Canon SD970 IS / IXUS 990 IS vs Canon SD990 IS / IXUS 980 IS: First Impressions by nullspace

First published on: Thursday, 16 April 2009

nullspace posted up a brief comparison of his new Canon Powershot SD970 IS / IXUS 990 IS vs the older Canon Powershot SD990 IS / IXUS 980 IS camera.The main reason for purchasing the Canon SD970IS / IXUS 990IS was for its HD (high-definition), 720p footage / movie / video capture capability.

A summary of points raised:


  1. Changing menu options was easier on the SD990.

  2. The SD990 does better at setting the correct exposure for indoor shots, while the SD970 tends to overexpose the photos.

  3. The SD990 has a larger lens aperture (meaning, it has a faster lens), so you get to use a lower ISO value or faster shutter speed.

  4. The SD990 allows for easier access to manual controls, thus letting you change exposure parameters much more easily.

  5. It’s easier to get sharper and cleaner shots from the SD990.

  6. Movie quality from the SD970 is good, although the recorded audio is a bit soft.

  7. The extra 0.5 inch on the SD970’s rear LCD monitor is nice, although nullsoft noticed a lot more noise on the screen.

In conclusion, nullsoft is not impressed with the SD970, and might be considering alternative HD-capable cameras with better image such as the Canon Powershot SX200 IS and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 / DMC-TZ7.

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