Canon PowerShot 7.1-Megapixel Digital Camera - Silver

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4:3 ratios. For images, it does everything any other good digital camera does, from 10X *optical* zoom to macro, image stabilization, and "quick settings" for portraits, night shots, even "aquarium lighting." (The 10X optical zoom is awesome, btw - I've never found this on any but the pro/commercial end cameras.) The 7.1Megapixels are plenty for most digital imaging tasks, supporting 8x10 prints indistinguishable from any other higher res images.

I've edited the HD video, and it is very easy to work with - much more so than H.264 video. This is due to the fact that Canon uses motion JPEG compression, which allows each frame to stand on its own (kind of like snapping 30 images per second of 1080x720 pictures - not only can you edit down to the frame level easily, but you can extract a frame as a still image with all quality intact - handy when you want to make a nice picture from some video you've shot).

It is true that for any specific function this camera performs, you can find another gadget out there that does the same function better. But nowhere have I seen one device that handles *all* recording functions (video/image and sound) to the excellent degree that this camera does - you aren't compromising on function here to get the convenience of portability.

The primary advantage of this camera is the fact that it truly does it all. No more do I need to decide in advance whether or not I will want to shoot video on an outing (then deciding wrong and later trying desparately to capture that special live action moment on my 640x480 15fps camera, or worse yet my cell phone!). No matter what moment presents itself, I can capture it in the way best suited to the action. Always. By simply reaching into my pocket.

Wait till you see the HD video of these three angry bears running after me...and no bulky equipment to slow my escape!

Canon PowerShot 7.1-Megapixel Digital Camera - Silver

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are protected.

Video and Photo Quality:
I was impressed by both the quality of the videos and photos. The only pitfall is the ratio of still photos is 16:9 unless you go into the menu and switch to 4:3. That's not horrible, but I wish there was a button to easily switch back and forth. The zoom was awesome. The videos and photos have great saturation and color.

Use of Buttons/Camera:
The buttons are small and if you are going to hold the camera up and record video for 30 minutes it can be a bit of a pain. However, I don't plan on recording 30 straight minutes of video. If I did, I'd likely be on a tripod. The zoom button works very well and smoothly for transitions during video recording.

LCD Display:
I thought at first it might have too small of a display, however, after using it for a couple of weeks it works very nicely. You can see everything you need to and the quality is excellent and bright.

A couple of side notes:
-The built in microphone is awesome.
-My unit got a little warm when I heavily used it (recording lenghtly vids one after the other), but nothing that alarmed me.
-I picked up 2 Transcend 16GB SDHC CARD (SD 2.0 SPD CLASS 6) with Compact Card Reader and they work great. You get plenty of recording time and photo storage. Fast transfer as well.
-Some people feel that the camera misses the mark in being the perfect video camera or perfect still camera. It's not for that market. Try the camera out somewhere and you will love it. HD video, awesome still shots, compact form...what more can you ask for under $500? Shop around and you can get a really good deal.

Canon PowerShot 7.1-Megapixel Digital Camera - Silver

...

are protected.



Video and Photo Quality:

I was impressed by both the quality of the videos and photos. The only pitfall is the ratio of still photos is 16:9 unless you go into the menu and switch to 4:3. That's not horrible, but I wish there was a button to easily switch back and forth. The zoom was awesome. The videos and photos have great saturation and color.



Use of Buttons/Camera:

The buttons are small and if you are going to hold the camera up and record video for 30 minutes it can be a bit of a pain. However, I don't plan on recording 30 straight minutes of video. If I did, I'd likely be on a tripod. The zoom button works very well and smoothly for transitions during video recording.



LCD Display:

I thought at first it might have too small of a display, however, after using it for a couple of weeks it works very nicely. You can see everything you need to and the quality is excellent and bright.



A couple of side notes:

-The built in microphone is awesome.

-My unit got a little warm when I heavily used it (recording lenghtly vids one after the other), but nothing that alarmed me.

-I picked up 2 Transcend 16GB SDHC CARD (SD 2.0 SPD CLASS 6) with Compact Card Reader and they work great. You get plenty of recording time and photo storage. Fast transfer as well.

-Some people feel that the camera misses the mark in being the perfect video camera or perfect still camera. It's not for that market. Try the camera out somewhere and you will love it. HD video, awesome still shots, compact form...what more can you ask for under $500? Shop around and you can get a really good deal.