Canon PowerShot SD980IS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 5x Ultra Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3-inch LCD (Silver) by Canon
|
List Price: Our Price: $195.00 You Save: $54.00 (22%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $119.00 (click here) Category: Digital Camera See more digital camera details and other models |
|---|
Digital camera reviews of Canon PowerShot SD980IS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 5x Ultra Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3-inch LCD (Silver)
Digital camera Review: Do not buy
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought this camera to replace my SD800IS. I thought, "better zoom, HD video, more mega pilels, this camera should be better than mine." Well I was wrong. This camera has a nice design and the HD video is really nice, but that is where it ends. Just about every photo I took with this camera was fuzzy and out of focus, the lines are not crisp, and the colors muted. I took the same photo from my SD800IS and the SD980IS and the 800IS was better every time, the colors were deeper, lines more crisp, and it was in focus. I have owned several Canon cameras, the 980IS was going to be my 4th. I have never had anything but good performance from them, until this one. So I am returning the 980IS and sticking with my SD800IS.Digital camera Review: Excelente camera
Summary: 5 Stars
In my opinion this is one of the best cameras for personal use. If you want a profissional camera, this is not for this use. But for a personal use, even profissional photographer uses this camera for personal use.
The biggest diference is on the size of the lens, but in the settings, this camera has all things you can imagine.
It's worth what you pay!
Digital camera Review: Excellent Camera
Summary: 5 Stars
I am by no means a photographer, but can tell a good picture from a bad one...This camera take excellent pictures! The only bad thing about the camera is that the touch screen is not as advanced as I wish it would be.Digital camera Review: Good small camera
Summary: 5 Stars
I like this compact camera. I bought this for one of my friend and I heard only good reviews about this camera from him. He liked the quality as well as touch screen feautre.Digital camera Review: Good. not great.
Summary: 4 Stars
Had the SD980 for about six months now, here's what I have to say about it.
(+) True to Canon PowerShot SD series, the 980 too is perfectly built. Not a metal body but who cares, this is a (very) high quality polymer body, the buttons, levers and wheels all work and feel great, just as they should, as we're used to expect from the SD series by now. Best in class, no doubt about it.
(+) The 24mm (equivalent) focal length is sweet :) the SD980 is one of the first compacts to come this wide AFAIK, it's simply nice, it works, I have nothing much to add. I have also tried the Panasonic DMC-ZS3 which has similarly wide angle end, much better tele end and video recording capabilities, but for me the SD980 works better - I don't care so much for strong tele or video, and I preferred Canon's more compact and better build body.
(+) Long exposure mode works great. Somewhat inconvenient UI to get to it but once you do, it simply works very nicely.
(+) Battery life: not bad at all as far as I can say. I don't shoot video much, that's where possibly battery life could be a tougher issue, but with stills, I never ran into problems or dead battery situations. Last SD that I had before that is the SD400. The SD980 battery life is much better.
(+) Responsiveness. no annoying lags or delays.
(=) No optical viewfinder. Again who cares, the LCD screen is very clear, it does not seem drain the battery that much. I don't miss the viewfinder.
(=) Touch screen. I don't dig it, perhaps some folks would. I tried using it for a few weeks, nice toy but not much more than that for me. Ended up returning to button controls and not using the touchscreen at all. There's nothing wrong with the physical properties of it - AFAICT the sensitivity is OK, it's just that the whole control scheme through the touchscreen isn't that great. To me it looks as if the whole touchscreen user interface concept isn't fully baked on Canon's bahalf. Perhaps in a year or two they will figure out how it should all play together (as they did with real buttons and wheels) and then touchscreen will be a viable alternative or addition to normal controls but till then it just isn't it. Good thing the kept the buttons and wheels :)
(=) Built in flash. Didn't try it that much. I never do on compacts, not a consideration for me at all.
(-) Low light image photography. as expected from a small sensor camera, the SD980 exhibits the typical (high) noise levels in dim lighting conditions. If this is important to you then you need a DSLR. Micro four thirds systems, and perhaps Caonon's own S90 or G11 would do a better job. Still no magic here - small sensor equals poor sensitivity. The SD980 isn't worse than other digital P&ss in that respect - they all perform poorly in low available light.
Buy it if: you are looking for a compact camera, with wide angle zoom, long exposure modes and high build quality.
Don't buy if: you're keen on shooting videos, or telescopic lens photography (there are better compacts for that out there). If you shoot a lot in dimply lit places go for the S90, micro four thirds or DSLRs.