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CANON POWERSHOT SD1200IS 10MP CAMERA 4GB + 5BONUS ~GRAY

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Underwater Case Powershot SD1200is Digital Camera Canon

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SD1200IS Quicklinks: Buy-Ireviews-Areviews-Suggest-Top

SD1200IS Quicklinks: Buy-Ireviews-Areviews-Suggest-Top

Regina Mardeck-hess rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Canon Power Shot SD1200IS - This is the third one I bought. Gave it away as gifts, kept one for myself, and love it. Such sharp images, and so handy, light and small. Highly recommend.

Ali_Lei rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great camera! - We bought this camera after our daughter played with our other Canon Elph at the beach and got sand stuck in the lens extender. We loved our other camera and really wanted to stay within the Canon family with our new one. Picture quality is excellent and the video feature saved us from buying a separate video camera. I especially love the zoom feature with videos (wasn't available on our old camera). All in all, it's a great price for a great camera. Perfect for taking shots of my on-the-go toddler!

B. Stapperfenne rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - great price on a great camera - My camera is great. I love it and it was in perfect condition and in a reasonable time.

LS Bailey rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great Camera for Point and Shoot - Perfect for point and shoot, also pretty successful if one wants to go farther. Have used most of the settings for different types of pictures... trying to make a point and shoot work like a manual. Can use long shutter speed, and trick camera into quick shutter speed by using ISO3200 setting. Picture quality excellent for most lighting situations (obviously good at low light, only if using tripod or other stablizing mechanism.) Only drawback seems to be that it does have a hard time balancing a bright sky with a dark foreground, however, focusing on something in the middle while continuing to hold button halfway, and then snapping picture helps to balance shot a little better. Would like more control over fast shutter speed ('kids and pets' setting doesn't seem to really work) however, for 2 bills, can't complain at all! Great buy! Great battery life!

Michael R. Clower rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great Camera! - I have purchased Canon cameras in the past and once again I am very satisfied with my purchase. The camera is easy to use and takes excellence pictures.

William T. Wilson rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great little camera - Purchased this camera to replace an older Nikon. Things that I like about this camera...

It is small, but still has a view finder and fits in the hand.

Zoom quality is great for a camera this size.

The 10 MP does a great job with detail and good color quality.

Would recommend.

Robert V. Burke rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Excellent small camara - The SD1200IS is an excellent camara. The controls are intuitive and the picture quality is outstanding. I especially like the optical viewfinder. Most of my photos are taken outdoors in bright sunlight and the LCD screen on my previous camara was impossible to see. I espacially like the fact that the green "focus" indicator is visible from the optical viewfinder.

Patricia J. Rung rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great Buy! - This camera takes great pics. Easy to use and many features. I love it.

Linda S. Noga rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - excellent fun camera - I'll be the first to admit that my knowledge of a digital camera could fit into a thimble, this is my first purchase of a digital camera. I bought it at my brother-in-law recommendation and I am extrememly happy with it. It is small, takes nice clear shots, has an amazing zoom, adapts nicely to my PC. There isn't a delay when taking the picture, and it tells you where it is focusing on the picture. There is a small view if it is very sunny outside. It takes good shots during the day and at night. I am very happy with this purchase.

Elizabeth Hambright rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Power shot 1200 - We previously had a Cannon G3 and loved the quality of pics and the color rendition, but it is a larger camera and cant put it in shirt pocket and heavy for purse. This one is a lot smaller, quality pics, larger lcd, easy to use, and has image stabilization. So far, we love it. Does not come with memory card so get one and an extra battery.

International Businessman and Author rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Very happy with purchase - We are very happy with this camera. It is very easy to use right out of the box. Most of the features can be figured out very quickly without using the booklet.

The pictures are great. The 'green square' focus feature is great. We like the feel. Be sure to get a camera case for it - the camera is almost too small.

Be careful though, the high res can easily make the pictures too big to upload or email.

Downside: The preview mode is hard to get switched out of the 'picture-in-picture' mode - we never could figure out why in the heck they put that totally useless "feature" in for. It can also be a little difficult to change the resolution - but you'll eventually figure it out.

We compared this to a Nikon Coolpix that a friend had and we liked this one better.

George Pillsbury rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Very happy so far - The camera is easy to use and takes great pictures and by now I would have put batteries in twice in my old camera.

Robert Mah rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Excellent compact point and shoot - Overall, I think this is a great compact camera and is invaluable for the spontaneous people shots that capture those special moments in life. It won't take pictures worthy of National Geographic (meaning it won't replace a dSLR), but it fills in well when a large camera is just too much equipment to be carrying around.

Pluses:

*Very short power up to shot time
*Pocket friendly
*Solid build, mostly metal body
*Great battery life
*Bright LCD with good resolution
*Sharp images in good lighting/daylight
*Image stabilization
*Easy to use
*Captures vibrant colors
*DIGIC processor picks appropriate settings for most shots (see below)
*No red eye!
*Fast zoom

Minuses:

*No manual controls or scene modes
*Tends to use higher than necessary ISO settings (more grainy pictures, sometimes making them unusable) in low light using Auto Mode (ISO can be set manually in P mode)
*Underpowered flash (common to most compact cameras)
*Paper thin battery compartment cover!

Mostly, the camera suffers from its diminutive size. It doesn't offer much in terms of artistic controls, but does a very good job of making those decisions most of the time. This makes it ideal for the weekend snapshot photographer who wants to take good photos without much more than hitting a shutter button! Great all purpose camera, everyday camera.

C. Jaeger rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - GREAT CAMERA - I purchased this camera at Wal-Mart (the screen seemed fuzzy.) So I went to Best Buy and purchased one there (the screen was still a liitle fuzzy.) I compared the screen to my old canon (about 3 years old.) That screen was a little fuzzy too, but the pictures are great. This is a great camera, light weight, easy to use. I love it. I got the blue color and it looks so sharp. I highly recommend it. I went to a concert recently and It look OUTSTANDING pictures.

Brian W. rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Amazing low light - We used this an a trip to D.C. It took amazing no-flash pictures in dimly lit museums. This was many steps ahead of my daughters two year old Canon SD1000IS. Buy it, you won't regret it.

Olivia Joan Peaks rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great Camera - This camera is fabulous and takes great pictures. I owned an older Canon, one of the 3.2 MP. I received a Casio Exilim 7.2 MP for Christmas from my dad last year, I didn't like it much, the quality of the pictures just weren't as good as my Canon. I decided to buy this Canon because to me if you want a great picture forget the Kodaks, Nikons, Sonys, and every other camera out there. Canon has the best cameras there are.

Kenneth J. Berri rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great Pictures - I bought this camera to replace my older digital camera prior to a trip to Italy. This camera took outstanding pictures with and without flash in low light situations. My pictures came out perfect and helped me retain the wonderful memories of my trip. I bought this camera on a recommendation by a friend who has done a lot of research on digital cameras. He was certainly right about how good this camera was. I would recommend this camera to anyone who wants a great point and shoot camera.

S. M. Flinn rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great camera! - Great camera! The size is perfect for slipping into your pocket but not small enough to crush. It takes great photos, very impressive all around!

Timothy Brown rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Review of Cannon SD1200IS - Wow! This is the 3rd Cannon Elph camera that I have owned. Cannon hit a home run with this one. I can't seem to take a bad picture with this camera. I use it for work and take pictures all day long under different situations. Everything operates on automatic, the camera even switches automatically between long distance and macro modes. It is able to produce great pictures in different lighting situations, where my others cameras have failed in the past.

This is about my 25th digital camera that I have purchased, we actually wear them out through use, and I will purchase this same camera again, and highly recommend it to you. You will be satisfied. The only negative that I can say is that the camera is almost too small for my large hands and the camera disappears in your pockets and you will forget that you are carrying it! Really, that is not a problem, and actually probably a plus if you are on vacation and don't want to be lugging around some big war club old camera to take some pics.

I can't recommend this camera more. I just plain love it.

T. Snellgrove rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great Point-and-Shoot Camera! - I got this camera because my son is nearly 2 and I'd noticed that my photo taking had dramatically dropped off. He'd be doing something adorable and I'd run to get the camera and by the time I got back he'd be five activities past whatever he'd been doing.

I needed a Dad camera - one that was small enough to carry with me all the time, started up fast, had good image stabilization and face detection, decent zoom and flash, was 100% automatic (no tweaking with portrait mode vs. sunny day mode vs. contrast settings while my son was peddling his tricycle for the first time), and was cheap enough that I wouldn't mind dropping it occasionally.

The Cannon SD1200IS is that camera. It's been a joy to use. I got the grey leather Cannon case to go with it and I now carry it everywhere. Looks a bit geeky (with the case it's about the size of a blackberry) but I've caught tons spontaneous shots that would have vanished in the time it would take to get a larger camera. I agree with other posters - the battery and USB covers are a bit flakey - but the rest of the camera is solid. I've dropped it from waist height twice now with no issues.

A couple unexpected benefits:
1) My son now loves taking pictures himself (I hold the camera - he aims and pushes the button) - and the auto focus works well enough that some of his shots come out pretty well. It's neat to see what's important enough in his world to take a photo of (mostly toy trains and cars these days) and he's very proud of his own pictures.
2) I didn't know it when I purchased but the SD1200IS has a built in accelerometer so Picasa now auto-rotates all my imported photos - 15 minutes of time magically recovered from each week!

Highly, highly recommended ;-D

M. Kwarcinski rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Canon SD 1200IS - A great bargain - A very capable camera for the price, and wonderful for on-the-go pictures. I previously owned the Canon SD 1000 and while I enjoyed the features it had, wished it included the image stabilization "IS" feature. The 1200 has IS, and it has made noticeable improvements on those quick shots. The camera takes wonderful pictures in a variety of light settings, and is incredibly easy to use. All in all, for the price, great camera and highly recommended.

Rakesh Sharma rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Date/Time Stamp Option - Great Camera, For long time I was looking for Small handy Canon Camera with Date/time stamp option on the photo itself; to my surprise this camera has it.
Overall picture quality is good, Battery life is better. What else you want?

P. Martin rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great Camera - Took this camera on a cruise. It worked great. Picture quality is superb. So easy to use. Just point and click.

Andres Garces rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great Camera -
After using this camera for the last three weeks.I have to said this is great camera.After using a Canon sd 200 for the last five years (Great Camera)this is a more improved version.Its a very quick camera,the auto feature works very well as the red eye correction,picture quality is excellent and the image estabilization work great.
I will recomend this camera to everyone looking for a great camera.I bought it in Amazon at a good price thr delivery was very good as the over all service.

Jennifer A Harper rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - The PERFECT camera! - The Canon Powershot takes pictures superfast and ultra-clear. It even takes photos with a subtle depth of field, in other words you can focus on something in the foreground and the background will be slightly blurred. Its a lot like using a 35mm, or the Digital Rebel. The photos are amazing! I used to have a Sony and everything looked so flat. You can get some real artistic shots with this little beauty....and the best part is that its shocking hot pink and I got mine for under $200!!! I love it:)

Shahid Ali rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great Camera for the price - This Camera is great for the price. has all the recent features needed. very lightweight and durable.

sreedhar rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great Camera - This is a great camera considering the size and the price. Pictures are awesome with great quality and menu options are very much user friendly.I would definitely recommend others to buy this camera.

Michelle Trzecinski rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - My camera is so easy to use and I have opporunity to see what thier software is and it is so awesome! - Canon PowerShot SD1200IS 10 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Dark Gray)

Ramzan Magomedov rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Works like a charm - Item being reviewed


Canon PowerShot SD1200IS 10 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Dark Gray)

Lisa rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Love my new camera - I really like this camera. It takes nice great shots even in low light. I was using an old Kodak camera that used AA batteries and this camera is so much better! I would recommend getting a spare battery..

Cynni rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Canon Powershot SD1200IS - I love this camera! Exactly the color and quality I want. Functions are pretty straightforward like all the other canon cybershots.

llo rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Check the lens - I have been using the 1200 for about a month and could not understand why all my pictures looked mediocre. Every camera setting did little to improve the quality. We then notice there some sort of greasy film on the lens that appeared as if it could have been a finger print. Cleaned the lens with lens tissue, now I have great pictures too. Don't know how I could have done it so I wondered if I could have received it that way.

GunsNGlory rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - The Best Camera We've Ever Had - We've previously owned a Canon SD630 and some other named cameras in the past. The SD630 is an awesome camera which never gave us any trouble. It would occasionally flash when it shouldn't causing the picture to be washed out, but it is a great camera.
We purchased the SD1200IS because the initial plan was to give the SD630 to an older family member who isn't always keen on trying something new. But, when this idea was run across my wife, she made it clear to me that she didn't want to get rid of the SD630 because it was sentimental to her.
After using the new SD1200IS, my wife quickly fell in love with it. The camera takes phenomenal pictures every time. Neither of us are photo experts. The camera is set to auto and away we go. The camera makes little noises inside adjusting to the scene and picture you are taking at the time. There is a date stamp you can use which is visible when you take your photo.
Our older Canon had a setting where you could leave it on the review mode and if the power button was accidentally pressed, the lens would not open out. This one does not have that feature. So, if you ever accidentally press the power button, the lens will open out.
Overall we are very happy with our new camera. We have a small child and we love taking pictures with our new camera.
I would recommend this camera to everyone. It is easy to operate and takes great pictures.

Barbara Lamotta rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Unbelievable quality pictures - Awesome camera. The automatic focus allows clear, crisp action shots and the pictures are crystal clear. I had used my daughter's Canon Powershot 6 MP and loved the quality of pictures. When I decided to start a business, I needed a camera that would show fine detail and give the customer a good idea of the quality of the item. This camera does that and more.

Fiddlin' Mommy rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - easy to use, nice and slender - I purchased this camera as a replacement for an older Canon powershot that had been dropped 1 too many times.

I love the improved shutter lag time. (still has one but it is better!) The camera comes on quickly, after you have taken a photo, there is not a long wait before you can take another. I was able to easily capture my busy 3 and 4 year old kids in motion without blur (this is HUGE!).

The Auto mode is easy to use and so far has taken wonderful photos. I can not speak to the software that came with the camera as I always use picasa to tweak photos and I use the software with Shutterfly to crop or remove redeye before printing them.

On a side note, the SD cards have really come down in price!

Ann B. Smith rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Camera - Just updating our present camera--very happy with both, handed down the oder one to our daughter.

Thayanna T. Minto rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - CUTE LITTLE CAMERA - HONESTLY I THOUGHT THE CAMERA WAS A LITTLE BULKY ON THE WEBSITE BUT WHEN I GOT IT IT WAS SLIM AND SMALL. I LOVE IT!! IT IS ABLE TO GO IN MY BACK POCKET. IT WORKS GREAT AND IT IS EASY TO OPERATE. I GOT A GREAT DEAL.

Omar Siddique rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - great little cam, some improvements from earlier powershots, some quirks - The SD1200 has some big changes over its predecessor SD1100, and is the smallest, best designed Elph I've used thus far.

I've owned many models of Elph, this is my 6th or 7th, so my review is aimed especially at other serial Canon owners. I mostly compare the SD1200 to the SD1100.

* The big changes: Digic4 and a larger CCD sensor. The slight increase in CCD size (1/2.3" vs 1/2.5") should make for "cleaner" photos. And Digic4 promises faster/cleaner shots also.

* You get 10MP vs 8MP on the SD1100, and "medium" (M1) size is now 6MP. JPG quality is down to 2 setting: Fine or Normal.

* SD1200 is only slightly smaller than the SD1100, but feels notably smaller by virtue of curved edges and the LCD being flush with the body (no bump-out).

* The 1200 now feels as small as this design can shrink. Good news: my average-sized male hands can still comfortably hold it, barely not covering lens, flash, or resting on the LCD. But the round power-button is now almost too small to press if you had big fingers and no fingernails.

* 1200's new battery is a higher capacity 1000mAh (vs ~760mAh for SD1100). There's also a new charger (not compatible with the old batteries), a glossy white-colored model to blend into your wall.

* The buttons and menus are streamlined. There's now a button for review mode, pressing it a 2nd time takes you back to the previous state. Handy. The slider has dedicated AUTO and Manual settings, no longer need to use menus for that switch.

* Continuous mode and ISO now are in the Function Menu (on the SD1100, they had dedicated buttons).

* A SD card is no longer included. This makes sense to me, a 32MB card is barely useful, and with the downward pressure on electronics prices, I can't imagine Canon wanting to bundle a more expensive/bigger card. Some people will find this lack annoying.

* The A/V output is gone, and the USB connector now serves both purposes (both kinds of included cables now have a USB-end)

* A new version of Canon software is required for this model, Zoombrowser 6.3. Canon typically requires a new release for each new family/season of cameras. Unfortunately, the CameraWindow software has been intentionally dumbed-down in the 6.x software and no longer offers the options to delete your photos (have to go through the OS), nor to chose custom naming for the downloads. I say intentionally, since I asked Canon customer-support about it and they stated the changes were not bugs. The last Canon software to still have that functionality was 5.x, corresponding to the SD1000 and other cameras released that season.

* In casual indoor tests, the 1200 seemed more ready to go to ISO400 (often too "noisy" to be useful) when the SD1100 would have chosen ISO200.

* The SD1200 and SD1100 have identical specs on their optics. However, I noticed a more pronounced barrel-distortion on the 1200 at extreme wide-angle. (still only noticable in close-up shots of straight-edged items at wide-angle)

* In a casual speed test, the SD1200 took/stored photos notably faster the SD1100 (same scene, continuous-mode, same brand SD card), despite the 1200's image size being larger.

* Canon's paper manuals have been shrinking steadily. With this model, the only manual included is a quick-start guide, the rest is on CD-ROM.

* The packaging is even more efficient than before, about half the size of the SD1100's box.

* Sadly, there is no HD video mode, although all of the other Elphs released this spring had HD. SD1200 owners are stuck with 640x480 video.

Canon has several sub-series within the compact Elph line, varying mostly by asthetics and optics. The SD1200 is successor to the series that included the SD1100, SD1000, and SD600. These all favor a classic, slim design. If you're unfamiliar with Canon's Powershot cameras, there's lots of good material out there on camera sites such as dpreview.

In general, the small sensors and optics in all ultra-compact digital cameras lead to some optical quirks (such as barrelling), chromatic aberrations, over/under-exposure in bright sunlight/shade, and underpowered flashes. That's intrinsic to the size of camera, and vendors try to correct these effects in their on-board processing. My opinion is that Canon does a good job of correcting for these issues and the Elphs including the SD1200 take very good photos for their size.

It's questionable that a SD1100 owner would specifically find this a compelling upgrade other than the Digic4, but this is an excellent compact camera in all ways. Apart from the noteworthy quirks: the lack of HD and the limited features in the download software, this camera is Highly Recommended.

T. Mckenna rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Yes Yes Yes! And it is lightweight too!!! - I bought a powershot A80 a few years ago when 4 megapixels seemed like enough. that my old powershot still takes good pictures led me to this one. my wife needed a small camera to take on business trips. well, for a reasonable price we get 10 megapixels, an easy to use automatic mode, and a big screen on the back to view pictures before savings.

unless you have special picture taking needs (and you know who you are) the few dollars that you will spend on this compared to the lowest priced ones get you the perfect travel companion.

it even has video!

DPATEL rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Nice Camera for the price!! - -- Nice Compact size, easy to carry
-- Fast Turn ON time
-- Excellent picture quality
-- Excellent reproduction of color
-- 2.5" bright LCD
-- Easy to use - simple use interface
-- Fast auto focus
-- Excellent low light picture quality
-- Good value for the money... worth more then its price tag!!!

catking rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - thrilled - I am pleased with the professional way my purchase was handled. I love the camera.

Regina Mardeck-hess rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Canon Power Shot SD1200IS - This is the third one I bought. Gave it away as gifts, kept one for myself, and love it. Such sharp images, and so handy, light and small. Highly recommend.

Ali_Lei rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great camera! - We bought this camera after our daughter played with our other Canon Elph at the beach and got sand stuck in the lens extender. We loved our other camera and really wanted to stay within the Canon family with our new one. Picture quality is excellent and the video feature saved us from buying a separate video camera. I especially love the zoom feature with videos (wasn't available on our old camera). All in all, it's a great price for a great camera. Perfect for taking shots of my on-the-go toddler!

B. Stapperfenne rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - great price on a great camera - My camera is great. I love it and it was in perfect condition and in a reasonable time.

LS Bailey rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great Camera for Point and Shoot - Perfect for point and shoot, also pretty successful if one wants to go farther. Have used most of the settings for different types of pictures... trying to make a point and shoot work like a manual. Can use long shutter speed, and trick camera into quick shutter speed by using ISO3200 setting. Picture quality excellent for most lighting situations (obviously good at low light, only if using tripod or other stablizing mechanism.) Only drawback seems to be that it does have a hard time balancing a bright sky with a dark foreground, however, focusing on something in the middle while continuing to hold button halfway, and then snapping picture helps to balance shot a little better. Would like more control over fast shutter speed ('kids and pets' setting doesn't seem to really work) however, for 2 bills, can't complain at all! Great buy! Great battery life!

Michael R. Clower rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great Camera! - I have purchased Canon cameras in the past and once again I am very satisfied with my purchase. The camera is easy to use and takes excellence pictures.

William T. Wilson rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great little camera - Purchased this camera to replace an older Nikon. Things that I like about this camera...

It is small, but still has a view finder and fits in the hand.

Zoom quality is great for a camera this size.

The 10 MP does a great job with detail and good color quality.

Would recommend.

Robert V. Burke rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Excellent small camara - The SD1200IS is an excellent camara. The controls are intuitive and the picture quality is outstanding. I especially like the optical viewfinder. Most of my photos are taken outdoors in bright sunlight and the LCD screen on my previous camara was impossible to see. I espacially like the fact that the green "focus" indicator is visible from the optical viewfinder.

Patricia J. Rung rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great Buy! - This camera takes great pics. Easy to use and many features. I love it.

Linda S. Noga rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - excellent fun camera - I'll be the first to admit that my knowledge of a digital camera could fit into a thimble, this is my first purchase of a digital camera. I bought it at my brother-in-law recommendation and I am extrememly happy with it. It is small, takes nice clear shots, has an amazing zoom, adapts nicely to my PC. There isn't a delay when taking the picture, and it tells you where it is focusing on the picture. There is a small view if it is very sunny outside. It takes good shots during the day and at night. I am very happy with this purchase.

Elizabeth Hambright rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Power shot 1200 - We previously had a Cannon G3 and loved the quality of pics and the color rendition, but it is a larger camera and cant put it in shirt pocket and heavy for purse. This one is a lot smaller, quality pics, larger lcd, easy to use, and has image stabilization. So far, we love it. Does not come with memory card so get one and an extra battery.

International Businessman and Author rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Very happy with purchase - We are very happy with this camera. It is very easy to use right out of the box. Most of the features can be figured out very quickly without using the booklet.

The pictures are great. The 'green square' focus feature is great. We like the feel. Be sure to get a camera case for it - the camera is almost too small.

Be careful though, the high res can easily make the pictures too big to upload or email.

Downside: The preview mode is hard to get switched out of the 'picture-in-picture' mode - we never could figure out why in the heck they put that totally useless "feature" in for. It can also be a little difficult to change the resolution - but you'll eventually figure it out.

We compared this to a Nikon Coolpix that a friend had and we liked this one better.

George Pillsbury rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Very happy so far - The camera is easy to use and takes great pictures and by now I would have put batteries in twice in my old camera.

Robert Mah rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Excellent compact point and shoot - Overall, I think this is a great compact camera and is invaluable for the spontaneous people shots that capture those special moments in life. It won't take pictures worthy of National Geographic (meaning it won't replace a dSLR), but it fills in well when a large camera is just too much equipment to be carrying around.

Pluses:

*Very short power up to shot time
*Pocket friendly
*Solid build, mostly metal body
*Great battery life
*Bright LCD with good resolution
*Sharp images in good lighting/daylight
*Image stabilization
*Easy to use
*Captures vibrant colors
*DIGIC processor picks appropriate settings for most shots (see below)
*No red eye!
*Fast zoom

Minuses:

*No manual controls or scene modes
*Tends to use higher than necessary ISO settings (more grainy pictures, sometimes making them unusable) in low light using Auto Mode (ISO can be set manually in P mode)
*Underpowered flash (common to most compact cameras)
*Paper thin battery compartment cover!

Mostly, the camera suffers from its diminutive size. It doesn't offer much in terms of artistic controls, but does a very good job of making those decisions most of the time. This makes it ideal for the weekend snapshot photographer who wants to take good photos without much more than hitting a shutter button! Great all purpose camera, everyday camera.

C. Jaeger rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - GREAT CAMERA - I purchased this camera at Wal-Mart (the screen seemed fuzzy.) So I went to Best Buy and purchased one there (the screen was still a liitle fuzzy.) I compared the screen to my old canon (about 3 years old.) That screen was a little fuzzy too, but the pictures are great. This is a great camera, light weight, easy to use. I love it. I got the blue color and it looks so sharp. I highly recommend it. I went to a concert recently and It look OUTSTANDING pictures.

Brian W. rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Amazing low light - We used this an a trip to D.C. It took amazing no-flash pictures in dimly lit museums. This was many steps ahead of my daughters two year old Canon SD1000IS. Buy it, you won't regret it.

Olivia Joan Peaks rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great Camera - This camera is fabulous and takes great pictures. I owned an older Canon, one of the 3.2 MP. I received a Casio Exilim 7.2 MP for Christmas from my dad last year, I didn't like it much, the quality of the pictures just weren't as good as my Canon. I decided to buy this Canon because to me if you want a great picture forget the Kodaks, Nikons, Sonys, and every other camera out there. Canon has the best cameras there are.

Kenneth J. Berri rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great Pictures - I bought this camera to replace my older digital camera prior to a trip to Italy. This camera took outstanding pictures with and without flash in low light situations. My pictures came out perfect and helped me retain the wonderful memories of my trip. I bought this camera on a recommendation by a friend who has done a lot of research on digital cameras. He was certainly right about how good this camera was. I would recommend this camera to anyone who wants a great point and shoot camera.

S. M. Flinn rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great camera! - Great camera! The size is perfect for slipping into your pocket but not small enough to crush. It takes great photos, very impressive all around!

Timothy Brown rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Review of Cannon SD1200IS - Wow! This is the 3rd Cannon Elph camera that I have owned. Cannon hit a home run with this one. I can't seem to take a bad picture with this camera. I use it for work and take pictures all day long under different situations. Everything operates on automatic, the camera even switches automatically between long distance and macro modes. It is able to produce great pictures in different lighting situations, where my others cameras have failed in the past.

This is about my 25th digital camera that I have purchased, we actually wear them out through use, and I will purchase this same camera again, and highly recommend it to you. You will be satisfied. The only negative that I can say is that the camera is almost too small for my large hands and the camera disappears in your pockets and you will forget that you are carrying it! Really, that is not a problem, and actually probably a plus if you are on vacation and don't want to be lugging around some big war club old camera to take some pics.

I can't recommend this camera more. I just plain love it.

T. Snellgrove rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great Point-and-Shoot Camera! - I got this camera because my son is nearly 2 and I'd noticed that my photo taking had dramatically dropped off. He'd be doing something adorable and I'd run to get the camera and by the time I got back he'd be five activities past whatever he'd been doing.

I needed a Dad camera - one that was small enough to carry with me all the time, started up fast, had good image stabilization and face detection, decent zoom and flash, was 100% automatic (no tweaking with portrait mode vs. sunny day mode vs. contrast settings while my son was peddling his tricycle for the first time), and was cheap enough that I wouldn't mind dropping it occasionally.

The Cannon SD1200IS is that camera. It's been a joy to use. I got the grey leather Cannon case to go with it and I now carry it everywhere. Looks a bit geeky (with the case it's about the size of a blackberry) but I've caught tons spontaneous shots that would have vanished in the time it would take to get a larger camera. I agree with other posters - the battery and USB covers are a bit flakey - but the rest of the camera is solid. I've dropped it from waist height twice now with no issues.

A couple unexpected benefits:
1) My son now loves taking pictures himself (I hold the camera - he aims and pushes the button) - and the auto focus works well enough that some of his shots come out pretty well. It's neat to see what's important enough in his world to take a photo of (mostly toy trains and cars these days) and he's very proud of his own pictures.
2) I didn't know it when I purchased but the SD1200IS has a built in accelerometer so Picasa now auto-rotates all my imported photos - 15 minutes of time magically recovered from each week!

Highly, highly recommended ;-D

M. Kwarcinski rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Canon SD 1200IS - A great bargain - A very capable camera for the price, and wonderful for on-the-go pictures. I previously owned the Canon SD 1000 and while I enjoyed the features it had, wished it included the image stabilization "IS" feature. The 1200 has IS, and it has made noticeable improvements on those quick shots. The camera takes wonderful pictures in a variety of light settings, and is incredibly easy to use. All in all, for the price, great camera and highly recommended.

Rakesh Sharma rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Date/Time Stamp Option - Great Camera, For long time I was looking for Small handy Canon Camera with Date/time stamp option on the photo itself; to my surprise this camera has it.
Overall picture quality is good, Battery life is better. What else you want?

P. Martin rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great Camera - Took this camera on a cruise. It worked great. Picture quality is superb. So easy to use. Just point and click.

Andres Garces rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great Camera -
After using this camera for the last three weeks.I have to said this is great camera.After using a Canon sd 200 for the last five years (Great Camera)this is a more improved version.Its a very quick camera,the auto feature works very well as the red eye correction,picture quality is excellent and the image estabilization work great.
I will recomend this camera to everyone looking for a great camera.I bought it in Amazon at a good price thr delivery was very good as the over all service.

Jennifer A Harper rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - The PERFECT camera! - The Canon Powershot takes pictures superfast and ultra-clear. It even takes photos with a subtle depth of field, in other words you can focus on something in the foreground and the background will be slightly blurred. Its a lot like using a 35mm, or the Digital Rebel. The photos are amazing! I used to have a Sony and everything looked so flat. You can get some real artistic shots with this little beauty....and the best part is that its shocking hot pink and I got mine for under $200!!! I love it:)

Shahid Ali rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great Camera for the price - This Camera is great for the price. has all the recent features needed. very lightweight and durable.

sreedhar rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Great Camera - This is a great camera considering the size and the price. Pictures are awesome with great quality and menu options are very much user friendly.I would definitely recommend others to buy this camera.

Michelle Trzecinski rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - My camera is so easy to use and I have opporunity to see what thier software is and it is so awesome! - Canon PowerShot SD1200IS 10 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Dark Gray)

Ramzan Magomedov rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Works like a charm - Item being reviewed


Canon PowerShot SD1200IS 10 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Dark Gray)

Lisa rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Love my new camera - I really like this camera. It takes nice great shots even in low light. I was using an old Kodak camera that used AA batteries and this camera is so much better! I would recommend getting a spare battery..

Cynni rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Canon Powershot SD1200IS - I love this camera! Exactly the color and quality I want. Functions are pretty straightforward like all the other canon cybershots.

llo rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Check the lens - I have been using the 1200 for about a month and could not understand why all my pictures looked mediocre. Every camera setting did little to improve the quality. We then notice there some sort of greasy film on the lens that appeared as if it could have been a finger print. Cleaned the lens with lens tissue, now I have great pictures too. Don't know how I could have done it so I wondered if I could have received it that way.

GunsNGlory rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - The Best Camera We've Ever Had - We've previously owned a Canon SD630 and some other named cameras in the past. The SD630 is an awesome camera which never gave us any trouble. It would occasionally flash when it shouldn't causing the picture to be washed out, but it is a great camera.
We purchased the SD1200IS because the initial plan was to give the SD630 to an older family member who isn't always keen on trying something new. But, when this idea was run across my wife, she made it clear to me that she didn't want to get rid of the SD630 because it was sentimental to her.
After using the new SD1200IS, my wife quickly fell in love with it. The camera takes phenomenal pictures every time. Neither of us are photo experts. The camera is set to auto and away we go. The camera makes little noises inside adjusting to the scene and picture you are taking at the time. There is a date stamp you can use which is visible when you take your photo.
Our older Canon had a setting where you could leave it on the review mode and if the power button was accidentally pressed, the lens would not open out. This one does not have that feature. So, if you ever accidentally press the power button, the lens will open out.
Overall we are very happy with our new camera. We have a small child and we love taking pictures with our new camera.
I would recommend this camera to everyone. It is easy to operate and takes great pictures.

Barbara Lamotta rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Unbelievable quality pictures - Awesome camera. The automatic focus allows clear, crisp action shots and the pictures are crystal clear. I had used my daughter's Canon Powershot 6 MP and loved the quality of pictures. When I decided to start a business, I needed a camera that would show fine detail and give the customer a good idea of the quality of the item. This camera does that and more.

Fiddlin' Mommy rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - easy to use, nice and slender - I purchased this camera as a replacement for an older Canon powershot that had been dropped 1 too many times.

I love the improved shutter lag time. (still has one but it is better!) The camera comes on quickly, after you have taken a photo, there is not a long wait before you can take another. I was able to easily capture my busy 3 and 4 year old kids in motion without blur (this is HUGE!).

The Auto mode is easy to use and so far has taken wonderful photos. I can not speak to the software that came with the camera as I always use picasa to tweak photos and I use the software with Shutterfly to crop or remove redeye before printing them.

On a side note, the SD cards have really come down in price!

Ann B. Smith rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Camera - Just updating our present camera--very happy with both, handed down the oder one to our daughter.

Thayanna T. Minto rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - CUTE LITTLE CAMERA - HONESTLY I THOUGHT THE CAMERA WAS A LITTLE BULKY ON THE WEBSITE BUT WHEN I GOT IT IT WAS SLIM AND SMALL. I LOVE IT!! IT IS ABLE TO GO IN MY BACK POCKET. IT WORKS GREAT AND IT IS EASY TO OPERATE. I GOT A GREAT DEAL.

Omar Siddique rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - great little cam, some improvements from earlier powershots, some quirks - The SD1200 has some big changes over its predecessor SD1100, and is the smallest, best designed Elph I've used thus far.

I've owned many models of Elph, this is my 6th or 7th, so my review is aimed especially at other serial Canon owners. I mostly compare the SD1200 to the SD1100.

* The big changes: Digic4 and a larger CCD sensor. The slight increase in CCD size (1/2.3" vs 1/2.5") should make for "cleaner" photos. And Digic4 promises faster/cleaner shots also.

* You get 10MP vs 8MP on the SD1100, and "medium" (M1) size is now 6MP. JPG quality is down to 2 setting: Fine or Normal.

* SD1200 is only slightly smaller than the SD1100, but feels notably smaller by virtue of curved edges and the LCD being flush with the body (no bump-out).

* The 1200 now feels as small as this design can shrink. Good news: my average-sized male hands can still comfortably hold it, barely not covering lens, flash, or resting on the LCD. But the round power-button is now almost too small to press if you had big fingers and no fingernails.

* 1200's new battery is a higher capacity 1000mAh (vs ~760mAh for SD1100). There's also a new charger (not compatible with the old batteries), a glossy white-colored model to blend into your wall.

* The buttons and menus are streamlined. There's now a button for review mode, pressing it a 2nd time takes you back to the previous state. Handy. The slider has dedicated AUTO and Manual settings, no longer need to use menus for that switch.

* Continuous mode and ISO now are in the Function Menu (on the SD1100, they had dedicated buttons).

* A SD card is no longer included. This makes sense to me, a 32MB card is barely useful, and with the downward pressure on electronics prices, I can't imagine Canon wanting to bundle a more expensive/bigger card. Some people will find this lack annoying.

* The A/V output is gone, and the USB connector now serves both purposes (both kinds of included cables now have a USB-end)

* A new version of Canon software is required for this model, Zoombrowser 6.3. Canon typically requires a new release for each new family/season of cameras. Unfortunately, the CameraWindow software has been intentionally dumbed-down in the 6.x software and no longer offers the options to delete your photos (have to go through the OS), nor to chose custom naming for the downloads. I say intentionally, since I asked Canon customer-support about it and they stated the changes were not bugs. The last Canon software to still have that functionality was 5.x, corresponding to the SD1000 and other cameras released that season.

* In casual indoor tests, the 1200 seemed more ready to go to ISO400 (often too "noisy" to be useful) when the SD1100 would have chosen ISO200.

* The SD1200 and SD1100 have identical specs on their optics. However, I noticed a more pronounced barrel-distortion on the 1200 at extreme wide-angle. (still only noticable in close-up shots of straight-edged items at wide-angle)

* In a casual speed test, the SD1200 took/stored photos notably faster the SD1100 (same scene, continuous-mode, same brand SD card), despite the 1200's image size being larger.

* Canon's paper manuals have been shrinking steadily. With this model, the only manual included is a quick-start guide, the rest is on CD-ROM.

* The packaging is even more efficient than before, about half the size of the SD1100's box.

* Sadly, there is no HD video mode, although all of the other Elphs released this spring had HD. SD1200 owners are stuck with 640x480 video.

Canon has several sub-series within the compact Elph line, varying mostly by asthetics and optics. The SD1200 is successor to the series that included the SD1100, SD1000, and SD600. These all favor a classic, slim design. If you're unfamiliar with Canon's Powershot cameras, there's lots of good material out there on camera sites such as dpreview.

In general, the small sensors and optics in all ultra-compact digital cameras lead to some optical quirks (such as barrelling), chromatic aberrations, over/under-exposure in bright sunlight/shade, and underpowered flashes. That's intrinsic to the size of camera, and vendors try to correct these effects in their on-board processing. My opinion is that Canon does a good job of correcting for these issues and the Elphs including the SD1200 take very good photos for their size.

It's questionable that a SD1100 owner would specifically find this a compelling upgrade other than the Digic4, but this is an excellent compact camera in all ways. Apart from the noteworthy quirks: the lack of HD and the limited features in the download software, this camera is Highly Recommended.

T. Mckenna rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Yes Yes Yes! And it is lightweight too!!! - I bought a powershot A80 a few years ago when 4 megapixels seemed like enough. that my old powershot still takes good pictures led me to this one. my wife needed a small camera to take on business trips. well, for a reasonable price we get 10 megapixels, an easy to use automatic mode, and a big screen on the back to view pictures before savings.

unless you have special picture taking needs (and you know who you are) the few dollars that you will spend on this compared to the lowest priced ones get you the perfect travel companion.

it even has video!

DPATEL rated the SD1200IS as 5/5 and says - Nice Camera for the price!! - -- Nice Compact size, easy to carry
-- Fast Turn ON time
-- Excellent picture quality
-- Excellent reproduction of color
-- 2.5" bright LCD
-- Easy to use - simple use interface
-- Fast auto focus
-- Excellent low light picture quality
-- Good value for the money... worth more then its price tag!!!

S. Craig rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Professional photographers review - I'm a professional photographer. I got tired of dragging my D3,D200 or other large cameras around, and worrying about it getting damaged. I decided to buy a camera just for fun that could fit in my purse and I wouldn't have a heart attack if it broke. Well I didn't hold that high of expectations of the camera, but after getting it, I've had a lot of fun with it. Not the most amazing pictures come from it (I am used to very high quality pictures), but they are good enough shots of my family. It's easy to use, really easy to set, FAST, and good low light. You don't always need the flash. It's very small, and can fit easily in my purse (that are all quiet small purses actually). This is a perfect camera if you just want some fun shots that are clear, and you want an easy to use fast camera. This is NOT good for "professional" type shots (why do people write reviews of these cameras and get all down on them for not being professional grade cameras? They never claim to be!).

L. Lopez rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Very good camera - We've only used it a couple of times but so far it's good and simple to use if going auto. The manual setting seems to be a little tricky because the image stabilization doesn't come up but we're trying to figure it out. Shouldn't be too hard, I hope. Better than the Sony we had.

V. MOULTON rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Canon SD1200IS - the size and design is super! for the price it's great except it only have limited features.

Tsafrira rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Canon Powershot SD1200 IS - Camera is light and easy to use. The LCD is big and the settings displayed are easy to see and understand. I would like to have the electronic user manual in print/paper, however, the information is there and relatively easy to find.

Installation: The installation CD did not install on my computer. The reason is that the installation software program' window did not show the most important button, "install" so the installation could not go forward. This window is lacking sliders so I could not change the window size or reveal the missing button. A call to Canon support did not resolve the problem and they even did not offer to look at their program for possible changes. I can live without their software and am using a card reader to import the pictures to the computer but may be this is not a solution for everyone.
Stitching: So far I could not find if this camera has a stitching assist feature and I believe it's missing.

Camera Mom rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Viewfinder a plus - Great small camera with a viewfinder as well as the LCD. I have found it difficult to take pictures outdoors using a camera without a viewfinder. Picture quality is great, camera is small enough to carry easily.

C. Walker rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Canon Powershot SD1200IS Digital Camera - So far I like the camera, however a printed manual would be much appreciated. All that comes with this camera is the small "Getting Started" booklet, and all else must be accessed via the computer disk, which is very inconvenient when in the field with the camera. There are too many features and controls to memorize the functions, and the controls are not all simply intuitive.

Tiffany Bunke rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - really great camera - this camera is really nice and easy to use. Its perfect for the person who isnt the most advanced when it comes to technology - yet it still packs a great punch with high tech feautures! Excellent quality prints

J. Drott rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Overall good purchase - I previously owned another Canon and was totally happy with it. I am very happy with the SD1200IS so far. It seems to have a little more trouble focusing quickly but I think that has more to do with my lack of abilty and understanding than the camera. It is more sophisticated than my last Canon and has more features which I need to read the manual on to learn to use better. I would definitely recommend this camera and the Canon brand in general.

rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Easy to Use - I needed a simple, easy to use camera for my wife. She previously used a Canon PS 50 which she found to be too bulky, heavy, and confusing. The SD 1200 IS fits the bill perfectly. First, its focusing is incredible. If you are taking portraits it focuses on the face or faces of the subject automatically. If you want to take a macro shot it also focuses automatically. I was surprised that the picture quality of macro subjects was better than what I can get on my Rebel XTi. I also like the fact that it has a viewfinder for those sunny days when the LCD display is difficult to use. In brief, this is the perfect point and shoot camera for the individual who wants a simple, easy to use camera, that is light and requires no photography knowledge. The only complaint I have is that it does not come with a memory card and when we bought it there was nothing on the description (or on the Canon site) saying you need to purchase one separately.

Aronda Stovall rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Canon PowerShot SD1200IS 10 MP Digital Camera, Orange - I love my camera!!! I love the color (but lime green would have been my first choice)!!!! This camera is very light weight. It does a lot that I am still finding out while learning to use all of the functions of the camera. I think this is a great camera that is not too expensive but still some of the flair of the upper end cameras....

Mrinal Kochar rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Nice Cam - It is a pretty good point n shoot cam for the price. I wanted a cam which would fit in my pocket and do a good job. Perfect for that.

A. Saxena rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - canon sd1200 - Happy with the product.
1. Looks: good, very small and compact, easy to use
2. photos are good even though not used all features yet
3. the only irritating thing is the auto focus; if it is on then it will continue to make focus adjusting noises.
3. Amazon took long time to ship. ordered on 3-May, received around 12-May.

Desiree D. Krech rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Fantastic Point and Shoot - This is such a cool, fun and easy camera to use and the best part is the shots come out near perfect! Its sleek design and tiny size make it a joy to use. Pick your favorite color and enjoy taking pics everywhere. I especially love the ease of use with a Mac computer. The cable (included) plugs directly into the usb port and your photos come over nicely when "import" is selected.
In the Program mode, you can choose some nice effects such as black and white, sepia, neutral and vivid making it feel like you're a pro!
I highly recommend this little camera. You're gonna love it too!

Wanjiku Kamau JQ rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Love my new Canon! - Awesome camera, I'm an amateur just wanted a camera for vacation and spending time with friends and family over the summer. It's light and compact, easy to use and enjoy the settings especially at night time. I had a Kodak Easyshare before and it was great, but now the canon is showing me what I was missing out on. The point and shoot is very quick, I can take multiple photos rapidly and the video quality is good as well.

Aled rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Camera - i was very excited to get the camera since i have had a big bulky Kodak easy share for six years. The cannon Powershot SD1200 iS is 1/3rd of the size of my kodak and is very sleek looking.
After setting everything up, i took my first picture. I was amazed at the face-detection, and how it tracks the face as it moves, which is perfect for capturing children. I was also impressed with the lack of lag time in between pictures and when turning on the camera. However, the only down point is that there is no fireworks setting, thus creating a blurr in the pictures for those great summer-time nights.
Overall, i am satisfied with the camera, and would definitely recommend it.

mother of 4 girls rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - love this camera - I'm not a camera expert and I can't tell you all the high tech stuff about the camera, but I do know it takes great pictures. After getting the camera, i walked around taking pictures of everyday things - phone, basketball, tree etc. just to see if I was going to keep the camera. After downloading the pictures onto the computer, I couldn't believe how clear and detailed the pictures were. I didn't read the book, just put the battery in and started shooting. The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is because I wish it had a stronger zoom.

Marie rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Great little camera! - Love it! It's worked great for me. I bought it before vacation and came back with some amazing professional looking photos. It's still pretty new so I'm not familiar with ALL of the features just yet...but I love it! So far it's the best digital camera I've owned. I found it on amazon at a price that beat any other retailer. It was shipped to me very quickly too!

Vikrant Yadav rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Nice Image stabilization - This is my first canon camera and i am really impressed with the quality of picture. Image stabilization feature is really nice. I would rather say it's not image stabilization it's image quality enhancement.

The only down point of this camera it takes time to stabilize the image. So you are not able to capture those moments that which is only for fractions of second.

Overall Nice camera

S. Craig rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Professional photographers review - I'm a professional photographer. I got tired of dragging my D3,D200 or other large cameras around, and worrying about it getting damaged. I decided to buy a camera just for fun that could fit in my purse and I wouldn't have a heart attack if it broke. Well I didn't hold that high of expectations of the camera, but after getting it, I've had a lot of fun with it. Not the most amazing pictures come from it (I am used to very high quality pictures), but they are good enough shots of my family. It's easy to use, really easy to set, FAST, and good low light. You don't always need the flash. It's very small, and can fit easily in my purse (that are all quiet small purses actually). This is a perfect camera if you just want some fun shots that are clear, and you want an easy to use fast camera. This is NOT good for "professional" type shots (why do people write reviews of these cameras and get all down on them for not being professional grade cameras? They never claim to be!).

L. Lopez rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Very good camera - We've only used it a couple of times but so far it's good and simple to use if going auto. The manual setting seems to be a little tricky because the image stabilization doesn't come up but we're trying to figure it out. Shouldn't be too hard, I hope. Better than the Sony we had.

V. MOULTON rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Canon SD1200IS - the size and design is super! for the price it's great except it only have limited features.

Tsafrira rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Canon Powershot SD1200 IS - Camera is light and easy to use. The LCD is big and the settings displayed are easy to see and understand. I would like to have the electronic user manual in print/paper, however, the information is there and relatively easy to find.

Installation: The installation CD did not install on my computer. The reason is that the installation software program' window did not show the most important button, "install" so the installation could not go forward. This window is lacking sliders so I could not change the window size or reveal the missing button. A call to Canon support did not resolve the problem and they even did not offer to look at their program for possible changes. I can live without their software and am using a card reader to import the pictures to the computer but may be this is not a solution for everyone.
Stitching: So far I could not find if this camera has a stitching assist feature and I believe it's missing.

Camera Mom rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Viewfinder a plus - Great small camera with a viewfinder as well as the LCD. I have found it difficult to take pictures outdoors using a camera without a viewfinder. Picture quality is great, camera is small enough to carry easily.

C. Walker rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Canon Powershot SD1200IS Digital Camera - So far I like the camera, however a printed manual would be much appreciated. All that comes with this camera is the small "Getting Started" booklet, and all else must be accessed via the computer disk, which is very inconvenient when in the field with the camera. There are too many features and controls to memorize the functions, and the controls are not all simply intuitive.

Tiffany Bunke rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - really great camera - this camera is really nice and easy to use. Its perfect for the person who isnt the most advanced when it comes to technology - yet it still packs a great punch with high tech feautures! Excellent quality prints

J. Drott rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Overall good purchase - I previously owned another Canon and was totally happy with it. I am very happy with the SD1200IS so far. It seems to have a little more trouble focusing quickly but I think that has more to do with my lack of abilty and understanding than the camera. It is more sophisticated than my last Canon and has more features which I need to read the manual on to learn to use better. I would definitely recommend this camera and the Canon brand in general.

rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Easy to Use - I needed a simple, easy to use camera for my wife. She previously used a Canon PS 50 which she found to be too bulky, heavy, and confusing. The SD 1200 IS fits the bill perfectly. First, its focusing is incredible. If you are taking portraits it focuses on the face or faces of the subject automatically. If you want to take a macro shot it also focuses automatically. I was surprised that the picture quality of macro subjects was better than what I can get on my Rebel XTi. I also like the fact that it has a viewfinder for those sunny days when the LCD display is difficult to use. In brief, this is the perfect point and shoot camera for the individual who wants a simple, easy to use camera, that is light and requires no photography knowledge. The only complaint I have is that it does not come with a memory card and when we bought it there was nothing on the description (or on the Canon site) saying you need to purchase one separately.

Aronda Stovall rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Canon PowerShot SD1200IS 10 MP Digital Camera, Orange - I love my camera!!! I love the color (but lime green would have been my first choice)!!!! This camera is very light weight. It does a lot that I am still finding out while learning to use all of the functions of the camera. I think this is a great camera that is not too expensive but still some of the flair of the upper end cameras....

Mrinal Kochar rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Nice Cam - It is a pretty good point n shoot cam for the price. I wanted a cam which would fit in my pocket and do a good job. Perfect for that.

A. Saxena rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - canon sd1200 - Happy with the product.
1. Looks: good, very small and compact, easy to use
2. photos are good even though not used all features yet
3. the only irritating thing is the auto focus; if it is on then it will continue to make focus adjusting noises.
3. Amazon took long time to ship. ordered on 3-May, received around 12-May.

Desiree D. Krech rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Fantastic Point and Shoot - This is such a cool, fun and easy camera to use and the best part is the shots come out near perfect! Its sleek design and tiny size make it a joy to use. Pick your favorite color and enjoy taking pics everywhere. I especially love the ease of use with a Mac computer. The cable (included) plugs directly into the usb port and your photos come over nicely when "import" is selected.
In the Program mode, you can choose some nice effects such as black and white, sepia, neutral and vivid making it feel like you're a pro!
I highly recommend this little camera. You're gonna love it too!

Wanjiku Kamau JQ rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Love my new Canon! - Awesome camera, I'm an amateur just wanted a camera for vacation and spending time with friends and family over the summer. It's light and compact, easy to use and enjoy the settings especially at night time. I had a Kodak Easyshare before and it was great, but now the canon is showing me what I was missing out on. The point and shoot is very quick, I can take multiple photos rapidly and the video quality is good as well.

Aled rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - Camera - i was very excited to get the camera since i have had a big bulky Kodak easy share for six years. The cannon Powershot SD1200 iS is 1/3rd of the size of my kodak and is very sleek looking.
After setting everything up, i took my first picture. I was amazed at the face-detection, and how it tracks the face as it moves, which is perfect for capturing children. I was also impressed with the lack of lag time in between pictures and when turning on the camera. However, the only down point is that there is no fireworks setting, thus creating a blurr in the pictures for those great summer-time nights.
Overall, i am satisfied with the camera, and would definitely recommend it.

mother of 4 girls rated the SD1200IS as 4/5 and says - love this camera - I'm not a camera expert and I can't tell you all the high tech stuff about the camera, but I do know it takes great pictures. After getting the camera, i walked around taking pictures of everyday things - phone, basketball, tree etc. just to see if I was going to keep the camera. After downloading the pictures onto the computer, I couldn't believe how clear and detailed the pictures were. I didn't read the book, just put the battery in and started shooting. The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is because I wish it had a stronger zoom.

J. Yamauchi rated the SD1200IS as 3/5 and says - very fragile - so fragile... and didn't like they changed battery size from SD1100 model.
But overall better quality.

Steve Olsen rated the SD1200IS as 3/5 and says - Lens Error- stuck open. . - Had used camera only 3 weeks. Lens stuck open. Did not drop or mistreat. Lens error message seen on screen and calling Canon resulted only in send it for repairs. Read on internet several threads about Canon small cameras having dreaded lens error causing camera to be inoperatable. Many report that Canon did not honor warranty saying camera dropped or mistreated. I just sent my in. Don't know what Canon will say but not hopeful. Like picture quality with few pictures I got from camera before it died.
UPDATE 6-18-2009 Camera returned from Canon with complete lens assembly replacment. I appreciated that it was covered under warranty! Thanks Canon. Just want readers to be aware if they search internet for Canon lens error that this is a problem reported by many who own the smaller Canon cameras like sd1100 and sd1200

K. Bryant rated the SD1200IS as 3/5 and says - Not too sure... - It's very cute, but really small. Almost too small to operate. The automatic mode is really no good. I took a bunch of pictures at my birthday party and most of them were grainy or blurry. Outdoor pictures during the day turned out really well. Also the lens is a pretty narrow angle, it's like you want to zoom OUT, but that's not an option. Compared with other digital cameras it takes good pictures, but it's a little complicated to use. Stay away from auto mode and take some time to understand your camera before you shoot, and you'll be fine. If you don't mind the size. I've had mine for about 3 weeks and have debated whether I want to return it and try something different, still not sure.

Sidney G. Mcdaniel rated the SD1200IS as 3/5 and says - As compared to the SD110 - I bought the SD110 (3.2MP) back in 2004 and decided it was time to upgrade this year as it was showing some age. The latest version of that same line is the SD1200. I have had it for a few weeks now and have a few observations. The SD1200 is much faster from the time you turn it on until it is ready to shoot as compared to the SD110. Next, the screen is far better than the one on the SD110. Very bright and readable even in sunlight. The camera itself is smaller than the SD110 as you might expect but does feel a little cheaper. So far I have taken the SD1200 to three main events. A birthday party, K-4 graduation, backyard play time. The birthday part pictures did not turn out well in automatic mode. We were indoors (Pump-it-up) and the lighting was probably not the best. The images were blurry for the most part. I had the same issue at the second event (K-4 graduation) but this time I switched to manual mode and used the "indoor" setting. This greatly improved the picture. Finally, the outdoor shots turned out looking wonderful in automatic mode. With the SD110 the automatic mode was always better than any of the manual settings. It seems with the SD1200 that is not the case. I will continue to explore the settings/features of the camera. I was expecting the SD1200 to be far superior to my 5 year old SD110 but so far the pictures themselves have not turned out markedly better.

Patrick Nguyen rated the SD1200IS as 3/5 and says - Decent SD1200IS - Pros:

-DIGIC 4 Image Processor with Canon Face Detection Technology is much faster than DIGIC 3(from SD 790 IS)
-Excellent camera for outdoor
-Easy to use
-Simple controls/menu
-Nice features/settings
-Bright LCD
-Self-timer lets you get in your own pictures, you can take up to 3 times
-Excellent image quality
-Lightweight/Portable
-Good battery life(Compact and lightweight battery charger with worldwide 100 ~220v compatability)

Cons:
-Made in China:(
-2.5 LCD display
-Poor Low-Light Performance
-Somewhat Pricey(more than $200USD)

I personally think it's a great camera for a basic traveler/camera buff who wants just a little more than a basic point and shoot. I have this camera for 20 days, take about 2000 pictures, will update more review on this camera.

Update: I return this camera and got the Sony W230, which I think the color is better.

East Village rated the SD1200IS as 3/5 and says - two oddities - just bought today -- too early to evaluate photos but wanted to alert potential buyers that the CD which has the users manual and all the computer software DOES NOT WORK for Windows 2000, nor does Canon offer any substitute online.
also, a review I read had mentioned incesssant auto-focusing. It true and somewhat disconcerting. Not sure I am happy with this purchase.

J. Yamauchi rated the SD1200IS as 3/5 and says - very fragile - so fragile... and didn't like they changed battery size from SD1100 model.
But overall better quality.

Steve Olsen rated the SD1200IS as 3/5 and says - Lens Error- stuck open. . - Had used camera only 3 weeks. Lens stuck open. Did not drop or mistreat. Lens error message seen on screen and calling Canon resulted only in send it for repairs. Read on internet several threads about Canon small cameras having dreaded lens error causing camera to be inoperatable. Many report that Canon did not honor warranty saying camera dropped or mistreated. I just sent my in. Don't know what Canon will say but not hopeful. Like picture quality with few pictures I got from camera before it died.
UPDATE 6-18-2009 Camera returned from Canon with complete lens assembly replacment. I appreciated that it was covered under warranty! Thanks Canon. Just want readers to be aware if they search internet for Canon lens error that this is a problem reported by many who own the smaller Canon cameras like sd1100 and sd1200

K. Bryant rated the SD1200IS as 3/5 and says - Not too sure... - It's very cute, but really small. Almost too small to operate. The automatic mode is really no good. I took a bunch of pictures at my birthday party and most of them were grainy or blurry. Outdoor pictures during the day turned out really well. Also the lens is a pretty narrow angle, it's like you want to zoom OUT, but that's not an option. Compared with other digital cameras it takes good pictures, but it's a little complicated to use. Stay away from auto mode and take some time to understand your camera before you shoot, and you'll be fine. If you don't mind the size. I've had mine for about 3 weeks and have debated whether I want to return it and try something different, still not sure.

Sidney G. Mcdaniel rated the SD1200IS as 3/5 and says - As compared to the SD110 - I bought the SD110 (3.2MP) back in 2004 and decided it was time to upgrade this year as it was showing some age. The latest version of that same line is the SD1200. I have had it for a few weeks now and have a few observations. The SD1200 is much faster from the time you turn it on until it is ready to shoot as compared to the SD110. Next, the screen is far better than the one on the SD110. Very bright and readable even in sunlight. The camera itself is smaller than the SD110 as you might expect but does feel a little cheaper. So far I have taken the SD1200 to three main events. A birthday party, K-4 graduation, backyard play time. The birthday part pictures did not turn out well in automatic mode. We were indoors (Pump-it-up) and the lighting was probably not the best. The images were blurry for the most part. I had the same issue at the second event (K-4 graduation) but this time I switched to manual mode and used the "indoor" setting. This greatly improved the picture. Finally, the outdoor shots turned out looking wonderful in automatic mode. With the SD110 the automatic mode was always better than any of the manual settings. It seems with the SD1200 that is not the case. I will continue to explore the settings/features of the camera. I was expecting the SD1200 to be far superior to my 5 year old SD110 but so far the pictures themselves have not turned out markedly better.

Patrick Nguyen rated the SD1200IS as 3/5 and says - Decent SD1200IS - Pros:

-DIGIC 4 Image Processor with Canon Face Detection Technology is much faster than DIGIC 3(from SD 790 IS)
-Excellent camera for outdoor
-Easy to use
-Simple controls/menu
-Nice features/settings
-Bright LCD
-Self-timer lets you get in your own pictures, you can take up to 3 times
-Excellent image quality
-Lightweight/Portable
-Good battery life(Compact and lightweight battery charger with worldwide 100 ~220v compatability)

Cons:
-Made in China:(
-2.5 LCD display
-Poor Low-Light Performance
-Somewhat Pricey(more than $200USD)

I personally think it's a great camera for a basic traveler/camera buff who wants just a little more than a basic point and shoot. I have this camera for 20 days, take about 2000 pictures, will update more review on this camera.

Update: I return this camera and got the Sony W230, which I think the color is better.

East Village rated the SD1200IS as 3/5 and says - two oddities - just bought today -- too early to evaluate photos but wanted to alert potential buyers that the CD which has the users manual and all the computer software DOES NOT WORK for Windows 2000, nor does Canon offer any substitute online.
also, a review I read had mentioned incesssant auto-focusing. It true and somewhat disconcerting. Not sure I am happy with this purchase.

A. Carroll rated the SD1200IS as 2/5 and says - Downgrade - Canon PowerShot SD1100IS 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Brown)

The link provided above was the camera that I had previously to owning this one, and it was far superior despite having a lower MP count and being an earlier model. The PowerShot SD1200IS took grainy photographs if taken without flash, and in "auto"-mode it isn't possible to force flash. When I tried to take pictures of my 2 year old nephew who of course does not know how to sit still, the pictures came out blurry. If I used the Program setting, it took a long time for the picture to take, resulting in blurry photos. If I used auto, it came out blurry anyways! It also takes poor photographs in bad lighting. It also does not have the color accent tool which I loved to use and have been on every Canon camera I have had so far. It also is so light & round that it feels like plastic in my hands, like a toy, though that is just my personal opinion. I highly suggest getting a SD1100IS PowerShot over this one, any day.

M. Chiang rated the SD1200IS as 2/5 and says - Late shipment - I don't have chance to test this product. It took longer time to ship this product than it supposed to be.

S. Marcus rated the SD1200IS as 2/5 and says - Not comparable to my old Canon PowerShot - I bought this as a replacement for my older Canon Powershot 850 that I dropped by accident, and have been unfortunately disappointed. While the camera itself is lighter and a bit less bulky, the image stabilizer is sub-par. I feel like whenever my subject is not still (and what young child is?), I get a blurry shot, which never happened with my older model. I chose this model to be economical, but I'm kind of sorry I didn't ante up for something else instead.

A. Carroll rated the SD1200IS as 2/5 and says - Downgrade - Canon PowerShot SD1100IS 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Brown)

The link provided above was the camera that I had previously to owning this one, and it was far superior despite having a lower MP count and being an earlier model. The PowerShot SD1200IS took grainy photographs if taken without flash, and in "auto"-mode it isn't possible to force flash. When I tried to take pictures of my 2 year old nephew who of course does not know how to sit still, the pictures came out blurry. If I used the Program setting, it took a long time for the picture to take, resulting in blurry photos. If I used auto, it came out blurry anyways! It also takes poor photographs in bad lighting. It also does not have the color accent tool which I loved to use and have been on every Canon camera I have had so far. It also is so light & round that it feels like plastic in my hands, like a toy, though that is just my personal opinion. I highly suggest getting a SD1100IS PowerShot over this one, any day.

M. Chiang rated the SD1200IS as 2/5 and says - Late shipment - I don't have chance to test this product. It took longer time to ship this product than it supposed to be.

S. Marcus rated the SD1200IS as 2/5 and says - Not comparable to my old Canon PowerShot - I bought this as a replacement for my older Canon Powershot 850 that I dropped by accident, and have been unfortunately disappointed. While the camera itself is lighter and a bit less bulky, the image stabilizer is sub-par. I feel like whenever my subject is not still (and what young child is?), I get a blurry shot, which never happened with my older model. I chose this model to be economical, but I'm kind of sorry I didn't ante up for something else instead.

Nicole B. Carry rated the SD1200IS as 1/5 and says - Missed order... - I ordered this on May 15th - and had to wait to June 9th (end of potential shipping time) to realize that they missed this order and did not fill. I called the vendor - they have shipped the order and apologized, but did not give me overnight shipping or anything at this point. Disappointing overall - even though I am sure was an honest mistake.

Jeff Montgomery rated the SD1200IS as 1/5 and says - Blurry images - I have been buying Canon Powershots for years: SD400, SD600, SD1100 (purchased in 2008) and have greatly enjoyed their portability and excellent, sharp images. I even hiked and *trail ran* with them, and they have held up well considering. However, lately the image quality has degraded to what I would call poor. Powershots used to be sharp from edge to edge (with possibly a *very slight* softness at the corners). However, I have now tried 3 recent Powershots including two SD12000s that have significant areas of image blurriness right out of the box. The SD1200 I just returned had a full *1/3* of the image area on the right that was blurry and/or showed double images. I even sent a recent SD1100 (purchased 2009) for repair and it came back blurry from the factory repair center! It was a brand-new optical assembly. I'm not buying another Powershot until they recognize and fix their quality issues.

Nicole B. Carry rated the SD1200IS as 1/5 and says - Missed order... - I ordered this on May 15th - and had to wait to June 9th (end of potential shipping time) to realize that they missed this order and did not fill. I called the vendor - they have shipped the order and apologized, but did not give me overnight shipping or anything at this point. Disappointing overall - even though I am sure was an honest mistake.

Jeff Montgomery rated the SD1200IS as 1/5 and says - Blurry images - I have been buying Canon Powershots for years: SD400, SD600, SD1100 (purchased in 2008) and have greatly enjoyed their portability and excellent, sharp images. I even hiked and *trail ran* with them, and they have held up well considering. However, lately the image quality has degraded to what I would call poor. Powershots used to be sharp from edge to edge (with possibly a *very slight* softness at the corners). However, I have now tried 3 recent Powershots including two SD12000s that have significant areas of image blurriness right out of the box. The SD1200 I just returned had a full *1/3* of the image area on the right that was blurry and/or showed double images. I even sent a recent SD1100 (purchased 2009) for repair and it came back blurry from the factory repair center! It was a brand-new optical assembly. I'm not buying another Powershot until they recognize and fix their quality issues.

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SD1200IS Quicklinks: Buy-Ireviews-Areviews-Suggest-Top

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