cabel.name: Canon SD960: Great Pictures, Great Video

Canon SD960: Great Pictures, Great Video

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Of the many areas of nerdery I have merit badges in, photography is surprisingly not one of them — so my requirements for digital cameras are dead simple. I want a camera that:

Can easily fit in a pocket, comfortably, and isn't hideous looking.
Has a wide angle lens. (My first-ever digital camera had this, spoiling me for life.)
Can record video. I love a pocket video!

Of course, there are smaller wishes: automatic orientation detection, a nice enough UI, good macro lens, SDHC support, etc., but they're all features you'll find on just about every camera in the world. I've also traditionally been a Canon man, always keeping an eye on their new models.

Here's why the new Canon SD960

is my current favorite digital pocket camera.

Updated UI

It's a minor miracle: Canon updated their UI. It's... not bad! (New on the right.)

Good Looking Photos

It's almost a given at this point, but it takes some sharp looking pictures:

You can see the whole set over on Flickr

HD Widescreen Video!

The killer feature, and one that's blown my mind. I know the Flip Mino HD has been available for a while (I've always thought them a little bit ugly and prefer to carry one device instead of two whenever possible) and I'm sure other digital cameras have had HD video for a while, but this is my first experience with pocket HD, and it is amazing and liberating. Maybe it's because Kid Cabel once longingly stared behind the cruel, child-taunting plastic Toys 'R Us display cabinet at the Fisher-Price Pixelvision, which recorded laggy, low-speed grain-and-white video to an audio cassette tape (!), old man, etc., but the fact that I can bust a shiny device out of my pocket and record a moment in widescreen and very high resolution onto a tiny memory card that holds many gigabytes and cost, like, fifteen dollars, is flat-out space-age awesome. It won't replace your RED ONE camera, but for a spontaneous video, it's great.

How great? It's H.264 compressed and 1280 x 720 resolution, but you should see it for yourself. Armed with my new camera on a quick relaxing trip to Palm Springs, I decided to use the opportunity to make a sample video. Enjoy:

That's scaled down, too — click here for the full size 1280 x 720 version (110 MB)

I bet you'd also get the same video quality from the two other new Canon models that shoot HD — SD780

and SD970

— but, for my money, the 28mm wide-angle lens of the SD960 seals the camera-buyin' deal.

And that's why I love it. As of this writing, it's only $299 over at Amazon.

Questions? Do you prefer a Flip? Are those affiliate links OK or tacky? What's your favorite digital camera? Let me know!

Next time: cookie skullduggery!

88 Comments:

Man, I feel so gypped. I spent like $400 on the Canon Powershot g10 and it has really subpar video (640x480).

stublag 5/07/2009 3:00 PM

hah nice soundtrack sync on the brass band..

pretty sure you're not supposed to be using a videocamera during plane landings... terrorist..

Anonymous 5/07/2009 3:04 PM

Wow, great video quality! I am Nikonian (D80) but the IXUS always was attractive to me!

christof 5/07/2009 3:09 PM

How fast is it ready for another shot after saving to memory? All the Canons I've played around with in stores have been so poky in getting ready for the next shot.

Matt 5/07/2009 3:09 PM

How's the indoor/low-light performance? Nothing says "crappy" quite like washed-out faces and flash shadows, but if it can't get light on the sensor for you to get short enough exposures to handhold, you're kinda SOL.

Anonymous 5/07/2009 3:14 PM

I went out and bought an SD780 IS this past weekend, and it too shoots 1280x720 HD video. The UI is the old version, though (and my particular unit has a single cosmetic defect above the front-side viewfinder cover (people use the viewfinder on a P&S?) that drives me mad).

Wevah 5/07/2009 3:14 PM

Video was cool. Did you make it in iMovie with any post processing? The colours are really vibrant. Also what format does the video save in on the card?

Anonymous 5/07/2009 3:18 PM

I don't care so much about the camera as I just really want them to make a movie called "Monsters vs. Ali"

Albert 5/07/2009 3:48 PM

Nice little review, the video looks great.. what is the song behind that? I chuckled when the trombonists came up...

Lucien W. Dupont 5/07/2009 3:59 PM

Cabel - thanks for the review and the video. As we've already seen from your DS review, you have a gift for video editing.

Ryos 5/07/2009 4:49 PM

Great video. Stabilization seems better than the Kodak Zi6.

Anonymous 5/07/2009 4:52 PM

Second this recommendation. I've been pleased with my upgrade from SD600 to SD960. I looked at this site to compare the images of the SD780 and SD960, and you can see a noticeable difference: http://www.imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP/COMPS01.HTM

The SD960's low light performance is way better than the SD600. I've noticed that the SD960 is a little worse at focusing on the right object, though, but not always.

One thing I thought was a problem, but figured out: When you're taking pictures, then enter the Playback mode, the lens will eventually retract. At first I was turning the camera off and back on, but you can just hit the shutter button instead to bring the lens back out.

I wish the casing was metal like the SD600 and SD780, but what can you do?

dalasv 5/07/2009 5:21 PM

You saw the Monsters fight Muhammad Ali? Damn brother, that's tight.

Anonymous 5/07/2009 5:54 PM

Thanks for the video: It was a nice interlude in the midst of a chaotic evening's work.

xdr 5/07/2009 9:06 PM

As long as they have those icons, the links are great!

Anonymous 5/07/2009 10:08 PM

Hm! I bought a Sony Webbie HD but even though it does 1080p, I've been quite disappointed in it due to its low-bitrate compression and rolling shutter, and the video you posted has neither of those problems. I might just have to upgrade.

fluffy 5/08/2009 12:03 AM

Great video! Love all of those shots of the feet walking. What is the music?

Anonymous 5/08/2009 4:02 AM

Beautiful. Love the shots of walking over different terrain.

+1 What is the music BTW? Shazam doesn't know it.

nHelke 5/08/2009 4:44 AM

Ditto on the music, Shazam was all confused. What's the track?

Anonymous 5/08/2009 8:23 AM

Midomi had no trouble recognizing it as The Chalk Thing by Michael Penn.

fluffy 5/08/2009 8:25 AM

Oh no, I think you just gave me an excuse to spend money I should not spend…

OwlBoy 5/08/2009 12:01 PM

I'm a long time fan of the Canon SD series, and recommend them to anyone that will listen. However, I had no *idea* that they had a wide-angle option! That will be my next camera for sure.

My favorite set of picture is my Thailand Black n Whites. They were all taken with the Canon SD600. Please enjoy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayrobinson-name/sets/72157606962260185/

Fasturtle Technologies 5/08/2009 1:06 PM

Jay Robinson 5/08/2009 1:08 PM

Posts like this make my wallet hurt. I've gone from "My camera shoots nice 640x480 video, so why get a Flip?" to "I really need a Flip!" to "Nuts to the Flip, I really could get this SD960 and have it all!"

Does the SD960 come with a portable Cabel for movie editing?

Paul 5/08/2009 1:25 PM

The Song: Fluffy calls it. It's from Michael Penn's soundtrack to "Sunshine Cleaning".

Cabel 5/08/2009 1:27 PM

The SD960's video quality exceeds the Flip HD, in my opinion as a guy who runs a video website and sees tons of videos.

dalas v. 5/08/2009 4:37 PM

You didn't feel the need to zoom into peoples' nostrils with an SX200 IS?

(That's the one I got. Very cool, same quality video, but annoyingly just-short-of-pocketable.)

SuitCase 5/10/2009 6:45 AM

What software do you used? iMovie or Final Cut?

srand 5/11/2009 7:55 AM

What's the sound quality like? I have a Panasonic Lumix that also records in 720p, but the sound quality is worse than a cheap cellphone.

David 5/12/2009 5:28 AM

This post has been removed by the author.

barkingsheltie 5/13/2009 3:07 PM

Aw man. I've been wanting a newer, better point 'n' shoot camera. This looks great, but I have no money. :(

Cherie 5/13/2009 3:22 PM

I deliberated on the Canon G10 and the Panasonic LX3 for a long time. The (much) better video on the LX3 was one of the deciding factor (also time lapse stuff is fun). It is pocketable, but barely. But its been a lot of fun so far, and will be even more so when I get the wide-angle converter.

JohnTheBastard 5/13/2009 3:40 PM

Something tells me I'm going to regret having bought a Kodak Zi6.

Peter 5/13/2009 3:41 PM

Can you say more about the UI? It looks like the same old UI with new typography.

Marc in Chicago 5/13/2009 3:44 PM

Watch this space:
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/SD960IS

WCrawford 5/13/2009 4:04 PM

Just wondering if the macro-blocking that's on the grey top of your partner (left hand side of frame) is on the original footage or whether it's an encoding issue?

Cheers.

Anonymous 5/13/2009 6:58 PM

If you like this camera you should check out the Panasonic TS1. It is a compact, has a wide angle lense, 12.1 megapixels, shoots HD video, is waterproof and able to withstand moderate dropping (1 meterish).

I just got one and it is the ultimate camera for someone who wants a single device (that won't break easy) for shooting pics and video.

http://www.dphotojournal.com/panasonic-ts1-dmc-ft1-review-sample-photos-user-manual/

nick 5/13/2009 8:03 PM

I've got the 780 to replace my old PowerShot S100 and love it. Perfect size for slipping in a pocket. Great pictures and video. Now all I need is a port of CHDK so I can shoot RAW.

Payo 5/13/2009 9:21 PM

Thanks for the review!

That video, though, is -- bar none -- the best vacation video I've seen in years. Clever, beautiful, quirky, and just enough. There's so much personality in that little segment. It makes me smile.

Thanks for making my evening. (Even if you have put the desire to buy a camera in me.) :)

Scott 5/13/2009 10:32 PM

Macro-Blocking Question: I looked at the original footage and it didn't look as noticeable -- you're talking about the weird gray fringing/chunking effects on the dark left side of her shirt? -- so I'll say it was definitely exacerbated by the export compression. Man, I hate compression.

Nick: Thanks for the info on the TS1. I looks a little bit burly than I generally like, but please make a sample video! :)

Scott: Thanks for the extremely kind words. Glad you like it! It was fun to do, once I got the hang of iMovie '09.

Cabel 5/13/2009 10:59 PM

What is the camera like in low light conditions for video and photography?

nHelke 5/14/2009 12:36 AM

None of those two cameras has an optical viewfinder. A viewfinder is a practical necessity for me, even if perhaps it stems out of growing up with analog cameras.

What would be a recommendation for a camera with similar features (wide angle lens, HD video), but also with an optical viewfinder?

Anonymous 5/14/2009 1:03 AM

That's a great video - what's the sound recording quality like from the camera though ?

Anonymous 5/14/2009 2:31 AM

I wish to have a camera like this.

墨尔本 5/14/2009 8:40 AM

How about battery life?

Anonymous 5/14/2009 10:07 AM

I see that you mention that you got this working with iMovie '09 - how did you accomplish this ? My iMovie doesn't want to do much with the videos from the camera (they play fine in QuickTime player though.) Did you convert them at all?

justmark 5/14/2009 11:02 AM

Justmark: I had no trouble, so that's.. weird. Since the movies were in iPhoto, maybe I just used the iPhoto Event Browser in iMovie and it "just worked"? What happens if you try to manually import the movies into a new event?

Cabel 5/14/2009 11:20 AM

I should've mentioned that I have the 970, but that shouldn't be an issue as the specs are almost the same. It is very odd indeed... I can load the movie into iPhoto, but double clicking it doesn't launch the QuickTime player. If I export the movie, then I can watch it in QuickTime perfectly. iMovie sees the file, and appears to load it but nothing shows up in the movie browser at all. I ran the file through a 3rd party converter, and made is m4v, and then iMovie was able to import it. I don't see anything camera wise that lets you change the format either.

justmark 5/14/2009 12:01 PM

Super strange. You should e-mail me a short sample movie, I'd love to take a look. :)

Cabel 5/14/2009 12:03 PM

I was already thinking of buying an SD880, glad I saw this. Literally went straight to Amazon and bought it, since I'm flying out on vacation Monday morning. (Didn't use your affiliate link... sorry. You should really put one near the end of the story that's prominent, or people will do what I did - enter Amazon.com on a new tab.)

For those complaining about no optical viewfinder... it's time to move on. At this point there are even SLR-type digicams with no true optical viewfinder. You'll be fine without it trust me - at worst, with digital, just point it at what you're trying to shoot, take a photo, then see if you're ok with the framing. I just can't believe anyone is out there peering for minutes at a time into one of those microscopic optical finders on other compact cameras, waiting for the perfect shot. (And besides, unlike on an SLR, the framing is only approximate anyway on those things.)

Tom Karlo 5/14/2009 12:43 PM

Done :)

justmark 5/14/2009 12:43 PM

Can you comment on sound quality and low light ability on this camera?

Anonymous 5/14/2009 3:04 PM

I'd also like to know a bit about low light performance.

As for the viewfinder, I think it'll help conserve battery to not run the screen for framing shots, and holding the camera to your eye/body gives more stability, which is very important when one wants to use a slower shutter speed.

Anonymous 5/14/2009 6:01 PM

Hey, great post! I'm have a heck of a time getting iMovie to see the MOV files from my SD 960. I originally imported everything to iPhoto 08, and then tried to get it to iMovie 09, and no luck. I upgraded to 09, tried to import, still no luck. I re-imported some movies from the camera to iMovie, and nothing. I can drag individual files -- if I copy them from the iPhoto library directory -- in to iMovie, and it looks like they import, and it creates a new event, but there's no movies there. Dragging the MOV files onto iMovie doesn't do anything. So do I just not know how to work iMovie or am I retarded? =] This is all under 10.5.7. I took some pretty amazing photos and videos from my trip to Cuba and I'd love to make a slideshow, but iMovie isn't playing nicely. Help!?!

Jeremy 5/20/2009 11:54 PM

Jeremy: I had no problems importing movies, either directly or using the iPhoto browser in iMovie '09. So.. something is definitely up with your system. If you open the movies in plain old Quicktime, do they play? Really weird...

Cabel 5/21/2009 12:07 AM

The totally do. I only have QT, not QT pro or anything, but they play just fine. They play off the memory card plugged into the reader built in to my monitor, they play in QT when you double click on them in iPhoto, and they obviously play when they're imported and copied to, say, the desk top and double clicked there.

Ugh! This would be so nice if I could just get them in iMovie. Can you post your settings or what you do [exactly] to get them there?

Jeremy 5/21/2009 12:10 AM

Jeremy: In iMovie, File > Import >Movies... (Create New Event, Copy Files). Or, Event Library > iPhoto Videos. Both work equally well...

Cabel 5/21/2009 12:16 AM

This is so weird. iMovie copies the files to the Movies > iMovie Events directory, but they still don't show up in iMovie. "No matiching video" is still what it says, even when I click on an event that I imported video to.

Huh. This is really frustrating. Anyone have any ideas?

Jeremy 5/21/2009 12:28 AM

Your affiliate links are perfectly fine.
You're genuinely excited about the camera
and provide helpful information. You deserve
whatever you make for influencing a purchase.

Anonymous 5/21/2009 8:07 PM

Hi Cabel, as someone else asked, do you have any low light photo examples?

I clicked on your affiliate link (I could not resist), so if you start getting revenues from weird and disturbing items bought on Amazon... it's my fault. :-)

emilio 5/22/2009 2:04 AM

"Are those affiliate links OK or tacky?"

How do you add them? Blogging software do it for you? The little a's are somewhat tacky. Though it's kneejerk underhanded, I ultimately forgive those who silently add 'em to their blogs. Are you now required to have the a's?

ruffin 5/22/2009 10:25 AM

I just got this camera. This review sealed it. It is fantastic despite the limitations (no zooming during recording and mono audio). Absolutely fantastic camera. I do all my editing in Final Cut Pro and these files are easy to work with. I bought it simply for the video but it also takes great picts too. As for low light, there is some noise which is to be expected from an under $500 piece of equipment.

HD 5/22/2009 10:28 AM

Ruffin: I added the little "a" icons myself, just as a heads up to the user that it's taking you to Amazon, and it's probably an affiliate link. Seemed polite. :)

Cabel 5/22/2009 11:05 AM

Convinced me on the DS Lite. Convinced me on the SD960.
Oh, and Coda, Transmit, Candybar, etc. etc.
Only thing throwing off your ratio are the occasional experimental snacks. Hard sell, I guess.

Mattt 5/23/2009 12:49 PM

This post has been removed by the author.

rmpenguino 5/24/2009 8:45 PM

Loved the review and samples, made me think the HD is perfect for Flickr "long-photos". Did not realized point and shoot cameras had wide angle lenses. Been considering an upgrade for sometime and had been struggling between small footprint and dSLR. Totally agree with the pocketable aspect, have never shot more than with the iPhone, but definitely need more for planned events. Figured spending several hundred for something like the G10 warrants an upgrade to entry level dSLR, but these Canon's are much better solutions with those wide angle, HD and slim design. Also no problem at all with the affiliate links, picked up on the fact they might be affiliate exactly because of the icons. Wish more people were as thoughtful without being prudish, polite indeed thanks.

rmpenguino 5/24/2009 8:51 PM

Wow that video is supersharp!

A little slow to load all the way across the atlantic - but hey you can't have everything :)

Colin 5/26/2009 3:19 PM

As a follow-up to my comment here earlier, I've written a short piece on my experience with the SD960 and Nikon D300 on vacation and what it will mean for vacation photography in the future.
http://karlo.org/2009/05/why-i-may-have-traveled-with-a.html

Thanks again for the original post.

Tom Karlo 5/28/2009 7:26 AM

Nice - yeah I just got an LX3 which is sort of like your Canon but with an even wider lens but little to no zoom. I'm loving the pocketable cameras while my SLR stays home.

wreleven 5/28/2009 9:50 AM

Thank you so much. I couldn't make up my mind since the CNET review on this model is only 3 stars but like you do, I want the wide angle AND the HD video. Now I am happy in making this selection since seeing your clever video. Thanks again. KGE

Anonymous 6/02/2009 7:35 PM

I just bought this camera yesterday and for the most part I really like it. I am wondering if you have figured out (Or if it is even possible) how to take pictures using the whole LCD instead of getting getting it cropped with the black background on both sides. I really wanted a big screen and that was one of the selling points that made me get this camera. When I take video, I have no problem with it coming up using the whole screen. I have looked over the manual and canon's website with little success. Thanks!

Anonymous 6/11/2009 4:19 PM

Anonymous: Since regular photos are not in a widescreen ratio (they're less rectangular, like a regular TV versus an HDTV), the screen is correct: it's showing you the exact photo you're taking. If they were to stretch the image to the sides, they would also have to be cropping the top and bottom of the photo off during framing, which is no good.

However, if you set your photo resolution/type to widescreen, it'll fill the screen — and your photos will also be in a widescreen ratio. Which is a little weird, but why not? :)

Cabel 6/11/2009 4:48 PM

I just bought an SD960. Love it. One problem...just got it. First time I shot low-light video, then watched on my computer, I noticed in every low light scene...a red dot sits there center screen...no matter where I pan to. I even have a shot where it starts in well-lit...no red dot...but as the lights are turned down, red dot slowly appears, then stays there. Any ideas, y'all?

Anonymous 6/15/2009 12:28 PM

Sounds like a defect in sensor. You should contact your realtor or Canon and get it replaced.

fluffy 6/15/2009 12:48 PM

Cabel - You're killing me. I debated on whether to get a SD1100 IS, SD790 IS, or SD880 IS. What makes matters worse is I just placed my order for the SD880 IS...and then I see your video. I realize it's well lit and I do see some issues (banding in a few cuts) but for a $300 pocket digital camera you can't expect much more, at least for Canon's first venture into Hi-Def video. I read the reviews on the SD960 but put it aside because of the "other" videos I seen were very blocky and looked like less quality vs the SD880 with it's standard video.

While the SD960 might not be the king of the hill with regards to HD video or photos, it's very close. And because it can fit in your pocket it's a really winner. Not to mention, my older SD300 batteries work with the SD960 (go figure!). I can see Canon cleaning up when their full line has Hi-Def video added...the quality is just awesome for a pocket camera.

Btw, be sure to tell your wife (or soon to be wife) that she's cute as a button. Seems you won out on more than just the camera. :O) Thanks again for sharing the full video, I'm sure it will help a lot of people make a choice. And for most, video "can" be an important part of a digital camera purchase.

Anonymous 6/20/2009 1:18 AM

Thanks fluffy. I did just that...contacted Canon. Butterfly Photo, where I bought it from, would never respond to my emails about needing an RMA number to get it replaced. So I contacted Canon and they said to ship it back to them and they'd fix it. Problem...I GOT the camera to be able to use over the summer. If I shipped it now... I would not have it for our big vacation. So...I'm just waiting till my trips are over. Being that I just got it, it'll still be under warranty. My father and I were wondering if it could also be a stuck pixel showing up on the screen. Hmmm...

Other than that...LOVE my new camera. Took some incredible footage of The Lion King playing at Mandalay Bay in Vegas. If anyone is interested in seeing more video samples, feel free to go to youtube and search Lion King Mandalay Bay. Hey...you'll also get a looksy at the red dot in questions. lol

Anonymous 6/29/2009 8:19 PM

LOL actually scratch that last part of my last post. I have my youtube video under "lion king finale".

Anonymous 6/29/2009 9:52 PM

I'm using my iPhone 3GS and my Canon Rebel T1i. Love them both, and feel no need for an actual video camera!

Michael 7/05/2009 4:46 PM

I'm partial to Casio Exilims--mainly due to their battery life and simple UI. Pretty happy with the EX-1000 I have, but seeing your post made me check to see if they had anything comparable. They just announced the EX-H10 w/ wide angle, 10x optical zoom, and HD video. MSRP same price as your Canon, so maybe a bit lower when it comes out.

My wife's happy with hers so Mom may be inheriting an EX-1000...

Ramin 7/05/2009 11:58 PM

Hey Cabel - I just purchased this camera and was wondering if you used any "color modes" when shooting your footage above. Did you use the "Vivid" mode? "Neutral"? Did you have the i-Contrast enabled for your pictures you posted? Were there any post adjustments done to the video / pics? Thanks!

Stephen P. 7/11/2009 1:18 AM

Stephen: On some of the still I used "Vivid" mode, but the movie was au naturale. No post-processing either, just straight into iMovie. It helps that Palm Springs is beautiful and sunny...

Cabel 7/11/2009 12:10 PM

Thanks Cabel - I also noticed other commenters talking about the weird purple line/artifacting in your video and noticed that mine does the same thing when direct sunlight is involved. Think it just might be how the camera handles overblown sunlight. Thought I'd share :D

Stephen P. 7/11/2009 8:43 PM

I just picked up my SD960 and I also have the red dot problem! It's even visible in the viewfinder. At first I thought it was a stuck pixel but it's not present in photo mode, only video mode. It also appears on the video playback.

Karl the Pagan 8/31/2009 6:13 AM

It wouldn't surprise me if video and photo modes had different sensor calibrations, due to the sensor being driven in different ways. It could be that the video-mode calibration doesn't properly account for a stuck pixel, while the photo-mode calibration does.

fluffy 8/31/2009 7:51 AM

I agree fluffy. Probably the easiest way to use a reasonably powered image processor (that won't suck the battery dry too fast) and still get 720p/30fps would be to drop pixels and not do as much averaging or color correction. I'm going to return my unit in a few hours and roll the dice on another one.

My red dot is right in the middle near the top... but close enough to the center that it would be obvious in any video I shot.

Karl the Pagan 8/31/2009 12:43 PM

Cabel, I was in Best Buy this weekend and I wasn't able to load your website fast enough for my iPhone. Being an avid Transmit user for the last 10 years (and THANK GOD you helped Apple with iWeb), I trust your judgement when purchasing a camera. We picked up the wrong camera but since I was able to load your page when I got home, I see that it was the Elph, not the powershot...

Thanks for doing this review. Your dedication to making first rate products (and reviewing them) really helps me out. My business has relied heavily on your products for over 10 years. We're taking the camera back Wednesday and exchanging it for the right one! Keep up the great work!

-Chris Mitchell
Pladd Dot Music

Chris Mitchell 11/23/2009 5:30 PM

The Canon PowerShot SD960 IS is a follow-up of sorts to the very popular SD880 IS featuring the same
28mm wide-angle lens with a 4x zoom, but this model jumps to 12 megapixels from 10. It can capture 720p
HD video clips and has Canon's Digic 4 image processor. It also features an HDMI output so you can
quickly hook it up to an HDTV for playing back photos and videos.

3d animation courses

johnathane 1/04/2010 8:46 PM

hi cabel,

hope you can help. just bought the SD960 and on playback noticed that photos were not super sharp when zoomed in. there was a softness slight graininess to the images. I still had old images on my memory card from photos taken on my canon sd550 which was a 7 megapixel camera. comparing photos zoomed into these were - all 550 shots were super crisp and one could see every tiny pore and minute facial hair. I am confused have both on the highest settings which is the fine compression on the 960 and L and very fine on the 550 and L. since the 960 is a 12 mega pixel camera thought even without the very fine option the images would come out sharper. all photos have been taken on the auto settings but comparing shot to shot the 550 images are much more crisp when blown up. is there any reason why and anything I can do. love the movies on the 960 and would like to keep but concerned about the picture quality. please help as I need to return it soon if I don't find a solution.

thanks.
hai

Hai 2/10/2010 12:56 PM