sd940is hd shooting capability i believe that this camera shoots 720p hd, but one reviewer said it just blows up the pixels to 720p equivalent. so whats the deal?
1132713
The reviewer was probably talking about the digital zoom feature, which blows up the same image when it zooms, which effectively makes the feature useless. It's like magnifying an image with a fixed number of pixels in photoshop: the more you blow up the image, the more flawed the image becomes. Optical zoom, which works correctly for photos, doesn't have that issue on the SD780 or the SD940. Bottom line: If you buy either of those cameras, resign yourself to not zooming while already in HD video mode. If you want a closer video, set the optical zoom before going into record mode. The reviewer was probably talking about the digital zoom feature, which blows up the same image when it zooms, which effectively makes the feature useless. It's like magnifying an image with a fixed number of pixels in photoshop: the more you blow up the image, the more flawed the image becomes. Optical zoom, which works correctly for photos, doesn't have that issue on the SD780 or the SD940. Bottom line: If you buy either of those cameras, resign yourself to not zooming while already in HD video mode. If you want a closer video, set the optical zoom before going into record mode.
1753561
yes I found a chart for this model which says "offers full hd upsampling" I'm sure you realize that upscaled sd sources--i.e. 480i dvds-- can only looks so good when upscaled. in other words it won't look close to true 1080p hd quality. but it will offer noticeable improvement over native 480i. hope this helps. Arkadin
972729
From a preview I read on another site (camcorderinfo.com) the highest quality output is true 1920x1080 progressive. Anything captured in a lower quality setting is the 1440x1080 resolution which was troublesome for some editing suites. I am waiting for some more professional reviews to be published comparing this one (and it's 120GB sibling) against the Canon HF10 which is getting good reviews. The Canon features a maximum 17Mb/s bitrate vs. the HDR-SR11/12's 16Mb/s maximum bitrate. The Canon is also flash memory vs. HDD but I don't have a strong preference either way.
1572554
Most people don't understand the concept of pixel count vs resolution. Many think the more pixels the better. This simply isn't the case. http://www.dpreview.com/ In the case of the FZ40/47 10 mp would be overkill. Thanks to clever software, people mistakenly think that a 6mm by 4mm sensor can take photos like a 4/3 or APS-C camera. Not by a long shot.
748241
"There are other cameras in this class that are faster and have far better sensors with far better ISO capability."You failed to list these cameras and their prices. Could you please post some links? Maybe there are some models I am not aware of.
637868
I beg to differ in regard to use extreme III sdhc card. This is just a basic HD 1280x720 video. It is not needed to use higher class card. I have been using class 2 card to shoot video on this camera and I have no problem what so ever. I have been shooting video 30minutes non stop with no problem. If your camera shoot 1920x1080 I would suggest class 4 and higher.
767144
I have the same blurry problem, I think that I got a faulty camera. About 1 in 4 pictures are usable, this camera was a waste of money. Mount Fuji! eat my shorts! My cannon elph sd200 which is 3 years older takes far superior pictures and is 3.2 Mega pixels. Causing me to learn, its not the megapixels that matter.
1433669
Just got back from an 8 day vacation in Southern CA using my new SD880is. Pictures came out sharp and NOT grainy. You'll be happy with the SD880is. I certainly am :) !
57176
Bill,I can vouch for the Flip Ultra that looks good on TV so I would think the HD version looks even better. I was comparing this camcorder with Kodak's new HD Zi6. I think that it can record at 60 frames per second instead of 30. It would be good if anyone has seen a comparison of the two to share on this forum.Mike
500333
Gotta run, but perhaps I should have mentioned that the #3 SD-1200 has an ISO rating of 400. Neither camera gets good wide-angle ratings (the optical zoom ratio of both cameras is 3X).
732858
It can use 1080p cameras. I have not personally tried over 720p due to cost and the higher resolution will chew through the disk space. Rather what I have done is place / point the cameras in such a way that they will get a close up of certain choke points. For example, one on the exterior pointing at my doorstep, one on the interior pointing at my entryway, exterior pointing at the driveway. The driveway camera will catch the street but at 720p it is not enough resolution to identify faces or license plates. Often lighting and placement are just as, or more important than resolution. There are some guides available online the explain how to choose the right camera. Search "Choosing the Right Security Camera"
1816630
This isn't a full-frame camera. It's aps-h, 1.3x crop. And if you're shooting astro photography you should be looking into a Nikon d800 or a 5dmkii. This is a camera with 11-year old sensor technology. I bought one to shoot surfers with here in Hawaii broad daylight and I get noise (by modern standards) past about ISO400-500. This camera is great if you're looking for a cheaper 7d and you don't want video capabilities or a screen you can actually see. Don't get me wrong, it's a great camera, but its age definitely shows. I bought one in perfect shape with 42k actuations for $430 and not 3 months later I bought a 7d for $530. The extra money spent on a more modern camera is well-worth it. This isn't a full-frame camera. It's aps-h, 1.3x crop. And if you're shooting astro photography you should be looking into a Nikon d800 or a 5dmkii. This is a camera with 11-year old sensor technology. I bought one to shoot surfers with here in Hawaii broad daylight and I get noise (by modern standards) past about ISO400-500. This camera is great if you're looking for a cheaper 7d and you don't want video capabilities or a screen you can actually see. Don't get me wrong, it's a great camera, but its age definitely shows. I bought one in perfect shape with 42k actuations for $430 and not 3... » Read More This isn't a full-frame camera. It's aps-h, 1.3x crop. And if you're shooting astro photography you should be looking into a Nikon d800 or a 5dmkii. This is a camera with 11-year old sensor technology. I bought one to shoot surfers with here in Hawaii broad daylight and I get noise (by modern standards) past about ISO400-500. This camera is great if you're looking for a cheaper 7d and you don't want video capabilities or a screen you can actually see. Don't get me wrong, it's a great camera, but its age definitely shows. I bought one in perfect shape with 42k actuations for $430 and not 3 months later I bought a 7d for $530. The extra money spent on a more modern camera is well-worth it. « Show Less
1934446
I have a Canon SX20is that can take 720p HD video with stereo sound, just as the SX130is can. But the 130is has a ten minute limit of recording per session in HD mode only. (longer in lower resolution mode) My SX20is can record longer per shot. Both of these caneras can zoom while recording and the sound is in stereo. The SX20is has a one button video recording button that makes it very easy to start a recording at a moment's notice.
1701322
Heather; I'm pretty sure it doesn't shoot in RAW but is a sweet little pocket camera that takes a wide variety of great shots. What a deal as a refurb! For my purposes I've been able to minupulate files as much as I need to through photoshop elements without RAW format. Gary
748238
"There are other cameras in this class that are faster and have far better sensors with far better ISO capability."Really, unless you name names, this comment is not very helpful. Could you please give examples?
638195
I got Canon SX30is(well,last Nov). I was fairly satisfied except inability of continual shooting(1.3 frame/sec.)picture quality(PQ) not so good but acceptable for 1/2.33 sensor,720 HD video is good, but Sony came out with HX100 30X zoom with rapid shooting,1080 HD and Finepix HS20,now Nikon P500 with 1080 HD, 22.5mm-810mm lens which is due for sale on March 3rd in Japan. I'm tempted,but what do I do with Canon....
294455
I own this camera too, and though I think it's a great camera, I'm bummed that it can't read the newer SDHC cards. It can, however, read the 4GB 150x SD cards. I have a Ridata with these specs, and the camera works great with this card. I could be wrong about this, but I *think* a firmware update from Canon would allow the SD630 to use SDHC cards. The following year's models can read/write SDHC cards.