Review on 📷 Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera - 3x Optical Zoom, Image Stabilization, 2.5-inch LCD - Gold by Eric Amiradaki

I really liked this camera. Great photos with vibrant colors and super sharp focus. Even smaller than my Casio EX-S600 which was the smallest camera I've seen before the Canon SD-780 but was manageable in my larger hands. It can even take a series of still images indefinitely until the memory card is full. But the best feature is 720p HD video. The quality, as far as I can tell, is the same as the Panasonic FZ-28, which also shoots in high resolution 720p, but is a much larger (and obviously more powerful) camera. Canon, like Panasonic, silently zooms during movie recording, and like Panasonic, image stabilization works great (not all brands can be said). The decisive factor for me in choosing this camera was the acceptable ISO 1600, as reported by Consumer Reports. Yes, the picture is grainy, but not critical. There are several disadvantages. Earlier Canon models had a high ISO auto exposure feature that allowed the camera to access the highest sensitivity levels the camera would allow. It's not like this. The maximum ISO that is automatically accessed is 400. You must manually select ISO 1600 to shoot at this sensitivity level. The sound quality when recording videos is good, but not great. The LCD screen is good but difficult to see in bright light. Surprisingly, this tiny camera has a direct eye-level viewing mechanism, just like film cameras of old. I received a couple of extra Revain Lenmar batteries with the camera. Inexpensive, very reliable and, in my experience, comparable to original Canon batteries. A word of caution though. For example, if you need an extra charger when traveling, it's worth getting Canon's OEM charger, the CB-2LV or CB-2LVG, rather than an aftermarket charger. The chargers I've seen work fine for a while, but then the battery starts to lose capacity. The Canon charger keeps the battery charged much longer. I have five year old Canon and Lenmar batteries that still work great. In addition, Canon's charger is smaller than aftermarket devices and features a foldable power plug. As of late February 2010, Canon OEM chargers are available for around $35 from Revain, or around $30 including shipping on eBay. May 10 Update 10. Two products. First, the "silent zoom" I observed was digital zoom. Unlike other small Canon cameras (e.g. the SD750), this camera does not have an optical zoom when shooting movies. Second, the video file gets corrupted or corrupted from time to time that my video editor (Vegas 9 and then Vegas 10) can't handle it. But I wouldn't change my assessment - this is a very good camera.