10 Responses to “HP PB360 12 MP Digital Camera with 3-Inch Touchscreen LCD (Bronze)”

1. Camera Buff says:

   July 24, 2010 at 11:07 pm

   Review by Camera Buff for HP PB360 12 MP Digital Camera with 3-Inch Touchscreen LCD (Bronze)
   Rating:
   I own many digital cameras, but this HP product is great. I love the touch screen, easy to move around to the different features. The unit is very compact, and the clarity of the pictures is fantastic! There are no cameras out there with this type of feature pack, 12MP, touch screen that is 3″! I recommend this product to anyone that wants a great compact camera!
2. Floyd Goodrich says:

   July 24, 2010 at 11:54 pm

   Review by Floyd Goodrich for HP PB360 12 MP Digital Camera with 3-Inch Touchscreen LCD (Bronze)
   Rating:
   Bought this for the wife to carry along with her. I was very pleased with the performance of this camera. I did some side by side tests with my top notch Panasonic FZ35 bridge camera. Considering the FZ35 is a 10 in all comparisons, here are my thoughts on this HP360. Pictures are about an 8, lack a touch of saturation but can be tweaked in Picasa 3. The clarity of the pictures are a 9, very nice. The video is good and gets a 8 as nothing comes close to the FZ35 HD video but this cameras video is very good and has good sound and color. Focuses fairly quickly when zooming video. The features on this camera are extensive and work well such as smile detection. This camera suffers, as all inexpensive cameras do, in the area of low light without flash, very noisy but flash pictures are OK. This is meant to be a fun camera for spur of the moment shots, not for once in a lifetime shots. The touchscreen clears away a lot of button clutter and allows for a big bright clear 3″ LCD screen. The menus are easy and laid out well within the touchscreen. I like this camera and think most others will also if used as a “fun” camera and not expecting DSLR results.Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 12.1MP Digital Camera with 18x POWER Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD
3. D. esquivel says:

   July 25, 2010 at 12:31 am

   Review by D. esquivel for HP PB360 12 MP Digital Camera with 3-Inch Touchscreen LCD (Bronze)
   Rating:
   i read the reviews for this camera and was bummed cause i ordered it before i read the reviews.but when i recieved my camera and took some pictures and reviewed them on my computer i was like what are these people talking about lol.this camera is awesome the touch screen works like a touch screen supposed to work.i got a i pod touch so i know a good touch screen.u know this camera’s battery last a long time to as well.the way this guy was talking on his review about the battery being really bad i thought i was gonna have to recharge the battery ever time i took a picture.nevermind that the battery is very good i took about a 100 pics so far and the battery bar is still on full charge so…i love this camera and recomend it to anyone who wants a good camera for a good price..
4. M.D. Stanford says:

   July 25, 2010 at 1:31 am

   Review by M.D. Stanford for HP PB360 12 MP Digital Camera with 3-Inch Touchscreen LCD (Bronze)
   Rating:
   This camera is definitely a good value based on the quality of pictures it takes and also the 3″ touchscreen. It takes better pictures than our older Canon camera (albeit marginally so), so I’m happy with it. It comes with a separate charger for the lithium battery, but I’ve found that the battery will charge when the camera is hooked up to a computer or USB charger via the USB cable, so there’s really no need to remove the battery from the camera to charge it.
5. Shirley A. Bryant says:

   July 25, 2010 at 2:27 am

   Review by Shirley A. Bryant for HP PB360 12 MP Digital Camera with 3-Inch Touchscreen LCD (Bronze)
   Rating:
   HP 360 touch screen camera – I was thrilled at the prospect of getting this camera. I was going on vacation to Colorado and was excited about taking pictures because I have not been there since 1970. I even paid for 2 day delivery so I would have it before I left. It is okay, I guess. Battery doesn’t last long and it is not as user friendly as I had hoped it would. I bought my teenage granddauaghter a Kodak and she likes it much better than mine. I had a Panasonic Lumix and I felt I was not using it enough so I gave it to my 21 year old granddaughter, and her pictures were AMAZING and she took twice as many pictures as I did in the same amount of time. I would not buy this camera again. You get what you pay for. I should have just bought disposable cameras. Also, I have contacted Amazon because my camera was missing the 0.8 meter USB cable, but they never responded. This is my only bad experience with Amazon. This is a great disappointment because the camera does have a lot of storage, but I had to buy a card to record my pictures on so I could get them out of my camera (an unexpected expense).
6. U. Wilkins says:

   July 25, 2010 at 3:23 am

   Review by U. Wilkins for Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Silver)
   Rating:
   I just purchased this Canon on a whim, earlier today at Best Buy. I have been tinkering with it for the majority of the evening. My previous SD300 is still working like a champ, however I have been considering a video camera for some time…after some peering at the video camera counter I wandered over to the point and shoot table… what initially drew me in to the SD780IS was its appearance on the display stand. The sleek matte-black body is very eye-pleasing…then I looked at the specs. and realized that it shoots video in HD! (1280×720) Then all the other attributes made me realize that it was time to update my “everywhere, anytime” camera.
   
   I proceeded to check out some of the other Canon SD cameras. The SD960 became the other candidate…it has a little more glass(4x)zoom, over the SD780′s (3x)zoom. The SD960 has an appealing f2.8 apeture over the SD780′s f3.2. The SD960′s screen is more tailored for the HD video capture as it has a 16:9 ratio LCD panel. (Kinda nice for instant viewing ON THE CAMERA)
   
   After some thought I went with the SD780 for these reasons:

   1. The HD video capability is awesome and comparible with the SD960. It has a HDMI jack. The traditional 4:3 screen does not bother me, because the video is ultimately going to be viewed on a HD TV.(There will be an upper and lower bar on 16:9 playback through the SD780′s LCD).

   2.The weaker 3x zoom is not a big deal as this camera is for general shooting(out w/ freinds, bars, random afternoon at the beach, mountain biking, etc.)and with this camera EASLIY fitting in my jeans pocket or camelbak, the portability is what gives me the opportunity to document those moments, that would otherwise be missed. The SD960 is a little bulkier(but still small). I do also shoot with a Canon 40D, accompanied with L optics, but the weight and bulkiness do not lend to certain shooting circumstances. (as mentined above)

   3. The user interface on the SD780IS is like most (if not all?) preceeding SD cameras. While there is not much control in the way of shooting settings, feature buttons like flash override, AE lock, AF lock, and exposure compensation are present on the camera body. The SD960IS has two buttons and a jog wheel, which lend to swims in the menu. I’m sure the new interface on the 960 is intuitive, but I liked the 780 due to its similarity to my old SD300.

   I am very happy with the results produced thus far with the SD780IS. The HD video is excellant, however it should be known that once recording you can only zoom digitally. Low light cabilities and sound in video mode are excellent. The stills I have taken look great. Also, to the budget-minded who are upgrading from older digital point-and-shoots, a class 4 minimum 4GB or 8GB SDHC card would be well suited due to the demanding memory of the 12.1 million pixels, and HD video. Also, most old card readers will not process the the SDHC cards so you may have to purchase a new card reader as well.

   I have to mention it again…the small size of the Canon SD780IS is mind-blowing…and the functionality actually mirrors its beauty.
7. W. Chan says:

   July 25, 2010 at 3:39 am

   Review by W. Chan for Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Silver)
   Rating:
   OVERVIEW
   
   Canon SD780IS is the perfect travel/everyday camera. It weighs a little over 4 ounces. The size of the camera is astonishing. It is smaller than my iPhone 3G and my wallet. I love the new 720p video recording HD feature on the 2009 Canon P+S line. The image stabilization for video/image stills is a winner. The clips are sharper and clearer than the clips from the Creative Vado HD and the Flip Video MinoHD.

   PLAYBACK ON COMPUTERS
   
   For video playback without choppiness on the computer, you need to have at least a Core 2 Duo 1.66 GHz or higher processor on Windows (Vista/XP SP2/XP SP 3) or Core Duo 1.66 GHz or higher processor on Mac OS X (v10.4-v10.5)

   MEMORY CARD
   
   You should get at least 8GB Sandisk Extreme III SDHC (Class 6 or higher) memory card for the camera. 4000×3000 resolution images can quickly fill up your 2/4GB SD memory card.

   CONCLUSION
   
   + Quick Continuous Snapshots
   
   + 720p HD Video Recording with Image Stabilization
   
   + Lightning Quick Startup
   
   + Ultra-Compact Point & Shoot Camera (Thin + Light Combo)
   
   + Beautiful Design
   
   + Great for Beginners (Very Easy To Use)
   
   + Bright LCD Screen
   
   + DIGIC IV Technology
   
   + Blink Detection
   
   + Can Edit Video Clips on the go
   
   + Scene Detection Mode works Flawlessly

   - No Optical Zoom in Video Mode while Recording (You can Digitally Zoom)
   
   - Monotone Sound in Video Mode
   
   - Only 3x Optical Zoom for image stills
   
   - View Finder is Useless
   
   - Little Noisy/Grainy when Using Higher Than ISO400 but Acceptable

   SCORE/VERDICT
   
   09/10: Recommended
8. George D. Gates says:

   July 25, 2010 at 3:58 am

   Review by George D. Gates for Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Silver)
   Rating:
   After researching ultra-compact cameras for 2 weeks, I had narrowed down my choices to this camera, the Canon SD880 IS and a couple of models from other manufacturers (though I knew in the end I’d choose a Canon). As with most electronic purchases I make, it was an agonizing process. Every camera had a feature that I wanted, yet none of them had everything that I wanted. I would have liked a bit more zoom, and other cameras have wider lenses. In the end, the three features that won me over were the amazingly small size, the ability to capture HD video at a resolution of 720p, and the HDMI out.

   As for the performance, I couldn’t be happier. Many of the reviews I read before purchasing mentioned a high amount of noise, but in my experience it only occurs at higher ISO’s, is not very noticeable, and seems to be in line with other compact cameras that I’ve used, no more, no less. I would NOT let this be a determining factor if I were considering this camera.

   This is my first camera with image stabilization and it’s works very well. On a recent trip I took over 500 pictures (and filled up less than 1/4th of my 8-gig card at the highest resolution), and not one of them ended up blurry. The AUTO feature has also proven to be much better than I had anticipated: it changes between 18 settings automatically, such as macro, bright sunshine, etc., and so far, it’s been right on the money. Another complaint that I’ve read is that viewfinder is useless. While it is quite tiny, I have actually used it, and I find it to be quite serviceable. At some point, a camera gets so small that it’s difficult to squeeze everything onto its surface area. Kudos to Canon for even including the optical viewfinder at all.

   My complaints are few, and none would be a dealbreaker for me. The small size and smooth, symmetrical shape sometimes make it hard to tell which side I am holding onto when I take it out of my pocket. When attempting to push the power button, I will often realize I am pushing on the bottom of the camera. I have to actually look at it to tell what I am doing. Also, as stated previously, the HD video takes a pretty beefy CPU to play back smoothly. My PC is 4 years old and has a hard time keeping up. The easy solution to this is to play back directly to the monitor/TV with an HDMI cable. It seemed improbable to me that a video made with a camera this small would look good on a 55″ HD television. I was stunned at how sharp it looked.

   The bottom line is that anybody looking for an ultra-compact camera is going to be extremely satisfied with this one. It doesn’t take the pictures that a digital SLR is going to, nor does it have the same features. But anybody looking at this camera realizes that already. I went to an arts festival last weekend and was AMAZED at how many people are lugging around DSLR’s these days. It seemed like every other person had one. When looking at performance vs. convenience and portability, I’ll take the SD780 any day.
9. Kent T. Hambrock says:

   July 25, 2010 at 4:15 am

   Review by Kent T. Hambrock for Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Silver)
   Rating:
   As many have already left HUGE reviews on this camera I will try to be quick about it, but I did have to review this camera. This camera is great. When I say that I mean it. I work for a camera store and everyday I’m reviewing cameras to people’s faces and when this one came out I took one look at it and the features and told my boss “Oh yeah, we’ll be out by tomorrow” and we were. It sells FAST. Why? Because it’s a GREAT camera.
   
   The form factor can’t truly be captured in a picture, you have to feel this thing in your hand to know what everyone’s talking about. 9 out of 10 people I show the camera to decide to buy once they’ve held it. It’s small, it’s REALLY small. It’s just a sexy form. The 2.5 isn’t screen isn’t because they wanted to be cheap, it’s because they couldn’t put a bigger screen on there without making the camera a good deal bigger. Same for the 3x zoom.
   
   The Digic IV processor and iSAPS technology means this camera is fast and accurate. It’s constantly focusing and letting you know what it thinks you want to take a picture of. It’s facial recognition is so fast and accurate, it can track someone running quickly across the screen with a box around their face the whole time. And it picks up faces on magazines, ads, anything that has a human face on it. The iSAPS is constantly changing the mode to better suit what you’re shooting and it’ll show you the mode you’re in while it’s doing it(upper left hand corner of the screen).
   
   The 720p high-def video is the one that seals the deal. You know it’s fast. You know it’s accurate. You know it’s easy. But the video, always catches you of guard. “Wait you mean to tell me this camera smaller then my blackberry curve can take high-def video as well as pictures??” Oh it can do more then that. Canon always has a few things thrown into video mode for the fun of it, like color Accent, as in taking away all but one color. Allowing your friend in the red shirt to be the REAL center of attention. And seeing that on the big screen only makes the camera more interesting.
   
   And I even sold myself on buying the camera, with it’s sleekness, speed, accuracy, and high-def I just couldn’t resist. I’m not telling you to get the camera, but if you do, you won’t be disappointed.
10. Adam Dachis says:

    July 25, 2010 at 4:16 am

    Review by Adam Dachis for Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Silver)
    Rating:
    If you want this little new camera from Canon it’s probably due to it’s attractive body and small size, something Canon has done well in the past and managed to improve upon in the SD780 IS. If those two things are topping your list, don’t bother reading this review. You’ve succeeded in finding a tiny, attractive little camera that can go just about anywhere. If quality and features also matter, it’s more of a mixed bag. As usual, when you make a camera this small, the form factor means sacrifices in more practical areas. Nonetheless, Canon does a nice job all-around in giving you an excellent value despite the shortcomings inherent in pocket photographic devices.

    For owners of small pocket cameras, it should come as no surprise that noise is the number one problem with this device. With a 12MP sensor, it’s no wonder there’s so much noise in every photo you take. Outdoors, indoors, pitch black, whatever: it doesn’t matter. You will see noise no matter how well-lit your scene is, whether there are dark areas or not. This is a huge drawback if you’re printing large photos. If you’re like most people and only go beyond 4×6 or 5×7 for that occasional photo that warrants an 8×10, you don’t have much to worry about. Though cramming 12MP into a tiny little sensor, like the one used in the SD780 IS, is certainly a cause of the high levels of noise, the resolution it provides makes the noise imperceptible when printing small photographs. You may notice it in an 8×10 photo taken at night, but for your smaller prints you should get by just fine.

    Where noise is a bigger problem is in the video mode. Since the introduction of their 5D Mark II DSLR, Canon’s begun to embrace high-definition video across their photographic line. Though few cameras in Canon’s arsenal can capture HD video at this time, I believe by the end of 2009 it should be more the norm than the exception. While the SD780 IS doesn’t capture 1080p video like the 5D Mark II, or it’s (much) bigger brother the SX1S IS, 720p is quite a feat for a camera this small. It’s comparable in size to the Flip Mino HD and only costs about $50 more (if you’re comparing by suggested retail pricing). Though not as straightforward and simple as the Flip, by virtue of being a still camera first and a video device second, if you’re looking for a device that does both and are willing to pay a little extra you’ve found it. The video quality in the Canon SD780 IS is more uniformly sharp (in daylight or indoors), though the Flip Mino HD tends to pick up slightly more detail in the distance (in daylight, not indoors). The SD780 IS gives you selective focus and stabilization. While you may not care for selective focus, the image stabilization offered in the SD780 IS is very nice to have when taking video clips. The image stabilizer allows for nice, smooth pans that are not offset by the “jello effect” you get with CMOS sensors. The Flip uses a CMOS and has that issue. The SD780 IS uses a CCD and does not. The SD780 also offers H.264 encoding at an average bit rate of about 24Mbps. For H.264 720p video, this is a very high bit rate from a device. Nonetheless, the files aren’t too big. If you’ve got a 16GB SDHC card you’ll get about an hour and a half of video. Where the Flip does a better job, however, is in noise.

    Though the Flip isn’t exactly the best device in low light, it still manages pretty well for a tiny little camera. The SD780 IS looks noisy in every situation. While the high megapixel rating keeps the noise harder to see in a photo, when you’re dealing with 720p video the noise is very apparent. You can see it in perfect daylight, though it’s not that bothersome, and you can really see it indoors regardless of the lighting. This is a noisy camera. Though it’s forgivable in the photographs, in most cases, it really hurts the video mode. Given the limitations of the tiny hardware and the unfortunate megapixel race, noise reduction would’ve been nice. Nonetheless, if you’re looking for an incredibly tiny device that records HD video, the SD780 IS should by high on your list by virtue of its stabilization.

    Being that this is a primarily a still camera and not a video device, there are a lot of positives to look at. Let’s start on the outside and work our way in. Canon’s clearly put a lot of thought into the form factor. Regardless of what color you get, I think most will agree that this is a very attractive device. It’s compact and light, so taking it with you will seem about the same as not taking it with you: you will often forget you have it. On one hand, that’s very nice. On the other, make sure you don’t lose it. Though it’s not the smallest camera you can buy, it feels a lot smaller than it is. This could be an issue for some people. I’ve owned and/or reviewed a large number of consumer imaging devices and I’ve never run into the problems that some seem to have with button size. I’ve used a Sony camera that’s a bit smaller than this one and had no issues, whatsoever, with accidental presses. The SD780 IS is the first device I’ve owned where I often make these mistakes. If you have big fingers, you will probably find this device extremely frustrating. For me, the problem is primarily with what I’ll call the function wheel. Kind of like an iPod, in the center is a Function/Set button surrounded by a wheel of four other options. Though this is not a new interface for Canon, it’s awfully small on the SD 780 and it’s very easy to mistakenly push the wrong button on the wheel (or the center button). Personally, I don’t find myself running into this problem too often because I’m not frequently changing settings. Nonetheless, it’s something you should consider if you’ve had trouble with accidental button pushes in the past.

    The other switches, however, are quite easy to deal with. The other four buttons on the back panel have quite a bit of space around them, even when not considering how small this camera is, and pushing them is no trouble at all. One is a switch that goes from automatic photo mode to custom photo mode to video mode. Though I’ve come to prefer separate buttons for starting a video and taking a photo, much like Sanyo does with their line of convergence cameras (which they’re now calling “dual cameras”), this switch works well in the sense that it keeps you in the mode and saves you from remembering which button to push when you want something. More importantly, switching modes is about as fast as you could ask for. Though it’s not my preferred way to switch modes (because I prefer the devices to seem like there’s no switch at all), it doesn’t really end up being a problem.

    Lastly, there are two buttons on the top of the camera. One is for the shutter and the other is the power button. If you have large fingers, good luck pushing the power button. It’s tiny and it isn’t raised at all. I consider my fingers normal-sized and have no difficulty pushing the button but if you’re concerned, go try the camera in a store before you buy it. As for the shutter, that’s no problem at all. You half-depress to focus and press fully to take the photo, like you would with pretty much any digital camera on the market. There is also a zoom ring around the shutter button which has a tiny little edge to it for your finger to flick. It works quite well, despite being as tiny as it is. For the most part, the camera is very easy to control despite its size. Though you may have difficulty when changing settings, when it comes to general operation (aside from turning it on and off) you shouldn’t run into issues.

    My two favorite parts of the SD780 IS body are its large screen and port access. The screen is incredibly bright and clear, even at half brightness (which is where it starts out of the box and probably where you want to leave it), and is well protected by a glass covering. Smudging is easy to clean but be careful of scratches. The refresh rate of the screen is also excellent. Color accuracy is surprisingly good and realistic, assuming you’re not using the “my colors” feature. I’ve come to expect less from Canon’s devices (especially in the white balancing department) and I was pleasantly surprised. While that isn’t entirely the display’s job, what I see on the screen is what I see in reality. No complaints. If you prefer shooting from the viewfinder, which is perfectly reasonable, you will definitely be disappointed. The option is nice, of course, but it’s so incredibly tiny that it seems more for show than for any actual use. I appreciate Canon’s inclusion, but I can pretty much guarantee it will never be used for any practical purpose. My other favorite part is the port access, because it’s exactly how I like it. In the top left corner (if you’re looking at the back of the camera), you pull off this little piece of plastic to reveal a mini HDMI port and a mini USB port. There’s no proprietary connections. It’s nice to see a tiny camera not sacrifice connectivity for the sake of size. To transfer pictures, just pull the plastic covering away and plug the camera into your computer. The process is the same if you want to connect the camera via HDMI to your HDTV. Canon doesn’t include the necessary cable, which is a shame, but being that I’ve never once connected my camera to a television I’m not really bothered. They do give you a standard definition cable, however, so you’re not stranded with no options. On the bottom of the camera there is the usual slide-off access to the battery and memory card. Canon really crammed them both in there, but in a way that’s impressive and not cumbersome. Additionally, they managed a tripod head mount on the bottom as well, and you can pull away a little rubber covering to reveal a hole for the tripod head’s stabilizer (the little piece that doesn’t screw in but holds the camera in place on the head).

    Overall, the camera body has an excellent design. It’s not only attractive but functional. The only drawback is the possibility of accidental button pushes, but that sort of comes with the territory.

    What about the camera’s features? We’ve already discussed video mode, which is excellent aside from the noise issues. The still camera features and controls are quite good all around, with only a few silly omissions. Let’s start with the menu system. It’s very simple. You press the menu button and you have two columns. One is the very simple camera options column, only giving you four choices, and the other is the function column giving you much more to do. In the camera options, you can turn certain functionalities on or off. Despite the paltry zoom on this device, which is to be expected due to its size, I’d recommend turning off digital zoom. It’s on by default. Why it is even included in cameras is something I’ve never quite understood. As for the functions menu, you have a number of basic functions (display brightness, card formatting, etc.) but also some superfluous functions like changing the sound effects and the camera’s startup image. You don’t get many choices, and the dog bark shutter sound is absent from this device (which I always loved), but you get choices nonetheless. If you don’t want sound effects at all, there is a mute feature. You should note, however, that this camera makes noise on startup nonetheless. The body is a little noisy on its own. The image stabilizer also sounds like a fan is running. I haven’t heard the microphone pick up this noise in video mode, but if operation noise is a problem for you for whatever reason you can minimize it by turning off image stabilization. That said, aside from getting a couple of extra pictures out of your battery life, I can’t imagine why you’d ever want to turn it off.

    Canon’s autofocus has lagged behind Nikon’s in the DSLR market, in my opinion, but in their consumer devices I’ve been pretty pleased with how well it works. Autofocus is very fast and, in my experience so far, very accurate. The only problem I’ve consistently run into is the minimum focal distance in normal mode. Turning on macro mode solves the problem, and seems to be the most versatile mode (as it has no problem, unlike some consumer cameras, focusing far off as well). The unfortunate issue with macro focus is that it resets every time you switch modes or turn the camera off. If you want it on, you need to set it every single time. It would be nice to either be able to change the default or for the camera to automatically switch to macro when it can’t manage to focus due to its proximity to the subject.

    The flash does a pretty good job for being so tiny. Even from far away, it does well. Oddly enough, close subjects were not as blown out as I’d expected. Often times the photos looked surprisingly natural for a flash. Nonetheless, since you’re getting image noise regardless, I recommend shooting with higher ISOs if you have a reasonable amount of light in the room. It still tends to look more natural, especially after a little color correction.

    Exposure controls and the self-timer meet expectations. There’s not a lot of room for innovation with these features, but you can adjust what I can only assume is the gain before taking a photo. Perhaps you’re adjusting shutter speed, though I’m not sure. You can also set a self-timer for 2 or 10 seconds. Actually being able to choose the time would be a nice step up, but I don’t think many have complained about the options given. They work just fine.

    The SD780 IS also includes many superfluous but fun features common to Canon’s consumer line. My Colors is one of them. They give you so many different color modes (including positive film, monotone and sepia) I don’t know why you’d want to create your own, but you do have that option. You can also shoot in black and white with a color accent, if you’re trying to create the feel of Schindler’s List in your family photos (hopefully that includes no one), or just swap colors for whatever reason you’d want to do that.

    Playback mode is excellent. It’s very easy to zoom in and out on your photos and navigate through them. You can even display a histogram and EXIF data while looking at the photo, which is pretty excessive but cool for a consumer device. Video playback provides a wealth of control, which even includes in-camera editing. This isn’t terribly new to Canon’s devices but it’s still nice. Personally, I’d rather edit outside of the camera but if you need space on your card and don’t have a spare it might be a good way to solve that issue (assuming you have parts of your videos that you want to remove).

    As far as silly omissions go, when selecting an image size you can get the normal 4:3 or 16:9 (likely a result of the video mode). Where’s the 3:2 option? Digital cameras have pioneered the 4:3 format, which, personally, I do not like. When printing a 4×6 photo I’d prefer to avoid cropping. Both 4:3 and 16:9 require cropping, which is unfortunate. It seems ridiculous to not offer 3:2 shooting, but then again that’s not the norm with these devices. I think that’s unfortunate. As I’ve mentioned previously, the lack of an HDMI cable and noise reduction is also too bad. The HDMI is understandable as this camera is pretty inexpensive (and you’d never know that by looking at it), but noise reduction is sorely missed. It’s no replacement for an actual lack of noise, but a little bit would go a long way with this device.

    The battery life is surprisingly good. Perhaps I feel that way because I haven’t used a camera this small in a long time, but being that it can make it through the day given all the crap I put it through with room to spare, I’m impressed. The camera also comes with a separate charger, which is great if you want to pick up a spare battery. It’s also very easy for travel. Though I always prefer the option, at least, to charge via USB (in case I forget the charger or don’t want to bother bringing it with me), the provided charger is very compact and makes charging the battery an easy thing to do. The only downside is that you constantly have to remove the battery from the camera, but they make that access easy enough (as described earlier).

    Overall, there’s a lot to like about the Canon SD780 IS. The noise issue is the biggest drawback, but educated buyers should know to expect this when purchasing a pocket device. Everything else is mostly trivial. Though the noise issues are a major drawback, especially if you’re interested in the mostly great HD video mode, this is a great little camera and well worth the price thanks to the HD video mode.

    In summary…

    + Attractive, tiny size and solid build

    + Surprisingly good battery life

    + Big, bright, color-accurate display

    + Menu system and on-screen interface is attractive and easy to use

    + Forgetting the noise issues, video mode is very good providing 720p video in H.264 with a high bit rate (average of 24Mbps)

    + Easy access to ports and easy to transfer photos or display them on your (HD)TV

    + The flash is surprisingly effective without being excessively bright

    + Inexpensive for what you get

    = Very high resolution photos, though this comes at a cost (6 to 8 MP seems like a more logical choice)

    = Image stabilization is excellent considering the size, but isn’t what you get with a larger device

    = Has a viewfinder, though it’s pretty much useless

    = Many superfluous but fun features, mainly color-related

    - Physical buttons are often too small and accidental pushes are commonplace

    - Images and video are extremely noisy, no matter the lighting conditions

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