PowerShot SD3500 IS 14MP 5x HD Digital Camera, Black

by Canon

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 5.6 x 2.2 inches ; 1.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• ASIN: B003BFSW9C
• Item model number: 4193B001
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (110 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,396 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 8, 2010

Product Description

Touch. It s always been the heart of communication. Simply put your finger to the brilliant 3.5-inch wide PureColor System Touch Panel LCD screen, and the versatile excellence of the Canon PowerShot SD3500 IS Digital ELPH is at your command. Naturally, a camera this smart and intuitive knows a few things about style. Color gleams, while smooth curves reveal a definite edge. Touch the future! PowerShot SD3500 IS Digital ELPH Body Lithium-ion Battery Pack NB-6L Battery Charger CB-2LY Wrist Strap WS-DC10 Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM USB Interface Cable IFC-400PCU AV Cable AVC-DC400

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

154 of 158 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent or Acceptable Depending on your Usage, February 28, 2010

By 

C. McCollum "-qvalis artifex pereo-" (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Canon PowerShot SD3500IS 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 3.5-Inch Touch Panel LCD and 5x Ultra Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black) (Electronics)

Alright, so the basic features of this camera (minus the tilt shift and fish eye, and the resolution) are pretty much the same as a previous model i owned.

I knew what to expect from this camera but with only a few slight improvements. It was the exact same cost as the model I had before (which thoroughly impressed me), so I had no problem switching it out for this one.

The full touch screen made two-handed menu navigation much easier to get through versus having to use buttons with the right and thumb on the left. basically you can safely hold the camera and use both thumbs (or even fingers depending on how you hold it) to use the screen. I dig the fluff features like tapping the side to navigate the photos and clicking (think iphone/ipod touch).

One piece that I will touch on here is the quality of the presets. While there are certain scene settings you would use for certain situations (snow fireworks, etc) they do not do a thorough or specific enough job explaining when you'd want to use this versus the "P" (program). The low light scene setting is the most disappointing. You can't simply flip it on and expect fantastic pictures as if you had a good natural light source. The flash is a default with this, so if you're trying to get something close-up in a darker setting, beware. Otherwise, the setting is OK with a flash, so long as you are not right up on the subject or trying to capture something reflective. I simply have personal presets that I picked out to avoid using the flash at all. Generally for low light settings, I opted to program my own so I can choose the ISO that fits it the best. Just know that the higher you set the ISO, the grainer you pictures will become. This is something that is a universal thing, not just specific to this camera. The same goes with digital zoom. This is a point/shoot camera so it DOES have limitations; I'm well aware of that, so if I need something i know it can't do, I just use my highzoom Fuji or DSLR NikonD3000.

You can't have a single camera that is going to be able to do everything perfectly. But I will say that unlike some other reviewers I found the quality that comes from this model in generalized scene settings or even auto is actually quite good compared to other cameras i've used over the years.

As for the HD video. I have to agree on that point. There was more that could have been done with it. But you know what? People forget this is a still-shot camera FIRST, and a VIDEO camera SECOND. Video recording is an feature, not a function. You will have less options and control with it. same goes for video cameras that take still shots. Often the MPs are lower, and the quality leaves a lot to be desired. The only exceptions are some of the DSLRs with video features, but smooth zooming is often a problem for most people with those. Solution? If you want great HD video recording, get a video camera. There's nothing easier than that.

Battery life is acceptable and about average compared to other model cameras, but if you plan on taking out for an entire day, I suggest picking up a second battery as a back-up. Being forced to use the LCD screen for everything drains the battery fast, but it does have an auto shut-off to conserve energy. While some people don't use it, i will would have liked to have had a view finder, however the lack of one in now way kept me from buying this camera.

Be weary of putting a screen protector on the back. Unless you get one from Canon meant for this model camera, or from an authorized Canon dealer, you can damage the screen. Having a screen protector can interfere with the touch-screen interface.

This isn't the Magic Hat of cameras. Everyone is going to have their own personal view on it and find things they love or hate. My suggestion is if you can find a retail store with a working display, go look at it in person first. That's the best way to judge if its going to suit your needs or not. Or if you know someone who happens to have one, even better. I've already gotten some beautiful 16x20 prints, and 18x24 is pretty good too (however at this size, you need to make sure your picture quality is top notch).

If you're using a high ISO setting, or a longer shutter speed, use a tripod- the slightest shake in your shake WILL blur/ghost the image; again, that is something that happens to all cameras. They sell a variety of smaller tripod (the grypton ones are fun and versatile).

Perhaps in the future these limitations will be eliminated, but that remains to be seen.

All in all, I knew what I was getting from this camera. The price is exceptionally reasonable considering all you get.
I'm not disappointed by any means, because I figured out very quickly how to manipulate the settings to get better picture than the scene settings could produce. It definitely suits my needs for this category of camera; I really just needed this guy to take around the town and on nights out, because who really wants to tote a DSLR with telephoto lenses or a clunky highzoom to a bar ;)

71 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great camera, April 5, 2010

By 

M. Isaacson (Fairbanks, AK USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Canon PowerShot SD3500IS 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 3.5-Inch Touch Panel LCD and 5x Ultra Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver) (Electronics)

This camera is great! The new DIGIC 4 processor for the camera provides many features not found on older generations of Canon Cameras. Before buying this camera my two choices were the Canon SD3500 IS and the Nikon s8000. Both looked intriguing in different ways. The SD3500is had the 3.5 inch touch screen while the Nikon had the 10x zoom. I settled on the Canon because of past experience with their previous cameras and with their great customer service. I may be biased, but I feel Canon makes a better camera and Nikon makes a better binocular, but I digress. The simplicity and intuitive controls are a major plus. I was a bit worried about the screen but it is made of reinforced glass and has quite a solid feel throughout. You can even use the camera with gloves on which is a major plus if you are outside and it is cold (my first real test of the camera was in Barrow, AK at -20F). The only real downside I have for the camera is the battery/sd card door is a bit flimsy feeling when not closed, but it hasn't given me any issues to date. The only other downside, which isn't really a downside, is that many of the features of the camera may seem novelty to some such as the ability to change all the bright lights in a room into heart or star shapes. I certainly don't have much of a reason to use it unless I want to get cheesy with my girlfriend. I bought a Sandisk Ultra II 16 gig class 4 card for the camera and everything works real smooth with it. I am able to hold over 4,000 photos at 14.1 mp or 1.5 hours of HD video. The class 6 cards may be a little overboard for this camera and a class 2 may or may not be enough for the HD video to run smoothly, but I haven't been able to test those ideas. If you really want a nice camera with all kinds of fun and useful features and new age touch screen coolness then I highly recommend this camera.

-Update 5/4/2011

So far this camera has been phenomenal for all my picture taking. It even went through some hard times and came out shining. It was left on top of my car and slid down my front window onto my hood as I was driving down the highway. Needless to say it has a dent in it, but the camera works just as well as before and the glass is not scratched at all (I don't use those protective glass covers either) I had intended on using it for low activity days but I have quickly found out that it was actually very rugged. I take it out hiking, snowshoeing or whatever. It slides easily down into my pocket and even when it is raining I don't worry about it. Also, on the picture quality. It is very good. It all depends on how you use the camera. The Foliage setting on the camera really brings out great colors for plants and the point and touch focus is HUGE for focusing in on what you want. There might be better cameras (haven't really researched since purchasing the SD3500is) out there now but if the price is right on this camera I would buy it again.

124 of 133 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Canon SD3500 IS, March 9, 2010

By 

R. Manteufel "mrmanny" (San Diego, Ca) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Canon PowerShot SD3500IS 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 3.5-Inch Touch Panel LCD and 5x Ultra Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver) (Electronics)

I purchased this new at Amazon.
I wanted a pocketable p/s camera to carry for photos of opportunity not requiring a carrying case.
I am comparing this camera to the following p/s I tried before settling on this one.
Sony W200 - 12 megapixel - not wide angle and automatic white balance is way off...always a problem with artificial lighting.
Nikon S570 - 12 megapixel - too automated and too many out of focus pictures.
Sony TX1 - 10 megapixel -good pictures but not wide angle and I fear the lens cover lid will be flopping around in a few months.
Sony WX1 -10 megapixel-good pictures, nice wide angle, almost a keeper.
Canon SD 980 IS -12 megapixel-good pictures, older model but same price as the newer SD3500 14 megapixel.
Canon A650 - 12 megapixel, very good pictures, larger sensor, folding screen, but uses AA batteries and is like carrying around half a brick. Not for the shirt pocket.
First if you shoot with a p/s camera invest in Photoshop Elements and Noise Ninja if you want to make 8x10 inch prints or possibly squeeze out an 11x14 inch print. The sensor is tiny and noise is a factor which must be dealt with during editing. You will not get image quality equal to a half frame sensor. If you only want 4x6 inch prints it will not be so noticeable.
Comparing the Canon SD3500 IS to the above I get acceptable prints considering the sensor size, AWB is pretty good but still needs tweaking. Nice wide angle, 24mm equivalent, fits in shirt pocket, touch screen which takes a bit of time to get used to. One factor to consider is the video mode which makes MOV files. Windows 7 will automatically convert these to WMV for watching on your computer but if you want to email WMV files you will have to find a conversion software and quality will suffer immediately.
As to image quality I can only give a 4 as no 1 / 2.3" sensor will give you a 5 quality for the forseeable future. Construction appears to be good as you can get for this price range and things to watch out for is the delicate battery/memory compartment lid.