Canon PowerShot SD790IS 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

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Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.6 x 2.2 x 0.8 inches ; 5.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0011ZK6OS
• Item model number: B0011ZK6OS
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (211 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #409 in Camera & Photo (See Bestsellers in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 13, 2008

Product Description

Manufacturer Description

Manufacturer Description

Chiseled edges with a subtle gleam give this PowerShot SD790 IS Digital ELPH distinctive sculptural appeal. Just as attractive are its high-end specifications, including 10 megapixels of resolution plus Face Detection and Motion Detection Technology that delivers the ultimate in crisp, clear, amazingly detailed images. Prepare to be transfixed by the view from the camera’s 3.0-inch PureColor LCD II screen. With rich, accurate color and superb clarity, the screen is easy to view at wide angles too -- perfect for gathering a group around to see your images.

PowerShot SD790IS Highlights

1x zoom/3x zoom

Advanced 10-megapixel Digital ELPH with 3x optical zoom and Optical Image Stabilizer The PowerShot SD790 IS Digital ELPH offers impressive core technologies. The 10.0-megapixel CCD gives you extraordinary flexibility in cropping and enlarging: the detail and resolution are so fine that you can take any part of an image and enlarge it with confidence. The 3x optical zoom can more than handle your everyday shooting. Canon’s exclusive Optical Image Stabilizer automatically detects and cancels camera shake, ensuring that your images are crisp and blur-free throughout the zoom range.

Motion Detection Technology automatically detects subject movement and optimizes exposure control to reduce blur Life doesn’t stand still for picture-taking. That’s why Canon included its advanced Motion Detection Technology in the PowerShot SD790 IS Digital ELPH. This sophisticated feature works in the background to instantly evaluate how fast your subject is moving. Then it automatically selects and sets the optimal exposure and ISO settings to keep everything looking sharp and clear. When you need higher ISOs for action-stopping shutter speeds, Motion Detection Technology provides it. But when no movement is detected, it allows lower ISOs for excellent color and detail. So whether you’re shooting a bride walking down the aisle, a ballet recital or even a child’s soccer game, you can relax and shoot with confidence knowing you’ve got the picture you intended.

Large 3.0-inch PureColor LCD II screen for bright, accurate color and wide viewing angle The PowerShot SD790 IS Digital ELPH gives you large 3.0-inch LCD screen for excellent control when framing your shots. Canon’s PureColor LCD II offers more spectacular color, resolution and contrast even when viewed at an angle (compared to PureColor LCD). The screen is highly durable and easy to see in any light with a scratch-resistant, anti-reflective coating. It also features Night Display for easy viewing in low light -- a perfect feature for gathering friends and family around to see your images.

With Canon's Face Detection WB (right), skin tones are not affected by overall lighting

Improved Face Detection Technology sets the focus, exposure, flash and white balance automatically Canon's powerful Face Detection Technology delivers even better results with the new SD790 IS Digital ELPH. The Face Detection Technology continues to recognize faces in a scene, concentrate exposure (daylight or flash) and focus upon them. But the SD790 IS Digital ELPH adds more: Face Detection WB means the camera concentrates upon faces when calculating white balance for the best possible skin tones. Face Select and Track lets the SD790 IS Digital ELPH user highlight one face among several in a scene, and the camera concentrates on that person, even as they move around the scene. Face Detection Technology is a powerful contributing factor in Canon's new Motion Detection Technology.

And with 19 Shooting Modes including 12 Special Scene Modes, you’re ready for whatever shot comes your way.

Edgy, stylish design combined with a cool new button configuration for great operability It’s all about edge with the PowerShot SD790 IS Digital ELPH. Sculptured angles not only ratchet up this Digital ELPH’s "look at me" quotient, but add an extra degree of control for superior handling. Gleaming cut surfaces emphasize the camera’s slim style. A cutting-edge control dial makes accessing functions and operations easier than ever. Large, flat buttons in an intuitive configuration are uniquely attractive and fun to use.

DIGIC III Image Processor for superior image quality and improved functionality With DIGIC III, your images boast superior quality, the camera operates at top efficiency and battery life is enhanced. What’s more, DIGIC III enables Canon’s Face Detection Technology and Red-eye Correction to give you better, more true-to-life people shots. Simply press the Shutter Button halfway down, and the camera automatically pinpoints the faces in the scene and chooses the ideal focus point. The camera controls exposure settings and flash to keep every face looking bright and natural. Red-eye Correction can be handled in-camera, in two ways. The entirely new Red-eye Correction during shooting uses the Face Detection Technology to recognize and remove red-eye from flash images as they're taken, before the file is written to the memory card. It's also possible to correct red-eye during image playback, using simple settings in the SD790 IS Digital ELPH's menu.

iSAPS Technology is an entirely original scene-recognition technology developed for digital cameras by Canon. Using an internal database of thousands of different photos, iSAPS works with the fast DIGIC III Image Processor to improve focus speed and accuracy, as well as exposure and white balance.

Red-eye Correction provides three options for removing red-eye from subjects in flash pictures.
1) The new Red-eye Correction during shooting actually identifies and corrects red-eye in human subjects as pictures are taken.
2) The SD790 IS Digital ELPH can be set to automatically detect and correct red-eye during image playback.
3) The user can manually locate any red eyes in a scene during image playback on the LCD screen, and command the camera to remove them.

The PowerShot SD790 IS Digital ELPH also features ISO 1600 and High ISO Auto settings that reduce the effects of camera shake and sharpen subjects in low-light situations, giving you greater shooting flexibility.

Print/Share Button for easy direct printing and downloading The PowerShot SD790 IS Digital ELPH's Print/Share button makes direct printing easier than ever. Simply connect the SD790 IS Digital ELPH to a Canon PIXMA photo printer or SELPHY compact photo printer or any PictBridge compatible photo printer, press the lighted Print/Share button and print! Also use the Print/Share button to transfer images to a computer (Windows and Macintosh).

Print your own ID photos in up to 28 different sizes or use the Movie Print function to output multiple stills from a recorded movie on a single sheet with a Canon SELPHY compact photo printer.

Product Description

Chiseled edges with a subtle gleam give this PowerShot SD790 IS Digital ELPH distinctive sculptural appeal. Just as attractive are its high-end specifications, including 10 megapixels of resolution plus Face Detection and Motion Detection Technology that delivers the ultimate in crisp, clear, amazingly detailed images. Prepare to be transfixed by the view from the camera's 3.0-inch PureColor LCD II screen. With rich, accurate color and superb clarity, the screen is easy to view at wide angles too - perfect for gathering a group around to see your images.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

781 of 802 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Canon SD790 IS - A Great All-Around Point & Shoot Camera, May 30, 2008

By	Mark "Technology, Music and Movies" (East Coast) - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)

Canon's 790 IS is a great all-around point and shoot Camera. Canon has been playing with various mixes of features and prices with their newer models. The model numbers are confusing, but I've gone through a few new models recently and hope this extra info may help you.

Even though I do own a few older Canon DSLRs, for point and shoot I've been leaning more towards Nikon's Coolpix S series for the better pricing and some features. I did a lot of research into the various models in this price range. The 790IS stands up well against the competition. And for my needs it's more appealing than Canon's SD890IS , SD950IS, SD770IS or SD1100IS models.

** The Nikon Coolpix S52c with Wi-Fi has all the good stuff that's included with the Nikon Coolpix S52 plus a wireless antenna for uploading pictures without syncing to your PC. Either of these is a better value than the Canon 790 or 770 at about 30% less. To be fair though, they cost less for a reason, since Canon has owned this market segment for a while.

** 10 megapixels is a good capacity on the higher end for point and shoot cameras. I wouldn't expect it to produce better pictures than 8 or 9 MP models. You may have good reason to set your image size smaller within the camera. However having the *option* of more megapixel's gives you certain large image format options you wouldn't otherwise have. Hence the meaning behind the much maligned statement, "more never hurts." That doesn't mean you always want to use more, but it's nice to be able to versus other cameras. The 770 and 890 each also offer 10 MP and the 950 offers 12 MP, though at a much higher price. The Nikon S600 also has 10 MP. The 9 MP of the Nikon S52c was enough for me, so the 790's 10 MP is a slight upgrade.

** 3x optical zoom is also a perfect amount that tends to not result in blurred photos. The 950IS and the 870IS each has 5x optical zoom, but both have smaller screens and thicker bodies. Digital zoom is irrelevant to me.

** Canon's image processing is faster and more reliable than on my Nikon. The built-in image stabilization, face detection and motion detection reduce blur. I simply wouldn't consider a Canon without IS at this point.

**Just like the Nikon, and unlike many other Canon models I was looking into, the 3 inch LCD screen is too beautiful to ignore. No view-finder here, but with this beautiful screen you don't really need one. The Nikon's screen is best of all, and made from a nicer glass that seems more durable. But this Canon is just as big and very nice as well.

** In terms of memory compatibility, Canon's lead this group. Just like the Nikon they support SD and larger SDHC cards. And they also support the wide range of MMC, MMC Plus, and HC MMC Plus. No usable card is included, but you can get a nice 8 GB SDHC for only 30 or 40 bucks.

** All those common extras for in-camera editing are included here. The Canon has a lot of extra shooting modes too. These may aid casual users a lot, but you have to spend some time studying the manual and playing with them. I haven't used them all a great deal, but I'm generally happy with using minimal adjustments instead of the shooting modes.

** The control wheel and buttons are intuitive but not as tactile as on the Nikon. I'm not crazy about the flattened buttons. But if you really want a Canon with a 3 inch screen, you give up the buttons. As for the wheel, those not used to it should have no trouble adjusting.

** The other advantage of the Nikon S52 is the internal zoom. That means no waiting for the lens to zoom in and out, and no worries about the mechanical issues with those external lens extension cameras. It is possible to view pictures on the 790 IS without activating the lens by pressing the view button. But for taking pictures, the lens articulates out.

** The slim chiseled body of this Canon is very comparable to the S52 and more attractive than the rounder and fatter 870, 890 and 950. I still prefer the Nikon body design, but the Canon definitely feels more solid in your hand.

** Picture taking is better feeling on the Canon, with a more effective button design, less lag and faster shutter. It's true that some manual controls aren't available here, but it's a point and shoot. Step up to a bridge model like the Canon G9 or the Nikon P80 if you want more manual controls.

** Low light performance is better with the Canon in auto but better with the Nikon when the ISO is set manually. On balance I think the S52 is better in this area.

** The wireless upload feature is a nice extra on the S52c. Connecting to a wireless access point takes some time. This is not a feature I plan on using often, but considering even the S52c is significantly less pricey than the 790 it's almost like a freebee. Upload speeds are too slow for video, but for pictures it will do in a pinch.

** The video recording features are pretty similar but slightly better on the Canon. The video quality is great on both and sound quality could be improved on both.

** The Canon PowerShot SD870IS and the Nikon Coolpix S600 each offer widescreen lenses. The 790IS is on the cusp of wide-lens aperture. The SD870IS is clearly the most popular camera in that group. Like the S600 it also has an externally articulating lens, so it's less compact than the S52. The S600 is a serious competitor but the 790IS is still nicer looking and the 870IS is much more popular. The 870IS has a ton of in depth reviews out there, so look them up.

** All of the ELPHs have proprietary rechargeable batteries. Plan on recharging them often and buying a spare battery. You'll also need to buy a little case for this camera. Some bridge models like the Nikon Coolpix P60, Canon PowerShot A590IS and Canon PowerShot A720IS offer the convenience of AA batteries. If you plan on travelling a lot internationally, being able to use AAs comes in handy.


This is a great camera, and probably the best Elph out there right now.

1) If you plan on shooting a lot in auto mode and want a thin camera with the 3 inch screen, the 790IS is the way to go.
2) If you think you might use the Wifi upload feature, prefer the internal lens or are looking for the best value, the S52c or S52 is the way to go.
3) If you don't need the 3 inch screen and just prefer Canon to Nikon, go with the 770 IS or the 1100 IS to save some cash.
4) If you need something that doesn't force you to use those proprietary batteries and chargers, check out the P60, A590 or A720.
5) If you want a little wider lens capabilities and don't mind spending a little more cash, look at Nikon S600 and the very popular Canon 870IS.

I know this is a lot to digest. I hope you can benefit from this info and the recent spree of camera purchases I've made.

Enjoy your new camera.

101 of 103 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly Point & Shoot - A Fantastic Camera, June 30, 2008

By	R. Kinslow (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm getting married in two months, so I began looking for a camera for use on the honeymoon, to replace my Casio EX-Z57.

I'm hardly a professional photographer; mostly I take pictures of family and friends in party situations, or scenery.

Ideally my new camera would fit easily in my pocket, would have a large LCD screen suitable for reviewing pictures at parties, and would produce great pictures on the "automatic" settings. Manual settings are lost on me; I don't want to mess with the F-stop setting, white balance, or focus.

I started doing quite a bit of research, and was a little intimidated by the number of models on the market. I created a spreadsheet to sort through the 25 most popular models on amazon.

My primary criteria was:

LCD Screen Size
Thickness
Resolution

Secondary Were:

Optical Zoom
Price

This camera ended up on top. I summoned my courage, added it to my cart, and hit "checkout".

I received the camera 3 days later, and fell in love on the first day of using it.

Observations:

The 3.0" LCD screen is bright, and is clearly visible even in bright sun. I don't miss the viewfinder.

The camera is very small (3.6 x 2.2 x 0.8) and fits easily into my pocket. Surprisingly light, much more so than my old Casio, which was the same approximate dimensions (3.5 x 2.3 x 0.8).

Pictures taken on the "auto" mode look beautiful, both on the computer screen and my 42" plasma. Colors seem accurate, and everything is very crisp. People's faces don't look washed out, or orange. For additionaly testing, I took pictures in bright sun, of faraway objects, and things up close (about 4 inches), and everything came out great.

Video is surprisingly good, but VERY file sizes are large. My first video was about a minute and a half, and was about 150 Megabytes. Played on Playstation 3 (the Casio wouldn't).

The 3x optical zoom works fine. I expected a little more for a camera in this pricerange, but I realize you have to sacrifice something for a camera to be this thin.

Concerns:

I was worried that I wouldn't like the "new" buttons, which aren't actually buttons at all, but similar to a Motorola Razr. They work well so far though.

The scroll wheel. It actually rotates, unlike one you'd see on an iPod. As a mechanical engineer, I know moving parts will wear out. Durability may be an issue, but on the plus side, it has really improved navigation through the menus.

Overall, it's a fantastic camera, and has exceeded all my expectations. I would reccommend it without reservations to any of my friends, and am looking forward to the pictures it will take of my honeymoon.

5-Stars

228 of 240 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Fantastic Camera, May 4, 2008

By	Greg Iles Fan (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

Canon PowerShot SD790IS 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

I did a lot of research before purchasing this camera. I have been disappointed and frustrated by the last three or four digital cameras I purchased, and got a little wiser this time. I mostly use my cameras for vacations and snapshots, nothing earthshattering, but I have, in the past, had a lot of trouble with blurry, vague, dark pictures, except with my very large digital Kodak, which is too big to take on an upcoming trip.
I purchased a 4G highspeed sd card and an extra battery and leather case along with this camera. When I received it, I charged it, actually read the manual, then started taking lots of photos, and I am having a great time with it. Maybe this will turn me into a half way decent photographer.
My initial battery charge is lasting a very long time, (two weeks +, and it is still fully charged) and the pictures are the best I have ever taken.
I am blown away by all the things this camera will do, and how easy it is to figure out, all in a small but sturdy package.
Most of all, I am super happy with the quality of the photos, and cannot recommend this camera highly enough. I was a little concerned initially at the lack of an optical view finder, but the screen is excellent, and its brightness level is adjustable. The camera turns on and is ready to use almost instantly, and focusses quickly. Pictures turn out sharp and clear, even with the flash, the zoom works easily with a very accessible button, and there is absolutely no red eye.
I cannot give you a very technical review, I am just a regular casual user.
I am very impressed, having fun, and cannot recommend this camera highly enough, it exceeds all my expectations.