Canon's base PowerShot SD model boasts boosted megapixels and the latest processing. But is that all that's changed for 2009? Read the full Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS review to find out.
Review summary of the Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS:
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 When a new herd of compacts hit the range, there’s bound to be a few models that appear to be adopting all of last year’s leftovers. That would be the Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS. The compact is virtually identical to last year’s Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS, save a few hardware upgrades. It gets more megapixels, updated processing and a Smart Auto mode. Aside from that, well, a new color scheme? If you don’t mind an 8-megapixel compact in this day and age, we think it’s worth trying to track down the PowerShot SD1100 IS. We liked it last year, but we also like the new PowerShot SD1200 IS. We’re just trying to save you a little dough. Advanced shooters will want to look into the Canon PowerShot SD780 IS, which is equipped with HD video. Otherwise, the AA-battery options would be the 12-megapixel PowerShot A2100 IS and PowerShot A1100 IS. If you want the latest and greatest, the Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS will do the trick, but it’s too generic to overlook all of the other gleaming options out there. Release: March 2009. Price: $230.
Pros: Solid design. Good feature set for beginners. Viewfinder. Good low light.
Cons: Some instances where the camera will produce mediocre images. No change from last year’s SD1100 IS aside from hardware upgrades.
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Full Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS Review:
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Design – Good
The Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS is aesthetically Canon's most unchanged model of 2009, for we could barely tell the difference between our review unit and last year's PowerShot SD1100 IS. This is the company's most affordable mid-level PowerShot, so we didn't expect much of a major revamping. Aside from a new color scheme and more conservative architecture, it seemed slightly more compact than the PowerShot SD1100 IS, but not by much. We liked the all-metal construction, and the camera fit our hands comfortably. For a portable little number, the PowerShot SD1200 IS could be transported with ease and most of the time we were able to just toss the compact in our pants pocket.
The parallels abound when we investigated the rest of the Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS's design. We've got the same built-in viewfinder, which was a great addition on last year's PowerShot SD1100 IS. The miniature shutter zoom toggle was also carried over, and we wish Canon would have thrown a little more love into its size because we found the tab to be too small to handle smoothly at times. The USB port was shrouded by a relatively flimsy plastic shield and the battery/card door was not as rugged as we would have liked to see. However, the Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS rocked a solid overall design that rivaled the company's higher end models like the PowerShot SD960 IS.
Interface – Good
Talk about salvaging the mold. The Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS's interface was a carbon copy of the PowerShot SD1100 IS's. This year we were treated to the same round four-way directional pad with surrounding function buttons. Even the Mode switch was identical. By this point, it became obvious where all of Canon's dollars were funneled. The higher-end PowerShots went through significant metamorphoses while the PowerShot SD1200 IS sat this round out. It's a safe, practical design that is conducive to a wide array of beginners, so we didn't have any complaints. The Fucntion menu was easy to access by pressing the center button and options were laid out intuitively. Though the PowerShot SD1200 IS did not receive Canon's latest menu system, we still prefer the trusty old x-axis/y-axis structure to most other manufacturers' any day.
We also got the same 2.5-inch PureColor II LCD screen, which was a nice little bonus. Although the screen was small, the picture was sharp and the screen resisted solarization at nearly every angle. We were actually surprised at the level of detail the PowerShot SD1200 IS's 230,000-pixel LCD provided. Back at the menu ranch, we loved the PowerShot SD1200 IS's rapid action. We could fly through menus at full speed and the PowerShot SD1200 IS never hesitated. Playback was quite impressive as well, allowing us to view images with in-depth information, zoom in rapidly and scroll via groups of nine images at once. We were also glad to see Canon's Auto Rotate feature, which automatically rotated our images based on the camera's vertical or horizontal orientation.
Features - Good
To us, the Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS was more like one of the company's A-series compacts on steroids. Features were almost identical to that of the Canon PowerShot A2100 IS, therefore the PowerShot SD1200 IS lacked our favorite Color Accent and Color Swap Scene modes. However, the PowerShot SD1200 IS did offer a Long Shutter mode, which allowed us to drop the shutter to a full 15 seconds. This really allowed us to grow creatively at night and in low light situations, as long as we had a tripod handy. The PowerShot SD1200 IS did not offer Aperture Priority or a full Manual mode, but the compact handed out plenty of basic and semi-automatic control. ISO from 80 to 1600, a fully stocked color mode and a nice little cluster of White Balance settings kept us busy in the field, in addition to Exposure Compensation with 12 steps.
The Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS provided plenty of Scene modes for our shooting pleasure, but most of them were a simply ISO boost or White Balance adjustment. The ISO 3200 Scene mode was good for low light exposure, though images were exceedingly grainy and images could only be captured at a max size of 2-megapixels. The camera's Face Detection functioned very well, picking out a spread of Bono faces off a Google search. There was no manual Focus, but the camera's Macro and Infinity modes did the trick in most shooting environments. The narrow aperture couldn't handle extreme focal depths, but the camera was designed for point-and-shooters who want a little more than the average compact can bring to the table. Therefore, the PowerShot SD1200 IS is certainly not the most powerful compact in Canon's lineup, but it's a great all-around beginner cam.
Hardware - Good
Here's where we finally see the fork in the road for the Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS and last year's PowerShot SD1100 IS. Canon pumped up the megapixel count to remain competitive, but the PowerShot SD1200 IS only gets a boost to 10-megapixels. This is not the end of the world, for we know that it's not the size of the megapixel count, but rather how you use it. Canon has kicked butt in the imaging department all year, and the PowerShot SD1200 IS was no different.
We also get Canon's latest Digic 4 processing to accompany the 1/2.3-inch CCD while the Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS had Digic III. Optical Image Stabilization and the small 3x optical zoom were carried over, though we wish Canon had squeezed a little more magnification out of this year's model.
The time from powering on to first shot was an impressive two seconds. The PowerShot SD1200 IS just fired right up and was raring to go. Canon's firmware is rock solid, especially next to the clunky Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1. The PowerShot SD1200 IS captures JPEG images to SD/SDHC cards and is powered by a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery.
Image Quality - Good
Since there was no Canon to compare the PowerShot SD1200 IS's insides with, it was in a league of its own when it came to image quality. However, after a thorough investigation, we can safely say that the PowerShot SD1200 IS's image quality was tantamount to the A1100 IS's. That's not a bad thing at all. It just means that we stumbled across a few minor symptoms of budget-cam-itis. A little fringing here, some loss of focus there, inability to handle heavy contrasts—you know, the typical hiccups brought on by a basic imaging system. However, the PowerShot SD1200 IS performed exceptionally well in low light, thanks to the Long Shutter mode. But no more of this—let's let the images speak for themselves.
Scene Test – Through the Trees
Detail Test – Wooden Woodpecker
Color Test – Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too
The first image pours on the fringing like Cristal at a Hollywood pool party, though an evironment like this is difficult to tame, especially for a basic compact. Colors look vibrant and the image is sharp, even within the shadowy leaves. We really see what the PowerShot SD1200 IS is capable of in the second image. Look at the detail within the bark and wood grooves along the neck of the woodpecker. At full resolution we can discern some minor fringing along the black and white borders, but it's minor. We captured the third image inside under incandescent lighting, but the Auto White Balance had difficulty compensating for the shift in luminance. Regardless, colors are natural and feisty, just what we expected to see on the PowerShot SD1200 IS, let alone any Canon compact this year.
Contrast Test – Plants
Macro Test – Busy Bee
Sharpness Test – Laphroaig Bottle
Indoor Flash Test – Vinnie and Friends
Here's where the Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS showed it's major weakness. Just like the Canon PowerShot A1100 IS and PowerShot A480, contrasts were hard to render adequately. We just couldn't strike a proper balance between shadows and highlights, and the first image is a prime example of our struggle. Outside we took advantage of the PowerShot SD1200 IS's Macro feature using the Continuous Shutter mode. ISO was boosted to compensate for the quick shutter, but we were still able to attain a well-focused image of the busy bumblebee. Sharpness was there when we needed it, as evidenced in the third image. Not only is the text rendered crisply, but the base of the bottle displays great clarity. Too bad the stuff tasted like a campfire. Lastly, we used the flash in Auto mode indoors and experienced impressive results. No one is washed out, exposure looks great, and the fourth image is proof that Face Detection did its job. At full resolution the image is too grainy to be considered a good picture, but scaled down, it's fine.
Low Light Test – Train Kept ‘a Rollin
Ultra Low Light Test – Furnace
We shot the first image in the presence of a looming shadow using a 10-second shutter speed and ISO down to 80 for optimal detail. It was amazing that the PowerShot SD1200 IS was able to provide such clarity and a great exposure. Long Shutter mode also wowed us in our last image. We wanted to see what would happen if we shot in a pitch black furnace room with little to no available light. Well, a 15-second shutter can work wonders. Although the exposure is not top notch, the fact that the PowerShot SD1200 IS could even provide this much light at the level of detail it succeeded in was awesome. Yes, the Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS can handle low light without a problem. Just use a tripod.
Price and availability
The Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS is available for $230.
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