Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera

[Honorata]

hi there

It's been a lot of buzzing news all over regarding the Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera. Is it true that it is 12 megapixel camera.Please can anyone provide me few information regarding this camera. As I am about to buy a new one, Is this one worth buying. Please help me in finding some information regarding this Canon new device.

[Bon-Z]

Canon has announced four new PowerShot SD-Series cameras, the SD970 IS, SD960 IS, SD780 IS and SD1200 IS. The new pocket-sized PowerShot digital cameras will be shown for the first time at the annual PMA tradeshow in early March. The SD970 IS, SD960 IS, and SD780 IS feature Canon’s excellent 12.1-megapixel sensor and 5x, 4x, and 3x image-stabilized zoom lenses, respectively. All three new Canon cameras also feature 720p HD video capture. The new PowerShot SD1200 IS is a 10-megapixel entry-level point-and-shoot with a 3x image-stabilized optical zoom and a 640×480 movie mode. The new Canon DIGIC 4 processor powers all of the new SD-Series PowerShot cameras.

The 12-megapixel Canon PowerShot SD950 IS is Canon’s current top-of-the-line point-and-shoot digital camera. It has a 3.7x optical zoom lens with image stabilization and a 2.5-inch LCD display as well as an optical viewfinder. All this is housed in a handsome, pocket-sized titanium body.

[Gonzo]

Check out this one:

Key Features:

• 12-megapixel sensor
• 3.7x optical zoom lens
• Image stabilization
• ISO 80 to 1600
• Digital Tele-Converter
• Face Detect auto focus
• 17 Shooting modes
• Optical viewfinder
• Movie mode

For me, the most important features of the Canon PowerShot SD950 IS are the 12-megapixel sensor, the image-stabilized lens, and the optical viewfinder. Most cameras are trading in optical viewfinders for a larger LCD display. But I like the accuracy of an optical viewfinder for action photo panning.

As far as exposure control goes, the SD950 IS is pretty standard point-and-shoot. It’s got an auto mode, a “manual” mode that offers exposure compensation, and 11 scene modes, including Beach, Fireworks, Kids & Pets, Portrait, etc. Besides exposure compensation control, the Manual mode also offers Stitch Assist panorama shooting, Digital Macro, Color Accent, and Color Swap modes. The SD950 IS can also shoot movies, with 6 different movie modes; Standard, High Resolution, Compact, Color Accent, Color Swap, and Time Lapse. In the Standard movie mode you can select your resolution and shoot until your memory card is full (maximum - 4GB). The Time Lapse movie mode will shoot for up to 2 hours at 1 or 2-second intervals to make and 8 or 4-minute movie.


The image-stabilized f/2.8-5.8 3.7x zoom lens is equivalent to 36-133mm on a 35mm camera. The SD950 IS also has 15x digital zoom as well as 1.5x and 2x Digital Tele-Converter settings. There are three focus settings - Normal, Macro, and Infinity. The Macro setting will focus as close as 5cm/2.0 in. (at the wide zoom setting). There’s also a Digital Macro mode which limits the shooting area to digitally zoom you in even closer.

Canon’s Face Detect is one of the three “AF Frame” options selectable in the main menu. The options are Center, AiAF, and Face Detect. Center uses only the center point, AiAF is an intelligent auto focus system which determines the most likely subject and focuses on it. Face Detect auto focus detects and focuses on people’s faces and also sets exposure for faces instead of the scene as a whole.

Processing is powered by Canon’s new DIGIC III processor, which Canon claims makes start-up and shot-to-shot time faster, as well as keeping shutter-lag to a minimum. The DIGIC III processor is also responsible for image processing and longer battery life.

One important feature that’s missing is a live histogram while you’re composing photos. There is a histogram display option when images are being reviewed. However, I didn’t even realize there was no live histogram until I was writing this review. So maybe the SD950 IS’s excellent exposure metering makes the live histogram feature superfluous.

[Pugsly]

Check this one:

Technical Specification:

• Type of Camera:

Compact digital still camera with built-in flash, 5x Optical/4x Digital/20x Combined Zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer System

• Image Capture Device:

Type: 12.1 Megapixel, 1/2.3-inch type Charge Coupled Device (CCD)
Total Pixels: Approx. 12.4 Megapixels
Effective Pixels: Approx. 12.1 Megapixels

• Lens

Focal Length: 6.6-33.0mm f/3.2-5.8 (35mm film equivalent: 37-185mm)
Digital Zoom: 4x
Focusing Range Normal: 1.6 ft./50cm-infinity
Macro: 0.8 in.-1.6 ft./2-50cm (W)
Digital Macro: 0.8-3.9 in./2-10cm (W)
Auto focus System: TTL Autofocus

• Viewfinder & Monitor

Viewfinder: N/A
LCD Monitor: 3.0-inch TFT color LCD with wide viewing angle
LCD Pixels: Approx. 461,000 dots
LCD Coverage: 100%

• Aperture and Shutter

Maximum Aperture: f/3.2 (W) - f/5.8 (T)
Shutter Speed: 15-1/1600 sec.; Long Shutter operates with noise reduction when manually set at 1.3-15 sec.

• Exposure Control

ISO Sensitivity: Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 equivalent
Light Metering Method: Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot
Control to incorporate facial brightness in Face Detection AF,
Metering frame is fixed to the center
Exposure Control Method Program AE, i-Contrast; AE Lock
Exposure Compensation +/-2 stops in 1/3-stop increments

• White Balance

White Balance Control Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom Control to incorporate facial brightness in Face Detection AF

• Flash

Built-in Flash: Auto, Red-eye Reduction, Auto Red-eye Correction, Flash On, Flash Off; FE lock, Slow Synchro
Flash Range: 1-11 ft./30cm-3.5m (W), 1-6.6 ft./30cm-2.0m (T) (when sensitivity is set to ISO Auto)
Recycling Time: 10 sec. or less (battery voltage=3.7V)
Flash Exposure Compensation: N/A

• Shooting Specifications

Shooting Modes:

Auto, Program, Portrait, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Fireworks, Creative Light Effect, Aquarium, Underwater, ISO 3200, Indoor, Kids & Pets, Night Snapshot, Color Accent, Color Swap, Digital Macro, Long Shutter, Exposure Zoom, Stitch Assist, Movie

Photo Effects:

My Colors
Vivid, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Custom

Self-Timer: Activates shutter after an approx. 2-sec./10-sec. delay, Face Detection: Self-timer
Wireless Control: Not available
Continuous Shooting: Approx. 1.0 fps

• Image Storage

Storage Media: SD/SDHC Memory Card, MultiMediaCard, MMC Plus Card, HC MMC Plus Card

File Format: Design rule for camera file system, DPOF Version 1.1

Image Compression: Normal, Fine

JPEG Compression Mode: Still Image: Exif 2.2 (JPEG)

Movie: MOV (Image: H.264;

Audio: Linear PCM (Monaural))

Number of Recording Pixels: Still Image: 4000 x 3000 (Large), 3264 x 2448 (Medium 1), 2592 x 1944 (Medium 2), 1600 x 1200 (Medium 3/Date Stamp), 640 x 480 (Small), 4000 x 2248 (Widescreen)
Movie: High Definition: 1280 x 720 (30 fps); Standard Definition: 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Available up to 4GB or 29 min. 59 sec. (HD)/60 min. (SD) per clip

[Regina]

Cool curves, powerful features and a fun new way to operate the camera mark Canon's PowerShot SD970 IS Digital ELPH. Amazing resolution and expanded editing options are yours with 12.1 megapixels, and you can even create HD movies. Shooting is fun and easy with Smart AUTO that makes all your shots better effortlessly, and there's a new user-friendly interface. And see how much fun it is to browse through your photos and even speed up image advance with a shake or tilt of the camera!

[Simond]

My Verdict on

Pros:

• Pocket-sized
• Great image quality for a point-and-shoot digital camera
• Optical viewfinder
• Optical image stabilization
• Excellent battery life
• Sexy, titanium body

Cons

• Lens isn’t wide enough
• No live histogram display
• No sports scene mode
• No shutter speed or aperture control
• A little slow