Compact Digital Cameras
Canon PowerShot SD780IS
12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom 2.5-inch LCD
Customer Review:
Revolutionary! Beautiful and Powerful
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
Canon PowerShot SD970IS
12.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom 3.0-inch LCD
Cool curves, powerful features and a fun way to operate the camera mark Canon's PowerShot SD970 IS Digital ELPH. Amazing resolution and expanded editing options are yours with 12.1-megapixel and you can even create HD movies. Shooting is fun and easy with Smart Auto that makes all your shots better effortlessly, and there's a user-friendly interface. And see how much fun it is to browse through your photos and even speed up image advance with a shake or tilt of the camera!
Customer Review:
Wonderful results; just be patient with the manual
First off, be aware this camera comes with no memory card, so unless you want to be like the kid that got a battery-powered toy for Christmas, and no batteries, plan ahead! Also, the A/V cable included is for standard RCA video inputs, which is fine, since almost everyone has something to plug that into, but for the HD output, you'll need the optional Mini-HDMI Cable. I've tried both cables, and if you have an HD TV, you'll want the HDMI cable.
The manual is pretty brief; it omits some information such as how to set the "owner name" in the camera (hint: use the "Camera Window" software and click on the magic icon in the upper right corner), and how to upload custom startup images and sounds for the camera operations. The manual was obviously not proofread by a native English speaker, and many parts tell you what a setting is, but not how to get to that feature. There appears to be about 3 different types of menus, depending on the mode.
Now for the neat stuff! There are 3 modes, video, camera, and auto; the main differences between camera and auto are that auto mode trys to figure out everything; and does a pretty good job. Portrait? Landscape? No problem. The camera mode lets you fiddle with everything, and has several preset modes for common situations, and for fine-tuning things like white balance, and ISO speed. These various "Program" features have an auto-preview of the effect when browsing through the menu choices, which is a nice touch.
You cannot set aperture priority nor shutter priority, but you can give it some hints to approximate this; there is a "kids & pets" mode that obviously is high shutter speed priority.
I've taken about 100 images in the last couple days, and have been very pleased with the results. The digital zoom image quality is fantastic. I needed to use a tripod on a cloudy day when the effective zoom was 20x, but the resulting image showed no jaggies at all. The macro focus worked so well, that when I tried to move the camera a little closer in, the lens hit the sidewalk!
Viewing photos and videos on the camera is pretty easy. It will automatically group photos into categories based on the auto mode (portrait, etc.) or you can put photos into categories manually, to filter what you want to see. The "shake" method to advance from one photo to the next didn't work too well for me; I had to give it a pretty good shake, and I couldn't seem to have it go backward. The auto-rotate feature for viewing photos taken in portrait orientations works great.
The video function works easy and you can upload the videos to your PC (in .mov format), and the software can convert it to .avi format also.
Nikon Coolpix S60
10MP Digital Camera, 5x Optical Vibration Reduction Zoom
Take advantage of touch-screen technology. The Nikon Coolpix S60 has a 3.5-inch High Resolution TOUCH PANEL LCD, which offers 160 Wide-Angle of View. You'll get easy access to all the camera controls without the conventional buttons to push. You can write a personal message on your photos with the included stylus. Its Touch Autofocus and Auto Exposure lets you touch the subject on the screen that you want to focus on and the camera automatically adjusts for sharp focus and optimal exposure. Retouch Function allows you to paint a frame, add hand written memos in 5 different pen colors and thicknesses, attach stamps to a picture and more HD Pictmotion Slide Shows Scene Auto Selector automatically recognizes the scene in your picture and adjusts the camera setting Blink warning will let you know when your subject's eyes are closed so you can retake your picture Face Priority AF - face-finding technology focuses on up to 12 faces ISO up to 3200 D-Lighting - rescue those photos that are too dark by enhancing the underexposed areas of the picture while not touching the properly exposed areas High Quality TV Movies with Sound - duration is limited by the available space on your SD/SDHC card Approx. 20MB Internal Memory Formats - JPEG, AVI, WAV Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery Dimensions (H x W x D) - 2.4 x 3.8 x 0.9 in. (60 x 97.5 x 22 mm) Weight - 5.1 oz. (145g).Customer Revew:
Product Reviews
Nikon Coolpix S60
Pocket Digicam Looks Good, But It's Too Touchy
Customer Review:
Nikon Coolpix S60 Does well
With its high-gloss metal case and giant 3.5-inch, iPhone-like touchscreen, the Nikon Coolpix S60 just begs to be touched. But your lust will turn to disgust once you get to know this camera's internal quirks. In this case, beauty is only skin deep.
It's immediately obvious that the S60's touch panel is what separates it from other point-and-shoot cameras. Other than the power and shutter buttons, all of the camera's controls are accessible by touch command. You can give the camera the finger or use the included guitar-pick-like stylus.
Tapping the icons, menus and submenus takes you through the camera's many settings and picture modes. While some of the icons are easy to interpret, others require the 170-page manual be close at hand. The Scene Mode alone has 19 icons to choose from, including modes optimized for shooting food and museum art to dusk/dawn portraits and fireworks. You can even draw on pictures using the stylus. Although these sketches can be fun (look! Aunt Sally has a mustache!), they tend to look pixilated when transferred to a PC screen or printed.
As with the iPhone, a simple flick of your finger on the S60's screen lets you scroll through the images in the camera's puny 20MB internal memory or its optional SD card. And with its gyroscopic sensor, merely rotating the camera will change the image view to either portrait or landscape orientation. But unlike the iPhone, the wide screen (which extends all the way to the edge of the camera's case) offers little space to hold the camera without inadvertently touching a setting or activating the zoom or wide-angle functions. Sadly, there is also a lag of a few seconds for some settings to execute, adding further frustration to the interface.
The camera's optical image stabilization is a handy — and necessary — feature, along with distortion control and white-balance controls. Still, photo quality varied from sharp for well-lit outdoor shots to not-quite-sharp, unintentionally soft-focus images. The 30fps .avi videos offer excellent sound but grainy images. And you'll probably need a backup battery since the one included can poop out after only about 70 shots, especially if you use the touchscreen often.
For the casual user, Nikon's Coolpix S60 is a fun camera to use, especially with all its built-in settings for specific shots. It's the perfect party companion — but if you take it home with you, you'll probably wind up being disappointed.
WIRED Sleek and sexy. Fairly easy to use: Its iPhone-like touchscreen is appealing. Respectable 10 megapixels. Compact and lightweight (just 5.7 ounces).
Nikon Coolpix S710
14.5MP Digital Camera, 3.6x Wide Angle Optical Vibration Reduction (VR) Zoom
Customer Review:
Exactly what I was hoping for
I recently sold my Nikon Coolpix S8700, and was looking for a new camera that gave me picture quality equal to or better, and was a much smaller camera. I like taking pictures, but I'm not a photo guy. I basically want to aim, press the button and let the magic happen. Taking a chance I decided to try this camera, and I wasn't disappointed.
It's got a lot of options to go beyond just auto mode if I want to dive into that. My main thing was the picture quality though and the quality of photos is excellent. My wife has a Canon A700 that takes decent pictures so we did a comparison just using the auto settings. A picture of our dog in the house with all the lights off in one room, a picture with one light on, and a picture with all the lights on. I figure if the low light pictures are good, then I'll be pretty happy with the daytime pictures.
While both cameras did a good job, our preference was the Nikon's photos. The colors were closer to what we expected they should look like, and to our eyes appeared more natural. There wasn't any noticeable noise in the photos, and the quality is very, very good.
The size of the camera is great. Shorter than my Blackjack cell phone, and about 2.5 times as thick. Definitely a camera that I could carry in the pocket of my jeans, or a jacket and not feel weighed down.
Perfection
I recently got this wonderful camera for Christmas. Its perfect, just what I wanted. Its small, goodlooking. It takes great pictures. It has endless options for any type of picture taker.
I love the automatic scene selection. The camera decides by itself the perfect setting for the perfect picture id say about 90% of the time it makes the right choice. It is possible to confuse it if the picture has a lot of different things going on.
For instance if you are outside it will automatically switch to the outside setting and if u go inside it will automatically change to the inside setting without you having to do a thing.
One time when i was in the bar it got it wrong though. It changed it to night time setting automatically instead of party setting so it was a little blurry. No prob though, i deleted that picture and set it on what i wanted. C'mon, the camera cant know everything. Im hugely impressed at what it does know.
In general though I also love the automatic setting. Its foolproof. You simply cannot take a bad picture on the automatic setting. All of my pictures are clear and crisp.
OMG the editing! You can edit your pictures while they are still in your camera! I LOVE IT. You can turn a crappy picture into gold, the editing is limitless. You can take a picture of like 10 people at once then go and edit each face out to make portraits!
It zooms in great and the zoom does not mess with the quality of the picture, no graininess whatsoever.
Ive got lots of friends with similar type cameras and have seen their pictures and i swear up and down theirs compared to mine are complete crap.
Do not get anything else if you are looking for a "git r done" camera. Its so versatile. If your a serious photographer that wants something small and cute this camera is perfect. But if your like me and wanted something to carry in your purse to make memories wherever you are, its also perfect.
Its fast, and easy. Hardly any delay. I love smile finder too! It also has a ten second timer so everyone can be in the picture.
This is my first digital camera and im not embarressed to say i was worried about being able to run it. The owners manual is clear and easy to read. I highly recommend not just a thumb through but to actually sit down and read it. After you do that, its a breeze to run it : )
I have zero complaints. Its perfect for everyone! I give it an A+ hands down, everyone should own one!
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290
12.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization
Customer Review:
Easy to use, fantastic photos
I previously owned the Sony T500 because our family needs a camera that can take HD video, but also great photos in one package. I recently upgraded my personal camera and was going to hand down the T500 to my wife, but she did not like the all touchscreen controls. She prefers physical dials and buttons. So I sold off that camera and went in search of one with similar or better features that would be easy to use.
I ended up going with the W290 and it easily surpasses the T500 in photo quality. Right out of the box she was taking great photos on the auto setting. Low light shooting is problematic for all point and shoots, but the W290 did much better than I expected, just don't expect miracles. The 3 inch screen is gorgeous. I don't think I could ever go back to the 2.7 screens anymore.
The W290 is also priced well. It does cost more than a Flip HD or those other pocket HD camers, but purely from a video standpoint it's far superior. From the much larger lense to the bigger screen, there is no comparison. Then you add the full features of a quality camera and it's a no brainer. She's very happy with it.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T90
12.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom and Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T90 camera combines style with power and intelligence. At just under 5/8” (15mm) thin, the T90 comes in 5 sophisticated colors and has a stylish look. With the T90 taking great pictures is now easier than ever. The iAuto mode goes beyond the traditional auto mode, thinking and working for you; recognizing scenes, lighting conditions, faces, and automatically adjusts camera settings resulting in clearer images, and faces with more natural skin tones and less blur. T90 also features HD Movie mode, recording in 720p for capturing your precious moments on video. Compose, review, and share your memories on the 3.0” (230k pixels) touch-screen LCD.
Customer Review:
Let me take a moment to gush over my T90 I've had this camera since Tuesday and it's Friday and I'm still amazed. I've spent hours trying to learn my way around the menu, taking pictures, recording videos. I previously owned the Sony W150, but I upgraded for something much smaller. I've used the Panasonic Lumix and I've tried different Canon cameras, but the T90 takes the cake. This camera is sleek! The black casing is sexy :). I've tried all the Rec modes, except landscape. I still need to try the 6 scene selection modes. Overall, The photos are beautiful. The intelligent scene recognition mode is truly amazing. I tried to simulate several scenes in my living room/ kitchen with the windows open or closed, lights on or off. The camera was able to clearly identify the scene, backlight, or even when I simply desired to take a macro shot of my fingers to see all the wrinkles(unbelievable what scene recognition does)! As of now, I am happy and I have no regrets with my purchase. The battery does not last as long as my Sony W150, but it's good enough. I also picked up the Sony infolithium battery on here for like $38 (bought it through Amazon for peace of mind). I also purchased the 8gb MS Pro Duo Mark2 through Amazon for $44. Best Buy is selling the 8gb Mark 2 for $39.99 on sale right now until 5/2 (I wish I purchased it through BB, but it's only five dollars so whatever). I also purchased my camera through Best Buy for $299.99 plus tax (If only I would have checked Amazon's pricing before buying). Well despite all of that, the camera is absolutely wonderful. The honeymoon phase is going great and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. Hopefully, months from now I'm still happy with this camera.
Amazing!
This camera is amazing!! It's so small and thing, so easy to use as well. it's not complicated with all these buttons and what makes it easier is that this camera has automatic shooting...where if u went outside, it'd automatically go to "landscape" mode or to where ur taking a picture of one person only, it'd change to "portrait". I love it! It's easy to also switch to several megapixel sizes so you can load pictures easier on computer and the quality is the same no matter what the size is! Beautiful pictures and works beautifully without flash for video and pictures at night time. Colors are captured amazingly. Best camera Ive ever gotten. You wont be disappointed.
