Canon PowerShot SD970 IS

" Cool curves, powerful features and a fun new way to operate the camera mark Canon's PowerShot SD970 IS Digital ELPH. Amazing resolution and expanded editing options are yours with 12.1 megapixels, and you can even create HD movies. Shooting is fun and easy with Smart AUTO that makes all your shots better effortlessly, and there's a new user-friendly interface. And see how much fun it is to browse through your photos and even speed up image advance with a shake or tilt of the camera! "

- Canon -

12.1 Megapixels

Canon's commitment to innovation defines the excitement of the PowerShot SD970 IS Digital ELPH. 12.1-megapixel resolution is more than a number, it's your cutting-edge link to the outstanding clarity and quality you've always wanted in your images. Think bold and big, because razor-sharp, oversized prints are a breeze. Get the picture? It's absolutely brilliant.

5x Optical Zoom

The PowerShot SD970 IS Digital ELPH has a 5x optical zoom lens that makes it easy to get the inspiring, emotive close-ups that will make your images lasting keepsakes. This magnificent lens gives you the power to shoot distant subjects with razor-sharp precision and stunning lifelike color. So you can brilliantly capture a bird high atop a tree, a child's winning goal from across the stadium or a school play from the last row.

Optical Image Stabilizer

The PowerShot SD970 IS Digital ELPH is equipped with Canon's acclaimed Optical Image Stabilizer Technology that automatically detects and corrects camera shake - one of the leading causes of fuzzy or blurred shots. Even when zoomed in, you can get the steady, crisp, brilliant images you'll be proud to shoot and share. And Canon's Optical Image Stabilizer Technology is so convenient to use. It functions perfectly with or without a flash.

HD movie shooting capability

The PowerShot SD970 IS Digital ELPH lets you record video in beautiful high definition (1280 x 720 pixels). The camera also makes it easy to enjoy HD movies (and still photos) on your HDTV with a mini-HDMI connector for direct connection to a high-definition monitor. You'll enjoy the HD experience with no degradation of image or audio in the signal, plus the ability to display up to 130 still images at once.

Capture Your Best Shots Easily

Just set the Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital ELPH to Smart AUTO and you're ready for maximum enjoyment from your picture taking every time. It's a relaxing and satisfying way to shoot because you can completely concentrate on your subject knowing that the camera has the technical details covered. Advanced Canon technology intelligently analyzes your situation and shooting conditions. Then it automatically selects an appropriate setting from 18 specially defined settings. So whether you're photographing flowers, a captivating sunset, or your friends at the park, you can be confident that you're getting dramatic, memorable images.

New Active display technology

Active Display is a fun new feature powered by an accelerometer built into the PowerShot SD970 IS Digital ELPH. When browsing through your images in playback, just give the camera a quick shake to advance or return images one frame at a time. Tilting the camera will activate continuous image advance, and tilting at a further angle will make the images advance more quickly.

Creative, Original Effects Are Easy

Zoom Blur is a classic photo effect that takes some technical skill to create, whether on film or in the editing process. But the PowerShot SD970 IS Digital ELPH's new Zoom Blur feature makes the look easy to achieve. Simply shoot with the feature activated, and the camera zooms during exposure for a great effect.

Creative Light Effect Special Scene mode can turn your image into a whimsical work of art by changing twinkling light sources in the background of night scenes into stars, hearts or other shapes.

Large high-quality 3.0-inch PureColor LCD II

The PowerShot SD970 IS Digital ELPH gives you large 3.0-inch LCD screen for excellent control when framing your shots. Canon's high-quality PureColor LCD II (461,000 dots) offers spectacular color, resolution and contrast even when viewed at an angle. The screen is highly durable and easy to see in any light with a scratch-resistant, anti-reflective coating. It also features Night Display for easy viewing in low light - a perfect feature for gathering friends and family around to see your images.

DIGIC 4 Image Processor

Canon's most advanced image processor, DIGIC 4, delivers evolved Face Detection Technology that keeps every face in every photo looking its very best. The technology finds and tracks the faces of moving subjects until you're ready to shoot, then delivers perfect focus. In addition, exposure, flash and white balance are compensated, so that faces exhibit natural skin tones and backgrounds are properly exposed.

iSAPS Technology

iSAPS Technology is an entirely original scene-recognition technology developed for digital cameras by Canon. Using an internal database of thousands of different photos, iSAPS works with the advanced DIGIC 4 Image Processor to improve focus speed and accuracy, as well as exposure and white balance.

Face Detection Self-timer

A Face Detection Self-timer automatically detects an increase in the number of faces and makes the appropriate adjustments. For instance, to include the photographer's face in a group shot, there's no need to rush in. Just put the camera on a stand or tripod, specify Face Detection Self-timer, and the camera will wait for the photographer's face to get on-camera before it takes the shot. Motion Detection tracks moving subjects in a much larger range, and the Servo AF retains focus on a moving subject after the shutter button is pressed halfway - allowing you to wait for the perfect shot without refocusing.

Intelligent Contrast Correction

DIGIC 4 also makes possible the i-Contrast (Intelligent Contrast Correction) system, which controls the compensation level in pixel units to brighten dark areas while leaving bright areas unchanged for better images where the main subject is dark, and more natural transition. The PowerShot SD970 IS Digital ELPH can even use i-Contrast in playback mode to adjust images that were shot without the setting activated.

Red-eye Correction

Red-eye Correction provides three options for removing red-eye from subjects in flash pictures.
1) Red-eye Correction during shooting actually identifies and corrects red-eye in human subjects as pictures are taken.
2) The PowerShot SD970 IS Digital ELPH can be set to automatically detect and correct red-eye during image playback.
3) You can manually locate any red eyes in a scene during image playback on the LCD screen, and command the camera to remove them.

ISO Speed

Life doesn't give you second chances to capture special times. That's why the PowerShot SD970 IS Digital ELPH features an ISO 1600 setting that reduces the effects of camera shake and sharpens subjects in low-light situations, giving you greater shooting flexibility. ISO can be expanded to 3200 when you select ISO 3200 Special Scene mode.

Type of Camera

Type of Camera
Compact digital still camera with built-in flash, 5x Optical/4x Digital/20x Combined Zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer System

Image Capture Device

Type
12.1 Megapixel, 1/2.3-inch type Charge Coupled Device (CCD)

Total Pixels
Approx. 12.4 Megapixels

Effective Pixels
Approx. 12.1 Megapixels

Lens

Focal Length
6.6-33.0mm f/3.2-5.8 (35mm film equivalent: 37-185mm)

Digital Zoom
4x

Focusing Range
Normal: 1.6 ft./50cm-infinity
Macro: 0.8 in.-1.6 ft./2-50cm (W)
Digital Macro: 0.8-3.9 in./2-10cm (W)

Autofocus System
TTL Autofocus

Viewfinder & Monitor

Viewfinder
N/A

LCD Monitor
3.0-inch TFT color LCD with wide viewing angle (PureColor LCD II)

LCD Pixels
Approx. 461,000 dots

LCD Coverage
100%

Aperture and Shutter

Maximum Aperture
f/3.2 (W) - f/5.8 (T)

Shutter Speed
15-1/1600 sec.; Long Shutter operates with noise reduction when manually set at 1.3-15 sec.

Exposure Control

ISO Sensitivity
Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 equivalent (Standard output sensitivity. Recommended exposure index)

Light Metering Method
Evaluative*, Center-weighted average, Spot**
* Control to incorporate facial brightness in Face Detection AF
** Metering frame is fixed to the center

Exposure Control Method
Program AE, i-Contrast; AE Lock

Exposure Compensation
+/-2 stops in 1/3-stop increments

White Balance

White Balance Control
Auto,* Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom
* Control to incorporate facial brightness in Face Detection AF

Flash

Built-in Flash
Auto, Red-eye Reduction, Auto Red-eye Correction, Flash On, Flash Off; FE lock, Slow Synchro

Flash Range
1-11 ft./30cm-3.5m (W), 1-6.6 ft./30cm-2.0m (T) (when sensitivity is set to ISO Auto)

Recycling Time
10 sec. or less (battery voltage=3.7V)

Flash Exposure Compensation
N/A

Shooting Specifications

Shooting Modes
Auto, Program, Portrait, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Fireworks, Creative Light Effect, Aquarium, ISO 3200, Indoor, Kids & Pets, Night Snapshot, Color Accent, Color Swap, Digital Macro, Long Shutter, Exposure Zoom, Stitch Assist, Movie

Photo Effects
My Colors
Vivid, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Custom

Self-Timer
Activates shutter after an approx. 2-sec./10-sec. delay, Face Detection Self-timer

Wireless Control
Not available

Continuous Shooting
Approx. 1.0 fps

Image Storage

Storage Media
SD/SDHC Memory Card, MultiMediaCard, MMC Plus Card, HC MMC Plus Card

File Format
Design rule for camera file system, DPOF Version 1.1

Image Compression
Normal, Fine

JPEG Compression Mode
Still Image: Exif 2.2 (JPEG)
Movie: MOV (Image: H.264; Audio: Linear PCM (Monaural))

Number of Recording Pixels
Still Image: 4000 x 3000 (Large), 3264 x 2448 (Medium 1), 2592 x 1944 (Medium 2), 1600 x 1200 (Medium 3/Date Stamp), 640 x 480 (Small), 4000 x 2248 (Widescreen)
Movie: High Definition: 1280 x 720 (30 fps); Standard Definition: 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Available up to 4GB or 29 min. 59 sec. (HD)/60 min. (SD) per clip

Number of Recordable Images

Large (L) Medium 1 (M1) Medium 2 (M2) Medium 3 (M3)

F N F N F N F N

File Size (KB) 3,084 1,474 2,060 980 1,395 695 558 278

2GB 626 1,280 930 1,920 1,365 2,672 3,235 6,146

8GB 2,505 5,116 3,721 7,675 5,457 10,679 12,927 24,562

Small (S) Widescreen (W)

F N F N

File Size (KB) 150 84 2,311 1,105

2GB 10,245 15,368 830 1,707

8GB 40,937 61,406 3,318 6,822

Time of Recordable Movies

High Definition Standard Definition

1,280 x 720 640 x 480 320 x 240

30 fps 30 fps 30 fps

Movie size (KB/sec.) 2,955 1,316 394

2GB 10 min. 53 sec. 23 min. 49 sec. 1 hr. 13 min. 10 sec.

8GB 43 min. 32 sec. 1 hr. 35 min. 11 sec. 4 hr. 52 min. 24 sec.

Note: N=Normal F=Fine
Storage Capacity varies depending on camera settings. This data is estimated from Canon's standard shooting conditions. Figures for Movie Mode represent total capacity of the particular media.

Playback Specifications

Playback Modes File
Still Image: Single, Magnification (approx. 2x-10x), Jump, Auto Rotate, Rotate, Resume, My Colors, My Category, By Date, By Folder, By File Type, Transition Effects, Histogram, Overexposure Warning, Index (9 thumbnails), Slide Show, Red-eye Correction, Trimming, Resize, Image Inspection Tool, i-Contrast
Movie: Normal Playback, Special Playback, Auto Rotate, Resume

Erasing Specifications

Erase Modes
Still Image: single image, select range, select by date, select by category, select by folder, all images
Movie: part of movie, all of movie

Interfaces

Computer Interface
USB 2.0 Hi-Speed (mini-B jack)

Video Out
NTSC/PAL

Audio Out
Monaural

Other
Mini-HDMI cable: connection to high definition monitor; Memory card slot: direct connection to Canon SELPHY Compact Photo Printers, PIXMA Inkjet Photo Printers and PictBridge-compatible printers via camera's USB 2.0 Hi-Speed cable

Power Supply

Power Source
1. Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery NB-5L 2. AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC30 (optional)

Shooting Capacity
Still Image: approx. 270 shots*

Playback Time
Approx. 360 min. * LCD screen on. The above figures comply with CIPA testing standards and apply when fully-charged batteries are used.

Physical Specifications

Operating Temperature
32-104°F/0-40°C

Operating Humidity
10-90%

Dimensions (WxHxD)
3.73 x 2.24 x 1.04 in./94.8 x 56.8 x 26.3mm

Weight
Approx. 5.64 oz./160g (camera body only)