Canon PowerShot SD980IS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 5x Ultra Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3-inch LCD (Silver) by Canon
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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: I love this camera, takes stunning pictures!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been using this camera for 6 months now and I love it! I am a big fun of Canon point and shoot cameras and this is my 3rd one (beofre I had SD880). I love the wide angle lens (that's why I got this model),pictures have great quality and beautiful colors, touch screen is very handy and makes operating this camera so much easier. I get many complements from other people on the pictures. I did a lot of research and comparing of tech specs and I am definitely very happy with my purchase!!!Digital camera Review: I prefer SD940 IS instead
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought this camera as a successor to my old SD870 IS.
I returned it and replaced with SD940 IS which I am more happy with. Here is why:
I like to use the camera for video shooting. SD980 records excellent video, but the location of the microphone is terrible. It is on top of the camera right in the middle of the body. Since the camera is wide and short, it is much easier to hold it by putting the fingers on top and bottom while shooting video. Unfortunately that ends up covering the mic and the sounds ends up being muffed. SD940 has the mic in front of the camera and does not have this problem.
Another design flaw is that the tripod mount hole is too shallow. Some of my tripods don't screw all the way and the camera is not secured well.
Finally, I thought that having ultra-wide 24 mm lens would be very nice to shoot group shots. But watch out, the faces of people on the edge get really distorted. So I decided that 28mm of SD940 is better for that reason.
Also SD940 is [...] bucks cheaper.
Digital camera Review: I really want to like this camera...
Summary: 3 Stars
I really want to like this camera but I think this may have to go back. Indoor pictures are relatively grainy (ISO is 500+ on most even with the flash) and outdoor pictures look washed out. I compared the pictures to a 870 IS and the 870 came out ahead 5 out of 6 times (Not a scientific test, but both were with similar setings and mounted on a tripod and shot with a 2 second time delay to eliminate hand shake, ISO 200 on both cameras).
Granted, as I've only used a Canon 30D DSLR with pretty decent lenses for the last few years, but I didn't think that the pictures from my 7-year old 4MP Konica KD400Z were awful. (A lot of the ones from this camera are just awful)
The HD video is pretty good and even the 640x480 movies look decent on a 47 inch tv - so high marks for that.
The touchscreen is pretty useful but it would have been nice to be able to assign any camera function to the 4 allowed 'gestures'. It is great for touch-focussing on 'this-one' and it holds the focus point pretty well as you pan the camera. All in all, I like the touchscreen.
The 'click wheel' is very well implemented (much better than my Canon HG10 HD vid cam) and is nice and responsive. I have a gripe about the tiny triangular on/off button as it is not responsive on the narrow side, but that is a minor inconvenience.
I'll play with this a bit more (Reset to factory settings; turn off some of the 'Smart' functions etc) and see if I can get the picture quality to improve. Othewise I'll be looking closely at the S90 - even though that doesn't have HD video capture (whose bright idea was that? The S90 product manager should be taken out and flogged for descoping HD video).
Update: 9/18
After about 200 pictures (mundane items like backyard, traffic, animals at the zoo etc.) over the last couple of weeks, I've figured out some combinations that allow for a decent image. For those who have this camera, a possible starting point would be: Fixed ISO 80, White balance - Cloudy (check out the Custom White Balance - can get you really freaky colors), Custom Colors with sharpness dialed all the way down and custom exposure between -2/3 and +2/3 depending on lighting conditions.
If the above is gibberish to you, DO NOT buy this camera. The Auto mode is really bad in anything but near perfect conditions.
The main reason for me to get a point and Shoot camera was not to fiddle with all these settings, so I'm not still holding the rating to 3 stars. There's something very wrong if it takes longer to get a half decent picture out of this P&S than out of a DSLR.
... and irrespective of what others say this camera does NOT ALLOW you to ZOOM WHILE TAKING VIDEOS. I just tested it 30 seconds ago.
Digital camera Review: Incredible value
Summary: 5 Stars
In my opinion, still the best point and shoot out there for the price and features. It is relatively light and beautifully designed, with curved edges and no protruding features, making it easy to slip in and out of your pocket without the risk of inadvertently moving a dial, etc. The control features are the best located and most intuitive to use that I've come across. The rear wide screen is really excellent, both in size and picture quality, plus it's touch interactive. The zoom is good, although it can't be zoomed during videos, which is a bit disappointing. Battery charger and cables are easy and relatively compact. The only significant problem I had was an electronic failure after 18 months that killed the image capture and rear screen functionality. It was unrepairable (fortunately I had an extended warranty), but having done a thorough study of all the latest and greatest alternatives that were more recent, I went out and bought another one of this same make and model. Taking all features into account, the newer cameras provided nothing better and were more expensive. Hard to understand why Canon didn't simply improve the technology of this model instead of replacing it with new designs that improve one or two features, but make other aspects of the design less desirable.Digital camera Review: Just Perfect for the Average User!
Summary: 5 Stars
If you're looking for an easy to use point and shoot camera - get this one. The past three digital cameras I purchased I did without research and ended up severely disappointed. I read a lot of different reviews before settling on this one. Some highlights:
- For basic functions, it's easy to use. However, using some of the specific settings can be a little complicated and may require you to look at the digital manual.
- The touchscreen focus is a unique and wonderful feature. The detection on the camera itself makes this feature unnecessary most of the time, but it's great to have when you do need it. It may be a bit frustrating if you move the camera around or your subject moves and you need to re-focus.
- The touchscreen for other features (not focus) is great. In an evolving world where we fondle our technology (think smartphones), it makes this camera cutting edge. It's incredibly easy to use - even my not-so-tech-savvy parents found the touchscreen interface easy to use.
- Takes great pictures, even in low-light situations.
- The different scenes help you capture the perfect picture, and there's a lot of fun features to add a spark of flare to any picture.
- Lithium battery with it's own charger, great battery life.
- Lightweight and compact. Sleek design, doesn't feel bulky or clumsy. I take it with me everywhere - you never know when you'll see something you want to snap a picture of!
I was a long-term Kodak fan - no more! I was so frustrated with the quality of pictures from my last few cameras that I was considering an expensive and bulky D-SLR camera just to get great pictures. This camera won't let you down - I recommend it for any kind of user.