Cheap Canon PowerShot SD780IS12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Black)

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.Get more detail about Canon PowerShot SD780IS12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Black).