Canon PowerShot SD1200IS 10 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Dark Gray) by Canon
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Digital camera reviews of Canon PowerShot SD1200IS 10 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Dark Gray)
Digital camera Review: "The best camera is the one you have with you"
Summary: 4 Stars
This is, overall, a remarkable camera for the size and price. Wide aperture photography in reasonable lighting is where this excels, such as shooting portraits indoors or in shade. Unfortunately, the size of the camera means some very strict limitations in the conditions under which you can get good photos. The aperture at high f/# (i.e. when the aperture is stopped down to let less light in) is so small that you get noticeable diffractive blurring. Take a picture in landscape scene mode outside on a sunny day (which stops down the lens to increase depth of field), for example, and you'll notice a certain fuzziness to the picture due to the small aperture.
Another problem area in the camera is in the auto mode. For reasons I still haven't figured out, while the camera seems to do a great job picking out the correct mode (i.e. portrait versus outdoor), the results in auto are almost never as good as if you just leave it in P (program) mode. For some reason auto mode usually results in overexposure and too high an ISO setting. This is especially true when using the flash. I'm guessing that the camera errs on the side of having too much light to work with, rather than underexposing, but the results are frustratingly poor compared to what you get with P most of the time.
Despite the photo quality limitations, many of which are unavoidable on a camera of this size, this is a very nice camera. As they say, the best camera is the one you have with you, and the compact stature of this camera means that more often than not, this will be the best camera. You'll almost always get good shots, and sometimes you'll get great ones, just using the auto mode. If you know what you're doing, you can get surprisingly good results from this camera. In summary, while one should be aware that sacrifices have to made in the optics with a camera this small, this is about as good a camera as you can get at this size. I recommend it.
Digital camera Review: A FANTASTIC CAMERA
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one great little camera.I carry a small sub compact camera with me everywhere I go and I needed an up-grade from my 6 year old fixed focus Argus. Before I purchased this Cannon SD1200 Elph I read all the reviews I could find and I just can't believe some of the negative reviews. Either these people got a LEMON (which I doubt) or they just don't know how to operate a really good camera. The one very special thing that I love is the "Date Stamp" feature. It makes it so great to be able to see on your photos when and what time the picture was taken.
The compactness of this camera is just perfect. No protrusions to snag as you retieve it from your pocket or case. I use a very inexpensive fabric belt case with a velcro flap. If only the owner would take a little time to read the manual or even take a camera class they would find that they could take excellent pictures. I take most of my pictures without the flash since falsh has a tendancy to wash out a lot of color. Most indoor shots can be taken quite successfuly by setting the camera to the "SCN" mode and turning off the flash. The "auto" mode is great too but just remember that it will automatically select the flash if its too dark and then if you are too far away from you subject the shot will turn out dark. The flash is ony good for short distances. I would not go farther than 6 feet.
This is one "solid" little camera. Built like a fine piece of equipment.
Just learn how to operate all the great features it has and you will be very,very happy with this camera
P.S. I purchased this camera from AMAZON. I am very pleased with the price and service they provide.
Digital camera Review: A Good Ultra-Small Camera at a Good Price
Summary: 4 Stars
The Canon SD1200 is a good ultra-small camera at the current price of around $150. For people planning to spend $200, there may be better choices from both Canon and Panasonic.
The materials and workmanship on the Canon SD1200 look cheaper than on my older Canon SD1000. The SD1000 looked like a very expensive camera, and the SD1200, up close, looks cheaply made. Looks don't always predict durability...judging by customer comments, it is likely that the two models are about equally reliable.
As with most small Canon cameras, photos taken in the "auto" mode are likely to be adequate, but seldom exceptional in quality. To get the best results with the SD1200, the owners should spend a couple of hours practicing setting exposure levels, ISO levels, and adjusting white balance, contrast, saturation, and sharpness. For most outdoor photos on a sunny day, the best results will come from "locking" the ISO at 100, dropping exposure 1/3 stop, decreasing contrast to the minimum, and increasing sharpness.
With practice, you can change exposure levels or ISO levels in less than five seconds. If a photo looks too bright or too dark, you can simply retake the photo with the exposure level adjusted for the best results. The tiny flash of the SD1200 works best if you "lock" the ISO at 200, and stay three feet to six feet from your primary subject. If you take a flash photo of a group of people sitting twenty feet away, you are likely to get poor results.
Read the complete owners manual, and work through all of the settings page by page. Many folks have, by accident, set their camera for macro focus and are surprised all of their photos are now blurry, or set the camera in a mode that takes tiny one meg sized photos, and are surprised by the photos not being sharp and detailed. A less than excellent photo with this camera will be the result of a mistake by the owner about 99 times out of a hundred.
The folks who complain about not getting sharp photos simply need to practice. To get sharp photos, you should press the shutter down halfway to lock the focus and exposure, hold the camera steady with both hands, and gently push down on the shutter. With practice, most people can get very sharp photos outdoors at shutter speeds as low as 1/15th of a second. The folks who hold their camera with one hand and fail to pre-focus will seldom get sharp photos with ANY small digital camera.
Although the SD1200 will fit into your jeans pocket, it belongs in a padded case. In your pocket, sooner or later you will damage the lens mechanism, and the lens will refuse to open or close. Or you will damage the viewing screen. Keeping the camera in a padded case in your bag or clipped to your built ensures many years of reliable service...and don't forget...never leave a digital camera inside a parked car...the 120 degree summer temperatues will fry its brain.
Digital camera Review: A gift.
Summary: 5 Stars
I got the camera as a birthday gift for my boyfriend who is in the Army and will be deploying soon. I have not used it but I love my very similar powershot which is why I chose this one. My only complaint is when I opened the box to take a look at it, the camera seems to be more of a greyish blue rather than dark grey. I still like the color and it is masculine but I wouldn't really call it dark grey.Digital camera Review: A great little camera
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had this camera now for about 6 months and I think it is great. No it is not a professional grade camera, but that was not what I was willing to pay for, nor was I looking for a complicated bulky camera that I had to lug around. This is perfect in size, I just keep it in my purse all the time. I did research before purchasing it, and one of my main requirements was a viewfinder. I definitely wanted a viewfinder since taking a picture in a somewhat darkened room (such as a Halloween party), without it, you can't see what you're aiming at. An LCD screen just isn't enough in that situation. After weighing all of my options and checking other's reviews, I felt this was the best camera for me. I also wanted something affordable and cute. This camera is really cute and it takes great pictures. Another reviewer said he didn't get a manual, nor a memory card with. Now, I bought mine from Walmart and it did come with a manual, but I had to purchase a memory card separately (which was stated). Overall, this is a great little camera with a lot of great features.