Canon's various PowerShot models: any opinions or recs between them?

[Joel_Cairo]

I'm looking for a new point-and-shoot digital camera in the $300 neighborhood, and I've pretty much narrowed it down to a Canon. There's the SD850 (Cnet's fav), the SD700 (same thing sans viewfinder), the SD1000 (pc mag's fav, and the purdiest IMO) and the brand new SD1100.

Does anybody know enough about these, relative to one another, to be able to give me some input?

 

[Piobaire]

Joel, our last two cameras were PowerShots. We wanted a new camera for a trip last fall and my wife did all her usual methodical research and came up with a Sony this time. If you're interested in looking into it, I'll go dig up the model.

 

[Joel_Cairo]

The Sony CyberShot DSC T300 was a semi-finalist. The online reviews seemed to criticize it for having "noisy and soft" pictures though, which was a turn-off. I'll be using it for vacations and weddings and all that common pocket-camera stuff, but my real day-to-day usage will most likely be for the Buying & Selling forum here, so getting faithful shots of different fabrics etc is really more primary than other bells and whistles. From what I gather, Canon is the way to go for picture quality in this price range.

 

[ghulkhan]

the sd870 is nice

 

[Joel_Cairo]

Originally Posted by ghulkhan

the sd870 is nice

aww crap. I didn't even know that one existed. You (and google) have just narrowed my 4 contenders down to 5

 

[ratboycom]

I say you go for the SD 850/870 they both have 4x optical zoom and Optical Image stabilization making them the winrar of this battle.

 

[matadorpoeta]

i've had the sd1000 since early november and i say definitely the sd870. the main difference between the camera's you're looking at is whether or not they have optical image stabilization and their focal length on the wide end. the 870 is the only one that gives you 28mm equivalent on the wide end, and for $300, it's a bargain. i'm pretty sure it cost about $450 when i was shopping around in november. i cannot stress this enough: wider is better. i agree the sd1000 is the best looking, but it lacks o.i.s. and that's a big deal. it's almost useless above i.s.o. 400, as i suspect all these cameras are, so the o.i.s. will make a big difference. also, if you can find the sd800 at a significant discount, you might want to get that one. it's essentially the same camera as the 870, with 7mp instead of 8.

 

[sonick]

Yeah, compared to the other models, the SD1000 is fairly entry-level, and basic

 

[A Y]

Originally Posted by matadorpoeta

the main difference between the camera's you're looking at is whether or not they have optical image stabilization and their focal length on the wide end. the 870 is the only one that gives you 28mm equivalent on the wide end, and for $300, it's a bargain. i'm pretty sure it cost about $450 when i was shopping around in november. i cannot stress this enough: wider is better.

+1. I have the SD800IS, the predecessor of the 870, and its 28 mm wide end is the main reason I got it. It's a more versatile camera because of it.

--Andre

 

[shoreman1782]

OK, I may betray my total photography ignorance here, but, besides looks, what's the $160 difference between the SD870 and something from the A series, like the A570? Just curious.

 

[Joel_Cairo]

so the 870 sounds good, but I am put-off by the lack of a viewfinder, which I find I actually use quite a bit... anybody know how wide the 850 goes?

 

[antirabbit]

A630 is badass if you can find it in your price range.
You can add other lenses as well. It is kind of like a point and shoot +

I have the SD750, which I like, but can not hold a flame to the A series.
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerSho...4559695&sr=1-1


The SD series is nice, but has sacrificed performance for small size and style IMO.

 

[matadorpoeta]

Originally Posted by Joel_Cairo

so the 870 sounds good, but I am put-off by the lack of a viewfinder, which I find I actually use quite a bit... anybody know how wide the 850 goes?

the 850 goes to 35 or 36mm (equivalent.)

i should have mentioned that my previous p&s was the canon a95, and it was excellent. the a series are good cameras, but the drawback is they are not pocketable, and you're very unlikely to have it with you all the time. if you don't find it necessary to have a camera with you at all times, you may want to consider an a series with o.i.s. also, because they are larger, it's much easier to hold them steady.

 

[matadorpoeta]

Originally Posted by shoreman1782

OK, I may betray my total photography ignorance here, but, besides looks, what's the $160 difference between the SD870 and something from the A series, like the A570? Just curious.
it's not small enough to fit in your pocket, and it only goes down to 35, not 28.

 

[Artisan Fan]

I have an A620 and it's okay but the lens is not what you would get with a DSLR. A good value though.