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

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Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.4 x 0.7 x 2.1 inches ; 4.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B001SER47Y
• Item model number: SD780IS Black
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (210 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6 in Camera & Photo (See Bestsellers in Camera & Photo)

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• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 17, 2009

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

It may be the slimmest Digital ELPH Canon has ever created, but the impact couldn’t be bigger. The PowerShot SD780 IS Digital ELPH captivates the senses with bold saturated colors and a daringly original design that matches the intensity of Canon’s most innovative camera technology. Even when picture-taking conditions seem pretty unforgiving, you’ve got Canon on your side. So the shots you used to miss are the images you’ll now be sharing, and the movies you never took before will be HD unforgettable.

PowerShot SD780 IS Highlights

12.1-megapixel resolution, 3x optical zoom lens with Optical Image Stabilizer
Canon’s commitment to innovation defines the excitement of the PowerShot SD780 IS Digital ELPH. 12.1-megapixel resolution is more than a number, it’s your cutting-edge link to the outstanding clarity and quality you’ve always wanted in your images. Think bold and big, because razor-sharp oversized prints are a breeze. Get the picture? It’s absolutely brilliant.

The PowerShot SD780 IS Digital ELPH has a 3x optical zoom lens that makes it easy to get the inspiring, emotive close-ups that will make your images lasting keepsakes. This magnificent lens gives you the power to shoot distant subjects with razor-sharp precision and stunning lifelike color. So you can brilliantly capture a closer shot of a landscape, or a child’s big smile.

The PowerShot SD780 IS Digital ELPH is equipped with Canon’s acclaimed Optical Image Stabilizer Technology that automatically detects and corrects camera shake--one of the leading causes of fuzzy or blurred shots. Even when zoomed in, you can get the steady, crisp, brilliant images you’ll be proud to shoot and share. And Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer Technology is so convenient to use. It functions perfectly with or without a flash.

HD movie shooting capability plus HDMI output
The PowerShot SD780 IS Digital ELPH lets you record video in beautiful high definition (1280 x 720 pixels). The camera also makes it easy to enjoy HD movies (and still photos) on your HDTV with a mini-HDMI connector for direct connection to a high-definition monitor. You’ll enjoy the HD experience with no degradation of image or audio in the signal, plus the ability to display up to 130 still images at once.

Smart AUTO intelligently selects the proper settings
Just set the Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Digital ELPH to Smart AUTO and you’re ready for maximum enjoyment from your picture taking every time. It’s a relaxing and satisfying way to shoot because you can completely concentrate on your subject knowing that the camera has the technical details covered. Advanced Canon technology intelligently analyzes your situation and shooting conditions. Then it automatically selects an appropriate setting from 18 specially defined settings. So whether you’re photographing flowers, a captivating sunset, or your friends at the park, you can be confident that you’re getting dramatic, memorable images.

Shooting Modes
Advanced presets for the best possible photos under certain conditions. With 20 Shooting Modes, you’re ready for whatever shot comes your way.

2.5-inch PureColor LCD II and wide viewing angle
The PowerShot SD780 IS Digital ELPH gives you a large 2.5-inch LCD screen for excellent control when framing your shots. Canon’s PureColor LCD II offers spectacular color, resolution and contrast even when viewed at an angle. 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.

A World of Advantages with Canon’s Technology

The DIGIC 4 image processor has evolved Face Detection Technology that tracks the faces of moving subjects and lets the shooter enter the frame seamlessly with the Face Detection Self-Timer.

DIGIC 4 Image Processor
Canon’s most advanced image processor, DIGIC 4, delivers evolved Face Detection Technology that keeps every face in every photo looking its very best. The technology finds and tracks the faces of moving subjects until you’re ready to shoot, then delivers perfect focus. In addition, exposure, flash and white balance are compensated, so that faces exhibit natural skin tones and backgrounds are properly exposed.

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 advanced DIGIC 4 Image Processor to improve focus speed and accuracy, as well as exposure and white balance.

A Face Detection Self-Timer automatically detects an increase in the number of faces and makes the appropriate adjustments. For instance, to include the photographer’s face in a group shot, there’s no need to rush in. Just put the camera on a stand or tripod, specify Face Detection Self-Timer, and the camera will wait for the photographer’s face to get on-camera before it takes the shot. Motion Detection tracks moving subjects in a much larger range, and the Servo AF retains focus on a moving subject after the shutter button is pressed halfway--allowing you to wait for the perfect shot without refocusing.

Intelligent Contrast Correction
DIGIC 4 also makes possible the i-Contrast (Intelligent Contrast Correction) system, which controls the compensation level in pixel units to brighten dark areas while leaving bright areas unchanged for better images where the main subject is dark, and more natural transition. The PowerShot SD780 IS Digital ELPH can even use i-Contrast in playback mode to adjust images that were shot without the setting activated.

Red-eye Correction provides three options for removing red-eye from subjects in flash pictures.
1) Red-eye Correction during shooting actually identifies and corrects red-eye in human subjects as pictures are taken.
2) The PowerShot SD780 IS Digital ELPH can be set to automatically detect and correct red-eye during image playback.
3) You can manually locate any red eyes in a scene during image playback on the LCD screen, and command the camera to remove them.

Life doesn’t give you second chances to capture special times. That’s why the PowerShot SD780 IS Digital ELPH features an ISO 1600 setting that reduces the effects of camera shake and sharpens subjects in low-light situations, giving you greater shooting flexibility. ISO can be expanded to 3200 when you select ISO 3200 Special Scene mode.

What's in the Box

• PowerShot SD780 IS Digital ELPH body
• Lithium-ion battery pack (NB-4L)
• Battery charger (CB-2LV)
• Wrist strap (WS-DC7)
• Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM
• USB interface cable (IFC-400PCU)
• AV cable (AVC-DC400)

Product Description

It may be the slimmest Digital ELPH Canon has ever created, but the impact couldn't be bigger. The PowerShot SD780 IS Digital ELPH captivates the senses with bold saturated colors and a daringly original design that matches the intensity of Canon's most innovative camera technology. Even when picture-taking conditions seem pretty unforgiving, you've got Canon on your side. So the shots you used to miss are the images you'll now be sharing, and the movies you never took before will be HD unforgettable.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

383 of 390 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A True Pocket Camera with HD Video, March 16, 2009

By	U. Wilkins (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews

I just purchased this Canon on a whim, earlier today at Best Buy. I have been tinkering with it for the majority of the evening. My previous SD300 is still working like a champ, however I have been considering a video camera for some time...after some peering at the video camera counter I wandered over to the point and shoot table... what initially drew me in to the SD780IS was its appearance on the display stand. The sleek matte-black body is very eye-pleasing...then I looked at the specs. and realized that it shoots video in HD! (1280x720) Then all the other attributes made me realize that it was time to update my "everywhere, anytime" camera.
I proceeded to check out some of the other Canon SD cameras. The SD960 became the other candidate...it has a little more glass(4x)zoom, over the SD780's (3x)zoom. The SD960 has an appealing f2.8 apeture over the SD780's f3.2. The SD960's screen is more tailored for the HD video capture as it has a 16:9 ratio LCD panel. (Kinda nice for instant viewing ON THE CAMERA)
After some thought I went with the SD780 for these reasons:

1. The HD video capability is awesome and comparible with the SD960. It has a HDMI jack. The traditional 4:3 screen does not bother me, because the video is ultimately going to be viewed on a HD TV.(There will be an upper and lower bar on 16:9 playback through the SD780's LCD).

2.The weaker 3x zoom is not a big deal as this camera is for general shooting(out w/ freinds, bars, random afternoon at the beach, mountain biking, etc.)and with this camera EASLIY fitting in my jeans pocket or camelbak, the portability is what gives me the opportunity to document those moments, that would otherwise be missed. The SD960 is a little bulkier(but still small). I do also shoot with a Canon 40D, accompanied with L optics, but the weight and bulkiness do not lend to certain shooting circumstances. (as mentined above)

3. The user interface on the SD780IS is like most (if not all?) preceeding SD cameras. While there is not much control in the way of shooting settings, feature buttons like flash override, AE lock, AF lock, and exposure compensation are present on the camera body. The SD960IS has two buttons and a jog wheel, which lend to swims in the menu. I'm sure the new interface on the 960 is intuitive, but I liked the 780 due to its similarity to my old SD300.

I am very happy with the results produced thus far with the SD780IS. The HD video is excellant, however it should be known that once recording you can only zoom digitally. Low light cabilities and sound in video mode are excellent. The stills I have taken look great. Also, to the budget-minded who are upgrading from older digital point-and-shoots, a class 4 minimum 4GB or 8GB SDHC card would be well suited due to the demanding memory of the 12.1 million pixels, and HD video. Also, most old card readers will not process the the SDHC cards so you may have to purchase a new card reader as well.

I have to mention it again...the small size of the Canon SD780IS is mind-blowing...and the functionality actually mirrors its beauty.

152 of 155 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Revolutionary! Beautiful and Powerful, March 24, 2009

By	W. Chan (New York City) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

OVERVIEW
Canon SD780IS is the perfect travel/everyday camera. It weighs a little over 4 ounces. The size of the camera is astonishing. It is smaller than my iPhone 3G and my wallet. I love the new 720p video recording HD feature on the 2009 Canon P+S line. The image stabilization for video/image stills is a winner. The clips are sharper and clearer than the clips from the Creative Vado HD and the Flip Video MinoHD.

PLAYBACK ON COMPUTERS
For video playback without choppiness on the computer, you need to have at least a Core 2 Duo 1.66 GHz or higher processor on Windows (Vista/XP SP2/XP SP 3) or Core Duo 1.66 GHz or higher processor on Mac OS X (v10.4-v10.5)

MEMORY CARD
You should get at least 8GB Sandisk Extreme III SDHC (Class 6 or higher) memory card for the camera. 4000x3000 resolution images can quickly fill up your 2/4GB SD memory card.

CONCLUSION
+ Quick Continuous Snapshots
+ 720p HD Video Recording with Image Stabilization
+ Lightning Quick Startup
+ Ultra-Compact Point & Shoot Camera (Thin + Light Combo)
+ Beautiful Design
+ Great for Beginners (Very Easy To Use)
+ Bright LCD Screen
+ DIGIC IV Technology
+ Blink Detection
+ Can Edit Video Clips on the go
+ Scene Detection Mode works Flawlessly

- No Optical Zoom in Video Mode while Recording (You can Digitally Zoom)
- Monotone Sound in Video Mode
- Only 3x Optical Zoom for image stills
- View Finder is Useless
- Little Noisy/Grainy when Using Higher Than ISO400 but Acceptable

SCORE/VERDICT
09/10: Recommended

370 of 405 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Noisy, but good, March 19, 2009

By	Adam Dachis "adachis" (Pasadena, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you want this little new camera from Canon it's probably due to it's attractive body and small size, something Canon has done well in the past and managed to improve upon in the SD780 IS. If those two things are topping your list, don't bother reading this review. You've succeeded in finding a tiny, attractive little camera that can go just about anywhere. If quality and features also matter, it's more of a mixed bag. As usual, when you make a camera this small, the form factor means sacrifices in more practical areas. Nonetheless, Canon does a nice job all-around in giving you an excellent value despite the shortcomings inherent in pocket photographic devices.

For owners of small pocket cameras, it should come as no surprise that noise is the number one problem with this device. With a 12MP sensor, it's no wonder there's so much noise in every photo you take. Outdoors, indoors, pitch black, whatever: it doesn't matter. You will see noise no matter how well-lit your scene is, whether there are dark areas or not. This is a huge drawback if you're printing large photos. If you're like most people and only go beyond 4x6 or 5x7 for that occasional photo that warrants an 8x10, you don't have much to worry about. Though cramming 12MP into a tiny little sensor, like the one used in the SD780 IS, is certainly a cause of the high levels of noise, the resolution it provides makes the noise imperceptible when printing small photographs. You may notice it in an 8x10 photo taken at night, but for your smaller prints you should get by just fine.

Where noise is a bigger problem is in the video mode. Since the introduction of their 5D Mark II DSLR, Canon's begun to embrace high-definition video across their photographic line. Though few cameras in Canon's arsenal can capture HD video at this time, I believe by the end of 2009 it should be more the norm than the exception. While the SD780 IS doesn't capture 1080p video like the 5D Mark II, or it's (much) bigger brother the SX1S IS, 720p is quite a feat for a camera this small. It's comparable in size to the Flip Mino HD and only costs about $50 more (if you're comparing by suggested retail pricing). Though not as straightforward and simple as the Flip, by virtue of being a still camera first and a video device second, if you're looking for a device that does both and are willing to pay a little extra you've found it. The video quality in the Canon SD780 IS is more uniformly sharp (in daylight or indoors), though the Flip Mino HD tends to pick up slightly more detail in the distance (in daylight, not indoors). The SD780 IS gives you selective focus and stabilization. While you may not care for selective focus, the image stabilization offered in the SD780 IS is very nice to have when taking video clips. The image stabilizer allows for nice, smooth pans that are not offset by the "jello effect" you get with CMOS sensors. The Flip uses a CMOS and has that issue. The SD780 IS uses a CCD and does not. The SD780 also offers H.264 encoding at an average bit rate of about 24Mbps. For H.264 720p video, this is a very high bit rate from a device. Nonetheless, the files aren't too big. If you've got a 16GB SDHC card you'll get about an hour and a half of video. Where the Flip does a better job, however, is in noise.

Though the Flip isn't exactly the best device in low light, it still manages pretty well for a tiny little camera. The SD780 IS looks noisy in every situation. While the high megapixel rating keeps the noise harder to see in a photo, when you're dealing with 720p video the noise is very apparent. You can see it in perfect daylight, though it's not that bothersome, and you can really see it indoors regardless of the lighting. This is a noisy camera. Though it's forgivable in the photographs, in most cases, it really hurts the video mode. Given the limitations of the tiny hardware and the unfortunate megapixel race, noise reduction would've been nice. Nonetheless, if you're looking for an incredibly tiny device that records HD video, the SD780 IS should by high on your list by virtue of its stabilization.

Being that this is a primarily a still camera and not a video device, there are a lot of positives to look at. Let's start on the outside and work our way in. Canon's clearly put a lot of thought into the form factor. Regardless of what color you get, I think most will agree that this is a very attractive device. It's compact and light, so taking it with you will seem about the same as not taking it with you: you will often forget you have it. On one hand, that's very nice. On the other, make sure you don't lose it. Though it's not the smallest camera you can buy, it feels a lot smaller than it is. This could be an issue for some people. I've owned and/or reviewed a large number of consumer imaging devices and I've never run into the problems that some seem to have with button size. I've used a Sony camera that's a bit smaller than this one and had no issues, whatsoever, with accidental presses. The SD780 IS is the first device I've owned where I often make these mistakes. If you have big fingers, you will probably find this device extremely frustrating. For me, the problem is primarily with what I'll call the function wheel. Kind of like an iPod, in the center is a Function/Set button surrounded by a wheel of four other options. Though this is not a new interface for Canon, it's awfully small on the SD 780 and it's very easy to mistakenly push the wrong button on the wheel (or the center button). Personally, I don't find myself running into this problem too often because I'm not frequently changing settings. Nonetheless, it's something you should consider if you've had trouble with accidental button pushes in the past.

The other switches, however, are quite easy to deal with. The other four buttons on the back panel have quite a bit of space around them, even when not considering how small this camera is, and pushing them is no trouble at all. One is a switch that goes from automatic photo mode to custom photo mode to video mode. Though I've come to prefer separate buttons for starting a video and taking a photo, much like Sanyo does with their line of convergence cameras (which they're now calling "dual cameras"), this switch works well in the sense that it keeps you in the mode and saves you from remembering which button to push when you want something. More importantly, switching modes is about as fast as you could ask for. Though it's not my preferred way to switch modes (because I prefer the devices to seem like there's no switch at all), it doesn't really end up being a problem.

Lastly, there are two buttons on the top of the camera. One is for the shutter and the other is the power button. If you have large fingers, good luck pushing the power button. It's tiny and it isn't raised at all. I consider my fingers normal-sized and have no difficulty pushing the button but if you're concerned, go try the camera in a store before you buy it. As for the shutter, that's no problem at all. You half-depress to focus and press fully to take the photo, like you would with pretty much any digital camera on the market. There is also a zoom ring around the shutter button which has a tiny little edge to it for your finger to flick. It works quite well, despite being as tiny as it is. For the most part, the camera is very easy to control despite its size. Though you may have difficulty when changing settings, when it comes to general operation (aside from turning it on and off) you shouldn't run into issues.

My two favorite parts of the SD780 IS body are its large screen and port access. The screen is incredibly bright and clear, even at half brightness (which is where it starts out of the box and probably where you want to leave it), and is well protected by a glass covering. Smudging is easy to clean but be careful of scratches. The refresh rate of the screen is also excellent. Color accuracy is surprisingly good and realistic, assuming you're not using the "my colors" feature. I've come to expect less from Canon's devices (especially in the white balancing department) and I was pleasantly surprised. While that isn't entirely the display's job, what I see on the screen is what I see in reality. No complaints. If you prefer shooting from the viewfinder, which is perfectly reasonable, you will definitely be disappointed. The option is nice, of course, but it's so incredibly tiny that it seems more for show than for any actual use. I appreciate Canon's inclusion, but I can pretty much guarantee it will never be used for any practical purpose. My other favorite part is the port access, because it's exactly how I like it. In the top left corner (if you're looking at the back of the camera), you pull off this little piece of plastic to reveal a mini HDMI port and a mini USB port. There's no proprietary connections. It's nice to see a tiny camera not sacrifice connectivity for the sake of size. To transfer pictures, just pull the plastic covering away and plug the camera into your computer. The process is the same if you want to connect the camera via HDMI to your HDTV. Canon doesn't include the necessary cable, which is a shame, but being that I've never once connected my camera to a television I'm not really bothered. They do give you a standard definition cable, however, so you're not stranded with no options. On the bottom of the camera there is the usual slide-off access to the battery and memory card. Canon really crammed them both in there, but in a way that's impressive and not cumbersome. Additionally, they managed a tripod head mount on the bottom as well, and you can pull away a little rubber covering to reveal a hole for the tripod head's stabilizer (the little piece that doesn't screw in but holds... Read more ›