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: 800 vs. 870
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my second Elph, my first being an S400 that I had loved for 4 years. When it finally died I started hunting for another Elph. After researching what Canon had to offer I decided that the two features I most wanted were the 28mm wide angle, and the image stabilization. So that left me two choices, the SD800 and the SD870. After comparing both models I chose the 800 for the following reasons:
Size: It's slightly smaller and lighter than the 870. I travel for work every week, so I wanted something small and easy to pack and carry in my bag or my pocket without drawing attention to myself as I would with a large camera.
Price: For $100 less (at the time) I got basically the same great features as the 870. The 7.1 MP and the 2.5 inch screen on the 800 are more than enough for my needs and not really worth the extra money for the 870.
Cosmetics and controls: I like the way the 800 looks compared to the 870. For some people this may not be a big deal, but I just couldn't get myself to like the look of the 870 with the black plastic trim, nor did I like the layout of the buttons and controls. The 800 looks great and I found the controls easier to navigate than the 870, but it's really personal preference. It feels comfortable in my hands, but it can be a bit slippery, so I have to be careful to always use the wrist strap. Another thing I do like on the 800 (that the 870 doesn't have) is an indicator light to show when the power is on.
Image Quality: Excellent, though I am still experimenting with this. I am taking good pictures in both the manual and auto modes, with and without flash. I find that generally I am able to take good photos without flash due to the image stablization, but it's not a miracle worker. When I have to resort to using the flash it darkens the background quite a bit even though the subject in the foreground is illuminated, so I prefer not using the flash if possible. That being said, when I do use the flash I haven't had any problem so far with redeye, which was quite problematic with my old S400.
Movie Mode: This is a big improvement from my S400. The image and audio quality are excellent. I know some reviewers complained about the sound quality, but I had taken a video of my cat, and when I played it back after downloading on my computer, my cat (who was sitting in the room with me during the playback) heard me calling him on the video and came to me thinking I was actually calling him (and that's pretty good for a cat who never comes when called!)
Wide Angle: Once you get a camera with a wide angle 28mm lens, you'll never want the standard 35mm wide angle again! I am able to get amazing shots without having to back up all the way to the edge of the Earth. Soft corners? I haven't noticed them. But then I'm not trying to blow up my photos to hang in an art gallery.
Con: The only negative I've noticed was that on one occasion when shooting indoors under artificial lighting, blue vertical lines were running through the image (I was shooting a movie at the time). I have played with this and noticed the lines came up in any shooting mode and only when shooting towards the light source (usually a ceiling light). I thought it was a flaw with my camera, but my roommate's SD400 does the same thing. So it seems to be a design flaw. This hasn't been a major problem, however, as 99.9% if the images are fine. It probably has something to do with the type of light source and the angle I'm shooting relative to the light, because if I move a step to one side or the other the lines go away. This really is such a minor problem that it's not worth downgrading my review from 5 stars.
Overall, a great camera, and with the prices coming down it's a great value! There are a lot of features I have yet to use, and I am actually reading the manual to take full advantage of what this camera has to offer. The 870 may have a couple more minor bells and whistles, but I'm happy with my choice. As one who likes to take lots of pictures and videos during my travels and at home with my family and friends, this camera serves me well.
Customer Review: Great Camera, Amazon Customer Experience Horrible
Summary: 5 Stars
I have to talk about the customer experience I had from Amazon concerning this product. My fiancée and I wanted this camera for our honeymoon to start on 21 Oct 2007). On 5 Oct 2007 I ordered this camera online, using Standard Shipping. Estimated delivery was from 11 Oct - 15 Oct. No problem I thought. On 9 Oct, I received a change in the ship dates: 16 Oct - 23 Oct. I replied through the website, stating that I needed this by 20 Oct and I would be happy to pay extra to expedite the shipping. I received a reply on 11 Oct stating that the dates could not be changed, and furthermore Amazon was unable to change the shipping method for this order as it had already entered the shipping process. I was told that since this was important to me and the shipping couldn't be changed or CANCELLED, I could try placing a new order with different shipping. Then I could refuse delivery for the original item. I replied to that, stating that was unacceptable, noting that on the product page there was text very similar to this: "Want it delivered Friday, November 9? Order it in the next 8 hours and 35 minutes, and choose One-Day Shipping at checkout". I said that if I could order this item 6 days later and get it shipped next-day, why can't I get the original camera? Upon this reply, I received an apologetic message from Amazon on 12 Oct stating that due to a delay on their end, the estimates were revised. I received new estimates of 17 Oct - 19 Oct.
I thought that seemed reasonable - at that time.
On 13 Oct, I received ANOTHER mail stating that my estimated ship dates would be changing to 18 Oct - 25 Oct. I immediately replied with similar information as before. On 14 Oct, I received a reply stating "Your order is currently being prepared for shipment, and should leave our fulfillment center soon...Unfortunately, because this order is already being processed, I am unable to upgrade it to a faster method of delivery." But this message did not have any estimated dates. I waited for that email.
On 18 Oct I received an email stating my new estimated deliver dates: 25 Oct - 31 Oct. Unbelievable.
First thing in the morning on 19 Oct I had Amazon call me. After the emails with the fluctuating dates and the misinformation about how to cancel my order (I was told via email I had to REFUSE shipment and couldn't cancel the order!!!), I told the customer specialist that if she couldn't get my camera to me on THAT day or on the next day (20 Oct) then I need it cancelled - right then - not after Amazon decides they can ship it to me. I explained that after all of this time, EVERY time I went to the website I saw that I could "Order it now...with one day shipping!" and this was now 14 days later. The email response was basically the worst I could imaging possible.
After all of this, she did cancel my order and apologized profusely. I then received a $10 credit on my Amazon account.
I went to Fry's Electronics and purchased a Canon SD850 instead - with some accessories. Paid quite a bit more money for it there than on Amazon, but it was well worth it.
Note that I am rating this item as "1 Star" but that is because of the Amazon customer service. Through my camera searching and testing I found this particular camera to be exceptional and would rate it 4.5 stars - especially after owning the Canon SD850 - which I would rate 5 stars. Image stabilization is WONDERFUL and the camera performed excellent. Unfortunately, Amazon lost this sale and quite possibly many more in the future. I have been a customer with Amazon for many years and used to think of Amazon as the first place to shop on the Internet. This experience has caused me to greatly re-evaluate that position.
Shame on you, Amazon!
Customer Review: I really like this camera
Summary: 5 Stars
In my opinion, this camera is worthy of a 5 star rating, one of the few I've ever given.
My experience with cameras in this class started with a Canon S-100, which I upgraded later to a Canon S-400, both of which proved to be excellent for my on-the-go photography needs. My only criticism with this class of cameras was that they lacked two features I really wanted:
1. wide angle lens
2. image stabilization
I guess the Canon folks read my mind with the introduction of the SD-800, and after reading a number of positive technical reviews for the camera on the web, I purchased one as an upgrade for my beloved S-400. I was particularly suspicious regarding image stabilization, since my only prior experience with a camera using this technology had been disappointing (Canon S-1, a larger 10x zoom model).
As might be expected with the advances in memory technology, the SD-800 takes movies at a higher resolutioni (640x480) than the S-400 (320x240) and has a higher maximum pixel count (7.1 vs 4.0). It also uses the smaller SD memory cards as opposed to the bulkier CF cards for the S-400, and the lithium battery pack has a different form factor (which means you can't reuse stuff from an earlier model).
What I consider to be the 2 real upgrade features for this camera, the wide angle lens and the image stabilization, are what truly distinguishes it from its competition. I've had this camera for about a month now and can happily report it is a significant advance over the S-400. The image stabilization is a dream. With the S-400 I had to rely on bracing the camera in many circumstances where with the SD-800 I can count on sharp images just holding it out, composing, and taking the shot. In a recent work session where my group had accumulated a great deal of writing on a wide white board along the side of a narrow conference room, I was able to capture in a single, sharply focused shot the entire board, something the S-400 would have taken 2 shots to achieve followed by a photo stitch. There is some distortion at the outer edges, but I personally don't see this as a drawback given the advantages to getting the whole image (after all you can crop the picture if the rather small amount of distortion truly bothers you).
What else? Well, the camera is lighter and more comfortably contoured than the S-400. It does retain the view finder (thank heavens ... there are simply circumstances where this is the only reasonable way to compose a shot). A single door is used for both memory and battery (vs. 2 doors on the S-400). As others have reported, the door has a flimsy feel, but my first camera in this line (the S-100) had a similar door and I never broke it. Anyway, the USB-2 picture download pretty much eliminates needing to pop out memory cards to get a faster download speed via a card reader. I did invest in a 4Gb high speed SD card since maximum movie length is 4Gb at 640x480, 30 frames per second, or about 25 minutes worth of pretty darn good movie taking. My experience to date is that with this level of capability and convenience I doubt I will every use my cam corder again for family movies.
Out of the box I found the controls and interface to be easier and more intuitive than the S-400. I have all the capabilities I had with the S-400, plus some "gee-whiz" features I've had fun with but I doubt I will use routinely (e.g., color swap). I can also recommend Canon's leather case for this camera. It provides an extremely easy way to carry the camera on your belt (it uses a belt loop, which I think is far superior to a belt clip). I was initially put off by the magnetic flap used with this case, but now agree it's a superior design (their earller cases used Velcro).
Customer Review: This is a wonderful camera!
Summary: 5 Stars
I had two major requirements when I bought this camera -
1. A 28mm focal length on the wide angle side
2. It had fit easily into my pocket
This camera fits both requirements well.
The 28mm requirement is the result of many years of taking pictures of family, friends, scenery - having that extra angle of view compared with the 35mm or 38mm more generally offered opens up many possibilities. If you haven't experienced the difference, give it a try before you buy.
Another feature of a camera I discovered, when lugging a 35mm reflex with a big zoom lens on it (the proverbial potato masher) was that it didn't matter how good the camera was if it was at home when I wanted to take the picture. Thus the pocket-size requirement.
I have taken thousands of pictures over the years, moved from film to digital, and now see the cameras getting smaller and smaller - and doing more and more.
Happily, it all comes together in this package. It takes wonderful pictures - Canon seems to have figured out the software as well as anyone - and it's easy to use. Not lots of settings and adjustments, but I've had cameras with them available and never used them.
The anti-shake feature is a miracle. You can use any focal length in almost any light where the camera will work without flash, and not worry about the shakes.
One general comment - in the Auto mode, the camera will increase the ISO setting as the light falls, trying not to turn to flash. But at ISO settings much above 100, the resulting pictures are noticeably grainy, and at 800 and 1600, they are pretty ugly. I shoot in Manual mode, just to keep the ISO constant, set at 100. And the flash is really quite good for a little guy like this. In the rare case where a higher ISO is a better solution, you can set it at other values, up to 1600, and fire away - and accept the consequences. Sometimes a grainy picture is better than no picture at all.
I got a neat little case at Staples, made by Case Logic, which fits the camera snugly, and offers some foam protection. It has been dropped numerous times in the case, and it just happily bounces and comes back for more.
The camera spends a lot of time in my pocket, and having it handy enables taking lots more pictures, in fun circumstances. When people don't expect you to have a camera, you can catch them out better than when you have to do "Hey, hold that until I go get my camera", or "Dang, I wish I had brought my camera".
For comparison, Panasonic has just brought out this camera Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3S 7.2MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver)which also has a 28m wide angle. The 10x zoom goes well beyond the 4x on the Canon, but the Panasonic is enough larger to make it a bit less of a pocket-fitter. The longer telephoto is attractive, though, and it has the required anti-shake.
For cameras of this pixel count, it's interesting to note that you can put almost 1500 pictures on a single 2GB SD card. On a trip? That's 100 pictures a day for two weeks - not bad. And the cards aren't expensive.
So, for my requirements, this camera is near ideal, and I'm very happy with it. No real gripes at all.
Customer Review: Wow Wow Wow!
Summary: 5 Stars
There's really too many good things to say about this camera. I myself have sold almost a dozen of these little marvels just by showing people mine! That's how good the picture quality is, and how good it is at taking pictures on Auto Mode.
Size: 3.5"x2.3"x1.0". Easy to fit in a pocket/purse/backpack, etc. It's about the size of a pack of cigarettes, or a 1" thick credit card :)
ISO Quality: You can get away with a good quality print at ISO400 easily. Anything less will be beautiful. At ISO800, the noise increases and picture quality decreases, but it's still usable (more or less so, depending on your situation).
Color Accent: Not as much a gimmick as I once thought. You can get very creative and have beautiful pictures that don't look fake or overprocessed.
Auto Focus: Very quick and responsive, with minimal shutter lag. You will get the picture you were shooting, not a picture a second later!
Face Detection: Oddly enough, the software was advanced enough to pick up facial recognition on a 12" resin figure I have. It can occasionally not work, and doesn't pick up the faces of animals (it's not intended to, I'm just warning anyone thinking about it), but the feature is very effective.
Flash: Much more powerful than I expected. I encourage you to stand at least 4 feet away from your subject before using a flash, or else there will be excessive overexposure. The flash works a good distance away as well, able to light up a whole room. The flash's ability to make skin tone come out with beautiful and natural colors is phenomenal.
Video: In good light, the video on this camera competes with dedicated digicams. In low light, there is very noticeable pixelation. In less active scenarios, this won't be a problem, but if you're in low light and there's a lot going on, the compression algorithms will miss some of the detail.
Zoom: Amazing. The wide-angle lens is the buying factor for this camera and, if you want wide-angle (28mm) I'm telling you not to hesitate buying this camera. The 3x optical zoom on the far-end is also nice, but obviously nothing abnormal (all cameras this size have about a 3x optical zoom). In good light, the digital zoom works amazingly well. I was able to take a picture of a baby's face from across a living room with no more than one or two endtable lamps, and the picture came out clean and very usable. I also could zoom in on a sign from across the street (40 feet away) and have it completely fit on the screen. Again, the quality was impressive.
Image stabilization: What more can be said -- this camera has it, and it works well. If you intend to rely on lower ISOs to avoid grainy pictures (as I do), image stabilization is a must.
This camera also supports 4GB video recording, allowing you about 40 minutes of video at the highest resolution setting (640x480). The ability of this camera to handle almost every lighting condition flawlessly on auto is amazing to me. And the ability to manually change any setting (besides shutter speed and aperture -- if there is, I haven't read the manual well enough yet!) helps a lot.
I can go on and on about this camera, but you need to try it out for yourself to be a believer. You won't regret this camera.