PowerShot SD1200 Review: A Great Vacation Camera

This PowerShot SD1200 review will give an actual owner/user perspective as to how well this camera performs.

To start with, you'll first notice the size of the PowerShot SD1200. It is so small you you can fit it in your hand. Size should be a key factor when selecting a camera. If you've ever vacationed with a camera, you know that smaller is better. And one that can fit in your purse or back pocket is the best! The longer you have to carry around a large, bulky camera, the heavier it feels at the end of the day. Soon, you won't even bring your large camera with you anymore - it is just too inconvient.

When you first look at the PowerShot SD1200, it is so small that you tend to wonder, "Will the shots be decent?" "Will I be pleased with the color?" "Will the picture be clear and sharp?" I was pleasantly surprised! With one exception, the pictures were incredible - great detail, crisp, gorgeous colors.

The exception was in low-light pictures - these came out pretty grainy - very disappointing, especially compared to the other beautiful pictures it took. Now this happened when the ISO setting (the sensor sensitivity) gets set to 400 or higher - the higher the number, the grainier the photos. The good news is that the majority of photos are taken at below 400. So although this is a drawback, in my opinion, it doesn't affect many of my pictures.

After being astounded by its size and quality of pictures, the next thing I looked at for my PowerShot SD1200 review were the pre-programmed shooting modes, especially the 'Smart Auto' mode. This mode will define the appropriate settings for your photos, so you can concentrate on your subject.

Another mode, that is usually not on sub-compact cameras, is the 'Program' mode, which allows you to have more control over individual settings. This is great if you know what you are doing -or potentially disasterous photo results if you don't.

A couple of other modes found are 'Macro' - used for extreme close-ups, like flowers - and 'Kids and Pets' - sets the camera for fast auto-focus and shutter speeds.

Other features worth noting are the optical image stabilization technology, which prevents blurry pictures due to shaky hands, and the 3x zoom, which allows you to get in closer to your subject. This camera is also equipped with a 2.5" LCD screen, as well as a view finder.

To sum it up, this PowerShot SD1200 review has shown that this is a splendid little camera, especially to take along on vacation. It is very light and small, making it easy to take everywhere, and still takes amazing photos. The many pre-programmed modes help you in getting the picture you want.

Simply put, the PowerShot SD1200 is a small, light-weight, point and click camera that really takes some fantastic photos. For the money, you can't beat this camera - for vacations, or just everyday use.