Canon PowerShot SD850 IS 8.0 MP Digital Elph Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Reviews

• Very Good Camera

  
  By A2DM89IUYMFETB on 2007-06-22
  For a point and shoot camera, this little gem packs a lot of advanced features. It's definitely not a DSLR but it's sure convenient when you want to conceal it and carry it with you in your pocket.
  
  Pros:
  1) Red-eye correction. No more red-eyes! It automatically fixes them.
  2) Image stabilization. Will correct your hand movements but will not stop action.
  3) Face Detection. Automatically finds and focuses on faces, and sets the proper exposure.
  4) LCD Screen. The 2 1/2 LCD screen is very high resolution.
  5) Lots of choices concerning picture quality and color.
  6) Image and video quality are very good for such a small camera.
  7) Optical viewfinder. Many cameras do not have this. It comes in handy when you do not want to use the LCD screen such as in theaters.
  8) Auto White Balance is much improved over the older Digic II processors.
  9) There is a manual setting where you can treak your photo settings. My preference is "Positive Film," "ISO 100," "+1/3 exposure," "flash on." The photos look fantastic.
  
  Cons:
  1) Noisy pictures with ISO settings over 200. (Pretty much what you get with any point and shoot camera.) Auto setting usually selects ISO 200, which is a little noisy. You're better off to go with ISO 80 or 100.
  2) Lens is wide enough for most purposes but it's definitely not a "wide angle" lens. There is some barrel distortion on the short end, meaning that straight lines, buidings, walls, etc, appear a little curved.
  3) Battery/SD Card Door can slide out and pop open easily.
  4) Cannot chose aperature or shutter speeds manually.
  5) No battery life meter. The LCD screen only displays a "low battery" warning.
  
  Bottom Line:
  This camera is a great little convenient camera, which is able to be concealed easily, and taken about anywhere because it easily slips into a purse or pocket. It's a great camera for taking indoor portraits with flash, as well as outdoor photos. It is not good at stopping action. Pictures of kids and pets running around will often be blurry because of the 1/60 sec. shutter speed. If you are needing to take low-light or action/sports photos, you would be better off purchasing a cheap DSLR. The only reason I don't give this camera 5 stars is because of the noise at higher ISO's.
  
  
  

• Ultimately a great camera, but...

  
  By APDFIJGKJPXT0 on 2007-06-24
  After a few comments I decided to rewrite my review and clarify a few things.
  
  This is my 3rd Canon digital Powershot camera. My first was a S110 (2 mega pixle camera) that I bought in 2002. My second was a S410 (4 mega pixle camera) that my wife gave to me in 2004. (I'll refer to these as S series). In addition I've regularly used several profesional SLRs in the past including the Nikon D1-X.
  
  My new Canon Powershot SD850 is superior to my older two S series cameras in almost everyway. But, like everthing else it's not perfect.
  
  Minus 1 star:
  The camera seems to experiance increased barrel distortion (where the picture is sharp in the middle but fuzzy around the edges). This seems most noticable in daylight shots without a flash. For you experts out there; yes, I'm aware that barrel distortion is common on these types of cameras. I feel however that it is more noticable with this camera. You can test the affect for yourself if you shoot straight at a flat, textured surface such as a brick wall, etc. without a flash. Note that you may have to use a tripod to avoid camera shake. View the picture at 100% resolution, compare with other cameras and decide for yourself. My comparison was with my older S410 which had only half the resolution and much less noticable distortion.
  
  Minus 1/2 a star:
  The camera tells you the F/stop and shutter in the display, but does not let you change it. And, the camera loves the F2.8 setting (lens cranked wide open), especially in lower lit scenes whether you are using a flash or not, which most likely has something to do with the added distortion.
  
  Minus 1/2 a star: (other things)
  The power button that so many people have complained about is a little awqured but not something you can't get used to. The A/V out cover that a few others mentioned is fairly low quality and just seems to sit in place without anything really securing it. Also, it is difficult to take pictures without getting fingerprint smudges all over the LCD screen. My older S410 did not have this problem because the screen was much smaller and way out of the way of my thumb.
  
  One more note:
  The cameras rounded body is a mixed blessing. On one hand it looks cool, and fits in a pocket much easier. Unfortunately it is also much more diffiuclt to simply set it on objects when you are using the self timer. My older S series cameras were small boxes with flat bottoms and could be placed on uneven objects such as rocks with ease. Because this camera has a more rounded bottom doing that becomes much more of a balancing act. The longer protruding lens does not help much either. Small price to pay I guess..
  
  Overall it seems like a good camera, but the real test will come next week when I take it on its first trip.
  
  
  
  

• SD850 is faster then SD870

  
  By A2IS6Z185UAACH on 2007-12-04
  Since October I have been researching to find the fastest (for fast moving small kids) low light (for evening indoor pictures) P&S camera. I also know 99.9% of my prints will be 4x6 or 5x7, never bigger. And I want the red-eye reduction to work! I refuse to do touch-ups. Before I review, let me say a THANK YOU, to all who do post their reviews, because I have read them ALL, and a really big THANK YOU to Steves-Digicams and the CNET staff, who test and provide shutter speeds with flash.
  
  I have visited all local stores (BestBuy, CircuitCity, Target, Sears, Frys, Wolf, Office Depot & Max, Staples) multi-times to play with all cameras. Yes, I am retired and have the time. Plus I reviewed all CNET P&S reviews from 1/25/07 to 11/15/07. I documented speeds of low contrast shutter and shot 2 shot with flash. From my research, the final candidates, based on low light speeds, were Fuji F40fd, Canon SD 800, 850, 870(*).
  * Interesting the Canon SD870 specs say it should be as fast as the 850, but comparing 850 vs 870 under store lights, at 2 different BB stores, the 850s were noticeable faster. I even had the salesperson swap the batteries, between the two, just to be sure.
  
  I purchased(Nov. 20,2007) the Fuji F45fd and Canon SD850. I borrowed a CanonSD800 and had my Canon A610. Without question the Fuji was the fastest for evening indoors pictures. The Fuji was also the fastest for flash recharge. The Canons 800 & 850 did missed some small kids indoors action shots. All cameras had the same brand 2Gb 150x SD. After a week I printed all the shots, as 4x6s, from the same store, as different orders with different names, to ensure no pictures were mixed.
  
  The Canon SD800 had too many red-eyes. My old A610 was to slow for evening indoor shots. For outdoor daylight shots, all 4 cameras had the same speed results.
  
  Overall the 4x6s quality was the same between the Fuji F45 & Canon SD850. Comparing two very similar pictures, sometimes one would be a slight plus over the other, when you looked close up, then on another picture the other camera would be a slight better, but no real difference.
  
  The Canons do have a better long range zoom, at MAX zoom. If your need is for enlarge crops, the Canon AUTO pictures are taken at lower ISO, then the Fuji, see comparison below. I also tested the Canon SD850 with different ISOs in low light conditions. It was at the manual ISO 1600, that the Canon was as fast as the Fuji AUTO(ISO800), but the Canon(1600) pictures had higher noise.
  
  Here are the ISO results, taken with AUTO mode. I believe this to be very important to understand the results. The listed numbers will first be Fuji F40(F45) then Canon SD850.
  AUTO mode:
  Evening indoors F@800, C@200
  Outdoors 10pm Christmas Lights F@800, C@250
  Outdoors bright sun, at min zoom F@100, C@80
  Outdoors bright sun, at max zoom F@100, C@160
  Outdoors cloudy F@200, C@80
  
  Conclusion:
  NO one camera is perfect for all people or all conditions!!!!!
  Fuji F40/F45 is for those who want a fast, low light, small simple P&S camera, whose prints will usually be normal size(4x6,5x7). It is the BEST P&S available today, to capture fast moving kids indoors. I also appreciate the battery indicator.
  
  Canon SD850 is a great P&S choice for more outdoors(vs indoors) or indoor adults (vs kids) pictures, or if you usually print pictures bigger then normal size.
  
  

• Canon SD700 vs SD850

  
  By A1ZC5TRXTHGY2Z on 2007-06-20
  I'm not going to write a technical review since those will be available once the reviews are out. I have no doubt that this camera will meet the same standards as the SD700. I couldn't find this camera at target because it was new, so I just ordered it and expected a canon quality camera.
  
  I wanted to replace my Canon SD700 because after a year of owning it, I find that it takes a lot longer for the camera to respond. The SD700 seems to have a problem with focusing and I end up either missing pictures or getting semi-blurry pictures. I find that with time, canon cameras do this because I also owned the canon S410 and had the same problem.
  
  The biggest problem I foresee is the on/off button. It's in the same spot, though I have no idea why they even moved it there in the first place. The problem with it is that the button sits nearly flush with the camera. I have to use my fingernail to turn it on. So if you want to take a picture, you better have your camera on and ready beforehand. I find it very difficult to turn on the camera without using my nail since I don't feel like pressing really hard on the button just to turn it on. If they just left it the same as the SD700, they would've been better off. I'm sure there will be a lot of complaints on this one.
  
  What they did improve was the circular options dial. They raised it to the point where you can actually feel and see the difference. Why they didn't do this with the on/off button is beyond me. There is also an auto sensing mechanism in it because when you put your finger on the flash, for example, the lightning bolt bolds and is bigger than the other options. A little unnecessary, but whatever.
  
  The screen is a vast improvement over the SD700. On the SD700, I have a little mark on mine similar to one of a missing pixel, but the lcd is damaged from being banged around in my bag. I have seen other people's SD700 and theirs is far worse. There are also other minor scratches on the SD700 screen, though not bad. The SD850 is made of some kind of scratch resistant material and when you turn the camera on, you can immediately tell the difference between the 2 screens. If you touched the lcd on the SD700, you can see the liquid squishing around and you don't get that on the SD850. Do yourself a favor and just buy a screen protector. They sell them everywhere.
  
  The A/V out digital wont stay shut though. Unlike the SD700, it doesn't snap in. After playing with it, it still won't stay in place. It's annoying because the camera mode dials are there and I'm afraid it might interfere. I am going to go to Circuit city to see if this is a problem with their display model. If it is, I'm sending this back for a replacement.
  
  The overall build of the SD850 is nearly the same, great quality.
  
  
  
  
  

• Awesome Camera

  
  By A3F9U47H5WES7H on 2007-07-13
  This is my 5th digital camera and I can honestly say that its by far the best. I also own a SD800IS - but this one has more cool features (like being able to zoom in movie mode!). EXCELLENT in low light -- I was able to take pictures in the Sistine Chapel in Rome on my last vacation without flash in a dark room and the pictures are amazing. Great Camera!
  
  
• Good replacement for the SD700 IS
  By A1J7XRBWIL015X on 2007-07-18
  I've owned several Canon Powershots over the years. Most recently I owned an SD700 IS, which I loved. Unfortunately, it got caught by a wave at the beach so I had to replace it. The SD850 IS does not disappoint. It's essentially the SD700 IS with several added features including an extra 2 MP, support for SDHC cards, a new processor that automatically recognizes faces, time lapse video and some other cool lighting effects.
  
  The image quality is great and I haven't had any problems with the camera so far. I really like the time lapse video feature. It's pretty fun to set it up in the corner of the room for a couple of hours and watch all the action replayed at high speed.
  
  The camera itself is small enough to fit in my pocket and it feels sturdy. The large display is really nice and I've always found the menu system Canon has developed over the years to be easy to use.
  
  I would recommend this camera to anyone.
  
  
• Almost twice as expensive as A570IS
  By A17MRB2O4NTF3 on 2007-09-13
  This is no doubt a great compact camera. I just want to point out a good alternative. I ordered an SD850 but returned it because I found the Canon A570IS was almost the same as the SD850, but at almost half the price. The only major differences are battery and size. The lithium-ion battery on the SD850 allows many shots on a full charge and discharges very slowly. The A570IS uses two AA batteries and traditionally the quick self discharge rate of NiMH batteries has given casual picture takers a big hassle. But with the new low self discharge NiMH batteries like the Sanyo Eneloop, this is no longer an issue. (I have a 4-year old Kodak digital camera and didn't use it often because of the battery problem but after I bought the eneloop batteries, it started to shine again.) The SD850 and A570IS have similar width and height, but the A570IS is 0.65 inch thicker on the right-hand side because of the battery compartment. But I see this as an advantage because it allows you to have a better hand grip while taking pictures. The difference in the number of pixels (8MP for SD850 vs 7.1 MP for A570IS) is ignorable. I did notice that one reviewer pointed out the A570IS is slower in processing image.
  
  
• BUY THE SD870, MUCH BETTER THAN THE SD850
  By A1H7N80N95RHH0 on 2007-10-26
  With the SD870 you get a fantastic Wide Angle Lens 28mm, Battery Meter so you will know when your battery is low (Not like the SD850 that has no battery warning indicator at all), 3" LCD Viewfinder that will blow your mind, lighter camera body, and choice of 2 colors (Silver or Two-Tone Black/Silver. I've already seen 5 people return their SD850 and get the SD870 instead. So glad I didn't make that mistake in the first place. After doing research for 2 months, the SD870 is the best Digital Elph camera Canon has ever produced. The SD800 was the best and this replaces that.
  
  
• As always...Canon is a winner !!!
  By A2WK3SNUUC2E5E on 2007-12-15
  Buy it ...You'll like it !!!
  
  I've been a Canon Digital Camera user since November,1999 ( for those youngins out there, thats the first year digital cameras were availiable to the general public at a reasonable price )
  
  Prior to that, I have had Canon SLR's since 1977 ( I remember because it was the first real camera I bought with the money I earned in the summer cutting lawns ...a lot of lawns ) The Canon AE-1 cost $300.00 which was a lot of chicken in those days...Still have it ...still works 100%
  
  Anyway I digress.... plain and simple this is probably my 4th Canon point and shoot ( I also have the Rebel SLR which I bought for $999 when introduced a few years back ) My most recent digital Canon was the 430SD...Had that for a good 3 years as it wasn't lost, stolen or broken...and did the job with no complaints...Well let me tell you...I should have upgraded 2 years ago. The pictures on this camera are AWESOME..the videos are video camera quality..and the manual overrides are all you need for the perfect custom controlled picture. I am a camera buff and love my SLR, but this one is as close as I've ever been to an SLR with point and shoot portability.
  
  I had been reading the Amazon reviews for months before buying the 850IS and was worried about some of the negative reviews on quality of hardware and true to sight imaging...but after having used it for a few months I can say there is nothing more I expect from a point and shoot...The reviews from the "techno" guys are very useful , but do not reflect what the "commom" guy needs day to day...I'm a mix of techno + common and will tell you this is the one. I just have to push myself in 2 years to buy the newest Canon availiable, even though I will have been totally content with my 850IS ....just because they keep getting so damn better !
  
  
  
• Beware the alleged warranty
  By A2OS4KOW1ABMQ6 on 2008-03-04
  I purchased the Canon SD850 IS 6 months ago and have used it regularly. It suddenly stopped working - the lens would not retract. I sent it to Canon for service under their one year warranty. They decided that it would not be "economically feasible" to repair the camera and have sent it back to me still broken. Canon "customer care" says that the technicians found "water damage" even though the camera was never around water and worked fine up until the moment it stopped. Clearly, if they don't want to repair something a customer sends back they can just say "water damage" and they are off the hook. No recourse for me, no appeal process, nothing for me to do but warn others. It was a nice little camera, but if it is only going to last 6 months,forget about it.
  
  
• great performer !!!
  By A14XAK6LATEGCJ on 2007-09-13
  I had SD700IS for about a year until last month lost it during travel. It is great camera, great image quality, fast response. Base on that good experience I ordered SD800 without thinking. I'll have to say SD800 is severely flawed in its low light performance -- grainy, soft, dark.... to a point of unbearable to me since I use these point n' shoot cameras 80% indoor. Promptly returned it!
  
  Then I scanned through reviews here on Amazon and on www.dpreview.com, seems SD850 is quite good. So I ordered from Amazon and got it today. Can't wait to test its low light performance and I'll have to say it beats my expectations -- fully exposed, brilliant AND natural color, tad sharp, smooth like silk. I am very happy with SD850.
  
  Only thing SD850 lags behind SD700 seems the former takes a little longer between shots especially when using flash. But not so bad at all, it just SD700 is superb in this regard.
  
  
  Highly recommended.
  
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• Two thumbs up - save money - no need to get 2nd battery
  By A2PNQYRBOI42VA on 2008-02-10
  This is an all around great camera. It works as described by other reviewers. The image stabilizer is great. The only thing that could be improved is the quality of the lens. But for the price of the camera, I recognize it's OK, and probably better that in other similar priced products. I made a detailed comparison of similar products and decided to go for this one. At its price, it's one of the best. I have a Canon DSLR 20D, and bought this one as a pocket companion.
  
  My only advice is not to spend extra money for a second battery. I got an extra battery when I purchased the camera and have never used it. One is more than enough because it lasts very long!
  
  
• Amateur Photographer Gushing Over Great Camera Purchase.
  By AVLXBB3YJ137F on 2007-08-12
  WOW! At first I was skeptical. I couldn't believe I was paying such a seemingly-high price for a digital camera, but man it's worth it. My previous camera was just a 35mm Canon SureShot 130u that I bought in 2004, so I thought it was time for an upgrade. I trust Canon as the picture-quality has never disappointed me. I shopped around, did my research and decided that the Canon SD850 IS would be a good choice. Although many would consider me an amateur, I love taking pictures, as well as doctoring them in Photoshop, so finding a great quality digital camera to satisfy my needs was definitely a priority.
  
  Here's a list of what I love about the Canon SD850 IS:
  -Face Detection
  -Vibrant,true colors
  -Easy-to-use
  -Loading pictures on my computer is fast and easy
  -Image stabilizer - I literally shook the camera as I was taking a pic to test this out, and it performed wonderfully! The picture looked crystal clear!
  -GREAT zoom capabilities for a digital camera. I was a bit skeptical since I love how my 35mm takes pictures, but wow, this is a great zoom range for a compact digital camera.
  -Compact, lightweight
  -Crisp, clear LCD screen
  -An actual viewfinder above the LCD screen. Although the LCD screen may take precedence over it, I still like having it there, if not for more than sentimental value, it certainly makes the camera more versatile.
  
  Here's stuff I'm not too crazy about, but can life with:
  -As many people before me have said, the on/off button takes some getting used to...I wish Canon wouldn't have experimented with something so standard. To me it would be similar to taking the handles on a car door and moving them down to the middle of the door in a horribly awkward and untraditional location...but the on/off button on this camera would be more bearable.
  -Whenever I take a picture, I have to press down the button for a good couple of seconds, which I sometimes find annoying in comparison to my Father's Nikon Coolpix camera which takes pictures almost automatically. I hope that maybe it's because of the settings on my camera?? hmm.
  
  Anyway, I've only had this camera for a short time, but I can still confidently say it is a sound purchase, and worth every single penny!
  
  
• The 850 is a real gem
  By A2QW4U3XPSXU7C on 2007-10-11
  I love ths camera. It is at my side all the time and I have tken thousands of pictures,
  It does things that is shouldn't do, like clarity using a zppm up to 15x hand held and sharp. I also own the Canon 400. 700. 300 but the 850 with the wide sngle view is not to be beat. I have bigger more powerful cameras but the 850 goes with me everythwer and a couple of 4 GB SD cards. I shoot tremendious video and the framing of a wide anegl shot with this camera is a thing of joy
  The image stabilisation is always right on as is the face recognition focus. Gush, gush, gush, buy it and then tell me I am right.
  YOU CANNOT GO WRONG. I load all my pics in Mac Iphoto and shoot many pictures off my Sony HD 1080P Television at a level of 3.8 zoom and frame shots that look like I was in the wild or in the movie, or on Letterman.
  This camera walks the walk. Canon PowerShot SD850 IS 8.0 MP Digital Elph Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
  
  
• Excellent camera that's versatile and takes great shots
  By A36B1K4Y4QU2ZN on 2007-09-02
  This is my first venture into purchasing a digital camera, having been a 35 mm SLR devotee for my entire life. After much research of trying to find a decent point-and-shoot digital camera, I settled on the Canon Powershot SD850. I have been very happy with this camera's performance. I bought the camera priot to a trip out west to visit Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon and other sites. This meant that I needed a camera that could do well with various kinds of settings under different conditions and with a variety of compositions. Whether it was a night shot of the Vegas lights, the Grand Canyon at sunset or Lake Mead on a sunny day, the camera performed flawlessly and produced just the shots I had hoped. The camera also allows tweaking the color, lighting or other settings so that I can get the right color saturation or lighting that I want. The Auto setting saves a lot of time and does a very fine job with those quick shots. The manual setting allows me to be very creative and the zoom lens provides a wide range of lens lengths. In addition, I can slip this cmaera easily into my pocket. I highly recommend this camera!
  
  
• Canon Powershot SD850
  By A262CQL1H0EYMM on 2007-08-03
  The small size makes it easy to carry around (fits in jeans pocket). The image screen is quite large, making it easy to take pics and review them. The image stabilizer works well. The facial recognition is a nice plus; its never been easier to take people pictures as it focuses on the person and not something else in the background. The included software is easy to set up and use. The only downside was the included memory card (32MB - only holds a dozen or so pictures). I upgraded that to a 2GB card which holds 900+ pics. Overall, a great camera!
  
  
• no battery power indicator
  By A3S89JIER3RYY1 on 2007-08-23
  How hard is it to let us know what's going on with the battery power? It's not a very good answer to keep a spare around when these things easily last weeks with moderate usage. Sony's cameras show it down to the minute what's left. I really miss that.
  
  Also, the zoom button is completely in a silly place. It's next to impossible to use it the way it's designed. Should have been on the inside. It's also not easy to use for flipping through photos and zooming in and out.
  
  And you can't force the flash on only off in the automatic setting? Come on guys.
  
  Same quality pics on Sony so it's back to Sony for me next time.
  
  
• Canon does not disappoint...
  By A1JA4G3TAQLRJW on 2007-09-17
  The purchase of the Cannon sd 850 elph marks the 6th time we have purchased a Canon digital elph over the past few years. We continue to purchase these little cameras because, for the most part, we are not disappointed by these finely made and well conceived little cameras. Our photos get increasingly better as we learn to use the improved features that we discover on the new models.
  My son, the Canon devotee, with more technological sense than his parents, quickly masters each new additional setting or addition to the camera that came before it.
  I will say that the ease of use of the last one (710) - which we lost on a vacation - surpassed this newer one. I attempted to buy the one that was closest to the one we lost but I could not find it any place. This newer sd 850 has a rolling menu bar that is very easy to move with any accidental touch and it gets annoying to continue to find my way back to my settings and choices.
  Sometimes more - in any respect- is not necessarily better. I liked our prior camera better. I buy these cameras to enjoy taking photos and not because I want to turn into a novice photographer, making several choices for how to set, light, take a photo. Simple is good - in fact, the simpler,the better.
  
  
• Alleged Warranty, Part 2
  By A3BZG7SGARPACJ on 2008-03-06
  I had my camera for about... 9 months before it started to take blurry photos. Then, all of a sudden the lens wouldn't retract. When I shipped it to Cannon for repairs, I got an email back asking me to pay for the repairs (that would cost 1/2 the price of a new camera and the repair work wouldn't be under warranty). I was a little surprised, so I called the repair center to find my warranty was voided because of "scratches/scuffs". I take wonderful are of my camera, and always keep it in a case, but normal wear and tear is expected when the camera has been with you all over the world. I am extremely disappointed.
  
  My only other complaint about the camera: the pictures are noisy.
  
  
• Small, fast, versatile and takes great pictures!
  By A1ETTI01TOOEO3 on 2007-06-28
  Nice job, Canon. This is my second digital camera. My previous one, a G2 bought back in 2001, is a monster compared to this slick little feller. The camera will easily fit in most pockets, pants or shirt, weighs a few ounzes, and is very stylish. Time to first picture is about 2 seconds...very fast little camera. The controls are well placed, and reduced to a minimal, or rather optimal, number. Although, the few controls on the back by no means limit the versatility of the camera. There are many functions one can play with, and I would encourage anyone who owns it to get acquainted with all of them. Pictures are excellent quality. True colors, and no visible optical defects. I haven't really had much time with it, so I can't comment beyond this, but so far i'm thrilled!
  
  
• Great point and shoot
  By A29ZFFED176R2L on 2007-08-01
  I bought this as a camera to get some good family photos on vacation in Hawaii. The camera was simply outstanding. I took over 1000 photos with the 850IS and could not find any bad photos. I used it from the beach to inside of restaurants. Battery life was excellent(I bought the 12.94 Lenmar battery as a backup and used it once). This is a great vacation camera as I used the self timer numerous times and also handed it off to strangers to take family photos. USE THE WRIST STRAP AS THE CAMERA IS SLIPPERY. If you use the wrist strap you will not be disappointed with this camera. If you don't use the wrist strap you will have a great camera that is broken.
  
  
• Beware the "WATER DAMAGE" scam
  By A1N5YQFAAGGPZF on 2008-06-28
  How many of us Canon "Water Damage" victims are there, I wonder?
  
  Like another reviewer, I purchased the Canon SD850 IS several months ago and have used it regularly. It suddenly stopped working - the lens would not retract. I sent it to Canon for service under their one year warranty. They decided that it would not be "economically feasible" (exact words) to repair the camera and have sent it back to me still broken. Canon "customer care" says that the technicians found "water damage" even though the camera was never around water and worked fine up until the moment it stopped. They even suggested I might have spilled something into it (no way) or perhaps the water damage was caused by going from an air-conditioned environment into a warm humid environment. Ridiculous! Don't most people vacation in warm places? If a camera stops working because it is in warm and humid environment, the label on the camera should clearly state - stay away from nice places!
  
  So it seems that if Canon decides they don't want to repair a camera under warranty, they can just claim "water damage" and they are off the hook. No recourse for the customer, no appeal process.
  
  If you are looking for a $300.00 disposable camera, this is it!
  
  
• Great point & shoot camera
  By A1LHTZJQD7CF1D on 2007-07-19
  Great Image Stability feature. Takes great pictures, and amazingly it also makes good family video too. I'm less likely to bring my camcoder next time I travel.
  
  
• A Great Little Camera
  By ARM6HQBVJDTXX on 2007-09-08
  I just got back from a vacation in Italy, where I shot nearly a thousand maximum resolution pictures: indoors, outdoors, at night, in various cathedrals with and without flash. I am very happy with this camera. It is small and light with very good battery life. It gives me (an amateur who, nevertheless, likes to fool around a bit with settings to get shots that I otherwise couldn't get, all of the flexibility I want in a compact digital camera.
  
  
• Two Words: Utter Rubbish!
  By AFRZ28CCTUYMC on 2007-10-02
  I had a PowerShot SD900. Pros: Small size, packed with features, great image quality, intuitive controls Cons: a bit slow on zoom, a bit slow at focusing (sometimes), noisy at higher ISOs in lower light conditions. Overall: 8.75 out of 10
  
  I was in the US and picked up at SD850. I was told "newer model, fewer megapixels but better lens, image stablization added, better camera". I fell for it. Two words: UTTER RUBBISH. Pros: same size as 900 (compact). Okay value. Cons: the camera is HOPELESS in lower light situations, images have 'strange' blue or green haze in them, the metering is completely tripped up by more extreme light situations and anything shot from dusk onward. Compared to the 900? A QUANTUM LEAP BACKWARDS. This is my lemon purchase of the year -- expect it to be fobbed off to an unsuspecting 3 year old neice or nephew or 'lost' at the bottom of a local pond!) I had held CANON in high regards -- the company lost it with the 850. Buy this one at your own peril! Overal rating: 4.5 out of 10
  
  
  
  
• Wonderfull as a machine but...
  By A1HJE03GL12TS6 on 2007-07-11
  Like the rest of us, I too want to have a compact camera that I can take anywhere and shoot at night with low light and no flash. Well, this camera was not good in low light with no flash. Worse thing for me was indoors with no flash. This camera can't see a true black indoors with incandescence light. I took several pictures and my skin looked purple-ish. As a machine is well built and feels more expensive than the Sony's DSCW series but the colors on the W90 are more correct than this Canon. The creative mode that has lights, hearts and other stuff wasn't a big deal. It would show tiny little stars. This effects are better on Sony because the effects are much noticeable so you can admire your new creation. This is my second ELF Canon that I had to return. First for the low light quality and now for that same reason plus the purple color issue. And yes, I am a very picky person on color. A skin color should look as natural as possible on my pictures and I hate to see some strange color tones like purple, reddish...its annoying to fix color and takes time so no thank you Canon.
  
  
• Pleased with Purchase
  By ACYR6O588USK on 2008-03-26
  I am a very satisfied customer after purchasing this camera.
  
  I am not a photographer, but I needed something simple and quick for family occasions,celebrations,etc. Because of it's simplicity, it's the ideal camera for me.
  
  Most often than not, I get nice clear photographs.
  
  I like it very much and would recommend it to anyone like myself who wants something quick and handy.
  
  
• SD850IS sharp pictures!
  By A2USHKIW9BJU92 on 2007-07-22
  I have used in the pass several different compact digital cameras and wasn't happy with the images (focus problems) so I didn't want to purchase one. I have done many pictures with a 35m Nikon camera in the pass so I know how sharp picture should look like. With this camera I have to say I have not yet made one bad picture, all pictures are very sharp with out an effort. I have done a lot of research and waited for this camera and it was worth the wait. You will not be disappointed.
  
  
• Great pics but red eye in EVERY indoor pic!!
  By A2EC5GQJSX7RCH on 2007-07-29
  I have returned about 8 cameras in the search for the perfect one.
  The Kodak Z712 took perfect pix but it was bulky. I thought the SONY
  SD 850 was the answer and it was until I realized nearly every
  single inddor pic in even slightly low light has red eye!
  The red eye correction in the camera is great when it works. Much
  of the time it does not.
  
  I don't think it's possible to a compact camera that takes great
  pics in low light. In short, if picture quality is THE most
  important fact for you, keep looking. As for me, I'm going
  back to the Kodak Z712, great pix and 12x zoom. What more can
  I ask for.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Comparative Review: Canon SD850IS, Canon SD800IS and Panasonic Lumix TZ4
  By A3V2P1ZV2LETF3 on 2008-06-17
  I decided to do a little test comparing the SD 800 IS (28mm to 105 mm), SD 850 IS (35mm to 140 mm) and the Panasonic Lumix TZ4 (28mm to 280 mm). I just wanted to make sure that I got the camera that was right for me.
  
  As part of the test, I took about 70 photos with each camera in various lighting conditions, indoor lighting behind, indoor lighting in front, outdoor, zoom, wide angle, etc. Because I usually use only 4x6 prints, I printed all the photos in 4x6 prints at a local photo lab. There was no post photo processing on any of the photos. I just wanted to see the results right out of the camera so to speak.
  
  Thus, to me, the test was as real world as possible because that is how people use the camera, you don't shoot screens of color swatches, you shoot people, things, landscapes, grass, etc. Printing it out at a photo lab let me see the pictures as best as they could be. All cameras were set on full auto and no special modes were used for any of the shots.
  
  The results were very intersting but hardly surprising. With the exception of a somewhat noticeable difference in the telephoto and zoom ranges, at a 4x6 size, there is essentially no discernable difference in the pictures generated by the Canon SD 850IS and the Canon SD 800IS. There was no difference indoors, outdoors, or anywhere else. This is not surprising, because the cameras are very very similar, use the same processor, and only differ in the lenses.
  
  The Panasonic was another story. It regularly failed to perform, had zoom hunting, poor focus, fringing, etc. on the indoor shots. Outside, with plenty of light, it performed very well and produced excellent photos, but because I don't shoot exclusively outside, that was a deal killer for me. You basically cannot shoot anything moving indoors with the Panasonic camera. Based on the reviews, I understood that the Panasonic had limitations, but did not realize how much the processor hobbled the camera's indoor performance.
  
  Here's the review for the SD 850 IS:
  
  PROS:
  
  FAST: Very fast. Not quite as fast as the SD 800 IS, but faster than almost any other point and shoot digital camera you will find. Considerably faster than the Panasonic.
  
  PROCESSOR: Excellent super sharp photos in a wide variety of conditions.
  
  LENS: This is a very nice range lens with excellent edge to edge sharpness that performs very well in a variety of conditions.
  
  SIZE: very small, fits anywhere. Marginally smaller than the SD 800 IS, which itself is a small camera. The SD 800 IS and the SD 850 IS take different batteries because the SD 850 IS is marginally smaller. Extremely pocketable.
  
  VIEWFINDER OPTIONS: Optical viewfinder, the screen is so good that you don't use this that often, but it is nice to know it is there for those really really sunny days (and they come up every so often).
  
  BATTERY: Battery life is exceptional. Camera seems to go on for months with one battery (I think it is rated for 400+ shots, which is an astounding battery life for such a small camera).
  
  CONTROLS: I would say of the three cameras, this one had the best layout of controls. The half hidden wheel on the back is an excellent design touch and the on/off button, while not where you would expect it to be, prevents accidental on/off switching. A very well laid out camera from the ergonomic standpoint. Also, the four way control pad has an external touch sensitive ring which is pretty cool (when it works well) but Canon maintains its highly regarded and often imitated control layout on this little gem.
  
  NEUTRAL:
  
  APPEARANCE: The looks of the camera. I prefer black cameras as I used to own a film SLR and black cameras remind me of that beloved camera. However, my wife seems to like the looks of this camera.
  
  CONS:
  
  LIMITED ZOOM: Would like a drop more zoom range, perhaps a 5x - 6x would be preferable. The replacement model for this (890) has a 5x zoom, but from initial reviews, the 890's performance is not quite as good as that of this camera.
  
  FLASH: Flash is a little weak, but this is par for the course on a point and shoot.
  
  OPTICAL VIEWFINDER: Optical viewfinder is really small, is off center and not useful for every time composure on this camera, the camera is made to be used with the LCD on.
  
  Can't go wrong with either this or the SD 800IS, as they are essentially the same camera with different lenses, it just depends on whether you want a wide angle lens or not.
  
  Good luck with your shopping.
  
  

• Built NY E-HCS-OLV Small Hoodie Camera Case (Olive Green)
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• Lenmar DLC5L Lithium-ion Digital Camera/Camcorder Battery Equivalent to the Canon NB-5L Battery
• SanDisk 2 GB SDSDX3-2048-901 Extreme III SD Memory Card (Retail Package)
• DigiPower BP-CN5L Replacement Li-Ion Battery for the Canon NB-5L