Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Review

Even though it looks nothing like its predecessor, the Canon PowerShot SD780 IS has taken the position of the SD770 in the company’s range of products. The Canon SD780 IS a stunningly compact and slender camera, yet it incorporates many of the features that have helped make Canon PowerShots such a huge success:

Excellent construction quality, lightning-quick and dependable autofocus, forward-thinking features, and optical image stabilization. The capacity to play movies in High Definition is the most recent addition to the list of features. In addition, this little camera can record movies with a resolution of 1,280 by 720 pixels, which you can then view on your television or your computer.

The Canon SD780 IS built on a CCD image sensor with 12.1 megapixels that measures 1/2.3 inches in size, a DIGIC 4 image processor, and a Canon-brand optical zoom lens with a 3x magnification. The lens of the Canon SD780 IS includes complete visual image stabilization and has a focal length range that extends from 33 to 100mm equivalents in terms of the camera’s focal length. Throughout the zoom range, the maximum aperture shifts from f/3.2 to f/5.8, and it can focus in macro mode down to just three centimeters. Shooting continuously at a rate of one frame per second is possible.

In addition to its highly compact yet genuine optical viewfinder, the Canon SD780 IS features a 2.5-inch LCD that contains 230,000 individual pixels. The Canon SD780 can record 720p (1,280 x 720) video at 30 frames per second and has a maximum picture resolution of 4,000 x 3,000 pixels. Additionally, it can capture still images with a full explanation of 4,000 x 3,000 pixels.

The average sensitivity range is between 80 and 1,600 equivalents of ISO. However, it may be increased up to 3,200 matches of ISO when using the high-sensitivity scene mode. When using the wide-angle lens, the built-in flash strobe has a range of 11.5 feet (3.5 meters), whereas the telephoto lens has a 6.6 feet (2 meters) range.

The Canon PowerShot SD780 gets power from a proprietary NB-4L lithium-ion rechargeable battery. HDMI high-definition and NTSC / PAL standard-definition video output and a USB 2.0 High-Speed computer interface are provided. Images and videos are saved on SD cards.

Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Build Quality

The Canon SD780 IS comes in four colors, each with a monochromatic design. This means that every camera part has the same color, including the lens bezel and protruding parts; the only exception is the black center piece separating the two main shells, front and back.

Because silver cameras are the standard here, the impact is not quite as spectacular as elsewhere; nonetheless, the Red, Black, and Gold versions are more eye-catching. In addition, the supple sheen of the SD780’s skin not only diffuses light but also provides a gentle and comfortable sensation to the touch.

Even though the Canon SD780 fits nicely in a pocket, protecting any camera you want to keep running properly and looking great by placing it in a case is something we always recommend. This digital camera weighs 4.6 ounces, making it lightweight (132g). Because the Canon SD780 IS has no grip on the front or the rear, I suggest you connect the wrist strap that comes with the device and uses it for further protection.

Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Image Quality

To a certain extent, the color is subdued, particularly yellows, some of which have a tiny greenish cast. Likewise, the blues are pumped up more than the reds. Still, overall the color appears to be accurate, in contrast to the typical inclination toward oversaturation that most businesses have to appeal to customers. The hue of some hues, like yellow and cyan, is also wrong a tiny bit. However, lighter skin tones are accurate, whereas darker skin tones have a somewhat more saturated appearance.

Noise and Detail: Even at ISO 80, the detail isn’t very excellent, and the image appears soft. At all ISOs, chroma (color) noise is relatively well managed; nevertheless, this may be part of the problem: to control the chroma noise (random color pixels), they are likely blurring the resolution. This is a relatively poor level of clarity for a camera with 12 megapixels, and I cannot advocate shooting at an ISO much higher than 200 with the Canon SD780.

Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Performance

The autofocus shutter latency is slightly better than average, clocking it at 0.49 seconds while shooting at wide-angle and 0.51 seconds at full telephoto. In addition, the lag time for the prefocus shutter is 0.078 seconds, which is pretty fast.

In single-shot mode, the camera takes a picture roughly once every 2.2 seconds; continuously, it takes a picture around once every 1 second. The cycle time is slower than the average.

After a discharge at maximum power, the flash on the Canon SD780 takes 6.8 seconds to recycle, which is on the longer end of the usual range.

Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Specifications

Body type	Ultracompact
Max resolution	4000 x 3000
Other resolutions	4000 x 2248, 3264 x 2448, 2592 x 1944, 1600 x 1200, 640 x 480, 320 x 140
Image ratio w h	4:3, 16:9
Effective pixels	12 megapixels
Sensor size	1/2.3″ (6.17 x 4.55 mm)
Sensor type	CCD
ISO	Auto, 80,100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
White balance presets	6
Custom white balance	Yes
Image stabilization	Optical
Uncompressed format	No
JPEG quality levels	Fine, Normal
Focal length (Equiv.)	33–100 mm
Optical zoom	3×
Maximum aperture	F3.2–5.8
Autofocus	Contrast Detect (sensor)Multi-areaSingleFace DetectionLive View
Digital zoom	Yes (4x)
Manual focus	No
Macro focus range	3 cm (1.18″)
Number of focus points	9
Articulated LCD	Fixed
Screen size	2.5″
Screen dots	230,000
Touch screen	No
Live view	No
Viewfinder type	Optical (tunnel)
Minimum shutter speed	15 sec
Maximum shutter speed	1/1500 sec
Aperture priority	No
Shutter priority	No
Manual exposure mode	No
Subject/scene modes	Yes
Built-in flash	Yes
Flash Range	3.50 m
External flash	No
Flash modes	Auto, Fill-in, Red-Eye Reduction, Slow Sync, Off
Continuous drive	0.8 fps
Self-timer	Yes (2, 10, Custom, Face)
Metering modes	MultiCenter-weighted spot
Exposure compensation	±2 (at 1/3 EV steps)
Resolutions	1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Format	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone	Mono
Speaker	None
Storage types	SD/SDHC/MMC/MMCplus/HD MMCplus
USB	USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
HDMI	Yes
Environmentally sealed	No
Battery	Battery Pack
Battery description	Lithium-Ion NB-4L battery & charger
Weight (inc. batteries)	155 g (0.34 lb / 5.47 oz)
Dimensions	87 x 56 x 18 mm (3.43 x 2.2 x 0.71″)
Orientation sensor	Yes
GPS	None

Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Conclusion

Conclusion. I selected the Canon SD780 IS from the lineup of digital cameras released in the Spring of 2009, hoping it would have a solid performance. I anticipate that its appearance alone would make it a successful product.

Even on several other websites, the product has received great reviews. We like how the camera works; at least two of us had it on our shortlist as potential candidates for our next pocket camera.

However, our plans were derailed because they cannot surpass the capabilities of the 7.1-megapixel Canon SD1000, which has been on the market for two years.

Canon PowerShot SD780 IS FAQs