or Browse:
Type
Brand
Price
Need

Canon PowerShot SD970 IS

Digital Camera Review

Previous: Page 4

Resolution

Next: Page 6

Sample Photos
Page 5

Video

The camera shoots high-def 720p video with handsome color and decent sharpness, but there’s no optical zoom.

The SD970 IS offers three movie resolutions, including 1280 × 720 (720p), the lower-res of two common HDTV formats. The more web-friendly options are 640 × 480 and 320 × 240, with all three shooting at 30 frames per second. Maximum recording time in 720p mode is 29 minutes 59 seconds, and one hour for the lower-res alternatives. Videos ares stored in H.264 format, in MOV files.

Many of the controls and effects available while shooting stills also apply to shooting video. These include white balance and exposure compensation settings, image stabilization, and adjusting the color mode settings. However, optical zoom is disabled while shooting.

The color accuracy in video shot with the Canon SD970 IS is very good, with minor color shift and slight undersaturation when shooting in 720p mode. It ranks at the top of our comparison group in this area. The chart below represents color error, so a shorter bar is better. More on how we test video color.

Video Color Score Comparison
0
2
4
6
8
10
14
Video Color Score

Here again, shooting at 720p, the Canon scores very well, as shown in the chart below. The bars represent resolution measurements, so a taller bar indicates better performance. More on how we test video sharpness.

Video Color Sharpness Comparison
0
2
4
6
8
Video Sharpness Score

Shop for the Canon SD970 IS

Advertisement

Shop for the Canon SD970 IS

Loading Recently Viewed Products
Advertisement

Latest News
& Reviews

Top Rated Point & Shoots

  • Panasonic Lumix FZ150
    Panasonic Lumix FZ150
    $499.00
    1

    Panasonic Lumix FZ150

    Excellent image quality, speedy performance, and a great design add up to the best superzoom that has ever graced our labs. That distinction seems to change hands every week, but trust us when we say that the FZ150 is a truly great camera. Read full 16-part review

    $499.00
    Types
    Any Zoom
    3,5.1
    3.1x to 5x Zoom
    5.1,10
    5.1x to 9.9x Zoom
    10,
    10x & Larger Zoom
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,
    > 10 Megapixels
  • Sony  Cyber-shot HX100V
    Sony  Cyber-shot HX100V
    $449.99
    2

    Sony Cyber-shot HX100V

    This professionally-geared ultrazoom offers some of the best color accuracy we've ever seen. It's a shame the other scores weren't quite so strong. Read full 16-part review

    $449.99
    Types
    Ultra-Zoom
    Any Zoom
    3,5.1
    3.1x to 5x Zoom
    5.1,10
    5.1x to 9.9x Zoom
    10,
    10x & Larger Zoom
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,
    > 10 Megapixels
    16.8 MP
  • Canon  PowerShot G1 X
    Canon  PowerShot G1 X
    $799.99
    3

    Canon PowerShot G1 X

    Canon's new G1 X features a giant 1.5-inch CMOS sensor and the same manual control that we loved on the G12. Read full 7-part review

    $799.99
    Types
    Any Zoom
    3,5.1
    3.1x to 5x Zoom
    5.1,10
    5.1x to 9.9x Zoom
    10,
    10x & Larger Zoom
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,
    > 10 Megapixels
  • Canon  PowerShot SX40 HS
    Canon  PowerShot SX40 HS
    $429.99
    4

    Canon PowerShot SX40 HS

    Canon's SX30 got a CMOS makeover that resulted in the SX40 HS, an impressive ultrazoom that captures beautiful shots in almost any scenario. Read full 16-part review

    $429.99
    Types
    Any Zoom
    3,5.1
    3.1x to 5x Zoom
    5.1,10
    5.1x to 9.9x Zoom
    10,
    10x & Larger Zoom
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,
    > 10 Megapixels
  • Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47
    Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47
    $399.99
    5

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47

    Panasonic resists the urge to cram more megapixels and more focal length into their latest ultrazoom. The FZ47 instead focuses on image quality and features, resulting in an incredibly strong camera that we loved shooting with. Read full 16-part review

    $399.99
    Types
    Any Zoom
    3,5.1
    3.1x to 5x Zoom
    5.1,10
    5.1x to 9.9x Zoom
    10,
    10x & Larger Zoom
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,
    > 10 Megapixels

Features

Advertisement
Canon PowerShot SD970 IS
Digital Camera Review

Previous: Page 4

Resolution

Next: Page 6

Sample Photos