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

• SD800 IS - The Definitive Review

  
  By A1DIEGF0GWICCP on 2006-10-05
  So I have been scouring the web looking for opinions about SD800 IS. Since there were no pro-reviews coming out soon and I needed a camera for the weekend trip, I took the plunge and picked up SD800 IS three days ago.
  
  
  BACKGROUND:
  
  Before I jump into the review, I want to mention that I have been using full-manual film SLRs since I was 18. My current camera collection includes Optio 43WR (to take rafting / skiing / adventure sports pics), Digital Rebel XT, and now SD800 IS. I have also spent some time with T10, SD630 and an assortment of cheaper models.
  
  I have realized over the years that the smaller camera are way more useful for someone with an active lifestyle. I have put my Optio 43WR through some tough times with skydiving, falling down ski slopes, and using it underwater (no, it is not recommended by Pentax) and it came up with amazing pictures. Also imagine a cute girl at a party asking you "Is that a SLR in your pants, or ..." you get the picture (pun intended!).
  
  
  WHY NEW CAMERA?
  
  I needed to replace my aging primary companion Optio 43wr with a new ultracompact model with underwater housing which allows me to dish out the abuse I need to get great shots. Money was not an object, so I was looking only at top-of-the-line models from ALL brands. The other note-worthy contenders were Sony T-30 Black, Sony DSC N2, Fuji F30.
  
  I was also very unhappy with the pictures in low-light conditions by 43WR. I spend a fair amount of time snapping low-light pictures, so that was a top priority for me as well.
  
  
  SD 800 IS:
  
  So here is what I have found about SD800 IS...
  
  
  Gizmo factor:
  - This one has to be one of the most tricked out cameras I have ever used. You can edit movies, auto-rotate pictures depending on how you hold the camera, and do many other neat things. However what appeals me most is that these tricks are not flashy or distracting: they are seamlessly integrated in the user experience.
  I think this shows the maturity in Canon models, compared to some fresh brands.
  - The slide-show is very classy, not cheesy as you see on most other cameras.
  
  
  Creative Controls:
  - No full manual here, but it has Auto-Exposure lock and Auto-Focus lock. These two controls with some creative thinking will allow you to take any shots you may need. I didn't know about these features till I bought the camera, and I am very happy to find them there!
  - Color-Accent and Color-Swap are more addictive than a videogame. I have so far seen my car in multiple colors, visualized what my garden will look like in fall, and help people bring out the blue color in their eyes.
  
  
  Appearance:
  - Personally, I am not very impressed by the looks but everyone else seems to love the understated jewelery thing going on with it.
  
  
  Lens:
  - Yes, it is true. Lots of blurry corners at full wide. Lots of distortion too. I think Canon is skimping on the optics here. That's what happens when you try to stuff a 3.8x zoom in a tiny body. They should have stuck to something like 28mm to 60mm zoom, and it would have been fine.
  
  But from a practical point of view, I don't notice the corners in a picture. Naturally I stare at the subject, and move on to the next pic. So the corners bothered me in test-shots, but not in real-life shots.
  
  TIP: Just zoom out to 35mm equivalent and the blurry corners disappear.
  
  
  Optical Stabilizer:
  - Extremely effective. Worth its weight in gold. I am still gloating over the vibration-free pictures I have been taking recently.
  
  
  CCD:
  - Images are softer than my liking. Don't know if it is the low-quality lens, or the CCD.
  - Gets very noisy after ISO 400. Fuji F30 will beat the CCD hands down.
  
  
  RECOMMENDATION:
  Depends on what your needs are. Look at the above facts, think about your needs, and make your own decision. I will give you three options based on my reasoning:
  
  It is the only 28mm lens out there, and you will love it despite the lens limitations. I have numerous examples in only THREE days, where I was able to get a shot like never before. So if you feel like fitting more in a frame, get SD800 IS.
  
  If you print all your pictures, and are a family man, DSC N2 is the way to go because of 10 megapixels and touch screen. However the images are overprocessed in camera, a Sony trademark.
  
  If you do lots of low-light photography ala Paris Hilton, wait for Fuji to release optically stabilized camera. I couldn't wait, because I have a trip this weekend!
  
  

• Takes fantastic photos, but has some design issues.

  
  By AC8RCBKYQDOV0 on 2006-10-06
  This is my fourth camera from the Canon Digital Elph line (previously, I had an S330, S400 and SD400). They have always taken great photos, and Canon has truly earned my repeat business (I also had a Digital Rebel and now I have an 20D).
  
  I've had the SD800 for a few days now. Like its predecessors, it takes fantastic photos. The image stabilizer works wonderfully, and the camera functions quite well (and faster than most compact cameras). Other reviewers have spoken about the photo quality, and you can also get detailed technical reviews elsewhere on the internet, so I won't get into that here. What I want to focus on is the functionality of the design of this camera.
  
  Digital Elphs used to be chunks of stainless steel. I dropped my S330 from a 12ft balcony, and it emerged unscathed. This is the first camera I've had that felt like it is going to break at any moment. It is larger and clunkier than the previous generation of Elphs (e.g., it is 36% larger than the SD200/300/400), and feels "plastic-y" and cheap (despite the fact that it looks nice). The buttons are small and offer minimal feedback, so it is easy to press the wrong button, especially if you have large fingers (and even if you have only average fingers). The "mode select" dial switches between Auto, Manual, Scene, Movie and Playback modes, but it is difficult to move. The dial is stiff and has only a small raised ridge on one side, making it difficult to set the dial to the proper mode on the first try. In sum, the design of this camera makes it operation more difficult than necessary; not something I expected from a camera from Canon, espectilly one at this cost.
  
  This camera takes amazing photos, but Canon needs to brush up on their design. For a brief moment I considered returning this camera and keeping my SD400, but this camera's features are too good to pass up. I suppose everyone will get used to the poor design, but for this amount of money, none of us should have to.
  
  

• I really like this camera

  
  By ARC5ASW9CUAGP on 2006-11-19
  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).
  
  

• Wait For Canon's Cameras To Catch Up With Their Hype

  
  By A24FRP1LRAK578 on 2006-10-10
  When i read in The New York Times "Circuits" that the Canon SD800IS has face-recognition focusing and wide angle optics, I immediately went to Amazon to order it. The reviews about the plasticy body and wide-angle optic problems gave me pause, but i figured I could learn to live with the problems. Not so much.
  
  My first major disappointment was with the face-recognition focusing feature, the main reason I bought this camera. The little brackets scoot around on the LCD and settle on faces all right--that part is cool. But much less cool is the fact that out of scores of photographs, with both natural light and flash, I have yet to capture ONE photograph in which ALL the faces are in focus. Objects near, but behind the faces, are often sharply in focus, but not the faces themselves. Bad news. Face-recognition focusing is a great idea, but Canon has not yet perfected it.
  
  My second disappointment was the obvious loss of sharpness at full wide. I went to a local camera store to compare my SD800 with a SD700. Same loss with the SD700. Clearly Canon rushed the SD800 to the marketplace without addressing a prevous problem.
  
  Another optical problem is pronounced CA (blue fringing) in high contrast area (especially at intense white boundaries), a major issue since fringing is almost impossible to remove. The SD700 also had this problem, but it seems worse in the SD800. I'm also getting far too many overexposed photographs.
  
  The flash also varies all over the place, and too often doesn't properly illuminate the subject. I've fiddled with exposure controls, read the user's manual closely, and still haven't figured out a solution to this problem.
  
  Other reviewers have addressed the camera's flimsy body, and those reviewers are correct. I still can't believe Canon would release a $400.00 camera whose battery compartment alone is so inadequate.
  
  In sum, I strongly advice cosumers considering the SD800IS to check it out IN PERSON at a camera outlet. My sense is that Canon rushed out this camera for reasons of marketing, without addressng the problems of the SD700 and without adequate testing the SD800's new features. I'm sending back my SD800IS and will wait until Canon (or another company) works out the glitches of face-recognition technology and all the other problems of the SD800IS.
  
  By the way, the one feature that works great is Canon's Image-stabilization, but I already have a pair of binocs that do that.
  
  

• Very good value for money

  
  By AOBWQX84JB0NV on 2007-02-02
  I'm a professional photographer who shoots with two Nikon SLRs and an array of Nikon lenses; some of the lenses alone cost five times the price of the Canon SD800. But I got tired of lugging heavy camera equipment around for family and travel photos and general grab shots. So when I'm not working, the SD800 is what I use.
  
  It's not perfect for sure. To name just a few annoyances: it suffers from red-eye effect when you take flash pictures of people; like all point-and-shoot cameras, it has noticeable shutter lag; it has rather a lot of image noise at ISO settings over 200; and its 'manual' mode doesn't let you set an aperture value or a shutter speed. I also notice quite a bit of lens aberration, which becomes especially evident when pictures include straight lines, such as doorways; the SD800 gives them a slight curve.
  
  But maybe all that is the wrong way to look at it. For a $375 featherweight camera, this thing can't and shouldn't be expected to deliver SLR-like quality or features. And what the SD800 DOES do well is more important: It takes lush, pleasing pictures with very good color fidelity (a Canon trademark) and with minimal thought and fuss required from the photographer.
  
  It's also a very pleasant camera from a usability point of view, and not just because it slips easily into a shirt pocket or into the nicely made but optional Canon belt case ($15). The SD800 has only nine controls (buttons and dials), which is usually a recipe for confusion as functions either tend to get hidden deep inside menus, or require counterintuitive pushes of several buttons to access. But the camera is more logically laid out and designed than any compact I've ever shot with. I only had to crack the manual for a couple of advanced tricks, like photo-stitch and color-swap. The rest of the SD800's operation is pretty much self-evident.
  
  I appreciate that the power button is recessed; whenever I tried to stuff my old Canon Powershot G6 into my pocket, or pry it out, that camera would turn itself on due to the poor placement and design of the power switch. It got annoying enough that I sold it. There are no such design goofs on or in the SD800.
  
  The camera's proprietary battery provides lots of juice, the screen (which is as big as on my $1,600 Nikon D200) is bright and clear, the image stabilization works really well, and the range of the lens is just right (being able to shoot at 28mm -- respectable wide angle -- is a wonderful thing, very uncommon among point-and-shoots, whose lenses typically start at 35mm).
  
  All told, I quite smitten with this nice-looking, well-thought-out little picture-taking machine. Considering that it also takes decent video footage, the combination of quality, features, and value is, in my book, untouched by any other digital compact currently on the market.
  
  
• Another great Camera in the Canon Digital Elph line
  By A3G50F5BB1J2CS on 2006-12-10
  I just spent a good 1/2 hour here reading reviews on the SD800 IS, and didn't agree with many of them so I had to write one myself. I have previously owned Canon's S400, S500 and SD550. I usually pass my previous cameras on to family so I can get the latest and greatest, and once again I am not sorry I did. I am extremely happy with my 800 IS. I quickly charged my battery, then took 60 photos or so using every feature I could find in the camera. Macro, flash, no flash, wide, telephoto, B/W, sepia, vivid, you name it. I couldn't take 1 bad photo even if I tried! I loved the results in all of them. My only complaints were test shots at ASA 800 and up. Yes, those will be very noisy and unusable, but when printed in a 4x6 size how bad will it be, really. Not much worse than film cameras at ASA 400 or 800. How many situations will you find yourself in needing that high an ASA rating? This camera is beautifully built, it looks and feels expensive and I think it's a quality built camera. It is not a tank like my old S400, and it's lighter than the SD550 but it does not feel or look cheap. This is an outstanding small camera. As for soft or blurry edges at the wide angle setting, NONSENSE. I just can't see it in my photos. If you are a previous Canon Digital elph owner and want to upgrade, go for the 800 IS. I picked this one over the 900 because I didn't like the looks of the 900, didn't care for 10 megapixels (when is it enough?), and the 900 did not have the IS feature, which is outstanding on my 800 IS. It really works! I took many photos indoors without flash, hand held and they were unbelievable, with excellent color balance. My flash photos seemed to cover the room just nicely too. I just loved every photo I took today with this camera. So, I don't know what all the whining and bickering is about, but this is one fine piece of camera engineering. As for the battery/SD card cover, yes, it's light and plastic, so open it carefully the way you should handle a $400 camera. There must be many clumsy people out there who break things. I never have, especially with my cameras. So, do I regret giving up my SD550 for this 800 IS? NOT ONE BIT! Both are outstanding cameras. I did a lot of research before forking over the cash for my next camera, and I'm glad it led me again to the Canon line. If you want one, treat yourself. I also hope I have made your selection easier for you. Between my wife and kids, my siblings, my nephews, brothers-in-law, you name it, they all have digital cameras now. We see many crappy photos, but almost never from those who went with the Canon Powershots. What does that tell you?
  
  I have had my camera for more than one month now and I am still very happy with it. My wife has my previous SD550 so I've got the best of both worlds. That SD550 is also a great little camera, so I'm glad we've kept it. It just doesn't have Digic III or the IS feature, but that hasn't been a big issue. What I have now noticed is that for some reason I'm getting more red eye shots with these cameras. I have been taking a lot of photos of my young daughter and her dance class partners, and it seems to be more of a problem with children than adults for some reason. I have read that because of the small camera size, the flash is just too close to the lens and that is the reason. I don't really know but it could be true. I use a software program provided by Kodak Gallery to upload many photos at once, and it fixes that very quickly and easily so it is not a big issue to me. Also, some have written about the white spots that show up on photos. That I believe are dust particles in the air that come out magnified in photos, which is another common thing with these small digital cameras. Remember, at 7.1 MB you will see incredible details in your photos. If you have a digital camera, trying taking shots outdoors at night around a camp fire and you'll see what I mean. As for the round dust spots that show up, I just copy and paste a surrounding area without the spot and paste it over the spot and it's gone. There are many software programs that let you tweak your photos, so it's easy and fun to make corrections, which was virtually impossible with film photos.
  
  
• LOVE it
  By A36F23JC2DD56E on 2006-11-27
  I got this camera about a week ago to replace my old SD200 that died and I am having a ball with this little thing. I do a lot of photography so I need a camera that takes good, sharp pictures consistently and this camera really delivers. I'm absolutely in love with the image stabilizer. I can actually use the digital zoom and still get a sharp picture. I'm amazed. Another plus about the image stabilizer: you can take low light pictures much easier. I took a picture recently of a carosel at dusk and its completely clear.
  
  Another criteria of mine is a very minimal delay between pressing the button and taking the shot. Most of the other cameras I tried out had at least a half second delay. This camera doesn't have a delay. At all. You press the button and it takes the shot that second. The only exception is in low light when the shutter stays open longer but thats a different matter all together.
  
  I also love all the little features. I haven't quite figured out all of them yet but this camera has a color accent feature that will pick out one color and put the rest of the picture in black and white. Its really fun to play with. There seems to be a setting for everything, so you can get the perfect shot every time and not botch the special moment.
  
  The LCD screen is amazing. Its so clear and has awesome colors. It also flips the pictures for you so no matter what orientation the picture is you can see it full screen. The buttons and menus are really easy to figure out, but then again its identical to all the other elphs so i already knew how to work it.
  
  I haven't printed any images that I've taken yet but I'm pretty sure that they'll be good. Overall, i just love this camera. I was sold the moment I saw how clear the pictures were, even on 10xs digital zoom. Everything about it is just perfect for every use.
  
  
  
• 800 vs 700 settled toss up
  By A3PLC4J1FL9RA0 on 2006-10-28
  When comparing the elph IS features, if all other things are roughly equal except what I mention here, it was tough, but I chose the 700. I bought the 700 for it's longer than average 4x zoom on a point & shoot. Then I thought maybe I should try the 800 because of the wide angle, new processor, and higher ISO and megapixels. But, even with the 3.8x zoom, because the 800 lens starts off lower already (28mm eqv.) to get the wide angle, it's max range of 4.6-17.3mm zoom does not even come close to the 700's 5.8 -23.2 max opt. range..plus though somewhat useless, the digital range is less too and the small bump up in MP doesn't compensate. If you find you are always wanting to get more in a shot, get the 800 with the wideangle; as the other features are better. For the shots I usually take, I find I crave the higher zoom so much that the other upgrades were not as important to me. If, like me, you think you'd be bothered by not being able to zoom in as closely, get the 700. If I want more in the shot, I can just stich assist.
  
  
• Excellent ultra-compact camera with great features!
  By A36TC1Z182A9YV on 2006-10-04
  I just got this camera, and I have been testing it out all day. The image stabilizer works great in low light, and the pictures come out very clear. I have had trouble in the past of taking pics outside at night or at concerts, but when I tried it outside earlier this evening the pictures came out real nice. I absolutely love the wide-angle lens. Shooting speeds are excellent and the camera operates and turns on really fast.
  
  I was trying to compare the SD700 IS, SD800 IS, and the SD900, and I would definitely recommend the SD800 IS. The SD900 does come with a higher megapixel resolution, but I think the image stabilizer will be more useful.
  
  The actual camera is even more attractive than what you see in the pictures. It has a very sleek body, and I thought the color (more pewter compared to the lighter silver tone of other SD ELPH cameras) looked better than that of the titanium SD900.
  
  Overall this is a superb camera!
  
  
• Wonderful camera...case could use a little improvement
  By A2BY1LFVR47MO6 on 2006-10-11
  First...A lot of other reviewers have talked about how 'cheap' or 'flimsy' this camera feels...I think I have a different take on this coming from a Mechanical Engineering background (and actually making similar products in consumer electronics)
  
  I had an old SD100 and decided to upgrade, and indeed the old SD100 'feels' like a tank, and this new one 'feels' flimsier...but I dont think it ACTUALLY is. First off, the new camera is very lightweight, and from a customer usability standpoint, lighter is often confused with 'cheaper'. Second, this camera uses metal luster plastic parts...which scream 'plastic!' whereas the old camera used plastic that was matted and painted...so it looked like the metal surrounding it. People also complained about the 'inside' being plastic now instead of metal...this is actually a good thing, as the internal metal on the SD100 was punched sheet metal (aka bendable, warpable, not structural) whereas the SD800 has molded plastic that perfectly fits the desired shape, actually providing more internal support....These cameras get their extremely small size by using the case as its structural support anyways...and here like previously, the case is metallic (basically...the case is titanium to support the product, and marketing decided to sell that as a 'feature').
  
  That all being said...it still DOES 'feel' cheaper or breakable, even if I dont think it is from the engineering standpoint...and part of product design is making something that 'feels' good...so I have to dock canon one star on this thing for not completely following through on the design front.
  
  As for everything else....Amazing optics, this thing takes wonderful pictures...it is SUPER responsive, statup time is non-existent and focus etc time feels twice as fast as the SD100. The IS feature works wonderful (its hard to see it work I must admit...but then you turn it off and take another picture and WHOA...huge difference, one is nice and the other is blurred crazily..[...]
  
  
• Just what I was looking for in an ultra-compact camera...
  By AEZJT7RZ8UGII on 2006-10-22
  Although I had disappointing results after purchasing (and returning) the Canon SD700IS then the SD600, I knew I wanted to stick with the Canon line of cameras because of the distinct features Canon offers that many others do not - like its awesome Accent Color and B&W features. That's when I saw that Canon came out with two new models, the SD800IS and SD900. While the SD800 had image stabilization and a wide angle lens and the SD900 just has more pixels with no image stabilization, I decided to go with the better features found on the SD800. BOY was I glad I did!!
  
  Putting each camera I purchased to the test, I'd take it home and make lots of "test shots"... To test the Image Stabilization, I would bounce the camera up and down and take a picture -- and most if not all pics would come out blur-free. The Macro Function is MOST EXCELLENT... And the Accent Color feature is SUPER COOL... For all intents and purposes, all three cameras (SD600/SD700IS/SD800IS) were just what I was looking for in a compact camera. That is, until I decided to take some indoor (average to low light) pictures without using the flash... For the Canon SD600 and SD700IS -- I have one word to describe it -- BLUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRY.... Whereas the Canon SD800IS passed muster! This was an important factor for me since I take a lot of indoor photos of my pets and they don't care too much for the flash.
  
  So if you like to take a lot of indoor (average to low light) photos without the flash, look no further... And just think - if this camera can take photos in low light conditions really well, you DEFINITELY WON'T BE disappointed with any its other capabilities!!
  
  
• Excellent Camera !!!!!
  By AS2UOOMNAST5D on 2006-11-15
  What a great camera!
  
  I am an ex-wedding photographer and am very picky about the equipment I buy. This camera produces beautiful images and downloads them very quickly to your computer using the included Canon software. Be sure and get a 1GB fast SD card...it pays off in fast image save times as well as image upload times.
  
  The 28MM eq. lens is very rare in this size camera as is the optical image stabilization system. The portrait mode does a great job of eliminating red eye, unlike many other cameras. There are even a few manual settings available for those so inclined. Try using the exposure compensation to darken up a shot to add some drama.
  
  The only con is that the zoom switch is a bit jerky, but that's a nit. Another great camera choice in this category is the Casio Ex-Z850 which I have used and also love. The Canon 800IS beats the Casio for 2 reasons, 28MM eq lens and true optical image stabilization vs. the digital kind.
  
  I am completely satisfied with this camera and Highly recommend it to anyone.
  
  
• Overall excellent subcompact. Some shortcomings compared to slightly less compact models.
  By AXBZI5KW1TKTD on 2006-10-12
  I've gotten this camera to replace a Canon S45 that I bought in January 2003 and this review is meant as a contrast to that type of camera (i.e., this review may not be too useful if you're coming to this camera from another point of view). I chose the S45 at the time over the top ELPH model back then (S330, I think) because I expected that it would be my only camera for a while and so wanted manual control, RAW support, etc. As it happens, the Digital Rebel came out in September that year and when I got one, the role of my S45 changed: A take-anywhere camera for taking snapshots and video clips. The latter came a bit as a surprise, because I thought I'd prefer using my more full-featured miniDV-based video camera. However, it turns out that "compact" often beats "full-featured" (the S45 is not as small as the SD800, but it's still pretty small compared to my video camera).
  
  In its new role, the weaknesses of the S45 were (a) not compact enough, (b) poor low-light performance, (c) limited, low-quality movie recording functionality, (d) relative slow response times. (That's all relative, of course: At the time, it was a reasonably good compromise in those areas.) On the plus side, the S45 is sturdy, I really like its user interface, and I got some really nice pictures out of it.
  
  How does the SD800 stack up in that context? Very well, but not perfectly. I like its build quality and the subcompact size (though it's a bit on the large end of its class; not a bad thing per se). The plastic parts are no worse than the similar parts on the S45, but I get slightly anxious at the thought of scratching the shiny surfaces. The 2.5" screen make for bright and sharp previews (it feels more fragile than that of the S45, however). Image quality is a step above that of the S45 in general, and easily two steps above for low-light work (where the image stabilization function and better ISO 400 performance really shine). ISO800 seems somewhat usable, beyond my expectation.
  
  I don't care much about some of the more exotic features like "swap colors", but one feature I've unexpectedly come to appreciate is the face-recognition contribution to focus and exposure: It works, and it works really well! (It also ties into a built-in categorization feature, in that the label "People" will automatically be assigned to pictures containing faces; that's clever too, but I don't think I'll use it.)
  
  Unsurprisingly, the wider-angle lens is a boon to many snapshot situations. (It was one of the factors that prompted me to order the SD800.) There is considerable corner softness at the wider end, but for this type of camera it doesn't bother me too much. I wish the long end were a little longer of course (and slightly less compact models from Panasonic do better in this regard), but again I don't feel strongly about that considering the camera's size. This also appears to be one the most responsive subcompacts out there: It's certainly a whole lot faster at starting up and zooming than the S45 (though it still feels sluggish compared to a DSLR).
  
  The movie clip recording mode is far better than that of the S45: The higher (VGA) resolution and the image stabilization are the main factors there. Still, I wish it could record a using a tighter codec (like H.264) and I wish the optical zoom could be used during shooting. A 1GB SD card will hold a little over 8 minutes of 640x480 30fps video, but once downloaded I can convert that to a H.264 file of about 70MB. The digital zoom in movie mode works well in good light (almost 5X for 640x480 clips), but in low light zooming in more than 3x or so results in exceptionally pixel-noisy clips.
  
  Finally, the overall interface is relatively intuitive and generally well executed. My one beef is that "review" mode is part of the general mode dial. On the S45 (and Canon's DSLRs), "review" is entered using a separate switch (or button), which allows the general dial to indicate the recording mode: A half-press on the shutter and the immediately goes back to recording mode. On the SD800, if I'm reviewing images and suddenly see an opportunity (which happens all the time), I have to first fumble with the dial (being careful to select the right mode) and only then is the camera ready to shoot. On the plus side, when shooting a picture the camera automatically displays the image shot for a customizable amount of time (I set it to "until shutter pressed") and allows zooming into that picture.
  
  
• Best in class.
  By A3NM0RAYSL6PA8 on 2006-12-26
  Sure, there are some legitimate quibbles about the SD800. For example, while generally solid in construction, the USB and video out are hidden behind a remarkably flimsy cover. In fact, when you pull back on the lid, it feels as if the slightest additional force would break it, although so far so good. And, yes, as some reviewers have noted, the mode changing dial might be difficult for someone with clumsy fingers.
  
  You also should know that, while it has a manual mode, this is a not a camera for someone who wants to tweak apertures or shutter speed. It's a point and shoot, after all. That's the category. If you want more, look elsewhere. So, that isn't a complaint. It's just a caveat to those who aren't fully sure what they want out of their camera.
  
  Also, some have complained about the camera being "only" 7.1 mega-pixels. This kind of "insight" doesn't really help when looking at cameras as light, small, and easy as the SD800. Certainly, if you need to make prints bigger than 16 x 20 (after cropping), then perhaps you should be concerned -- and ought to be looking a something other than this point-and-click beauty. This camera is about a beautiful form factor, easy portability, and stunning pictures, not making posters.
  
  These points being said, the SD800 is a very special camera. I've owned a number of digital cameras (Fuji, Nikon, and Canon), and checked out way too many cameras before I purchased the SD800. The picture quality is superb--the best I've seen under most conditions. It's incredibly fast on recharge, focus, flash, and picture snapping. It also has a wide-angle lens that grabs enough extra real estate (and people) to make far more stunning pictures than the typical lens on a point-and-shooter. The SD900's lens pales in comparison. I dare you to see for yourself!
  
  As for overall build, this is a solid, virtually all metal camera. Would it survive a 12-foot fall? Maybe not. Few cameras would. My last Nikon broke on a 5-foot fall. That's life. Just keep it on a strap.
  
  This is a great camera. The camera to get, in fact, if you want gorgeous pictures, a great lens, and more features than you can shake a stick at, including amazing optical image stabilization that really works, and software that identifies faces in a shot and makes sure they all look as great as they can.
  
  
• 5 Stars?....C'mon
  By A2VB6B97UXEEHN on 2007-04-06
  5 stars means this camera is perfect, and it's certainly not that. Haven't these people ever used any other cameras?
  
  Let's start with the good.
  
  1)A 28mm lens is a great feature. The spotlight review says it's the only one. Wrong! Panasonic had one way before Canon. Ricoh too.
  2) In good light the camera takes good pictures - colors are good, I haven't had too many blown highlights
  3) Image Stabilization makes the videos nice and smooth
  4) Design is nice, but that's subjective
  
  The not so good
  1) Average low light performance. OIS doesn't help much when you have to limit exposure to ISO200 without getting noisy/grainy pictures
  2) Flash performance is terrible. Try a Fuji with intelligent flash and you'll know in an instant what I mean. The flash is weak and if you're close to someone they get blown away and the background is black. Red eye is pretty bad.
  3) If you want to put it on Auto and shoot, you can - outdoors. Indoors you have to go to manual mode and limit the ISO to 200 max (I limit mine to 100). If you don't you are guaranteed to get grainy pictures.
  4) Build quality. Came with 1 dead pixel on the LCD, after 3 hours of use it had two. We'll see how many at 11 months and 29 days when I call Canon. :) LCD is pushed in at the upper right corner. Came from the factory like that and is a common problem.
  5) Picture sharpness. Pretty disappointing. Even in bright light many times the pictures just are that clear. This camera gets knocked for that. Go to dpreview dot com's Canon Talk forum and you'll see others complaining.
  
  I actually tried to return this camera, but Dell messed up the order so I got stuck with it before I moved out of country.
  
  The awesome feature is the 28mm lens. If you aren't interested in that get the SD700 if you can't get clear pics by hand holding a shot - if you can - get the SD900 (or SD750 and SD1000 are showing the same image quality as the SD800) or a Fuji F-series. (indoors Fuji will blow any Canon SD away)
  
  Panasonic has the FX30 which matches this Canon for features, but it's low light performance might even be worse - but the video size is 33% bigger. Also worth checking out.
  
  I guess I feel if I'm spending pretty much the most on a point-and-shoot I expect superior quality, and the Canon SD800IS fails to deliver. Good, not the best.
  
  
• It works for me
  By AOKQZVWCLONRH on 2006-12-17
  I think this is a great camera for its size and price. But don't expect it to do the job of a larger and more expensive camera.
  
  I consider myself to be serious about photography, and I have an EOS 20D as my main camera. But I'm not going to take that everywhere, so I need a small point and shoot camera for snapshot occasions. I've taken this approach since film days, when I had a Leica Mini (way bigger than this camera) for my "little" camera.
  
  I was in the market for a new "little" camera, and the key things I wanted--beyond taking good pictures--were a 28mm equivalent wide angle capability, a viewfinder, small (but not necessarily tiny) size, and an underwater housing. Then this camera came out with all of those!
  
  Another feature I like is that it can mask the LCD screen to show a 3:2 aspect. I normally crop to this aspect in Photoshop, and while I generally take pictures through the viewfinder there are occasional shots where this ability to check the framing is useful.
  
  Some reviewers have complained about softness at the edges at the extreme wide angle. I haven't noticed this, but I haven't used it for the sort of picture where it would be critical. (I'd choose my 20D for that sort of situation.) If you want wide angle photos that are uniformly sharp across the frame you probably shouldn't be using a pocket camera. There is only so much manufacturers can do with optics that will fit in a camera this size.
  
  I think the construction of the camera is fine. There is always a compromise among weight, toughness, and price. Canon has made reasonable choices here. This camera may not be the best choice for every photographer, but it isn't reasonable to ask one camera to be the best choice for every situation.
  
  Judging this camera against previous small cameras I've had and my expectations for it I am very happy. Judging it against my 20D it does better than I might have expected, but I never intended to judge it that way. Expecting a camera that costs less than 400 dollars and fits in your pocket to do what an expensive SLR with an expensive lens can do is silly. Even comparing it to a camera that costs twice as much and weighs three times as much is silly. But what you get for the size and price is terrific.
  
  If you want a small camera that takes great pictures and can go wide this is the one!
  
  
• Best reason to upgrade your point and shoot
  By A2IL4Q79IFLJQ8 on 2006-12-30
  I have a Canon 1DMarkII Pro DSLR and all Canon L series lenses. I studied photography and love manual control, BUT I also want to take my camera everywhere for those impromptu moments. For a point and shoot, I want the camera to be well priced and take great pictures on auto mode, yes, AUTO - otherwise I might as well take my professional camera body with me. Another reason why I want Auto mode to work as advertised is because I want others to hold this camera and take photos of me. How many times have you let others hold your camera only to find the image blurry or not focused on your face.
  
  I've owned or used regularly the Canon Powershot S50, S60, SD700IS and now SD800IS. You'll find lots of technical data reviews on the SD800IS but I'll focus on actual usage for the average person who's not a technical data freak.
  
  I upgraded from the S60 to the SD800IS for the image stabilization. Higher megapixels is not a reason to upgrade a relatively new camera, but Image Stablization is. You'll get much better shots period. All point and shoots suffer from the problem of camera shake; Canon IS works! You'll also be able to shoot at lower ISO's resulting in less grainy photos. Most point and shoot cameras work well at ISO 100 and progessively get worse above ISO 200, the SD800IS is no exception. Bottomline, image stablization helps you stay at ISO100/200.
  
  Yes, this camera is feature packed and the buttons are sometimes hard to push but there's no perfect small camera. The problems people write about, I can live with it, it's not as bad as it sounds and I quite like the buttons on the SD800IS. The power button is nicely recessed so you won't accidentally turn it on - this is usually the biggest concern for me since I put in my pant or jacket pockets.
  
  The images are amazing. With the IS and face detection capability, anyone without photography training can take great photos -- the #1 complaint for most amateurs are blurry shots or where the camera has not focued on the person's face. Canon has done a great job with technology that works quite well.
  
  The images are sharp and look good printed. It's not as good as my DSLR but it rivals any other point and shoot of its size and weight. I'm also not sorry they dropped RAW recording format as from what I've read, with these small sensors the difference compared to JPEG is not noticeable. The battery lasts a long time unlike the older Powershot S50/S60's. Sure, the camera body is a bit plasticky, wish it was more solid, and you have to be more careful about not dropping it. Same goes for most other point and shoots so the problems people are nitpicking about with the SD800IS are typical of other cameras in its size and price range.
  
  The video is also fabulous and works great with the image stablization. This camera is perfect for a new dad like me who wants to always have a camera around to take pics and vids of my child.
  
  The wide angle lens is also handy. I'm more likely to use wide-angle to get group shots indoors than the telephoto range. Not many point and shoots have the 28mm wide-angle range so you're sure to notice the difference in family shots in tight spaces like living rooms.
  
  The gravy on top feature has got to be the Grid Lines feature for rule of thirds (helps you compose your shot) and 2:3 aspect ratio (if you're printing 4x6 and want to avoid cropping wrong areas). The LCD screen is bright and works well on sunny days.
  
  The flash is a bit weak, but that's the same with all point and shoots. Add a $129 Metz 28 CS-2 compact flash and this camera is set for anything. I carry the SD800IS and Metz compact flash in 2 small custom-fitted $10 neoprene cases that I found on eBay and this setup goes with me everywhere. Hardly noticeable in my jacket pocket.
  
  Bottomline: if you're looking for a new point and shoot, look for one with a wide angle lens (if you plan on taking indoor photos), image stablization and face detection technology. I'm not loyal to Canon just because I own lots of their equipment; I'll buy any brand point and shoot that meets my needs. After several months use, I'm still extremely happy with my SD800IS and believe it's the best point and shoot Canon has released so far.
  
  
• Unfortunately, Canon dropped the quality on this one
  By A3D2PJC9CF87WP on 2006-10-09
  I have owned several SD cameras. I am replacing the SD700 with this one. In fact I upgrade each model unless it's only a minor change. Like the previous reviewer has stated though, I was wanting to return this one and stick with my SD700. If it was not for a trip to New Zealand in December and a desire to get nice wide landscape shots, I would have.
  
  Upon opening the battery bay door, I noticed immediately that the metal substructure and spring mechanism were gone. Just cheap plastic parts now. In fact a piece of plastic that had clearly snapped off from somewhere fell out of the camera, so I am now awaiting a replacement from Amazon.
  
  The camera is much taller than the SD700 and only just fits in my old case.
  
  Clearly this model is a major step backwards for Canon's usually excellent quality. The optics though seem good with little aberration even in the corners at full-wide. Let's hope the camera lasts long enough to be able to enjoy the nice glass!
  
  UPDATE: Oh dear! My replacement arrived fast, thanks Amazon. Unfortunately it was even worse. The polished silver surrounding the lens had not been glued in place correctly and was sitting 5mm away from the front of the camera with the adhesive clearly holding it on. Or not. I think it's best to avoid this camera and wait for the next revisions to appear. Clearly Canon thought they would make some fast money on these ones. It shows.
  
  
• Image Stabilization fuels the hype of this one trick pony.
  By AWRMPF3UQND99 on 2006-10-12
  Yesterday, I got home with my new sd800. And due to the scrutiny of the forums, I immediately had to test it. I compared exact duplicate shots from my SD550 to this "upgrade" sd800. I am very sad to say that in normal shooting conditions, this model just couldn't keep up. The main things I saw the sd800 losing horribly to the sd550 in were: picture clarity, sharpness (edge to edge) and color accuracy (the sd800's produces a very warm shot, too much yellow & red). This was a disappointment indeed when you compare the fact that my sd550 is almost a year old.
  
  Now, on the flip-side, and should you ever find yourself in "overhead fan lighting," this will be where the true benefits of the sd800 become VERY clear. If this is how you shoot, the IS will become a lifesaver for every single shot. But aside from a museum or other "no flash," location, RARELY am I not using the flash on my camera. And I found the trick to not having over-saturation or too much flash contrast (whatever the model) is to just lower the brightness setting prior to shooting and use a bit of Photoshop shadow highlight love. (Although this can never fully prevent your shot from the flashlight effect left on objects from shooting, but it helps). This camera is only ideal for shooting in an IS situation. Period. Or at least IMHO, but it is my review right? lol
  
  My solution was simple. I ended up taking a risk against better judgment, returned the sd800, and got the sd900. Let me just say that the quality from this camera will NEVER be achievable from an SD800. So make the call. If IS is your "make or break feature," go for the 700is, or800is. However if its quality you want from your shots, and you aren't found in low light situations often, the 550 or 900 are the way to go! Price per mega pixel being the only difference.
  
  
• VERY pleased with this camera
  By A2TFE03ZV2ZQ69 on 2006-10-22
  I bought this camera to replace a 4MP 10x zoom Olympus C-750. I have spent the last several weeks playing with the different settings on my new Canon SD800 IS.
  
  Pros:
  * Photos turn out extremely sharp, true color, and it handles white balance (shooting under different types of bulbs) well.
  * I love that it has a viewfinder although I must say I'm finding the large display to be very useful.
  * The image stabilizer works very well, especially when I set it to "shoot only".
  * I can take very close range photos (a few inches away) in the "macro" mode" that come out perfectly.
  * This camera takes photos in the dark (using flash and the AF-assist beam) that come out looking as if the lights were on. I took a photo of my dog using the zoom from 20 feet away with the lights out, and the photo came out nicely.
  * The camera turns on instantly when I press the power button. Furthermore, the "continuous" shooting takes a photo every .6 seconds with the memory card that comes with the camera (apparently a high speed memory card will yield even better results).
  * In playback mode, the camera will (optionally) rotate the image when you turn the camera.
  * Lots of other cool hidden features if you read the manual, such as hold down the shutter button to immediately view a photo you just took.
  
  Cons
  * There is some distortion in the wide angle shots, as if they were taken in macro mode or something.
  * The buttons are fine for me (a woman with small fingers) but very difficult for my husband (who has larger fingers) to use.
  * The shiny finish around the lens and on the side of the camera smudges easily.
  * The door covering the USB port feels flimsy but has not given me any problems.
  * I wish it had an optional "lots of help" mode or a help button that would explain settings so I don't have to consult the manual.
  * If it were a little more user friendly I'd give it 5 stars.
  
  Overall I'm VERY pleased with this camera.
  
  
• Excellent Camera
  By A14AHKBVFI3TH1 on 2006-10-13
  The people rating this camera low are the ones who know their stuff about photography and bought the wrong camera. If you are knowledgeable about photography, you should not be buying a point and shoot camera. This camera is amazing for the average user, the image stabilization works great and helps improve low light photos. The pictures come out very nice. The wide angle lens is nice to capture scenery, the face detection feature also seemed pretty reliable. Only downsides I saw were the scroll wheel for controls was a little slippery and the battery door seems cheap. Battery life is good, screen is big and bright.
  
  
• Great camera
  By A2AAG96E3N75PR on 2006-12-17
  We bought this camera for a trip and I couldnt be happier. The features in this size camera are amazing. Granted I've been using a old Kodak DC280 2MP camera for the last 6 years and was happy with it for what it was, it was time time move up for higher resolution, low light capability, wide angle, and ability to do movies. I'm not a camera guru but have taken some nice pics with my old Nikon SLR.
  I've only had the camera for a couple of weeks and have taken ~ 500 pics so I'm still learning all the features and quirks but here are some observations
  The not-so-great:
  1. zoom only moves in steps so it's sometimes hard to get it exactly where you want it.
  2. Funky on/off button
  3. No button for playback... you have to rotate the not-so-easy functon dial.
  4. Function dial is small and it seems like it couldn have been designed better ( Although I love the small size of the camera ).
  5. I havent owned a Canon before but other reviews point out the fact that earlier models were all metal. This one is metal on the front and plastic on the back. Not a big deal to me but the plastic will probably have worn off paint after some use around the corners
  6. Plastic battery/memory card door probably could be better designed.
  7. Other reviews said pictures look "soft" and I'd agree with that. Not quite as crisp as I wouldn have hoped for. But editing the pic's a bit can help that.
  8. Photo stitch software isnt as easy to use as I'd like and doesnt work perfectly... some pic's the border between pics is blurry.
  9. Plastic door cover over USB jack feels a little flimsy and I worry that the plastic piece that holds it on might break someday after continued opening and closing.
  10. The camera is a little slippery without any type of textured gripping surfaces and I worry a little about dropping it.
  11. To delete all pics on the memory card at once, you need to go into the menu system and select that feature but cant do it easily from the review mode.
  12. When taking video's, the focus seems to be locked at the beginning of the shot.. if you zoom while taking a video things will be out of focus unless you return to the original zoom level when you started the video.
  
  Pro's
  1. Size matters... Easily fits in a pocket and thats worth it when traveling.
  2. Image stabilization seems to work well.
  3. Fast start up... turn it on and you can take pictures immediately
  4. Great pictures and great in low light.
  5. Feels solid and optical viewfinder works with the zoom (although with the LCD display I rarely use the optical viewfinder)
  6. Beautiful LCD display... very detailed and crisp.
  7. Auto image orientation works great.
  8. Color accent feature is fun to play with
  9. Having up to ISO 1600 availible is nice although you definately notice more picture noise at ISO 800 and 1600.. especially noticable at 1600
  10. Face detect feature works great. I'm amazed how well it works.
  11. Battery life is good and the compact charger travels well and works european voltages just fine.
  
  Overall, I'm not disappointed in this purchase and would buy it again.
  Battery life is good. I bought an extra battery off amazon for less than $20 just in case but never ended up using it on our trip.. as long as you charge the battery every day one battery got us through 1 day... although we didnt shoot much in the way of video's and that might drain the battery quicker. It's a little expensive with so many other options out there but for the size and features it was worth it to me.
  
  
• Excellent Little Camera
  By A1O6I7294KOSP1 on 2006-12-30
  Great little camera. This is my third digital camera and my first Canon digital.
  
  The image stabilization feature is what sold it for us. We purchased this as a replacement for our stolen Sony DCP-100. We liked that camera a lot and looked to Sony for a replacement. But after reading reviews and handling the Sony's we weren't impressed at all.
  
  In looking back at the photos we had taken with the Sony we realized how many of them were blurry. So we went with the Canon as it was one of the only cameras in our price range that had Image Stabilization. We have already noticed a difference in our picture quality. IS is an excellent feature for a camera this small as the slightest movement of your hands passes directly to the camera.
  
  Battery life seems good so far but we haven't really stressed it yet.
  All of the hatches for the various compartments seem a little too delicate for my liking, but I thought the same thing about the Sony and it never failed.
  
  I don't like the fact that I have to remove the battery from the camera to charge it. thats a lot of moving seemingly delicate parts just to charge the battery. Why can't it charge through the USB cable?
  
  The other issue I have with the camera is the finish of the front of the camera. It is VERY delicate and scratches VERY easily. I suggest buying a case for this camera ASAP. I delayed purchasing a case and now have scratches on mine. Our previous Sony had scratches too but only after two years of use and still weren't as noticeable as these after just two days.
  
  Overall we are very happy with this camera. The menu is easy to use and set up for your preferences. The big 2.5" screen is bright and works well even in bright sunshine. The buttons have a very solid quality feel.
  
  It takes better pictures than the Sony it replaced and we were very happy with that. The macro mode could be better as it doesn't allow me to get as close to a subject as I would like but that inst a deal killer as I don't shoot that many macro images.
  
  Overall a great point and shoot camera that anyone should be happy with...from first timers to professionals just looking for a pocket point and shoot to carry around. But then again it should be for $400. There are better values in this category (i.e. Panasonic) but this one had the best mix of features and quality for our needs and wants.
  
  PROS:
  Small size
  Image Stabilization
  LCD display
  Fast start up and easy to use
  
  CONS:
  Delicate hatch covers
  Must remove battery to charge
  Delicate front surface finish scratches easily
  
  
• A remarkable little camera
  By A1UVRUX7XZAJQ0 on 2006-11-16
  This is my third Canon Powershot (the others are the 110 and the 260). I like all three of them and have been very satisfied with the image quality and the reliability of the older two, which played a large role in choosing this model. Digital camera technology has advanced so rapidly that this model has capabilities far beyond those of the earlier two.
  
  Pros:
  
  Image stabilization: works well, makes it possible to take hand-held photos of still subjects in low light without flash.
  
  Autofocus on faces: I thought this would turn out to be a useless gimmick, but (surprisingly) it actually works. When enabled, the camera looks for faces and draws rectangles on the LCD viewfinder around those it finds; it then focuses on those portions of the image.
  
  Excellent 30 fps 640x480 movies, which can be as long as memory allows.
  
  Can also film 60 fps at 320x240, for slow-motion playback.
  
  Truly pocket-sized ("the best camera is the one in your pocket, not the one you left at home")
  
  Replaceable rechargable battery with compact multivoltage charger included.
  
  Larger-than-usual zoom range, including medium-wide angle.
  
  Long exposures possible for nighttime photography (not long enough for most astronomical photography, though).
  
  Fast boot time, unnoticeable shutter latency, short recycle time -- the first digital camera I've had that doesn't keep me waiting.
  
  Cons:
  
  No raw mode (JPEG stills and AVI movies only).
  
  Battery and charger are not compatible with older Canon Powershot cameras.
  
  Controls are small and a bit awkward for adult-sized fingers. The very lucky kid who gets one of these would probably not have a problem.
  
  I would love to see a compact digital camera with a bounce flash ... the flash on this camera (like others) produces harsh, flat light and red eye and has a very limited range. A wireless slave flash is available but (according to what I've read) only works when the builtin flash is on.
  
  An underwater housing (Canon WP-DC9) will be available soon (yay!) but at a price not much below that of the camera (boo!). I would love to see a rainproof compact digital camera that could survive an occasional dunking, without an expensive and bulky housing.
  
  Most of the case is metal, but one end (including the battery/flash card cover) is plastic, and in my judgement, this will require careful handling to avoid breakage. This is a step back from the earlier Powershots I've used, which have robust metal cases that can tolerate occasional clumsiness.
  
  
• Great pocket camera
  By AIWA8AN9FTG4D on 2006-10-16
  This is my 3rd Canon camera, 2nd Elph. I am the epitome of an amateur photographer, and my attempts with prosumer cameras have all failed. At the end of the day, I need a simple point and shoot that produces high-quality images that are capable of being enlarged to 16x20 photographs. The SD800 meets all of the criteria and more.
  
  The SD800 excels in low-light environments, producing stunningly clear photos indoors. The 7MP images coupled with the 3.8x zoom provide a great baseline to Photoshopping and online manipulation.
  
  My only criticism is that outdoor images can tend to over saturate the Blues and indoor images over saturate the Yellows, but overall the image quality is excellent.
  
  The camera is amazingly small, and travels well. The flash is powerful.
  
  
• Disapointed with picture quality
  By A3HY5AH55S4KRJ on 2006-12-14
  I was looking to replace my Cannon Digital Elf S300. I've had it for 5 years and was looking for something better. I was originally going for the Cannon SD630 but decided to upgrade to the Cannon Powershot SD800IS. After getting it home and trying all of its features this is what I found.
  
  1. The pictures have alot more "noise" (grainy) in them than my old camera's pictures even on the automatic setting. And of course the higher you manually set the ISO the more noise you'll get. The pictures looked flat with no depth to them and sometimes the colors were a little more washed out than my old cammera (which by the way was the same price as the SD800IS 5 years ago.)
  
  2. I bought this camera for low light pictures. It doesn't really do much better than the other camera's because they all have the same small flash size. I tested with over a hundred pictures and different settings and it still didn't impress me.
  
  3. As far as the color swap feature, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I tried replacing red with blue and all's I got was a blue tint over the whole picture. I also tried color swapping my daughters shirt from pink to black and I just got the same thing - black tint over the whole picture.
  
  I have to be fair and say that other than these issues the cammera seemed to be fine. But I'm taking it back because for that kind of money I expect it to take better pictures than my old cammera and it didn't. The only advantage it has is a bigger LCD screen and I care more about the quality of pictures it takes. I think Cannon went cheap on this product. They don't even use the Carl Zeiss lens anymore. He switched to Sony.
  
  
• This is a wonderful camera!
  By A20DN38FNUE2V8 on 2007-04-27
  I had two major requirements when I bought this camera -
  1. A 28mm focal length on the wide angle side
  2. It had fit easily into my pocket
  This camera fits both requirements well.
  
  The 28mm requirement is the result of many years of taking pictures of family, friends, scenery - having that extra angle of view compared with the 35mm or 38mm more generally offered opens up many possibilities. If you haven't experienced the difference, give it a try before you buy.
  Another feature of a camera I discovered, when lugging a 35mm reflex with a big zoom lens on it (the proverbial potato masher) was that it didn't matter how good the camera was if it was at home when I wanted to take the picture. Thus the pocket-size requirement.
  I have taken thousands of pictures over the years, moved from film to digital, and now see the cameras getting smaller and smaller - and doing more and more.
  Happily, it all comes together in this package. It takes wonderful pictures - Canon seems to have figured out the software as well as anyone - and it's easy to use. Not lots of settings and adjustments, but I've had cameras with them available and never used them.
  The anti-shake feature is a miracle. You can use any focal length in almost any light where the camera will work without flash, and not worry about the shakes.
  One general comment - in the Auto mode, the camera will increase the ISO setting as the light falls, trying not to turn to flash. But at ISO settings much above 100, the resulting pictures are noticeably grainy, and at 800 and 1600, they are pretty ugly. I shoot in Manual mode, just to keep the ISO constant, set at 100. And the flash is really quite good for a little guy like this. In the rare case where a higher ISO is a better solution, you can set it at other values, up to 1600, and fire away - and accept the consequences. Sometimes a grainy picture is better than no picture at all.
  I got a neat little case at Staples, made by Case Logic, which fits the camera snugly, and offers some foam protection. It has been dropped numerous times in the case, and it just happily bounces and comes back for more.
  The camera spends a lot of time in my pocket, and having it handy enables taking lots more pictures, in fun circumstances. When people don't expect you to have a camera, you can catch them out better than when you have to do "Hey, hold that until I go get my camera", or "Dang, I wish I had brought my camera".
  For comparison, Panasonic has just brought out this camera Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3S 7.2MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver)which also has a 28m wide angle. The 10x zoom goes well beyond the 4x on the Canon, but the Panasonic is enough larger to make it a bit less of a pocket-fitter. The longer telephoto is attractive, though, and it has the required anti-shake.
  For cameras of this pixel count, it's interesting to note that you can put almost 1500 pictures on a single 2GB SD card. On a trip? That's 100 pictures a day for two weeks - not bad. And the cards aren't expensive.
  So, for my requirements, this camera is near ideal, and I'm very happy with it. No real gripes at all.
  
  
• excellent ultra-compact camera
  By A1V3P77NE5ID6Q on 2006-10-24
  I just have this gadget yesterday and my first impression with this camera is high. I bought this over SD700 mainly because it has image stabilizer, new DIGIC III processor, and wide angle lens. Build-in quality is decent, despite of plastic battery door that many other reviewer complaint, I found this is not a great deal. This camera made in Japan, so you can be sure the quality of this camera is strong.
  Picture was great. I try macro shot and the picture comes up better than my Nikon D50 camera. There are many other features like color swap, color accent, multi-shooting modes that you need to play with more to get familiar with this. I will give you more updates after downloading the pictures. Highly recommended!
  
  Updates 11/7/06
  I downloaded the pictures and it comes up beautiful, crisp, natural color. Didn't notice any corner softness.
  Stabilizer works great. Now I can take low-light photograph without worry of getting blurry pictures. Pictures without flash also come in great shape. For me just unbelievable! Macro shot also excellent. I can take very2 close pictures while my Nikon DSLR unable to focus within very close distance. One thing that I really enjoy is color accent feature. Just pick any color from your object: live! , and the camera will automatically select only the color you choose to be taken. Other than that, will be black & white. For example you want only flower shown in color on your picture. Or maybe you want to swap the color of your flower from red to yellow? isn't that cool? not to mention it has great movies features which allowing you to take high quality video at 30 fps!
  Other advanced features that you might be able to find only in proffesional camera also available such as:
  - Exposure Lock(AEL)
  - Flash Lock(FL)
  - Focus check mode
  
  I really recommend this camera for everyone. Even great backup for amateur/professional user.
  
  
• Top Notch Camera, Very Pleased!
  By A1MEYU3KEW6Z7H on 2007-01-11
  I've owned this camera for about 2 months now and am extremely happy with it! Prior to my purchasing this one, I had several other Canon cameras (s45, a400, s1IS) and, overall I was happy with them, but they had some limitations and downfalls as well. I decided to sell them all (while I still could!) and use the proceeds to upgrade to the SD800 because it had everything that I every wanted/needed (image stabilizer, AF lamp, large LCD, W-I-D-E angle lens, and very small, compact size) and more!
  
  I frequently take pictures of various kitchen/bath remodeling projects that my company does and I found myself really needing a wide angle lens. The SD800's works GREAT! For instance: Previously, if I wanted to take a picture of something like a small bathroom, I was forced to try and take 3-4 pictures using stitch assist mode, and then spend 15+ minutes on my computer trying to cobble them together. My results were mediocre at best though because stitch assist is really only designed/suited for large, outdoor panoramas. Now that I have the SD800 with its 28mm wide angle lens, I can get the same type of shot in ONE picture and the resulting image is usually perfect, and requires no extra computer work on my behalf. I love it!
  
  This camera also takes excellent pictures of people and animals, as well as outdoor scenery. It produces colors that are very accurate and "true to life". It powers on very fast and is easy to operate. The power and operational buttons, as well as the menu interface are arranged nicely (logically) and work well. The flash seems to be adequate for the lower light indoor and night shots that I've tried. The image stabilizer is a fantastic feature that works great! (I've tried turning it off/on for comparison and the difference really is "night & day"). The 2.5" LCD is a very nice/welcomed feature and is very bright and sharp, and the battery seems to last a very LONG time before it needs re-charging! (Without a doubt, the SD800's lower power consumption/battery life is a HUGE improvement over the previous models that I had).
  
  I usually find myself using the full auto mode (which works beautifully), but I like the fact that I can switch to the manual or scene modes and adjust a few settings if I need to, or just want to play around a bit. I haven't experimented with the facial recognition mode yet, but from reading other reviews it seems to work very well. I don't really have any use for the movie mode, (yet) but from my limited experimentation, what I can tell you is that it works very well for short "candid" clips of a few minutes in length--precisely what its intended purpose is. (Not professionally videotaping a 2 hour concert!)
  
  I've read some other reviews where people are complaining about this camera's "cheap appearance" or saying "it feels like it's going to break apart at any moment" ...or that (get this) "it's a piece of junk because it broke when they "accidentally" dropped it". I'm not sure what other cameras they've used, what they're comparing the SD800 to, or what they expected to happen when it fell to it's demise, but I would wager that those people are fairly inept, tend to find fault where there isn't any, and have no accountability for their own actions. The truth is, the Canon SD800 camera is very well made, looks great (I think anyways), and has a very "solid" feel to it. It's a precision engineered instrument though (read: computer with a lens) and if it were "dropped on the floor"...or "off a balcony" (accidentally or not) it would be only logical/reasonable to assume it WOULD break! (What would you expect? What camera wouldn't break?) Most, if not all camera manufacturers (including Canon) include a nice little wrist strap with their cameras (you can buy/make one also) that can be worn to prevent the camera from being "dropped on the floor"...or "off a balcony"! The wrist strap is a pretty simple concept, and it's really easy to use! Just attach one end of the strap to the camera, and place the other end of the strap around your wrist, Problem solved! Now, If these people can't understand that, they probably shouldn't be using a nice camera like this, and would be better off using disposable cameras...or, perhaps a box of crayons and some drawing paper. Also, I have yet to take any pictures using this camera that have any noticeable barrel distortion or pincushion (blurry corners/edges) using the wide angle or zoom. I don't see ANY problems with the location or operation of the on/off power switch. The battery doors construction is just fine, and the operation of it, and the round mode selector dial is easy if you use your thumb to slide or rotate them. (Respectively)
  
  My only real gripe is that Canon (as well as other manufacturers) insists on providing a cheap, "throw away" memory card with their cameras. In this case, it's a puny 16MB card. What's the point? It's grossly inadequate. In order to get the most out of this camera, you will need to purchase a larger capacity card. I bought a 1GB Ultra II which works well, and seems to be very adequate for my needs. (I usually use the M2 setting and superfine mode)
  
  Bottom line: This is a pretty remarkable camera that, if treated with reasonable care, (ie: kept in a "sunglass sleeve" or dedicated camera case when not in use, and used with a wrist strap when it is) should provide its lucky owner with years of service and very high quality pictures. It really is a top notch camera and easily earns my 5 stars. I love it and highly recommend it!
  
  
• Its all about the 28MM IS LENS
  By A102VH5Q26GENX on 2007-04-19
  This camera works exactly like pro reviews say it will. The photos don't look the prettiest when zoomed in 100% because the sensor just isn't as good as the rest of the camera. As for the rest of the camera i want to stress a few things
  
  You just CAN'T compare this camera to a 35mm or 38mm camera because the difference is huge. Some people get caught up in the zoom rating but here is basically all zoom is good for:
  
  Sports (sort of)
  Wildlife
  Occasional random subjects that you can't get close too
  
  Here is what wide angle is good for:
  Group photos
  Landscape (beaches, mountains, lakes)
  Scenery (buildings, sports stadiums)
  
  That latter category covers about 95% of most people's photos. And of course zoom can be accomplished after the fact (crop), but you can never go back and take a wider photo.
  
  Secondly I want to say that IS is a fantastic feature. Every picture in marginal light will benefit and even many pictures indoors are possible without a flash now. If i concentrate on steadiness and use the 2 second delay I can get sharp photos all the way down to 1 second exposures.
  
  The face feature on the other hand is somewhat gimmicky although its neat to watch it re-white balance and bring out the skin tone as soon as it detects a face.
  
  As i mentioned earlier the image quality suffers from noticeable noise and average resolution. It looks somewhat muddy compared to the sharper, cleaner sony i just replaced. Color on the other hand always shines with canon and thats exactly what I've seen here. The wide lens also leaves its mark in the form of edge and corner softness.
  
  So overall while the CCD is clearly lacking, the rest of the camera is still probably most well rounded and versatile compact on the market right now. And do not over look the 28MM LENS!
  
  

• PhotoPlus X2 Digital Studio
• Corel Photo Album 7 Deluxe
• Adobe Photoshop CS4 Upgrade
• Adobe Photoshop CS4
• Adobe Photoshop Elements 7

• Canon Digital Elph Accessory Kit for Canon SD880IS, SD990IS, SD890IS, SD950IS, SD900, SD870IS, SD850IS & SD790IS Digital Cameras
• SanDisk SDSDH-2048-901 2 GB Ultra II Secure Digital Memory Card ( US Retail Package )
• Canon PSC-55 Deluxe Leather Compact Case for SD430, SD500, SD550, SD600, SD630, SD700IS, SD800IS, SD850 IS, SD900,SD950IS & SD870IS Digital Cameras
• SanDisk 2 GB SDSDX3-2048-901 Extreme III SD Memory Card (Retail Package)
• Lenmar DLC5L Lithium-ion Digital Camera/Camcorder Battery Equivalent to the Canon NB-5L Battery