Review: Canon PowerShot SD780 IS

Walter Zapp would be proud. As you can see from the photo above, the SD780 is similar in size to the Classic Minox B, a camera that was designed “to be with you always”. But it’s shape is much more practical for those of us who are photographers and not spies.

Video on the Canon Powershot SD780 IS

I’ll level with you; I’m not a video person. It’s never held that much of an attraction for me. But even I have to admit that I’m fascinated by the fact that pretty much all still digital cameras come with some form of video. And the Canon SD780 is pretty amazing in this regard. In fact, it was a deciding factor in its purchase.

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

Just in Time for Christmas: My ELPH Story

My very first childhood camera was a Keystone 125X, a little plastic brick that took 126 film cartridges, and served me well on class trips to the Museum of Natural History. When it came time to upgrade, I saved up for a Kodak Pocket 110. Slim profile, sliding lens cap, thumb-operated  film advance lever; at about an inch thick, I could actually slip it into a pocket. This was the camera for me.

First Impressions: Canon Powershot SD780 IS

As I remove the tiny device from its ecologically friendly packaging, the first thing I notice is its heft; It’s solid and substantial. If feels like a real camera, and yet it seems too small to be a real camera.

New Arrivals: Canon Powershot SD780 IS

Canon Powershot SD780 IS, Rear

Received this just as I was on my way out, so I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to try it out…

At first glance, I really like the fit and finish and the clean layout of the controls. The case is made of metal with a slightly-textured, non-slip etched surface. The controls are flush-mounted so it’s easy to hold the camera without a size-increasing grip while not accidentally hitting any of the buttons.

Just in Time

Canon PowerShot SD780 IS:
A Never-be-without-a-camera-again Camera

So here I am, looking in a shop window in Manhattan on the way to a gig as I come across the Powershot SD780. It was not far from an SD1200. And I notice both have optical viewfinders.

A curious thing about shop windows in Manhattan. They’re not changed that frequently, and you often find discontinued or new/old stock in them. But since I pass by this window every week, I know that it had recently been changed. Whatever is in this window could not be that old.

At my first opportunity, I research the SD780 IS and although it’s still on Canon’s website, it’s clearly standing near the exit. A newer model, almost identical but sans viewfinder, also comes up in a search. Same thing with the SD1200. I can order either one new from Amazon, so I put this in the back of my mind.

Then one day, my wife calls me from the road; “Get your camera ready, there’s a sunset you’ve got to see; be ready to jump in the car when I get there”. Needless to say it was a great photography-bonding moment for my wife and I, but when we got there, it was gone. “I’ve got to get a cheap camera and keep it in my glove compartment”, she says. Hmmm.

Then, a couple of days later on my way back from the city, I see something interesting and say to myself, “Gee, I wish I had a camera with me”. And in the back of my mind, the gears are turning.

So before it goes away forever, today I decided to order this miniature wonder. With a 33-100mm zoom range, f/3.2-5.8 aperture, 15 sec.-1/1500 sec. shutter speed and ISO range of 80-1600, I should be prepared for just about anything. It’s actually the width and height of a credit card, and just shy of 3/4" thick. And with its rounded corners and edges, it’s the perfect shirt pocket camera. I’ve been waiting for the right compact digital to come along, and this is it.

The sense of urgency came with the realization that last year, Canon was still making compact cameras with zoom viewfinders, and that none of the new models have them, a trend I find disturbing. Nikon, never made a camera this size with a viewfinder, so in considering the Coolpix, I wasn’t even aware that this was an option. I prefer to use an optical viewfinder whenever I can. Holding a camera at arm’s length to compose a picture that everyone else can see is simply not my idea of photography.

So, here I am, ever the Nikon loyalist, with a new Canon camera.

Shooting 35mm with the Holga 120

There’s a 35mm film adapter kit available for the Holga 120 which enables you to take standard 3:2 35mm frames. It includes a 36mm x 24mm mask, and a back with the frame counter window covered up. The mask has two plastic brackets on the left side to center the film cartridge, and guides to ensure that the film remains centered on the mask opening. You use the original 120 take-up spool with no additional modifications.


In theory, it should work quite well, although I’m sure the vignetting effect will be missing, and the images will be more tightly cropped as if using a 60mm lens on a standard 35mm camera (slightly longer than a “normal” lens.) Hopefully, I can use the Holga .5x wide angle converter to restore the wide angle effect.

Frame advance will be pretty straightforward; After each picture, I advance 22 clicks. If I wanted to maximize the amount of exposures, I’d reduce the number of clicks by one every other frame to compensate for the increasing diameter of the take-up spool. This of course requires tracking the number of frames taken.

However, in my opinion it’s not the best way to use 35mm film in the 120 Holga. The best way is to modify the standard 6cm x 6cm mask to create a 35mm panoramic adapter. This way, you can take advantage of the full width of the 6cm 120 frame size, plus the full width of the 35mm film, including the sprocket hole area. This is known as “Sprocket Hole” photography, and is quite popular amongst the Lomography community.

So, along with my 35mm adapter kit, I ordered an extra 6cm x 6cm mask. I plan to modify it by adding brackets to center the 35mm cartridge, and possibly add film guides that just barely catch the edge of the film to stop it from curling. But I’m still on the fence about that. Like the standard 36mm x24mm adapter, I would advance the film by clicks, but use 36 to cover the full 6cm width. Or, I could advance less clicks and superimpose the next image on top of the previous one. When processing the film, I’ll ask them not to cut it, so I can decide for myself what constitutes a frame. My Epson V500 scanner should have no problem scanning such a wide frame.

The Annual Autumn Tradition

Today my family and I will be embarking on our annual autumn tradition; a pumkin-picking pilgrimage to Alstedes in Dover. It seems the perfect opportunity load my Holga 120FN with 35mm film and test out the new .5x Wide Angle Adapter.


I’ve estimated that it takes 24 clicks to advance the film to the next frame with a comfortable space between frames. Of course, this space will widen as the diameter of the take-up spool increases, but I don’t feel like complicating things by tracking the number of exposures and compensating. I just want to shoot.

I plan to take this to a consumer lab for processing, so I want to make it as easy for them as possible. Still, I’ll specify no color correction and to leave the film uncut due to the uneven frame spacing. I’ll unload the film at home in a changing bag, the only real hitch in using 35mm film in the Holga 120, due to the lack of a film rewind knob. The changing bag will find a new home with my Holga kit.