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Introduction
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01.Product Tour
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02.Color
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03.Noise
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04.Resolution
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05.Video
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06.Sample Photos
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07.Playback
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08.Hardware
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09.Controls
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10.Design & Handling
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11.Canon SD970 Comparison
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12.Nikon S630 Comparison
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13.Sony T900 Comparison
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14.Conclusion
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15.Photo Gallery
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16.Comments
Canon PowerShot SD780 IS
Previous: Page 2
ColorNext: Page 4
ResolutionNoise
Noise was decently low, though still a bit noisy at high ISOs.
Noise (11.28)
The camera scored quite well in terms of image noise, the visual static that’s most visible at higher ISOs. We test image noise by photographing the test chart at every full resolution ISO, under both bright and low light illumination, then measure the noise at each setting using Imatest. More on how we test noise.
There’s a slight discrepancy between the amount of noise under low light and bright illumination, but this is so low that you probably won’t notice it in the images. We saw a downwards turn at ISO 1600, clearly due to built-in noise reduction processing.
| Noise Comparisons | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 80 | ISO 400 | ISO 800 | ISO 1600 | |
| 60 Lux |  |
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| 3000 Lux |  |
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Compared to other cameras, the SD780 performed noticeably better than the Sony T900, a hair better than the brandmate SD970, but worse than the Nikon S630. Overall, the SD780 kept image noise down to a reasonable level, scoring well versus our comparison cameras, though you’re still going to see a fair amount of noise at ISO 1600.
ISO (7.50)
The ISO range offered by the SD780 is good, with the ability to hit ISO 80-1600 at full resolution, and up to ISO 3200 if you’re willing to shoot at 2 megapixels. The smeared-looking images at ISO 800 and above is from the noise reduction software, which lowers the amount of image noise, but loses a lot of sharpness in the process.
| ISO Comparisons | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Canon PowerShot SD780 IS | Canon PowerShot SD970 IS | Nikon Coolpix S630 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900 |
| ISO Low | |||
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ISO 80
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ISO 80
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ISO 64
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ISO 80
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| Canon PowerShot SD780 IS | Canon PowerShot SD970 IS | Nikon Coolpix S630 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900 |
| ISO 200 | |||
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| Canon PowerShot SD780 IS | Canon PowerShot SD970 IS | Nikon Coolpix S630 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900 |
| ISO 400 | |||
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| Canon PowerShot SD780 IS | Canon PowerShot SD970 IS | Nikon Coolpix S630 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900 |
| ISO 800 | |||
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| Canon PowerShot SD780 IS | Canon PowerShot SD970 IS | Nikon Coolpix S630 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900 |
| ISO 1600 | |||
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| Canon PowerShot SD780 IS | Canon PowerShot SD970 IS | Nikon Coolpix S630 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900 |
| ISO 3200 | |||
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| Canon PowerShot SD780 IS | Canon PowerShot SD970 IS | Nikon Coolpix S630 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900 |
| ISO 6400 | |||
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| Canon PowerShot SD780 IS | Canon PowerShot SD970 IS | Nikon Coolpix S630 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900 |
NOTE: The images above are not used in our testing or scoring, but are included here to show real-world examples of the differences between cameras at the various ISO settings.
Shop for the Canon SD780 IS
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