Canon PowerShot SD870IS 8MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver)
by Canon
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon PowerShot SD870IS 8MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver)
Customer Review: Totally happy I bought this camera
Summary: 5 Stars
I wanted to replace an aging digital Canon Powershot camera earlier this month, and started my research at cnet.com and amazon.com. I thought it would be a question of reading a few articles, narrowing the list down to a few cameras, and then reading reviews about it on those two websites and bingo, I would end up with the perfect camera for my situation and needs. Boy, was I wrong!
First off, there are probably about a thousand decent camera models out there that would satisfy anyone but the most diehard camera professional. I am an average, non-expert user who craves convenience, ease of use, low shutter lag, ease of carrying around, and reasonably good quality pics in most lighting and situations. Nothing fancy.
After reading amazon users' comments about the models that cnet's editors recommended, I realized there were a LOT of models out there that I could buy that would satisfy my criteria listed above. I ended up researching this for over 15 days, for hours at a time after work and on weekends.
Here is a summary (in no particular order) of why I chose this camera and why I like it, after two weeks of intensive use on vacation in Russia:
1) Ease of use - I had to refer to the manual only once or twice as I took hundreds of pics and many video clips in different situations and lighting.
2) Relatively slim and light to carry around in my shirt or pant pocket.
3) Wide-angle lens - most of my pics tend to be of people, whether in posed photos or candid shots. This model has a roughly 28-105mm equivalent optical zoom (hence the 3.8x designation, i.e. 105 divided by 28). Unless you regularly take pics of distant objects or wild animals, you don't need 12x or 18x optical zoom. Sure, more zoom is better, but it comes at the cost of increased bulk. And increased bulk means you are less likely to take your camera with you and take pics.
The wide angle means better group shots. That's why I did not buy any other model that had 5x zoom in a slim body, for example - because almost all of them had lenses that started from 35 or 38mm, and those don't fit people into the shots as well as a wide angle lens does.
4) Reasonably high mega pixel count. 8MP is good enough, unless you regularly take pics that you want to blow up into large sizes for printing.
5) Optical image stabilization - very good feature, because it cancels out camera shake and results in better pictures.
6) Good-quality video clips that are very easy to shoot. Plus, the built-in microphone on this model is powerful and picks up conversations from across a room in video mode. Or, you can record your own commentary on top of a video clip afterwards.
7) Reasonably low shutter lag - unless you buy an expensive (and necessarily bulkier) digital SLR or megazoom camera, you are going to get some shutter lag on any digital camera. The question is, can you live with it if it is low enough? This model's shutter lag is not bad at all.
8)Canon quality. There is a reason that Canon's at the top of the heap in digital cameras, and this model's further proof of it.
9) Rechargeable battery that comes with its own (relatively slim) charger. I had carried along a voltage converter and different plugs for use with my other devices in Russia anyway, so this was a big plus for me. Using disposable batteries usually increases the camera's weight.
10) Beautifully crisp, large (3") LCD screen. I did not feel the absence of an optical viewfinder at all, since using the screen even in broad daylight was so good and so convenient.
11) Good-quality pics.
Websites used in my research - cnet, amazon, pcmag.com, among many.
Other models considered - Canon's SD970is, 850is, 890is, 950is, 1100is; Nikon Coolpix S600 and S550; Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ8S; Olympus FE-350. I read about some of Sony's point and shoot cameras, but did not want to buy them because everything about Sony is proprietary, which means every single item related to their products needs to be only Sony's and, naturally, costs more.
Finally, a note on the fact that this model is almost 10 months old now. Initially, this was a downer for me, despite the numerous awards and favorable user reviews it has garnered. There was one expert review on a British website that finally put it in perspective for me - to wit, that newer models from a particular brand aren't necessarily improvements over the older ones and that if you like the features of an older model, to go ahead and buy it.
I would highly recommend this particular model from Canon. Buy with confidence. And oh btw, though I checked a ton of websites, amazon had the best price on it, as usual.
Customer Review: LOVE IT!
Summary: 5 Stars
ok, I have to insert this caveat first: I've only had it one day. I will def add to this review as I own it for longer.... but here's my take on this camera as of day one:
I researched the HECK out of this camera purchase. I was up in the air about this one and the 1100IS. I liked that this one had a bigger LCD screen over the 2.5" screen the 1100IS has. The 1100IS has an optical viewfinder, but I didn't find that to be a necessity for me.
One big selling point for the 870IS is the fact that it has a wide angle lens. (and of course the big LCD screen).
The 1100IS is smaller and slimmer, but in all actuality I like my cell phone, camera and other small electronics to not be TOO small otherwise I feel like I'm going to break them, drop them or lose them.
So on to the actual review. I got my 870is home last night and immediately popped the battery and extra SD card I'd bought into it and started snapping away. This camera boots up SUPER quick so if you see anj awesome photo op, you don't have to wait agonizing moments for your camera to boot up while the moment potentially passes. With the flash on I was AMAZED at how fast the refresh rate was in between pics. (Considering I use to have a Nikon Coolpix 5600 that would refresh in 6-12 seconds this was SOOOOOOOOO much better!)
I snapped some ordinary quick pics of my family and kitchen which turned out great, full of color and clarity. Then I started to get into the effects menus and options.
The Color Accent mode has to by far be my favorite mode to shoot certain scenes with. I took a whole bunch of pics of my moms flowers with this mode (it's really easy to pick up the color you want to accent once you read how to do it).... I even took a pic of my yellow lab who wears a red collar and ONLY accented the color red.... so everything (including him) was black and white except his collar was a bright, rich red.... AWESOME picture!
I did get to use the macro mode a few times, I LOVE that mode too along with color accent. You can get SUPER close to your subject, and you don't lose clarity.
I have yet to take any really good landscape pics or movement pics (this will come in a later update).
I've only chipped at the tip of the iceberg of what this camera is capable of doing.... and I can't wait to figure out EVERY mode and setting on this (for the quick point and shoot person this camera also works because it is simple to point and shoot everyday photos).... I'm the type who like to play around with manual settings a bit... this isn't a full blown SLR by any means, but it does have some flexibility to it to play with the settings.... and so far I'm absolutely blown away by the richness, clarity and quickness of this camera.
So far, after owning this camera for one day and getting to play with it for 2-3 hours (read the manual a bit also) I LOVEEEEE this camera! I paid almost $300 for mine at Best Buy, I wasn't going to take my chances with shipping it from some online store or trying to shop for it at the cheapest deal (cuz you never know what shape that camera is really in when you try and get the cheapest deal)..... I don't mind the price either because I opened up Best Buys credit card and put the camera, case and extra SD card on it (All totalled about $350 final) and anything over $299 is 6 months no interest. So THAT was a deal enough for me to just get it at Best Buy and not try to find the CHEAPEST deal.....
I'll write more of a review once I take this on vacation in three weeks and after I've had more time to play with it further and really sit down and read the manual about all the settings. :)
So far this is the best P&S I've seen to date!
I wanted to make a note that I read a lot about people complaining about the indoor pics being too dark in the background when you use the flash. Mine works fine and lights up what needs to light up. Of course the background is going to be dark when the flash focuses in on the main subject and lights that up. That just naturally happens with cameras. If I notice any sort of probs with mine I will make a note of it on here. But so far this camera works exactly how I wanted it to, has features I wanted AND more and FAR exceeded my expectations.
Customer Review: Great Point-and-Shoot, but you still want to know how to use it
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been using this camera for about a year and I love it. As far as point-and-shoots go, it's great, however, it's a point-and-shoot and has those limitations:
The good:
- Takes great quality photos for a point-and-shoot, even on the preset modes
- For someone like me, who doesn't know how to use an SLR, it's easy enough to use the manual features like exposure controls and long-shutter
- The wide lens is great for group shots or outside shots
- The stabilizer helps a great deal on taking shots; my previous camera didn't have one and I had way more blurry shots
- In proper light, the movie quality is pretty good at 640x480. With an 8 gig-card, it's not bad for a cheap video camera replacement, though by no means is it a camcorder
- It's tiny and can fit easily into jeans, which is great for guys, as we don't care purses (at least most guys)
- The wheel is actually touch sensitive, which I don't think Canon points out, but if you have a big memory card (I have an 8 GB), it's the best way to scroll through photos really quickly
- The LCD is great and I've never had issues using it, even outdoors in bright sun (and in California that is important)
The bad:
- It's a point-and-shoot so the flash sucks. I have the external flash add-on, but it's cumbersome to carry and kind of defeats the purpose of having a tiny camera. This is to be expected of a camera this size
- Because of the small size, there is slight barrel distortion, but it's really not a big deal
- The camera does scratch easily. While it fits in your pocket, if you have keys it will scratch the camera. My first one got really scuffed up after I left it in pocket one day. Now I don't put anything else in the pocket with it, or use the case, which is somewhat bulky
- Above ISO400 the image quality is really poor, so taking night photos without a tripod is not easy unless the subjects are close enough for the flash--but no point-and-shoot can really do this
After a year of using this camera I have to say I really happy with it, especially after learning more about how I, as a user, can take better photos in general. Here are some tips I've found:
- If you're taking photos with the flash, set your mode to macro if you're very close and infinity if the subject is more than 4 meters away, it makes a difference. For close shots, use macro mode and zoom into the subject so the light from the flash doesn't bounce off the object too quickly
- If you're taking night shots, use the red aimer thing to make sure there is somewhere to bounce the light off. If, for example, you are taking a picture of someone, the best thing to do outside is to flash the light towards a pole or object just behind, this way the flash doesn't go on their face (and have that whitening effect), and bounces back fast enough to take a clear shot
- For proper night shots you need to use a tripod. If the objects aren't moving that much long shutter is the best way to do this, but it takes a long time and any camera shake will screw it up. To get long shutter, go to the exposure setting and press display to get to long shutter
- Learn some basics about taking photographs, it really helps. Higher ISOs make it easier to take stable shots, but they make the photos grainier. Natural light, if possible, takes more accurate photos than the flash, as the flash whitens, don't stay too close to your subject, use the zoom (it will distort the faces, especially the nose as the light doesn't bounce back evenly). I never bothered to learn this things and 10 minutes of reading makes your photos so much better
- Take practice shots. Too many of my group photos (I take many) were dark or didn't have the right light in the past, and many times it is because I didn't want to take test shots to calibrate. If you're at a restaurant the waiter or waitress will take one or two shots, so if you want it to count have it set up beforehand, it's the only way to be sure
- Remember this isn't an SLR--it's a great point-and-shoot and takes great photos, but if you want that beautiful "pro" look you need an SLR and you need to know how to use it
Customer Review: He Points, He Shoots, He Scores!
Summary: 5 Stars
The SD870 IS is about everything you could want in a compact point and shoot digital camera. It offers excellent image quality, a large vivid LCD display, intelligent defaults, fine low-light sensitivity, a high quality movie mode (with sound), an outstanding wide-angle lens and (most importantly for me) a photo capture speed that leaves many other digital cameras in the dust.
I cover a fair amount of electronics trade shows such as CES and CEDIA for my home theater site (Big Picture Big Sound), so I need a camera that is quick on the draw, has a good macro feature for close-ups, and has good low light sensitivity and zoom for distance shots at press conferences. But portability is also key, as I need to carry the camera around in my pocket along with other gadgets for note-taking. I've owned a Canon S400 Digital Elph for a number of years, and it has served me well, but the lag time between pushing the shutter button and actually getting a picture (particularly indoors) was frustrating, and the low light sensitivity is also fairly poor.
The SD870 retains all of the positive features of the earlier ELPH models, yet improves on the weaknesses. You can go from power up to pictures snapped in about a second. And once the camera is powered up and ready, you can capture shots in 1/2 second or less (depending on lighting conditions). For taking pictures in low lighting, the "Night Scene" mode (along with built-in optical image stabilization) is excellent, enabling me to capture on-stage action at a press event from 20 or 30 feet away (ISO sensitivity on the camera goes all the way up to 1600, but you can expect some graininess when the camera goes above ISO 400). Other scene modes such as "portrait" are also handy when you're going in for a close-up shot and want to capture a posed or candid pic of a loved one with an "artistic" out-of-focus background.
In terms of size, the camera is very small, yet comfortable in the hand. The camera's aluminum frame feels solid without being weighty and controls are logically laid out so you can be up and running without cracking the manual. Unfortunately the small size means it does not take standard AA batteries, but the Lithium Ion battery that comes with it will last through a couple of hundred shots in normal use. You will want to buy a spare battery however, as there is not always a lot of warning between when the on-screen low battery indicator starts flashing and the camera powers itself down (hint, get the Lenmar NB-5L equivalent - it will last about as long as the Canon for about 1/3 the price).
All in all, I'm very pleased with my purchase of the SD870 IS and am looking forward to using it to snap high quality pics of the latest gadgets at next year's Consumer Electronics Show.
Update (2/23/08) - Coming home from a party one night, I was mortified to find that the SD870 lens was halfway extended inside its case, inside my pocket. Apparently the power button was activated while inside my pocket and the lens motor has no safety so it tried to extend itself and the mechanism broke when it met resistance. So the lens would no longer fully extend and the image was perpetually out of focus. Sending it to Canon, I got a letter back saying it would cost $100 (flat fee) to repair even though it was under warranty. I argued that the camera was not abused or dropped and eventually they relented and covered the repair.
However this design flaw in the lens motor would lower my score of the camera to 4 stars if I could edit the score. What good is a portable camera that can't be carried inside a pocket? My advice would be to take the battery out if you're going to pack this inside luggage or transport it somewhere it could be jostled about. And I hope Canon addresses this with a safety retract mechanism (or a recessed power button) in future models.
Customer Review: Nimble, tiny, capable point-and-shoot
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm a DSLR user (the Pentax K100D is my main camera) who wanted a tiny camera I could always carry around with me, no matter where I go. But, being a DSLR user, I'm used to having complete manual control over my camera's operation. So when I went looking for a point-and-shoot I had these requirements:
1. Tiny size - I wanted it to fit in a pocket, or in a cell-phone holster on my hip. Without this, I'm a lot less likely to have it with me all the time. The Canon certainly fits the bill here. I carry it in an iPhone holster.
2. Wide angle - If you have a camera with a fixed lens, I think it's better to err on the side of wide. It makes it easy to get everything into the picture, particularly when photographing people. And now that I'm used to the Canon's lovely 28mm (35mm equiv) wide angle lens, I don't think I could go back.
3. Good image quality - The camera should shine in ideal conditions, and allow you enough control to get a good image when conditions are not ideal. The perfect camera would have good low-light (high ISO) performance, but it seems that's nearly impossible to find in a point-and-shoot these days. At the very least, ISO 400 should not look like a poorly-tuned TV. Again, the Canon fits the bill. Image quality is generally very good, and ISO 400 is usable in a pinch. I would not take it above that, but I think you could say that of any point-and-shoot. Additionally, the Canon has a nice "Auto ISO Shift" feature. When using this you set the ISO where you'd like it and the camera warns you if it thinks the ISO should be higher. A press of a button will allow the camera to use the ISO it thinks is best, or you can leave the ISO at your own setting. It's a nice balance between manual and auto ISO control.
4. Manual control - I wanted a camera that would allow me to set the aperture and shutter speed, or at the very least provide aperture-priority and shutter-priority modes. The Canon doesn't provide any manual features like this, unfortunately. The best it provides is "long exposure" mode, where you can set the shutter speed between 1" and 15".
It seems there is no single point-and-shoot camera on the market today that fills all four of my requirements. But the Canon fills the first three, and it does a fantastic job of it. So much so, in fact, that I'm no longer concerned about having forgone total manual control. This camera provides enough control over the image that I don't think I will ever encounter a situation where I'll say "I can't get that shot".
I compared this camera to three others: the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX33, and the Fujifilm Finepix F50FD.
Both the Panasonics have a nice 28mm lens, and the TZ3 has an astounding 28-280mm zoom, but they don't seem to have the image quality of the Canon. In particular, their high-ISO performance is not as good.
I almost bought the Fujifilm Finepix F50FD, because it's one of the few cameras with manual control. It's image quality and high-ISO performance are also on par with the Canon. Unfortunately, the Fujifilm has a very boring 35-105mm zoom.
The Canon Powershot SD870IS is a very nimble photographic tool that's ready to respond to creative opportunity very quickly. It's the perfect camera for carrying around and grabbing snapshots of the kids, or for keeping with you when a larger camera setup would be too heavy or bulky. Overall, I'm very satisfied.