Canon SD1200 IS Review

Name: Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS
Brand: Canon

Select a Camera to Compare

Add a Camera for comparison

Main Features

10MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 1600

35-105 mm F2.8-4.9 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

2.5" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (tunnel) viewfinder

1.0fps continuous shooting

- 640 x 480 video

160g. 86 x 55 x 22 mm

Also known as Digital IXUS 95 IS

CHECK PRICE

Canon SD1200 IS Overview

Launched in February 2009 , Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS is a 10.0MP Small Sensor Compact camera with a 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor, built-in Image Stabilization and 3.0x zoom 35-105 mm F2.8-4.9 lens. SD1200 IS is also sold as Digital IXUS 95 IS in some countries.

Canon SD1200 IS Review - Click for Table of Contents

Overview
Pros and Cons
Sensor and Photography Features
Physical Specs
LCD and Viewfinder
Connectivity, Storage and Battery
Other Features
Lens
Photography Type Scores
Alternatives
Popular Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Detailed Specifications

Canon SD1200 IS is a member of Canon's Small Sensor Compact class cameras. Below you can see the latest models in this class and how their main specs have changed with each new model.

Canon Small Sensor Compact Series History

Model	Release Date	Sensor	Max FPS	Dimensions	Weight
Canon S200 Compare	2014	10.0MP - 1/1.7'	2.0 fps	100 x 59 x 26mm	181g
Canon N100 Compare	2014	12.0MP - 1/1.7-inch	fps	105 x 68 x 36mm	289g
Canon S120 Compare	2013	12.0MP - 1/1.7-inch	12.0 fps	100 x 59 x 29mm	217g
Canon G16 Compare	2013	12.0MP - 1/1.7-inch	12.0 fps	109 x 76 x 40mm	356g
Canon N Facebook ready Compare	2013	12.0MP - 1/2.3-inch	2.0 fps	79 x 60 x 29mm	195g

Check the link below to compare specs of the latest cameras in this series side by side:
Canon S200 vs N100 vs S120 vs G16 vs N Facebook ready

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Canon SD1200 IS PROs and CONs Review

Now let's get in to more details of our Canon SD1200 IS review by analysing its specs and features and listing out its pros and cons compared to average competitor cameras in its class.

PROs

Image Stabilization

Optical Built-in Viewfinder

Face Detection Focusing

160g Light Body

Fast 2.80 Lens at Wide

Report a correction

Buy Canon SD1200 IS from AMAZON or B&H PHOTO

CONs

No Wireless Connection

No Articulating Screen

No External Flash Shoe

No Full HD Video

No Touch Screen

No RAW Shooting

Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP

Max Sensitivity only ISO 1.600

Only 9 Focus Points

Small LCD Screen ( 2.5")

Low Screen Resolution ( 230kdots )

1/1500s Low Max Shutter Speed

Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps

Low Battery Life: 260 shots

No Manual Focusing

No Manual Exposure

No Environmental Sealing

35 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage

Optical Zoom only 3.0X

Slow Lens at Tele: f4.90

Report a correction

Canon SD1200 IS Physical Specs

Canon SD1200 IS weighs 160 g (0.35 lb / 5.64 oz) and has external dimensions of 86 x 55 x 22 mm (3.39 x 2.17 x 0.87″). Considering that the average weight of Compact type cameras is 188g, Canon SD1200 IS is a remarkably light camera for its class. Even better, with a thickness of only 22mm, it is also quite small, 6mm thinner than the average of its class.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

Canon SD1200 IS

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

Canon SD1200 IS

Min

Average

Max

In order to give you a better idea about the real life size of Canon SD1200 IS, we have added an image of how it looks next to a credit card and an AA type battery.

Physical size of the Canon SD1200 IS Body Compared to a Credit Card and an AA Battery

Below you can find the comparison of the weight and thickness of Canon SD1200 IS with its main competitors:

Canon SD1200 IS Size Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Weight	vs SD1200 IS	Thickness	vs SD1200 IS
Canon SD1300 IS Compare	140g	20g lighter	22mm	equal thickness
Canon A3000 IS Compare	165g	5g heavier	28mm	6mm thicker
Canon SD780 IS Compare	155g	5g lighter	18mm	4mm thinner
Canon ELPH 100 HS Compare	140g	20g lighter	20mm	2mm thinner
Nikon A10 Compare	160g	equal weight	29mm	7mm thicker
Canon SX620 HS Compare	182g	22g heavier	28mm	6mm thicker
Canon ELPH 180 Compare	126g	34g lighter	22mm	equal thickness
Sony A7S Compare	489g	329g heavier	48mm	26mm thicker

Weather Sealing

Canon SD1200 IS doesn't have any environmental sealings on its body so you got to be extra careful to protect it against water and dust. If you shoot under these conditions very often, consider checking Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing page.

Canon SD1200 IS Lens

Canon SD1200 IS features a 35-105 mm F2.8-4.9 3× zoom lens. With a focal length of only 35mm on the wide end, it offers very limited wide angle capability . However, 105mm on the tele end means that the medium telephoto angle is well covered, only lacking the reach for wildlife and sports.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

SD1200 IS

Widest - Olympus TG-850 iHS

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

SD1200 IS

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

With a max aperture of f2.80, this lens is fast on wide end, but only moderately fast at the tele end with max aperture of f4.90.

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

SD1200 IS

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

SD1200 IS

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

SD1200 IS is equipped with Optical image stabilization system which is very handy especially at lower shutter speeds.

Canon SD1200 IS Sensor and Photography Features

Canon SD1200 IS has a 10.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor . You can shoot at maximum resolution of 3648 x 2736 pixels with aspect ratios of 4:3 and 16:9. SD1200 IS has a native ISO range of 80 - 1600 but unfortunately, Canon SD1200 IS doesn't have RAW file support. If you need a Compact camera with a RAW support, consider Nikon Coolpix P7000 or Canon PowerShot S100 in the same price range.

Canon SD1200 IS is not the highest resolution Small Sensor camera. GoPro Hero9 Black with its 23.0MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Canon SD1200 IS vs GoPro Hero9 Black or take a look at Highest resolution Compact cameras list.

Let's look at how the size of the Canon SD1200 IS's 1/2.3-inch sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

Comparison image of Canon SD1200 IS Sensor Size with other standard sensors

Canon SD1200 IS LCD and Viewfinder

Canon SD1200 IS has a Fixed Type 2.50-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 230k dots. At only 2.5", the screen is on the smaller side and 230kdot resolution is lower than most of the recent models in this class.

Unfortunately Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS doesn't have a Selfie friendly screen. If this feature is important for your shooting style, check here the list of Best Compact Cameras with Selfie Friendly LCD screen.

SD1200 IS has a built-in Optical (tunnel) viewfinder, making it easier to shoot in direct sunlight and in other situations where it might be difficult to view the LCD monitor.

Canon SD1200 IS Connectivity, Storage and Battery

Canon SD1200 IS has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) port to connect your camera to other devices.

Canon SD1200 IS Battery

Canon SD1200 IS is powered by NB-6L battery which provides a battery life of 260 shots according to CIPA standards. Considering that the average battery life of Compact type cameras is 255 shots, its battery life is about average in its class but it would still be wise to invest in some spare batteries for long photo trips.

Battery Life Comparison in Small Sensor Compact Cameras

Canon SD1200 IS

Min

Average

Max

Fujifilm X30 with its 470shots is the model with longest battery life among Small Sensor Compact cameras. Check the comparison of Canon SD1200 IS vs Fujifilm X30 or take a look at Longest Battery Life Compact cameras list.

Canon SD1200 IS Features Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Max Video	Battery Life	Wi-fi	Bluetooth	NFC
Canon SD1300 IS Compare	640 x 480	shots	No	No	No
Canon A3000 IS Compare	640 x 480	shots	No	No	No
Canon SD780 IS Compare	1280 x 720	shots	No	No	No
Canon ELPH 100 HS Compare	1920 x 1080	230shots	No	No	No
Nikon A10 Compare	1280 x 720	200shots	No	No	No
Canon SX620 HS Compare	1920 x 1080	295shots	Yes	No	Yes
Canon ELPH 180 Compare	1280 x 720	220shots	No	No	No
Sony A7S Compare	3840 x 2160	360shots	Yes	No	Yes

Canon SD1200 IS Other Features

Max Shutter speed

Canon SD1200 IS can shoot continuously at max speed of 1 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/1500 sec.

Flash

Unfortunately SD1200 IS doesn't have an external flash shoe so you are limited with the built-in flash.

Focusing

Canon SD1200 IS features a Contrast Detection autofocusing system. The AF system has 9 points to choose from.

Canon SD1200 IS also features Face detection AF where it intelligently detects the faces in the frame and locks the focus automatically.

What type of Photography is Canon SD1200 IS Good for?

In this section, we review and score Canon SD1200 IS in 5 different photography areas.

Canon SD1200 IS for Portrait Photography

Canon SD1200 IS has a score of 27 for Portrait Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Portrait We strongly recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Portrait Photography list and consider these alternatives over theSD1200 IS.

Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No RAW shooting capability

No External Flash Shoe
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling

Read the details of how we scored Canon SD1200 IS for Portrait Photography

Canon SD1200 IS for Street Photography

Canon SD1200 IS has a score of 60 for Street Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Street Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Compact Cameras for Street Photography list.

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Image Stabilization
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80

Small Body
No Manual Focus Mode
35 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage
No RAW shooting capability
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor

Read the details of how we scored Canon SD1200 IS for Street Photography

Canon SD1200 IS for Sports Photography

Canon SD1200 IS has a score of 19 for Sports Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Sports We strongly recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Sports Photography list and consider these alternatives over theSD1200 IS.

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1500s
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 260 shots

Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Manual Focus Mode
No External Flash Shoe
105 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability

Read the details of how we scored Canon SD1200 IS for Sports Photography

Canon SD1200 IS for Daily Photography

Canon SD1200 IS has a score of 55 for Daily Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Daily is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Daily Photography list.

Compact Body
160g
Body Thickness 22mm

3.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability

Read the details of how we scored Canon SD1200 IS for Daily Photography

Canon SD1200 IS for Landscape Photography

Canon SD1200 IS has a score of 18 for Landscape Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape We strongly recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Landscape Photography list and consider these alternatives over theSD1200 IS.

No Manual Exposure Mode
No Manual Focus Mode
35 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage
No RAW shooting capability

Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Environmental Sealings

Read the details of how we scored Canon SD1200 IS for Landscape Photography

Canon SD1200 IS Alternatives

In this section, we analyse how Canon SD1200 IS compares with other Compact cameras within a similar price range.

Read a more detailed analysis of Canon SD1200 IS alternatives.

Popular Comparisons of Canon SD1200 IS

Here is the eight most popular comparisons of Canon SD1200 IS amongst Camera Decision readers.

Compare

Compare

Compare

Compare

Compare

Compare

Compare

Compare

Canon SD1200 IS Alternatives in Cameras

It would also be interesting to compare Canon SD1200 IS with Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked cameras in Canon SD1200 IS's price range.

Canon SD1200 IS Conclusion and Scores

Currently, Canon SD1200 IS has an Overall Score of 33/100 which is based on our evaluation of 69 different technical parameters. Our scores are dynamically updated whenever a new camera is added to our database or when we change our ranking algorithm and the maximum score is always 100. Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS is ranked #396 out of 629 in Compact cameras (Top 20 Compact), and ranked #998 out of 1234 in all Cameras (Top 20 Overall).

#998 out of 1234 in Top Ranking Cameras
#396 out of 629 in Top Ranking Compact Cameras
#129 out of 262 in Top Ranking Small Sensor Compact Cameras
#523 out of 738 in Top Ranking Small Sensor Sensor Cameras
#248 out of 535 in Lightest Compact Cameras with Small Sensor sensor(160g)
#681 out of 916 in Top Ranking Cameras with Fixed Type Screen

Main Scores

Imaging

Features

Value for Money

Portability

Overall Score

Check our Smart Finder Tool to filter, sort and compare all digital cameras.

Frequently Asked Questions about Canon SD1200 IS

Does the Canon SD1200 IS have Image Stabilization?
Does the Canon SD1200 IS have RAW support?
Does the Canon SD1200 IS have Weather Sealing?
Does the Canon SD1200 IS have built-in GPS?
What is the Max ISO of Canon SD1200 IS?
What is the Sensor Size of Canon SD1200 IS?
is the Canon SD1200 IS a Full Frame (FF) camera?
Does the Canon SD1200 IS have Touch Screen?
Does the Canon SD1200 IS have built-in Wireless?
What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Canon SD1200 IS?
What is the Weight of Canon SD1200 IS?
What are the Dimensions of Canon SD1200 IS?

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS Detailed Specifications

General
Brand	Canon
Model	Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS
Also known as	Digital IXUS 95 IS
Announced	2009-02-18
Body Type	Compact
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	35-105 mm (3×)
Max Aperture	F2.8-4.9
Macro Focus Range	3cm
Screen
Screen Type	Fixed Type
Screen Size	2.5"
Screen Resolution	230k dots
Live View
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (tunnel)
Viewfinder Resolution	no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage	n/a
Viewfinder Magnification	n/a
Photography Features
Min Shutter Speed	15s
Max Mechanical Shutter Speed	1/1500s
Continuous Shooting	1.0 fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation	n/a
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	3.50 m
Flash Modes	Auto, Fill-in, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync, Off
External Flash
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested
DxO Color Depth	not tested
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested
	Report a correction

Sensor
Sensor Type	CCD
Sensor Size	1/2.3-inch
Sensor Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Sensor Area	28.07mm²
Sensor Resolution	10 megapixels
Max Image Resolution	3648 x 2736
Max Native ISO	1,600
Min Native ISO	80
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	9
Number of Cross Focus Points	Unknown
Video Features
Video Resolutions	640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Max Video Resolution	640 x 480
Video Formats	Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None
HDMI
USB	USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Weight	160g
Physical Dimensions	86 x 55 x 22mm
Battery Life	260 shots
Battery Type	Battery Pack
Battery Model	NB-6L
Other Features
Self Timer	Yes (2, 10, Custom, Face)
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None
Storage Type	SD/SDHC/MMC/MMCplus/HD MMCplus
Storage Slots	1

Most Popular Small Sensor Compact Cameras

Nikon P7800
12 MP | 1/1.7-inch Sensor| 28-200 mm

Canon G16
12 MP | 1/1.7-inch Sensor| 28-140 mm

Sony W800
20 MP | 1/2.3-inch Sensor| 26-130 mm

Fujifilm X30
12 MP | Sensor| 28-112 mm

Canon S120
12 MP | 1/1.7-inch Sensor| 24-120 mm

Fujifilm X10
12 MP | 2/3-inch Sensor| 28-112 mm

Leica D-Lux 6
10 MP | 1/1.7-inch Sensor| 24-90 mm

Canon G12
10 MP | 1/1.7-inch Sensor| 28-140 mm

Latest Compact Cameras

Sony ZV-1
20 MP | 1″ Sensor | 24-70 mm

Fujifilm X100V
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | 35 mm

Sony RX100 VII
20 MP | 1″ Sensor | 24-200 mm

Canon G5 X MII
20 MP | 1″ Sensor | 24-120 mm

Canon G7 X MIII
20 MP | 1' Sensor | 24-100 mm

Leica Q2
47 MP | Full frame Sensor | 28 mm

Leica Q2 Monochrom
47 MP | Full frame Sensor | 28 mm

Nikon A1000
16 MP | 1/2.3" Sensor | 24-840 mm