Canon PowerShot SD850 IS

Summary: I want to start out by saying I'm a lover off all canon digital cameras, this is my second one (SD630). I prefer the warmth in the images canon ...

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Summary: I want to start out by saying I'm a lover off all canon digital cameras, this is my second one (SD630). I prefer the warmth in the images canon cameras produce vs. any other company out there.

This camera is a nice upgrade to the SD700 (not the 800 like many people think).

It is very fast, one thing i hated about switching to digital was the lag in when i start to take the image and when it actually happens. I find canon to very fast both the 850 and my previous 800. I used this camera at friends birthday party with little kids running around, i was able to pull out my 850, turn it on and get great shots in no time, which is a major plus!

I love the chargers that come with canon digital cameras, it is very convent.The battery door is very solid on this camera as well as the whole case in general.

The screen works well in all lighting conditions and they updated it to be scratch resistant which is nice since people always put there hand all over it.

Canons DIGIC III processor is awesome, i can see a difference in the image quality vs. my sd630, canon outdid themselves with this, I feel it will be a while before i look for an upgrade.

One thing I'm not crazy about is the controls, but you do get used to it. i like on my sd630 how it was all pretty much run with the wheel and the two buttons on the bottom (menu and display) with the 850 they have a wheel on the side which since using the SD630 seems pretty odd and not needed. To be honest i think it is more designed for older users or professional users, the SD630 was pretty flashy with the 3" screen.

The side wheel is not a deal breaker and it is the same look and feel of all the SDs with a viewfinder. I just feel like if I'm swithcing around it's more convenient to have it all in one location. The viewfinder is also something i feel is more pro, older user, traditional feature. It is kind of a drying feature on many cameras and most people applaud canon for keeping it. It does not bother me, the screen is still plenty big for me, maybe i will give the viewfinder a try and see how i like it.

The screen is dead on in color accuracy, better than some DIGI slrs i have seen, i did some tests in comparison shots with a friends, what you see on the screen is true to the colors you just shot and looks the same on my computer screen.

The face detection is kind of new to me, i have tested it and it works great but i think companies are just tyring to advertise these gimmick features to keep pace.

The image stabilization is no gimmick and works great, since my last camera did not have i can see the difference right out of the box.

It is not the most super thin and light camera but it fits great in any pocket or purse and to be honest it has a little weight to it which makes it feel sturdy and well made.

The camera does not come with many of the things other cameras do like a dock or case ( i miss the leather case many canons used to come with, it was a nice accessory) But you have wonder why some of the cameras that cost the same with all the cases and docks, i guess i prefer i pay for the camera and its features vs. a dock and case.

Overall this is a great camera, fast and takes excellent images! I recommend it to all ages and user level, you will not be disappointed!

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Summary: We bought it at BROADWAY PHOTO, it is www.bwayphoto.com. They advertised as Brand New come with 1-year manufacture warranty. We received not a SD850, but a SD810 (comparable ...

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Summary: We bought it at BROADWAY PHOTO, it is www.bwayphoto.com. They advertised as Brand New come with 1-year manufacture warranty. We received not a SD850, but a SD810 (comparable camera). The SD180 is not intended to sell in USA, and therefore no Warranty paper from manufacture. Manual received in the box also not original, but a copy from SD850. Later on, we figured that there is no "Image stablizer" found in camera. In conclusion, don't buy from BROADWAY PHOTO or other not certified stores.

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Summary: I don't understand the reason for this camera...go to Canon's site and compare the specs with it's predessor...they are worse in most categories...not by ...

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Summary: I don't understand the reason for this camera...go to Canon's site and compare the specs with it's predessor...they are worse in most categories...not by much but the only feature I saw was .2 more tele, a fraction faster and slow motion. Otherwise it has narrower wide angle, uses more power, and costs more. Right now most retailers are discounting this model since a new one is out. Higher model numbers do not mean improvement...look at the SD1000...more pixels but at a price and now it sells for less than the 800!

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Summary: I had recently bought a Sony Cybershot T20 thinking it would be a pretty good camera. It turned out so-so, the photos were inconsistant and the face detection sometimes worked. ...

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Summary: I had recently bought a Sony Cybershot T20 thinking it would be a pretty good camera. It turned out so-so, the photos were inconsistant and the face detection sometimes worked. So I spent a lot of time looking for a camera, it was difficult because the reviews written by the people were very inconsistant one would give it a 9 the other a 4 so it was pretty hard. I found out that the only person you can trust is yourself so I went and bought the Sony T100 and the Canon 850 IS because those were the two top cameras that Best Buy had at the moment. My friend lent me his SD800 and the SD750 and I had previously bought the Sony T20. Honestly they all gave good results as in if i compared the best photos each camera shot they were all at par. I personally discarted the SD 800 and the 750 because they are only 7 megapixels very good cameras but I wanted one with 8. As I mentioned before the Sony T20 was very inconsistant, so that was also discarded. The Sony T100 is probably the coolest camera I've seen, it has a really nice screen and it is very thin. Although the menu system was only O.K. it did its function. The optical zoom was very nice, helping in a lot of situations. As I started taking photos I realized that the problem of the Sony T20 was present here. In AUTO mode the pictures didn't come out that good. I mean some came out really good but in certain light conditions. I then tested the Canon SD850 and after 20 photos or so knew that I was going to keep the camera. It was hard to decide seeing that the looks ont the Sony T100 are much better than the Canon SD850 (at least in my opinion) but at the end the most important thing is the quality of the picture and the consistancy of the quality in the photo that is why I stayed with the Canon, which I really recomend.
I hope that helps you, but everyone thinks different. My personal advice is just to test them both either in the store or where ever you get a chance, because you are the one that is buying the camera.
Sean

P.S. I think that the score should have been 8.2 for the Canon SD850 IS and 8.0 for the Sony T100.

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Summary: LOOK OUT COMPETITORS! the sd 850IS has it all. excellent images, fast, easy to use and canon quality! the face detection,(industries best) uses the flash(sd 800IS, et al ...

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Summary: LOOK OUT COMPETITORS! the sd 850IS has it all. excellent images, fast, easy to use and canon quality! the face detection,(industries best) uses the flash(sd 800IS, et al do not!), not just focus and exposure to illuminate darkened faces. Hmmm. seems like that's long overdue and it locks on fast. the optical image stabilization (industries best),zoom lens and face detection works on stills AND video, others don't. speaking of video, want a camera AND camcorder in one? this baby records up to 1 hour of quality video that is currently only limited by the 4gb cards, larger cards coming. the direct print button can also be assigned to instantly record video regardless of camera setting mode. how cool is that? while taking snapshots, just push the button and grab video, too! wicked cool!
REBUKING OTHER REVIEWERS:the sd850IS's lens opens as wide or wider than other cameras, but the sd800IS has a "wide angle lens",ALSO the sd800IS has less megs and a lesser quality face detection. the on/off button is just fine and easy to use, but would be very hard to accidentily turn on/off(that's a good thing!
SUMMATION: image/video/lcd screen quality are excellent. packed with intuitive,pertinet features that the camera automaciticly segregates into what's available depending on shooting mode. fit and finish is attractive(use the wrist strap). we love this camera! what else do i have to say?
BUY IT!!! YOU'LL LOVE IT TOO!!!

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Summary: first off if you have never had an IS camera before and dont really believe that stuff like that works then think again because it does ONLY WITH CANON all ...

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Summary: first off if you have never had an IS camera before and dont really believe that stuff like that works then think again because it does ONLY WITH CANON all the other crapy cameras that sony makes that say they stabolize the image are liers because there is no effect with those anyways the camera i had before was a canon sd600 and i was considering upgrading to the sd1000 but i read reveiws all over the net and discovered that the sd600 was actually BETTER then the newer sd1000 and actually has a better built lens that goes closer with macros ( not as close as the canon sd850is can go but close to that )anyways this is the camera i would recommend to anyone its got enough resolution 8mp and the image stabolization is the best its a absolutly ground breaking feature that will change your entire prospective on how taking pictures works with the IS you dont even have to wait to or even try to hold the camera steady ive had times where i actually tryed to make the image blurry and was unsuccesful thats how useful it is also the new canon digic 3 prosessor is also another key to this bad boy the new prosessor is smarter and more responsive somtimes when im taking a shot i push the shutterdown accidentally befor it has the chance to prefocus the shot and ive still gotten a fantastic picture but the IS dose fail to work somtimes but truthfully any camera that promises somthing liek that is usually too good to be true i cant wait for canons digic 4 processor then this camera would probably have gotten a 10 also it would be nice if a camera that i payed more then 400$ for would have a screan that was actually SCRATCH PROOF as in NO SCRATCHES WHAT SO EVER !!!! stupid anti glare coating on my sd600 is all screwed up and so help me god if that happends to this one im going back to best but to ***** at them cuz i consider that really really really annoying also if you get this camera take advantage of the SDHC reader to get a 4gb SDHC card if you go to amazone they sell um real cheap there and its a wonderful investment : )

GET THIS CAMERA you wont regret it its light years ahead of the previous models !

go canon!

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Summary: The fact that this camera does things my other camera couldn't do is such a plus. The effects, the clarity and the ease of use has made this a ...

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Summary: The fact that this camera does things my other camera couldn't do is such a plus. The effects, the clarity and the ease of use has made this a great camera. The back on/off is in a great place. In bright sunlight this camera was easy to see. The effects! I still haven't been able to use some of them yet. Can not wait to use the Xmas lights at night option.
Keep ya posted if I find something wrong.

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Summary: After being disappointed by the SD750 image quality, I purchased the SD850 IS, hoping the IS part would help. Not so much. I took the SD850 IS and my old ...

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Summary: After being disappointed by the SD750 image quality, I purchased the SD850 IS, hoping the IS part would help. Not so much. I took the SD850 IS and my old Sony all over the house and backyard all day in different lighting situations. The Sony outperformed the Canon in terms of sharpness and lighting indoors. The Canon outperformed the old Sony in terms of color balance. But I'd rather have a sharp clear photo with the color slightly off than a blurry photo with true color.

The indoor shots from the SD850 IS were pretty bad. The flash was way too weak. The top half of the photos are too dark. There was also not a way to force the flash on (only options are Auto or Off). If you take a photo with the flash indoors, it is too dark in parts of the photo. If you open the windows and let in lots of ambient light and take it with the flash off - the photo looks great color-wise, but it is blurry. I wasn't satisfied with either option.

Outside, the photos were better - but I was still getting some blur. In addition, in the bright sun - the background was way overexposed.

Also, my thumb kept accidentally hitting hte dial and popping up a menu. Very annoying.

Another annoying thing - when you plug the camera into the computer, you have to have it in playback mode to download the photos.

It took OK photos. But I'm looking for something that takes great photos. I also did not like the button layout at all. I took the camera back and the search continues...

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Summary: Just one comment, CNET, please stop picking on the on/off button. This is meant, I think, to be a thumb switch, and as such, is VERY easy to find ...

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Summary: Just one comment, CNET, please stop picking on the on/off button. This is meant, I think, to be a thumb switch, and as such, is VERY easy to find and work. I hope Canon does not take your advice and change it.
Thanks for being a great resourse.

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Summary: I looked all over for the right camera. I wanted great picture quality in a small package. I also did not want to sacrifice zoom. I did a great deal ...

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Summary: I looked all over for the right camera. I wanted great picture quality in a small package. I also did not want to sacrifice zoom. I did a great deal of research (solid 2 months). I finally settled on the SD850 and it did not disappoint. It takes great point and click pictures while being small enough to fit into a packet and not be intrusive.

Now here's the great thing: i took some great pictures at a football game. This was at Heinz Field in the club section, which was about mid-level of the stadium. The zoom worked real well. My picture quality did not suffer. The pics looked as if I took them from the sideline. My buddy has a much larger camera with a 12X zoom. This camera does not do that, of course. But it's good enough to get by while still being small and light enough to carry with you without a hassle. Big thumbs up. Mine was $350 so price is an issue but I don't think you'll be upset at paying extra. The ones I evaluated in the $100-300 range were nowhere near as good.

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