Canon PowerShot SD890 IS - Design
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The most notable development in the design of the SD890 IS is the stylish curve built into the camera on the side that you hold. The concept behind the curve is that it appears elegant and fits the contours of your hand so that unsightly grip-aids are unnecessary. In reality, the execution fell short and the curve just makes your grip on the camera feel slightly clumsy.
Rather than the camera feeling natural and fitted in your hand, you will feel as if you have to be careful to not damage this thinner-than-normal handheld. Despite this awkwardness, the camera does look very trendy and the curved body combines with the general curving theme of the SD line to make a camera with looks to make other cameras envious.
A notable feature of the SD890’s line is compact size for easy travel. Although the SD890 follows suit and can easily fit into your loose pants pocket, it does weigh in slightly above average for a compact camera. In reality, the weight makes little difference and—if anything—simply allows you to hold the camera a little steadier when taking your pictures.
The SD890 received a major update in terms of menu and button navigation. The most notable change is the switch from a 4-button navigation system to a navigation wheel which also allows you to scroll through menus. Although the wheel is sleek and theoretically a great method for navigation, the execution again falls short. There is no physical feedback from the wheel, so you might find that as you are scrolling through menus that you often overshoot your intended option.
Luckily, Canon had the foresight to include the 4-button navigation in addition to the wheel, so you can use that if you have difficulty with their new technology. Unfortunately, there is no way to disable the wheel, so you might find yourself accidentally scrolling through menus at the worst of times.
The mode switch above the navigation wheel was again developed with style in mind. This time, Canon succeeded in creating a functional and good-looking feature. The switch works just as it should, and also doubles as a thumb rest while you are taking pictures. You can’t ask for much more than that.
However, the design of the SD890 has one more setback: the power button. The button is discrete yet accessible, placed at the top of the camera next to the viewfinder. Unfortunately, the button is quite small and has an awkward plastic lip which prohibits users with larger fingers from easy access to the button. Although anyone can still press it with the tip of their fingers, some will find it a small inconvenience.
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