Customer Reviews
fantabulous 
2008-07-03
This was an amazing camera. I love it and bring it everywhere. It is easy to use and i am familiar with canon cameras, so it was an extremely delightful transition to this camera. The pictures are often "better than real life" according to a friend. I like quick pictures but i also like quality landscapes or close ups for enlargement. This works perfectly for both.
Beware the "WATER DAMAGE" scam 
2008-06-28
How many of us Canon "Water Damage" victims are there, I wonder?
Like another reviewer, I purchased the Canon SD850 IS several months ago and have used it regularly. It suddenly stopped working - the lens would not retract. I sent it to Canon for service under their one year warranty. They decided that it would not be "economically feasible" (exact words) to repair the camera and have sent it back to me still broken. Canon "customer care" says that the technicians found "water damage" even though the camera was never around water and worked fine up until the moment it stopped. They even suggested I might have spilled something into it (no way) or perhaps the water damage was caused by going from an air-conditioned environment into a warm humid environment. Ridiculous! Don't most people vacation in warm places? If a camera stops working because it is in warm and humid environment, the label on the camera should clearly state - stay away from nice places!
So it seems that if Canon decides they don't want to repair a camera under warranty, they can just claim "water damage" and they are off the hook. No recourse for the customer, no appeal process.
If you are looking for a $300.00 disposable camera, this is it!
Great Camera, but... 
2008-06-26
If you are looking for a camera with great features, look no further.
The price is actually reasonable for what you get. With the simple
click of a button, you have a beautiful detailed photo that captures
the moment and will last forever. The only reason I rated this with
4 stars was because of the size. It always aggravated me that I couldn't
put it in my pocket because it was too thick. Otherwise, I love this
camera, and if size isn't an issue for you, this camera is a fantastic
purchase!
Best point and shoot 2008-06-22
This is the best point and shoot I have ever had. It takes great pictures and absolutely amazing macros. Nothing rivals this camera's macros in a point and shoot. The flash is far better than any camera I've used. The flash creates exact and correct lighting and color in absolute black. The extra settings make great creative pictures possible as well. Sure more settings would be nice, changing the f-stop would be great.
Overall this camera takes great pictures. In full light and outdoors, the pictures are always incredible. Inside, it's touchy, you usually need a flash otherwise you'll get blur. The lack of flash control makes it hard. At times in low light it will take too bright of a flash and overexpose your picture whiting out colors. It would be nice if they could have a setting for high/low/auto flash. There are new models out that are certainly somewhat better but this camera is very solid. It's also a great price for what you get. No other camera is as good for this price.
Gift for wife. 2008-06-20
I needed a camera for my wife that not only takes good pictures but is easy to use. After reading the information on Imaging- [...] and Digital Camera Resource Page I choose the Canon PowerShot 850. She is going to Africa and with the 8.0 MP and IS I knew that even if it didn't have the zoom I wanted the pictures could still be cropped and enlarged with out loss of critical detail. She loves it and learned to use it without a lot of problems. I have a Canon ESO 20D and find that I am using her camera more than mine. The pictures are unbelievable for such a small camera even under low light. And every one has been very pleased with the portrait shots we have taken of them.(Don't be afraid to zoom in on their face). I can't wait to use it take pictures of the forth of July fireworks. I would rate it a 5 and recommend it to any one who is not concerned with more control of the camera. Most people who think they want more control never take the time to learn how to use it anyway.
Great Point-and-Shoot 2008-07-08
This is a great point-and-shoot camera with some very nice features. Being that it's a bit older now, the price is definitely right. It has a small size (fit's in my pocket well), and feels good in my giant hands. The 4x zoom lens is nice, quick, and responsive. Paired with a 4GB SDHC card, I can shoot a ton of pictures and video. I also was able to load the CHDK firmware update which gives you more features (always-on battery meter, longer exposures, faster shutter speed, live histogram, zebra mode, scripting, etc.) One negative is that the beautiful finish seems to scratch easily; I put it in my pocket with a phone for a few hours and the front and screen were all scratched. I promptly ordered a Boxwave silicone FlexiSkin and screen protector (should have done this first).
zoom and a compact too! 2008-07-06
Not only is it small but zooms for close ups, love this camera.
Bought an extra battery just in case since you can't use typical AA batteries.
Fit my requirements for a powerful and unobtrusive camera!
Quite a little camera 2008-07-05
I have been very happy with the quality of pictures we get with this camera. We have owned 5 digital cameras now (my wife is efficient at killing them). This one is the best, and not the most expensive.
A nice pocket shooter 2008-07-03
I bought this camera to replace the slightly larger PowerShot A720 that our family lost. The SD850 is worth the extra money for two reasons:
First, it's so small that it actually fits inside my shirt pocket. I don't have to carry it awkwardly in a belt holster.
Second, the flash delay is much, much improved. The A720 took forever for the flash to power up after taking a picture that I felt I was missing a lot of opportunities.
There's nothing really wrong with the A720. For the money -- about $150 -- it was a great camera. But if you value a smaller body and quicker flash availability, this is the camera for you.
We absolutely love this camera!! 2008-07-03
This camera is the best bang for the buck!! The screen is large and the picture crisp! The effects this thing can do are amazing! You would pay $500+ for some cameras that do these things. I can't believe what we got for what we paid for this. Definately worth it. Since we've gotten it a few weeks ago we have only charged the camera once (when we got it) and it is still going ang going!
