Canon PowerShot SD970 IS (Silver and Gold)

Pros: (1) Very smart auto mode for those who just want to P&S
(2) Many useful program modes for the enthusiastic spouse
(3) Easy use interface even with few buttons
(4) Gorgeous screen that you can show the pictures to friends using it

Cons: (1) May be a little bit pricey but I don't agree with CNET's comment on price-to-feature ratio
(2) Video is great but the sound is subject to operation noises such zooming and finger movements.

Summary: CNET's review is completely based on the spec and numerical figures of merit. Although it appears to be objective using this approach, it actually missed many important product features.

Canon SD970 (3.5 stars by CNET)and Sony DSC-W290 (4 stars by CNET) have very similar spec: 12.1 MP, 5X optical zoom, 3" screen, 720p video. But, SD970 is almost $100 more expensive.

(1) 720p video:

Both cameras can not perform optical zoom when shooting video. the optical zoo has to be set prior to shooting video. But, it was not pointed by CNET's review that Sony DSC-W290 can not perform digital zoom while Canon SD970 can.

Usually, people discount digital zoom because it loses resolution and prefer cropping the pictures in computer after shooting with full resolution. However, this argument is not valid when it comes to shoot video. It is not an easy task to edit video. I can not imagine shoot video without zooming. This is a very large design flaw of Sony DSC-W290.

(2) User interface:

Canon SD970 has fewer buttons yet is more user friendly. It comes with a radial dial which allows the user to select options or pictures much faster. It has more program modes with some creative modes. The feature of stitching mode is very useful.

(3) Both cameras have 3" screen. Canon SD970 has twice many dots than Sony W290. The picture scrolling and slide show animation of SD970 are great.

(4) Appearance:

This feature would be very subjective. Do we purchase camera for its appearance? I think, for many, they do. Canon SD970 and SD960 are very good looking. The body shape and seam lines are more artistic. Even the shapes of the buttons are.

Understanding the competition, the features of SD97 can be fully appreciated. I think CNET review for Canon SD970 missed many important features which make this camera superior to its competitions. Therefore, I disagreed with its comment on price-to-feature ratio.