Canon PowerShot SD780 IS

The Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Digital ELPH is a skinny little camera that seems to pack quite a punch. Of course, looking good on paper and looking good in our labs are not always the same thing. Sure, 12-megapixel stills are an alluring promise for a camera this compact. But the lens and the processor might not produce the quality we're looking for.

Our first impressions? The SD780 is packed full of beginner-friendly features like focus assist tools, face detection, and scenes modes. It has a super slim profile and an elegant aesthetic. And it shoots 720p video. But with a small LCD, unwieldy control pad, and few manual controls, performance will be the only thing that can bring the SD780 to the attention of more serious photographers.

• A nice ultra-slim, elegant design
• Clear information and displays
• Intuitive controls
• A huge laundry list of auto features, scene modes, focus assist tools, face detection, etc.
• Colors will appeal to a wide demographic

• 720p video, but with no optical zoom and few image controls available
• It's too easy to hit the Set button when you're trying to push a direction on the four-way control pad
• The minuscule viewfinder is pretty superfluous
• No manual control over aperture or shutter speed
• Options spread across two separate menus