Pros: Compact, fantastic resolution and picture quality, great video quality, huge LCD screen
Cons: A little tough to navigate through menus, no case included
The bottom line: Although on the expensive side, you without a doubt get your moneys worth. Good for the avid photographer and a great start for beginning professionals.
Preface
Wow. Can you believe it. Today marks my 7 year anniversary on the site. SEVEN YEARS! I suppose its fitting that this is my 77th review then. =) With this anniversary I wanted to do a superb review. I wanted to do one above and beyond any previous to it and above and beyond my own expectations. This is the one that I had been afraid to tackle up to this point. A digital camera.

Now some people (i.e. Howard or dkozin) may find that amusing that I saw such a product as a daunting task but with the depth that goes into such a product I was always hesitant that I could give an insightful enough look at such a complicated piece of equipment. Well, that being said, here is my shot at it. All comments/suggestions are MORE than welcome so please don't hesitate. Hopefully it suits the needs of its potential customers and if it doesn't they can always go read Howard's review. ;)

~Many thanks to all of those who have made the last 7 years fantastic. My sincerest thanks to all of the other members and my faithful readers.~

The Review
Digital cameras are expensive. Its tough for most of us to pick out the one that would suit our needs best. Personally I love to take pictures casually, but on occasion I get an urge to get into photographer mode and look for some nice flower close ups or some great scenery to grab.

My old camera, a Canon Power Shot A510 was good for casual pictures (parties, family gatherings, baby pictures etc.) but it wasn't outstanding for my occasional photographer mode I get into. The 3.2 megapixels just weren't enough for the picture clarity I wanted, and the shudder lag was extremely slow in taking and in recovering to take another picture. I toughed it out though and that great little beginners camera lasted me just over two years before it crapped out on me. Once that happened I couldn't wait to get a high quality camera. I shopped around and really fell for the Canon Power Shot SD870 IS. I will do my best to put the review in layman terms and keep it simple because for those of us who are more like me and less the digital camera fanatic, the simpler the explanations the better.

Portability
My old Canon Power Shot A510 was a little bulky. It wasn't very long or tall, the normal size digital camera, but it was so thick, it was constantly bothering me in my pocket. The SD870 is the total opposite. Probably about the same length and height wise, the real gem that I love is the thickness. Significantly more compact and thinner than my old Canon, the SD870 really is a revolution of technology in regard to the ability to pack a higher resolution, higher megapixel processing components into a thinner camera. Unfortunately the camera didn't come with a case for those who prefer it. However, if you do wish to purchase one, (I purchased my camera at Circuit City) almost any retailer selling the camera is going to have various options for cases to purchase.

But How Easy Is It To Use?
The camera really is versatile enough to function as a basic use camera for the normal every day photographer who is just looking to capture family moments and the like, but it is also in depth enough to meet the needs of many experienced and detailed photographers who want something they can use for a variety of needs. Catching on to the use of the camera was very easy, and is very simple for anyone familiar with the use of a digital camera. Getting into some of the extra components and options may be a little daunting for some but for the picture quality that this camera produces, I would say it is worth learning how to use all of its potential functions, or at least becoming familiar with them. The buttons on the camera are kept very simple and allow for very soft touch easy to use functions. The port for the USB cord to connect and the AV cord to connect is neatly and conveniently hidden away on the side of the camera under where the camera strap connects. This was a great little improvement in my eyes as my old camera had large protrusions for these various ports. With this model the camera is able to keep these ports but also maintain its sleek and smooth appearance.

Picture Modes
Here is where a GREAT variation of modes comes in for a variety of users. There are basic modes of shooting and much more involved and enhanced modes for the more experienced photographer. Now believe it or not, these modes are very well explained in the manual and for an amateur photographer like me who wants to enhance their photography skills, this has been a great learning tool for me. It certainly has not been the easiest thing to learn, but piece by piece I have been able to teach myself about digital macro options, compression, white balance, color enhance and all of the other great features that come with this model. I have outlined the various modes below for those in depth photographers who are looking for specific modes in their cameras, and also for those who are amateurs looking to enhance their abilities as a little breakdown/reference guide. There are three overall modes for shooting with the camera. Auto, which has all of your manual functions under it as well, SCN (special conditions), and Recording video, all of which I have broken down below.

Auto
The basic modes on the camera for Auto shooting are: Auto -The camera automatically chooses the best lighting exposure and flash necessity (good mode for beginner users as it only lets the user choose the fineness of the picture and the resolution), Manual - Lets the user choose all of the various options (white balance, shutter speed, color modes, color accents etc.), Digital Macro - Used for magnified close up shooting such as flowers, Color Accent - Allows the user to have a color specified in the LCD monitor to remain and transform all other colors to black and white, Color Swap - Allows the user to transform a color specified in the LCD monitor into another color, and Stitch Assist - Allows for panoramic pictures, combined with a program which is installed on your computer with the Canon install disc.

SCN
The camera also allows for shooting modes in special conditions (SCN) and has settings for each one. These settings are self explanatory and are portrait, night snapshot, kids & pets, indoor, foliage, snow, beach, fireworks, aquarium, underwater *This mode is only used with the compatible underwater case. This camera is NOT an underwater camera. The photographs taken in these various settings adjust for pre-conceived conditions and light balances. The overall assessment of these is that they are spot on. They really make it easy to adjust for various modes without having to delve into the Manual mode of the camera which can be daunting for some less experienced users.

Video Mode
Taking videos with the camera is a snap. One feature I will discuss right away that was at the top of my list in video options was being able to zoom while the camera was recording. Sounds simple but the last camera I had could not support zooming while recording and I am so pleased that this camera does have that option. The video is crystal clear on playback and after upload. Using the AV cables and hooking the camera up to a computer also allow for a superb picture/video quality on the larger television screen as well.

Video modes are Standard - Max size is 4GB, Compact - Compresses the file recording fewer pixels and making the data size smaller which enables for easy emailing of the video, Color Accent / Color Swap allow the same features discussed above in the photograph mode within the videos, and Time Lapse. The Time Lapse feature was a great surprise that I discovered on the camera. I've never had the option on a digital camera before so I wasn't sure what to make of it at first. After exploring it, I haven't exactly found a use for it (I plan on doing a sunset/sunrise type time lapse soon enough) but nonetheless still a very neat feature. This feature also allows for interval adjustment which will playback a 1 hour session in four minutes with a 1 second interval time or a 1 hour session in 2 minutes with a 2 second interval time.

Photo Lighting/Color Options
These features are more for the experienced and in depth user. Although easy to follow in the manual, these can be somewhat overwhelming for the beginner. The basic premise of these options allow for the user to get the most vibrant, colorful, crisp picture possible in any setting. The camera allows the user to adjust for almost any type of condition such as indoor/outdoor, the type of bulb in the lighting in the indoor setting you are in, the white balance of the photo, black and white pictures, vibrant color options, and color shift are just a few. The next paragraph will discuss those more in depth for those experienced users who are looking to engage in such functions but this paragraph was just a basic breakdown of what these functions can do for you if you were to purchase the camera.

Once the camera is in Manual mode here is where all of the true photographers will appreciate the variety of choices you have to edit the pictures and the taking of the pictures. Shutter Speed - Adjusted to a slower setting makes darker subjects appear brighter (this can also be enhanced with the light exposure levels adjusted), White Balance - Adjusted to enhance the white balance of the setting, adjusting modes are auto, day light, cloudy, tungsten bulbs, fluorescent bulbs, fluorescent halogen bulbs, and custom level, My Colors - a fantastic mode to adjust all of the various color options for the photo, including vivid which emphasizes bold colors, neutral which tones down bold colors to more neutral tones, sepia, black and white, positive film which can create a positive film effect on vivid colors, lighter and darker skin tone options (separate options) to adjust for those skin tones, vivid blue/green/red (all separate) which enhances those particular tints in a photograph, and custom color which lets the user adjust the contrast, sharpness, and saturation settings in the picture. Adjusting the Metering Modes allows the user to compensate for the location of a light source in the picture. And finally the Compression feature allows for superfine, fine or normal compression of an imagine, allowing a little more control (in conjunction with the resolution settings) over how large the files are.

The Display
I had to dedicate a section to the absolutely phenomenal LCD display that this camera has. The camera boasts a 3.0 inch 230,000 pixel display! I really cant even describe how fantastic having such a large display is. The colors are vibrant and clear and the picture coverage is 100%. This really makes it easy on the eyes when reviewing the pictures, and also has incredible clarity for zooming in on pictures for careful scrutiny. The only down side to such a large display is that there is no viewfinder for those who prefer that method of shooting pictures.

Picture Quality / Resolution / Zoom Function
Wow, is the first word that comes to mind. Through all of the various modes of shooting (which I discussed above) and all of the resolution options you really cant go wrong. You can adjust each picture accordingly and even add color effects such as black and white or sepia to photos either during or after they are taken. Below I've included a little breakdown of the various resolutions available for pictures and the capacity the SanDisk Ultra® II 1GB Memory Card, which I bought to go with the camera, will store.

3264x2488 - 252 pictures
2592x1944 - 345 pictures
2048x1536 - 535 pictures
1600x1200 - 854 pictures
640x480 - 3217 pictures

In developing the pictures the clarity was fantastic. Viewing them on my Macbook Pro Laptop at a 1440 x 900 display the clarity is also extremely crisp and clear. As Howard has pointed out to me some cameras may skew the color hue so that some colors are off (i.e. reds appear orange) this is not a problem at all with this unit. The clarity and crispness of the images captured are as vibrant and clear on the screen as they are in person. The color in video modes is also very precise and on point. I have not had any blurring or distortion in any pictures I have taken so far. All of the colors in each picture are as balanced and natural as they appear in real life.

The zoom on the camera is astounding. The camera is equipped with digital zoom combined with optical zoom. Using the digital tele-converter, the user is enabled to use the digital zoom on the camera to achieve the effects of a tele-converter lens. The camera has a 3.8x optical zoom and also is equipped with a 4.8x / 6.1x / 7.8x / 15.0x digital zoom. The higher the zoom the more I would recommend a tripod for the user because even with the image stabilization the photographs can come out a little fuzzy.

Battery Life
I am wholeheartedly impressed with the battery life. Coming from a camera that used AA batteries and would go through them like the sun cooking a snowcone, it was a pleasant surprise to actually have a battery last for a change. I have taken a few hundred pictures now and have yet to have to recharge the battery. The manual boasts that the battery will take approximately 270 images with the LCD monitor on and has approximately 6 hours of playback time at 3 seconds per image. I wholeheartedly can stand by this estimate and can vouch in my case for the battery lasting even longer. Now upon further use of the camera I will certainly edit the review and see how long the battery is able to maintain such an excellent charge.

Charging the battery is a cinch. Simply plugging the wall mounted charger into any outlet with the battery inserted into it, the manual says it will take approximately 2 hours from empty to attain full charge. I have not fully charged it from empty as of yet but from half way to full it took about 45 minutes.

Installing Software
The software install was easy as could be. Insertion of the disc prompts the opening of an install wizard in windows or the install icon for a Mac and you are done. The software installed allows for photo organization and for stitch assist which is the program used to help you piece together the multiple pictures on your camera to become one long panoramic shot.

Canon's Warranty
Through Circuit City where I purchased this camera, I was able to get an absolutely phenomenal warranty which I also had on my old Canon Power Shot A510. Although pricey, I would say that this is a 100% necessity which purchasing this product.

Just as an example, with my LAST camera (not this one), I had a problem with the LCD display not working properly during its usage. I called Canon and filed a report, they shipped me a box to ship it back to them in, promptly fixed it, and shipped it back to me working great. Not only that but the second time I had a problem with my old A510 I called and inquired about doing the same thing, and the agent informed me that they no longer fix cameras worth less than (I believe the amount was) $250. The new protocol was to have me ship the camera to them, and in exchange they would send me a gift card to Circuit City for the full value that I paid for the camera which was $200, which I used towards the purchase of this fantastic camera. Through doing that, they gained a customer for life so I would highly recommend purchasing the warranty plan for the longest period of time available with this camera.

Specs
8.0 Mega Pixels
Lens - 4.6 (w) - 17.3 (t) mm (35mm film equivalent 28 (w) - 105 (t) mm )
Digital Zoom - 4.0x up to approximately 15x in combination with optical zoom
LCD Screen - 3.0 inch - approximately 230,000 pixels
TTL autofocus Face Detect / AiAF
Mechanical and Electronic Shutter
Shutter Speeds - 15-1/1600 sec.
ISO Speed - Auto, High ISO Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600
Built In Flash / Red Eye Reduction
Interface - USB 2.0 Hi-Speed / Audio Video Output
Battery Pack NB-5L Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery
Dimensions - 92.6 x 58.8 . 25.9 mm / Approximately 155 g (5.5oz)

Overall
Expensive? Sure every digital camera is, but how many can boast all of the functionality I described above, have a fantastic warranty, and be as compact and light weight as this unit is? I really would recommend the camera to the everyday person who is looking for a great camera that will give them quality pictures, and I'd also recommend it to the experienced photographer who will find this compact gem a marvel of technological advances.

© Copyright 2008 - ace3502

Looking for a memory card to use with this camera? Try the:
SanDisk Ultra® II 1GB Memory Card