Video on the Canon Powershot SD780 IS

I’ll level with you; I’m not a video person. It’s never held that much of an attraction for me. But even I have to admit that I’m fascinated by the fact that pretty much all still digital cameras come with some form of video. And the Canon SD780 is pretty amazing in this regard. In fact, it was a deciding factor in its purchase.

Yes, my D90 does HD video, but I’m not likely to be carrying it around with me wherever I go. Plus, the optical viewfinder of the SD780 is not disabled as it is when shooting video with a D-SLR. Yes, my P5100 does video, but it’s only 640 x 480.

Since the SD780 has everything I need, I’m actually looking forward to shooting video with it. And although it doesn’t autofocus while shooting video, it does have zoom capability, and on two levels. First, you can use the optical zoom before you start recording to compose your scene. Once you’ve begun shooting, the digital zoom is available for impromptu closeups. And in video, it works better than you may think.

The sensor has a resolution of 4000 x 3000. An HD video frame has a resolution of 1280 x 720. Zoom in 200% and that’s 2560 x 1440. No problem there. Zoom in 300% and it’s 3840 x 2160. Still no problem. So you really have up to 3x zoom capability without losing resolution. It’s only that last 100% or so that you have to worry about. At least in theory. However, a quick test in Photoshop reveals that the camera is using the additional resolution of the sensor to optimize digital zooming, so they’re unexpectedly sharp.

However, there is something else to be concerned about; hot pixels.

Hot pixels, stuck pixels, dead pixels; call them what you will. All cameras have them, it’s just the nature of digital photography. (Film has the advantage here; each new frame is a clean slate.) They’re not usually a problem with still photography. Practically invisible, and if not, easily removed in post processing.

Video however, is another story.

If you have a good pixel gone bad, it shows up like a sore thumb in video. The same place, frame after frame. And here’s the thing; digital zooming only makes it worse, because the closer you zoom, the bigger it gets. With optical zoom, it stays exactly the same size, 0.075%. With digital zoom, it becomes a significant 0.3%. (This takes into account the pixel itself, and the eight neighboring pixels surrounding it which are also affected.) So, if you purchase a new camera, shoot some video with it right away to make sure its wayward pixels aren’t going to be a problem.

For the casual videographer like myself, there’s little reason to invest in a dedicated video camcorder. My prediction is that the still camera with ever more sophisticated video capability will replace it. And to up the ante even further, the “mirrorless” digital camera is an even more logical choice. Equipped with an electronic viewfinder (just like a video camcorder), interchangeable lenses (like a professional video camera), and a larger sensor (with a significant improvement in low-light capability) this new breed of camera is going to give the dedicated camcorder a run for the money.