Canon PowerShot SD870IS 8MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver) Reviews

• He Points, He Shoots, He Scores!

  
  By A24J2Y1O22JYZX on 2007-10-16
  The SD870 IS is about everything you could want in a compact point and shoot digital camera. It offers excellent image quality, a large vivid LCD display, intelligent defaults, fine low-light sensitivity, a high quality movie mode (with sound), an outstanding wide-angle lens and (most importantly for me) a photo capture speed that leaves many other digital cameras in the dust.
  
  I cover a fair amount of electronics trade shows such as CES and CEDIA for my home theater site (Big Picture Big Sound), so I need a camera that is quick on the draw, has a good macro feature for close-ups, and has good low light sensitivity and zoom for distance shots at press conferences. But portability is also key, as I need to carry the camera around in my pocket along with other gadgets for note-taking. I've owned a Canon S400 Digital Elph for a number of years, and it has served me well, but the lag time between pushing the shutter button and actually getting a picture (particularly indoors) was frustrating, and the low light sensitivity is also fairly poor.
  
  The SD870 retains all of the positive features of the earlier ELPH models, yet improves on the weaknesses. You can go from power up to pictures snapped in about a second. And once the camera is powered up and ready, you can capture shots in 1/2 second or less (depending on lighting conditions). For taking pictures in low lighting, the "Night Scene" mode (along with built-in optical image stabilization) is excellent, enabling me to capture on-stage action at a press event from 20 or 30 feet away (ISO sensitivity on the camera goes all the way up to 1600, but you can expect some graininess when the camera goes above ISO 400). Other scene modes such as "portrait" are also handy when you're going in for a close-up shot and want to capture a posed or candid pic of a loved one with an "artistic" out-of-focus background.
  
  In terms of size, the camera is very small, yet comfortable in the hand. The camera's aluminum frame feels solid without being weighty and controls are logically laid out so you can be up and running without cracking the manual. Unfortunately the small size means it does not take standard AA batteries, but the Lithium Ion battery that comes with it will last through a couple of hundred shots in normal use. You will want to buy a spare battery however, as there is not always a lot of warning between when the on-screen low battery indicator starts flashing and the camera powers itself down (hint, get the Lenmar NB-5L equivalent - it will last about as long as the Canon for about 1/3 the price).
  
  All in all, I'm very pleased with my purchase of the SD870 IS and am looking forward to using it to snap high quality pics of the latest gadgets at next year's Consumer Electronics Show.
  
  Update (2/23/08) - Coming home from a party one night, I was mortified to find that the SD870 lens was halfway extended inside its case, inside my pocket. Apparently the power button was activated while inside my pocket and the lens motor has no safety so it tried to extend itself and the mechanism broke when it met resistance. So the lens would no longer fully extend and the image was perpetually out of focus. Sending it to Canon, I got a letter back saying it would cost $100 (flat fee) to repair even though it was under warranty. I argued that the camera was not abused or dropped and eventually they relented and covered the repair.
  
  However this design flaw in the lens motor would lower my score of the camera to 4 stars if I could edit the score. What good is a portable camera that can't be carried inside a pocket? My advice would be to take the battery out if you're going to pack this inside luggage or transport it somewhere it could be jostled about. And I hope Canon addresses this with a safety retract mechanism (or a recessed power button) in future models.
  
  

• In some ways excellent, in others poor

  
  By A1H08N0SONUW2A on 2007-12-08
  I recently purchased the sd870is for a vacation, based largely on the moderately good reviews that it gets. During my two weeks with the camera, I found it in some ways to perform better than any other digital camera I have ever used, and in some ways to perform very poorly.
  
  Let's start with the good. Any shots in very bright light turned out great using both the manual settings and the camera's automatic settings. If you take all outdoor shots, this is just about the greatest point and shoot camera in the world. Video also looks pretty dang good, and while not a feature I considered when buying the camera, it was something I used quite often. The controls were all easy enough to use, and while the buttons and settings aren't the best designed things in the world, after playing around with the camera for an hour or so it's not too hard to figure out the main features and how to use them (although some features remain a mystery that even the manual couldn't solve).
  
  And on to the bad. While all my outdoor shots were excellent looking, especially for a lower priced digital camera, the camera was really not up to par on indoor shots. On its automatic settings, I found the camera to be rather 'stupid' in determining how to process the shot. Even in moderately bright rooms with plenty of indirect sunlight in the middle of the day, the camera loves to flash the immediate subject and darken the background. Photos in a well lit restaurant would come out with the subject looking pretty good and the background looking like we were in a medieval dungeon. And we were in Florida, so when I say a well lit restaurant, I mean pretty dang sunny.
  
  The manual settings performed much better indoors - many of the shots taken at 400 and 800 ISO on the manual setting turned out great. The only problem with these is that you experience quite a bit of blurring when there's not 100% sunlight outside, so for every good indoor photo there were 2 or 3 bad. And of course, if it happens to be dark outside, you get a huge amount of blurring. If one were to look at my photo of the Disney World castle at 7 pm, the automatic setting photo came out as a almost completely black photo with just the windows in the castle barely visible (and that thing is pretty bright). On manual, I had the choice of a blurry mess at 800ISO, or a moderately less blurry mess at 1600 ISO that was so grainy it looked rather like an old newspaper photo. The other digital cameras in the group were quite capable of taking a photo of people with the castle in the background and exposing them correctly while capturing the glowing castle, but the 870 was not.
  
  Of course, no inexpensive camera is going to function all that well in darkness, and I wouldn't expect it to. What I do expect from a camera this price is to be able to point and shoot a photo of friends in a well lit hotel lobby without blurring everything or coming out with completely darkened backgrounds. The 870 did not seem to be able to handle this at all, and photos in any lobby or lounge came out like we spent our vacation in the most dimly lit place on earth.
  
  As a side note, someone in our party brought their Fuji s700 digital camera, and in my opinion it outperformed the 870 in almost every aspect. The best 20% of the 870's photos looked a bit better than the Fuji's, but the other 80% didn't look anywhere as good. So, despite loving the size and features and most things about this camera, upon arriving home it was packed up and returned. I wouldn't pay more than $150 for something that performs the way the 870 did. Who wants a camera that becomes useless every day at 6:30 pm?
  
  
  

• Canon's best ELPH yet !!!

  
  By A8ECO7SJT29YD on 2007-09-15
  This camera replaced my trusty SD450. I loved the SD450, but I wanted to upgrade to something with image stabilization. To put it simply, the SD870 totally rocks! The 3" screen is beautiful to behold. It's even viewable outside with bright sunlight shining directly on it. And the pictures this thing takes are absolutely gorgeous! They are sharp as a tack, and the colors are spot on. I have to say, the image stabilization really makes a big difference, particularly when you are shooting in low light. I also like the new, wide-angle lens. It really comes in handy when taking group shots or shooting in close quarters.
  
  The only negative I can come up with is the lack of an optical viewfinder. I guess this is a sacrifice you have to make in order to get a screen this big on such a small camera.
  
  Pros:
  
  Sharp photos with great color saturation
  Optical image stabilization
  Speedy shot-to-shot time for an ultra-compact
  Bright 3" screen that's easy to view in all lighting situations
  Great movie mode
  28mm - 105mm (35mm equiv.) 3.8x wide-angle zoom lens
  Easy to use controls with intuitive GUI
  
  Cons:
  
  No optical viewfinder
  _________________________________________________
  
  Overall, I think the SD870 is just about perfect in every way, and I highly recommend it!
  
  

• The best 28mm p&s yet.

  
  By A33QF53KB4TY59 on 2007-09-19
  If you are looking for the best 28 mm p&s of it's class, you found it. If you are strapped for cash, you can opt for the SD800 which is similar but not the same. The SD800 is a smudge heavier, while having a smaller LCD. Image quality on the SD870 is on par with the 850, which in my humble opinion is pretty damn good. Despite the nay sayers, IQ is better than the 800. Barrel distortion/"soft corners" are present, as they are in all the p&s cameras with 28 mm, but it is hardly noticeable. They finally did away with the image finder as well. Why do consumers need it anyways? The 3 inch lcd is just beautiful to look at, and for all intents and purposes of a camera like this, it does a great job.
  
  The thing is lighter than it's predecessors, but definitely not worse in build quality. They used heavy duty blast type plastic to reinforce everything. The thing is light. It's small. It's definitely easy to use. Image quality is great for a ultra compact. Definitely worth the money if you're looking for an upgrade to the SD800. I can't stress enough how very happy I am with the camera.
  
  

• Love the wide angle lens and big LCD

  
  By A3NVCU8NWP2J86 on 2007-10-07
  This is my 3rd digital camera and the first that didn't require studying the manual to figure out which buttons and submenus to use for various functions. I've had the 870 for a month and it's performed well in both dark rooms and in bright outdoor light. The shutter delay in daylight shots is negligible and a big improvement over previous cameras. The movie function is also pretty cool. Battery life is great and the intuitive menu and symbols on the large LCD don't require magnifying glasses to read. But my favorite feature is the wide angle lens--the advantage was really obvious when comparing group shots from other point-and-shoot ultracompacts at 2 birthday parties. My only disappointment are the flimsy plastic doors for the battery and USB port (why I only give it 4 stars). These items are what broke on my Optio S and forced me to retire it after 2 years of light use. I'll be babying these doors with the hope that I don't lose my $400 investment in the near-term.... The LCD and case also pick up micro scratches pretty easily so I wish Canon had provided some thin surface cover.
  
  
• Very portable
  By A1TLJTEGDZJDV5 on 2007-10-10
  I had one of the A series Canon cameras before and it lasted about 3.5 years. When I decided to buy a new one, I looked at the A series again because the picture quality from these cameras is amazing. At the last minute I decided on the Elph series because I find that the more portable the camera, the more likely I am to use it, and the more I use it, the more likely I am going to get excellent pictures. This year's model does not have a viewfinder, but I *never* used the viewfinder on my A series. This one has a bright, big LCD that is easy to see even in direct sunlight. On the downside, you will still get fuzzy images when the camera is fully zoomed out. It has an image stabilizer, but I still get fuzzy images, even with what I think is a steady hand. I suggest you take one or two extra images when zoomed out to make sure one is clear. A couple of times I have had the message "memory card error" pop up on the screen. If I turn the camera off and on, it seems to fix it. Hopefully Canon will come out with a firmware update to fix this problem.
  
  
• I have tested a lot of cameras and...
  By A1HHBAKULBA3GQ on 2007-11-30
  This one is the BEST! First off, it is a point-and-shoot camera, so no matter what company or model you buy there is going to be a trade off for the size of the camera. I have tested the Canon SD950, SD750 and the Sony T-200. The Sony was cosmetically the coolest looking camera, but the picture quality was nowhere near any of the Canons. The SD950 was bigger and bulkier than the other Canons and 12MP is overkill for a point-and-shoot. I narrowed it down between the SD750 and the SD870. The 750 is a little smaller and lighter than the 870, and the 870 has an extra mega pixel, image stabilization and a little more optical zoom. However, the wide angle lens on the 870 made it an easy choice in my opinion. The 870 will fit in you pocket and take excellent quality pics.
  
  
• Excellent camera withvalue and quality
  By A1AHUWJEBOTSKJ on 2007-10-08
  Pros
  
  Excellent pictures and and the large LCD screen is crystal clear. load up time is significantly faster than the popular Sony cameras. It's a point and shoot, not load and wait then shoot. The cannon was fast in starting up and was able to point and shoot a picture within 2 seconds. A lot of useful features and some not so useful like the color replacements and enhancements but that might be good for the creative shooter. I normally shoot with a digital SLR and picked this one up for my wife. Actually, I have been using this camera because it was fast and easy while quickly producing excellent results! The printer I am using is the new Epson DASH printer because it produces excellent results and can easily print right formt eh camera using PictBridge.
  
  Cons
  
  Easy to get fingers in the way of the flash and the zoom button may take some while to get used to due to location. Produces a quite a bit of Red-Eye so be forewarned. I was surprised the flash is not a TTL (through the lens) as the flash can saturate pictures especially indoor shots. Would have been nice if the flash could have rotated upward to the ceiling.
  
  
• Got this for my wife for our 2nd Anniversary
  By A17KFQ0LMNWYAO on 2007-09-12
  This is such a great camera. The 3 inch screen stands out even outside. I love the wide-angle lense which allows you to get those people to the side when taking a group picture. There are many different shooting modes made for just about any situation. I have the SD550 and this is definitely a great upgrade to it. The image stabilization works even at full optical zoom and the face detection really does make a difference. I'm more than happy with the purchase and we hope to use this camera for many years to come. Definitely recommend to those who want the best for the money (IMO)
  
  
• A great camera with some annoyances
  By A1MY46RGWIBVJS on 2008-01-25
  Although this is a great camera there are two minor annoyances I would like to highlight.
  
  ANNOYANCE 1: It has a USB connection but it works in a non-standard way. It *only* works on Windows or Mac with the supplied software (and there is at least one Linux solution available -- gphoto2). This poses a problem when plugging it into the USB port on a TV that can read and display images and sound from a USB device -- they know nothing about the proprietary interface presented by the camera and therefore cannot display the contents. It is an example of the trouble that can be caused by not abiding by formally recognized standards. (I would expect this from Sony, but not Canon!) But the simple work-around is to remove the card from the camera and, using a USB SD-reader, plug it directly into the TV. See RECOMMENDATION 1, below.
  
  My previous camera had a setting that allowed it to work in "mass storage" mode (I think that's what it was called). This allowed me to plug it into any USB port and read the card as if the cameras wasn't even involved. I couldn't find such a setting on this camera. Maybe I just haven't figured that out yet. I hope someone can correct me. If so I'll edit this review.
  
  ANNOYANCE 2: You can only date/timestamp your photos in one of the shooting modes (postcard). Why Canon would impose this limitation is mystifying.
  
  I also have a few recommendations:
  
  RECOMMENDATION 1: You will need to get an SD (or SDHC) card for your camera as the one supplied with the camera has much too low a capacity to be of practical use. The manual even states that not all camera features will work with the supplied card.
  
  I found the following and just received it from Amazon:
  
  SanDisk 4 GB Extreme III SDHC Card with MicroMate USB 2.0 Reader (SDSDRX3-4096-A21, Retail Package)
  
  It is quite nice and includes a small USB device that works perfectly as I described in the paragraph above. In the picture at the link, notice that the USB device is not much larger than the SDHC card itself, making it easy to toss into any camera bag that has room for a spare SD card.
  
  RECOMMENDATION 2: I wanted something to protect the camera as I carry it around, but I didn't want to negate the "ultra-compact" advantage of true portability. I found the following which is just the right size and the camera still fits in a shirt pocket when in the case.
  
  Case Logic UNZ-2 Small Black Case.
  
  
  Be sure to get a UNZ-2. Amazon has mostly UNZ-3, which is too big. The link's product dimensions make no sense, but I have a UNZ-2 and it is the right size. There are other colors available.
  
  RECOMMENDATION 3: I also wanted a case that could be used for travel -- something that could carry the camera, its charger, spare battery, spare SD card, etc. I found the following which is large enough for all that. It can hold the camera even when it is in the case above. And it is still small enough to throw in a glove compartment. It wouldn't take up much room in carry-on luggage either.
  
  Case Logic TBC-3 Camera Bag
  
  rcp
  
  
• P&S Perfection
  By A1PQBS3QMFCHDF on 2007-09-30
  The Canon sd870 IS features everything I could ever hope for in a point and shoot camera. If you can live without an optical viewfinder and are careful around the battery doors, I'd tell anyone looking for a digital camera to look no further than this model.
  
  Canon's, as a general rule, are great performers and this camera goes above and beyond expectation. Image quality is spot on! The image stabilizer does help (just don't expect miracles). The slightly longer (and wider) than average zoom lens is just a treat. It's pretty speedy (won't set any records, but it won't hold you up either). One thing I thoroughly enjoy about this camera (especially over the Canon sd900 I'm upgrading from) is that it shows you the battery level on the LCD screen (whereas the sd900 would only alert you when the battery is dead or dying).
  
  I'll also say that the back of the camera is a little full, so you might just want to check one out in person to make sure the design suits you well. I find it a little cumbersome to have to fumble around with my thumb, especially to see the indicator light, but it's a minor annoyance I'm only too happy to accept when there's so much else to love about the camera.
  
  
• On/off
  By A2BEJ4D7FEK1LV on 2007-11-25
  I thought this was a great camera. I've had the powershot sd 600,630,750,850. The reason I liked this camera so much was large LCD screen other then that it's pretty much like the 850. The negative about this camera is the placement of the on and off switch. Everytime I'd open my camera case to take a pic the camera would already be on. Also a few pics would have white spots and at first I thought the lens was dirty but i read at the canon website that it occurs when theres a dirty/dusty spot. So I only had the camera 2 weeks but in those 2 weeks it made me miss the sd850, i just gotta live without the 3.0 LCD
  
  
• I hate this camera. . .
  By A2AMUWTLXQI1C9 on 2008-03-29
  This camera is flawed.
  I've owned it since December 07. I am not impressed with the pictures it produces - realistic distance for the flash to work properly is about half of what it claims. ISO setting is either 800 or 200 - I have never seen it choose anything in between.
  This thing is FRAGILE! Carrying around a baby chick would be easier to deal with. Stick it in your pocket at your peril - there is no time delay on the on off switch so it WILL turn on in your pocket on occasion with one simple press of the button. The lens broke in a period of 3 three weeks due to this problem. Sending it in to the factory to get it fixed under warranty was a nightmare - they claimed I dropped it (this is after speaking with someone and sending off a letter explaining what I believed happened). Nobody read the letter - the first line of which was "This camera has NOT been dropped". I got and email a few days later with the comment "This camera has been dropped". >< -$100 grrrr
  I got it back and now the screen is splotched - big old dark spot on the LCD display. Awesome! Nice work guys! I sooooo want to buy another Canon product!
  I want my money and my time back.
  There was something good about it but, for some reason, I can't think of what that was right now. . .
  .
  
  
• Great camera but poor build quality.
  By A377LGKL9V1GT on 2007-12-21
  First of all, Amazon is great. They've responded quickly to my concerns and have taken care of me well.
  
  This is a great camera. It's a Canon. What's so great about the SD870 is that it has a wide angle lens. It's perfect for taking group photos and people. I wont bore you with the other details because I am sure you've already read about them.
  
  So here are the cons of this camera.
  1. I previously had a SD450 in my pocket all the time. This is its replacement. I never had issues with the camera accidentally turning itself on with the SD450. The power button on the SD870 is too sensitive or poorly placed because it has accidentally turned on a few times.
  
  2. The build quality is very questionable. The first one Amazon sent had a cluster of dead pixels on the camera's sensor end. (The red dots showed up on the view finder and on the computer screen). Without hassle, Amazon sent me another one.
  
  The other one worked fine until it developed an artifact. I keep the camera inside an Oakley sunglass bag in my pocket so it's well protected. So, I tried cleaning the lens and the artifact remained. The artifact I speak of is a consistent patch of darker color on the picture. My brother who also purchased this camera from Amazon is having the same problem.
  
  I really hope these problems are because of bad batch because I really like this camera.
  
  For background, I've owned a Canon A10 and SD450. I also own a Canon 20D and love photography.
  
  
  
  
• I bought two of these and they are a hit!
  By A3KTTW7UVZ8WIA on 2008-05-21
  Cameras typically boast 10x, 12x, 18x optical zoom and that's fine for birdwatching and the like (no don't take portraits with that unless you like flat faces) but few point-and-shoot cameras offer a 28mm-equivalent wide angle lens, with Image Stabilization to boot.
  
  Buy this with a spare lenmar NB-5L equivalent battery, and a good capacity SD card - at least 2GB, and you won't be sorry at all. The 28mm wide lens can take excellent indoor shots.
  
  Wide lenses bring in more light so you're more likely to get pictures at better ISO settings (less grainy) and the IS capability allows you yet a lower shutter speed since shake is eliminated.
  
  With the massive 3" screen, you can pretty much view the shot as it will appear on your computer or in a print, and the 4x6 bars as well as the gridlines will assist you in getting nice printable 4"x6" shots. You won't miss the optical viewfinder. People complain, but I've never used the optical viewfinder when I've had this huge screen. Remember, the medium format Hasselblads boast of allowing you to look at your shot with both eyes and not force you to squint through a small hole. The spare battery will make up for any power consumed by the LCD.
  
  A small room, a scenic view, people shots (especially if you don't want to get your subject conscious by pointing at him or her) all are possible with the wide view - the focus is intelligent enough to catch off-center subjects.
  
  I particularly like IS for getting those artistic blurs. Normally if you take a picture with a low shutter speed, there's the blur from subject movement, and the blur from your camera shaking. Eliminate the camera shaking blur and you get wonderful, artistic motion captured in a still. A street in a busy city, with people moving and blurring just enough to suggest motion.
  
  The diminutive size of the elphs helps in keeping them highly portable, always accessible (by the time you pull your DSLR out, your shot is gone) and the wide angle and IS features only make this camera well worth its modest price. 8MP is much more than enough, you don't need to squeeze more pixels than you will ever use. At 300dpi, an 8 MP image will get you a good poster print without a problem. The full-screen (640x480, 30fps) video capture rivals that of a decent camcorder, except you've already got your clip while your camcorder is still awaiting fumbling in your bag.
  
  Suggestions: Don't use the flash in low light. Make do with IS and push ISO to 200 and you will still love the pictures. Turn off red-eye flash and digital zoom, both are bad ideas. Any computer can correct red-eye, which is better than using the blinking red-eye flash that renders subjects blind. Digital zoom? You can crop and enlarge on the download and storage software (e.g. iPhoto) instead of forever pixelating (= ruining) your image inside the camera.
  
  
• Easily the best of the lot
  By A98K1PP79RAOV on 2007-12-04
  I extensively researched, tested and compared the Sony T200/70, Canon SD800, and SD870. While the Sony T200/70s are sleeker, more stylish, and have touchscreen displays, they suffer from poor picture quality and LCD screens - grainy/noisy pics, and slightly pixelated LCD, especially the T200.
  
  The SD800/870s take much superior pics with a high-quality LCD display. The wide-angle lens rocks big-time - almost 33% more detail in shots. The main difference between the SD800 and 870 is that the 870 has a 3 inch LCD (800 has a 2.5 inch LCD, with the optical viewfinder) and no optical viewfinder. The bigger screen is worth the extra bucks, in my opinion - but if you wanna save some $, then the 800 does everything else the 870 can.
  
  The SD870 almost delivers on everything - great wide angle lens, great quality pics, LCD screen visible even in bright sunlight, easy to use and pocket.
  
  On the downside, the body build is not very solid, due to use of plastic parts, it has no HD video mode (only VGA), and there is no zoom in video mode.
  
  It still gets 5 stars, because it comes way ahead of its competition. Easily the best in its category.
  
  
• Best Point and Shoot Camera Available
  By A1XXXATJ6CN8HZ on 2007-12-20
  With all the digital cameras to choose from, it is difficult to know which one is best for you. To help narrow the choices, I had a few guidelines in mind:
  
  1. Cost no more than $300
  2. Must have excellent image quality.
  3. Must have optical image stabilization.
  
  There are many cameras available for that price point, so I checked the reviews of all the latest models. Any camera that had image problems mentioned in a review was removed from my list. I also wanted image stabilization to improve our chances of getting clear sharp pictures. You may have only one opportunity to take that shot, so IS is a must have in my opinion.
  
  This search led me to the Canon SD800 camera series. I ended up choosing the SD870 because of the larger 3" LCD. I have little kids that love to see the pictures you just took, so I thought a bigger LCD would make viewing with 3 kids huddled around the camera easier.
  
  After playing around with the SD870 for a while, I'm very impressed with it. The larger LCD was a big hit. Who needs a viewfinder when you have this nice LCD to look at? I had no problem using the LCD outside with the sun directly behind me. If you are worried about saving battery power, bring an extra battery.
  
  The image quality is fantastic. Be sure to set the camera at ISO 80 and enable auto ISO shift. This will force the camera to use ISO 80 whenever it can and only increase the ISO only when necessary. At ISO 200 and above, noise in the image becomes more apparent.
  
  Taking video with the image stabilization is a treat. The video is so smooth that is looks like you are using a camera boom. I only wish the camera allowed the lens to zoom in and out while recording video. You can zoom prior to starting your video, but I don't understand why you can't zoom while recording.
  
  What really impressed me is this is the first camera that I owned that could take pictures in our kitchen without having the colors come out reddish. Even with a Canon XTi DSLR, I had to set a custom white balance to get the colors to come out right. The SD870 got it right automatically.
  
  Overall, I am very happy with the camera. I think it is worth the extra money to get the larger LCD. Having the wide angle lens and a bunch of shooting modes is just icing on the cake.
  
  
• Poor battery life, on of button too easy to activate.
  By A3GCMTLOX7RZ8I on 2007-12-01
  I had about 8 different digital cameras from $300 to $1,300 and generally I'm happy with Canon. It looks to me each new one is a beat worse. More mega pixels means more memory it will use not necessary clearer picture. Better quality picture comes from high quality lance. Some 5 MP cameras that I have used have better picture quality then this one.
  
  
  
• Horizontial Black line across the LCD
  By A2YK916XVE8BLX on 2008-01-03
  I spent a lot of time researching cameras and found that the 870 IS best fit my needs. Within a month after purchase, a small black horizontial line appeared in the middle of the LCD. Now after about a month, the line has extended completely across the screen and the thickness of the line has increased. The camera still takes good pictures, but it is extremely frustrating every time I take a picture. I would not purchase again.
  
  
• Comparing Canon PowerShot Digital ELPH cameras
  By A10G4BPT5MGBHY on 2008-06-09
  As a travel writer I spend a lot of time at Walt Disney World, and Canon PowerShot Digital Elphs are the most common cameras I see. Families seem to love them, because they're so easy to carry and operate. About the size of a deck of playing cards, each of these "pocket cameras" really do slip right into a pants pocket, and their rectangular designs make them easy to grip. Best of all, they all take good photos. (How do I know? Because I've actually gotten to use every one of these models. Nearly every day guests ask me to take photos of them with their own cameras, which most often are Canon PowerShot Digital Elphs.)
  
  Here's my breakdown of the ten bestselling Digital Elph models. Any of the first six are superb choices:
  
  1ST PLACE: SD1100 IS
  An update to the SD1000 (see below), this 2008 8MP beauty adds image stabilization, a slightly longer zoom (38-114 mm), another MP of photo size and a small indent on the right side for a better grip. Plus it comes in colors! My daughter has a blue one and uses it every single day. During school days the image stabilization made a real difference in her on-the-bus shots. With that heavy of use hers has gotten scratched up a bit, but the marks are small and hardly noticeable.
  
  2ND PLACE: SD870 IS (The camera on this page)
  The ELPH to buy if you want a wide-angle lens. Slightly thicker than the SD1100 IS, this 8MP model doesn't have an optical viewfinder which makes it tough to use in bright sunlight, otherwise there's little not to love. My husband uses one as a comp camera, to compose shots for the travel guide "The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World."
  
  3RD PLACE: SD770 IS
  Just released in May, this 10 MP model is, in a way, an update of the SD1100 IS (see above). I rate it lower because it costs about $50 more and doesn't come in colors. On the other hand, it has a longer battery life than the 1100 and features an improved LCD screen that is very easy to view. As for photo quality, I can't tell the difference.
  
  4TH PLACE: SD950 IS
  There's a lot to like in this 12.1 MP camera. First off, it's gorgeous. The body, though a little thick, is titanium. An upgrade to the SD850 IS (see below), it has a 3.7x zoom lens and adds manual controls as well as the ability to stitch together panoramic images. The only reason I don't rate it higher is the price.
  
  5TH PLACE: SD890 IS
  Want a long zoom lens? Here's your baby, a 2008 10 MP model with a 5x zoom. Also has the new bright LCD screen and all the other 2008 Canon goodies. The most expensive Canon PowerShot ELPH.
  
  6TH PLACE: SD790 IS
  With the same 10 MP image sensor and 3x zoom lens as the SD770 IS, this 2008 model stands out only for its larger 3-inch LCD display and, as a result, lack of optical viewfinder. The rear controls are different, too, with a flatter design that uses fewer buttons.
  
  7TH PLACE: SD1000
  In my opinion there's no reason to buy this 7.1 MP model. Released in 2007, it's been replaced by the SD1100 IS (see above). The SD1000 is a fine camera but it doesn't have image stabilization, a key feature of the 2008 lineup.
  
  8TH PLACE: SD850 IS
  The ancestor to the SD890 IS, this 8 MP Elph combines a 4x zoom and 8 MP photo size with an image stabilizer. Every button, dial and switch has a quality feel. Slighter larger than the other models here, it is a little tougher to pop in and out of your pocket, but if you have larger hands it may be just what you are looking for.
  
  9TH PLACE: SD800 IS
  This 7.1 MP predecessor to the 870 doesn't focus well at its edges when set at its widest angle. Unless it's priced really cheap, get the 870 instead.
  
  10TH PLACE: SD750
  The 2007 PowerShot flagship offers a light meter that adjusts for facial brightness, 17 shooting modes, some first-rate movie features and red-eye correction -- features that were innovative a year ago but are common in Canon's latest models. No image stabilization; no optical viewfinder. Choose a 2008 model instead.
  
  
• Just a great camera!
  By AUDGBHV3PW0AY on 2007-10-23
  Omigod, this camera is great! I've had it for three weeks and take it everywhere. It fits in a shirt or pants pocket. It's just a little smaller than a pack of cigarettes to reference its size. The 28mm wide angle is perfect for including everyone in a photo. The macro shots are breathtaking!
  A pleasant surprise is its ability to take a low light or even nighttime shot. This camera is so versatile and has practically replaced lugging around my bulky Nikon D200.
  If you are unsure of purchasing, get it at any Costco. They have a 90 day return policy with no questions asked. That's what I did. I won't return it. It's with me all the time and I am amazed at how the 3 inch monitor shows me the photo as I tweak its vivid color settings or ISO.
  I can't say enough great things about this little camera! The pictures are always stunning and a thrill to download and see on any monitor.
  To me, if there is any downside, it's that it's a little slippery smooth in my hands and doesn't have a grippy feel to it. But Canon gives you a small nylon wrist rope or string that I thought was silly at first but is perfect for securing to your hands.
  
  
  
• Love the wide angle!
  By A12Q2L7RG5IVUH on 2007-10-30
  I was a professional photographer in a former life and I must say that this camera fits my bill for small and powerful. The wide angle is great for panoramic as well as excellent full framed close up portraits! I love the slow synchro too, makes for great indoor and night shots with the flash. I only wish I could find a screen protector because im in the desert and afraid its going to get scratched.
  
  
• Great little camera
  By A3AVWA19RCFPBG on 2007-11-17
  Received this camera as a birthday present from my family. It took me awhile to get used to using a camera with only an LCD screen, but it's so large (3 in.) and clear, high resolution, that I got the hang of it quickly. The learning curve re: buttons/functions was not steep since I have had Canon cameras before. Took first pictures on a walk along a creek with leave changing and was very pleased with quality. The plastic components (battery cover, etc.) are the only negatives that I've found - covers seem flimsy and likely to break. But I'm very happy with the size, quality of pictures and wide angle lens and good image stabilization function.
  
  
• Totally happy I bought this camera
  By A1EM1Y3EAEE8EU on 2008-07-31
  I wanted to replace an aging digital Canon Powershot camera earlier this month, and started my research at cnet.com and amazon.com. I thought it would be a question of reading a few articles, narrowing the list down to a few cameras, and then reading reviews about it on those two websites and bingo, I would end up with the perfect camera for my situation and needs. Boy, was I wrong!
  
  First off, there are probably about a thousand decent camera models out there that would satisfy anyone but the most diehard camera professional. I am an average, non-expert user who craves convenience, ease of use, low shutter lag, ease of carrying around, and reasonably good quality pics in most lighting and situations. Nothing fancy.
  
  After reading amazon users' comments about the models that cnet's editors recommended, I realized there were a LOT of models out there that I could buy that would satisfy my criteria listed above. I ended up researching this for over 15 days, for hours at a time after work and on weekends.
  
  Here is a summary (in no particular order) of why I chose this camera and why I like it, after two weeks of intensive use on vacation in Russia:
  
  1) Ease of use - I had to refer to the manual only once or twice as I took hundreds of pics and many video clips in different situations and lighting.
  2) Relatively slim and light to carry around in my shirt or pant pocket.
  3) Wide-angle lens - most of my pics tend to be of people, whether in posed photos or candid shots. This model has a roughly 28-105mm equivalent optical zoom (hence the 3.8x designation, i.e. 105 divided by 28). Unless you regularly take pics of distant objects or wild animals, you don't need 12x or 18x optical zoom. Sure, more zoom is better, but it comes at the cost of increased bulk. And increased bulk means you are less likely to take your camera with you and take pics.
  
  The wide angle means better group shots. That's why I did not buy any other model that had 5x zoom in a slim body, for example - because almost all of them had lenses that started from 35 or 38mm, and those don't fit people into the shots as well as a wide angle lens does.
  
  4) Reasonably high mega pixel count. 8MP is good enough, unless you regularly take pics that you want to blow up into large sizes for printing.
  5) Optical image stabilization - very good feature, because it cancels out camera shake and results in better pictures.
  6) Good-quality video clips that are very easy to shoot. Plus, the built-in microphone on this model is powerful and picks up conversations from across a room in video mode. Or, you can record your own commentary on top of a video clip afterwards.
  7) Reasonably low shutter lag - unless you buy an expensive (and necessarily bulkier) digital SLR or megazoom camera, you are going to get some shutter lag on any digital camera. The question is, can you live with it if it is low enough? This model's shutter lag is not bad at all.
  8)Canon quality. There is a reason that Canon's at the top of the heap in digital cameras, and this model's further proof of it.
  9) Rechargeable battery that comes with its own (relatively slim) charger. I had carried along a voltage converter and different plugs for use with my other devices in Russia anyway, so this was a big plus for me. Using disposable batteries usually increases the camera's weight.
  10) Beautifully crisp, large (3") LCD screen. I did not feel the absence of an optical viewfinder at all, since using the screen even in broad daylight was so good and so convenient.
  11) Good-quality pics.
  
  Websites used in my research - cnet, amazon, pcmag.com, among many.
  
  Other models considered - Canon's SD970is, 850is, 890is, 950is, 1100is; Nikon Coolpix S600 and S550; Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ8S; Olympus FE-350. I read about some of Sony's point and shoot cameras, but did not want to buy them because everything about Sony is proprietary, which means every single item related to their products needs to be only Sony's and, naturally, costs more.
  
  Finally, a note on the fact that this model is almost 10 months old now. Initially, this was a downer for me, despite the numerous awards and favorable user reviews it has garnered. There was one expert review on a British website that finally put it in perspective for me - to wit, that newer models from a particular brand aren't necessarily improvements over the older ones and that if you like the features of an older model, to go ahead and buy it.
  
  I would highly recommend this particular model from Canon. Buy with confidence. And oh btw, though I checked a ton of websites, amazon had the best price on it, as usual.
  
  
• Best Point and Shoot Currently Available
  By AZMXM99U0C80R on 2007-10-17
  Having had many point and shoot cameras in the past, I feel this is the best ever for the pricfe point. Although some others have a more powerful optical zoom, the wide angle lens and speed more than make up for it. Also, the camera is super fast to start up and shoot. Even with a primitive 2 GB SD card, the camera writes quickly and is ready to go. Canon's new interface is slick, and the only thing I would add is WIFI. Hope this helps.
  
  
• What could be better?
  By A2ZBWW93WX147W on 2007-12-28
  First, my apologies to the extreme photo enthusiasts out there who typically write these reviews. They speak of chromatic aberration, barrel distortion, noise at high ISO settings, the need for a view finder, and the like. I am not one of you. You are great and I love to read that stuff, but I needed a camera that had a big, clear display, was simple to operate, and takes great snapshots at family gatherings and on vacations.
  
  If you are like me, then get this camera. It has a big, clear display, it is simple to operate, and it takes great snapshots at family gatherings and on vacations.
  
  My wife and I were dazzled by the display. It is beautiful, even in bright sunshine. That is probably my biggest complaint with the reviews I read on this camera, that the LCD is not good in bright sunshine. Those reviewers are wrong. Even with my poor eyesight I have no trouble framing my shot and then viewing the resulting photo in any lighting conditions except the darkest of rooms, where even a view finder would have problems.
  
  This camera has a LOT of options, but the options that I use the most are right there and as simple to find as any digital camera I looked at, and I looked at a lot of cameras. The options I need the most are:
  
  1. On-Off. Sounds stupid, but on some cameras, this is not that easy.
  2. Shutter button. Big and easy to find by touch.
  3. Zoom. The toggle for this is small, but it is a small camera. On all small cameras the zoom buttons are small. I like the toggle right up there by the shutter button. You can easily move your finger from the shutter button to the zoom and back without looking.
  4. Flash on-off. Done with the little round rocker on the back. The little round rocker on the back is small and the icons on it are hard to see for older people, like myself. However, this is a problem for all small cameras. It's just a tradeoff you make when you get a small camera. It has to be small to fit on the small camera. Once you find it though, it is easy to remember, plus when you touch this rocker, a larger representation of it appears on the screen. This will help you find the flash on-off function.
  5. Timer. It is on the little round rocker also.
  6. Reviewing the photos that you already took. This function is a little bit complicated on every digital camera I have ever seen. On the SD870IS, it is about as simple as any I have seen. It is something you have to practice if you want to be able to do it quickly and seamlessly.
  7. Getting the photos off the camera. I have played with the software that comes with the camera and it is OK. No better and no worse than other software I have seen and tried to use. Rather than mess with it and also train my wife on how to use it, we just prefer to do it the way we did it with our old camera. Not real simple (certainly no more difficult than the Canon software), but we have a routine that works for us.
  
  The picture quality is great. Some flash shots are a little over-exposed, but we adjust that with Picasa. Easy to do. Over all, the quality of pictures we get is better than we got with our old digital camera, a Panasonic. It would take some great pictures but it was inexplicably inconsistent. Still, it was a fine camera that took a lot of abuse. Still works but it has a too-small display and we were ready to change after 5 years with it.
  
  One other little bonus...the camera is ready to go within a second or two of turning it on. That is a very nice feature. Some cameras take quite a bit longer. This is not a big deal for patient people, but it is nice.
  
  Are there negatives? So far I have found one little quibble. I agree with other reviews that finding a way to hold this camera is not intuitively obvious. You have to work with it to find a way to hold it without getting a finger in front of the flash, or to hold it with one hand. I think that is the price you pay when you buy a small camera that has almost the whole back taken up by an LCD display. But for me, the huge LCD display was one of the big selling points. And I must say that I was not ready for how beautifully this display works.
  
  I did not review the hundreds of other options with this camera because I probably won't use them much. But the Canon SD870IS fits my requirements very well. If your requirements are like mine, I encourage you to take a good look at it.
  
  
• great camera, so-so optics (lens distortion)
  By A1OPG0KPLWEG9V on 2008-01-10
  This camera has a superb user interface, and some cool features. Optics are not so good though.
  Pros:
  - Responsive user interface with excellent adjustments in manual mode which offers a custom setting with sharpness, contrast, saturation, and separate R/G/B levels!
  - In-camera editing with very effective red-eye removal; it amazingly detects where (even multiple) pairs of eyes are, and you can also manually point to any area you want to apply the reduction.
  - Good image quality even at lower light levers.
  - High-speed USB2 interface.
  - Good quality movie mode (and cool time-lapse movie mode)
  although optical zoom/autofocus don't work during capture
  
  Cons:
  - Red eye appears in every single picture I take with flash. The Panasonic DMC-TZ3 which I tried did not have this problem. I think the Canon's flash is too close to the lens. If Canon moved the flash to the corner of the camera furthest from the lens it would reduce the problem. Thankfully in-camera editing has good red-eye removal capability.
  - No USB mass device support, so I can't mount the camera; however "gphoto2 -P" downloads all files just fine on my
  ubuntu linux box.
  - Optics not good. I see glare in a several of my pictures (big, bright, circular spots if a light source shines direct on the camera at a specific angle). My old S40 did not have this problem. Also the lens has strong barrel distortion especially at wideangle, causing fish-eye images. If you take a picture of a building or picture frame so it almost fills the photo, you'll see lines severely bent at all 4 edges of the screen.
  Thankfully there is free software that corrects lens distortion, like fulla (part of hugin-tools) and clens,
  which use a free version of the commercial PTLens software camera/lens database. The SD870 / SD800 (also wideangle) cameras are not in that free database, so I came up with the right settings on my own which took a lot of effort.
  Here are the parameters I came up with, which I put in the canon_profile.txt file of the ptlens database (which I got from the hugin project page on sourceforge.net):
  
  begin lens
  group: canonSD800
  multiplier: 6.3
  menu_lens: Standard
  # a value: controls complex distortion near the image edges
  # b value: controls barrel distortion
  # c value: controls complex distortion near the center
  # multiplier: value multiplied by focal length to give 35mm
  # camera equivalent
  cal_abc: 4.600 0.020000 -0.052000 0.000000
  cal_abc: 6.142 0.010000 -0.030000 0.000000
  cal_abc: 7.564 0.005000 -0.018000 0.000000
  cal_abc: 9.107 0.002000 -0.009000 0.000000
  cal_abc: 10.833 0.001000 -0.005000 0.000000
  cal_abc: 12.672 0.000000 -0.003000 0.000000
  cal_abc: 14.694 0.000000 -0.001000 0.000000
  cal_abc: 17.300 0.000000 -0.000200 0.000000
  end
  
  begin camera
  group: canonSD800
  multiplier: 6.3
  menu_make: Canon
  menu_model: SD870
  exif_make: Canon
  exif_model: Canon PowerShot SD870 IS
  end
  
  You can add similar camera models like SD800, IXUS 850 IS, IXUS 860 IS, IXY 900, to reference the same lens entry.
  
  Here comes the best part: "fulla -p -l Standard *.JPG"
  will correct lens distortion of all your images appropriately!! It reads different focal lengs (how much you zoomed for each photo) from each image's EXIF header and applies the right correction parameters to it.
  
  I really wish Canon could do some processing in the camera to correct the lens distortion. That would not increase the camera cost like a premium lens might.
  
  This is a great little camera otherwise.
  
  Please comment on how my lens correction parameters work for you, if you have a chance to try them.
  
  
  
• Great camera, but don't expect miracles with kids
  By A3P0HWLWTQVJV5 on 2007-11-18
  After reading the reviews from here, I decided to buy the camera to see if it was a worthy replacement for my sd400. To make a long story short, the ultimate answer was no. Even though the backgrounds appear sharp, my 2 year old son was still always blurry in about 85% of the pictures. The IS only helps prevent shakes on your end. The fact that the burst mode was slower than my sd400 was dissappointing, especially as I had the pics set to only medium size. But the wa lens does take nice spanning shots and the still photos looked great in general. I would whole heartedly recommend the camera for anyone looking for a new camera, just don't expect miracles with kids.
  
  
• Nimble, tiny, capable point-and-shoot
  By A3SWLDY5FWIDNL on 2008-01-08
  I'm a DSLR user (the Pentax K100D is my main camera) who wanted a tiny camera I could always carry around with me, no matter where I go. But, being a DSLR user, I'm used to having complete manual control over my camera's operation. So when I went looking for a point-and-shoot I had these requirements:
  
  1. Tiny size - I wanted it to fit in a pocket, or in a cell-phone holster on my hip. Without this, I'm a lot less likely to have it with me all the time. The Canon certainly fits the bill here. I carry it in an iPhone holster.
  
  2. Wide angle - If you have a camera with a fixed lens, I think it's better to err on the side of wide. It makes it easy to get everything into the picture, particularly when photographing people. And now that I'm used to the Canon's lovely 28mm (35mm equiv) wide angle lens, I don't think I could go back.
  
  3. Good image quality - The camera should shine in ideal conditions, and allow you enough control to get a good image when conditions are not ideal. The perfect camera would have good low-light (high ISO) performance, but it seems that's nearly impossible to find in a point-and-shoot these days. At the very least, ISO 400 should not look like a poorly-tuned TV. Again, the Canon fits the bill. Image quality is generally very good, and ISO 400 is usable in a pinch. I would not take it above that, but I think you could say that of any point-and-shoot. Additionally, the Canon has a nice "Auto ISO Shift" feature. When using this you set the ISO where you'd like it and the camera warns you if it thinks the ISO should be higher. A press of a button will allow the camera to use the ISO it thinks is best, or you can leave the ISO at your own setting. It's a nice balance between manual and auto ISO control.
  
  4. Manual control - I wanted a camera that would allow me to set the aperture and shutter speed, or at the very least provide aperture-priority and shutter-priority modes. The Canon doesn't provide any manual features like this, unfortunately. The best it provides is "long exposure" mode, where you can set the shutter speed between 1" and 15".
  
  It seems there is no single point-and-shoot camera on the market today that fills all four of my requirements. But the Canon fills the first three, and it does a fantastic job of it. So much so, in fact, that I'm no longer concerned about having forgone total manual control. This camera provides enough control over the image that I don't think I will ever encounter a situation where I'll say "I can't get that shot".
  
  I compared this camera to three others: the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX33, and the Fujifilm Finepix F50FD.
  
  Both the Panasonics have a nice 28mm lens, and the TZ3 has an astounding 28-280mm zoom, but they don't seem to have the image quality of the Canon. In particular, their high-ISO performance is not as good.
  
  I almost bought the Fujifilm Finepix F50FD, because it's one of the few cameras with manual control. It's image quality and high-ISO performance are also on par with the Canon. Unfortunately, the Fujifilm has a very boring 35-105mm zoom.
  
  The Canon Powershot SD870IS is a very nimble photographic tool that's ready to respond to creative opportunity very quickly. It's the perfect camera for carrying around and grabbing snapshots of the kids, or for keeping with you when a larger camera setup would be too heavy or bulky. Overall, I'm very satisfied.
  
  
  
• Canon on the right track
  By A181QOZCMPKYA3 on 2008-03-05
  I purchased the Canon SD800IS last year and was ready to pickup the matching waterproof housing for my vacation to Maui. But after being questioned by friends on whether to upgrade from their SD750 to the SD870IS, I did some deeper research on the SD870IS, both online and at a local store for the hands-on experience. To my pleasant surprise, I found that the SD870IS more matched my shooting style and preference than the SD800IS even though the upgrade between models in minor. Thus, I bought the SD870IS along with the matching WP_SC17 underwater housing.
  
  What I liked:
  1) The "play" as a button keeping the camera in an always-ready-to-shoot mode instead of missing the shot because I didn't turn the mode dial.
  2) I could assign the "print/share" button to something else more useful; for me, it's instant movie mode.
  3) The time-lapse movie mode which takes a picture every 1 or 2 seconds up to 2 hours and creates a VGA 15 fps movie.
  4) The auto ISO boost which will bump the ISO up till the shaky hand icon disappears; this can be set to be done automatically or with the print/share button.
  5) The 3" LCD screen - big and beautiful.
  6) The now included battery-life indicator which has been missing from the ELF cameras since my original S400. It's not accurate, but does provide for some advance warning other than "your camera is about to shut off after the next shot."
  
  What I didn't like:
  1) The flash, while powerful for the size of the camera, is too close to the lens and will produce white flash orbs if there's any dust in the air. I have the same issue with the SD800IS. This is not a biggie as I prefer to take natural light photos anyways.
  2) The time-lapse movie mode is limited to 2 hours. 4 hours would be perfect to capture the sunrise on top of Haleakala in Maui.
  
  

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