Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera (Black) + 8GB Deluxe Accessory Kit

The A1100IS is the best point and shoot camera one would find in the $100-200 price class. It can be considered a top product among all the low end cameras that Canon has produced so far and is a highly recommended product for beginners in the field of digital cameras. The overall quality seems to be pretty good with a few flaws, like any other camera.

The first thing to be noticed of this camera is its very convenient size, in spite of being able to hold AA batteries in it. This makes it easy to handle and carry around and also doesn’t pose a problem with the batteries while on the go, as they can be replaced anytime. Also, the size of the display screen is large, which makes it easy to view the pictures taken. The 12 mega pixel capacity gives the pictures great clarity and comparable to those taken by a professional camera. One feature that most of the other cameras of this class don’t have is the optical viewfinder. But this camera has it in addition to the display screen and makes it very convenient for the user. It also has the video recording option in it with satisfactory exposure and speed. The camera also comes in various colors which makes it even more attractive.

The camera has a motion stabilizer, and this makes it easy to focus on the object and take a clear picture. There is one special feature in this camera called the pets and kids option of taking pictures. As both are very unstable, the device takes maximum care in stabilizing them while shooting. The automatic settings that come with the camera are very good and suitable to take pictures almost anytime and anywhere without changing the mode. The software that comes with the device is also very friendly, just like the camera itself. There are also options of tagging the pictures and using a touch-up feature on the pictures using this software, apart from a slide show application it offers.

Canon has always been a leading manufacturer of very good cameras and this piece is no exception. But a major drawback of this device is its battery usage. The camera makes use of batteries really fast and is very disappointing. The shutter lag and the lag between pictures is very slow and that makes it very inconvenient to shoot moving objects. The ISO of the camera is not changeable and it sometimes repeatedly shuts itself off. The auto focus sometimes does not focus on the intended object and that brings a kind of a blur to the picture. The battery and memory card compartment is not of good quality and sometimes doesn’t open up too.

It is a very satisfactory camera as far as the functionality is concerned for non-professional photographers. It basically does what it is made for. There are a few cons, though, but keeping in view the price it asks for, it is a wonderful and recommended product.