Will this compact camera's ergonomic design and widescreen LCD be enough to woo intermediate consumers? We think there's more to this story. Read the full Canon PowerShot SD960 IS review here.
Review summary of the Canon PowerShot SD960 IS:
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 The 12-megapixel Canon PowerShot SD960 IS belongs to Canon's motley crue of radically designed PowerShot compacts, including the PowerShot SD960 IS and PowerShot SD970 IS. The PowerShot SD960 IS is marketed as the girly version of the pack, thanks to its pastel color schemes and minimal controls, and we found plenty of advanced functionality under the hood. The camera also has one of the best LCDs in its class and rocks Canon's latest swanky menu system. We loved the touch-sensitive Control dial and actually didn't mind the serious drought of buttons. But most importantly, the PowerShot SD960 IS captured great images and 720P videos, and thats really what matters at the end of the day, right? For most consumers, the camera's unconventional architecture and cute color schemes will be enough to summon the Visa from the Coach purse, but this camera will give you a lot more than you bargained for. Rock on, Canon, the PowerShot SD960 IS is another winner. Release: March 2009. Price: $330.
Pros: Highly compact and comfortable to grip. Great LCD and menu system. Solid image performance and excellent low light capability.
Cons: Flash made images look unnatural. Small shutter button zoom toggle. Some basic imaging flaws in certain shooting environments.
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Full Canon PowerShot SD960 IS Review:
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Design - Good
The Canon PowerShot SD960 IS is arguably the most radical compact in the company's lineup for 2009. It evades the standard symmetry of a traditional box design, sporting a rounded right side with concave channel for a delightfully snug grip. The camera will not chomp away at valuable space within your pants or purse because this thing is tiny, though not as miniscule at the Canon PowerShot SD780 IS, which we're testing side-by-side. The PowerShot SD960 IS also comes in a cluster of female-friendly pastel colors, but unfortunately we happened to receive the silver model. Can we have pink next time, Canon?
The Canon PowerShot SD960 IS is a peculiar compact because it can actually support itself vertically in addition to horizontally. So, when we wanted to take vertical pictures of our rabid friends or self-portraits with the Self-Timer, all we had to do was set the PowerShot SD960 IS upright and wait for the snap. Buttons and controls are almost nonexistent on this compact, and all you'll find in the back is a control Dial with an oval shaped button bookending it on each side. This configuration resembles a dainty flower when the camera is flipped vertically, which is another shoutout to all the lady shooters in the house.
There's no viewfinder on the Canon PowerShot SD960 IS, but the camera has a 2.8-inch 16:9 LCD, which played very nicely with the 720P high-definition video mode. Canon also tacked a Mini HDMI jack on the PowerShot SD960 IS, further enhancing the standardization of the HD factor for future models to come. We like this experiment in camera geometry and ergonomics, and Canon deserves a nice little pat on the back for thinking outside of the light box.
Interface Very Good
Without a viewfinder, we had to rely solely on the Canon PowerShot SD960 IS's widescreen LCD, but have no fear. This was one of the best LCDs we've ever stumbled across on a compact in this class. Canon's PureColor LCD II has a 230,000 pixel display that provided a sharp, crisp image and resisted solarizing at the steepest angles. We could view the screen at a 5-degree angle from the side of the camera and still see the image perfectly. Shooting HD videos was even more fun, thanks to the full widescreen effect, and we wish all compact LCDs were of this caliber.
Now, we had mixed feelings about the Control dial at first. On one paw we loved its rapid functionality and textured grip, but on the other its quick functions were not labeled on the body of the camera, so how were we to know if we were accessing Flash or Macro settings!? Fast forward to three minutes later and we are spouting phrases like "Cool!", "Awesome", and "Holy shh
", you get the picture. The Canon PowerShot SD960 IS's Control dial is actually touch sensitive, so when we touched one of its four compass points, a quick function menu appeared onscreen and allowed us to spin the dial to whatever function our snap-hungry hearts desired. No other compact is doing this, aside from the Olympus Tough 8000, which lets shooters tap certain sides of the camera to engage certain functions.
As usual, Canon's menus are a notch above most other manufacturers, and the Canon PowerShot SD960 IS is equipped with the company's latest interface incarnation, which flaunts spruced up graphics and advanced Playback functionality. The dial enabled us to fly through images in Playback, much like one would while browsing albums in iTunes. However, we miss the structure of Canon's previous menu system because it was more visually inviting and allowed us to select options more quickly. If Canon could keep the new graphics and Playback mode, yet retain the old structure, the PowerShot SD960 IS would trump all other current interfaces. At the moment, it's still pretty darn impressive.
Features - Good
The Canon PowerShot SD960 IS is devoid of a Mode dial, but it doesn't mean that this compact is strictly an Auto/Scene machine. Although we couldn't independently set Aperture Speed and there was no manual Focus, the PowerShot SD960 IS offered a Long Shutter Scene mode that allowed us to travel up to a 15-second shutter speed with full ISO and White Balance control. Therefore, we had no issues shooting at night with the PowerShot SD960 IS, as long as we used a tripod. Fast motion required a lot of light, and the camera's narrow f/2.8 f/5.8 Aperture range did not suit epic landscape shots. Regardless, the PowerShot SD960 IS packs in plenty of manual controls for a variety of shooting environments and we rarely felt shortchanged in the field.
Our favorite Scene modes, as usual, were the Color Swap and Color Replace features that allowed us to highlight one particular color or swap two prominent hues. Even better, the Color Accent and Color Swap scene modes were available in video mode. Speaking of video mode, the Canon PowerShot SD960 IS's 720P video matched the quality of the Canon PowerShot SX200 IS's which was a tough act to follow. We can't believe video quality of this magnitude is emanating from a compact the size of most modern smart phones. Unfortunately, the PowerShot SD960 IS's HD clips were noisy in low light and we struggled with exposure when the lights really dwindled. However, the image quality was still the best we've seen from a compact in this class.
In other news, the Canon PowerShot SD960 IS's Face Detection worked wonderfully at any range. Exposure Compensation was there to bail us out of a shadowy or blown-out debacle and the Auto White Balance was dead on 90% of the time. The manual White Balance produced excellent results, but a host of other presets were available just in case time was tight. Canon is the king of the block when it comes to color, and the PowerShot SD960 IS offered a slew of color filters, including Vivid, Positive Film and Custom presets. It's no manual power plant, but the Canon PowerShot SD960 IS packs in more than enough for most intermediate shooters.
Hardware - Good
The Canon PowerShot SD960 IS joins its immediate family members with a 12-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD, processing courtesy of Canon's latest Digic 4. The Canon PowerShot SX200 IS, PowerShot SD970 IS and PowerShot SD780 IS all sport the same imager and processing, so image quality should be very similar across the board in the middleweight class, and we're discovering some hard evidence as we test more of the aforementioned models. We admired the Canon PowerShot SX200 IS's performance, and the PowerShot SD960 IS produced some very impressive results as well.
Although the 4x optical zoom does not lie at the pinnacle of magnification, the Canon PowerShot SD960 IS's 28mm wide-angle lens made us feel a little better. Shooting side-by-side with the Canon PowerShot SD780 IS, we were able to stand approximately three feet closer to our subject matter without sacrificing any image real estate. The PowerShot SD960 IS also fires up right away and snaps an image in just under two seconds, with the following image clocking in slightly faster. This is an impressive performance, though not an all-star showing. The PowerShot SD960 IS runs on a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery and captures JPEG images to SD/SDHC cards.
Image Quality - Good
On the whole, we were very impressed with the Canon PowerShot SD960 IS's image performance, particularly when it came to color and fine detail. There were instances when bright light posed as a problem and we needed to dial down the exposure to compensate for blown highlights. Also, many contrasted lines and edges were fused via lines of purplish fringing and we found it difficult to steady the camera at times due to its puny size. At night, the Canon PowerShot SD960 IS kicked some photographic ass, thanks to the Long Shutter Scene mode. Our night images looked even better than most bright light images, so the PowerShot SD960 IS will suit many shooters looking to unleash their creative side when the lights dim.
# Scene Test Bay Ridge
This image is an example of the kind of average performance the Canon PowerShot SD960 IS was capable of producing. In serious bright light, the camera will tend to overexpose everything in sight. As a result, we get a significant fringe line along the 99-cent banner. Thanks to the quick shutter speed, we're able to freeze Mr. Smiles in the midst of his happy gallivant, but the edges of his sweater vest are glowing with fringe. A majority of the image is sharp and well focused, but we recommend dialing down the exposure in environments that are flooded with piercing sunlight.
Color Test Aftermath of a Film Shoot
Sharpness Test Literature
Portrait Test Vinnie
However, when the lighting was more subdued, the Canon PowerShot SD960 IS churned out a beautiful color palette, as evidenced in the first image. Colors not only shine with vibrancy, but they stay within their boundaries and resist oversaturation. Canon excels when it comes to color, and the PowerShot SD960 IS's palette is of the same caliber as the Canon PowerShot SX200 IS's. Sharpness was off the hook as well, and the second image is a prime example of the excellent detail rendered by the PowerShot SD960 IS even at full resolution. The bottom half of "Hell's Angels" looks as though we're actually staring at it on a real shelf, and the sharpness is top notch throughout the lettering of the other titles. We used Portrait mode to catch Vinnie in action, and Face Detection kicked right into gear as soon we yelled at him in Italian. The overall detail of the image could be better, but Vinnie's expression is captured with scrapbook integrity here.
Detail Test Two Slices
Contrast Test Lindy's
Macro Test Laces
Indoor Lighting Test Living Room
The Canon PowerShot SD960 IS loved it when we shoved a whole plate of intricacy in front of its lens, and we can see the stellar detail rendered in the first image. Contrasts were difficult for the PowerShot SD960 IS to handle, as we can see in the second image. While the surrounding exposure of the image is adequate, if not a bit shadowy, the spirits are blowing up. We had to watch our lighting and keep an eye on the Exposure Compensation in situations like that one. Up close, the PowerShot SD960 IS provided great detail, but we couldn't delve into the laces of the shoe as far as we wanted. It was also difficult to steady the camera at such close range. Indoors, the PowerShot SD960 IS did not let us down, but we preferred Program AE to the Indoor Scene mode. Indoor mode jacked up the ISO and used the flash, which made the image look like a sordid craigslist ad picture.
Color Accent Test Aftermath of a Film Shoot
This is why we love the Color Accent mode, enough said.
Scene Test Night Scene Test Bay Ridge
Scene Test Night Detail Test Tuff Stuff
Low Light Test A Peculiar Gathering
Flash Test A Peculiar Gathering
At night we were blown away by the Canon PowerShot SD960 IS's performance. Detail, sharpness, exposure and color looked awesome, but it took a little tinkering to attain these results. All images were captured on a tripod and shot in Slow Shutter mode, except for the last image, which was captured in Night Snapshot mode. The only hang-up we have about the first image is the light misting of noise present in the sky, but it's a miniscule observation compared to the overall greatness of the image. The detail within the Tuff Stuff is uncanny for a compact in this class, even at full resolution. We did have to fiddle with the White Balance when the lights went down, and that played a part when it came to color. At super low light, the PowerShot SD960 IS performed well, retaining detail and a great deal of color information, though the dragons in the foreground appear to be underexposed due to the central candlelight. The flash in Night Snapshot mode solved that issue, but the image becomes cheapened and loses its naturalistic quality.
Price and availability
The Canon PowerShot SD960 IS is in stores now for $330.
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