The SD780 is Canon's replacement for the 10 MP SD770 model released around a year before it. I upgraded to the SD780 as I was happy with my SD770 but liked the new features and smaller profile.
The interface has improved, most notably with the automatic shooting mode detection. As I have a dSLR for serious photography I used the SD770 as more of a happy snaps camera and as such it spent nearly all it's life in the automatic profile. The SD780 utomatically activates a suitable shooting profile in auto mode (when taking a close range photo for example it will automatically select macro mode), and so far I've found this system to be very quick and accurate. It's lighter than the 770 (which itself is quite light) and doesn't cause any discomfort in your pocket thanks to it's slim profile. Another improvement is a wider lens (it's no Panasonic FX37, but a 33mm equivalent wide end is better than 35mm) which was one of the shortcomings of the older model. Unfortunately the SD780's lens is f3.2-5.8 which means it does struggle at times with low light even with the optical image stabilisation system activated. The lens itself is quite good for a compact point and shoot, with no noticable barrel distortion. Shooting performance is excellent, as good or even better than the previous model with very quick power up to shooting times, shot to shot times and minimal shuttter lag.
The CCD resolution has been increased to 12.1 megapixels but is the same physical size. This coupled with quite agressive noise reduction means that image quality does suffer at high ISO settings. Combined with the relatively slow lens it's night performance isn't quite as good as some of it's rivals, but is still adequate quality for casual shooting. While the extra resolution is a bonus in daylight shooting I can't help wondering if the resolution increase was more of a marketing excercise than anything else, and whether the camera would have better served retaining the older 10 MP image sensor.
720P video is a welcome addition as is the switch from Motion JPEG to H.264 video. The video files are stored in the Quicktime container so Mac users especially will find it easy to work with video files from the camera. Battery life is best described as adequate, Canon has switched from the NB-6L to the smaller NB-4L which means battery life is rated at 210 shots, which is lower than average. The batteries charge quickly however and the battery life isn't really a problem if you charge it after every trip.
Overall I would say that the SD780 is a solid camera with a couple of shortcomings, mainly due to the packaging constraints. I bought the 770 because I wanted something that was as carryable and convenient as a cameraphone but with decent quality images. If that's what you are looking for you wont be disappointed.Get more detail about Canon PowerShot SD780IS12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Black).
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