Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS (Digital IXUS 95 IS)

Opinion: A really great compact if you ask me.

*One thing, the specs said, 1.4 fps on continuous mode, but here's a trick, you can haste it up by choosing ISO3200 mode, it can shoot up to 3fps.*

It is also great at landscapers, though a wider focal length is better.
The colors are great, if, and only if you set to Vivid coloring.
I can't say much since it is a compact, and for a compact, it's a great camera.
Fast and sturdy.

Opinion: An excellent workaround fully corrects the unacceptable flaw in the "AUTO" mode of this otherwise excellent iteration (PowerShot SD1200 IS, alias Digital IXUS 95 IS) of the Canon IXUS family:

- Choose the "Kids&Pets" mode (instead of the default "AUTO" mode)
- Set the "Recording Pixels (Image Size)" to "L" (instead of the default "S")
- Set the "Image Quality (Compression Ratio)" to "Fine" (instead of the default "Normal")

Then "Kids&Pets" works as a perfect "AUTO" mode, and you still can switch to any other mode or settings when useful.

Details:

- Power-On the SD1200
- In top-right corner, push the "Mode Switch" slider, from its green "AUTO" 1st position (the default), down to the black "manual photo" 2nd position
- Press the "FUNC. SET" button in the center of the 4-direction ring
- In the left column, navigate vertically to the TOP icon; then in the bottom row, navigate horizontally to the "Kids&Pets" icon
- Press "FUNC. SET" a 2nd time
- Press "FUNC. SET" a 3rd time
- In the left column, navigate vertically to the BOTTOM icon; then in the bottom row, navigate horizontally to the "L" icon
- Press the "DISP." button and navigate horizontally to "Fine"
- Press "FUNC. SET" a 4th time

References:

- Start your included CANON "Solution Disk v40.0" CD (Windows Vista/XP)
- Open the "MANUAL_EN.pdf" file and follow "Camera User Guide", and read this selection:
- "2 Learning More > 2a Components Guide" (p40). The 1st component explained is "Mode Switch". The next components are useful to read too, as well as the next section ("2b Information Displayed on the Screen", p42-44).
- "2 Learning More > 2d FUNC. Menu - Basic Operations" (p45-46)
- "3 Shooting in ..." (p51) > "3a Shooting in Various Conditions" (p52) > "Kids&Pets" (p53)
- "4 Selecting Settings Yourself" (p61) > "4f Changing the Recording Pixels (Image Size)" (p65)
- "4 Selecting Settings Yourself" (p61) > "4g Changing the Image Quality (Compression Ratio)" (p65): make sure you are in "Fine" (the icon itself, at bottom left, is smooth in "Fine", and highly pixelized in "Normal").

I already posted this explanation in my http://goo.gl/lBIvT reply to Sophster's great advice of 20 Dec 2009 on Amazon (which reproduces the one posted here under Trance Club on 27 May 2009).

Such a flaw didn't exist in any of the earlier IXUSes I bought for me or other family members over the years, I hope Canon has corrected this flaw and doesn't commit other ones that big in their newer cams...

Versailles, Fri 07 Oct 2011 16:15:00 +0200

Opinion: This appears to be the last of Canon's SD series cameras that have a viewfinder window...so I bought three of them as it is the last SD series Canon I will ever buy. This last one was a bargain...$97 for a refurbished one from NewEgg (The others were $150 and $140, but were "new".)

The cameras take very good pictures, although my wife says hers is not as good as her S500, which she dearly loved. I think she is wrong, but we sold the S500 so no comparison can be made. If anything, the new one is a little too compact, but the larger LCD vs. the S500 is cercainly an improvement. I do wish there was some manual control...at least so far as being able to put the cameras in shutter priority mode.

Opinion: I bought a refurb from Adorama for $114 in dark gray. I got this primarily for fly fishing, mountain biking and as a take-everywhere camera. It is the exact width and height of a credit card and about as thick as the width of a dime. It fits in my jeans pocket and in the small water-resistant inside pocket of my fly fishing vest. At this price if I drop it into the creek it will not be a tragedy, just a set-back.
Image quality straight out of camera is great-- equal to or exceeds that of a number of Canon compacts I’ve used including the G7, G5, Pro1, A610, A590 and SD700. It was so intuitive to use that I can use all of its capabilities without needing the manual just by spending a few minutes in the menus. 10MPs is about the max I would go as I think image quality (clipping, noise, etc) gets worse in these small cams as Canon packs more data onto tiny sensors. No wonder Canon backed off to only 10MPs with its flagship G11. This may be the last ELPH with a “reasonable” pixel count.

Feature packed really: small but not tiny, decent flash, optical viewfinder (probably the last-ever ELPH to have one), easy access to self timer, exposure comp, flash settings and “instant on” with the review button. More responsive than the previous small cameras I’ve used. ISO 400 better than expected and 800 is usable if tweaked and prints are small. Video works well, even in below-average light. The iContrast is surprisingly useful. Black and white + sepia modes are neat for those that don’t have time to do this in post processing. Lacks some shooting modes lke shutter/aperture priority but Program cover most situations. Battery/SD door a bit flimsy. But, hey, it was under $120.

The camera does exactly what it is designed to do: take great pictures handheld in a variety of average or better lighting conditions without a lot of fanfare. I can’t imagine a better package at this price. I think most people that struggle to get good results with these ELPHs don’t know how to use them in a way to optimize performance or they only shoot in Auto.

Use “P” mode, set Ev to -2/3, turn off IS when using a tripod, set iContrast to Auto, use lowest ISO possible (avoid Auto), use Vivid mode, and Cloudy WB outdoors to add warmth. Get a small table-top tripod to take on trips and you have a powerful package here. Just understand the limitations and realize it is not a DSLR. Spend some time learning the basics in Photoshop Elements or Canon’s software and you can fix most minor image problems in just a few seconds. No complaints, great camera but fading from stores. I may buy a second one as I fear the good ELPHs are all but gone.

Opinion: When viewed as a pocket-cam and not a DSLR, the SD1200 is an excellent choice. I've owned the SD1000 and 1100, both great offerings, and the 1200 only improves on a solid model.
I bought mine from Adorama, a refurb for $127 total and couldn't be happier. It's my third refurb camera and they all are as good as new.
The addition of the Play button for viewing after shooting is very handy. New to this model is the Auto Scene mode. In full auto the camera chooses the best of several scenes and seems to get it right on.
In P mode you can choose some things like White Balance, Flash, Color mode, and EV. All settings are easy and fast.
Canon has been doing small cams for years so the SD1200 is understandably solid. The only thing that bothers me is the creeping pixel count. This camera has 10MP and that's about as high as I'll tolerate. Those thinking more is better are being misled. It is a marketing ploy all camera makers feel they must turn to to sell to buyers who think more is better. In this case, more means less photo quality.
The SD1200 is an awesome bargain right now and comes in some cool colors anyone will love. Mine is orange.
The flash will light up a room and cover very well up to about ten feet away. (About as good as you get from a compact.)
Overall, I rate it excellent in its class.

Opinion: I've had it several weeks. If I see something interesting, I can just pull out the camera, turn it on, and quickly take a shot. It does just about everything I could expect at this price and produces nice images.

Opinion: Zoom pictures of the mountains are out of focus -- even when I mount the camera on a tripod, focus at infinity, and use the built-in automatic timer.
Everything else about the camera is fine.

Opinion: My family have Powershots in the 6 mpxl and 7-something mpxl ranges. Both take sharp pictures. This 1200IS, with its 10 mpxls, does not take good pix. Blurry. Set up on L + Fine. Terrible sharpness. Will return this camera on December 26th and look for something better.

Opinion: I've bought this camera to replace my Ixus 40 which I always carry; I also have a 40D for the more serious work. My blind faith in the Canon brand is really being tested. I've always propagated how good Canon sensors were in dark circumstances, but this camera clearly is not. Image quality is poor, especially the amount of noise in lower light environments.