While neither the Canon SD970 nor the Samsung HZ15W is the smallest cameras on the block, the Samsung is a significantly larger gadget. That's due to the rather large 10x zoom lens (compared to the Canon's 5x), with a significantly greater wide-angle. Both cameras have the same resolution (12-megapixels), and the same ISO range (80-1600 at full res, 3200 at reduced).
In terms of performance, it's a pretty even split between the two cameras. Their color accuracy was similar, both for still and video; the Canon has an edge in noise, stabilization and video sharpness testing; the Samsung comes out ahead for resolution and shot to shot speed.
The Canon has a slightly better interface, assisted by the use of a scroll wheel for whizzing through menus, and a higher resolution screen, as well as some nifty tricks on scrolling through images based on how the camera is held. However, it lacks the large set of manual controls that the Samsung offers, including manual shooting modes, custom color overlays, and auto exposure bracketing.
While we like the SD970 IS a lot, we have to give this round to the Samsung, due to its strength of manual controls, large zoom, and overall solid performance. That said, it did have some noise issues, and Canon knows their way around user interface design a bit better than Samsung does.
