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

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 8x10 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. Get more detail about Canon PowerShot SD780IS12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Black).