Canon Digital IXUS 800 IS camera review

The delightfully compact Digital IXUS 800 IS combines IXUS style with advanced photographic features. Experience sharper flash-free shooting with ISO 800 and a 4x optical Image Stabilizer zoom lens, rechargeable Canon NB-5L battery.

• 6.0 MP CCD
  
• 4x optical zoom with optical IS
  
• ISO 800
  
• Elegant design
  
• DIGIC II and iSAPS
  
• 2.5" LCD
  
• 16 shooting modes and My Colors
  
• Widescreen recording and 30fps VGA movies
  
• PictBridge and Print/Share button
  
• Software and CANON iMAGE GATEWAY*


• Accessories : Extend shooting possibilities with a range of optional accessories, including a Waterproof Case (40m) WP-DC5 and High Power Flash HF-DC1 NB-5L battery.

The Canon Digital IXUS 800 IS is a 6 megapixel digital camera with a 2.5 inch LCD screen, li-ion NB-5L battery and optical viewfinder. For the first time ever on a Canon compact, the IXUS 800 features image stabilizer technology to help combat camera-shake. Canon have also extended the optical zoom lens to 4x, giving an effective focal length of 35-140mm. Under the surface, the Canon Digital Ixus 800 IS uses the same advanced DIGIC II processor as the company's digital SLR cameras for fast performance and image processing. There are 14 different scene modes on offer for beginners and a more advanced Manual mode for those who desire greater control. VGA movies at 30fps, a My Colors mode that allows special in-camera colour effects, and PictBridge and USB 2 support complete the specification. So does the Digital IXUS 800 IS carry on the good name of previous IXUS compacts? Read our latest review to find out.

As a rule with Canon digital cameras you know roughly what you are going to get before you turn them on. The IXUS 800 IS is no exception. This camera is capable of producing sharp images and strong colours. For me that is the ideal combination when you are looking to buy any camera. Also camcorder battery can be used in camera.

The Canon Digital Ixus 800 IS has a normal shooting mode, Self-timer (2 secs. 10 secs. or Custom) and a Continuous mode, which allows you take up to 2.1 frames/sec until the memory card is full. There are a number of different My Colors photo effects on offer (My Colors Off, Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Custom Color). The Macro setting allows you to focus on subjects that are as close as 2cms. The camera offers 2 auto-focusing systems - 9-point AiAF and 1-point AF (Fixed centre). The built-in flash offers 5 different modes (Auto, On, Auto Red-eye Reduction, Slow Synchro and Off). The flash range is 50cm-3.5m (W) / 2.0m (T). An AF assist beam and Flash Exposure Lock are also available. Noise reduction is automatically applied to exposures greater than 1.3 seconds. The powerful NB-5L battery can last for about three ours with continuous working

The Canon Digital Ixus 800 IS's dimensions are 90.4 (W) x 56.5 (D) x 26.4 (H) mm, and it weighs 165g without the battery and storage card fitted. The camera is powered by a rechargeable Li-ion Battery which allows you to take up to 240 shots before needing to be recharged. There is a metal tripod mount in the center of the bottom of the camera.

In my view Canon digital cameras are some of the more complicated to use. I have reviewed so many now that I know where to find everything, but if you are new to them it may take you a short while to fully get to grips with the camera and better charger NB-5l battery

The Canon Digital IXUS (NB-5L) series of digital cameras has been successful for many years. At this time, the new Canon Digital IXUS 800 IS leads the series, and will undoubtedly enjoy a warm welcome from the IXUS enthusiasts. We had the opportunity to test the Canon IXUS 800 IS during a long period of time. Whether or not Canon set a new benchmark for their compact camera line can be read in the following Canon Digital IXUS 800 IS digital camera review.

Canon powershot sd900 review

The 10-megapixel Canon PowerShot SD900 manages to be stylish without being inconvenient or awkward. Its sturdy metal body, an attractive matte-gray with black accents, is smooth and slightly curvy, and at 6.7 ounces and 1.1 inches thick, it's just the right size to fit into a jacket pocket. All the controls are on the camera's right side, so nearly every button is within thumb's reach for comfortable one-handed use. A 2.5-inch LCD screen takes up most of the camera's remaining back panel but leaves enough room for an optical viewfinder. The viewfinder is small and awkward, but it provides a welcome alternative to the LCD.

While the SD900 is heavy on style, like most of the SD series, it's pretty light on features. You can adjust the white balance, the exposure compensation, the ISO sensitivity, and the metering settings, but in true point-and-shoot fashion, most shooting happens with the camera in automatic mode or through its handful of scene presets. It offers 30fps VGA movie capture or XGA (1,024x768) movies at 15fps.

Unlike the SD800 IS, with its relatively fast, wide-angle lens, the SD900 sports a rather mundane f/2.8-to-f/4.9, 37mm-to-111mm-equivalent model. It features the recent Digic III image processor, which Canon claims improves performance, image quality, and battery life over the previous chip. We've haven't seen any significant improvement over past-generation cameras, but the SD900's predecessors, the SD600 and the SD630, already boast strong performance and image quality.

The Canon PowerShot SD900 is a moderately fast shooter, especially for a 10-megapixel model. After waiting 1.3 seconds from power-on to first shot, we managed to snap one photo every 2.3 seconds. With the onboard flash enabled, that wait increased to a still-respectable 3 seconds. The shutter felt quite responsive, lagging only 0.5 second in bright light and 0.9 second in dim conditions. Burst mode was predictably slow, shooting a full-resolution photo once every 0.9 second.

Basic Features

• 10-megapixel CCD


• Real-image optical viewfinder


• 2.5-inch color TFT LCD monitor with 230,000 pixels


• 3x, 7.7-23.1mm lens, equivalent to a 37-111mm lens on a 35mm camera


• Maximum 4x digital zoom


• Automatic exposure control, with Long Shutter mode for longer exposures


• Shutter speeds from 1/2,000 to 15 seconds


• Maximum aperture of f/2.8 to f/4.9, depending on lens zoom position


• Spot, Center-Weighted, and Evaluative exposure metering


• White balance (color) adjustment with seven modes, including a Custom setting


• Built-in flash with six modes


• SD memory card storage, 32MB card included


• Power supplied by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack (Canon NB-5L) or optional AC adapter kit


• Canon Digital Camera Solution Software v29.0


• Print/Share button for direct image transfer and printing

Special Features

• Pure titanium shell sculpted in Canon's Perpetual Curve design


• DIGIC III image processor with face detection technology


• Adjustable ISO settings up to 1,600, plus Auto and ISO HI settings, and an ISO 3,200 Scene mode


• 16:9 Widescreen still image capture mode


• 11 preset Scene modes


• Five Movie modes with sound, with 1,024 x 768 XGA mode at 15 fps


• Continuous Shooting mode


• Stitch-Assist panorama mode


• Infinity, Macro, and Digital Macro focus modes


• Customizable "My Camera" settings


• Two- or 10-second Self-Timer for delayed shutter release, plus custom timer with multi-shot feature


• Sound Memo option for recording captions


• My Colors menus for color adjustment


• Unusual Color Accent and Color Swap features for special effects in still images or movies


• DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) and PictBridge compatibility


• USB cable for connection to a computer (driver software included)


• A/V cable for connection to a television set


• Canon nb-5l battery replacement

In the Box

The Canon SD900 ships with the following items in the box:

• Canon SD900 digital ELPH camera


• Canon NB-5L lithium-ion battery pack with cover


• CB-2LX Battery charger


• 32MB SD memory card


• WS-700 Wrist strap


• IFC-400PCU USB cable


• AVC-DC300 AV cable


• Canon Digital Camera Solution Disk v29.0 software CD


• Operating manuals and registration card

Recommended Accessories

• Large capacity SD/MMC memory card. (These days, 512MB and 1GB cards are a good tradeoff between cost and capacity.)


• Small camera case for outdoor and in-bag protection


• External battery replacement of Canon nb-5l battery

Canon Powershot sd700 review

Compared to its siblings in Canon's SD line of compact point-and-shoot cameras, the top-end SD700 IS packs more features into its small frame than higher resolution. It shares the same 6-megapixel sensor as its peers, the PowerShot SD600 and SD630 but has a longer zoom lens and image stabilization to curb blurry photos.

The Canon PowerShot SD700 IS is compact, though slightly larger than the other two models. Still, it's the right size to slip into a jacket or a loose pants pocket. At 6.8 ounces, it's a bit heavy for its small size, giving it a nice, solid feel.

The camera's intelligently laid-out controls are comfortable to operate, though with a few minor annoyances. Most of the controls are located on the back panel, leaving only the shutter release and zoom rocker on the top edge of the camera. I'm not crazy about the zoom rocker, which encircles the shutter release. Though its small nub makes it easy to find and responsive to use, I'd have preferred it to be slightly larger. You select among the shooting and playback modes via a half-covered, View-Master-like wheel on the right side of the camera.

The main camera controls rest in a four-way-plus-OK pad, while menu, print, and display buttons sit next to the LCD screen. You change the flash, timer, macro, and ISO sensitivity settings directly through the control pad, while more technical settings such as exposure compensation, white balance, and color adjustment are accessed via the function menu. The buttons are round and responsive, and they feel comfortable even under large thumbs. My only real quibble with the SD700's control layout is the tiny, finicky power (NB-5L) button, which is wedged in an uncomfortable position just above the LCD screen and to the right of the viewfinder.

The Canon PowerShot SD700 IS is packed with handy features. Its 6-megapixel sensor works with its image-stabilized f/2.8-to-f/5.5 35mm-to-140mm lens (35mm equivalent) and can hit sensitivity settings as high as ISO 800. Its 2.5-inch LCD screen is nice and bright, and it leaves just enough room for an optical viewfinder. Unfortunately, the viewfinder is just above the center of the LCD screen, forcing you to turn your head uncomfortably or polish the LCD with your nose.

Beyond the standard automatic and manual-ish settings--it lacks shutter- and aperture-priority exposure modes--the camera offers a nice handful of scene presets. Included are standard shooting modes such as nighttime, portrait, and kids and pets. It also includes Canon's Color Accent and Color Swap modes, gimmicky but fun options that let you switch colors in photos or take artsy, everything-is-black-and-white-except-for-a-toy shots. The SD700 IS can also shoot video at a standard 30fps in VGA resolution or at 60fps in QVGA (320x240) for effects such as slow motion. The camera offers Canon's thorough color-adjustment settings. If manual and preset white-balance options aren't enough, you can tweak individual colors until they look just right.

The SD700 IS's quick and responsive performance hits the right note. A shutter lag of 0.5 second in bright light and 0.8 second in dim light are about average for an ultracompact, but its 1.5-second time to first shot and 1.6-second shot-to-shot time definitely rise above the crowd. Even with the onboard flash enabled, shot-to-shot time rose to only 1.9 seconds. And it keeps up the pace in continuous-shooting mode--about 2.1fps in burst mode for an effectively unlimited number of shots.

Though it's the first SD-series Digital Elph to use Canon's optical image stabilization system, the SD700 IS does a very good job of minimizing blur. Zoomed-in photos look crisp and clean with image stabilization, and wide-angle, low-light photos suffer less blur than usual.

Image quality, much like performance, rates as excellent. The SD700 IS reproduces color very well, and images are clean with few processing flaws. Photos remain consistent and noise-free at low-to-moderate ISO speeds and are acceptable even at ISO 400. At ISO 800, we noticed some distinct noise in our photos, but it was a clean, grainlike noise that left the images very usable. Furthermore, lens sharpness remains relatively consistent around the edges, unlike with some similar cameras. This helps keep fringing to a minimum.

The Canon PowerShot SD700 IS is a very strong, compact digital camera that produces great pictures. Its price is a bit high compared to that of its little brothers, the SD600 and SD630, but its great image stabilization and subsequent blur-free photos are worth the extra few quid.

The Canon PowerShot SD700 battery is Canon nb-5l canon nb-5l battery