solid feel. I did not have a case, but I borrowed my wife’s motorola RAZR cell phone case and it fits perfectly! The one she has is here:

[...]

While picture quality is not comparible to a digital SLR, it is certainly adequate for most point and shoot circumstances. When judging picture quality, one must take into account the size and weight of this camera, and the ability to take this camera just about anywhere. The Widescreen mode is perfect for viewing images on a HD TV screen. The HD Video mode is awesome, and I was amazed that my Pinnacle Studio 12 software will take video from this camera and allow it to be burned to a standard DVD. Built-in HDMI port was the deal maker for me since the Sony requires a special [...] cable. With this camera, you can use a standard mini HDMI cable.

The camera is very fun to use and has many useful features such as in-camera red eye correction which actually works quite well, automatic scene detection, macro mode, face detection and color controls.

There are plenty of image samples from this camera at this site and at pbase.

One final note – read the manual! There are manny “hidden” features such as the expanded scene modes and the built in digital clock which I would have NEVER found.

Update 7/27/09:

A five star rating was probably a bit too generous for this camera. After taking a few hundred photos, I have been noticing some noise in the photos. Also, the sharpness is not quite as high as I am used to. However, given the small size of this camera, the image quality is very good.

So far so good
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Very handy specially for travel purpose.

Good Things:

1. compact good for travelling

2. good picture quality

3. Quickly configures to any computer and ready to download picture in seconds

Caution:

I am not a techno geek but a friend who knows about camera told me that if you are interested in making a poster out of your picture you may so for a camera with more DPI (Sots per inches) or large setting in picture mode. So far I was not able to find this setting in my camera.

excellent camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
very easy to use; fits easily into pocket; like the viewfinder; battery lasts a long time; recommend highly

Canon PowerShot SD780IS
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
If you want a small quailty camer then consider the Canon PowerShot SD780IS. We researched this item for days and found we could lay our hands on one at a electronics store. The problem was the price which was much higher that Amazon’s price. This came has a metal body, not the cheaper plastic material found on most cameras this size. The picture quailty is amazing. It is easy to set up and easy to take pictures.Some folks may not like the color—we do as we refer to it as “the little red camera”.

excellent camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is amazing. So tiny, but so good. I have had excellent pictures, easy to use. It has so many features, I will never use them all. I had a Nikon, this takes pictures that are just as good. This Canon is easier to use, easier to carry. A great all around camera.

Size matters, but there’s a few weakpoints
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’ve had my SD780IS ‘digital elph’ for about a month now and generally am pleased with it. It certainly won’t be the last camera I buy, but should serve me well for now. The camera is smaller than my cell phone which is it’s greatest feature. Unfortunately, the camera itself will get you more oooooh’s and aaaahhh’s than the photo’s it takes. It’s compact and lightweight but still has a nice big screen. It also has a standard viewfinder that is so small it’s pretty much useless. The camera is also pretty stylish, albeit pretty girly. I got a better deal on the silver model. If you paid more to get the red one you are much cooler than me.

Strong points – Lot’s of shooting modes, quick and decent AUTO mode, allows user control of all variables if desired. Lot’s of options regarding flash, self timer, etc. Image stabilization seems to work under the right circumstance, like portraits, but it’s only nice to have because the small camera is hard to hold still, and it seems to increase recycle time. Continuous drive was a must for me. I think it’s .8 fps without the flash, which makes it far easier to get good shots of kids, animals, and sports. Decent optical zoom. Takes really nice macro shots and allows for digital zoom macro. The video feature also takes macro. The video is some kind of HD, I don’t know much about it but they do look nice full screen. The audio comes in loud and clear usually, but sometimes I think I’m hearing the camera in the video. The image viewing mode is nicely done, with more options than I’d ever need. Quickly looking through for a particular shot is no problem. Generally sturdy construction.

Weak points – Probably the single most important feature has me a little disappointed. Image quality is good, but is not amazing or fantastic. Other reviews suggested that Canon’s 10 MP cameras capture better images. I have found this one to be fine for average stuff, but I usually am taking 3 or 4 shots at a time hoping that one or two of them won’t be washed out or overly grainy, even on AUTO. The small size also makes it hard to hold and get a steady shot. I have not tried all of the shooting modes but the ones I have tried are pretty decent. The kids and pets one is not nearly as good as it was on my old fuji camera, the macro and digital macro is good, the fireworks mode is pretty good if you hold it still, landscape and night portrait also seem decent. Don’t get me wrong, it still takes good pictures that are acceptable for a small pocket point-and-shoot, but don’t be fooled by the 12 MP rating and think the pictures are going to know your socks off.

Not very many video options, and even if they are HD, don’t expect too much because the focus is not very impressive. Once you begin recording, the focus locks and you must keep your subject in focus by moving the camera. Not archive quality for the family christmas, but good enough for some high quality you-tube fun. I’ve really been enjoying the video feature.

Clunky controls. I’ve been using this thing almost daily for the past month and the controls still have me confused. I push the wrong button pretty much every time. The small icons on the buttons don’t do much good.

My only complaint about the frame is the rinky dink battery door. One good drop on the ground and that door is a goner, but the camera does have a wrist lanyard.

All in all I am pleased. Mine was in the neighborhood of two-twenty, and I would lay out more than that for it.

cute
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Everything looks great and pictures looks nice too. The only thing I dislike is just it’s little too small. Well, maybe i will get use to it. Besides that, it’s really convenience to carry around.

wow camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I love that it is portable. I am kinda bummed there is not an action setting. The zoom capability is awesome. I am still experimenting with setting my own settings. Because it is small it is hard to keep it steady but with practice it has worked out. All around a great camera.

Bought it for my wife…
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My wife loves it… it is truly compact. Almost too small. The pictures are good. The real surprise is how good the video is. Wow! I guess because of it’s size you wouldn’t think this little thing could work as a video camera. Well, it does and it does it really well.

So far we couldn’t be happier with this purchase!

I love my new P&S
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
we got this camera after the old one got lost/stolen. This one is not as sturdy as the other canon we had, I think I dropped that one like 50 times and it still worked just fine. We’ve had this one for 3 months now and I am a bit more careful with this one than the last one. It’s just that I take my camera everywhere! I love taking pics. Anyways this one seems to have great features too. Love the macro pictures!!!

Great little phone
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Although we are a little upset Amazon dropped the price on this by over $25 the DAY after we bought it, overall we are extremely satisfied with the camera. It takes EXCELLENT night pictures, without needing a tripod or having to hold the camera perfectly still. This had been a major problem with previous cameras I’ve owned. Also, the battery life on this camera is incredible. We have literally not had to charge it yet, despite having taken hundreds of pictures over the course of 2 weeks! Unbelievable. The design of this camera is impeccable…it’s so small and chic and gets everyone’s attention! You really can’t go wrong with Canon.

Why buy a Flip HD camera when you can get this one?
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was going to buy the Flip HD Ultra for [...] at costco but saw

a comment on this site about getting this camera instead. Great

pictures that you can’t get with the Flip, about the 1/3 of the size,

and best of all is sweet HD video!

Someone said the play back was choppy or missing frames but it’s your

computer not the video. I have a 4 year Dell laptop dual core at

1.87 mhz with 4 gigs and plays smoothly. I did have to quit some

of my other running programs, ie, online video conference call and

a downloading but no big deal.

Awesome awesome camera and for only [...] what a freaking steal.

Way to go Canon!

The Red One
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This camera is just the size I expected…no surprises there..

My only problem is this is my first digital and I find the instruction booklet very difficult…

The gold on red printing on the camera is almost impossible to read too, but I know I will know which button is which very quickly..

Poor Picture Quality in Auto Mode
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I was very disappointed with this camera. This is the 2nd camera that I will be returning after disliking their picture quality. I wonder what has happened to camera manufacturers. I was expecting better results from Canon. I used to own a Canon PowerShot A95 and loved it. It worked beautifully for me for several years. Unfortunately, it developed some problems, So on the recommendation of a salesman at a reputed store, I bought a slightly higher end camera (from a different Manufacturer) but did not like its picture quality, so returned it.

Searched through Amazon and found good reviews and high ratings for this camera, so ordered it. But what a disappointment!

Even though this camera has 12 Megapix resolution, the picture quality was worse than what my 5Mp Canon Powershot A95. I have very minimal (actually nil) photographic skills and all I am looking for is a simple point-n-shoot camera that can be used in Auto mode to take pictures at family events etc. This camera simply failed. Very disappointed.

Great Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Great camera. The best point and shoot camera I have ever used. I am very happy with my purchase. Picture quality is great. It does get a little “noisy” (fuzzy) in low light. But still a great camera. HD video is great, crisp and clear. It also gets a little fuzzy when zooming in, only because it does not do Optical zoom only digital.

The only con would be that it records video in HD .MOV which is not supported with windows live movie maker. So you have to have a 3rd party app to convert the format to avi or wmv ect. If you want to use Windows Live Movie Maker.

Overall a great camera for the price and I dare anyone to find a better Point and Shoot w/ HD video for this price. It’s amazing how great of a camera it is when it’s so small, my blackberry curve is larger than this camera.

I would recommend buying the extra mini hdmi to hdmi cable. The pictures and video look amazing on the big screen.

A Rare Combination of Functionality and Beauty
Rating:5 out of 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.

Compact Love
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Canon PowerShot SD780IS12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Black)

Fantastic camera for the price. If you’re a photo hound and love the accessibility of a small camera, this is the joint for you! Takes great HD video and really decent 12MP photos. Fewer settings make it that much easier to use. It’s size is PERFECT for travel – fits in your pocket as if it isn’t even there.

One recommendation is to go with a 16GB or higher memory card as the HD video takes up space quickly.

Overall, love this camera! Highly recommend.