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Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera
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The Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital ELPH is a 12.1 megapixel camera that's fun and easy to use. This stylish camera has rounded lines, a bronze finish, 5x optical zoom lens and Canon's sharp 3" PureColor II LCD to bring form and function together. The SD970 IS features an intuitive set of controls to help you capture the highest quality photos and HD video. New Active Display Technology makes reviewing images fun and easy. With a tilt and a shake of the camera, you can quickly review your images; no need for clumsy buttons or control dials. Industry-leading optics, Smart Auto image capture, and Canon's legendary DIGIC 4 Image Processor make capturing your world easier than ever before!
- Smart AUTO Exposure
- Concentrate on your subjects--let the camera handle the pictures. Canon's Smart Auto mode analyzes your shooting conditions with 18 pre-defined scene settings. From a wide, floral landscape to a night on the town with friends, the SD970 intelligently captures your memories--maximizing quality while minimizing effort.
- 3" PureColor LCD II
- Framing your photos couldn't be easier than with the SD970's bright, crisp 3" LCD. Smooth color transitions, high-resolution, and scratch-resistant, anti-reflective coatings make composing and viewing effortless, even under bright sunlight.
- Active Display Technology
- Active Display Technology utilizes the SD970's accelerometer for fun and intuitive playback of your photos. To browse forward, give the camera a shake. To advance continuously, tilt the camera on an angle and watch your photos splash across the screen. Finding your favorite photos has never been so cool!
- HD Video Recording
- The PowerShot SD970 captures beautiful, broadcast-quality HD video! From live concerts to a laid back afternoon in the park, the SD970 is the HD video camera that you can, and will, take with you everywhere. Connect the camera to your widescreen TV via an HDMI port and share your memories in 100% digital High Definition.
Go To
| Camera Type | Point-and-shoot Digital Camera |
| Imaging | |
|---|---|
| Resolution | Effective: 12.4MP, Recorded: 12.1MP |
| Sensor | 1/2.3" CCD |
| Bit Depth | Not Specified By Manufacturer |
| File Formats | JPEG, QuickTime |
| File Size | Not Specified By Manufacturer |
| Color Spaces | sRGB |
| Image Stabilization | Yes |
| Crop Factor | N/A |
| Optics | |
|---|---|
| Lens | 6.6-33mm f/3.2-5.8 (35mm film equivalent: 37-185mm) |
| Zoom | Optical: 5x, Digital: 4x |
| Lens Mount | N/A |
| Focus Type | Autofocus |
| Focus Range |
Normal: 1.6' (50cm)-infinity Macro: 0.8"-1.6' (2-50cm) Digital Macro: 0.8-3.9" (2-10cm) |
| Accessory Lens/Filter Mount | N/A |
| Shooting Controls | |
|---|---|
| Sensitivity | ISO 80-1600 |
| Shutter Speeds | 1/1600 - 15 sec. |
| Metering | Evaluative, Center-weighted Average, Spot |
| Exposure Modes | Auto, Program, Scene |
| White Balance | Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom |
| Mirror Lock-Up | N/A |
| Burst Capability | 1fps Continuous Shooting |
| Self Timer | 2 seconds or 10 seconds |
| Interval Recording | No |
| Remote Control | No |
| Flash | |
|---|---|
| Built-in Flash | Yes |
| Effective Flash Range | 1.0' (0.3 m) - 11' (3.5 m) |
| External Flash Connection | No |
| Dedicated Flash System | N/A |
| Max Sync Speed | Not Specified By Manufacturer |
| Memory | |
|---|---|
| Built-in Memory | No |
| Memory Card Type | SD/SDHC, MMC/MMC Plus/HC MMC Plus |
| Still Images per GB | JPEG: High Res:313 - Low Res:3,073 |
| A/V Recording | |
|---|---|
| Video Recording | Video with Audio, NTSC & PAL Output |
| Video Resolution | 1280x720 @ 30fps, 640x480 @ 30fps, 320x240 @ 30fps |
| Video Clip Length | 30 minutes in HD, 1 hour in SD, or up to 4GB |
| Audio Recording | Audio with Video only |
| Viewfinder/Display | |
|---|---|
| Viewfinder Type | None |
| Viewfinder Coverage | N/A |
| Display | 3" LCD |
| Connectivity/System Requirements | |
|---|---|
| Connectivity | USB 2.0, A/V Out, HDMI (Type C) |
| System & Software Requirements |
Windows XP, Vista Mac OS X (10.2 or later) |
| Environmental | |
|---|---|
| Operating/Storage Temperature |
Operating Temperature:32-104°F/0-40°C Humidity: 10-90% |
| Weatherproofing | Not Specified By Manufacturer |
| Durability | Not Specified By Manufacturer |
| Power | |
|---|---|
| Battery Type | LNB-5L Lithium-ion Battery |
| Power Adapter | ACK-DC30 AC Adapter Kit |
| Physical | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 3.73 x 2.24 x 1.04" (94.8 x 56.8 x 26.3mm) |
| Weight | 5.64 oz (160g) camera only |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 25 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
100%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Large clear LCD (20)
- Easy to use (19)
- Great picture quality (18)
- Easy to setup (14)
- Simple controls (14)
Cons
- Long lag time (3)
- Poor in low light (3)
Best Uses
- Family photos (19)
- Travel (17)
- Fun (15)
- Photojournalism (3)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Casual photographer (10), Photo enthusiast (9), Semi-pro photographer (4)
Reviewed by 25 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-20
Previous | Next »
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Good Image Quality
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Nice Body Color
- Short Lag Time
- Small / Compact
Cons
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
- Sports/Action
- Travel
Comments about Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera:
love the extensive options; camera is slightly larger than my older SD790, but very comfortable to hold and user friendly
Pros
- Good Image Quality
- Good Image Stabilization
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
- Movie doesn't have zoom
Best Uses
Comments about Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera:
I've always been a fan of Canon and this camera isn't the exception. I've shot great pictures of a family Christmas reunion and was very pleased by them. The only thing that I would like the camera to have is zoom when shooting a movie.
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Good Image Quality
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
- Auto feature is not great
Best Uses
- Family Photos
Comments about Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera:
This is a great point and shoot. It was easy to use right out of the box. The one thing to be aware of is that the auto feature does not take great photos indoors so its important to select the "indoor" setting on the manual feature.
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Good Image Quality
- Good Image Stabilization
- Short Lag Time
- Small / Compact
Cons
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
- Travel
- Wildlife photos
Comments about Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera:
Easy to use, great image clarity
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy to Keep Clean
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Travel
- Wildlife photos
Comments about Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera:
This being my first digital camera I can not believe the simplicity of using it and the quality of pictures taken. I would heartily recommend this camera to others .
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy to Keep Clean
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Poor Operation in Low Light
Best Uses
- Fun
- Travel
- Video
Comments about Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera:
I'm a visual artist (but not a photographer) who needed a small and versatile camera for a trip to south america. After reading reviews and comparing features, I settled on the SD970 and it has come through wonderfully for me and without a hitch. The 720p video looks good for a point-and-shoot camera, and coupled with the portable Gorrilapod flexible tripod, I was able to document the wide array of situations and environments to my great pleasure with a minimum of fuss. Granted, my objective was not travel photography, but the basic manual controls were enough for me to get what I wanted, the video was a major bonus, and the camera is sized to fit into a pocket comfortably without standing out too much. For similar purposes, I think this camera works more than admirably.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera:
The 5* optical zoom is a real plus
picture quality it exceptional
the only down side I found is a poor sound for the video playback.
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
Cons
- Poor Operation in Low Light
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Travel
Comments about Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera:
The product is VERY easy to use right out of the box. With computers featuring built-in card readers, there's no need to install the software, unless of course, you need the editing tools.
Compact, not intrusive, but elegant. Add the underwater case, and voila! You can take it snorkeling or diving.
If you plan on taking it below 15 feet, make sure to add a strobe for better results. Like most compact cameras, it is hard to operate in low light and the built-in flash does not really help much.
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
Cons
- Frail Lens System
- Video cannot autorefocus
- Weak Construction
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- HD Video
- Photojournalism
- Travel
Comments about Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera:
Primarily as a underwater HD video Camera. For this purpose the camera itself is awesome - the video and sound quality are great for replay on computers - not tested on a HD device as yet - not being able to refocus once you start videoing is a major pitfall BUT one that I have been able work with rotating radially and doing short clips of different focal distances and joining then. The .MOV and not .AVI format is also a pitfall - but software is cheap to convert if needed.
Still images are awesome and so is the battery life - I usually do two dives with the camera on all the time with lense extended and LCD set to minimum brightness BUT maximum time on - that's about 1.5 hours on avaerage - depth and breathing gas dependent.
The usual Canon frailties apply with the lense system broadly and also lense issues with particle ingestion in the lense extention / retraction process and mechanism.
Some funcky DSLR features included like colour extraction etc ..
HD video of up to 30 minutes at a time is AWESOME .. 1280 / 720 (?) and 30 fps (?) and sound through the underwater casing (IKELITE - and useless) whilst underwater is awesome ..
Over all - 3.5 to 4 out of 5.
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Auto scene select so so
- Heavy
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Travel
Comments about Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera:
I read many reviews and tried 4 different cameras before i bought this one. Its my 3rd PowerShot and I'm upgrading from a SD850. I love this camera and the display is so clear. The 5x zoom is great. Sharp pictures almost all in focus too. I Tried the Nikon 560 and 630 and had much worse results as far as focus goes. The only draw back is in auto, it tries to select a scene mode for you such as portrait, macro, or sunset, etc. This takes extra time before it locks in on your shot. You can bypass it by just using program mode however. I didn't notice any strange noises in video mode like some other reviewers mentioned. The mic is on the top so you have to be careful not to cover it up with your finger when shooting video.The lens is soft on the L/H side of the frame in wide angle, but not noticeable unless your viewing it at 100% on a computer. Its still a very small form factor but heavier then most cameras this size. Hope this review helps.
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Great Picture Quality
Cons
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Travel
Comments about Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera:
Only had this for a week, but the photos and movies are outstanding. I took some photos of document and they are outstanding.
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
Cons
- Long Lag Time
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Travel
Comments about Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera:
I bought this camera for an upcoming vacation and wanted something that was small, but had a better zoom than my existing camera. The PowerShot SD970 IS met all of my expectations and then some. It zoomed really well and all of my pictures were amazing. I love this camera!
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Cool Extra Features
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Long Lag Time
Best Uses
- Art
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Travel
Comments about Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera:
I have had this camera for about 2 weeks and I'm extremely pleased. The photo's come out great, and the extra features like the Active Display are really cool. My only complaint is that the camera can be somewhat slow sometimes, but the great pictures easily make up for it.
- Recommended:
- Canon PSC-55 Case
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy to Keep Clean
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Travel
Comments about Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera:
I love the sd970 because it's so easy to use. The camera's auto function does a great job identifying the correct scene mode according to lighting conditions and other variables. That is why every picture comes out exactly as like in reality.
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy To Use
- Great HD 720P Video
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Fixed FocusZoom in Video
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Videographer on the run
Comments about Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera:
Great camera all around. Takes great pictures, good zoo, lots of options, and video quality is fantastic at 720P.
Taking video clips with this camera is fantastic but there is one issue and that is the fixed focus / fixed zoom during video shoot!
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Travel
Comments about Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera:
I had a Canon SD 450, and I needed an upgrade. This camera is perfect. It takes pictures quickly and it has great zoom for far away shots.
Pros
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
Comments about Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera:
really easy to use, high quality IQ
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy To Use
Cons
- Wrist strap is useless
Best Uses
Comments about Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera:
Not only for daily use such as; family photos, fun photos but it is also excellent for nature and/or sports photos.
It has a great picture quality.
Very good color quality.
Very good still image.
Very good video quality (HD).
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Photojournalism
- Travel
Comments about Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera:
I love this camera. It is sleek, well designed, fun to operate, and takes wonderful pictures. It is perfect for the tech savvy as the control system is similar to working an iPod. The features are great and the camera is comfortable to maneuver through as well as hold. It is not a tiny thing but definitely small enough to carry around in your purse or bag. I am not certain I would put it in my pocket but it might work for some. I absolutely love the 3 inch LCD - the brightness and size make it easy to take and view pictures. I am very happy with this camera.
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera:
I especially like the HD video feature and the larger viewing screen in the back. Focus is fast and correct. I found the new 'control dial' a problem because I too often accidentally rotated it while just wanting to select an item on the Func./set button.
Displaying reviews 1-20
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Batteries & Power
Always keep a spare battery handy so you won't get caught without power.
- Price: $43.95
- GBP 28.06
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- Original: $19.95
- Save: $1.99
- Price: $17.96
- GBP 11.47
Bags & Straps
Carry, store, and protect all your equipment with a bag or a strap.
- Price: $5.95
- GBP 3.80
- Price: $4.75
- GBP 3.03
Card Readers
Download your pictures faster and save battery life.
- Price: $9.95
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What's in the Box
- NB-5L Lithium-ion Battery
- CB-2LX Battery Charger
- Wrist Strap
- Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM
- IFC-400PCU USB Cable
- AVC-DC400 A/V Cable
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