The 12.1-megapixel PowerShot SD960 IS ($329.99 list) is Canon's first, and the only model in its latest Elph line to get a widescreen LCD. This slick little point-and-shooter still gives you the option to take pictures in the traditional 4:3 aspect ratio, but the 2.8-inch LCD, with its wide 16:9 aspect ratio, makes it much easier to frame your shots. It wouldn't surprise us to see widescreen LCDs become standard fare on digital cameras, as they are becoming in laptops, monitors, and HDTVs. Apart from its screen, the SD960 is extremely fast and records dazzling HD video that you can easily output to an HDTV, but Canon's typically bulletproof reputation for high-quality images has developed a few holes with this model.
The 5.11-ounce SD960 sports spiffy rounded edges and comes in five colors (blue, green, silver, pink, and gold). It measures 2.1 by 3.9 by 0.9 inches (HWD), making it a bit shorter and thicker than aBlackBerry Pearl and slightly larger than the $279.99 Canon PowerShot SD780 IS. The new interface is straightforward and attractive; it's similar to the one used in previous PowerShot models, but its higher-resolution text is crisper, and it adds animations to the menus along with cool transitions between images when you're in playback mode. Navigating the menus is a breeze with the camera's easy-to-manipulate scroll wheel, which is flanked by large Play and Menu buttons. The zoom and shutter-release controls are also nice and big, which makes framing and shooting pictures simple. (Check out this video for a detailed look at the new interface.)
The 28mm lens is wider than those on the SD780 IS (33mm) and SD970 IS (37mm), which results in a shorter focal length and consequently the ability to fit more into your images. The lens provides 4X optical zoom with a focal range of 5mm to 20mm (35mm equivalent: 28mm to 112mm), with maximum f-stops at f/2.8 and f/5.8.
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