Customer Reviews

Canon PowerShot SD950IS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 3.7x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Titanium)

5 star:		(111)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Got it 2 days ago and I'm impressed. Other reviews on net generally like the camera but think price is somewhat high and 12 MP is overkill. A) It is expensive; all new camera models are high for several months when they come out. If you can afford it without problem then you get it now. Otherwise your choice is perhaps the SD850 at $150 less or waiting a while for price drop. B) The same overkill thing was said when 5 MP, 6 MP, .... became widely available. 12, 8, 5, and lower MP settings are readily available without entering menu. I set mine on 8 MP and, if desired, will change to 12 MP if the thought occurs for special pics. Now that you can order poster sized prints for cheap prices on Shutterfly and SnapFish you'd be amazed by the ease, cost and quality of them. Also hard drive space has gotten cheap and you could keep 1000's of 12 MP files on $20 worth of hard drive space now.
The other reviews have it right on the quality of the camera and its results. The photos are sharp, color accurate and, in Manual mode, have many SLR, non-auto type choices such as WB, exposure setting, shutter speed (long exposure) setting, color accent, focus lock, .....; The movie setting is simple to use, gives you choice of HD (15 fps, sl. jerky at rapid movement but with quality sharpness or 30 fps standard). Easy to import into iMovie without added Canon software (don't know about PC ease). Manual is logical though 220 pages in English. Has few errors, particularly for long shutter speed it states pressing "menu" but should read "disp." Finally, I dumped my Olympus Stylus 750 because I absolutely could not take photos outside on sunny days due to LCD washout and NO VIEWFINDER. Before getting the Olympus, I had read on their site that the LCD was "bright" with new technology that would not wash out. That's why I did not consider the SD700, 800, 1000, ... which have no viewfinder. That said, the 950 LCD really works well outside though I've only used it a couple times outside thus far.

I am not too much into the digital camera world but I bought this one for my wife who previously owned a Sony DSC P100. After reviewing several web sites, especially one that only compares different pictures in different situations for a lot of cameras, the SD950 was the one that gave overall the best pictures. At least the review was not biaised by the impressions and subjectivity of the reviewer, just pictures taken by digital cameras.
I was first tempted by a Panasonic DCM-TZ3 which has on paper better specs. However, shots in low light are disappointing for the Pana and the flash is awful, the pictures taken are not at all balanced.
So to come back to the Canon Powershot SD 950 (Or Ixus 960 I believe, depending on your country):
=> I was first impressed by the quality that you feel when you open the box, presumably because of the titanium; but at this level of price, this is normal!
=> This is a very intuitive camera, the ergonomy is good: it is true that the on/off button is close to the shutter button but it was the same with the Sony: all it takes is a bit of habit. Also the movie mode is very easy to use, much easier than with the Sony. You can also basically post edit your film with the supplied software.
=> The pictures taken are great, I will not post some here, you can go to flickr. The 12MP can be a drawback, especially if you upload a lot of pictures but of course you can set-up your camera to take only 8MP pictures for instance.
=> The lens is bright for a point and shoot and the numeric noise is well mastered, even in low light conditions.
=> The Image Stabilizing feature works very well, Canon used here an optical solution, which is much, much better than a numeric IS found on cheaper cameras.
=> The camera is quick, not only to power on but also between shots. I was a bit afraid because I ordered a regular Kingston 2GB but even set at 12MP, this is not longer than the Sony at 5MP; in other words even with a regular memory card (no "extreme" which are more expensive), the wait between the shots is satisfactory.

Now the cons.
=> I would have prefered more manual settings. You have a lot of programs (including macro, fireworks, aquarium, etc) that set the shutter speed and aperture for you but you cannot set these values yourself. It does not mean that you cannot set anything yourself, you can adjust the white balance, compensate the exposure, etc. but you would have liked to be able to set-up the aperture and/or the speed, especially if you owned a SLR before.
=> With the big LCD screen, the battery life is only correct. I would encourage you, if you have some bucks left, to buy a second battery sold on Amazon as well.

To summarize, except if you absolutely want to be able to control your point and shoot like a SLR, go for the SD950, you will not regret it!

I'm a Canon convert with this camera. I've had several small point and shoot cameras - this is hands-down the best I've owned. The previous one had some serious issues with the images, they were over-processed - detail was fuzzed out and there was nothing you could do about it. Some of the megapixel race cameras (that was 10mp) have issues because of that in-camera processing. This Canon has absolutely excellent quality images, and the camera is everything I could hope for in a camera this size. I'm amazed how well the SD950 captures the essence of light - previous cameras have been a compromise but this camera captures sunsets, clouds, vegetation, people with life-like colors. The face recognition technology makes amazingly good people shots. I like the tiny format for being able to take it with me all the time - I can bring my DSLR on planned outings, but the little Canon is always ready.

I have pretty big hands and this camera is easy for me to grip and handle - other reviews noted this and they are absolutely correct. It looks sleek and smooth, but it's nearly perfect in terms of gripping it and controlling it.

All-in-all, this seems to be the nearly perfect shirt pocket point and shoot camera!

Pros:

Pocketable, viewfinder (small but better than not having one), bright and wide view LCD display, intuitive simple controls, nice telephoto zoom, image stabilization, easy menu operation, automatic modes almost always capture what you want, excellent - especially for a 12mp camera - images, superb movie mode, decent album and editing software, easy downloading.

Cons:

Limited manual operation, while shooting, thumb can open battery door if you're not careful, USB door barely opens enough to get plug in.

I just returned from a photo shoot at the beach using my new Canon PowerShot SD950IS (with a SanDisk 2GB Extreme III SD card), and my Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1 MP SLR camera (with a SanDisk 2GB Ultra II CF card) with a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens. I had each camera set to the maximum resolution, and took a number of "identical" pictures with each camera. I fully expected the Digital Rebel (2 lbs, 15 oz) to outperform the SD950IS (6.5 oz). To my amazement, the result was just the opposite. The detail, sharpness, clarity and color in the photos taken with the SD950IS were noticeably better. I don't intend to ditch the Digital Rebel, but will definitely feel that I'm not compromising on quality when I leave the bulk behind and travel with the SD950IS.

I've owned around a dozen digital cameras over the years and have always been in search of the Holy Grail of image quality. I finally found it 2 years ago with the Canon EOS 5D, a full-frame 12.3 megapixel DSLR. Recently, I decided to see if I could find a compact that even came close to the 5D. Well, guess what? Here it is. Aside from the 5D, this is the best camera I have ever used. Hands down the image quality is as superb as it comes...smooth, crisp, well exposed, and clean. I now have a take-anywhere to just throw in my pocket when the 5D would be overkill. Trust me when I say that this camera will be a legend. It is that good. In fact, I'll likely pick up another one when its succcesor comes out and the price drops.

UPDATE: After using my SD 950 IS for few weeks, it is clearly not anything near a Canon 5D. Although there are a lot of pixels, the 950's resolving power simply can't compete with a Canon L-class lens. No surprise of course but don't expect pro quality just because you have 12 megapixels. I still love the SD 950 IS for what it is but make no mistake about what it isn't.

My former digital camera is a Nikon 4500 that was 6 years old, cost $700+, and is still working. The Canon was a major jump in MP count, size reduction, SDHC storage, and convenience. 12MP really is overkill in many cases. It produces image files from 2-6+ MB, which takes up a large amount of storage and has such detail that you can zoom and crop, but how many of us will take advantage of this on a regular basis?

Even with image stabilization I've had a few shots come out blurry, even though I hold and take the photo as if there is no stabilization. There is no full manual mode , however there are several pre-set modes for different settings and events. The aiaf-artificially intelligent auto focus as well as the 'face detection,' mode of autofocus are also spotty and will focus on some very strange spots at times, which requires you to refocus or reframe the shot.

The unit itself is small, light, well constructed. The only part that seems poorly thought out is the cover for the mini-usb and headphones ports. Hard to get open and awkward.

Controls are very intuitive and well placed. Menu system is simple with easy navigation. The camera turns on fast and also has a fast auto focus. The LCD is large, clear, bright, and very nice.

Being able to use the camera to take video that is limited to 1 hour is also a nice feature. Perfect for capturing short clips, events, scenery, etc.

After researching, reading reviews, etc., the only major concern is the motor used to drive the lens assembly. There are people who have this drive fail, rendering the camera useless and Canon has not admitted to any defect or fixed the issue, but it could be a limited concern.

Overall this is a great pocket camera. Some of the drawbacks, such as no true manual mode are not really legitimate, since this camera is not exactly a digital SLR, but it does serve the needs and purpose for which it is designed.

This is my third Canon SD, and it's the best by far. I also have a Canon S3 IS(12x optical zoom), but the 950 with 12 megapixels takes pretty good extreme zoom shots and is about 1/3 the size of the S3. The 950 shoots digital zoom to 500+mm (35mm equivalent), and an 8x10 at that zoom lacks some sharpness but really does not have any obvious graininess. The S3 is going to get a lot of shelf time.

This camera is fantastic. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great, durable, high quality camera. You will need more hard drive space. The photos range from 2.5Mb to 4.5Mb at the 12Mb setting.
I would also recommend buying the 4Gb Sandisk Extreme III disk, it will reduce the read/write time speeding up performance.

Used this camera on our trip to New Zealand and took some great pictures.
The camera boots and takes a photo in < 2 secs, great for unexpected shots.

Very satisfied with this camera. Great job Canon.

I've owned Digital Elphs ever since they were just 2.0MP. I really loved that camera at the time but this new one is simply amazing. Each camera in the line has been a step up, although basically it's the same camera. You don't have a learning curve with each new one.

12.1 Mega Pixels! It takes a hefty SD card to get plenty of photos, but you can now get an 8MP SD size for under $50.00. Even with a 4GB SD card, you get around 750 images at top resolution. This is all the resolution you will probably ever need. You'll be able to enlarge to poster size or crop areas with excellent results. But remember that for your average photos, you really don't need this much resolution. I had a Digital Elph which was 7.1MP for years and it was more than enough. There are 8.0MP Elphs available that you'll be extremely pleased with. This camera is for people who know who they are.

Plus, the camera has all the bells and whistles that you've come to expect (just check out the Canon ad on Amazon's website): 1,600 ASA, face detection autofocus, 2.5" screen (plus a viewfinder), pretty high resolution movies with mono sound.

Whether this is your first Digital Elph or an upgrade, you won't be disappointed: Beautiful color, high resolution and accurate auto focus, automatic lens cover, image stabilizer, decent zoom and made from a single sheet of Titanium. You'll just enjoy holding it.

I also have the Canon Digital Rebel XTi SLR and that's a magnificent camera but who wants to carry that around on a trip? This thing fits in your purse or pocket or in an optional case that slips into your belt.

Certainly Canon will further upgrade this highly successful line, but I know that I'll be happy with this one for years to come. It is simply amazing that all this technology fits into such a beautiful and small package.

You always take the good with the bad with any point-and-shoot camera. So whether this is the camera for you depends on how you plan to use it.

Good Points: It's attractive and takes good shots in full outdoor light. Has just enough manual adjustments to give you some flexibility, though it's really a P&S no matter what. Power up time is relatively quick, though not instantaneous enough to capture a fast-moving toddler.

Not-So-Good Points: this camera is surprisingly bad indoors. If you use the flash, it will give you clear shots, though you'll end up with photos that have a very bright subject and dark backgrounds - the kind you used to get with those Kodak disposable cameras. Should be better than that for a camera at this price. Plus, when you use the flash, there is a 1-2 second delay before the shutter clicks while the camera charges up the flash.

If you do not use the flash, you are likely to get a lot of blurry shots. I tried it in our dining room on a sunny afternoon with plenty of natural light. Even with ISO set to 400, the camera "shake" indicator lit up, alerting me that it would be blurry - which it was. This happens even with the Image Stabilization turned on. One look at the exposure tells you why: 2.8f at 1/15! By comparison, my Canon 5D with a 50mm 1.4f lens registered the exact same shot at 4f and 1/250.

Another irritation is the USB port door, which doesn't seem to open far enough to allow you to easily insert the cable. Also, the door is attached by a single, flimsy plastic tab that seems certain to snap off before too long. Apparently this is an ongoing problem with the whole line (based on what I've read in other reviews).

Bottom line: great camera for tossing into a bag on an outdoor vacation. Not so great camera for shooting good looking pics anywhere inside that is not lit like a fashion shoot.