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 Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon PowerShot SD800 IS 7.1MP Digital Elph Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Image-Stabilized Optical Zoom
Customer Review: A Digital Artists First Impression - Frigg'n Sweet!
Summary: 5 Stars
Hello All, I'm typing this review because I'd like to give my input and experience (limited) with this camera.
I'm not a professional photographer or anything of that sort. I'm a digital artist, and I needed a camera to take reference photos and textures for use in 3D programs such as Maya. This is actually my very first digital camera. I did a ton of research, and came to this conclusion after many, many hours of reviewing. Thanks everyone for your great reviews.
On to my review.
The first thing I noticed about this camera was how pretty it was - It was packaged beautifully, arrived promptly and with all the desired and mentioned extra's included. There are various metallic accents around the lens, and on the top and bottom of the camera. Buttons are also chrome like, the photo's of the camera don't do it justice. But besides physical appearance, I've had nothing but positive experiences with my camera thus far.
I was concerned about some of the negative reviews, the lens problems, and boggled by the choices of SD Elphs (SD 850, SD 1000, SD 700, SD 750, SD THAT, SD This, it was kind of overwhelming, especially to someone who had no idea what they were getting into.) I Eventually decided that any lens problems were in the minority, and that any (IF) issues down the road occured, I'd just deal with them, there's a whole support website devoted to fixing the problem, so I really didn't think it would be a problem. *Knocks on wood*
Here are the various reasons I decided upon this camera out of all the other versions.
1. Reviews. The majority of reviews were very positive, and in terms of the ratio of good vs. bad, it came out like so:
475 good reviews (5 and 4 star) Versus 26 bad reviews (2 and 1 star) not counting the three star reviews.
Reason #2. Photo Examples. Out of all the photos I saw taken by this camera, on the amazon website and others, the photo quality seemed to be great. This has proven true thus far from a personal viewpoint, all my photos of my cat and family turn out well lighted and sharp, and I find the flash works well, however sometimes turning it off auto is needed. (Because sometimes the camera thinks it "needs" the flash, when in fact the photo would look better without it.)
Reason #3. Features and Extras. This Camera has a bagoogle of stuff to play with. All kinds of scene modes, Color swap and Color accent features, which can also be applied to video) as well as light distorting filters that I haven't really experimented with yet. The fact this camera has a wide angle lens is also a big plus. The color swap mode is more addictive than tetris or pong on a boring day. I've seen myself green, hulk style (SO much fun, really...Imagine a short video with you ripping your shirt off.) Friends white cars turned pink, hair turned green, etc. I'm sure soon enough I'll have people saying "OKAY, You've seen my skin blue, put the fricking camera down."
Reason #4. Practicality and Navigation: This Camera, and all its bagoogles of features, are integrated into the camera beautifully. I don't find them detracting from my photo-shooting experiences, because they're tucked out of the way, and don't clutter things up. However, when you need them, you need but flip a switch to summon a plethora of options available, such as ISO and Scene Modes.
Reason #5. It's pretty, Yeah, it's got a green light that emanates from the top of the camera, it really looks nice.
Reason #6. Macro. I bought this camera originally as a means of obtaining textures and reference photos. A lot of the textures I need are macros (Skin, dirt, etc) and I found this camera to have a very professional macro that seems to focus very well, even when almost touching the camera to the surface of whatever it is you're shooting.
That's all! That's why I chose this camera. I believe this camera would be a great choice for anyone who's not a megapixelfile, or too picky about having a ton of manual choices. For the shutterbug who doesn't want to get too involved and caught up in all the complexities that a camera can present, I think this little Bugger will serve you well for simply taking good photos.
Thanks for reading! : )
PS: I bought an 8 GB SDHC Card along with this camera - search for transcend 8 GB in amazon. For 35 bucks or so 8 GB is great, and the card is compatible with this camera and very reliable. : )
PS #2: I'll be sure to come back and edit this review as I spend more time with my camera.
Customer 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.
Customer Review: Overall excellent subcompact. Some shortcomings compared to slightly less compact models.
Summary: 5 Stars
I've gotten this camera to replace a Canon S45 that I bought in January 2003 and this review is meant as a contrast to that type of camera (i.e., this review may not be too useful if you're coming to this camera from another point of view). I chose the S45 at the time over the top ELPH model back then (S330, I think) because I expected that it would be my only camera for a while and so wanted manual control, RAW support, etc. As it happens, the Digital Rebel came out in September that year and when I got one, the role of my S45 changed: A take-anywhere camera for taking snapshots and video clips. The latter came a bit as a surprise, because I thought I'd prefer using my more full-featured miniDV-based video camera. However, it turns out that "compact" often beats "full-featured" (the S45 is not as small as the SD800, but it's still pretty small compared to my video camera).
In its new role, the weaknesses of the S45 were (a) not compact enough, (b) poor low-light performance, (c) limited, low-quality movie recording functionality, (d) relative slow response times. (That's all relative, of course: At the time, it was a reasonably good compromise in those areas.) On the plus side, the S45 is sturdy, I really like its user interface, and I got some really nice pictures out of it.
How does the SD800 stack up in that context? Very well, but not perfectly. I like its build quality and the subcompact size (though it's a bit on the large end of its class; not a bad thing per se). The plastic parts are no worse than the similar parts on the S45, but I get slightly anxious at the thought of scratching the shiny surfaces. The 2.5" screen make for bright and sharp previews (it feels more fragile than that of the S45, however). Image quality is a step above that of the S45 in general, and easily two steps above for low-light work (where the image stabilization function and better ISO 400 performance really shine). ISO800 seems somewhat usable, beyond my expectation.
I don't care much about some of the more exotic features like "swap colors", but one feature I've unexpectedly come to appreciate is the face-recognition contribution to focus and exposure: It works, and it works really well! (It also ties into a built-in categorization feature, in that the label "People" will automatically be assigned to pictures containing faces; that's clever too, but I don't think I'll use it.)
Unsurprisingly, the wider-angle lens is a boon to many snapshot situations. (It was one of the factors that prompted me to order the SD800.) There is considerable corner softness at the wider end, but for this type of camera it doesn't bother me too much. I wish the long end were a little longer of course (and slightly less compact models from Panasonic do better in this regard), but again I don't feel strongly about that considering the camera's size. This also appears to be one the most responsive subcompacts out there: It's certainly a whole lot faster at starting up and zooming than the S45 (though it still feels sluggish compared to a DSLR).
The movie clip recording mode is far better than that of the S45: The higher (VGA) resolution and the image stabilization are the main factors there. Still, I wish it could record a using a tighter codec (like H.264) and I wish the optical zoom could be used during shooting. A 1GB SD card will hold a little over 8 minutes of 640x480 30fps video, but once downloaded I can convert that to a H.264 file of about 70MB. The digital zoom in movie mode works well in good light (almost 5X for 640x480 clips), but in low light zooming in more than 3x or so results in exceptionally pixel-noisy clips.
Finally, the overall interface is relatively intuitive and generally well executed. My one beef is that "review" mode is part of the general mode dial. On the S45 (and Canon's DSLRs), "review" is entered using a separate switch (or button), which allows the general dial to indicate the recording mode: A half-press on the shutter and the immediately goes back to recording mode. On the SD800, if I'm reviewing images and suddenly see an opportunity (which happens all the time), I have to first fumble with the dial (being careful to select the right mode) and only then is the camera ready to shoot. On the plus side, when shooting a picture the camera automatically displays the image shot for a customizable amount of time (I set it to "until shutter pressed") and allows zooming into that picture.
Customer Review: Best reason to upgrade your point and shoot
Summary: 5 Stars
I have a Canon 1DMarkII Pro DSLR and all Canon L series lenses. I studied photography and love manual control, BUT I also want to take my camera everywhere for those impromptu moments. For a point and shoot, I want the camera to be well priced and take great pictures on auto mode, yes, AUTO - otherwise I might as well take my professional camera body with me. Another reason why I want Auto mode to work as advertised is because I want others to hold this camera and take photos of me. How many times have you let others hold your camera only to find the image blurry or not focused on your face.
I've owned or used regularly the Canon Powershot S50, S60, SD700IS and now SD800IS. You'll find lots of technical data reviews on the SD800IS but I'll focus on actual usage for the average person who's not a technical data freak.
I upgraded from the S60 to the SD800IS for the image stabilization. Higher megapixels is not a reason to upgrade a relatively new camera, but Image Stablization is. You'll get much better shots period. All point and shoots suffer from the problem of camera shake; Canon IS works! You'll also be able to shoot at lower ISO's resulting in less grainy photos. Most point and shoot cameras work well at ISO 100 and progessively get worse above ISO 200, the SD800IS is no exception. Bottomline, image stablization helps you stay at ISO100/200.
Yes, this camera is feature packed and the buttons are sometimes hard to push but there's no perfect small camera. The problems people write about, I can live with it, it's not as bad as it sounds and I quite like the buttons on the SD800IS. The power button is nicely recessed so you won't accidentally turn it on - this is usually the biggest concern for me since I put in my pant or jacket pockets.
The images are amazing. With the IS and face detection capability, anyone without photography training can take great photos -- the #1 complaint for most amateurs are blurry shots or where the camera has not focued on the person's face. Canon has done a great job with technology that works quite well.
The images are sharp and look good printed. It's not as good as my DSLR but it rivals any other point and shoot of its size and weight. I'm also not sorry they dropped RAW recording format as from what I've read, with these small sensors the difference compared to JPEG is not noticeable. The battery lasts a long time unlike the older Powershot S50/S60's. Sure, the camera body is a bit plasticky, wish it was more solid, and you have to be more careful about not dropping it. Same goes for most other point and shoots so the problems people are nitpicking about with the SD800IS are typical of other cameras in its size and price range.
The video is also fabulous and works great with the image stablization. This camera is perfect for a new dad like me who wants to always have a camera around to take pics and vids of my child.
The wide angle lens is also handy. I'm more likely to use wide-angle to get group shots indoors than the telephoto range. Not many point and shoots have the 28mm wide-angle range so you're sure to notice the difference in family shots in tight spaces like living rooms.
The gravy on top feature has got to be the Grid Lines feature for rule of thirds (helps you compose your shot) and 2:3 aspect ratio (if you're printing 4x6 and want to avoid cropping wrong areas). The LCD screen is bright and works well on sunny days.
The flash is a bit weak, but that's the same with all point and shoots. Add a $129 Metz 28 CS-2 compact flash and this camera is set for anything. I carry the SD800IS and Metz compact flash in 2 small custom-fitted $10 neoprene cases that I found on eBay and this setup goes with me everywhere. Hardly noticeable in my jacket pocket.
Bottomline: if you're looking for a new point and shoot, look for one with a wide angle lens (if you plan on taking indoor photos), image stablization and face detection technology. I'm not loyal to Canon just because I own lots of their equipment; I'll buy any brand point and shoot that meets my needs. After several months use, I'm still extremely happy with my SD800IS and believe it's the best point and shoot Canon has released so far.
Customer Review: Another great Camera in the Canon Digital Elph line
Summary: 5 Stars
I just spent a good 1/2 hour here reading reviews on the SD800 IS, and didn't agree with many of them so I had to write one myself. I have previously owned Canon's S400, S500 and SD550. I usually pass my previous cameras on to family so I can get the latest and greatest, and once again I am not sorry I did. I am extremely happy with my 800 IS. I quickly charged my battery, then took 60 photos or so using every feature I could find in the camera. Macro, flash, no flash, wide, telephoto, B/W, sepia, vivid, you name it. I couldn't take 1 bad photo even if I tried! I loved the results in all of them. My only complaints were test shots at ASA 800 and up. Yes, those will be very noisy and unusable, but when printed in a 4x6 size how bad will it be, really. Not much worse than film cameras at ASA 400 or 800. How many situations will you find yourself in needing that high an ASA rating? This camera is beautifully built, it looks and feels expensive and I think it's a quality built camera. It is not a tank like my old S400, and it's lighter than the SD550 but it does not feel or look cheap. This is an outstanding small camera. As for soft or blurry edges at the wide angle setting, NONSENSE. I just can't see it in my photos. If you are a previous Canon Digital elph owner and want to upgrade, go for the 800 IS. I picked this one over the 900 because I didn't like the looks of the 900, didn't care for 10 megapixels (when is it enough?), and the 900 did not have the IS feature, which is outstanding on my 800 IS. It really works! I took many photos indoors without flash, hand held and they were unbelievable, with excellent color balance. My flash photos seemed to cover the room just nicely too. I just loved every photo I took today with this camera. So, I don't know what all the whining and bickering is about, but this is one fine piece of camera engineering. As for the battery/SD card cover, yes, it's light and plastic, so open it carefully the way you should handle a $400 camera. There must be many clumsy people out there who break things. I never have, especially with my cameras. So, do I regret giving up my SD550 for this 800 IS? NOT ONE BIT! Both are outstanding cameras. I did a lot of research before forking over the cash for my next camera, and I'm glad it led me again to the Canon line. If you want one, treat yourself. I also hope I have made your selection easier for you. Between my wife and kids, my siblings, my nephews, brothers-in-law, you name it, they all have digital cameras now. We see many crappy photos, but almost never from those who went with the Canon Powershots. What does that tell you?
I have had my camera for more than one month now and I am still very happy with it. My wife has my previous SD550 so I've got the best of both worlds. That SD550 is also a great little camera, so I'm glad we've kept it. It just doesn't have Digic III or the IS feature, but that hasn't been a big issue. What I have now noticed is that for some reason I'm getting more red eye shots with these cameras. I have been taking a lot of photos of my young daughter and her dance class partners, and it seems to be more of a problem with children than adults for some reason. I have read that because of the small camera size, the flash is just too close to the lens and that is the reason. I don't really know but it could be true. I use a software program provided by Kodak Gallery to upload many photos at once, and it fixes that very quickly and easily so it is not a big issue to me. Also, some have written about the white spots that show up on photos. That I believe are dust particles in the air that come out magnified in photos, which is another common thing with these small digital cameras. Remember, at 7.1 MB you will see incredible details in your photos. If you have a digital camera, trying taking shots outdoors at night around a camp fire and you'll see what I mean. As for the round dust spots that show up, I just copy and paste a surrounding area without the spot and paste it over the spot and it's gone. There are many software programs that let you tweak your photos, so it's easy and fun to make corrections, which was virtually impossible with film photos.