272 of 279 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Canon gets it right with this mid-range SD series camera. Small and versatile!, October 20, 2008
This review is from: Canon PowerShot SD880IS 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver) (Electronics)
Last year, Canon SD870IS camera was a winner in the SD series and the SD880IS manages to offer even more at a lower starting price (than that of SD870IS last year).
>>>What's NEW?
--New DIGIC 4 technology, up from DIGIC 3 which tries to improve the camera performance in low light and at higher ISO - is it successful? I noted a slight improvement in some shots.
- Updated face detection technology. It helps the camera create better contrast for faces and does not bleach out all color from the faces in a shot. The Face Detection Self Timer is new, so if you want to take a group shot including yourself all you have to do is focus the camera on the group and then walk into the group. The camera will detect a new face and click the shot.
- A BIGGER CCD - 1/2.3" up from the previous 1/2.5" in the SD870 which allows for increase in MPs to 10MP (up from 8MP of SD870)
- 4X Zoom (up from 3.8X on SD870) and a wide angle which really helps with shots at close quarters (in a car/bus, of a large group etc.)
- Motion Detection is also new. On this mode the camera allows you to focus on a moving object or person by pressing the shutter half-way and then click the shot even though the object/person continued to move across the frame. Earlier, you would have got a motion blur if you tried to take the same picture
- The huge 3 inch LCD screen is the same as the SD870 but slightly improved technology gives you brighter playback in low-light which makes it easier to see the shots in replay. It does not have a viewfinder but I have never missed the viewfinder on my SD870 since Canon made the screen anti-glare. I'd take a bigger screen any day over a 2.5 inch screen with a viewfinder, but if you like to use the viewfinder to compose your shots you might need to look at the SD990 IS and drop another 100 bucks.
- Updated Scene Modes. It gives you the standard Canon modes like before: Auto, Manual, Digital, Color Accent (you can pick a color to retain in the shot and the rest of the picture will be black and white), Color Swap (swap a color in the pic for another) and Stitch Assist (take a panoramic pic by stitching together many shots).
The SD880 IS makes some additions to the special scene modes like Sunset and ISO 3200. The rest remain the same: Portrait, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Aquarium, Underwater, Indoor, Kids & Pets, Night Snapshot. I really like the special scene modes and use them extensively. According to Canon they are based on their library of shots and I agree that they really work very well to give me great pictures.
>>>The other Canon features are the same as before on this camera. Some that I find useful are as follows:
-Image stabilization, this is particularly helpful at higher zoom
- Single Shot and Continuous mode
- Colors you can set in the manual mode - Vivid, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Custom color (RGB adjustment)
- Movie mode - regular and also slow synchro (allows you to create interesting videos by shooting at timed intervals)
- On camera editing and Pictbridge (print directly from camera)
- Red eye reduction - the face detection technology minimizes red eye more accurately than before. If you still get red eye, especially when you're shooting indoors, I've found that this camera can take care of it automatically. You can select "red eye correction" option in the menu while in replay mode, the camera automatically searches for faces in the pic and removes the red eye and also allows you to do it manually if you want.
- Connect to TV with included cord and run slideshow with transition effects of your choice to view pics. Very useful while on vacation or at a friend's place.
- Allows you to erase pics by number of pics, or by date taken, or even by people vs. scenery/objects, a very useful feature in this age of high capacity cards
- You can record sound bites on pics to remember locations etc.
If you can take the time to read the manual, you will discover more features which allow for more creativity with this camera.
>>> Limitations:
- No viewfinder, I prefer the bigger screen but it may be critical for you
- Some chromatic aberration, common to most point and shoot cameras not just this Canon model
- If you're shooting at night in low light with full zoom the wide angle causes the camera to sometimes focus on the dust particles in between resulting in white orbs in the picture. I've taken care of most issues by setting the focus correctly by half pressing the shutter and using night mode but some orbs still show up in some pics especially if there is moisture in the air and I am using the zoom.
UPDATE 11/21/2008: Downgrading rating to 4 stars, this camera does have more "noise" than my earlier Canons.
>>>Summary
This camera is very well priced for the features it offers. If you are looking for a reasonably priced compact P&S that is still pocketable but gives you superior shots and more flexibility in composing shots (read wide angle), look no further. If you're looking for a smaller camera than SD880 that gives you superior performance, I recommend the SD790 although it does not have wide angle.
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208 of 218 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfection in a portable, feature-packed point and shoot camera, October 10, 2008
This camera hits all of the sweet spots for those wanting a powerful, small "point and shoot" camera with excellent speed and picture quality. What sets it apart from other cameras in this category is the wide angle lens. You can fit more into the picture especially group shots and landscapes. Also, because of the wide lens, you can zoom in on your shots without cutting off objects or people on the edges. Most other ultra compact cameras do not have this feature. I have used Canon's other wide angle compact - the SD870IS and loved it. This newer model adds many upgrades to that model: 10 megapixels, fast and powerful Digic 4 processor, motion detection, 4x optical zoom, intelligent contrast, self timer with face detection, and a smaller size for pocketability. Even though it is an excellent "point & shoot" it is also feature packed and can be adjusted manually with many different options and settings if you want.
Things to look for in any camera in the compact/ultra compact category:
- Picture quality, of course
- Image stabilization so shaky hands don't ruin the shot
- Fast shutter lag times and shot to shot times
- Face detection software
- Good OPTICAL zoom (not just digital zoom)
- Great battery life
- Large LCD screen
- Adequate megapixels to enlarge and crop your images when needed. Also to print larger sized photos.
This camera has all of the above.
PROS:
Wide angle lens
Excellent picture quality
10 megapixels
Image Stabilization
Face detection and a self timer with face detection
Ultra compact
Fast Digic 4 processor - Almost instant start-up & fast shot to shot
4x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom
Large 3" LCD screen
Motion Detection
Intelligent Contrast
Multiple pre-programmed picture modes tailored for the best shot
Easy to use controls and interface
Attractive
CONS:
No viewfinder (LCD only). Some prefer viewfinder - personal preference.
May be too small for some people - again, personal preference.
It's not cheap... But it is a good value. You might spend more, but you get a lot more.
I have taken many great shots with this camera since I've had it and really couldn't wish for more. This camera has got to be on anyone's short list when shopping for cameras in this category... Can you tell that I really, really like it?
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120 of 132 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Almost perfect Canon, October 11, 2008
This camera rocks, but it does fall short for the title "Perfect Camera". It has all the bells and whistles you expect from a compact digital camera. This new one even has this great timer function with face detection. What's so great about it is that it will start the countdown after it detects a new face in the camera. The wide angle lens is great for group shots, portraits, and the usual stuff with scenery and people. Yet, it only has a 4X optical zoom. This is not enough if you have a wide angle lens. In comparison, a camera with a 36mm equivalent will have a longer zoom even with a 3.7X optical zoom, such as the new SD990IS.
Canon Powershot SD990IS 14.7MP Digital Camera with 3.7x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black) Yet, it is good enough for everyday and for that special trip to Rome. But, forget about zooming in on that statue a few blocks away as it will not reach.
Although this camera has tons of features, it does not have enough manual functions for the enthusiasts. The new SD990IS has new manual functions to play with aperture, shutter speed, manual focus, and all the good stuff. I am guessing Canon will not add these manual settings in to the 800 line until later next year. This is too bad as the functions would make pictures come out even better with the ability to adjust settings to perfection.
All in all, this camera is great and would be a good replacement for any older 800 series such as the SD850 or SD870. I highly recommend it as long as you don't need any manual settings. The auto focus, DIGIC 4 processor, and the iSAPS will give you enough automatic settings adjustment to take quality pictures in a blink of an eye.
PROS:
10MP
3" LCD
DIGIC 4
28mm equivalent wide angle lens
more functions than SD870
CONS:
Only 4X optical zoom (typical for compacts)
Skimpy manual settings (typical for compacts)
Ugly 3 position slide switch on top of camera (why?)
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