Canon PowerShot SD800 IS 7.1MP Digital Elph Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Image-Stabilized Optical Zoom by Canon
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Digital camera reviews of Canon PowerShot SD800 IS 7.1MP Digital Elph Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Image-Stabilized Optical Zoom
Digital camera Review: Best Quality Best Value
Summary: 5 Stars
I am an ex professional photographer. I do own more sophisticated equipment but wanted something to stick in my pocket when I'm on the go. After much research and reading other customer reviews I felt confident in choosing the SD800. The deciding factor was the Wide Angle feature. I just can't describe how incredible the pictures are. Very easy out of the box features. I have used this camera in some difficult situations just to see it's capabilities and am blown away by the performance. Best investment I've made in quite a while. Thanks Canon for a GREAT product.Digital camera Review: Best camera I've used
Summary: 5 Stars
The image stabilization feature in this camera really helps when taking pictures in low-light conditions. I also find the custom shoot mode very useful since it allows me to set up a group shot, then have it take multiple photos after a 10 second pause. That way we get at least one where someone isn't blinking.
It improved over the SD600 model by moving the toggle switch from the absolute corner of the camera where it would occasionally get bumped into video mode.
And 3.8x zoom is pretty dang good for a point and shoot. Yes, you can zoom to 15x, but anything after 3.8x uses digital zoom, which tends to degrade quickly.
Digital camera Review: Best camera brand in the world
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great camera. Anyone who shoots with a Canon will understand. There really isn't any comparison out there. The color is clean and warm. Highly recommended to anyoneDigital camera Review: Best digital camera I've ever had or used.
Summary: 5 Stars
This camera does everything I need. I can make longgggg movies; plus I can zoom while recording, the only draw back is the mic does clip a bit in loud band situations but that is forgivable for me as it's more of a video back up and candid movie feature. In my s400 I would have to adjust my settings before I started recording.I take awesome pics and adjust the settings to fit all situations. I'm in a band so I'm constantly in dark situations. I need to use the flash in order to capture the action, unfortunately the flash can kill the ambiance that is present, so I just disable flash and presto I have a great pic shot in low light. The image stabilization really does help. I had the canon powershot s400 and it was good, but I could never get a good shot with out the flash indoors.
Plus I almost forgot the MOST important feature. The wide angle lens. I looked at other canons with more features that were more up to date, but they didn't have the wide angle. That was a deal breaker. I am so glad to have the wide angle, I can get the entire room in the frame. I spoke to canon about this and in the future they are going to be putting wide angles on more cameras.
Digital camera Review: Best in class.
Summary: 5 Stars
Sure, there are some legitimate quibbles about the SD800. For example, while generally solid in construction, the USB and video out are hidden behind a remarkably flimsy cover. In fact, when you pull back on the lid, it feels as if the slightest additional force would break it, although so far so good. And, yes, as some reviewers have noted, the mode changing dial might be difficult for someone with clumsy fingers.
You also should know that, while it has a manual mode, this is a not a camera for someone who wants to tweak apertures or shutter speed. It's a point and shoot, after all. That's the category. If you want more, look elsewhere. So, that isn't a complaint. It's just a caveat to those who aren't fully sure what they want out of their camera.
Also, some have complained about the camera being "only" 7.1 mega-pixels. This kind of "insight" doesn't really help when looking at cameras as light, small, and easy as the SD800. Certainly, if you need to make prints bigger than 16 x 20 (after cropping), then perhaps you should be concerned -- and ought to be looking a something other than this point-and-click beauty. This camera is about a beautiful form factor, easy portability, and stunning pictures, not making posters.
These points being said, the SD800 is a very special camera. I've owned a number of digital cameras (Fuji, Nikon, and Canon), and checked out way too many cameras before I purchased the SD800. The picture quality is superb--the best I've seen under most conditions. It's incredibly fast on recharge, focus, flash, and picture snapping. It also has a wide-angle lens that grabs enough extra real estate (and people) to make far more stunning pictures than the typical lens on a point-and-shooter. The SD900's lens pales in comparison. I dare you to see for yourself!
As for overall build, this is a solid, virtually all metal camera. Would it survive a 12-foot fall? Maybe not. Few cameras would. My last Nikon broke on a 5-foot fall. That's life. Just keep it on a strap.
This is a great camera. The camera to get, in fact, if you want gorgeous pictures, a great lens, and more features than you can shake a stick at, including amazing optical image stabilization that really works, and software that identifies faces in a shot and makes sure they all look as great as they can.