Canon PowerShot SD800 IS 7.1MP Digital Elph Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Image-Stabilized Optical Zoom Review

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(More customer reviews)In my opinion, this camera is worthy of a 5 star rating, one of the few I've ever given.
My experience with cameras in this class started with a Canon S-100, which I upgraded later to a Canon S-400, both of which proved to be excellent for my on-the-go photography needs. My only criticism with this class of cameras was that they lacked two features I really wanted:
1. wide angle lens
2. image stabilization
I guess the Canon folks read my mind with the introduction of the SD-800, and after reading a number of positive technical reviews for the camera on the web, I purchased one as an upgrade for my beloved S-400. I was particularly suspicious regarding image stabilization, since my only prior experience with a camera using this technology had been disappointing (Canon S-1, a larger 10x zoom model).
As might be expected with the advances in memory technology, the SD-800 takes movies at a higher resolutioni (640x480) than the S-400 (320x240) and has a higher maximum pixel count (7.1 vs 4.0). It also uses the smaller SD memory cards as opposed to the bulkier CF cards for the S-400, and the lithium battery pack has a different form factor (which means you can't reuse stuff from an earlier model).
What I consider to be the 2 real upgrade features for this camera, the wide angle lens and the image stabilization, are what truly distinguishes it from its competition. I've had this camera for about a month now and can happily report it is a significant advance over the S-400. The image stabilization is a dream. With the S-400 I had to rely on bracing the camera in many circumstances where with the SD-800 I can count on sharp images just holding it out, composing, and taking the shot. In a recent work session where my group had accumulated a great deal of writing on a wide white board along the side of a narrow conference room, I was able to capture in a single, sharply focused shot the entire board, something the S-400 would have taken 2 shots to achieve followed by a photo stitch. There is some distortion at the outer edges, but I personally don't see this as a drawback given the advantages to getting the whole image (after all you can crop the picture if the rather small amount of distortion truly bothers you).
What else? Well, the camera is lighter and more comfortably contoured than the S-400. It does retain the view finder (thank heavens ... there are simply circumstances where this is the only reasonable way to compose a shot). A single door is used for both memory and battery (vs. 2 doors on the S-400). As others have reported, the door has a flimsy feel, but my first camera in this line (the S-100) had a similar door and I never broke it. Anyway, the USB-2 picture download pretty much eliminates needing to pop out memory cards to get a faster download speed via a card reader. I did invest in a 4Gb high speed SD card since maximum movie length is 4Gb at 640x480, 30 frames per second, or about 25 minutes worth of pretty darn good movie taking. My experience to date is that with this level of capability and convenience I doubt I will every use my cam corder again for family movies.
Out of the box I found the controls and interface to be easier and more intuitive than the S-400. I have all the capabilities I had with the S-400, plus some "gee-whiz" features I've had fun with but I doubt I will use routinely (e.g., color swap). I can also recommend Canon's leather case for this camera. It provides an extremely easy way to carry the camera on your belt (it uses a belt loop, which I think is far superior to a belt clip). I was initially put off by the magnetic flap used with this case, but now agree it's a superior design (their earller cases used Velcro).

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CANON 1270B001 7.1 MEGAPIXEL POWERSHOT(R) SD800 IS DIGITAL CAMERA 7.1 MEGAPIXEL digital elph with elegant stainless steel perpetual curve design; wide-angle 28mm105mm (35mm equivalent) ;3.8x optical zoom with optical image stabilizer technology for steady, long-zoom shooting;digit(r) iii image processor with face detection technology for superior image quality, fast operation & low-power consumption;2.5" large, lcd monitor with wide viewing angle for easier on-camera viewing;ISO 1600 to reduce image blur & expand low-light shooting capability;improved movie mode with fast frame rate at 60 FPS QVGA (320 X 240) OR 30 FPS VGA (640 X 480);print/share button for easy direct printing & downloading plus id photo print & movie print with CANON(R) CP & SELPHY(TM) compact photo printers;includes powershot(r) sd800 is digital elph body, lithium battery pack NB-5L, battery charger CB-2LX, secure digital memory card(TM) SDC-16M, wrist strap WS-700, digital camera solution CD-ROM, USB interface cable IFC-400PCU, AV cable AVC-DC300 7.1 megapixel powershot(R) SD800 IS DIGITAL CAMERA

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Canon PowerShot SD100 3.2MP Digital ELPH Camera w/ 2x Optical Zoom Review

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(More customer reviews)the sd100 delivers a stylish, ultracompact camera but with only 2x optical zoom and very limited manual controls.
pros:
- very good resolution, especially for a 3MP ultra-compact.
- good color response.
- good reliable metering.
- no color cast when using flash.
- low noise at ISO 50 (keep in mind that ISO 50 for this camera is actually ISO 100 for everyone else; likewise, ISO 100 is in reality closer to ISO 200, etc)
- 9-point AiAF.
- the LCD monitor (1.5") is bright and has an anti-reflective coating - gives good live preview and review even in well lit situations.
- shooting priority play mode (a half-press of the shutter release always returns to shooting).
- fast shot-to-shot times.
- fairly good startup time, especially for an extending lens camera.
- as with most canon digicams, the sd100 feels solid.
- USB connectivity.
- good battery life, although i would recommend carrying a spare since canon's batteries are proprietary.
- ultracompact: 3.3 x 2.2 x 0.9 in, weighing only 6.5 oz.
- has continuous shooting function, which you don't normally find in ultra-compacts.
- 15 second night exposure ability.
- long movie clips possible at VGA mode (up to 3 minutes including audio).
cons:
- limited 2x optical zoom.
- very few manual controls - no aperture priority, no shutter priority, no manual focus (this is okay if all you want is a point and shoot).
- average macro performance.
- you'll need to remove from tripod to open the battery compartment or replace the SD card.
- very small mode dial.
- the supplied 16MB SD card is inadequate - be prepared to shell out a few more bucks for at least a 256MB card.
- proprietary battery - again, a few more bucks for a spare.
- case tends to show fingerprints.
the sd100's mission in life is to take nice pics with as small and light a footprint as possible. on the nice picture category, it delivers. however, there are at least two other cameras that are smaller, have better optical zoom (3x vs the canon's 2x) and have a wider feature set: the pentax optio s and casio ex-z3. as much as i like canon digicams, i would recommend these two over the sd100.
i hope this helps you with your buying decision. peace.

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With the Canon PowerShot SD100, you've got the best of both worlds--the compact size and high style of the Digital ELPH series plus the higher resolution of a 3.2-megapixel camera. The PowerShot SD100 also features a 2x digital zoom, 9-point artificial intelligence autofocus (AiAF) for accurate, automatic focus, and movie mode with sound.
Optics and Resolution The PowerShot SD100 offers a 3.2-megapixel CCD sensor that produces images up to 2048 x 1536 pixels for photo-quality 8 x 10 inch prints or medium-quality 11 x 14 enlargements. Other resolution modes include 1600 x 1200, 1024 x 768, and 640 x 480. The 2x zoom lens has a focal length of 5.4-10.8mm (equivalent to 35-70mm in 35mm photography). It also incorporates a 3.2x digital zoom for a total 6.4x zoom. The PowerShot SD100 also features Canon's nine-point AiAF system for focusing accuracy, shutter speeds of 15 to 1/1,500 second, and fast sequence shooting at a rate of 2.2 frames per second (fps).
Movie Mode In addition to taking still photos, the SD100 can also record up to 3 minutes of video with sound. It has three resolution settings: 640 x 480 (VGA), 320 x 240, and 160 x 120. You can record for up to 30 seconds per clip at 640 x 480, or 3 minutes at the lower resolutions. Note that you cannot use the optical zoom when in movie mode. The included 16 MB memory card can hold 13 seconds of video at the highest setting.
More Features The SD100 starts up quickly, taking under 2.5 seconds to extend the lens and prepare for shooting. The built-in flash has auto, red-eye reduction, on/of, and slow sync modes and has an approximate 10-second recycle time.
Canon's DIGIC (DIGital Imaging Core) processor ensures excellent color rendition and white balance for every shot, as well as super-fast auto focusing, noise-free imaging, and advanced flash exposure performance.
1.5-inch LCD with real image zoom viewfinder
Shooting Modes: Auto, Program, Manual, Stitch Assist, Movie
Photo Effects: Vivid Color, Neutral Color, Low Sharpening, Sepia, Black & White
Continuous shooting mode: 2.2 shots per second with LCD and Large/Fine mode off
Self timer with 2 and 10 second options
Printing Canon has introduced a series of printers designed to work directly with its lineup of digital cameras. Using these printers, no computer is required--simply connect the camera to the printer and start printing. Printers include Canon's bubble jet direct printers i900D and i960, and card photo printer CP-200 and CP-300. Of course, photos from your camera can also be printed on any home computer system with an inkjet printer, sent off for online processing, or simply enjoyed on your computer screen.
Storage and Transfer Images are stored on Secure Digital (SD) or MultiMedia (MMC) memory cards; a 16 MB SD card is included. When shooting in Large/Normal mode, you can store 30 images on the included memory card. Images can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC via USB 1.1, which means the camera can be connected to any USB-based Windows Me/2000/XP and Mac OS 8.6 or later computer without installing any software.
Power and Size The camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery (NB-3L, included). It measures 3.35 by 2.20 by 0.94 inches and weighs 5.82 ounces (excluding battery).
What's In The Box This package includes the PowerShot SD100 digital camera, 16 MB Secure Digital memory card, rechargeable lithium-ion battery (NB-3L), battery charger (CB-2LU), USB and AV cables, and wrist strap. It also comes with ArcSoft Camera Suite and Digital Camera Solutions CD-ROMs with imaging software and USB drivers for Windows and Mac.

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Canon PowerShot SD790IS 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Review

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(More customer reviews)
Canon's 790 IS is a great all-around point and shoot Camera. Canon has been playing with various mixes of features and prices with their newer models. The model numbers are confusing, but I've gone through a few new models recently and hope this extra info may help you.
Even though I do own a few older Canon DSLRs, for point and shoot I've been leaning more towards Nikon's Coolpix S series for the better pricing and some features. I did a lot of research into the various models in this price range. The 790IS stands up well against the competition. And for my needs it's more appealing than Canon's SD890IS , SD950IS, SD770IS or SD1100IS models.
** The Nikon Coolpix S52c with Wi-Fi has all the good stuff that's included with the Nikon Coolpix S52 plus a wireless antenna for uploading pictures without syncing to your PC. Either of these is a better value than the Canon 790 or 770 at about 30% less. To be fair though, they cost less for a reason, since Canon has owned this market segment for a while.
** 10 megapixels is a good capacity on the higher end for point and shoot cameras. I wouldn't expect it to produce better pictures than 8 or 9 MP models. You may have good reason to set your image size smaller within the camera. However having the *option* of more megapixel's gives you certain large image format options you wouldn't otherwise have. Hence the meaning behind the much maligned statement, "more never hurts." That doesn't mean you always want to use more, but it's nice to be able to versus other cameras. The 770 and 890 each also offer 10 MP and the 950 offers 12 MP, though at a much higher price. The Nikon S600 also has 10 MP. The 9 MP of the Nikon S52c was enough for me, so the 790's 10 MP is a slight upgrade.
** 3x optical zoom is also a perfect amount that tends to not result in blurred photos. The 950IS and the 870IS each has 5x optical zoom, but both have smaller screens and thicker bodies. Digital zoom is irrelevant to me.
** Canon's image processing is faster and more reliable than on my Nikon. The built-in image stabilization, face detection and motion detection reduce blur. I simply wouldn't consider a Canon without IS at this point.
**Just like the Nikon, and unlike many other Canon models I was looking into, the 3 inch LCD screen is too beautiful to ignore. No view-finder here, but with this beautiful screen you don't really need one. The Nikon's screen is best of all, and made from a nicer glass that seems more durable. But this Canon is just as big and very nice as well.
** In terms of memory compatibility, Canon's lead this group. Just like the Nikon they support SD and larger SDHC cards. And they also support the wide range of MMC, MMC Plus, and HC MMC Plus. No usable card is included, but you can get a nice 8 GB SDHC for only 30 or 40 bucks.
** All those common extras for in-camera editing are included here. The Canon has a lot of extra shooting modes too. These may aid casual users a lot, but you have to spend some time studying the manual and playing with them. I haven't used them all a great deal, but I'm generally happy with using minimal adjustments instead of the shooting modes.
** The control wheel and buttons are intuitive but not as tactile as on the Nikon. I'm not crazy about the flattened buttons. But if you really want a Canon with a 3 inch screen, you give up the buttons. As for the wheel, those not used to it should have no trouble adjusting.
** The other advantage of the Nikon S52 is the internal zoom. That means no waiting for the lens to zoom in and out, and no worries about the mechanical issues with those external lens extension cameras. It is possible to view pictures on the 790 IS without activating the lens by pressing the view button. But for taking pictures, the lens articulates out.
** The slim chiseled body of this Canon is very comparable to the S52 and more attractive than the rounder and fatter 870, 890 and 950. I still prefer the Nikon body design, but the Canon definitely feels more solid in your hand.
** Picture taking is better feeling on the Canon, with a more effective button design, less lag and faster shutter. It's true that some manual controls aren't available here, but it's a point and shoot. Step up to a bridge model like the Canon G9 or the Nikon P80 if you want more manual controls.
** Low light performance is better with the Canon in auto but better with the Nikon when the ISO is set manually. On balance I think the S52 is better in this area.
** The wireless upload feature is a nice extra on the S52c. Connecting to a wireless access point takes some time. This is not a feature I plan on using often, but considering even the S52c is significantly less pricey than the 790 it's almost like a freebee. Upload speeds are too slow for video, but for pictures it will do in a pinch.
** The video recording features are pretty similar but slightly better on the Canon. The video quality is great on both and sound quality could be improved on both.
** The Canon PowerShot SD870IS and the Nikon Coolpix S600 each offer widescreen lenses. The 790IS is on the cusp of wide-lens aperture. The SD870IS is clearly the most popular camera in that group. Like the S600 it also has an externally articulating lens, so it's less compact than the S52. The S600 is a serious competitor but the 790IS is still nicer looking and the 870IS is much more popular. The 870IS has a ton of in depth reviews out there, so look them up.
** All of the ELPHs have proprietary rechargeable batteries. Plan on recharging them often and buying a spare battery. You'll also need to buy a little case for this camera. Some bridge models like the Nikon Coolpix P60, Canon PowerShot A590IS and Canon PowerShot A720IS offer the convenience of AA batteries. If you plan on travelling a lot internationally, being able to use AAs comes in handy.This is a great camera, and probably the best Elph out there right now.
1) If you plan on shooting a lot in auto mode and want a thin camera with the 3 inch screen, the 790IS is the way to go.
2) If you think you might use the Wifi upload feature, prefer the internal lens or are looking for the best value, the S52c or S52 is the way to go.
3) If you don't need the 3 inch screen and just prefer Canon to Nikon, go with the 770 IS or the 1100 IS to save some cash.
4) If you need something that doesn't force you to use those proprietary batteries and chargers, check out the P60, A590 or A720.
5) If you want a little wider lens capabilities and don't mind spending a little more cash, look at Nikon S600 and the very popular Canon 870IS.
I know this is a lot to digest. I hope you can benefit from this info and the recent spree of camera purchases I've made.
Enjoy your new camera.


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Canon PowerShot SD790IS 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

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Canon Powershot SD300 4MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Review

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(More customer reviews)This is one of the best point-and-shoot 4 megapixel cameras currently being produced. As with all Canon PowerShot SD series cameras, the SD300 is very easy to use. Canon also makes a 3 megapixel version of this camera (PowerShot SD200) which is about $100 cheaper.
What makes this camera DESIRABLE:
(1) Takes Great Pictures. This is the most important part of a digital camera, no? The SD300 is quick to focus, is quick to take pictures (very low lag time), takes crisp pictures, and is very easy to use. The SD300 even focuses in the dark thanks to its focus-assist lamp (you can turn this feature on/off). The picture quality is excellent compared to other cameras similar in size. The ease of use is much better than other 4 megapixel point-and-shoot cameras. Many have complained about the flash, but that's almost a non-issue for most snapshots. Most people take snapshots of their friends & family when they are about 5-7 feet away from them. The flash is PLENTY strong for that. If you have a huge group and they're like 10-15 feet away, then the flash will be a problem. But seriously, when's the last time you tried to take a picture of a big group of people forcing you to stand 15 feet away to get everybody in the picture?
(2) 4 megapixels with 3x zoom. Having 3 megapixels is the new minimum when it comes to digital cameras. Canon was very generous giving us 4 megapixels in such a small camera. The general rule of thumb for megapixels is: the more the better. Not only will more megapixels allow you to print bigger & better pictures, having more megapixels gives you the flexibility to crop: you can take a small portion of the picture and blow it up to full screen and still get good detail. The SD300 also features 3x zoom. While this is generally not something to get all excited about, the only other SD series camera until now (the SD110) only featured 2x zoom.
(3) Size. The SD300 is noticeably smaller than the S410 or the S500, and even smaller than the SD110. The SD300 will fit nicely in your pocket or your purse. Plus the stainless steel finish is so handsome/pretty that you will want to take this with you everywhere. After all, if you don't carry your camera with you, then what's the use of owning a camera?
(4) Movie with Sound. With its built-in microphone and speaker, the SD300 can capture and replay movies with sound. The 640x480 resolution is awesome. You can replay on your 19" monitor at full screen and the video will look great. Under the 640x480 mode, you can capture video at 30 frames per second (fps) or 15 fps, and there is no limit per clip as your only limitation is the amount of space you have left on your memory card. Under the 320x480 mode, you have the Fast Frame Rate option giving you 60 fps, up to 60 seconds per clip, which is great for capturing action shots such as your golf swing. While the main function of the camera is to take still pictures, the high quality video feature is so much fun that you will be using this a lot.
(5) Battery & External Charger. The battery life is average. You can take about 140 pictures on a full charge with the LCD screen on and about 400 pictures with the LCD screen off. Since Canon includes an external charger with all their SD series cameras, I recommend getting a second battery. This way, one battery can be charging while you are using one battery, so that you will never run out of batteries.
Downside. The only downside is the access to manual mode. On the SD110, S410, and the S500, you can switch to the manual mode by turning a knob. On this camera, you need to press function and switch to manual mode using a soft menu. There are few features only available in the manual mode such as turning off AiAF, long shutter, panorama mode, etc. Unless you use those features a lot, this will not be an issue for you.
Recommended Accessories. A must-have accessories are the already mentioned extra battery and a bigger SD memory card. Get at least a 256MB card (a 512MB card would be nicer) since the included 16MB card will not be sufficient for most people.
If you can get by with 3 megapixles and want to save about $100, check out the 3 megapixel version of this camera: Canon PowerShot SD200.

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Canon Powershot SD300 4MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

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