Canon SD850 IS Review - Performance and Image Quality
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The upgrade to the Digic III processor, in the SD850, seems to have helped the performance of the camera over its predecessor, in most cases. It takes just over 1 second to turn on the SD850 and shoot the first shot, which is very fast. Shot-to-shot times were about average at just under 2 seconds between shots with the flash off. The one area where the SD700 outperformed the SD850 is shot-to-shot times with the flash enabled; under those circumstances, the SD700 was about 1 second faster. In continuous shooting mode, the SD850 was able to reach 1.4 frames per second, which again is average.
The performance of the SD850 does not jump out at you as the best aspect of the camera, but all of the numbers are sufficient and should be just fine for the camera to serve its intended purpose. If performance is number one in your book, you may want to look at the SD800 IS or the Sony DSC-T100 which both perform a tad faster than the SD850.
In typical Canon fashion, the image quality that this camera provides is second to none. Colors are vivid and accurate, and detail is very sharp. In low-light situations the SD850 performs great, with barely any visible image noise all the way up to ISO 800. At ISO 800 you can count on your 8x10 prints being very accurate and detailed, with just a hair of fuzziness but nothing substantial. The combination of the 8.3 megapixel CCD and the Digic III processor in this camera has really taken image quality to the next level for digital cameras of this class.
Although the SD850 is not the fastest performing camera in its class, it just may have the best image quality capabilities. One thing is for sure, users of the SD850 will have no complaints in the image quality department.
Summary
What more can you say about a camera that has it all? I think that the average photographer out there will be happy with this one. Even professional photographers looking for a pocket camera back-up would be happy with the SD850. This camera is very user-friendly, as are most SD cameras by Canon. The only complaint I have with it is the lack of some manual controls and the only average performance. These negative aspects should be thrown out the window, though, because they are very minor and the SD850 more than makes up for them in features and image quality.
The 8.3 megapixel CCD, 4x optical zoom, face detection technology, and excellent image quality make this camera a winner. The only reason this camera may not outsell some of its competitors is the $399 price tag, which may be too high for some. I would say that if you can afford it, buy this camera, as I'm sure you won't be disappointed with it. If you can't afford it, you may want to look at the other compact cameras in Canon's SD line which are also great quality cameras but carry a smaller price tag.
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