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: A Nice Little one
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this one is because of it's low price & good quality. I got a D70s from Nikon with me, but the compact cameras from Nikon suck. No IS, no nothing.
So if you have a DSLR, don't compare the image quality with this Canon compact one. I can say that the image quality is acceptable while shooting outdoor with 28MM wild angle :)
Digital camera Review: A decent camera with you all the time?
Summary: 4 Stars
Look and feel
This camera is beautiful, sturdy and elegant.The dark grey finish is much nicer than your typical silver digicam.
Although it is an ultra compact camera it has a great balance. It's really small to fit in almost any pocket but it's not so tiny to feel crumped or unbalanced. The SD800IS is really small, but it feels pretty solid.
Lens and zoom
I really love the 28mm wide end. It's really useful for interior photography, landscapes and group shooting. Most cameras have a 35mm wide end. I really find the 28mm a more versatile option. The 3.8x zoom is good. In overall the focal length is very usable.
Image quality
It really is much better than any camera phone, yet it's not a dSLR. Image quality is very good, although in my opinion it's not excellent. After inspecting the photos at 100% size I found that a slight blur and some color aberrations came from the lens. OK, it's a small lens and a tiny sensor, and for most people this won't be a big deal, but I thought is good to tell you.
ISO performance and resolution
I mostly use ISO 80 for this camera, because it's kinda noisy with ISO 200 and 400, and ISO 800 is really awful. I really appreciate that Canon didn't go for a higher resolution, because with more pixels crammed in the same physical space you end with a lot of noise. And 7.2 megapixels are actually a very good resolution, enough for nice and detailed big prints.
Image Stabilization
Ok, it makes no miracles, but it's much better to have it than not. Camera shake is a problem with ultracompacts and if you turn of the flash the IS technology is a true life saver.
Scene modes & processor
The Digic III processor is a good improvement with better performance. The scene modes are actually very good. The SD800IS has not manual control for shutter speed nor aperture, ergo the camera is almost fully automatic allowing the photographer very little room for personal adjustment. If you are looking for a full manual, Tv or Av modes the SD800 is not for you, the camera is in command. The good news is, you have a good commander.
Display and Battery performance
The LCD monitor works very good under direct sunlight, but you even have a tiny yet usable optical viewfinder just in case. The battery performance is OK, but if you buy the camera consider buying an extra battery.
Speed and performance
The performance of this camera is actually pretty good. Autofocus is fast and accurate. In general de camera is very responsive and reliable delivering rich color and accurate exposure.
Value
Overall, what you pay is what you get: beautiful camera, very good images, fast response and reliability. You won't find a better camera at this price and category. Canon has a winner combo with an excellent balance regarding the lens-sensor-processor equation.
Conclusion
The Canon PowerShot SD800 IS is a very good camera that stands out of the crowd.
Digital camera Review: A good performer that seems to add a fisheye effect to pictures
Summary: 3 Stars
My wife and I wanted to replace a well used Konica Minolta X50 we've had for a few years and has had some pretty heavy use over the years. We really wanted a camera that had a 28 mm wide angle because sometimes it was hard to get everything in pictures with the X50 (which has 36mm wide angle). I really wanted to like the SD800IS because it seemed to take really nice pictures (good color and clarity), had a good image stabilizer, was much faster than our Minolta and a Panasonic FX-30 I tried, and even had a viewfinder in its small body. The viewfinder isn't the easiest to use because it is so small, but it works great in bright sunlight. At first it seemed like a great camera, but after looking at some of the pictures I had taken with the SD800 I ended up returning it. I realized some items were distorted, especially at wider angles and it bothered me. Items that were straight weren't straight in pictures taken by the SD800, almost like it was adding a fisheye effect. Parallel lines seemed further apart in the center and closer together at the edges. Its very noticable taking pictues of items with lines like a car grill, panel door, someone wearing stripes. It also seems to make people look fatter, especially if you take the picture in portrait instead of landscape.Digital camera Review: A good pocket DC
Summary: 4 Stars
Solid build with pretty cool metal body. Picture quality is good for a slim DC. Video quality is also good but not the best.
The biggest complain will be the location of zoom controller. My hands and fingers are normal size but feel hard to use and easy to make mistake.
Digital camera Review: A great Camera
Summary: 5 Stars
This camera takes great photographs and is very compact. The camera is so small that it can easily slip out of your hands. So I keep the lanyard that comes with the camera, on my wrist.