Canon SD1200IS PowerShot Reviews
The Canon SD1200 IS offers amateur photographers a compact and user friendly camera which offers all the features they need and incredible image quality thanks to a 10 megapixel CCD sensor and the new DIGIC 4 image processor, all in a camera which fits comfortably into a shirt pocket.
This is an ideal all purpose camera for the casual photographer, with 3x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom and a 12x combined zoom, effectively giving the user 35mm - 105mm zoom; all the average photographer should need. It's also available in a variety of colors, including light and dark gray, green, orange, blue and pick, giving this camera a broad appeal.
Unlike many other digital cameras currently on the market, the SD1200 IS offers both an optical viewfinder and a 2.5" LCD screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio for easy composition and viewing of shots. Speaking of easy, the Canon SD1200 offers the Smart AUTO feature which can automatically adjust the settings for a picture using any of its 18 predefined shooting modes, a feature that newly minted photographers are sure to appreciate; it's not perfect, but should save most people a great deal of time finding the right settings for their photos.
Some of the most important features of the Canon SD1200 IS include:
- 18 separate preset shooting modes, including program mode; a setting which lets the user manually adjust the white balance, ISO speed and metering. An aquarium mode is also included, which eliminates glass glare and even an underwater mode (though you'll need a waterproof case to use this mode). There is also a Kids and Pets mode with quick focus and fast shooting for moving subjects and a Digital Macro mode which is designed for close-ups.
- Face Recognition technology is included, which automatically adjusts settings to capture optimal images of faces in a photographic composition, even including moving subjects. There is even a self-timer function which allows the user to get into the frame and have their own face recognized by the camera before the picture is taken; a nice feature for family portraits.
- Video Capture - The Canon SD1200 captures up to an hour (or 4GB) of video at VGA 640 x 480 resolution and QVGA 3 video at 20 x 240 resolution. Your videos can be downloaded and viewed on a PC or Mac or even connected to your TV with an AV cable for viewing.
- Canon's I-Contrast (Intelligent Contrast) is integrated into the SD1200, automatically adjusting contrast to lighten dark portions of a shot while keeping lighter areas from being too bright. It's a useful setting for subjects which are dark or for lower light setting; it can even be used while viewing the photo as well as when the picture is actually taken.
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