Canon Powershot SD780 IS: Seven Primes in One

The Canon has seven steps as opposed to the Nikon P5100’s nine, and they’re pretty similar. Starting from the short end:

Canon Powershot SD780 IS	35mm equivalent	f-stop
5.9mm	33mm	f/3.2
7.2mm	40mm	f/3.5
8.7mm	49mm	f/4.0
10.6mm	60mm	f/4.5
12.5mm	70mm	f/4.5
14.8mm	83mm	f/4.8
17.9mm	100mm	f/5.8

Unlike the Nikon, The Canon doesn’t report the 35mm equivalent focal length in the EXIF data, so I had to calculate it. Camera manufacturers have always varied features between brands, but with digital you can expect even more differences. There are no standards other than industrial design common sense, and camera companies have egos just like any other. Happily, the multi-selector on the Canon controls the exposure compensation, flash mode, self-timer and AF focus range just as it does on the Nikon except that it’s rotated 90° counter-clockwise. I’m actually surprised the icons have been as consistent as they have.

The Menu button on the Canon behaves like the Setup mode on the Nikon, and the Func. Set button on the Canon like the Menu button on the Nikon. It works out OK, because you can get to both quickly with just your thumb. The Nikon requires your left hand and a trip to the Mode Dial on top of the camera. It’s a very different kind of camera, just as a rangefinder is from an SLR. There’s no one perfect camera and I like working with the different designs.

Thank goodness these functions are not touch-screen controlled. If they were, I wouldn’t have bought this camera. If I want touch control, I’ll use my iPhone, thank you very much.

Here are some test shots:

The Morning After:
Looking east from 7th Avenue, Manhattan

Fall Foliage

Times Square at Night

I’m fairly happy with existing light results. Even at low ISO the images are somewhat grainy, so the results at ISO 1600 don’t seem as bad. They’re still much sharper than they would ever be with the closest sized film camera, which would probably use 110 film.