Canon Powershot SD970 is Review: There Are Better Options

All the Canon Powershot SD970 IS really has to offer is 5x zoom and 12 megapixel resolution, and since most of Canons Digital Elphs have these kinds of features, the Canon Powershot SD960 IS really isn't worth any kind of $400.

A new, silver and gold design mimics the SD880. You have two buttons, one for playback and the other for programmable printing. Then, there are a Function/Set button, Menu and Display buttons, and a scroll dial and directional pad. To me, the SD880 the Canon Powershot SD970 IS copied had a design that looked and worked better, even if its resolution was only half of this one's.

Labels and buttons aside, the Canon Powershot SD970 IS actually is user-friendly. Those upgrading from other Canon models will find that the Function/Set options are, well, different, in that things are not arranged the same.

A $400 price tag should preclude a better lens than the Canon Powershot SD970 IS's 37mm, which has a speed of only f3.2. On top of that, Program/Scene Mode, Movie Mode and Smart Auto are the only shooting options, none of which are programmable. Program Mode does let you mess with light metering, ISO, autofocus and white balance, along with giving you some special scene options. One of the things the Light Effect shooting mode on the Canon Powershot SD970 IS lets you do is turn light into hearts stars, musical notes, etc. and I think that really should have been part of playback. Zoom Blur can be useful for making your subjects out of the ordinary or appear like they're moving.

White balance and exposure are good enough that the Canon Powershot SD970 IS produces good photos with colors that are well-reproduced. Softness was a minor problem, becoming smudges at ISO 200. Since noise never seems to be a problem for the Canon Powershot SD970 IS, your pictures really won't suffer much except to increase in softness as the ISO level rises up to around 800. Of course, ones at ISOs that high are only usable for the web.

The quality of the 720p HD video is exceptional, but it doesn't really save the Canon Powershot SD970 IS from being too expensive for its features. Many of the major camera manufacturers- Canon, Panasonic, Nikon and Sony- offer cameras much better than the Canon Powershot SD970 IS for the same price. It's a good camera, but I wouldn't pay that much for it.