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: SD800 failed after 10mo use - CANON would -not- honor warranty
Summary: 1 Stars
This is the second CANON digital camera that has failed, one after 2-years of use, the other after only 10mo use. The first camera was out-of-warranty so no repair was attempted. The second camera, an SD800, failed while still under "warranty".
CANON refused warranty service due to moisture damage found in the camera. The camera had seen significant use but was never exposed to significant moisture, e.g., it was never dropped in or splashed with liquid. In the real world it could easily have experienced a few drops of moisture.
As a retired engineer it is my opinion that these CANON cameras are -not- designed to stand-up to the rigors of the real world. They work well out of the box but are not robust enough to provide service for anywhere near as long as numerous film cameras I have used for decades with no significant problems.
I will move on to another brand in hopes of finding a more real world ready digital camera, one that is designed to resist damage from a few drops of moisture.
Digital camera Review: Fantastic point and shoot...
Summary: 5 Stars
This camera is really just a fantastic point and shoot. This camera has really pushed the limits in quality. Sometimes it really goes head to head with my Digital SLR. It is easy to hold in the hand, and very simple to use. I am still discovering the many shooting presets that it offers. I don't know what is out there to compare to this now, but I have had it for at least a year and I am completely satisfied with it's performance. You won't go wrong with this one.Digital camera Review: EH.....not like the old Powershots. IS is fragile.......
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought this to replace my SD600, which had an internal memory card error occur. This camera takes AWESOME picts....hardly ever blurry now.
BUT
it's not sturdy like they used to be. I dropped it from about a foot out of a side pocket while in a leather canon case, and the focus mechanism is shot. the image stabilization is all messed up now, and it is non-functional.
Powershot used to mean robust, and metal-cased. not anymore.
I had a S110 for 6 YEARS. i dropped it a BUNCH of times. From 4 feet to asphalt, to carpet, to concrete, sending the battery and memory card flying. I had DENTS on the case, pieces missing, and it still worked. I kept it as a shrine to the robustness of the design. this thing took ONE hit in a case 2 months old and is done.
great camera....just buy a hard padded case. no more thin cases for this one. Canon is turning into Mercedes-Benz....too much in one package for nothing to go wrong.
I am gonna get an SD1000....classic design, NO I/S, and a METAL case. My father has this and it's GREAT. I am on an SD200 right now, but i know it's gonna take it since it isn't feature laden with sensitive pieces.
Digital camera Review: Last Cannon for a while.
Summary: 2 Stars
I have had 3 Cannon digital camera's in the past and for the most part been happy until this model.
This model struggles with light contrasts when half of the picture is in shadow and the other is bright. Here are a few examples:
1. When shooting from a shadow or shade and taking a picture of something bright like a snow capped mountain or sun rise. Awful!!!
2. Taking a picture during dusk on the beach where the sun will be bright but the rest of the photo is dark. The camera just struggles to adjust.
On this latest trip i was on a friend had a DSC-T200 which took amazing photos of exactly the same things I did without having to tweak any settings. Plus if you do a feature comparison - they are not even close.
The choice is yours, but I might go the Sony way next time.
Good Luck!
Digital camera Review: Comparative Review - Canon SD800IS, Canon SD850IS and Panasonic Lumix TZ4
Summary: 5 Stars
Have had this camera for about 8 months now, and have taken over 1000 pictures. It is an excellent camera in all respects. While you read it over and over, the 28 mm wide angle lens really makes a difference.
Recently, there have been some promotions at a big box store with some other cameras, so 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 had 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 this camera. Based on the reviews, I understood that this camera had limitations, but did not realize how much the processor hobbled this camera's indoor performance.
So, for the SD 800IS, which is the one I will keep, here's the review:
PROS:
FAST: Very very very fast. As fast a digital camera as you will find. Noticeably faster than the SD 850IS, but they are close.
PROCESSOR: Excellent photos in a wide variety of conditions.
LENS: Wide angle lens is a real treat in a point and shoot. I shot 22 kids all on one staircase and all of them fit in the picture, and I did not have to walk back any steps (or wedge myself into a corner, etc. to do it). Also, outside, and especially outside, it is amazing what you will fit into a picture. At 4 x 6 did not notice any distortion, but as another review noted, I don't really look at the corners of a picture, so this is not really an issue.
SIZE: very small, fits anywhere.
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).
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 ideal, but it would be hard fitting a 28mm to 168mm in such a small package.
FLASH: Flash is a little weak (similar on the SD850IS), 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 850IS, 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.