Canon PowerShot SD880 IS: Review

Posted to Digital Cameras 2009-07-06

Canon PowerShot SD880 IS Review:

If you are looking for a go anywhere point and shoot camera that can even fit in your pocket, then you may want to check out the Canon PowerShot SD880 IS. As the successor to the SD870, the PowerShot SD880 IS has received some tweaks while retaining much of the functionality that can be found on its predecessor. With features that can help even the shakiest of hands take a quality photo, the PowerShot SD880 IS truly the go anywhere camera for the aspiring photographer.

Measuring 3.69" x 2.24" x 0.93" and weighing only 5.47 ounces, the PowerShot SD880 IS offers users a 10 Megapixel resolution with a 4x optical zoom with image stabilization. While these numbers may seem small when compared to the large zoom and resolution numbers of some of it competitors, the PowerShot SD880 IS can be considered anything but your average point and shoot. This lens can provide users with a zoom that can range from a 28mm wide angle to a 122mm telephoto with an f-stop rating of 2.8 to 5.8. While this may be a smaller zoom than some of its competitors, its multipurpose functionality gives photographers of any skill level the ability to capture a variety of different photos without ever having to worry about changing the lens. The PowerShot SD880 IS also offers users a 3.0 inch PureColor II LCD screen, giving the user the ability to see the result in full color long before they press a button.

Rating:

4.0 out of 5

Features

Those who are new to photography, or just don't want to be bothered with adjusting their camera for the optimal shot, will be happy to know that the PowerShot SD880 IS offers a variety of pre-set scenes to choose from. With Auto, P, and Special Scenes that include Portrait, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Fireworks, Aquarium, Underwater, ISO 3200, Indoor, Kids & Pets, and Night Snapshot, even the most novice of photographers can take a quality photo with hardly any effort. The PowerShot SD880 IS also gives the user the ability to make changes to their photos on the fly. With Color Accent, and Color Swap, users can either choose to retain only one color in their photos while turning the rest of the image monochrome, or they can swap one color for another if they so choose. The Digital Macro, and Stitch Assist features give the user the ability to shoot close-ups with ease while being able to create a panoramic shot from multiple images. The PowerShot SD880 IS also offers users a solution to blurry pictures. While we all try our best to keep our hands steady, the shakes do sometimes tend to occur, making the perfect shot nothing more than a blur. The PowerShot SD880 IS offers users a solution with it's built in optical image stabilizer. This feature makes up the common effects of camera shake resulting in a clearer, sharper image. In addition to the image stabilization, the PowerShot SD880 IS also offers users Face Detection and Self-timer Face Detection with the help of the DIGIC 4 Image Processor. The Face Self-timer is a unique feature, especially for a point and shoot. If you have ever had a time that you wanted to be part of a group photo but you could never seem to get into the shot before the timer went off then the Face Self-timer is the one for you. It can automatically make adjustments when the number of faces increases in a shot. Unlike other timers, the timer on the PowerShot SD880 IS will wait until the photographers face enters the frame before it takes the shot.

Performance

The PowerShot SD880 IS performs quite well for a point-and-shoot camera with the biggest gripe coming from those who may like to have a little more control over the look of their photos. Unlike some of its competitors, the PowerShot SD880 IS does not offer users any type of manual option. While the lack of this feature makes it great for the beginner, it limits what users who do not want to upgrade can do with the camera.

Summary

In conclusion, the PowerShot SD880 IS may just be the perfect point-and-shoot camera that can satisfy all your memory capturing needs. With a go anywhere footprint and the face detection self timer that finally gives you the chance to be part of the shot, this camera offers you all the features you could ask for. If you don't mind the fact that the camera does not come with any manual options, then the Canon PowerShot SD880 IS may be the way to go.

Pros

4x optical zoom
3.0 inch PureColor II LCD screen
Face detection with self timer
Image Stabilization

Cons

No manual options