Wednesday, April 29, 2009

"iContrast" - SD1200IS

A common feature of both SD780 and SD1200 is the i-Contrast mode. In this mode which on the SD1200 is automatically selected in AUTO mode, and in the other modes one can force it off in the menu, the camera is adjusting shadow areas to make them a little brighter. This is the same as the DSLR have on both Nikon and Canon cameras. I thought I would show an example of two shots in "P" mode, one with it auto (on), and one with it off. The exposure is the same for both shots (1/200s, f/8).

On (auto)


Off


Works really well, but in some cases the noise increases in the area where the image has been made brighter. More review info later.

SD1200IS at Amazon: Light gray, Dark gray, Pink, Blue, Green, Orange.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Canon SD1200IS testing...

I got my small, lightweight, Canon SD1200 IS dark gray camera the other day. It is slightly thicker than the SD780IS but not much. It's made of some kind of plastic instead of metal, but hey, what is most bike helmets made of? I bet you it will hold up just fine, and maybe even better, in a drop test than it's sibling. But I am not going to test that for you... Anyway, the build quality is solid, just what you expect out of Canon.

I did do some ISO test shots if you are interested. Since it's 2Mpixels less on the sensor than the 780IS, it is possible that it might be just a bit better, but I would not be able to tell. The scene looks like this:



And here are all the shots, first in 10Mpixel resolution:
ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600,
ISO 3200.

And then the same using "M2" resolution, 4Mpixels in camera:
ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600,
ISO 3200.

And last, 10Mpixels, using full zoom:
ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600,
ISO 3200.

Why the 4M samples? Well, to tell you the truth, I usually put the camera on 4M (M2) size when just taking everyday snapshots of the kids and family. I find that 4M is ok for a decent looking 8x10, for personal enjoyment. If you are selling or so, that would not be the best option. But the 4M size gives smaller file sizes and is just right. Anyway, that's me.

How is the video? For the 640x480 30fps size that I will be using, there are two bit rates. One normal (~16min on 2Gbyte) and a long play (~32min on 2Gbyte). Here are two examples from the very windy beach. Standard and Longplay. Directly out of the camera.

I would say that it looks like the SD1200 is going to be my choice. It is lighter than the SD780, a touch thicker, and roughly the same photo quality. And the lens is actually just a tad faster (f/2.8 at wide compared to f/3.2 for the 780). I will post more in a few days. Check out the prices on Amazon below. The SD1200 dropped a little, just like the 780. The dark gray is selling for $200 and some others also (4/27).

SD1200IS at Amazon: Light gray, Dark gray, Pink, Blue, Green, Orange.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Canon SD1200IS?

After being very annoyed that our PCs are not capable of the proper display of the SD780IS HD videos, and at this time have no other reason to upgrade them, I have decided to check out the Canon SD1200IS. It's 10Mpixels instead of 12M, and it is a little thicker, but also weighs less, but the main differance is that the SD1200 is not taking HD H.264 videos, "just" 640x480 30fps motion JPEG ones. In a few days I will post what my take on this cheaper, less capable, camera is.

Canon SD780IS: 87x56x18mm (3.4x2.2x0.7in), 160g (5.6oz)
Canon SD1200IS: 86x55x22mm (3.4x2.2x0.9in), 120g (4.2oz)

Question is why there seems to be no SD1200IS reviews out there... I guess this one from Cnet Australia cannot really qualify as a proper review, or? And this one from "dpinterface". Not much of a review, I think.

SD1200IS at Amazon: Light gray, Dark gray, Pink, Blue, Green, Orange.

Monday, April 20, 2009

SD780IS price drop! April 20th...

$230 for the silver one here at Dell small business, and for $250 at here, Dell home.

The prices have dropped at Amazon also and there you get a free 4GB SDHC card also ($250 for Silver with 4GB card!). Order Canon SD780IS from Amazon: Deep Red Black Gold Silver

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Some things the SD780IS cannot do

Well, I wish there was one camera that would do everything, but I guess that might be some years away. I have been without a DSLR for a while after owning a bunch of canons (Canon XS, Canon XSi, and some older like D30) I really wanted to try a Nikon. Amazon offered the Nikon D60 for only $399 (refurbished, sold through 3rd party). At that price, which is lower than any of the D60 offered on Craigslist, I had to try. Last Friday I got it and in the weekend I had a chance to try it out. Here are some shots. Those would not look the same taken by a point and shoot. Even if it is good. Enjoy.


SD780IS - Video battery life

After doing some testing to see how long one can take HD video on a battery charge, I think it lands on a little over 1 hour for the Canon SD780IS. Of course, you would need a really large card (maybe 16G?) to keep them all. I just deleted most as I went on. Still, from a battery that small, it's pretty impressive.

Order Canon SD780IS from Amazon: Deep Red Black Gold Silver

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Another SD780IS review posted

Imaging Resource have now posted their full review of the SD780IS. This review commends the nice size, but also complains about the small buttons and lack of a proper grip... Can't have it all... that's all I am thinking. If you really want a small camera, and have that in mind, then take a second look at their pro's and con's and see what matters. I have also found that for "social" photos of my kids and such, I put the camera on the 5mpixel setting and that, in my view, improves that per-pixel sharpness and noise level a little.

Order Canon SD780IS from Amazon: Deep Red Black Gold Silver