Photo quality is very good for its class. Better than most, actually, the photo quality is probably why this camera costs a bit more than the competition. Colors are generally excellent, as is exposure, though there was occasional highlight clipping. As with most compacts, the SD1200 turned in its best results at ISO sensitivities below ISO 200. At ISO 400, fine detail starts degrading, as shots turn less sharp, more smooth, and fuzzy. Though there is lens distortion primarily on the left side, purple fringing was at a minimum. For a majority of my testing, the camera remained in Canon's Smart Auto mode, which was really reliable at picking the correct scenes and settings.
Most of the 2009 camera lineups start with a 10-megapixel compact with a 2.5-inch LCD and 3x optical zoom. The PowerShot SD1200 IS is that camera for Canon. It doesn't offer much more than the competition in terms of features, with the exception of a viewfinder, but it probably has the best photo quality of the bunch (though not by much). Then again, the competition is also selling its models for less. You'll have to decide which is more important.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
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(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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