Canon Powershot SD990 IS Review
Posted on 01/05/2009
Canon's latest ultracompact Elph digital camera, the SD990 IS, is an impressive creation that provides quick, speedy performance and satisfying image quality to users of all skill levels. By Brenda Paro
Canon Powershot SD990 IS Pros:
- 14.7 megapixel sensor
- Compact and comfortable
- Quick performance with little lag
- Good manual controls
Canon Powershot SD990 IS Cons:
- Slightly thicker than average Elph camera
In Pictures
The Canon Powershot SD990 IS is in a higher price bracket than many of the other recently-released Elph models… and there's a reason for that. Beautifully designed and easy to use, this camera is not only capable of producing great images – it's also packed with a boatload of manual features that give the photographer nearly as much control as a DSLR (with some concessions made to pocket-sizing, of course). In short, this camera is designed to fill a market hole: it's meant for those of us who love hands-on control, even in our snapshots, but don't always want or need to lug around a huge camera kit. And it does the job admirably.
The SD990 IS touts a 14.7 megapixel sensor with a 1/1.7" size… the same sensor used in the larger model Canon G10. In fact, those who are interested in the G10 for its performance may do well to take a look at the SD990 IS. It doesn't have all the same features (the hot shoe and the wide angle lens are missing), but it offers a lot of the same modes, including Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Program, AF Servo (tracking focus on moving objects), and even a Manual mode (including manual focus, which is more of a manual fine focus-adjustment, but still a bonus). This is the first digital Elph to feature such a full set of controls… yet the sleek body could still fit in your coat pocket.
Design: Impressively Slick
The camera itself is impressive right out of the box. It's thicker than the other Elphs, but also feels more solid; the body is contoured and easy to grip, and is available in both silver and black. There was a limited edition red body as well, made to commemorate the 100 millionth Powershot camera, but something tells me that one will be a bit harder to get your hands on. Whatever color you choose, you should love the looks; it's compact and comfortable, with a huge, bright LCD and common-sense button layout.
Speaking of the buttons, operation of the SD990 IS is slick and easy; this camera offers largely the same set-up as other recent Elph models, with a rotating selector wheel and a four-way controller. An excellent addition to the back side is the optical viewfinder, which is coupled with the camera's Quick Mode: cameras operate faster and have less lag time when the LCD is off, so setting the camera to Quick Mode turns off the LCD. You then use the viewfinder to take quicker shots than were possible otherwise… ideal for fast-moving situations. Face Detection focus continues to operate while in this mode.
The SD990 IS features Canon's DIGIC IV processor, with an impressive lack of image noise and ultra-fast operation. ISO 3200 is offered as one of the scene modes, and manages to pull usable shots even in very dark conditions. In addition, this camera has most of the typical scene modes we've come to know and love in other Canons, from Snow to Color Swap to Indoors.
Performance: Quick and High Quality
Performance in any mode is responsive, with quick snapping and amazingly low lag time, even with the LCD on. The LCD itself has barely a lag, and auto focus hones in on the subject every time. The AF Servo is something that camera manufacturers should have thought to add to pocket cameras years ago: the ability to press the focus button halfway and track a subject as it moves across your screen is something everyone can appreciate, not just users of DSLRs, and its addition to this camera adds a huge amount of versatility.
I could go on and on about the features, but the final point is this: the SD990 IS stands out among other pocket cameras, including the other Elph models, thanks to the large amount of control it gives the photographer. I didn't know anything about this camera when I took it out of the package, and every button push revealed more features I wasn't expecting to have. This camera literally rivals much larger prosumer-style models that are meant to be a bridge between DSLRs and pocket cameras, and as such it's the perfect solution for those of us who love hands-on control… but love portability just as much.
Cons? I suppose there could be more of a zoom – the 3.7x optical that's offered isn't much, although at least the focus is clear and bright and there's no lag to speak of, even when focusing at full zoom. But honestly, finding cons in this camera was the most difficult part of reviewing it. Shooting is an absolute pleasure; capture time is fast, photos are bright and detailed, and image quality is off the charts.
Conclusion
The bottom line is this: if you're not too interested in Manual mode, Aperture/ Shutter Priority, or any of the other hands-on features offered by this camera, then you can save a bit of cash by purchasing one of the other recently-released Elph models. I've handled a few of them, and in terms of image quality and performance, they're all brilliant performers, and they cost less than the SD990 IS, for obvious reasons. But if you love the idea of full creative control, even in your pocket-sized shooter, buy this camera. You won't be able to put it down.
Canon Powershot SD990 IS Comments & Questions (write your own!)
As for larger sensor ... if it's stuffed with even more MP, then the advantage is negated. The argument is essentially this: CCD chips on point and shoot cameras a smaller and as such, fitting in more pixels causes them to lose light
sensitivity. Sure, there’s more data on the chip, but the chip can’t absorb the light data and what it ends up with is a picture that has more noise than image quality.
In addition, the more megapixels a camera has, the larger the lens it needs to provide the clarity it deserves and prevent diffraction due to a loss of detail with smaller apertures. But since we’re talking portable point and shoots here, those large lenses simply aren’t being made.
Some cameras have written into their firmware a process called "binning," which merges the signals of multiple pixels to make larger pixels. Usually at a 4-1 ratio. This will essentially turn a 12-megapixel camera into a 3-megapixel camera. And that gives you the opposite problem of too many pixels on the chip ... you now have too few and as such, will run into artifacting instead of noise.
And I'm not even talking about issues pertaining to not having a large enough lens to handle the increased MP either.
As for me - I bought the 990 IS and am very pleased. This after two Sony point and shoots - neither of which lasted beyond a little over a year before dying. If you want a camera buy it from a company that knows cameras - Nikon and Canon, etc. Look at the 990 and 880 and see what features may be more important to you. Are you making 4x6's and 8x10's or do you want to make 16x20's? Honestly, there are 6 megapixel cameras out there that would blow the doors off many 8 and 10 megapixel cameras you could find.
Then, there's the fact that you won't even SEE that extra mp in 99.9% of your pictures because they're just snapshots. IN fact, you won't see the diff until you reach sizes above 11x14. How often will that happen? So, in the end, you end up paying for something you can't use or appreciate.
880 focal length = 28-112mm
The 880 is slightly wider at the wide end, though they're close, the 990 has a slight edge at the long end.
As for was it worth the money or a good buy. I think so. I'm at about 200 pictures with it and it takes beautiful pictures. I couldn't be happier.
forums.dpreview.com/forums/...
I do like the Canon Elph series, always very good products.
Would it be worth the upgrade to the 990? I am a bit apprehensive about so many MP on such a small CCD, but I do see the 990's CCD is larger than the 880s (and my current 630). For those that own the 990...how is picture noise in lower light conditions?
I also like the 880, but I have to say the tiny flash on it concerns me a bit. Less MO, but a smaller CCD so I expect the MP/size issue would pretty much be wash b/w the 880/990.
OK, so in short:
1) Upgrade from SD630 to SD 990IS - worth it?
2) Image noise - 990 - How is it? I've heard very good things about the digic 4 processor in dealing with noise
Thanks to anyone who helps me out here, much appreciated.
PS - The 950 isn't even an option as it really can't be found anywhere...it's an older model.
And yes, the newer models with the Digic 4 processors are better
I'd recommend to take a look at the G9. It has a much larger chip. But I'm not sure there's a housing for it.
YOU CAN GET THE WP-DC21 UNDERWATER HOUSING/CASE FOR THE CANON G9 DIGITAL CAMERA.
Where did you purchase the camera with a 90 day return policy?
SD880 SD990
2 - 50 cm 5 - 50 cm
0.8 - 20.4 in 2.0 - 20.4 in
I think that's what did it for me, now I plan to get the SD880, because I don't think its worth it to spend $100 more for the 990 just for "image quality", especially when the 880 has all these things on its side (wide-angle lens, about .5X more zoom, better macro range, 1/4 of an inch less thicker, and a bigger screen, though that could probably drain the battery).
Costco.com has both cameras and they offer a 90 day return period on all cameras. They have the best return policy out there currently, and also have the best price other than some discount online sellers.
C Shah,
In my opinion the difference in 28mm vs. 36mm depends on what type of photo subjects you are working with. The 28mm is great for wide, more panoramic and indoor (close quarters rooms) when you need to get a wider view. On the other hand the difference in many shots is not great, and the beginning at 36mm, the 990 will zoom in a little more closely than the 880. But again, that only matters if you can't walk 15' closer or farther away for the shot on either camera. I found the difference between 4X and 3.7X zoom to be insignificant. And I was pleasantly shocked to find that digital zoom was actually useful at times (I have never been satisfied with digital zoom before) on both cameras. That was a pleasant shock.
In dim interior light, hand hand, neither camera will get fantastic results. Use the flash, brighten the room, use a monopod or tripod, or at least steady it on something and you'll get good shots. Avoid going above ISO 400 if possible on all shots if you want good, usable larger photos.
As far as the macro, the 880 is slightly better in close distance from the object, but remember with the 880 you are starting wider to begin with , where the 990 you start closer in focal length, so you need to be closer with the 880 than with the 990 to get the same magnification. It is simply the focal length of the lens, nothing better or worse with either camera.
As for as the 990 advantage, one that is overlooked is the small (but usable) viewfinder on the 990. You can use "quickshot mode" and take faster continuous shots because the LCD is turned off and you use the viewfinder. Also you can turn the LCD off on the 990 at anytime and continue to take shots with the viewfinder and in bright light, or when saving battery power, that makes a huge difference. In trade off you get a 2.5" LCD on the 990 instead of the 3.0" on the 880. In my opinion the smaller screen with the viewfinder works better, though some will like the larger screen on the 880.
Again, both cameras are the best Elphs to date and few have been dissatisfied with image quality or features on either one. BTW, Costco.com has lowered the price of the 990is by $20.00 making it only $70.00 different in cost over the 880is. Again, good choice for either one, especially if you like the Canon interface and controls.
Outdoors, either is great. Indoors, the 990 appears to best the 880 much of the time in image quality. At times, you won't tell the difference between the two images, or so slight as to be meaningless.
Need Wide-angle shots...go with the 880
Wide not as important...go with the 990
Want a little more control over shutter speed...go with the 990
Want great colorful, contrasty photos...either one will do it most of the time.
Want the smallest...go with the 880.
Want to shoot with a viewfinder in bright light or save battery power...go with the 990.
So it does really boil down to what type of shooting you want to be able to do. It would be fantastic if Canon could put all the good features of both cameras into one, but so far you have to choose based on what you value most.
SD990 Sample Image ( usa.canon.com/app/images/Po... )
SD880 Sample Image ( usa.canon.com/app/images/Po... )
The viewfinder on the 990 is indeed small, but it has two primary functions. 1) when you are trying to capture fast shots back to back you on the 990 you can switch to "Quick Shot" mode on the dial and the LCD is shut off and you use the viewfinder to take the shots, making little or no lag time between shots. 2) In the brightest light (has to be really bright) you may need to use the viewfinder as the LCD may not be able to be seen. The only other time you would consider using the viewfinder is to save power when shooting by shutting of the LCD (press the display button) and use the viewfinder without draining much juice so you can shoot a lot longer. Other than those times, you will use the LCD as it has grid lines available for composition and leveling, and also 2x3 curtains available to use if you want to frame shots for 4x6 snapshots and not have to lose anything of value in cropping to that print size. BTW, having used both the 880 with 3" LCD and the 990 with the 2.5" LCD, there is really not enough difference in size to matter in real life picture taking. Another plus is the the 2.5" LCD will draw less power than the 3" LCD. I also found the ability to "at will" shut off the LCD on the 990 between shooting by simply pressing the display button was very useful. Otherwise it will stay on even when walking around between shots sucking up power.
I've recently added a Flickr photostream of SD880 VS SD990 photos for comparison for those interested. Unfortunately they are not full resolution on the Flickr site. Viewing largest sizes is only 1024x768, but you can still see that outdoors the 880 and 990 are almost equal for good light and shooting situations. Indoors you'll notice a marked difference between the two cameras as the 990 handles lower light and higher ISO better than the 880. Here's the link to my photostream comparison shots:
www.flickr.com/photos/33346716@N03/
Steve
www.flickr.com/photos/33346716@N03/
part one is a spec comparison: naraku.net/2008/12/22/canon...
part two has a bunch of sample shots: naraku.net/2008/12/26/canon...
I still haven't made a final decision... even though the quality with the 990 has been distinctly better, the 880 wide angle is really neat. I plan on posting a third part with my decision and conclusions.
The argument is essentially this: CCD chips on point and shoot cameras a smaller and as such, fitting in more pixels causes them to lose light sensivity. Sure, there’s more data on the chip, but the chip can’t absorb the light data and what it ends up with is a picture that has more noise than image quality. In addition, the more megapixels a camera has, the larger the lens it needs to provide the clarity it deserves and prevent diffraction due to a loss of detail with smaller apertures. But since we’re talking portable point and shoots here, those large lenses simply aren’t being made.
Finally, with larger mega pixels comes longer saving time due to their requires huge storage capacity, or more compression if not storing images in RAW format. The result is a noisier image and a dissatisfied camera user who thirsts for high quality and speed but fell into the trap of "more must mean better."
In the end, relying on a smaller MP that can balance all these needs may indeed be a better answer.
And when you consider at 99%+ of pictures are usually snapshots, you don't even see the benefits of that much MP unless you're enlarging to 11x14 or above. So what's the point? I mean, it's like driving a Ferrari through town. Sure, you can do it and it's cool and all, but you don't get to experience any of that horsepower you've paid for.
As for your question, shot to shot times will vary, but stay around 1 second + or - 10% unless you're using flash, then it increases according to battery fatigue. There are ways you can speed up shot to shot. You can prefocus. Pan with the action. Rely on available light, rather than flash. Use sports and burst modes.
As for the SD990, I would expect it to improve w2ith the new DIGIC IV processor. But how much? I'm still working on the benchmarks for it.
But the bottom line is, as we can agree, point and shoot cameras have shutter lag. It's just the nature of the beast at this juncture. But it's getting faster. And just by prefocusing and panning with the action, you can drop that lag time by as much as 80%.
Does 990IS offer better image quality than SD880 IS?
Which one has a better zoom? I read somewhere that 4x in 880IS is actually less than 3.7x of 990IS due to 880IS's wide-angle feature. Is that so? Is the difference considerable?
On the zoom issue, you won't even see the difference between 4x and 3.7x really. And having that extra wide angle can come in handy with group and landscape shots. My choice would be the SD880IS.
If you are getting more pixels into the camera by increasing the size of the sensor, then you are gaining overall light sensitivity.
But if you fit more pixels by shrinking the pixel sensors, then you need to proportionally shrink the boundary areas between pixels to maintain the same light sensitivity.
The noise issue is due to the actual number of photons able to hit a given pixel sensor during the exposure. Since you have a larger number of sensors packed into the same area these sensors have to get smaller, and the dead zones between the pixel sensors become more significant and variations between neighbouring pixels goes up.
You can think of the CCD sensor that captures the full image as a 4x6 wall collage made up of FRAMED photos where only the paper captures light, and the wooden frame borders are all the same width. If you fill a 4x6 wall with a larger number of smaller framed photos, you also need more frames, so more of the wall is covered with wood instead of paper. So, as the pixel count on the sensor goes up, the light sensitivity goes down. This is because the size of the wall remains the same but the number of framed pictures is increasing.
Noise is closely related to signal strength, so the more sensitive the overall sensor, the less noise will be apparent.
Here's a link to some comparison shots on Flickr that I've taken with the 880 and 990 which shows the 880 and 990 both do well in good light and bright situations, but indoors and low light shots the 990 handles it much better.
www.flickr.com/photos/33346716@N03/
However, the comparison shots seem to be darker with the 990. Not by much, but that's how it looks to me. Were they on full auto for both?
Let me explain. I came across an interesting article today about how more mega pixels is not necessarily a good thing. According to Image Engineering ( 6mpixel.org/en/? ) – a company that does testing of digital cameras for photo magazines in Germany – the quality of digital pictures has steadily decreased since the state of the art was six megapixels back in 2004. And because they don’t have a “dog in this hunt,” they put forth a compelling argument for buying new digital cameras with less mega pixels and not more.
The argument is essentially this: CCD chips on point and shoot cameras a smaller and as such, fitting in more pixels causes them to lose light sensivity. Sure, there’s more data on the chip, but the chip can’t absorb the light data and what it ends up with is a picture that has more noise than image quality. In addition, the more megapixels a camera has, the larger the lens it needs to provide the clarity it deserves and prevent diffraction due to a loss of detail with smaller apertures. But since we’re talking portable point and shoots here, those large lenses simply aren’t being made.
Finally, with larger mega pixels comes longer saving time due to their requires huge storage capacity, or more compression if not storing images in RAW format. The result is a noisier image and a dissatisfied camera user who thirsts for high quality and speed but fell into the trap of "more must mean better."
In the end, relying on a smaller MP that can balance all these needs may indeed be a better answer.
Canon PowerShot SD990 IS
(Digital IXUS 980 IS)
14.7 million effective pixels
34 MP/cm² pixel density
36 mm - 133 mm (3.6x) zoom lens
Canon PowerShot SD880 IS
(Digital IXUS 870 IS)
10.0 million effective pixels
35 MP/cm² pixel density
28 mm - 112 mm (4x) zoom lens
As for reducing the MP resolution. That comes with its own set of problems. Essentially, the image is reduced to the set quality after it has been processed by the CCD. As such, the light still goes through those pixels, only that after some basic processing steps pixels "thrown out" to make the image to the desired setting and size. This process is called "Choking" and that will cause Artifacting and noise. Additionally, you'll also loose details of the recorded image.
Some cameras have written into their firmware a process called "binning," which merges the signals of multiple pixels to make larger pixels. Usually at a 4-1 ratio. This will essentially turn a 12-megapixel camera into a 3-megapixel camera. And that gives you the opposite problem of too many pixels on the chip ... you now have too few and as such, will run into artifacting instead of noise.
I can't say why the 990 performs so much better, only that pictures taken side by side are so clearly different that it is really not that difficult to see the quality difference even to a casual observer. I have had my wife look at pictures in several blind tests and she has always picked the 990 pictures are nicer, better detail, and more clarity. I have read several online hands-on reviews state how surprised they were with the 990's ability to handle the extra pixels.
Is it DSLR, 14.7 quality pictures? No, not at all. It is not even DSLR 6.1 picture quality. But try putting a Nikon D90, or even the "little" D40x in your shirt pocket the next time you go out for a walk or jog. The SD990 isn't perfect, and at times it is frustrating because the manual controls are limited when it comes to aperture and shutter combos, but it has managed to best the sd880 in image quality almost every time. And that's why I'd carry the sd990 in my pocket over the sd880.
To be honest, I'm very surprised by the actual photo results. But as someone said, "results are not guaranteed, and yours may vary." When I go out intentionally to shoot something, I'll carry my DSLR. But there's something to say for having one in your pocket when the right photo opportunity comes along. I still like the SD880 for it's wide 28mm end and it's controls are a tad easier to manipulate as the wheel and buttons are larger. Even the 3" LCD of the sd880 is nicer. But in the end it came down to the quality of the images when I got back home.
I think for what you're looking to do with the camera, the sd880 would be more than sufficient. It will capture a wider view in room settings where a lot of snapshots are taken. Also you're not planning on doing lots of large (8x10 or 16x20) enlargements so the 880 is more than enough resolution. Remember that the flash is limited, so try to stay within 6-10 feet of the subject. You can set the camera to "indoors" from the "scene" menu button on top of the camera and it will do the rest. The 880 also has a cool "long exposure" setting where you can easily set it at 1, 2, 3... seconds (up to 15 sec. I believe) to capture dark night photos with a tripod or steadied on a wall or post. Read the manual and you'll find the feature as it is a two-step process (go to shooting menu, highlight exposure compensation tab, push the display button, then an exposure menu/graph displays where you can set the seconds you want.) With the 990 you have a little more control over long exposure, but it through the manual settings only.
Steve
So, it'd be like going out and buying a high performance sports car just for driving around town to run errands. Sure, you can do it, but the end result is bad gas mileage and no benefit for driving it other than the cool factor.
The only downside of the SD880 is that it has that large LCD screen which only really serves to drain your battery faster. I'd much rather have the viewfinder. But is that a deal breaker? Not at all.
You're right about Amazon's prices. They currently have some of the best and if you buy now, they will allow returns up to January 31, 2009 (less return shipping). Both camera's use the same battery, and in my experience each has lasted for well over 250 shots each, and many of those with flash. That was also with brand new batteries, so they may well do a little better once cycled through a couple times. For the difference of $53, the SD990IS is a very serious consideration as it will take more useful shots in lower light, and higher ISO (up t 400) situations. Again, I have taken dozens of exact, side-by-side shots with both cameras, and the 990 is ALWAYS equal to, better than, or much better than the 880. I don't know why, but suspect the different sensor in the 990 is just doing a better job as the Digic 4 processing is the same in both cameras. I do also like the viewfinder, and find the 2 1/2 inch LCD totally adequate. The ability to shut off the LCD and shoot with either "quick shot mode" or with using the viewfinder adds both quickness and battery life to the 990. If you can spare the $53, go for the 990, you won't regret it. And if you check around you'll find most store retailers are selling the 880 near $300, so Amazon.com's price is great for $300 for a 990.
The question is: Is the 990 the best compact digital image maker on the the market today?
Al
This is probably a dumb question but why didn't you all consider the 890 when you did this comparision? Is that in an entirely different class?
Thanks again.
Mike, why are you looking to replace it?
I'm leaning to replacing it with the SD990... I like the option of a viewfinder, albeit small.
Do you have any comments on the Sony vs. the 990? Things which are important to us both are:
1. Optical viewfinder
2. Picture quality, including enlargements up to 11 x 14, in a wide variety of shooting environments. Concern over noise, color balance, true color, crisp definition, etc.
3. Quality construction (lens as well as fit and finish and overall operating.
4. Ease of use (ergonomics plus convenient/intuitive menu organization.
5. Operator control of such things as aperture and shutter speed (is there any at all?)
I'd certainly appreciate any thoughts you might have. I'm hoping to make these purchases no later than this Saturday (12/13). If you do telephone conversations, drop me an email at jdallas@att.net.
Many thanks -- and an early Merry Christmas.
John
I've never used the Sony W170, so I can't really compare it to the Canon 990. Someone else in the forum may be able to, and I have heard that it is a very good camera, as well.
Just a short answer on the Canon 990,
1. Has a viewfinder (small, but is useful)
2. Picture Quality is the best I've seen in a compact point and shoot. Noise is not an issue until you go above 400 ISO. There is a slight amount of detail loss at each ISO bump, but nothing that would affect picture quality until you go above 400iso. Color balance is very good, but not "over saturated punchy." I find it very, very pleasing.
3. Construction is very smooth and tight for both the 880 and 990 overall. The black 990 looks very nice, in my opinion.
4. Ergonomics can be a mixed bag on the 990. The buttons and control wheel work well and are easily accessed and the carved out middle of the 990 gives your middle or ring finger a place to park. On the other hand, the curves and it's smooth finish can mean it a bit slippery and the wrist strap is a good idea. Also the 990 has the "mode selection" dial right where normally you put your thumb. Some say it gives them a good grip...I would have preferred something other than the dial to rest my thumb against, but to each his own. Using the camera actually becomes quite fun and simple. In fact, I found myself carrying it all the time just to have fun taking pictures of nearly everything. It fits in a jacket pocket easily. Viewfinder is excellent and has grid lines and also 4x6 curtains so you know how the shot would look if processed as 4x6 snaps. Makes composition very easy.
5. The 990 does have a manual mode to set either aperature or shutter speed. But darned if I could figure out how to set both at the same time. It seemed to work like aperature priority or shutter priority mode which lets you determine one, while the camera determines the other. To be quite honest, it did such a good job on auto, program, and scene modes that the only time I changed to manual was when I wanted to blur movement, or try to adjust the depth of field for effect. The depth of field is pretty deep and doesn't narrow down to small, but there is some. The blurring of motion is easy to do and produces some nice lights or car movement pictures.
I wish I could compare to the Sony, but can't comment on what I don't know. The Sony will be a little more squared off, and a little smaller overall. You're looking at the top of the lines from both companies for the small compact pocket shooters and it really a matter of personal preference. I really, really like the Canon interface and menu. Very intuitive and easy to figure out almost everything without reading the manual. I'll send you a couple hi-resolution shots to your email that might help you see the color and balance.
Steve
Steve
Thank you, Steve. A very merry Christmas to you and those close to you.
Warm regards,
John
I thinking in particular about the type of memory card (2 GB? 4 GB? Type?) as well as an extra battery. Anything else we should consider?
My laptop is only a couple of years old and has a slot for reading memory cards, but I have always downloaded photos from my Kodak through the USB port. Can I assume that will work with the Canon? I know it did when I tried it with my ex's SD1000.
Thanks.
John
A 2GB card is the smallest I'd recommend, and at today's low prices a 4GB makes sense.
The extra battery is an expense you may not need. The Canon brand is about $50, and a generic runs about $40 at the big stores. Online, such as Ebay the are much cheaper for the generics. They last for an amazing number of shots (between 200-300). An extra battery may never be needed, unless your away from power for an extended trip and cannot plug the charger in to recharge at night. I'd wait and see how it goes before investing a lot more in extra batteries. With the 990 you can still shoot with a low battery (should that occur in the middle of an outing) by turning off the LCD, and just use the viewfinder and trust the camera to get it right (leave the review off).
Get a good case though, one that fits the camera well and has some padding.
Keep it with you, and you'll find yourself taking more and more photos and liking them more and more as well as you get used to finding out what makes a picture worth "a thousand words."
Happy Shooting, Steve
I ordered my SD990IS today right after dropping my SD500 on my kitchen floor. The SD990 was a blind buy (due to frustration of damaging my camera) after viewing the the Canon website. I almost had buyer's remorse of not picking up the SD880 due to the wide angle lens, however I wanted the manual controls (I miss my Canon XTi DSLR). Not only did Steve give great detailed reviews, he also gave me better case options. I was using the same canon case that I used with my S400 on my SD500 and it offered no protection on a 4ft drop (LCD is blank). I just wished the G10 came in the SD990 body, but I wanted something easy to carry in my pocket.
Is there are reason to choose the black over the silver... or vice versa? or is it just personal preference?
I know the red is a limited edition, and I probably wouldn't pay the extra for the color
Thanks!
Emily
Here is a link to a photostream on flickr I just set up with side by side shots from the 990 and 880. I have never used the site before and they didn't load the highest resolution possible, so the largest sizes you can see are 1024x768. So it's hard to compare this way for picture quality of enlargements, but for views and colors and zoom vs. wide you can get an idea. I tried to used photos taken from the same place, the same time, and same light, using the same ISO settings and F-stops if possible, but each camera wanted to change F-stops to suit it's own tastes, so there is some variation, all listed in the notes. I'll add more shots soon, too.
flickr.com/photos/33346716@...
Steve
I was looking to buy a new camera, I currently have the Sony Cyber-shot W170. It takes very good pictures but I just can't get use to the menus, so I have decided to get either the SD 990 or SD 880. Personally price is not an issue, I wanted to know which camera was a better buy. I don't really use the viewfinder and I don't mind a small screen. Basically I wanted to know which one takes better photos in the same conditions ( Of course both using the same Mega Pixel Count). I want to buy a camera that will last me quite a while, since I am not really a professional. I was reading the other day some reviews on the internet which stated that the picture quality produced by the SD 990 was not consitant shot to shot, I wanted to know if that true.
Thanks,
Sean
If your satisfied with the picture quality of the Sony W170, then the Canon SD880is will give you the same good results with a nice menu/control system. Easy to navigate and the buttons are nicely placed and large. The scroll wheel works great on the 880 for changing settings.
As far as the SD990 it is a little more pricey (about $50 more than the 880 currently), but does give you manual control over the shutter speed and aperture settings if you want to change depth of field or blur the action by slowing the shutter down a bit. I have found it to take very consistent photos in the 300 or so that I've shot with mine. I found it better in low light and higher iso (up to 400), settings than the SD880. Check back a couple posts here in this question and you'll find a link to a photostream that has side by side shots from both cameras and judge for yourself. In good light or under flash, both cameras do excellent jobs.
The 880 is sized closer to the Sony W170, and the 990 is slightly thicker, though by no means large. The other difference is the 880 begins at 28mm wide and has a 4x zoom, and the 990 begins at 37mm and has a 3.7x zoom (opticals on both, digital zoom also available, but quality drops). But if you look at the photos, the zooms and wide angle are not that far apart, unless your taking indoor shots and you can't back up or move forward a few feet for the shot. Both use the newest Digic IV in camera processing which is Canon's latest and best to date. Both models have been very consistent for me (they both do better in good light and flash, and not quite as well when the light levels drop and the ISO goes up or the shutter speed slows down). I've just found the 990 to produce more good shots in marginal settings than the 880.
I'm wondering about the difficulty in learning to use the two cameras. I've read it was and wasn't difficult. I've been using a Pentax Optio 550 for several years, and have pretty much gotten the knack for it, but I'm not extremely skilled at mastering new technology. What do you think/suggest?
I found the menu very easy to use and I've never used a Canon before. In fact, for 90% of the functions I didn't even need to look at the manual. Buttons are labeled and self-explanatory (only 4 main buttons, plus a 4-way rocker button and a spinning dial around the rocker button. I've used Casio's in the past and found them more difficult to navigate. The 880 has big buttons and good labels and a spinning wheel that works very slick. I don't think you would have any trouble figuring out the camera. The 990 has a manual mode that can be a little more confusing as you have to the shutter speed and aperture setting, but even then it has a scale that shows you whether the pictures is good or not by your settings, and the LCD reflects your settings as well so you can see if it's too dark or too light.
You can download both manuals for the cameras in PDF format from the Canon USA site, just look under support and downloads. You can read about the menus and see how the buttons operate before you buy.
Emily
flickr.com/photos/33346716@...
Is there any way you could offer verification on the price? Jennifer and I would both love to save the 40-some bucks. Thanks.
J&R seem to be out of the 990 at $299.00.... it's been taken off Amazon and been replaced with one from Beach camera at $319 for the black and $299 for the Silver at Adorama
86th Street Video & Camera: $239.00 for black or silver
Prestige Camera: $285 for black, silver or RED!!
NOW... I am a bit suspicious about some of the New York dealers. I have tried to buy from them before, and once they find out you are not buying accessories... the camera is magically, NO longer in stock.
I have $80 in Amazon credits, so I want to purchase through Amazon if possible, but $239... sure is tempting if it's true. Has anyone purchased anything from 86th Street Camera??
I've never purchased anything at 86th Street, but I can give full marks to J&R. I've been dealing with them for nearly 40 years.
I just read some horrible reviews around Prestige and 86th Street... like I feared, both companies try to add on expensive accessories, and when you don't purchase, they backorder your purchase!!
Google the words: Prestige Camera review or 86th Street Camera review... and read for yourself.
Maybe that's why they are not featured on Amazon.
I did notice some appalling accessory prices at 86th Street. Everett at J&R sold me a top-line 4GB card for my 990 for $5. Hard to beat that.
Worse, they will often sell "gray market" merchandise. If something is gray market, it means that - although you may have gotten a great deal on it - it doesn't come with a warranty that will be honored here in this country. Which means if something goes wrong with the camera, you'll either have to send it to the country of manufacture to repair or pay to have it fixed yourself. (although many camera companies have just taken to offering international warranties or will honor it anyway to combat the gray market issue).
I'm not saying that these guys do that, but do your research to be sure. And remember the old addage ... if it looks too good to be true, often times it is.
To their credit (and ours), they offered to rebate my daughter and me $20 each as a good will gesture. Given that their could have declined any refund, I thought that response was excellent -- and quite in keeping with my experience with them.
Once again, full marks to J&R.
Here are some pictures I took using my SD500 (LCD no longer functioning after it was dropped on the floor)..
i53.photobucket.com/albums/...
i53.photobucket.com/albums/...
i53.photobucket.com/albums/...
LCD protector link:
daproducts.com/
I see two cases in those shots. One looks like the soft (semi-padded) leather type my ex-wife got with her SD1000, which they may have for the 990. I actually like that one because of its compactness, nice feel, and classy look.
Do you prefer the VIDPRO because its semi-hard case is more protective? I'm thinking it would be better for packing the camera in a suitcase (for instance), but I'm wondering if it might be more bulky for carrying around -- tempting me not to use it?
The protector looks interesting. I checked out the installation page on that website. Is it as simple as it looks -- and does the protector add glare or reduce the brilliance of the LCD image?
Did J&R throw in free shipping for just the case, or was it part of a larger order? And with little time left, I'm wondering if they'd do expedited?
Sorry about your SD500 LCD. I guess the protector can't be expected to work miracles.
The leather case you saw was for my SD500 which fits the SD990 as well. As far as the VIDPRO, it was free shipping when I bought it seperately from the 990 on J&R. The VIDPRO case will be replacing the the Canon leather case for two reasons...it protects and covers the camera all around. Not only is the case small like the Canon leather case but it gives it more shock resistance in my opinion. I'm even thinking about getting the bigger model for my Garmin NUVI gps, since the leather cover on it is useless.
The LCD protector does protect the LCD from scratches or sharp objects (external protection only). My LCD on my SD500 stopped functioning because of possible internal issues not external from being dropped on the floor which was enclosed using the canon leather case. The LCD protector is easy to install and will not give any glares when the LCD is on.
Good luck,
-Derick
I couldn't figure out from the daproducts website if they have a LCD protector made specifically for the 990. Did you see a product number for it? I noticed J&R doesn't seem to carry anything like that for our Canons.
The fact that your SD500 LCD stopped functioning even though it was in the leather case is a bit worrisome. I guess these cameras are very fragile. Sounds like the VIDPRO may be a bit better in their protection, although I'm afraid I'm still likely to just stick the camera in my pocket (sans case) so I don't have something hanging around my neck. That's what I've always done with my ancient Kodak, to no discernable ill effect.
By the way, the price I saw for the Act-10 on the J&R site was $10.99. Did you negotiate with them?
John
The price must have been $10.99/free shipping when I bought it....As far as "da products" website, Just email the the company and include the Camera model you have. Their website is not updated with all the Canon models....I had to request for my sister's SD750 as well.
I confess I didn't spend much time digging deep into the technology, but the storage stats on what the packaging described as an "Ultra High-Speed High Capacity" card seemed reassuringly robust: 100 minutes of the higher-res video or 1179 photos at 8MP. That's more than adequate for my anticipated purposes.
I certainly haven't tested the speed limits of this camera, nor have I compared the PNY with any alternative storage devices, but based on my early, modest use, I noticed no appreciable lag in the time it takes to write images to the card.
And if there's something much better out there? Hey, it was six bucks.
Trimming the tree in Villanova, I remain...jdb
johndallasbowers1.home.att....
And here's a look at the storm which blanketed the region on Washington's Birthday three years ago.
johndallasbowers1.home.att....
Notice the Christmas wreath still on the front door on February 22nd. And yes, the tree was still up in the living room, as well. Amazingly, most of the needles were still in place.
I hope to be heading outside for our first real snow once Santa delivers my 990. Not sure how the really cold temps will affect it, but I guess I can keep it under my coat until needed.
bestbuy.com/site/olspage.js...
Thanks for the original guidance on these, Steve. I'm glad I took the 990 out to Best Buy so I could actually try it out in the case. Some things are best done in person.
Off topic: I updated my Flickr photostream with some recent Seattle snow shots, but most recent additions are with the Nikon D50 and the 18-200mm VR lens I recently purchased. Love the lens and I'm getting used to how it works best. Not quite as easy as a point and shoot, but a lot more options for creativity.
Now, TechON Digital is also selling for 239. I wonder if it is the same people. I lost jaith with 86th Street Video & Camera.
To LOL -- That's a disappointing experience. I had never heard of 86th Street until I read about it on this site, but very quickly I learned about its less than sterling reputation. No clue about TechON.
Amazon does a pretty decent job of vetting vendors (after all, they don't want hassles with their customers), so when an operation like J&R keeps getting the nod from them, you can be pretty sure they'll treat you ethically. And as you've no doubt read here, my excellent experiences with them go back 35 years.
There's also another place I used to buy from: 47th Street Photo, another big electronics store in NYC. Haven't gotten anything from them in years, but can't recall any bad experiences (no bait and switch, mysterious back orders, pulling stuff from the box, etc.).
These 990s seem to be flying off the shelves everywhere. It looks like they may have hit the same sort of consumer sweet spot Canon's SD1000 did a year or so ago. My ex has one of those, but I really like my 990 better. Don't tell her I said that.
I had $80 Amazon credit, so it worked out perfect.
FYI -- J&R offers free shipping for 90 days on any products related to your camera purchase (e.g. case, high capacity memory card, extra battery, AC adapter, etc.), plus they'll pay for transportation if you want to ship it back in the first 30 days.
Good luck!
So, my question has to do with NOISE as it relates to photography. I've seen it mentioned in this post a couple times. When I think of noise, I think of something audible, but I get the impression that noise in photography is different... right??
I want to make sure the camera I get can take action shots well.
For instance if I go to a basketball game or any sporting event I don't want the
images to be blurry due to the movement of the players. Or if I go to an auto race I want to
be able to take pictures of moving cars without a problem.
I know the 990 had the Quick mode. Do you think the 880 could handle these situations without
the manual shutter speed?
THanks
The noise in photography relates to the "grainy" look of the picture like a bad reception on over the air TV. This is common for small point and shoot cameras on high iso speeds. However, there are softwares out there such as "noise ninja" to correct or at least lessen the noise in your pictures.
-Derick
The SD880 is a very good camera and will serve you well. Online photos, snapshots, and even full-screen use will be very nice and you can print up to 8x10 without much problem if the picture is in good light and good contrast. Kudos. As far as cases, any of the Lowepro 10 series will be plenty large (it's the smallest LowePro makes. Ridge 10, Spectrum 10, Rezo 10 all by Lowepro. They are well padded have a neck strap (detachable), and an extra pocket on front for keys, memory cards, battery, ID, etc. LowePro cases should be available at most places that sell camera bags / supplies.
Mikjr,
The "noise" referred to in digital cameras is of the "visual kind." Grainy pictures, loss of detail, smudges and smearing of low contrast and fine details can all be considered "noise" in some ways (though not technically to some). The higher the sensitivity setting (known as ISO) the more "noise" is introduced to the picture. Most cameras have an "auto ISO" setting, and a manual way of setting the ISO. The downside of lower ISO is that you need good light and steady hands or you'll get blurry pictures. The downside of higher ISO settings is the introduction of "noise" speckles and grainy pictures.
Neil, get the SX10 if you want to zoom in on the action or subject. It will take great shots and the zoom is great. If you want something to put in your pants or shirt pocket you'll want either the SD880 or the SD990. More limited zoom, but fits in your pocket. The 880 is the smaller of the two mentioned, but the 990 fits in a jacket pocket or small case on your belt, etc.
Mike,
Basketball games...low light may be a problem and lack of much zoom may be a problem for either the SD990 or the SD880. You need a fast lens (2.8f) and a fast shutter to stop action of the sort you're talking about. If you're serious about action shooting at races and games, I would serious recommend that you consider a DSLR, and even then you'll need either a fast (2.8f) lens, or bright enough light. Both the 880 and 990 have a "sports" or "kids and pets" scene mode that will attempt to freeze action. They will also both try to bump up the ISO setting to reduce blur. You may be asking both the 990 and the 880 to do more than they were designed to do well. You can pick up a used DSLR that is a few models back (Canon XT, or Nikon D40, or D40x) for not too much more money and they will often be with the "kit lens" which is a starting place for action shooting. Or look for a body only and try to find a 2.8f lens that would have the reach you would desire to pick up the action. That's probably not what you wanted to here, but I think you may be dissapointed with either point and shoot for what you are trying to shoot. At best, find a place where you can return them without penalty (Amazon.com has a 30 days return, and Costco.com (if you or someone you know has a membership) has a 90 day return policy). Best Buy and Circuit City and some other will take returns of opened cameras but charge you at least 15% in restocking fees.
Merry Christmas and may Santa bring you just the right toys!
So is the "kids and pets" setting on the 880 the same idea as the Quick setting on the 990?
Thanks
Not quite. The quick setting on the SD990 is where it shuts off the LCD and you use the viewfinder only to shoot. That allows faster followup shots as it doesn't have to refresh the LCD. The kids and pets is on both cameras and is one of the "scene mode" selections and will speed up the shutter, and bump up the ISO as needed to capture moving subjects. Both cameras do have a "continuous shooting mode" and take shots one right after the other and I believe the "active servo" tracking is on which tracks the moving subject. It's not like a DSLR, but it does work.
I also had alot of trouble timing the shots of people dancing. I tried to get faces, but it seems that I was always too late and shot their side or their back instead of their face as they danced. Should I have used another setting for moving, dancing shots or does that just come with practice?
I was hoping to buy a good camera with as many auto settings as possible. Should I have bought a different, simpler point and shoot camera? Since I thought that I had bought the best ultra-compact camera available, what was I doing wrong?
As I am expecting my first grandson soon, I bought this camera for it's size and quality so that I would always have it handy for spur of the moment shots of him. Alot of the shots will be moving and indoor shots, although I don't think that the rooms will be as dark as a wedding reception. What settings are best for routine shots of a moving baby? I guess I should look into a digital camera class?
Thanks
Missing the shot may be caused by not "pre-focussing" by half-pressing the shutter, getting a lock focus and then wait until the right moment to fully press the shutter release. The 990 does have a "servo mode" auto-focus that will track the moving subject and keep them in focus while you have the shutter half-pressed. The little lighted square will move around with the subject while the servo mode tracks.
Another trick in difficult light is to manually set the ISO (take it off Auto ISO) and try shooting at 200. That means you'll need a steady hand and tripod / monopod / brace will help get clearer pictures.
Are you using "Auto" or "Program" mode? If left in full Auto, you cannot adjust anything. Spin the control dial until "P" comes up and puts it in Program mode. The hit the middle "menu/function" button on the controller and you should be able to change exposure compensation. For dark pictures adjust it higher. For bright over exposed adjust it lower. You probably would also set the white balance to either florescent or incandescent depending on what lighting was inside the hall.
The type of shooting you are trying to do with the large room, moving people, low light all are challenges to such a small camera of the point and shoot variety.
Finally, did you print and of the pictures to see how they came out? If you're looking at them full sized on the computer they may not look as good as 4x6 prints would print. It is also possible to lighten exposures and add contrast and even sharpen them if you have some post-processing software on your computer.
You picked a huge task for a first-time shoot with a new camera and it may take some practice to understand how to get the best out of it.
dpreview.com/reviews/CanonS...
The files from the 880 will be larger, and the files from the 990 will be huge in comparison, but when it comes to the image quality and details in printing up to 11x14, I personally don't think you will be able to see better results. The SD700 seems to handle up to ISO 400 well, which is where I found the newer Canons to begin to falter as well.
OK, feel free to saw off the limb I'm standing on. The megapixel race is more about marketing than quality in way too many cases. If your SD700IS isn't broke, lost, or stolen and produces good images for you...you may not need to upgrade.
Steve
Minor asterisk items: doesn't have a straight-through paper feed, which eliminates using card stock; seems to go through cartridges pretty quickly, but I wait for deals at Staples or Office Max, which usually means a net price of about $8/cartridge; a bit larger footprint than some, but it actually has a pretty sleek looking chassis.
I bought the unit in 11/07 at Costco for $75, a very satisfying price, and have been quite happy with it.
Good luck.
jdb
Like the other people, I can't make decision between 880 and 890. I know the features of them very well and I have been convinced that 890 is better in terms of higher quality and less noise. Plus, 890 has 5X optical zoom whereas , 880 has 4X. And More important, their difference is just 10 bucks (Bestbuy.ca).
But the last comparing question is the battery usage. Steve, you have just mentioned that the battery of both models will die after almost 200 shots. But how much does the 3" LCD of 880 cause to consume more battery and consequently less captures than 890? is there a big different btw them? Is that worth enough that I ignore 880's nice style and easy menu and switch on 890?
And secondly, Does anyone can help me why I shouldn't buy Sony W170?
Cheers,
You can take a look at (and download if you wish) lots of sample pictures taken with the SD990 and SD880 to give you an idea of what to expect. flickr.com/photos/33346716@... Just look for the SD990 and SD880 photo sets near the top of the right side of the Flickr page.
Two things about the 890 to consider.
1. It uses the older DIGIC III processing in the camera, where the 880 uses the latest DIGIC IV. That's a big plus for the 880.
2. Many have said the 890 is harder to hold onto and shoot with one-handed as it has the rounded off side where usually you grip it.
That said, I really can't say the 3" or the 2.5" screen made a lot of battery drain difference. I'm sure there is some. Couple of tricks you can use to save power with both LCD sizes. Set the LCD to shut off after 10 or 20 seconds. This allows you to simply push the shutter half way and it comes back on instantly. That way if you walking around taking random shots, the LCD will shut off and save power. On the 990 you can also just push the "display" button and it shuts off the LCD immediately. Again, a half-press brings it to life. You can also shut off the cameras, but it take a couple seconds to be ready to shoot from a total shut off. I actually shot about 250+ shots with each one before they needed recharging. I've also had the batteries in the camera for several weeks and found they still have plenty of juice after sitting for some time without use. I've thought of getting a second battery, but as of yet it hasn't been an issue at all.
I would definitely consider the DIGIC IV in the 880, over any of the DIGIC III cameras. I think we'll see Canon changing all of their cameras over in the coming months as new models replace older ones.
Thank you so much for all of your information. Your expertise is greatly appreciated. I need to practice and play with my 990 to fully understand all that it can do. The pre-focusing, half-pressing the shutter is something that my previous cameras did not do. It sounds like a great feature- I just need to get the hang of it. From what I understand, half-pressing the shutter will lock the focus on my subject and when I am ready to take the shot, I just press the shutter fully and I should be able to "catch" the moment better and quicker. If I have a moving subject, which is what I expect most of my shots of my grandson will be, the "servo AF mode" would be the preferred auto-focus mode? What would your recommendations be for the best settings to take indoor pictures of my grandson? I would like the settings to be as "auto" as possible. I am thinking to set the SCN to "kids and pets", the flash to "auto", face detection on, the servo AF on and red-eye correction on. Do you agree and are there additional settings that you would recommend?
Thank you so much.
finally, I bought SD880Is. I like it. it is gorgeous. When I went to store I found it much more beautiful than SD890IS plus I preferred to have newer technology (DIGIC 4) instead of having 5X optical zoom. and I so happy with my selection. Thanks all of you and informative points.
I have problem you might find it irrelative to this page. I bought SDHC 8GB Sandisk Ultra II (100 X) memory which is not detected with my laptop SD card reader. I am a little bit disappointed since I read somewhere it is a hardware problem; whereas some other say you need to upgrade the windows. Do you have any solution? It is inconvenient to use USB cable. By the way my reader manufacturer is : SDA Standard Compliant SD Host Controller , driver version:6.0.4069.1
TNX and happy new year.
amazon.com/SDHC-Memory-Read...
And here's a link to the PCMCIA card adapter for laptops:
amazon.com/PremierTek-PCMCI...
Just a couple suggestions, but personally I'd just switch to using 1GB or 2GB cards and save the hassle of the adapter if you have a reader built in.
You always surprise me by answering quickly.
Before spending any more money, I would rather to focus on finding any available drivers for my laptop's reader to make it compatible with memory. So far, I found windows xp hotfix Patch but since my windows is not registered I couldn't DL it. :( I am using Windows XP SP2. I would happy if sb can send it to me.
support.microsoft.com/kb/93...
By the way, I would appreciate if I get any other solutions.
Happy new years,
TNX
If you were willing to carry a larger camera, the Canon SX10IS provides the same wide angle (28mm), plus a zoom equiv to 560mm telephoto using DIGIC IV, image stabilization, plus manual controls if needed. For special trips like Disney land, the high zoom plus wide angle would capture some fantastic shots. It also has a larger sensor size over the SD880IS and should produce some finer detail for enlargements. But it would not be a pocket size camera and if you wanted to use all of the SX10IS capacity and features you would want to read the manual and some practice shooting before heading out for Disneyland.
I've never used a DSLR due to the size factor. Is it true that a Nikon D40 (6.1 MP) would produce better image quality than a SD990 (14.7 MP).
You're correct that a Nikon D40 will produce nicer quality images than any of the smaller sensor point and shoots, including the G10 and the SD990. The smaller sensors just can't pick up the details as well or keep the noise as low as the larger sensors in the DX format DSLR cameras. The DSLR will handle higher ISO without losing detail and without an abundance of noise over the smaller sensor point and shoots. But again, many will go with "smaller, pocketable" over photo quality if it means going even as large as the D40 or D60 smaller Nikon Bodies. Price is also an issue as the body and kit lens (18-55mm) is still about $500.00 for the D40 and about $600 for the D40x or D60 with a kit lens.
If you only taking snapshots, and rarely enlarging above 5x7, the point and shoots do a nice job when given plenty of light or held extremely steady keeping the ISO lower.
As far as the "blurry" or "grainy" photos from the SD880 more than a SD790, I'm pretty skeptical about that. It is possible with all of the cameras to get blurry and grainy results. Anti-shake/image stabilizaton doesn't solve 1) subject movement in low light/slow shutter speeds or 2) camera shake at low light / slow shutter speeds. It helps, but it doesn't completely do away with it. Steady hands, a little monopod, or even using a surface to hold the camera against will all help low light / slow shutter speed shots. I have a VR lens on my Nikon DSLR, but I can still get blurry pictures if I'm not careful in holding steady. I improve with practice, and shoot as much as I can to keep improving in technique and composition, as well as, learning what the camera can and cannot do in a given situation.
The good part about digital cameras is that the "film" is cheap and processing is a non-issue, so you can literally take thousands of pictures to learn about the camera and what it can do. I usually take 2-3 pictures of every scene I shoot. Why not? If one comes out poorly, there's a good chance one of the others will be better and it cost me absolutely nothing but a few seconds of my time to shoot multiple times and pick the best shots later when I get home.
One last observation for those looking to buy a Canon point and shoot for the first time. When set on Auto ISO, the camera will automatically bump up the ISO if you move or shake at the moment you take the picture. So it may read ISO 80 when you frame your shot, but if you shake, flinch, or move the picture may be taken at ISO250 or even ISO400 to compensate for YOUR movements. The results will be grainier and less detailed pictures. The camera attempt to correct the operator shake, but the result are not the best all of the time. If you want a constant ISO setting, you must set it for that ISO level through the menu/control wheel. Keeping your ISO at the lowest possible level will make for the clearest and sharpest pictures.
SD880 does have more noise - I tried both out on a tripod with identical settings. Canon specs confirm that the SD990 sensor is larger (slightly). Both have DIGIC IV.
As for a slighly larger CCD on the SD990, no matter how slight, it'll give more room for those MPs and make the sensor a little more sensitive to light and that's what cuts back on noise in low light.
I am in college and so MOST of the pictures I take are of groups of friends, in the dorms, out at parties, etc. I am in a sorority so I take a lot of pictures of events and things. so I mostly take indoor shots. With my current camera (Powershot SD450) I find that I always have to have the EV control on -1/3. The colors on faces are slightly orange and get washed out if the camera is too close to the face. Therefore, my question is which camera out of the 880 or 990 would be better for THIS type of shooting-- that is, mainly indoor group shots. I want something that will produce good color and not have blurry pictures when there is a lot of action going on. Also, noise has never been a problem in my shots before, and I certainly do not want that showing up now.
Along with that, I am an avid photographing hobbyist and I love taking artsy-type pictures. The fully manual settings on the 990 sparked my interest with that. However, I have survived--not thrived, but survived-- with the limited settings on the 450, and have produced several professional looking pictures. What does the 990 offer in terms of the manual settings, and are they necessary, or will they not be missed if i purchase the 880? I love taking macro pictures as well as landscapes and sunsets.
The build of the 880 looks more appealing to me-- simpler and more concise-- as well as the larger screen. Since the quality of the pictures in the 880 and 990 is so similar (from what I have read), What should I look for to sway me one way or the other, based on the things I am looking in for my camera?
Thank you so much,
Feel free to reply on here, or even more helpful, put a comment on my flickr photostream-- i'll definitely see it there
flickr.com/photos/staceygre...
After viewing you photostream I'm impressed with your photos from the SD450. Some great compositions and good "artsy" shots that I like a lot. Here's my opinion, I think you'd be hard pressed to do better than the SD990IS for color, clarity, and creative work. The reason I like the 990 more and more is the ability to crop aggressively if needed and still have plenty of pixels and size to make great pictures and even enlargements. It has more detail than the 880, and it also is much clearer and cleaner in its photo processing. For Macros it is great as you can take an average closeup and then crop it so that it is a really close macro shot and still have great pixel clarity and definition. If you do that with the 880, you'll be left with lots of smeared detail...not cool for macros.
You obviously have mastered tweaking the SD450 to get the most out of it and the 990 will give you just that much more to expand. The manual settings are far from "full-manual" in that basically the manual mode simply adds the ability to set the shutter speed and then choose one of two aperture settings for that shutter speed. It is more control than the 880 in that it allows smaller increases and decreases in the shutter speed and the choice of the two aperture settings (presumable for depth of field or other affects). So it does allow for some creativity say for blurring action (moving cars, people, lights, etc) with control over how much blur you desire.
Indoor shooting with most cameras usually will require you to take it off Auto white balance if shooting without a flash. The yellow cast is usually caused by improper white balance which most cameras do poorly at indoors (even DSLR have trouble with that). The washout of things occurs with point and shoot flashes because they basically just fire put out as much light as they can, no matter how much is really needed. A fill-in type flash, or a metered flash output is what really solves that problem, but point and shoots don't usually have that ability. I found the 880 and 990 flashes to be about equal in output. One solution is to make a bounce flash set up using a small white card taped under the flash and bent upwards making the flash "bounce" upward. This allows a softer light and while it looks somewhat silly, actually can improve your flash shots by keeping them from washing out. Basically you just want to deflect the light away from directly at the subject. Of course if your farther away, or trying to light up a large group you'll need more direct flash.
I wanted to like the SD880 more because of its build, size, and screen too. But after shooting them both I couldn't help but be drawn to the better images and more detail captured by the 990. I gave my 990 away as a Xmas gift to a family member and have now ordered another one for myself (again). I've been shooting with the SD880 for the last month now, but it doesn't do as nice of job for me so I'm going back to the 990 as soon as it arrives this week.
Given your level of photography, I would be willing to venture that a Digital SLR will be in your future. Maybe not yet, but when you do you'll enter a whole new world of fun when you do as it will open up a lot of creative paths for your photo journey. The 990 is the only small point and shoot that I've found that comes close to the same kind of fun and quality I get when I shoot with a Nikon DSLR. I like the D50, D40, D40X as great entry DSLR because they are the least expensive, have great kit lens (18-55mm), take great photos, and are the smallest bodies. Prices for the D40 with a 18-55mm lens are running around 400-450.00 which makes them more than the SD990, but still more affordable than other DSLRs. It's even possible to buy a factory refurbished Nikon if you shop online or EBay for even less. Just be sure to look for reputable, authorized Nikon dealers with impeccable feedback.
Do you want a small pocket camera that is simple and easy and with wide angle: go with the SD880
Do you want a larger camera with lots of zoom and more controls and little better flash for indoor shots: go with the FZ28
Just for the record, the Canon XTi will still take much better pictures over either of these two cameras, even when set on full auto. I would learn to use the XTi more, and possibly supplement it with a small pocket camera such as the SD880 for times when I couldn't carry the larger Canon XTi.
steves-digicams.com/2008_re...
I don't see them as that muted. I've shot with Panisonics before and found the color to be good as long as lighting was adequate. Outdoors and at events like Disneyland, the FZ28 should do great.
I dunt know it is due to my high expectation from 880 or its due to the camera weakness. As long as know, higher pixels give u more capability of zoom on the PC. But the quality of every single photo I shot, after 3 times zooming by ACDSee software deteriorates. Whereas, with my W800 Phone camera (2MP) I have the same zoom strength in ACDSee!!!
Secondly, all photos (in deferent modes) have lots of noises which could be removed by "Auto Exposure" in ACDSee. When I use this option, it is like a sprayed dust on the photo is removed and resolution increases dramatically. Why?
Zooming in on the computer will not result in better or clearer pixels. At least not in today's digital world. The detail recorded by the camera sensors is what it is as it is recorded to the JPG file. Zooming in will only expose the lesser qualities of the recorded image.
When you come to full resolution with your W800 2mp pictures it would be at 20% of the size of the SD880 10mp pictures at full resolution. If you take your 2MB camera shots and expand them to 500% larger than the full-sized original than you could compare the shots side by side for Image Quality. When you look at the SD880 files at full resolution you are looking at what a printed shot would look like in a poster sized enlargement--something few, if anyone, would do.
When you view your photos on the computer full screen size your actually looking at what they would appear like printed as 8x10 enlargements. Take some similar photos with both the phone camera and the SD880 and then have them printed in say 4x6, 5x7, and if you're really interested 8x10 and then you'll be able to compare the IQ from each camera easily. Let the prints speak for themselves.
The Canon cameras will have modes that allow for some more artsy type shooting including B/W, Sephia, Color Accent, and even Color Swap. And yes, those who buy the Canons will use those features as they are often interested in making more interesting photos than just snapshot memories. All that can also be done in post processing on the the computer after the shot is taken, but Canon makes it easy to do with the camera. The Panasonic may also have similar capabilities (except for color accent/swap...a Canon exclusive).
So is that true the higher resolution is totally useless unless you want to print a very large size poster? we just record a very large file (in terms of size and memory) with the same density of pixels as in 2 mp, isn't it?
And How about the exposure? at the full screen size and without zooming, Auto exposure option can remove a layer of noises from the photo? My concern is how come the camera can not remove this much noise during taking photo? is it the same with SLR cameras?
If you have a camera that takes 5-8MP you should have no problem with getting good, detailed pictures as long as 1) the lens is a good one, 2) the camera processing is good and 3) you do your part in shooting by holding steady, framing correctly, and knowing how to catch over/under exposures before you leave the scene.
The higher the megapixels go on small sensors, the more likely that little difference in picture quality will be seen, unless the manufacturers start using larger sensors to allow for the extra photocells. We really have reached the point of over-saturated sensors and picture quality is not showing great improvements, just larger files to store.
I'm not sure about the last part of your question. I'm not familiar with "exposure" correction removing "noise." Are you using a "noise reduction" filter or process? The Canon approach is to use less noise reduction in the camera as it tends to smear or delete fine detail at the same time. Panasonic on the other hand tends to be very aggressive in noise reduction and they've earned a reputation for loss of detail and smearing of low contrast areas even at base ISO. I prefer more detail to be captured, and then if noise is a problem, remove some of it in post processing on the computer.
Brands are not that crucial, but look for ones which state "class 6" speed. It will be faster in file transfers and writing to the card. You can get by with class 4 cards, but usually you can find class 6 cards on Amazon.com pretty inexpensively.
For a case, I like the LowePro 10 series available almost everywhere camera supplies are sold (drug stores, camera stores, Best Buy, Circuit City). They run about $10 for a Ridge 10, or a Spectrum 10. They are the smallest that LowePro makes and the are plenty big and well padded for keeping the 880 safe, even if dropped.
I think you'll find the 880 a very practical camera and very easy to use. Be sure to read the manual to find some of the special things it can do (slow shutter speed setting, color accent and color swap, etc). You can also program the very top button to perform a menu selection of your choosing, like white balance, or exposure compensation, or whatever you want under your finger. And be sure and practice a bit with it before your trip.
what is the difference between the 880's wide angle lens capability and the 990's wide angle setting??
sd990 36-133mm
thanks
Happy Shutters
In addition, the more megapixels a camera has, the larger the lens it needs to provide the clarity it deserves and prevent diffraction due to a loss of detail with smaller apertures. But since we’re talking compact point and shoots here, those large lenses simply aren’t being made.
And when you consider at 99%+ of pictures are usually snapshots, you don't even see the benefits of that much MP unless you're enlarging to 11x14 or above. So what's the point? I mean, it's like driving a Ferrari through town. Sure, you can do it and it's cool and all, but you don't get to experience any of that horsepower you've paid for.
In the end, relying on a smaller MP that can balance all these needs may indeed be a better answer.
So is that true the higher resolution is totally useless unless you want to print a very large size poster? we just record a very large file (in terms of size and memory) with the same density of pixels as in 2 mp, isn't it?
And How about the exposure? at the full screen size and without zooming, Auto exposure option can remove a layer of noises from the photo? My concern is how come the camera can not remove this much noise during taking photo? is it the same with SLR cameras?
As I said, it's like driving a Ferrari through town.
amazon.com/SanDisk-SDSDH-00...
Or these work fine (class 6)
amazon.com/SanDisk-Extreme-...
- I would be very careful to use those flickr pictures to compare the image quality of both cameras. Some pictures are taken with different apertures that may affect the quality, even slightly. You can see that clearly in the picture with the bench. The pic appeared overexposed on the SD880 with the shrubbery green washed out by the intensity of the light. This may be explained by the wider aperture set on the 880, thus allowing more light to come into the lens. Don't know if "wider" is the word here, but you get me.
- In my opinion, the 28mm benefit on the SD880 is being overlooked and discounted here. The difference between the 28mm and the 36mm is significant in landscape and crucial in indoor pics. You all may want to take a look at this page to see the difference:
Take a look at the first couple of pics. Left:28mm Right:36mm
cameralabs.com/reviews/Pana...
(Nevermind that the shots are taken by different cameras. The point here is to show the difference in angle coverage)
This alone would make me incline on the SD880. Take a look at your pic files and you will notice how most of the time, most people, take pics with their focus zoomed out at full, that is, as wide as possible. Just check some random pics and right click on it, check properties, and focal lenght. Zoom is largely overvalued. Plus on a Point & Shoot, photos with max Zoom just don't look good.
And for the lady going on vacation to Disneyland. You should most certainly get the SD880 for some great wide angle shots!!!
Greetings and So Long!!
Jack
I was wondering if you could compare the pros and cons between the Canon SD 990 and the Canon Powershot S5. Which one takes better pictures in light dark scenarios, which one is faster, etc?
The 990is will take better pictures for larger prints. It has a slightly larger sensor and 14.7MP, where the S5is has a smaller sensor and 8MP .
The S5is also begins to suffer in picture quality above base ISO (full daylight shooting), where the 990is can easily handle ISO up to 400 without much complaint and can go up to 800ISO and still be useful.
The S5is is using DIGIC III processing in the camera as opposed to the newer and better DIGIC IV processing.
In the flash dept. the S5is has a hot shoe for mounting an external flash which would easily beat anything the 990is could do as it doesn't have a hot shoe mount. So in that case you could shoot larger venues with a high power zoom and a good flash and get some good shots. That would not be possible with the 990.
The S5is has a great tilt and twist fold out display (which is great for difficult angled shots) and the 990is is a fixed screen (same size for both).
The S5is won't fit in your pocket like the SD990is will, so you may not carry it as often with you. It also will be "less discrete" if you're trying not to be noticed taking the pictures.
So if flash and high zoom are what you need, the S5is makes more sense. If small, larger prints, and better "natural light" pictures" are what you are looking for then I would go with the sd990is. There are several "super-zooms" to choose from, so you may want to compare superzooms side by side if you decide that is what you want. My personal opinion is that the S5is is a good camera, but is on the verge of needing a major upgrade (sensor, zoom, ISO performance, camera processing, etc) in the near future by Canon to stay competitive. The SD990is represents Canon's latest performance enhancements and upgrades, though in a smaller body.
Maybe there is a problem. Maybe I'm not using the right settings. I tried a few different scene modes (Portrait, indoor, etc). When I dropped the exposure -1 1/3 I was able to get more detail in the faces. The problem is that the exposure compensation settings seem to revert to default settings when you turn the camera off and on -- adding a ridiculous extra step to get decent snaps of people at parties, restaurants, bowling alleys, or in living room at night.
Any advise would be very welcome. Great thread here! Thanks.
broadwayphoto.com/viewprodu...
At the time my daughter and I purchased our 990s (to give to each other for Christmas), they had the lowest price, biggest inventory, and truly excellent customer service. My rep was Everett (ext. 1038), but I'm guessing you'll be treated well by anyone you speak with.
Good luck!
jdb
"Broadway Photo is a New York area camera cabal infamous for ripping customers off. First they lure in people with camera kits below market value. Then they try to upsell customers on all sorts of accessories and try to make them believe their gear won't work without it. People have experienced unauthorized charges and report being verbally abused when they try to dispute the charges."
You'll find numerous complaints about them and their business practices. I've purchased from Amazon.com (directly) and also J&R Music/Computer World and they have an excellent reputation, sell Canon USA authorized products and don't try to up sell. They also have very good prices.
i recently purchased the 880 too. Mine is grainy too, but maybe more in the lower evening indoor light. let me know how it works for you. I am disabled, and can't really do much experimenting with mine, pretty much in one room(same lighting mostly, etc.) my husband will be using it for a trip soon, but hasn't had time to go outside with it,etc.
I purchased my camera from J&R Computer store. They are a Super seller. I will buy from them again. The Canon SD990IS took great pictures. I love my SD990IS. Thank you Steve for the many advices. Your throughly reviews on the SD990Is was it for me. Thank you!
I am moving to South America in a couple of weeks and want a good camera for quick simple shots and for basic movie recording. I have always owned PowerShots, always loved them, and am ready to upgrade for my adventure. I have read this thread over several times and even went to the store and have held both cameras in my hands, yet I am still struggling with my decision. 880 or 990? Let me state it as simply as possible...
Cost is not an issue.
Size is not an issue.
Manual controls do not matter (I know myself and I won't use them).
Here is my struggle...I love the wide angle lens on the 880. I turned both of the camera's on, held them side by side, and was blown away at how much more fit into the the shot of the 880. From my travel experience, I know I will find this very useful in the day-to-day shots I take (people, points of interest, travel stuff, etc.). I also like the controls and look of the 880 a bit more, so in that respect, I lean towards buying it, but...
...I can't shake the fact that the 990 takes better pics. From reading Steve's reviews and user reviews on Amazon, the pictures of the 990 definitely seem like they come out better...period.
So, here is my question. For someone like me, interested in snapshots, posting pics on the web, and random everyday pictures that I will probably never blow up bigger than a 5x7...will I notice the inferior picture quality of the 880? Is the picture quality between the 880 and 990 great enough to outweigh the benefit of wide-angle lens of the 880?
Thank you in advance for your response, this thread is compelling and you guys are amazing...
So, I think it's a toss-up. And since you're not worried about sticker shock, I'd suggest you go with the SD990 since that larger chip will help on the video side.
I know you haven't mentioned the Canon G10 in your list, but you could go with the larger G10 and have a 28mm wide lens, plus the higher resolution and sensor size of the SD990, plus the ability to put on an external flash if desired. It's pricey and bigger, but has just about every feature you could want shot of going up to a digital SLR. Even without using all the manual controls of the G10, you would be able to shot in Auto mode, or in Program mode without any problem. I think it even has scene modes. It also has the larger 3" LCD, plus a viewfinder on top of all that.
I went to circuit city this morning to check out the sd790 and the guy behind the counter suggested the sd990. To be honest i like how the sd990 feels in my hands better (the other is too flat) but am having a real problem convincing myself that the better feel is worth the extra $. So if anyone can give me a better reason for spending the extra $ I would appreciate it.
Seriously, I am not one that needs the to have the newest and brightest. I will own what every I get until it goes kerplunk so what is the best value for the money and a long haul?
Basically I am looking for a good all around camera (stills, action, wide angle and close ups) that I can slip in my pocketbook or pocket easily. Right now I have an older nikon coolpix which I am happy with except for the size (too big). It seems like canon powershot is the way to go but I am having a hard time narrowing it down. What would "you" suggest (if you have another recommendation besides the canon hit me with that)? I do prefer a view finder but will forgo if its in my best interests. I also want something that is fairly easy to operate.
Any suggestions on where to buy on line would be appreciated?
Thanks
1. I would never (ever) get a camera without an optical viewfinder. I could detail my reasons, but that's the bottom line.
2. As a general policy, I tend to push the envelope when purchasing items I intend to own for their full life (which is how you described yourself in this instance). As an example, I buy BMWs -- not because my income puts me in that category, but because the actual cost of ownership over 15 years (which is how long I kept my previous one) makes them a real value -- and a blast to drive every day during those 15 years. Ditto on my laptop, my SubZero refrigerator -- and ditto on my cameras.
That's one reason I chose the SD990 and never looked back.
As to where to purchase, I have one recommendation -- and it's a strong one: J&R Computer World in NYC. My daughter and I bought each other 990s there at Christmas, and I just purchased several Canon accessories on Friday (the AC adapter and an 8GB memory card). Tel: 800-221-8180. Everett is my rep of choice and can be reached at ext. 1038. Tell him I sent you. <G>
Good luck!
John Dallas Bowers
Villanova, PA
1. It uses the latest Canon DIGIC IV processing in camera which surpasses the previous DIGIC III. Better color, better speed, better low light, better all the way around.
2. The 990 simply takes the best photos of ANY point and shoot that I have tried out from Canon, Sony, Nikon and Panasonic.
3. It is the top of the line Canon Elph and it is the latest edition, meaning it won't become obsolete next year...you should be able to shoot with it for several years and be perfectly happy.
4. It will take photos that can be enlarged all the way up to poster size and come out with outstanding photo detail because of the 14.7 MP.
5. Because of the higher MP and detail, cropping can be very aggressive, making the 3.7x zoom a very powerful zoom. Shoot at full 3.7 zoom and then crop the middle out for printing and you can equal any zoom on the market today and still retain detail.
REASONS Not to Buy: higher price, not HD video capacity, not fully manual (some, but not a lot), and it's slightly fatter than say the SD880 or 790 and finally, it starts at 36mm and not the wider 28mm.
So if the reasons to NOT BUY are high on your list, than look beyond the 990. Otherwise with the 990 you will have a great camera that will last you for a long while.
As far as buying online: I would stick to the major sellers, like J&R Music and Computer World, Amazon.com, and Adorama or B&H Photo. I have had great experiences with both J&R Music and Amazon.com in buying cameras from them. I think the 990 is still going for around $300 from those dealers for a USA model. Stay away from non-USA models, or dealers who are not Authorized Canon dealers as there will be no warranty from Canon on those cameras.
Thanks for your input. I like the suggestion of the G10, but I think the size is going to deter me. I definitely want something I can stick in my pocket...
James mentioned that the bigger chip in the 990 will make a difference in the video. Is that true? I never thought about that. Video is important to me with this camera, so that may push me over the edge. Still can't get that damn 28mm out of my head...lol.
Jason.
There has been one glitch in the video which has shown up in the SD990 at least that you might want to be aware of. John Dallas Bowers, contributing commenter here has found that in dim situations that the presence of a bright light can cause a streaking in the video to occur. It appears that Canon has confirmed this weakness, but says it is normal for the sensor. I haven't had time to try my SD990 to reproduce the problem yet, but John clearly has shown that it can and does exist. He has some Christmas tree lights video that you can see for yourself. I don't mean to discourage you from the SD990, but if video is a high priority, you may want to check out the weakness further to be sure that it will do the job. In regular light, I haven't had any problems with the video. And I hope to be able to do some shooting in a darker setting with candle light, or small lamp lights to see if the problem is universal to all SD990 or just certain ones. So stay tuned on the video part...
One more question- I have 3 picture memory thingys (as you can tell from my nifty vocabulary I am a complete techy) already for my coolpix. Can I use these in the sd990? They are all made by SanDisk - 1 is 32mb, 1 is a 128 mb and the other is an ultra 128mb. They all say CompactFlash on them.
Thanks again!
Steve
youtube.com/watch?v=S11eTvA...
I have NOT found streaking a problem in other than low-light situations.
One other thing I noticed about the 990's video: the audio pick-up seems "bright." I just shot a clip of me playing my beloved Mason & Hamlin grand, and it seems a bit intense. I also noticed that when I spoke on camera, the s's had a slight hiss to them. I'm attributing that to a sensitive microphone, but it may be something else entirely.
I'm still in the early stages of evaluating this camera, and don't hold myself out as the definitive reviewer, but with all the "if only's," I am still very glad I chose the 990. Sure, the "auto" setting delivers over-bright results in flash conditions (in my experience), but I am very pleased with the workarounds I figured out in both the Program and Manual modes (jiggering the exposure and flash intensity). And I'm now playing with "Audicity" software to see if I can soften the sharpness of the audio in my videos. It's definitely a work in progress.
All that said, I continue to believe the 990 offers solid value for users willing to plumb its depths. After months of pre-selection comparisons, I determined that no camera in this subcompact niche was "perfect," but I also concluded that the 990 represented the best value for serious (or semi-serious) photographers looking for a take-along camera with good optics and modest manual controls.
Nothing I've encountered after a month's use has led me to question my decision.
Hope that helps.
jdb
Someone, either in this q&a or another, suggested a snug fitting camera case. Can anyone elaborate on why?
Thanks
SDHC=secure digital high capacity
The SD990/SD880 use all SD and SDHC cards so you can go as large as you want. The only reason for sticking to 2GB or under is that some built in computer card reader will only handle up to 2GB size (SD max) while others can read up to 16 GB(current SDHC max). If you're buying a new card reader or using the cable, it should handle larger cards just fine. But a 2 GB card will give you about 500 pictures in the highest resolution -- that's a lot of shooting. Buying 2 2GB card leaves you a back up, or a spare, in case something goes wrong with the card in the field.
Any major brand will work fine. Sandisk Ultra II, Sandisk Extreme III are two well-respected cards with good reliability and speeds. But Kingston, ATX Pro, and even PQI, all work fine.
As far as speed, stay at a minimum of class 4, and if you want the fastest transfers of files, go with a class 6 card. I use Sandisk Ultra II with my SD990 and my Nikon D50 and have been pleased with the speeds and the card reliability, so I tend to recommend what I've used and have experience with. But I also have use PQI, and ATX Pro and have never had a problem either.
Just stay away from the original speed SD cards. If they don't say what speed they are, they are generally the slower cards.
Yes, compact is great for a case, since it will increase the likelihood you'll use it. On the other hand, I think a bit of padding and a little extra air inside can help cushion the camera from the jars and jolts of life. As an example, Canon makes a beautiful slim leather case for their SD1100, but I can't imagine it offering any real protection except from scratches.
I tend to use my case (which I'll describe shortly) when traveling, either packed in my suitcase or hung around my neck. When out for a walk or at party, I'll slip my 990 into a shirt or sportcoat pocket. It's quite slim and light, and fits nicely in either place. I just make sure I don't keep any sharp objects in the same pocket, lest they scratch the case or LED.
After a bit of comparison shopping at Best Buy (first online and then in the store), I bought the Lowepro Rezo 30 in black ($15 + PA sales tax). I was very glad I took my camera when making my final selection. There's no substitute for trying it out.
I wrote a comprehensive review on the Best Buy site back in December, and nothing's changed in my opinion of this excellent case:
_____________________________________________________________
What's great about it: Solid construction; good fit for my SD990; collapsible pocket holds battery charger
What's not so great: No negatives observed to date
"I read the negative reviews after I purchased two of these Lowepro cases (my daughter and I are giving each other Canon SD990 compact digitals for Christmas), and wondered whether I had made a mistake. While my use has been quite limited so far, here's my take to date:
1. The case fits the 990 really well. Not too tight, not too loose. It zippers easily, and the main compartment leaves just enough "breathing room" around the camera to serve as an additional shock absorber. While the sides are flexible, there is good padding all around. I wouldn't recommend slinging the case at a brick wall, but I suspect it would protect the camera quite adequately were one to drop it from a height of three or four feet onto a hard surface.
2. There is a handy Velcro tab on the back for clipping the case onto a belt or purse strap. I will probably use the adjustable neck strap, which seems quite sturdy. I tried very aggressively to make the strap clips come undone (trying to recreate the scenario described by MomKC), but was totally unsuccessful in doing so. I can only assume the spring clips on her straps were defective, because the design looks excellent to me.
3. I was pleased to find that the battery charger fit snugly in the outside collapsible pocket. My daughter and I decided to use our cameras for awhile before buying a spare battery, and being able to keep the charger with the camera while traveling will make it easy to top off the battery at the end of each day's shooting.
4. The outside pocket flap uses Velcro as a fastener, and it works well. It is not as weather resistant as the zippered main compartment, but then I don't intend to leave it out in the driving rain. Short of direct and sustained exposure to bad conditions (downpour, dust storm), I think the Rezo 30 will do nicely.
If I can remember to do so, I will report back to this space after I've used the case for a few months."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes
________________________________________________________
So that's it, Jody. Good luck with your selection.
Here's the link to the Best Buy page describing the Lowepro:
bestbuy.com/site/olspage.js...
Thanks all,
Jody
1. Want something that will fit in a pocket to take to Disney or other outing so I can take pictures of my grandchildren and family.
2. Picture quality is very important.
3. Although I do no usually print pictures above 8 x 10, I do find that I crop frequently to frame the picture I really want. Extremes would be taking a full body picture and cropping to waist high or even head shot. Crop to zoon in on one of my granddaughters in a scene of others and her running around.
4. I like to take Xmas portrait photos of the grandchildren around the Christmas tree. These also typically result in cropping the get the best composition.
5. I like to play around and try to get interesting scenic photos.
6. Photos are both outside and inside and lighting can vary. It seems like 6-10 ft might be difficult in some low light situations. How or can this be compensated for?
7. How big a difference is there in a photo between the starting and telephoto ranges of the photos?
I personally found the Canon SD990IS the best of the bunch in the Point and Shoot, pocket sized cameras. It has what I considered the closest appearance to my DSLR pictures overall in quality from a point and shoot. I started a Flikr site primarily for letting people see the actual photos from the SD880 and SD990 models that came out in October of last year. It also has camera shots from Panasonic Lumix TZ5, and lots of Nikon D50 shots to. If you want to compare side by side and see for yourself just check out some of the sets (on the right hand side of the page) for the various cameras and comparisons. Flikr also will list in the small detail side of a picture what camera took the pictures, and even the settings, or flash on or off, etc if you want to know more about the pictures.
flickr.com/photos/33346716@...
I found the cropping ability of pictures taken with the SD990 amazing and there are a few examples of cropping for "macro" effect on the Flikr page mentioned above. Because the SD990 has 14.7 MP resolution you can really crop aggressively and still have very detailed and good pictures.
For portraits and low light indoors? Well, unless you sell your Canon 30D so some needy college student or trade it for food, I'd keep it around to shoot low light and indoors with it...you won't be lugging it around if it stays at home. All point and shoots come with a very minimum flash...bare minimum. Sure you can use it and have "OK" shots, but I'd use the DSLR any day with an external bounce flash for indoor shots, portrait or not.
Creative scenery? Well, the Canon SD990 has my Nikon D50 beat in that category. Want a perfectly blazing orange sunset? Set the 990 to sunset mode, point it toward the horizon with a sinking sun and BAM! beautiful sunset recorded. Or how about a Black and White artsy type shot? Again, set the Canon 990 to Black and white (or Sephia for that matter) and BAM! B&W photo. But the neat, nifty, no one else has it feature for Canon's is the "color accent and color swap" modes. Say someone is wearing a lime green tie at your next picnic. Set the Canon to color accent and choose the lime green tie color by pointing the camera at the color, now when you take a picture everything is Black and White EXCEPT for Uncle Fussby's lime green tie shining brightly. Well you can use it for more intelligent things, like Fall leaves or Red balloons, or something, but it is very cool and only Canon has it.
You can check the zoom capacities of the Canon SD880 and SD990 on the Flikr link as well. Same shots taken at wide angle and at full telephoto.
I found that I now carry the SD990is all the time, and the Nikon D50 less of the time. And the fact is that I have gotten a lot of great pictures from the SD990is that are "almost" as good as I would have gotten with the D50...if I was lugging it at the time.
Hope the helps in finding the camera that might come close to your Canon D30 in quality, but would be mere ounces in the pocket or purse and always ready for the moment.
I think we both agree that Canon is a really solid choice. But even though both the SD990 and G10 are good point and shoot options, you need to be mindful that the point and shoot flash capabilty peters out after about 10 feet. And this is where you have an advantage with the G9/10. It carries an exeternal flash hot shoe mount to add a stronger external flash.
Hope it helps.
PS - with Circuit City going out of business the prices are great but there is no return policy so I don't have the luxury of trying both and returning one like I usually would.
Thanks!
As I think I noted above somewhere, depending on such variables as distance, zoom, and ambient lighting, the shots can turn out very "hot." As a result, I have now begun to use either Program or Manual in those situations, both of which allow adjustment in flash intensity and other key settings. I find I still need to fine-tune sometimes, depending on those variables I mentioned, but at least I don't waste my time being frustrated by trying "auto" first.
One of the things I really appreciate about Program/Manual is the ability to lock in the ISO. Too often I found the camera choosing 200+ levels when I really didn't think the situation required it. Now, for reasonably close shots, I stick with 100 and make other adjustments as necessary.
On the Circuit City thing, I agree it can be comforting to have a return option. In fact, with a camera at this price point, I would definitely "give away" a few bucks for that privilege -- if, in fact, CC is even selling the 990 at a deeper discount than J&R. Once you're past the 30 days, though, you're under Canon's wing, and so far my experience with their tech folks has been good.
Yes, I wish I had the wide-angle option, Marianne, but I remain convinced by Steve's words and his uploaded comparative photos that I made the right choice.
Good luck!
John Dallas Bowers
Villanova, PA
Don't get nervous, the SD990 is nothing like a digital SLR or full manual camera. In fact, it can pretty much do everything for you if you want it to and do a good job most of the time figuring out just what you were looking for in the picture. But one trick the 990 has that the 880 doesn't is the Flash Compensation menu item. Just like you can adjust exposure (up or down + or - 2 steps) you can do the same thing for the output of the flash. Now instead of being "full on" it can be toned down for much more natural lighting and fill-in light. It helps get rid of the "deer in the headlights" look on people's faces.
The other neat trick for the 990 is that it handles low light better and at lower ISO settings so you don't always have to use a flash. Steady the camera, and let it take a longer exposure with natural light and you'll be amazed at how well you can do.
You're right about missing the wide 28mm starting point. The 990 would be THE PERFECT camera if it began at 28mm or even 24mm instead of 36mm. But Canon put that into it's G10 instead along with a whole slew of manual settings, and a bigger box and a higher price tag. For me the 990 had everything but the 28mm wide angle lens. But the benefits of larger sensor, flash adjustments, shutter speed adjustment, better low light handling, viewfinder, larger more detailed pictures, all combined to make it the choice over the SD880 in the end.
If Circuit City's Canon was new in the box, unopened and absolutely perfect looking, AND under 300.00 with tax (for the SD990is) then I might consider it seeing how Canon will stand behind the camera for the first year. Yeah I'd rather find a store/dealer that was going to be around, but I don't mind saving money if it is a good product. Depending on your state sales tax, it is sometimes a savings to buy from online dealers where you are free from sales tax, too. If you are unsure about what camera you want, buy only from a place that takes returns without penalty. If you KNOW for SURE what you want, look for a good deal that at least as good, or better than J&R Music and Computer World. They have a great reputation and are authorized by Canon, and ship quickly, and take returns too. And they have had the best price on either the SD880 or SD990 lately. And if you're willing to let Microsoft sign you up for "live search" you can actually save more at J&R Music by going through www.search.live.com though they hold your rebate for 60 days after your purchase. You have read the rules and follow their steps to qualify for the rebates, but when I did I got a rebate of 7% of my purchase at J&R. Prices should be coming down slightly, too now that we're past the holidays. Just be sure you buy from an authorized Canon dealer and a USA model so that Canon USA will stand behind the warranty. Grey market sellers offer you imports (same cameras basically) at cheaper prices, but they won't be covered by Canon's warranty.
Hope that helps in your decision making process.
I would like to share my experience in buying the sd 990 with you guys and i also have a question that i would love to see answered by Steve , James Deruvo and Stacey so people like my self can learn more and see 3 different answer to compare and relate to.
after reading alot of reviews i decided to go ahead and purchase the sd 990 is , it was a tough call since there are many cameras out there . Its true some cameras are better than others but to be honest at the end of the day it comes down to your needs and what you are planing to shoot and capture . Sd 990 is a great camera but its not for everyone someone might be happier with an older sd model with lower pixels . it all depends on your need.
Many digital camera buyers often turn to the internet to find the best deal. But if in your search the price of a camera is too good to be true, watch out. Many people who fall for the scam end up with nothing but a hole in their pocket: no camera, lost money. I need to warn people here to be very careful when purchasing cameras or any electronics from the web , you can easily trust amazon or even ebay or any of the famous websites. But lately i been seeing many websites offering cameras for much cheaper prices. These companies are called the switch and bait. They attract people by their lower prices then force them to upgrade and buy other accessories. for example if you type canon sd 990 right now in google search and check the shopping criteria you will see some amazingly low prices , as low as $229 or $256 then with tax and shipping comes all to $270 or so. here is the thing , they will send you an email once you place an order to confirm your order. when you call you will notice one : they are rude , two : they are unprofessional . They will probably tell you something along the line : this is a Japanese model and the battery it comes with will only last for 15 minutes , and you will have to upgrade to a better battery which will cost an additional $80 . and many other tricks .i tried to test one of those companies , so after he said i should get a better battery , i told him its okay iam going to stick with the original 15 minute battery , he called me STUPID and said that i dont know anything about cameras , i told him thank you but i still want to stick with the original battery , he then said it will be shipped from japan and is going to take 2-3 MONTHS to get here and i should upgrade shipping and handling which will cost an extra $90 . so i told him its okay i will wait 2-3 months , he then got frustrated since i wouldn't fall for his trap and said iam going to cancel your order because your an idiot and this company doesnt want your money .
that was a true story and experience. These companies are located mainly in Brooklyn NY and are being sued by the state. You can login to BBB.org (Better Business Bureaus) and search whatever company or website you are trying to buy from before you do so. so you wont watse money or time. here are few companies that i called on the phoned and made sure they are scam. TECHONDIGITAL.com FOTOCONNECTION.com butterflyphoto topchoice digital and many others for a full list check this web page resellerratings.com/forum/m... please please please please please be careful when buying be a smart buyer.
I personal bought my camera from circuit city for $290 total but i was lucky with that deal since they are are going out of business and might catch a good discount, not always but sometimes.
That been said now for my other part of this post. Which is directed to Steve James and Stacey . Can you guys give us a lesson or information in depth about how to use the manual set in cameras in general and sd 990 specifically. I mean its nice to just put the camera on auto and let it do all the work but i want to learn a bit more about the manual set and how to use these numbers F 2.8 or the fraction parts 1/125 which i think is the shutter speed or something like that. And how these things help taking a better picture some examples would help as well. I want to have more control of the camera. and the pictures stacey took are just amazing and iam sure these are not auto cruise if i must say. also steve's pictures were stunning and iam trying to go from a beginner level to some what higher and maybe one day close to a much advance level . i enjoy taking out door pictures of nature and other things and the auto set is not always the best.
at the end i would like to be excused for my poor writing since English is not my first language but i felt i would share something in this amazing post .
at the end
Very wise words on buying on the internet indeed. I can only agree that one must be careful at looking for "the best price" as it is often a scam, or an attempt to get you to bite on the offer only to try to up sell you once you made contact.
Here's my quick advice on Auto and learning some manual techniques. With most digital cameras, including the SD990 you can set it to auto and then watch how it handles different settings and light. Pay attention to three things that will display when in Auto: The shutter speed (usually shown as a fraction like 1/50, 1/125, etc) and 2) the Aperture setting (F-stop, like 2.8f or f2.8), and finally the ISO setting 100, 200, etc.) Those three things will determine how much light enters the camera. They all three work together, so changing one means that either one or two of the others things will need to change in order to keep the same exposure in the final picture. That is what AUTO is trying to do, make a good, average, mostly correct exposure given the circumstances you are shooting. Notice (even jot it down) what the camera readings are when you focus indoors in low light, then what it does when you focus outdoors in bright light. Use the zoom and see how it changes the three settings in different settings. That's the first thing to do when learning how to improve the camera's performance. Find out how it is handling everything on AUTO.
Now, on the SD990 you can place the camera in "Program" mode (P), where the camera will take every picture on AUTO, UNLESS you use the function menu and change 1) exposure compensation, 2) ISO settings 3) Flash Compensation 4) Saturation and Hue--My colors, Vivid, etc. That's where you can let the camera make the decision first, look at the shot in the review mode and then change the settings listed above to improve on what the camera did on AUTO mode. This will help you understand how to take better exposures depending on how you want the picture to look (softer light, brighter light, candle light, more or less color saturation coming through. After a while, you'll be able to know ahead of time what to change because you know how the camera handled similar situations before. So you'll crank up the exposure, or crank it down, before the shot because you know in advance what you need to do.
Finally, on the SD990 you can switch it to "Manual Mode" which in addition to all of the above settings, you can now tell the camera what shutter speed you want, and it will give you 2 choices of aperture settings to go with that shutter speed. With shutter speed you can now determine how the camera records moving objects. Slower shutter speeds will allow the moving objects to blur (like running water) or streak (like car lights, etc) while the rest of the scene is clear and focused (if you keep the camera steady or use a tripod). With the 990 there is a limited amount you can play with because as you adjust the shutter speed, it will automatically adjust the aperture, trying again to give you the proper amount of light to expose the picture.
The point, as far as my experience goes, with the 990's giving you 2 choices for aperture setting for the shutter speed you select, has to do more with "Depth of Field" or DOF. That is depth of the plane that will be in acceptable focus. For some things you want a smaller DOF so the object is in focus, but the background, or foreground is out of focus so that the eye is drawn to the focused subject and not distracted by the background or foreground. Portraits and Close-up macro photos look good that way. On the other hand in long distance, or in sweeping landscapes or architectural scenes, you want all of the frame to be in focus and so want as large of a DOF as possible. Here's what I try to remember. The smaller the Aperture the greater the Depth of Focus (smaller apertures are the LARGER f-stop numbers). The larger the aperture (smaller f-stop number, say 2.8f) the smaller the depth of focus. That's only part of the story as it is also affected by 1) how close you are to the subject and 2) what the focal length is of the lens.
With the 990, small lens, small zoom, and only a 2.8f lens maximum the Depth of Focus is always going to be limited. I have found in my shooting that the best small depth of focus (blurring the background, while only the subject is in focus, is obtained by 1)zooming in fully with the optical zoom 3.7x, getting as close to the subject as I can so that the camera will focus and the subject fits inside the frame, and try to give as much light as possible so the camera can use a 2.8f aperture setting. Not always do I get it to do what I want, but that's what I strive for if I want a small or narrow Depth of Field.
Again the 990 doesn't give you fully manual control, so you are at the mercy of the camera for some things and you have to try to work around those givens that the camera wants to do.
Keeping the ISO as low as possible will result in clearer pictures (providing there is enough light or a steady hand or tripod).
Adjusting the flash output through the Flash compensation menu will allow you to give more natural lighting to subjects when the flash is used.
Finally adjusting the Exposure Compensation can help you either underexpose, or overexpose from what the camera might want to do on Automatic exposure.
Those 3 things will go a long way in helping you get better shots with the SD990. When you've become comfortable with those adjustments, then try changing the shutter speed under manual when shooting moving subjects and see how it affects the outcomes. That will help you get "moving subjects blurred" or "moving subjects stopped in mid action."
Of course, the scene modes will do a lot make adjustments to shutter speed, aperture setting, and even color saturation and accent automatically. They actually do quite well in most situations. You can make many (or is it any?) manual adjustments though in scene mode for the most part, so if it's not quite right, you have to go to Program or Manual Mode so you can make the decisions instead of the camera.
That a long lesson! There are lots of good books out there and also internet articles on photography that would help you learn more about shutter / aperture / depth of focus / exposure tricks. The more you shoot and try different things with the camera the more you'll learn about what it can and cannot do well. Who knows. You may want to move up to a Digital SLR with full manual after you've got the basic down on the SD990. The things you learn will apply to all photography whether digital or even film.
For fun and illumination, here's a link to a great Depth of Field calculator online: dofmaster.com/dofjs.html
You can enter the focal length of the lens (hard to tell on the 990), the distance from the subject, and the selected aperture and it will tell you the exact measurement for what will be in focus in the shot. Use it to see how changing the different settings makes a difference.
Here's the Tamron lenses learning center page: tamron.com/lenses/learning_...
It has great lessons on how to take better photos. Of course, you don't have a DSLR or Tamron lens, but the concepts can apply to any camera.
You can find lots of other great help and articles online as well. Good luck and best of shooting with your SD990.
1. Have either of you used the Canon High-Power Flash HF-DC1 on either the sd990 or sd880. Seem like that might be a good alternative in addressing the limitations of the built in flash on these cameras. It connects using a mounting bracket that screws into the bottom of the camera normally used for the tripod. The falsh sits on the the left side of the camera and is only slightly thicker thet the cameras at 1.8w x 2.6h x 1.2d". It's range is 30 ft. Not something that you would want to have attached to the camera all the time but when you know you would at a function (such as a wedding, or other indoor low light function, this would seem to allow some decent pictures. cost at B&H is $95. What do you think??
2. Regarding the best Memory cards for the SD880, Sd990 and G10.
A. Are the data transfer read and write rates (which I could not find) different between for each of these camera's and if you know: what are they?
B. Based on the above would the Sandisk Ultra II or the Extreem III be better. I was told to get the Extreem III when I purchased my 30D as a lower speed card could slow the speed with which I take rapid pictures. My gut feeling is maybe Ultra II for the 880 and 990 and Extreem III for the G10???? BYW Costco has a great deal on a 4 pack of 2G Ultra II's at $29.99.
C. I almost always shoot capturing the largest image size (pixiels). I have a 4G card in my 30D and have never run out of space. What are your thoughts now that I would moving to 14.7 megapixels.
3. What do you think of the Sunpak PZ40X II AF TTL Flash vs the Canon 220EX TTL Flash for the G10. I own the 430EX II but think it is too large for the G10.
I bought the 990 not too long ago and I love it! I was able to take a couple movie clips of my friends snowboarding when I first got it. Since then, I did have an issue where I my computer would not detect my camera when I plugged it in using the USB cable. It did the first time, but not afterwards. So I got it replaced and got a new 990.
I took a couple more snowboarding movie clips today with the new 990 and we noticed that the quality was not as good. I'm not sure if it's because the weather was great the first time (sunny, blue skies, bright) and today the weather was more on the cloudy side so there wasn't as much sunlight bouncing off. The videos from today just don't seem as clear. My friends have me worried that I might have a defective camera now... but I'm wondering if you could help me check any settings that might make a difference? I'm not a camera pro at all and I'm not sure if any settings were changed when I used the first camera because I'm pretty sure I didn't change anything when I used the camera today (from default).
FYI - I did see the streaking light when I used the movie mode today... from when the sun did come out from behind the clouds.
Sorry if all that was confusing.... but thanks in advance for any help you could provide. I'm nervous this camera isn't as good as my first one.
Weather differences can have a big impact on the look and sparkle of a given scene, so it may be nothing more complicated than that. Try fooling around a bit with the lighting choices and colors. And just make sure you've chosen the bigger/ better of the two video resolutions (640 x 480).
The tools tab in your menu, by the way, has a reset option if you want to return your settings to the factory defaults.
Sun glint can happen with SLR film cameras, but the 990 does seem to have a weakness for streaking. C'est la vie, I guess.
I haven't used the external flash with the sd990, but it may be helpful for some. Portability is the thing you would start to lose.
Sandisk Ultra II have been fine as they are faster than the camera can spit out processing in either the 880 or 990. You will see little advantage to the Extreme. My guess is the the SD880, SD990, and G10 will also have similar transfer times, but with the G10 able to shoot raw, I would possibly go with the Extreme Sandisk just because it might make some difference.
CV
Shooting conditions will always affect the quality of the outcome. Try to shoot in similar condition in order to compare earlier video with your current video capabilities before judging whether the camera is defective.
I agree that you would lose portability but seems like a great gain ( assuming it works) when you know you will be shooting in low light situations. It only adds 1.8" to the width taking the 880 and 990 from around 3.7 and 3.8 inches to 5.5 and 5.6 inches. Trade off is being able to capture pictures or not for a little inconvince in size. Don't think I'd carry in around for the just incase situation but probably when I knew it would be needed. Disney - definately not. Weddings or Christmas pictures inside probably yes. See it a planned use when you either don't want to carry around the larger DSLR or haven't got one. Any chance you might be trying one out so we could see how well it works??
Regarding the size of the memory card for the 880, 990 and g10. Your thoughts on 2G vs 4G on each?? Or does the G10 really need more since it can also save raw? I have to admit that even with my sd30 I typically do not use the RAW feature.
Also thanks for the 2 links in your response to Maz above. I have only take a quick look but it seems like there is some very helpful information there.
The add-on flash does sound like an interesting option if the small pocket camera is your only camera. I also have a Nikon D50 with the SB600 flash that I would use anytime I was interested in indoor shooting primarily because the Nikon controls so much more of the flash characteristics than a point and shoot so I wouldn't go for the add on, but for others it could be an option. The SD990 is really a supplement, not a replacement, for my DSLR.
As far as size of SD, I use a 2GB in my 990 and it hold 520+ pictures at full resolution. That's less than what I would typically shoot in a day of all day shooting, and the price is usually better for 2gb cards on sale, but shop around. Even with the G10 you should get about the same number of shots, though if it records both RAW and JPG at the same time, your number of pictures would be less.
An additional perspective on memory cards: I just purchased (well, back-ordered, actually) two accessories related to my prospectively greater use of my 990's video function -- Canon's AC adapter and an 8 GB card. I plan to be shooting a video diary of a friend of mine who's in hospice, and didn't want to find myself having to interrupt or end a session because of a full card. Given that it was only $15, it seemed like inexpensive insurance.
I don't know if my laptop card reader will recognize the 8GB, but since I generally use the USB connection for file transfer, it's not a huge issue. I will probably continue to use my 4 GB card ($6 at J&R) for my primary still photo storage and reserve the 8 GB for my movie use.
How did you get that pricing at J&R?? I just checked and the 8G Ultra II was 29.99 and that price already included a $10 instant rebate. Did you mean $15 more that the 4G? The price I get for the 4G Ultra II is 14.99.
No, we may be talking apples and oranges, Carol. Here is the description of what I have back-ordered at J&R:
PNY P-SDHC8G4-RF3 8GB Class 4 Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) Memory Card
I have no idea if that's the same class of card you're considering, but it is the same as the 4 GB one I got for $6 -- which works beautifully (no lag in file transfer that I can detect, even for the videos).
I've dealt with Everett and Oscar at J&R; both are great guys.
Just to let everyone know the G10 and SD990IS share the same 1/1.7" sensor. Essentially the SD990 has the G10 image sensor with the same SD880 lens in a compact Elph body with lots of features including full manual mode. The reason the SD990 does not have the wide angel lens as the SD880 is because the SD880 has a smaller sensor of 1/2.33" size (you have to factor in the sensor to lens conversion). Yes, there is a lots of megapixels in the SD990 and some noise that appear in the dark areas of pictures at higher ISO mostly above ISO200. However, I haven't notice that this is any distraction from the picture quality at all. Actually, I found pictures to be crisp and detailed.
I was checking out the discount (Visa card cash rebate)you mentioned regarding purchase made linking thru msn live search. Have also been checing prices between J&R and B&H. In some cases B&H pricing is cheaper than receiving the 7% rebate from J&R. B&H is also listed with a 2-3% rebate.
When you link to either through MSN live search, it indicates that you will received the rebate on qualified items.
My question is how do you know if the item qualifies?
And how do you know, in the case of B&H what % will be applied to which items?
Do you see this information before you complete checkout???
Thanks.
I have already sent the question in to MSN Live Search and am waiting for a response. Hopefully I will receive it today.
BTW would you rather have people submit questions as NEW so you could get points for the best answer? Seems like most of us just keep adding to this one. Your responses are always very helpful.
Thanks again for all the great assistance.
Adeus...
Jason.
Thanks all : )
Jody
This is Linda, I asked about the red eye problem on the 880? Are the answers re redeye to a Carol from a previous ? or in response to me? I used the software I downloaded that came with the camera. Maybe I am missing something. I did an "auto adjust" setting on the red eye option on my computer. I tried a manual option, but didn't get it to do anything. I am sure its me, but wanted to send some by email, but can only correct 3 out of 4 eyes in the photo. That translates into Disneys "Cinderella"-two good eyes, "my 5 year old granddaughter"-one good eye,and one demonic glowing red eye" lol, well, you get the picture............I am not planning to print them out, but email them, etc. So I can also try to remove the red eye if I review those photos on the camera? even if you don't do it immediately when you first review the shot? yes, i know, i am camera illiterate.............
Online photo places? Sure, there are dozens or more. From Kodak.Com to Target to Shutterfly.com. Even WalMart has online photo printing which can be either picked up at a local store or delivered via mail.
There is an effective area which most printers rely on. And some are over relying on this effective area. So, there's not much you can do if Walmart has a limited wide angle capability. I mean, you should take it into something like Adobe Photoshop Elements and shrink it down to account the difference, that way you don't lose anything. But that's a hassle to do all the time.
As for your monitor, I wasn't suggesting you should calibrate your monitor. If you can and you take photo editing seriously, you should. But as long as you're aware of the difference between how it looks on the screen and how it looks in print, you can keep that in mind and either use exposure compensation settings or presets which can compensate for the difference. That's all I was suggesting.
Got the answer regarding MSN Live Search Cashback. If you search for the product you are interested in on MSN Live Search Cashback
search.live.com/cashback when you select a product to compare it will display the seller, the store proce the % cashback and the Bottom line price. As you said, you must link to the store by selecting the store on MSN Live Search Cashback. If you do not do the search through MSN Live Search Cashback but just select the store on their seller list and then do a search on the sellers web page you will not see the %cashback and the bottom line price for the item. Either way you will receive the %cashback.
I purchased items from 2 stores and got the Cashback notice for one immediately after making the purchase. Haven;t for the other - guess I may be having the same problem you did and am contacting MSN Livesearch cashback regarding the issue.
Hope this helps anyone else. It really is the place to go. Thanks for the recommendation!
I've not actually used the ZoombrowserEX. I guess I'm lazy in that since as I've been using a little program called Thumbsplus from Cerious Software that has done much of what I was looking for. Others have highly spoken of Phtoshop Elements and it most likely would be a very good program, but again, I haven't personally used it. ThumbsPlus 7.0 does the basic like resizing, red-eye fix, rotate, crop, special effects, and contrast, lighting, and saturation control. It's been simple enough to use without much fuss and has been constantly updated for the latest formats for RAW from Nikon and Canon. What got me using it was a free 30-day trial with a full-working download. After using it for a few weeks I was pleased enough to purchase it and keep it around. I have a shelf load of other photo software that was "buy and THEN try" that didn't do what I wanted well enough. So I went with the try THEN buy idea and it worked well. If not needing to work with RAW file formats, you can use just the regular version that sells for $50. The PRO version adds photoshop plugins, RAW file handling, and a few other specific things. But in any case it's absolution free to download and try for 30 days and see if it does what you want done. Here's the link, just look under the products or download tab for the ThumbsPlus Photo software:
cerious.com/
Another question: Do you recommend using the memory card reader or the USB cable to download the photos from the camera to store on my computer? Do you see any difference in the quality of the photos stored after using either method? I was told once that to get the best quality printed photo I should print the photos directly from the memory card instead of from my computer saved file or a backup DVD. Do you find that to be true?
And, last question, what is the best place to backup my photos- a DVD, a backup drive, the memory card or anyplace else?
As far as backup, conventional wisdom for all backups say, store a back up separately from the computer hard drive, and keep it in a safe storage place. Just keep in mind that CD and DVD can become scratched and heat and sunlight can make them unusable, so keep them safely tucked away. Small USB external hard drives are also becoming very affordable ways to store backup of data. I have seen 320GB drives for as low as $80 here in Seattle. Again, all backup systems can fail, but having two storage places for your data allows you to restore one or the other should it become corrupted. The likelihood that both storage places become corrupted at the same time (if you keep them separate) is low. You can even make the backups even more bomb proof by alternating where the backups are placed (i.e. have two external hardrives and label them BU1 and BU2 and rotate them when you make backups) That way only the latest backup is open to a possible virus or failure and the previous backup remains safe. So use what is convenient now, and then maybe look into a longer time backup system as time and money allow. I've stored thousands of files and CD and DVD's for a long while, but the external Hard Drive is looking pretty attractive at going rates these days.
2- We have just received 3 of this same camera at work, but I can not get the thing to install. It does detect a new device but is unable to install. Anyone know if there is a driver that will work on a Win-2000 machine 5.00.2195 SP4. I have looked on the Canon site but it states there are no drivers. I know that quite often older drivers will work on newer hardware.
As for Backups ... a wise man once said without two copies, you really don't have one. So backup early and often. And keep one off site. Burn pics to CD and mail copies to your mom and dad. That way, should calamity strike, you still have copies of those pictures.
So, here's my background and the issues I am essentially coming up against: First off, I'm set on buying the 990. Second, I will be backpacking around Europe for 4 months (potentially staying longer). Since I will be there for so long I am going to want to have the charger with me as well as a way to transfer all of the photos to a computer. I'm planning on getting an 8GB card as I think that is a decent size and it will encourage me to actually take my photos off the camera.
My issue is basically trying to find a case. I like the vidpro act-10 hard case that someone suggested, but I'm concerned about carrying all of the other items that I will need: charger, either transfer cable or usb SD card reader. I think I would be set on the hard case if I knew it could fit those items in there, but I'm not sure it can. As such I'm kind of curious if you have any further insight regarding trying to carry around all of these accessories as well as if I'm forgetting any accessories that I might need.
And I almost forgot, but will I need a current converter or simply a plug adapter for dealing with 220v?
The charger (with extra battery in the compartment) sits in the outside pocket, secured by the Velcro flap, and the camera and reader are quite comfy but not overly cramped in the zipped compartment.
Steve's right, though: you should try it for yourself.
On a related accessory note, I'm shooting some lengthy "legacy" videos with my 39-year-old hospice patient using my 990, so I also got a tiny backup 16GB flash drive in the same J&R shipment for $29. It measures just .75" x 1.25" x .375" and weighs nothing. The USB connector sits protected inside (no cap), operated by a slide button on the side. Very neat. I continue to be amazed at the amount of memory I'm needing these days (no cracks, please) and how cheap it is.
Backpacking for four months in Europe. That's freedom. Have a great time.
The SD990 IS also showed low amounts of chromatic aberration, which accounts for color fringing. [/url]
And, Digital Camera Review ( digitalcamerareview.com/def... ) states:
[i]Thankfully, the SD990 resists the serious purple/blue fringing concern in contrast boundary areas presented by many point-and-shoots. There's a slight bit of chromatic aberration at wide angle when shooting at f/2.8, but as with the barrel distortion above, it's really doesn't intrude based on our experience with the camera.
I'd check out this resource ( imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP... ) for sample images to see if it's a real issue for you.
SD880 photo pool on flikr: flickr.com/groups/powershot...
SD990 photo pool on flikr: flickr.com/groups/884791@N2...
Years ago I owned at 2.3 MP Powershot (can't remember the model no.) and I used the ZoomBrowser software that came with it and it wasn't a big deal either. Is the ZoomBrowser version that came with the SD990 any better or is there something out there on the internet that someone likes?
I had fully recharged the battery and put in a blank 4 Gb Transcend SD card beforehand. I own two of these cards and couldn't do a movie on either one, where before I did the movie on one of them earlier.
Anybody have any ideas? I will call the Canon customer support hot line Monday morning if I don't get this resolved.
If I should be posting this problem somewhere else, please let me know - wasn't sure where to go.
Anyway, I love this camera, just have to learn to read the user guide more carefully...
I know that the SD990 also blacks out on the LCD when rotated 90 degrees and wearing polarized sun glasses. I just experienced that this past weekend while shooting. I came as a surprise to me. I had to take the sun glasses off and things were back to normal. I suspect the SD880 is going to function the same way. While the optical viewfinder would work on the SD990, there are many times were shooting situations make it difficult to use it for the best angle, especially in low, ground shots or up close macro type shots.
The SD990 addresses this, but it's important that you don't overrely on the notion of more MP is a good thing. Additionally, the more megapixels a camera has, the larger the lens it needs to provide the clarity it deserves and prevent diffraction due to a loss of detail with smaller apertures. But since weíre talking portable point and shoots here, those large lenses simply arenít being made.
Finally, with larger mega pixels comes longer saving time due to their requires huge storage capacity, or more compression if not storing images in RAW format. The result is a noisier image and a dissatisfied camera user who thirsts for high quality and speed but fell into the trap of "more must mean better."
And in the end, with snapshots (which will be about 99% of your images), you won't really see any advantages to MP over 7-8 MP. In fact, you won't even notice it with sizes up to 8x10. So, going after huge 15MP cameras is like getting a Ferrari to drive around the block to shop at the market. Sure, you can get it, but you really won't be able to take advantage of all that's under the hood.
In the end, relying on a smaller MP that can balance all these needs may indeed be a better answer.
I had an ixus 700, it recently exploded and i'm looking for a replacement. It was a sturdy camera, took great pictures, but I felt it was quite slow shot to shot and flash recycle time was loooooong.
I essentially want a camera that is quick, with a good burst mode, and quick flash recycle time. I'd use macro a fair bit and prefer wide angle over zoom range (of course both would be great) which makes me lean towards 880. I'm unlikely to blow up any of my pictures so I don't particularly care about MP
"In the end, relying on a smaller MP that can balance all these needs may indeed be a better answer."
James (and anyone else) do you have any suggestions on other models?
I essentially want something that is quick and has great colour. I'd buy the G10 if i could afford it but it's not in the running at the moment.
Can anyone tell me how 'quick' the 880 / 990 is shot to shot esp. with flash? and which of the 2 has quicker continuous shooting? Does anyone have any recommendations beyond the 880 and 990? And has anyone used these cameras underwater? If so, how did you find them?
Many, many thanks
You may want to look at the Panasonic TZ3. It's flash to flash time is half the SD990. But the wrap it has is that the buttons are tiny, which may be an issue in a generic underwater housing.
I recently had the Canon Powershot 790 ISO. Perhaps it was a defected camera, but everytime I took pictures with it, I ended up uploading and then deleting them.
I've used the different settings on the 790, which seem to look nice on the camera's screen, however I have the most problems when uploading them to my computer:
BAD IMAGE STABILIZATION!!
Images are blurry (which I can also notice if I zoom in on a picture on my camera screen)
Color is smeared and distorted
Terrible Lighting
Slow picture taking speed
Bad red eye reduction
After editing each picture that was important to me in programs such as Adobe Photoshop, iPhoto and Pisca, I've had enough.
I had the earlier model in the past, and had no problems with it until I received an lens error that would cost me more than what I paid for the camera to fix. It had the same scene settings, so I don't believe I'm the error behind the camera!
I have a MacBook Pro, however it's not the newest model. I've updated my system to the newest software this year, including all my programs.
I wonder if maybe my laptop is messing up my pictures the more I get involved with cameras of higher performance? I don't print from my laptop, but I do upload them onto the laptop before editing and having them printed.
I'm so fed-up with the camera that I've been reading Camera reviews to try and find the best point and shoot. I'm not interested in trying to figure out why the camera isn't working for me anymore, I'm more interested in replacing the dang thing!
Have any of you experienced these errors with the Canon 990 ISO? I take a lot of pictures on the beach, at night (bonfires), fireworks, scenery, and portraits of family/friends & pets.
Did you have similar results with outdoor / sunlight photos as you mentioned with blurriness and color distortion/smearing details? It sounds more like a lighting issue to me from your descriptions. What kind of results did you find when you used the camera's flash? Small pocket cameras, especially when you get to 10MP and up are all straining to get enough light on their tiny sensors to handle the details and colors well. It definitely would not be your computer messing them up, as it would only be using the image data as recorded by the camera to the JPG file.
In the current line up of the Elph series from Canon, the SD990 is the only one with a larger sensor (not much, but larger) and because of that it handles marginal shooting situations better than the SD880 (or the newer 12MP releases this Spring from Canon). Both the SD880 and SD990 will use the newer DIGIC IV processing which will do better in lower light and at higher ISO settings than previous models.
I would find a place which had a good return policy so you could bring it back if it didn't meet your needs. That's about the safest way to try out the cameras in real life. Both Amazon.com and J&R Computer/Music World have good return policies and I'm sure there are others as well.
I found that outdoor pictures at night were worse than outdoor pictures during the day. (For example: beach pictures vs. outside get-togethers)
Changing the flash between Off/Auto/ON either made the situation worse, or no different at all.
I've asked around about other cameras, and was told to look into the Lumix LX3 and Olympus Stylus 840.
I then heard Olympuses don't do well indoors. I have a few friends who use 2 separate cameras because they were unhappy with how their Olympus performed at outdoor events in the summer. With summer here, I need to be careful!
I spend a lot of time on the beach, however I heard that waterproof cameras are just as bad. Do you happen to know if this is true?
None of the Best Buys or other retail stores carry a Canon above the 960, however none of them had the 880 either! I've tried to play around with both series, but haven't had any luck getting my hands on one.
I do know that I did not like the 960 at all when I played with it in the store. The set up was more complicated than any of the previous Canon's!
As for Olympus' waterproof capability. Some can go to 5 feet underwater, others are rated to 33 feet. But that's usually under very controlled conditions and as such, fail to take into account every day conditions. So that 33 feet rated in a swimming pool may be less in a lake or ocean. So halfing that is prudent.
At this point, you know the basic feel of the Canon, so if you want the SD990, for example, why not buy it at Amazon.com? They have a very good return policy and shipping is pretty quick.
So "good" night time or indoor shots will be somewhat subjective depending on how much light and how steady the camera was at the time of the shot. A camera with a "self-timer" or remote set up on a small tripod, or even the little foldable gorilla pods would be able to capture good dusk and even night shots if it has a longer exposure setting. The Canons have all the necessary pieces if you're willing to put them into use.
If you want more candid and spontaneous shooting at dusk or night you'll want to use the flash mode and be within 10 feet of your subjects. Any farther back and the small flash on the point and shoot will not be powerful enough to light up the subject well. One of the SD990's advantages over the other current Canon models is its ability to turn the flash output up or down a couple notches. By setting the flash compensation down a step you gain less "washed out faces" and a more natural looking light. By stepping up the flash compensation setting a step or two you are able to give more light to the room and thus, the shutter is faster and there is less chance for blur to creep into the photo.
You'll find the very best low light photos come from using a DSLR camera such as a Nikon D40/50/60/80 etc or Canons with a "VR" type lens attached or a faster prime lens with a 1.4 or 1.8 or even a 2.8 constant lens aperture. There is no way you can equal that type of setup with a simple point and shoot camera, so you have to be willing to accept a compromise in photo quality when shooting in lower light conditions.
I still think that the best way of really finding a good camera is to be able to buy it, use it, and then decide to either keep it or return it without undue penalties. Real world testing is the only way you'll know for sure how a camera will perform for you.
The argument is essentially this: CCD chips on point and shoot cameras a smaller and as such, fitting in more pixels causes them to lose light sensivity. Sure, thereís more data on the chip, but the chip canít absorb the light data and what it ends up with is a picture that has more noise than image quality. In addition, the more megapixels a camera has, the larger the lens it needs to provide the clarity it deserves and prevent diffraction due to a loss of detail with smaller apertures. But since weíre talking portable point and shoots here, those large lenses simply arenít being made.
Finally, with larger mega pixels comes longer saving time due to their requires huge storage capacity, or more compression if not storing images in RAW format. The result is a noisier image and a dissatisfied camera user who thirsts for high quality and speed but fell into the trap of "more must mean better."
So, unless you increase the size of the chip, increasing the number of MP on a chip will only serve to make your chip less sensitive to light, not more.
The SD990 still uses the larger sensor, the same one as in the Canon G10, and is less densely packed with photocells making it more sensitive to light and adds more clarity to small details. So my money is still on the SD990 for image quality.
In picking between the SD880 and the SD970, I would go with the SD880 as it has a wider angle lens and LESS, not more MP, on the same sized sensor. Yeah, I'd have to pass by "shaking my camera to advance the playback picture" and just spin the dial! And I might have to actually look at the picture in the LCD to see if someone had their eyes closed in the shot. But chances are I wouldn't suffer too badly and I'd have better photos in the end when I got home.
Sadly, I think in this round of pocket elph cameras, Canon went for more marketing flash, than substantive improvements.
Still searching...I've started my own question so I can talk to people strictly about what I'm looking for, in the highest detail. This question is all over the place with many people talking to eachother-- which makes it difficult for me to focus directly to people helping me out!
Steve and James, thank you for all your help. If you'd like to continue offering your advice, I'd GREATLY appreciate it!
Here's my question:
digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...
I'm going to discontinue receiving emails about this question (Another Canon SD 880 vs sd 900 IS) and focus on my own question instead.
I plan on purchasing a camera online by the end of next week.
Thanks
This limited warranty covers all defects encountered in normal use of the Products, and does not apply in the following cases:
(a) Loss of or damage to the Product due to abuse, mishandling, improper packaging by you, alteration, accident, electrical current fluctuations, failure to follow operating, maintenance or environmental instructions prescribed in Canon U.S.A.'s or Canon Canada's user's manual or services performed by someone other than Canon U.S.A. or Canon Canada, or a Canon authorized service center for the Product.
Without limiting the foregoing, water damage, sand/corrosion damage, battery leakage, dropping the camera, scratches, abrasions or damage to the body, lenses or LCD display or damage to any of the accessories mentioned in the first paragraph above, will be presumed to have resulted from misuse, abuse or failure to operate the Product as set forth in the operating instructions.
But since the camera is relatively new, I'd at least send it in for an estimate.
Thank you for your kind advices. I got the 990 and am trying to shoot an image with blurry background. Could you please advice on how to do that?
Thanks
Well, this SD880 vs SD990 comparison has been interesting. Since my SD630 died last week, I have searched for the best Canon replacement. I read your posts and decided to see if either model is/was available. ALAS, poor Yorick, they are both discontinued!
Suggestions, please. I need the large display. I need sharp photos. I need the SD compact size. What is the best model available that is closest to the 880/990?
Thanks,
Douglas
Next, check out this resource ( imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP... ). It takes pictures with each and you can compare them side by side.
The bottom line though, is that with the exception of subtle differences, they are essentially the same camera because they're from the same SD line. But one thing. Don't get caught up in the "larger LCD screen is better" myth. Sure, you get a 1/2" larger screen, but you sacrifice battery power to run it. Power that's better used to take pictures.
After which, you could also swing by this resource ( imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP... ). It takes pictures with each and you can compare them side by side.
It's been my experience that the Digic4 is an improvement in speed and handling some lower light situations than Digic3. The only two small Canon pocket cameras using Digic4 are the SD880is and the SD990is currently as the both came out in October of this year.
I notice the SD990IS has Image H264; Audio Linear PCM (Monaural) vs the SD110IS Image Motion JPEG Audio Wave (Monaural) I have no idea how to compare that. Can you?
But it's by far superior to Motion JPEG and preferable to it.
That tosses me in the SD790 camp.
Now, I'm wanting to get a new camera (and stick with Canon). Is there a Canon for under $200 that uses the rechargeable battery?
Thanks in advance!
Angela
www.flickr.com/photos/33346716@N03/
SX is for medium sized cameras with long range zooms.
The SX10 is a big, hefty camera for taking advanced shots. It's clunky and heavy. The SD990 is a small, light camera for taking casual point-and-shoot shots.
They are prices for the SD 790.
Click the Dell link and also Amazon takes you to the - Canon Powershot SD 790. !?!
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The prices that are shown for the SD 990 are misleading. They are prices for the SD 790. Click the Dell link, Amazon,Beach Camera and it takes you to the SD 790.
Click the Dell link and also Amazon takes you to the - Canon Powershot SD 790. !?!
I am seaching for a compact camera (not a super zoom/ DSLR / Hybrid) that can capture fast moving subjects with good quality. By moving subjects I mean taking pictures at Marathons and Triathlons (ie run & bike).
I have seen the review (steves-digicams.com/2008_re... of the Canon SD990 IS and I am almost convinced of buying it. However I didn't find in the sample picture gallery photos of moving subjects.
I previously own the Canon Powershot S30:
steves-digicams.com/2001_re...
which had the following pre-programmed mode in the dial : "Sports - When you need to capture fast moving subjects". That worked fine for my purpose.
Anyone having photos of moving subjects with the SD990 IS ?
Thanks,
Claudio.
flickr.com/photos/33346716@...
You mentioned your previous camera was the Powershot S30. That model did indeed offer a lot of features that will not be on the SD line of Canon's, even the highest one the SD990IS. The S30 had full manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, plus a fast shutter and slow shutter mode you could shoot in. The SD line is much more streamlined and for the first time the SD990 offers some manual control over shutter and/or aperture settings, but nothing close to what the Powershot S30 offered. If you're looking to stay with Canon, look at the A series of cameras and you'll find something closer to your previous camera's abilities. The SD880 and SD990 do a lot, but they are primarily "pocket cameras" for those who don't wish to carry anything larger, but they don't have all the controls and modes that the larger lines of Canon's do. Don't get me wrong, the SD990IS is a great camera and will stop action, or blur action, depending on what you want, but if your looking to shoot primarily fast moving subjects you may want to consider the slightly larger Canon models in the "A" line.
WHY is this web site understating this camera's price by about $200?
All other things considered the 880 would seem to meet my needs, but my wife sometimes likes to use an optical viewfinder. Is the optical viewfinder on the 990 good enought to make it worh while or would she most likey rely on the LCD most of the time anyway?
The view offered through the glass window is clear and distortion-free but includes a bit less of the scene than what will end up in the shot. That's certainly a better outcome than one where the viewfinder overestimates the coverage area.
And take a look at the stats on battery usage: the manual estimates 280 shots using the LCD can be taken on a full charge, but that number jumps to 700 when the optical viewfinder is used. For outdoor use in decent light, I suspect I'll use the viewfinder almost exclusively.
Some results are at Len's Albums ( lgrossman.com/pics ), including our honeymoon last year. (Wedding photos not with my camera].
Len
Have a great trip. Never been to Mexico. I'm imagining all the bright colors you'll see and the amazing photos you'll be taking, and that's making ME smile.
Next week we are going back to Rio Caliente, where we went for our honeymoon. Photos are at
Rio Caliente Honeymoon ( lgrossman.com/pics/riocal2008/ ). Go there for a glimpse of the color.
Len
You don't say whether you want "natural light photos" or "flash photos," at night. I'm suspecting you're looking for natural light photos. If that is the case, than neither camera will produce good shots without boosting the ISO up considerably and that will introduce a lot of noise into the pictures. I have used both Canon's (880 and 990) and a Nikon S550 (S710 little brother), and I have to say that the Nikon did not do nearly as well. In Auto ISO mode, it boosted the setting up so high that the picture was absolutely terrible (800iso was the most common setting it chose). Both Canon cameras in Auto ISO only boosted ISO to 400 in night shots and kept it to 200-300 for low light indoor shots. Both cameras will produce good images up to ISO 400, but beyond that the quality goes down quickly. The fact that the Nikon liked the 800+ iso even for indoor room shots meant you must always set the ISO manually yourself for the situation. The S710 and SD990 will both produce very large picture files (5-8MB each), but will allow you to do some cropping to frame the picture and still have plenty of pixels to print enlargements if desired. The SD880 will be smaller files, produce almost as good of shots and cost a little less than either the Nikon S710 or SD990.
Thank you once again
Dee
If you're looking for just family and friends snapshots, any of the smallish cameras will do as long as you use the flash or use lots of light (like sunshine, or bright, bright indoor). Even the lesser cost Canon SD1100 will do very well with its flash for simple point and shoot snaps. For the type of shooting you mention, I would not spend the extra for the SD990 or the Nikon S710. Canon's have very fast write times and especially the latest Digic IV processor (in the SD880 and SD990 only) which is the fastest yet in processing for a Canon. The A line will be less money, and produce nice results with either flash or with outdoor light. If you want the smallest, latest offering, the SD880 is very nice, but still a little pricey. Happy snapping!
The main difference I found in shooting both the S550 and the SD880 is that the SD880 uses lower ISO when set on Auto ISO which result in better pictures and less graininess. Where the Canon would shoot at 400ISO, they Sony would bump it up to 530-700 ISO. The difference in results was due in large part to higher ISO of the Sony. What that means is that the Sony is less sensitive and so must compensate by bumping up the ISO. Given good bright light, both cameras will do about equal. I have to admit that I only used the Sony S550 for less than 1 hour as I was so disappointed with the quality of the pictures. I only took indoor shots, with flash and without flash, and the Canon 880 was a clear winner. That said, the SD990 by Canon out performs the SD880 in low light and marginal light settings. It also captures fine detail because of it's larger sensor and its 14.7 MP capture. Price savings of $50-60 would be the only reason to choose a SD880.
I wouldn't recommend the Canon video for much more than average shooting ability. It does fine, but it is not HD and optical zoom is disabled, so you are stuck with 4x digital zoom which is of a lesser quality. But as a still camera, my recommend is to consider the SD990IS, or the SD880IS. Check prices on places like Amazon.com or J&R music/computer for some of the best prices from legitimate Canon dealers. I sent the Sony S550 packing back to the dealer the next day, even though it was basically a free camera they had mailed me by mistake. Even at free, I didn't think I would be satisfied with the picture quality. I ended up keeping the Canon SD990IS to go with my DSLR when I don't want, or can't carry something more than a pocket camera.
Most of the digital SLRs shown on the page will be able to give you more satisfaction because they will produce much better picture than G10.
If you are budget conscious, go for the Olympus E series dSLR which also delivers very good pictures compared to most compact point and shoot.
Take Canon Rebel XS for example. DCHQ states $449 as the lowest price. Checking the same camera at Amazon.com shows the selling price is 478.42 for Canon Rebel XS 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black).
There is even a saving here because the price include free shipping. see <a href="amazon.com/dp/B001CBKJGG?sm... this site </a>
On the same DCHQ page, Sony Alpha A300 is stated as :
" 10.2 Megapixels; Sony/Minolta bayonet lens mount; 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 lens included with kit "
and selling price starts at $485.
But with the body, you can add on more powerful zoom lens later on, even up to 500mm, something you cannot do with compact P&S.
For the immediate purpose of taking pictures of classic cars , 18mm will be wonderful.
It is even more demanding when no flash and fast shots are a MUST.
However, take a look at what people have done and published at <a href="steves-digicams.com/2008_re... this site </a> for upping ISOs from 80 to 1600.
You will have a good idea of what to expect when ISO is set at 80 and ISO set at 1600 by clicking the pictures taken with the respective figures using this camera.
High ISO figures is what you need for concert photos if flash is not allowed and fast shot is a must.
After looking at your photos on your myspace, I don't believe anything short of a DSLR will get you really good pictures in the lighting you are trying to shoot in. Point and shoots and small pocket cameras with small sensors (even the G10) just are not made to do what you are wanting to do. The distance and the low light will also be a challenge. The blurring is most likely because the Camera shutter is trying to stay open long enough to set enough light and blur will most likely result, unless you use a tripod (or at least a monopod held very steady). Have you thought about taking a very small, lightweight tripod with you? That is the only way I could see getting decent, long exposure shots using a slow shutter speed. Even a DSLR will struggle without a fast 2.8f lens and some kind of vibrations reduction or a tripod. You did manage some great shots though given what you were working with camera wise and setting wise. Nice myspace page, too.
Steve
Moving object in low light is a tough shot with any point and shoot unless you make sure the flash is going to fire and you're within 10 feet or less. Both the LX3 and SD990IS will do better as they utilize "image stabilization" or "anti-shake" which helps with camera movement. In low light the LX3 will most likely do better because it has a 2.0f lens which is the fastest lens on a point and shoot to date that I know of. It's range of telephoto is limited, but it starts wider than most at 24mm, so you get about a 24-60mm range of zoom all at a fast 2.0f aperature lens.
The SD990is will also capture the indoor shots with the flash with no problem and has a very good "shot to shot" time allowing good followup without waiting for the file to write to memory card as many (sony, panasonic, nikon) cameras do causing you to miss quick followup shots.
You're looking at the more expensive cameras from both Panasonic and Canon and they will do better with most shots than the Panasonic TZ5 or the Canon SD880IS which both are less money. The LX3 is the winner in low light conditions because of it's faster lens (2.0f) where the Canon 990 has a more conventional lens at 2.8f. Also the LX3 Leica lens is a sharper lens than the one used in Canons. The only downside of Panasonics is the in camera processing used. It tends to favor higher "noise reduction" and will tend to smear or smudge finer details right out of the picture at higher ISO settings. From what I have read from other reviewers, the LX3 is an improvement over previous Panasonics in that area. It also will need lower ISO settings, which result in cleaner pictures, because of it's faster lens.
Either camera will do the jobs you mentioned. I have not personally had the opportunity to shoot with the LX3, but I would seriously consider the camera based on other reviewers opinions. The LX3 is getting rave reviews for it's picture quality and fast lens. The SD990IS is also beginning to get more and more enthusiastic reviews because of it's quality of pictures in such a compact camera. I believe you would be very happy with either camera. The LX3 would allow you to shoot in "raw" format allowing you more options for image processing later and it also has a flash hot shoe on top, something you won't find on other point and shoots so you can add a small flash on top which would add to it's ability to catch quick movements. The LX3 is definitely more of "an enthusiasts" camera, while the SD990IS is a little less complicated and easy to learn and use and still get very good pictures. The 990 is also slightly smaller than then LX3 if that makes a difference. They are really two different animals in many respects so it depends a little on your preference in cameras.
Steve
I don't have the 990 available for the moment as I gave it as a gift for Christmas and now will pick up another after the rush is over. But I did post 6 new photos under the SD880IS set on Flickr which are shot with the SD880IS and are indoor, natural light and also with flash using a couple different ISO settings so you can get an idea of how the flash and ISO setting make a difference. The SD990IS would do better, but the 880 shots should give you an idea. I didn't have any people pics as I usually grab my big DSLR for indoor, low light shooting since it's always available. I can try to get my son to bring the 990 over today or tomorrow and get some actually people indoor shots to post. Take a look and be sure to click on the SD880IS picture set and the 6 photos are at the end of that group.
Here's a link to some photos taken of friends we had over for Christmas using the SD880, indoors with flash of camera. It'll give you an idea of what indoor photos of people will look like.
flickr.com/photos/33346716@...
usa.canon.com/consumer/cont...
I discovered an interesting product. It's a pliable, optically-clear material that comes in varying powers, specifically intended to be cut to size and applied to eyeglasses as a way of increasing power in the bifocal range. It could possibly be used to attach directly to the eye piece of non-diopter-adjustment camera, or used as the basis of a fabricated attachment to do the same thing. If I'm successful, I'll report my findings.
I have used both the Canon SD990 and the Panisonic TZ5 in comparison shots. Here's what I found from my testing shots:
1. The Panasonic has a better lens, and a much more powerful zoon.
2. The Canon has much better in camera processing and captures more fine details with it's larger MP filled sensor
3. The Panasonic pictures have a "punchy" color, very vivid and bold.
4. The Canon has a more "muted" color and natural coloration (though you can raise the color to vivid, it's still less than the Pani.)
5. The Panasonic uses noise reduction even at it's base ISO resulting in loss of detail and smearing of finer details.
6. The Canon handles low light much more easily and the noise reduction doesn't lose the detail until after ISO400 and up.
7. The Panisonic has a "lock up" time after each shot of a couple of seconds while it writes to the SD card.
8. The Canon is able to keep shooting much more quickly and doesn't writes in the background, not locking up the camera
9. The Panasonic has no way to slow the shutter down (except night scene modes) so blurring actions is not possible
10. The Canon has shutter control that can be slowed down to allow blurring of waterfall, streaking car lights, subject movements.
All the above comparison also applies to the SD880IS as well that I have also shot side by side with the Lumix TZ5. I really wanted the long zoon of the Pani, but the quality suffers greatly in lower light, and in longer zooms as the details get wiped out with Panasonic's noise reduction system. Too bad, because the Panisonic lens is a sharper lens than the Canon lens, but it's sharpness gets overtaken by the camera's internal processing.
I've posted some comparison shots between the SD880 and SD990 on Flickr and there is one comparison shot (100% crop of an oil painting shot) that includes the Panisonic TZ5 along with a Nikon D50 and a Canon SD880 shot. You'll see what I mean by the colors and the sharpness of the Pani if you look at the three shots. I have more TZ5 shots, but haven't posted on Flickr, but I could if there was an interest.
flickr.com/photos/33346716@...
The 100% crops do show quite a difference, but keep in mind if you print 4x6 or 5x7 sizes you won't see the same amount of difference. Clearly a DSLR like the Nikon or a Canon DSLR will take nicer pictures with more detail and less noise, even at much higher ISO setting which you need in low light. But you can fit those DSLR in your pocket, and you'll need to carry a large bag around if you want to have the camera with you. That's where the subcompact, and compact cameras become more attractive. If you plan on dedicated photo shooting, then yes consider going with a Nikon D40 or D50 at least or a Canon XT or XTi. But if what you want is a carry all the time camera for more spontaneous shooting, look at the compacts and subcompacts. I believe the SD990IS is the best in it's class currently, but it will fall short of DSLR quality by quite a ways. In good light, outdoors, and good contrast situations both the SD880 and the SD990 produce good pictures that can be printed up to 8x10 without any problem.
Thanks, RIE
Both the Canon 880 and the Canon 990 have MUCH faster followup shot times as it is almost unnoticeable. I have shot with both Canons and the TZ5 and was greatly dismayed at the TZ5 because of the lack of ability to shoot quick followups. The Canons were a pleasure to shoot in quick followups compared to the Panasonic. Also the Canon SD990 has a servo mode which when chosen will actually track a moving subject. Half press the shutter and keep the subject in the viewfinder and you'll see the focus brackets follow the subject around the frame. Just click when the position or expression is just right. Very nice feature. I believe both the 880 and 990 feature the servo mode focus tracking with the new DIGIC IV processing.
RIE
Image quality -something that gives more true-to-life colours and clear shots
Size -need it small so I keep it on me, I am finding I never have my Canon A520 with me when I want to take a pic because of it's size
Durability -is somewhat of a factor because it will mainly be in the front pocket of my jumpsuit and I load a lot of freight with my job, plus I work in the Arctic and my Canon lens cover sticks closed at times, BUT while saying this, my Canon still works okay despite the fact that it isn't marketed as a "tough" camera, and I DON'T want to sacrifice image quality for durability. As much as the Olympus Tough cameras are enticing, if I get sub-par shots, I don't really care if the camera is going to last.
the pentax optio w60 is a camera which is designed for Arctic conditions
pentaximaging.com/digital-c...
I am still hunting and debating between the SD 880, Lumix DMC-TZ5 and the Olympus Stylus 9000. Any help for best image quality would be appreciated. There's not much to go on for the Olympus because it hasn't been released yet, but the specs look good (getting mixed specs on different sites for it though). There are some very contradicting reviews for whats better between the 880 and TZ5 so more tips may help me decide.
I want an image that doesn't have to be tweaked to get as close to a true saturation of colour as possible, and I want a consistent image with no corner blurriness, and a low level of noise without over-softening the image.
1. Now that I have learned to take great pictures with my Canon 990IS, where do you recommend that I develop the pics online? Which online company prints the very best digital photos?
2. Other than Adobe Photoshop CS4, what photo editing software do you recommend for the hobby photographer who is somewhere between novice and professional?
Editing software abounds and it depends on what you want to do in editing. Photoshop is expensive and complicated but can do just about everything a professional wants to do with pictures and photos. The learning curve is very steep.
One that I've found adequate for much editing, yet simple enough for almost anyone is Thumbs Plus. It doesn't have layering and cloning, or fancy D-lighting, but it does provide an good set of editing tools and a simple interface. It's put out by Cerious Software and a free trial version is available online here: cerious.com/
I recommend trying out any editing software before you buy to make sure it does what you need/want it to do for you. My shelf is filled with programs that just sit there because there didn't do the job I needed done.
As for what online company is best ... they're really all about the same.
I am looking for a well-rounded digital camera to take photos in a variety of different locations and subjects. I have seen really good reviews for the 880 but now see that the 990 is new on the market and would just like an opinion about it.
Next, check out this resource ( imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP... ). It takes pictures with each and you can compare them side by side.
Here's my opinion though. I think that the SD990 has way too much MP. Yes, that's right, I said too much MP. I think there's too much MP here to work with. Let me explain. I came across an interesting article today about how more mega pixels is not necessarily a good thing. According to Image Engineering ( 6mpixel.org/en/? ) – a company that does testing of digital cameras for photo magazines in Germany – the quality of digital pictures has steadily decreased since the state of the art was six megapixels back in 2004. And because they don’t have a “dog in this hunt,” they put forth a compelling argument for buying new digital cameras with less mega pixels and not more.
The argument is essentially this: CCD chips on point and shoot cameras a smaller and as such, fitting in more pixels without a corresponding increase of chip size, causes them to lose light sensivity. Sure, there’s more data on the chip, but the chip can’t absorb the light data and what it ends up with is a picture that has more noise than image quality. In addition, the more megapixels a camera has, the larger the lens it needs to provide the clarity it deserves and prevent diffraction due to a loss of detail with smaller apertures. But since we’re talking portable point and shoots here, those large lenses simply aren’t being made.
Finally, with larger mega pixels comes longer saving time due to their requires huge storage capacity, or more compression if not storing images in RAW format. The result is a noisier image and a dissatisfied camera user who thirsts for high quality and speed but fell into the trap of "more must mean better."
In the end, relying on a smaller MP that can balance all these needs may indeed be a better answer.
And when you consider at 99%+ of pictures are usually snapshots, you don't even see the benefits of that much MP unless you're enlarging to 11x14 or above. So what's the point? I mean, it's like driving a Ferrari through town. Sure, you can do it and it's cool and all, but you don't get to experience any of that horsepower you've paid for.
I'm not saying that the SD990 is a bad camera, but it's simple physics. The sd990 has the same size chip, but has 50% more MP. That's going to make the chip less sensitive to light, not more, IMHO.
The 990 will produce more detail, better low light pictures, and has a viewfinder which includes the zooming viewpoint so you can frame well with it. It also cost a bit more and has some manual controls over shutter speed, and also can adjust the flash brightness which helps give you better lighting options.
The 880 has a wider initial starting place for it's lens and allows more sweeping pictures and more interior on room shots. It's lower resolution and smaller sensor mean that that some detail may be lost and low light pictures are a bit more challenging. It also does not have any kind of flash compensation so it's either full bright flash, or no flash. So be prepared for some post processing to tone down the bright faces and red-eye that occurs with most point and shoots and bright, unregulated flashes.
All in all, the 990's price of about $50 more gives it an edge in my experience as the detail, flash compensation, manual shutter control, and viewfinder are all big ++ for the way I take pictures. However, the 880 is still very good at what it is made to do: wide landscape, outdoor pictures, and wide interior shooting in good light. It will do other types of shots, but with just a tad less finesse than the 990.
So it depends on what you find most useful in your photo shooting. Both are rated and reviewed very well and my experience has really favored the 990, but that's because it fits my needs well. Find the one that will complement the way you intend to shoot and you'll be pleased.
It's on page 88 of the owner's manual (you can download from the Canon USA sight if you don't have it.
It's a feature that can be overlooked and few pocket camera have the ability to adjust flash.
I think the verdict is out on the SD970 yet. It could bring some improvements, or not. If HD video is important, it might be worth looking at. But I think you're going to be pleased with the quality and features of the 990 when you begin using it. It's a great little camera that takes up very little room, yet produces some outstanding results.
SD990IS - 1/1.7" sensor (7.60mm x 5.70mm) 34MP per square cm.
SD880IS - 1/2.3" sensor (6.16mm x 4.62mm) 35MP per square cm.
SD970IS - 1/2.3" sensor (6.16mm x 4.62mm) 43MP per square cm.
SD960IS - same as 970
Joe, to me that doesn't look like a good recipe for improving image quality. Smaller sensor, and more densely packed photosites means less sensitivity to light and more noise, all without any improvement in detail. It a little distressing to see Canon follow this path for these new cameras.
All of that is said without actually shooting or comparing photos, so take that into consideration.
If you've compared the shots between both the 990 and 880 and have seen the difference in the 990 quality, then that is the same improved quality you will be able to gain by shooting on Auto or Program (which is auto, but let's you adjust settings if you want to). I shot both cameras in Program mode, letting the camera pick the settings, other than turning the flash on or off depending on what I was trying to have it shoot. So even as a beginner, you will get better pictures out of the 990 while leaving it on auto or program. Scene mode is even simple and can make all the settings for you for sunsets, night shots, fast moving kids or pets, flowers, and even digital macro. There really is little to fear about the manual settings on the 990, as you can learn how to tweak the settings later as you gain experience. The 990 just has a bigger sensor in it, so the picture quality is a little better than the other models with the smaller sensor.
Which one would I get ... spring for the extra coin and get the SD990. IMHO
Thanks.
The shot to shot delay averages 1.9 seconds without flash, and 3.6 seconds with flash depending on subject distance.
Using the continuous mode, you can capture 20 images in 12.7 seconds. The Canon rating is 1.3 frames per second. There is no lock-up time after the shot for writing as in most Nikon and Sony cameras making the Canon a great choice for quick shooting.
It has a child/pet mode which sets the shutter speed high and is able to capture moving subjects well. It also has servo tracking focus which which keeps the subject in focus after you half-press the shutter and keep the subject on the screen. Again it is great for moving pets or kids.
The number of photos in continuous mode is limited only by the side of your SD card. The quality of the pictures will be better in lower light with the Canon over the Nikon or Sony cameras as it handles higher ISO better and using I-Contrast technology it can bring out details better in high and low contrast scenes.
If you're not in a hurry to buy a camera, I'd consider waiting to see how the new 970 does when it comes out. I noticed that it looked like it had the rounded right edge that was a difficult shape to hold onto for some in the previous versions. So holding the camera and trying it out would be wise.
Again, I don't know what size of sensor is going to be used in the SD970 and that will make a difference in how good of picture it will take. If it is the smaller sensor of the 880 size, picture quality will likely suffer. If it is the size of the larger 990 sensor and the G10 then it may actually be a better picture quality than the 990. Hard to tell until they actually become available and people begin to shoot with them. I think we'll see some more improvements come along this next year from Canon as well. The question is do you want to shoot now, or wait and see what comes along?
the best travel camera for this type of photography is the panasonic tz5
it is small , light and has a 10x optical zoom
it is very good value at the moment in some stores less than $250
have a look at a great flickr album by Carolyn Willitts
flickr.com/photos/carolynwi...
The TZ5 can really zoom well, but in my experience the quality of the picture leaves much to be desired the more challenging the setting. High speed followup shots are impossible with the TZ5 as it locks up while it writes for several seconds to the SD card. It struggles mightily in lower light settings and while impressive zoom capability, the anti-shake is not able to overcome small movement at the higher power zoom, at least in my experience. It price is dropping so it is a good buy though, down below $200 at some places.
In contrast I have found the Canon SD880IS to be be faster, handle low light better, and have a smaller profile than the TZ5. It doesn't have the long zoom, only a 4x zoom optical and you can push it a little further with digital zoom that is actually useful for once. It handles higher ISO better and it doesn't lock up to write to the SD card so followup shots are quick and no wait.
Bumping up the level of quality and features is the Canon SD990is which add a viewfinder, higher resolution with a larger sensor. It has even better detail and handling of low light settings. It can also shoot continuous action shots at 1.3 frames per second with no limit. Here's some comparison shots for the SD880 and the SD990 and you'll also find some TZ5 and Sony shots listed too to compare.
flickr.com/photos/33346716@...
It will be the same sensor as the SD880, and have the newest DIGIC IV processing. It will also shoot faster in followup than the TZ5 and you gain wide 28mm to 12x zoom PLUS HD video recording. It is made to compete and surpass the TZ5 and well worth your consideration. Happy sailing.
Can someone walk me through the benefits of reducing either, or both? If the sensor doesn't have to deal with as many pixels, is it possible I get a better picture using a lower image quality with this camera?
Some cameras have written into their firmware a process called "binning," which merges the signals of multiple pixels to make larger pixels. Usually at a 4-1 ratio. This will essentially turn a 12-megapixel camera into a 3-megapixel camera. And that gives you the opposite problem of too many pixels on the chip ... you now have too few and as such, will run into artifacting instead of noise.
It really depends on the situation and lighting conditions. My recommendation is to thoroughly read your manual, and then experiment with the settings. THe nice thing about digital cameras are that you don't have to print every single image you take. You don't like it, you delete.
There's also a nice feature called "bracketing" where you can take three consecutive images at three different aperture settings. This will give you a choice of the best image to choose from. Lastly, Canon has it's own website which will teach you to better use your digital camera. Check it out here ( usa.canon.com/dlc/controlle... ).
As for better online photo developers, they're really a dime a dozen.
What I'm getting at is that recordings made with them is "better than nothing," like when your favorite star sits down next to you at a cafe and starts singing, or the person busking in the subway is making incredible music, or some other situation where the sound quality is less important than getting any sort of recording. I'd never dream of using it to record music if I could find some other option. If you want to record a band or some such, it's much better to get a device meant for the purpose: something that at least has a proper microphone and stereo recording capability.
They're just too vulnerable to ambient or superfluous noise: like noises made by chairs scraping on the floor or ice rattling in a drink or the noises your fingers make if you handle the camera.
Try it with something that's not important, first. Listen to the playback and decide whether the quality is really acceptable to you. You can hook it up to a device like a boom box or receiver (using the included AV cable) and listen through the speakers you use to listen to CDs.
And Steve makes a very important point: many shows/artists expressly forbid recording devices and have people looking out for folks trying to record on the sly. It can turn a fun evening out into a huge hassle.
What I would do is try to "sweeten" it in software with a video editor. But in the end, as Kimbo suggests, you may just have to live with it.
Some cameras have written into their firmware a process called "binning," which merges the signals of multiple pixels to make larger pixels. Usually at a 4-1 ration. This will essentially turn a 12-megapixel camera into a 3-megapixel camera. And that gives you the opposite problem of too many pixels on the chip ... you now have too few and as such, will run into artifacting instead of noise.
Bringing along extra cards will enable you to keep on shooting when your card is full. And it has an added benefit, insurance. Any memory card can fail or become corrupted. And when you're on vacation the last thing you want is to lose the opportunity to take pictures until you can recover that media card with a software utility. If your card goes bad, swapping another one for it at that moment is of advantage so you can keep taking pics. Then, later when you're in front of your PC, you can use a utility like "F-Recovery" ( filerecoverytools.com/produ... ) to get back your pictures and recover your card.
THe other option is to bring along your laptop and off load every night.
Thanks again for your help, Steve - I really appreciate it!!!
what you need is a an easy to use camera
panasonic lumix cameras are very easy to use
fo r around $120 the lz8 it is a great all round camera for a novice
Major DMC-LZ8 Features:
* 8-megapixel effective CCD for images up to 3264x2448 pixels
* 5x optical zoom, equivalent to 32-160mm on a 35mm camera
* Optical image stabilization to help prevent camera shake and blurring
* 9-point AF with 3 point, 1 point and Spot options
* 2.5-inch TFT color monitor with 230K pixels and 100% coverage
* Program, Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Manual, Intelligent Auto and 20 Scene modes
* Burst mode captures @ 2.5fps up to 7 Large (8M) Fine images (10fps at 2M)
* 640x480/320x240 (4:3) or 848 x 480 (16:9) QuickTime movies, 30fps or 10fps with audio
* Shutter speeds from 1/2000 to 8 seconds (Shutter priority and Manual modes)
* Starry Sky Mode 15, 30, 60 seconds
* Built-in flash with auto, fill, slow synchro and red-eye reduction modes
* TTL Auto White Balance, 5 presets and custom set
* 27MB internal memory plus Secure Digital memory card slot
* Plug-n-Play USB, Mass Storage compliant
* PictBridge Direct-Print compatible
here are some examples of the fz8 in use
flickr.com/photos/rkevwill/...
flickr.com/photos/85815467@...
cannon make very good cameras the 2009 range is very strong
my choice from this year range is the new sx200
as someone who has used a slr you will find that you will be at home with a compact
usa.canon.com/consumer/cont...
I'd say the SD880 is just a bit easier to use because 1) the buttons are bigger and 2) there are no manual settings for aperture and flash compensation.
Compared to most other pocket cameras I have used recently, I find the Canons are for me the easiest to learn and use quickly. The good thing is that if you upgrade to a larger sized Canon, you'll already know most of the menu system and controls for all their point and shoot cameras.
Both the 990 and 880 will do everything for you. Just turn it on, point it at something, gently push the shutter and listen for a "beep" to tell you it's focused and ready and then press the shutter button fully. It has fully auto mode where it is that easy. It also has Program mode which is the same as Auto, only you can change things like lighter/darker exposure, color emphasis, ISO speed, etc. Most people will just shoot on auto or scene mode for the most part and let the camera do all the settings for them.
So yes, either the 880 or the 990 make great cameras for a beginner. Their size will allow you to carry them everywhere which is the first step in taking photos.
I had gone to an aquarium and I had a Sony, it worked bad.
This time, I find the 890 better over 880.
Tell me sir, can canon 880 do well in meusuems and aquariums and low light areas.
please guide. I am bent on 880.
Thanks for the same.
You have answered correctly in technical terms. But have you really experienced the same or tested the same.
Did you give you answer on experience/testings or by specifications.
It will be great of you, if you can give an answer based on some sort of testing that you can do.
Regards
Ulhas
You were asking for a recommendations between the 880 and 890 and with that the newer DIGIC IV will be better than the DIGIC III. But if you are really wanting to do indoor, low light shooting, the SD990 outshines almost every other camera currently out there...except for the little Panasonic Lumix LX3 with a super fast lens and full manual control plus a flash hotshoe. Beyond that you could consider a DSLR which would run circles around any small pocket camera in low light, natural light, and in high ISO settings like Museums and Aquariums.
Hope that helps a little. I shoot a Nikon D50 with a 1.8f lens for low light, and a larger 18-200 zoom for most other situations. But I shoot with the Canon 990 when I don't have my D50 or I don't want to carry around 4 pounds of camera and lens. I'm very happy with the results from the 990 most of the time.
Can I buy that............does it have better low light and picture quality...............please guide.............
So would it be 880 or LX3.................because 990 is expensive.................
Tell me more abt lx3 and can you please compare lx3 and 880.
please reply
If you check prices you'll find that the SD880 and SD990 are about $70 apart, at least from good online dealers. Amazon.com, J&R Music & Computer World are just a couple that I have dealt with and had exceptional service. So if the bottom line is price, you may just need to settle for an SD880. If you can set aside an additional $70 then the SD990is is worth the extra cost, at least in my experience and opinion.
To make things a bit more interesting, Canon is set to release about 4 new camera any day now. They will be 12.1MP, small sensor, have some new tricks like "blink technology" and "shake to advance picture" and all will feature DIGIC IV. Whether they will be better than the SD880 or not is anyone's guess at the moment. Because they will feature the same smaller sensor, I am pretty confident that the still won't be able to compete in image quality with the SD990 with its larger sensor.
You can check out the specs for the newer Canons and compare features by going to the Canon USA website. Under digital cameras you'll be able to compare all the cameras side by side, even the newest ones just about to be released.
usa.canon.com/consumer/cont...
1 kindly advice me which no camera is best
also price is under 120 $ and also bitter large time and also screen is 2.5 inch
pls urgent reply my Emil add muhammadasif1982@yahoo.com
The Following are the best cheap cameras according to surveys:
Canon PowerShot A470 {around 130$}, Canon SD1100, Canon powershot E1, Canon PowerShot SD790 IS ELPH,
All the above cameras can be found at around 120-150 Dollars at Various sites like DELL or amazon or even Best buy or sears.
Before I bought the camera, I even downloaded the user manual so I could get as much info as possible about how the camera's features worked.
When I finally had the camera in my hands I was surprised and VERY disappointed to find that the "manual" mode didn't work anything like I expected. I thought I'd be able to select any shutter speed and any aperture. That's NOT how it works. True, you can select any shutter speed. But then the camera gives you the choice of one large aperture and one small one. Nothing in-between. So of course you really can only choose the matching shutter speed to get the correct exposure! I checked with Canon's tech support to be sure the camera wasn't defective and that I wasn't missing something about how to set it.
Now, we could have a long discussion about the practical effect of this (with lenses like these, aperture has much less effect on depth of field, for example). But still, I'm very annoyed.
Don't get me wrong: I loved the SD790's image quality and so far the SD990 appears to be excellent as well. The camera has a bunch of other great features.
What do you other SD990 owners think about this? Other camera owners? Would you find this acceptable in a camera that claims to have a manual exposure mode? Would you buy this camera if manual control was important to you?
Creative shooting options
For those looking to take their photography to the next level, the Digital IXUS 980 IS offers a first for Digital IXUS: a Manual Mode that allows control of shutter speed and aperture. This is ideal for unusual lighting situations or expressive, experimental shots. For split-second photo opportunities, a second new mode – QuickShot – uses the optical viewfinder for framing and focusing, virtually eliminating shutter lag.
It does not appear that you have control of shutter speed AND aperture as you had expected and Canon has misled you to believe. I would have to agree with you that this camera does not have manual control as you have described its operation. If your goal was to be able to advance your photography skills this camera does not appear to allow for that function. I would not buy a camera without true manual control i.e. control which allows me to over or under expose the image at will.
Where I'm coming from is that I already have fairly good photographic skills, having started with a Leica M2 way back in the 60s, and eventually learned to use view cameras and medium format as well. Changes in my life make having an ultra-compact (and light) camera the best option, but I don't want to give up control of how I make my images. So I am, in a sense, a "newbie" when it comes to this type of camera but pretty experienced with photography in general.
This design puzzles me: it's just a control function written into the firmware, and it shouldn't be a problem to include full manual control in this camera
Aditya, I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my question. You're right that I should be looking beyond the Canon line... but just about every site I've looked at says that Canon's cameras have the best image quality. I'd been very skeptical about small digital P&S cameras until I got the SD790, which convinced me that they can be real photographic tools -- not just snapshot cameras. (I can't find any info on a "Nikon L300," did I misread your post, too?)
My expectations were based on how Canon described the camera in their published specs and advertising and that's why I bought the camera. A good number of people think that size has something to do with a camera's feature set. Particularly in the case of this issue, it really doesn't. It's just a matter of what they put on the camera's chip. As several people have said, the ultra-compact size and weight is very significant to me because I can (and do) carry it pretty much at all times.
My hope is that Canon will start selling an improved model that actually has the feature they advertise this one to have. Also nice would be to have a "program shift" mode: if you don't like the shutter/aperture combination the camera selects, you can shift to other combos that still give the same exposure; I'd like shutter-priority and aperture-priority modes, too: you pick one of those values and the camera selects the corresponding one based on its exposure analysis.
Sadly, given today's economic realities, I'm not sure how much money any camera company is going to be putting into developing and marketing new gear.
I hope nobody thinks I'm knocking this camera: I like it a great deal! I'm just annoyed that Canon claims it has a feature that it really doesn't. I'm bothering to go on about it because I think the camera is one of the best out there!
G10
Dimensions (WxHxD)
4.30 x 3.06 x 1.81 in./109.1 x 77.7 x 45.9mm
Weight
Approx. 12.3 oz./350g (camera body only)
SD990
Dimensions (WxHxD)
3.81 x 2.45 x 1.10 in./96.7 x 62.2 x 27.9mm
Weight
Approx. 5.64 oz./160g (camera body only)
I must note, though, that the G10's feature set includes "manual exposure mode" just like the SD990. How is one to know whether it's really manual, or as limited as the SD990? (Obviously, you have to actually get your hands on the camera and check it out.... which is the point here, you shouldn't have to do that in order to make a buying decision.)
Aside from the misleading description, the implementation of the "manual" mode just plain doesn't make sense to me. Since you can already change the exposure value (over or under) a couple of ways, why would you want to have to manually select the shutter speed corresponding to one of the two available aperture values? I'd just as soon have the camera choose the correct shutter speed automatically if I only have the choice of a large or small aperture. That'd have a certain photographic validity (given the limited effect of aperture on depth of field in this format). But even there the problem is that you don't really have control over blurring or stopping motion. I just don't get it.
I am looking at the Canon SD990 IS. I have also checked into the newer "waterproof" point and shoot camera by Olympus.
The size is easy to compare, of course, but battery life is also going to vary depending on the test method.
If you want to see some of the photos I've taken with the SD990, and also some other camera comparisons, here's my Flikr link:
flickr.com/photos/33346716@...
just about to click order for canon sd990 and have read all about this vs 880 but what about the sd970. anyone have one or can compare, it seems it may be too crowded with megapixels on small sensor but does have HD video. any thoughts
If you want to compare the two side by side, go to the Canon product page and on the right hand side you'll see a link called CHOOSE THE RIGHT PRODUCT. Click, then product comparison and you can compare up to three models side by side.
If you would be happy with the SD880 (size and bigger 3" LCD and full auto only), then you may be wise to compare the SD970 to it. But if you have already compared the SD880 and SD990 and have concluded the SD990 is better, then skip the SD970 and go with the SD990 as it is still on top of the heap because of its larger sensor.
I attach the camera's wrist strap to one of the catches for the case's neck strap, that lets me carry it in the case or take it out and have it ready for use. Bear in mind that this is just a thin "suede" cushion to protect the camera from minor bumps and scratches. It does have a belt loop but I don't find that a desirable place to carry a camera. The flap closure is a magnetic "snap," so this is really a very light-use case; not what you want for rock-climbing or waterboarding, um I mean "surfing."
amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&k...
Once you excede about 7-8 MP on a camera with a traditional CCD Sensor with a size of 1/16" or smaller you get more noise than image above ISO 800. The same problem exists, just not as bad, with a 1/2.3-1/2.5" sensor.
The solution is to match MP to desired print size and buy a camera with that number of MP or to spend more money for a larger sensor sized camera.
The cameras have very different feature sets, and you should look at that carefully to see what is important to you before deciding on which you want. As far as price, they're practically identical; only a $20 difference in their listed prices.
None of the "Wow factors" are enough to make up for less quality in the photo because of lower sensitivity to light (greater density packed sensor) and loss of detail (again from an over packed sensor). I tend to look at photo quality first and foremost, so my recommendation is still the SD990 for that reason. I may not be able to shake my camera and show my friends a new picture each shake, or I may have to review the picture in the LCD to see if anyone had their eyes closed before they walk away, but I can trade those off any day for better low light photos and more fine detail in the image that I get with the SD990.
Let's all hope that Canon begins to place the larger sensor of the SD990 and G10 in more of their cameras, rather than using the smaller one and just cramming on more photocell sites on it making for less image quality. I'm all for "Wow factor" but not at the cost of image quality.
BAD IMAGE STABILIZATION!!
Images are blurry (which I can also notice if I zoom in on a picture on my camera screen)
Color is smeared and distorted
Terrible Lighting
Bad red eye reduction
After editing each picture in programs such as Adobe Photoshop, iPhoto and Pisca, I've had enough.
I had the earlier model in the past (SD 770), and had no problems with it until I received a lens error that would cost me more than I paid for the camera. The SD 770 had the same scene settings, so I don't believe I'm the error behind the camera!
My next thought was that perhaps it's my computer?
I have a MacBook Pro, however it's not the newest model. I've updated my system to the newest software this year, including all my programs.
I wonder if maybe my laptop is messing up my pictures the more I get involved with cameras of higher performance? I don't print from my laptop, but I do upload them onto the laptop to edit, share online, and put on CDs to have printed.
I'm so fed-up with the camera that I've been reading camera reviews to try and find the best point and shoot. I'm not interested in trying to figure out why the camera isn't working for me anymore, I'm more interested in replacing the dang thing!
I'm looking for a small point and shoot, that produces quality pictures. As much as I'd love a g10, that's not in my ballpark, and cannot fit in my purse.
Is the Canon 990 ISO right for me?
I take a lot of indoor AND outdoor pictures. Such as night clubs, trees/flowers, city buildings, beach, night (bonfires), fireworks, and portraits of family/friends & pets.
If you are married to using Canon brand cameras the SD 880 (It produces less artifacts than the 990....) is what I would replace the 790 with instead of the 990... If you aren't married to the idea of using Canons I would look at (In this order) the Olympus Stylus 840, Lumix Lx3 , and Fuji f200 EXR
Part of your problem with reading reviews is "best" is subjective. Some people would say best means more MP- however more MP with a 1/1.7" sensor or worse yet 1/2.3" sensor will mean more noise at higher ISO settings (AKA worse performance in low light). The speed of the lens also tends to be slower with shorter lenses. Some people would say best is the number of bells and whistles. Some people would say best is the zoom range of the lens, never mind that the more range a lens has there is greater chance for aberrations... Anyhow you get the idea.
Basically what it sounds like how you define best is; good picture quality, color reproduction, and minimal noise/loss of detail due to noise reduction at high ISO settings in a slim or traditional Point and Shoot form factor. Basically when reading reviews and such you want to look at the test pics and look at full crops at ISO 400 and above.
Also before you toss the 790- set the Autofocus to center and give yourself 1.5-2 feet with the zoom at full extension (5cm min focal length my foot- you only get that with the lens fully retracted... it is really 18+ inches , they buried that in the back of the manuals, and AiAf is more pain than what its worth) .... The same goes for all new Canon compact cameras...
Should I aim for a camera that has higher pixels then, in order to produce a high quality picture? I'm only worried they won't look as nice on my computer. Is there a setting on most cameras to change the size of the picture it will upload?
The 990 is a 14.7, whereas the 880 is a 12.1. The 790 (what I had) was a 10.1 mega pixels.
From what you're saying, as long as I get a newer model, I should be happy with the quality picture it produces.
I heard Olympuses don't do well indoors. I have a few friends who use 2 separate cameras because they were unhappy with how their Olympus performed at outdoor events in the summer. With summer here, I need to be careful!
I spend a lot of time on the beach, however I heard that waterproof cameras are just as bad. Do you happen to know if this is true? I heard Olympus has a nice waterproof model.
The pixel deal isn't quite as straightforward as a lot of people think. More isn't automatically better. I doubt you'd be able to tell the images apart between the two based on a difference of 2.6 megapixels. As is so often the case with questions like this, the first answer is "it depends." It's true that for people who only make 4x6 prints, or mostly send pictures via e-mail, it doesn't make a lot of sense to have more that 7 or 8 megapixels. BUT if you want to make larger prints, or make prints of a small portion of the image, then it does make a lot of sense to have more pixels.
Now, I don't know what the reviewers are talking about when they refer to problems with the 790. I'm not saying they're wrong, just that I was very satisfied with the images I captured with mine. The reason I got rid of it was that I wanted an optical viewfinder and manual control. (Canon claims the 990 has manual control but it really does not.) My first impression was that the 990's images weren't quite as good, but I must stress that this is purely a subjective impression.
No, we can't guarantee you'll be happy with the images from the new model. There are so many factors that go into whether someone will be "happy" with the images they get. For example, if the controls are hard for them to use, they make mistakes using the camera. They may not wait for the autofocus to lock in, or the autofocus may lock on the wrong thing. They might not notice some little icon on the display that's warning them that the image stabilization can't compensate sufficiently. The individual camera you get may not be "up to snuff," though that would be unusual.
I'd be very very suspicious of anyone who told me something like "Olympuses don't do well indoors." That kind of generalization is seldom correct. One model may have problems with its flash, or poor low-light performance, or something, but even that sort of thing would not apply to the entire line (or even series) from a given manufacturer. That sounds like the sort of bunk that a salesperson will say when they have some reason to "push" one camera over another.
It'd be nice if it were simple, if someone could just give you a straightforward answer. Sadly, you've got to do a lot of homework and hope for the best... oh, and try to do business with a merchant with a generous return policy.
Indeed it is complicated. More Mega Pixels alone does not guarantee a better picture and quality is more of a ratio of MP vs Sensor size. The more MP placed on a small sensor the more noise and less accutance you get with the camera because each diode in the sensor is exposed to less light energy. By contrast when you have 2 cameras with the same size sensor the one with more MP but the same amount of noise and small artifacts on the screen at full crop, then the camera with more MP will print less noticeable noise and artifacts becuase they are magnified less when printed. Anyhow you only need 6-7 MP to print an acceptably clear print at 8X10 at 300 DPI and you need 14+ MP to print a 11 X 14 print while you need 23+ MP to print a 13 X 20 . If you are putting them online or through email more than 4-5 MP makes no sense as the screen can't display resolutions above that. If you crop and expand the photo through photoshop/[name your editing software] then this magnifies the noise and aberations from the lens so more MP only makes sense if you are getting very clear photos in the first place, which you don't get with small sensors + more MP.
High MP cameras with small/"medium" sensor sizes (More than 7-8 MP ) tend to produce more noise at low light levels because each diode is exposed to less light energy. The noise looks like little flecks and they are either removed by the camera's digital processor (especially true of Canon Cameras) or can be removed in software installed on your computer- Removing the noise almost always destroys detail. Sensor with high resolution but low accutance will produce images with lots of detail, but it will look "flatened" and the detail won't be apparent to the eye. Adding more MP to the 1/1.23" sensor lowers accutence.
Most 1/2.3" CCD cameras produce either a fuzzy mess or unacceptable noise for most people at ISO 800 or higher. So you could just say almost all compact digital cameras do poorer in low light indoor situations than larger sensor cameras (Like SLRs/ film).
Basically what I am telling you is more MP on a small sensor will make the camera produce worse results in sharpness above 8MP and 1/2.3" or smaller sized sensor with traditional CCD technology.
AiAf is about worthless for focusing on smaller objects (smaller than a face or so) at the edge of the min focal distance of the lens- AKA you are shooting Seashells or flowers. It almost always will focus on what you don't want it to- bringing it into focus while blurring what you want it to (The good news is you don't have to use it). Once again you must set the camera to center AF and in some cases focus lock then bring the camera back into position. This is because AiAf is actually designed for the processor to focus in on things like faces and people and larger blocks of color... If you have a model with manual focus (Many Canon cameras do offer this) then you can try to use manual focus instead (One of the reasons I like the Canon A series- they offer control over just about every setting on the camera- although the controls could use some improvement of manual focus). The above two techniques are more advanced techniques though.... Right up there with using Macro Mode to get a shallow DOF from a compact camera or magnification to get apparent DOF from a compact.
I'm from the Chicago-land area, travel a lot, and need something that I can easily fit with me at all times. Unfortunately, a DSLR won't fit my needs! Although the g10 is the smallest camera of that quality, I'd have to carry it around my neck or carry a bigger bag, which is not what I'm looking for when I'm always on my feet.
Pictures in nightclubs, indoor concerts, dark restaurants and outdoor festivals rarely come out.
I don't plan on enlarging any of the pictures I will be taking. I would go with a smaller 7-8 MP camera, however it seems as though all the cameras on the market today are a 10 MP or higher!
I'm looking for a sharp, accurate image. I'm tired of blurred faces and smeared color throughout the picture! I spend way too much of my time editing pictures in Adobe Photoshop once I've uploaded them, and am still never happy with the final product.
Reviews seem to favor the Canon 990 for "high quality pictures," however I've heard that the newest Nikon's will pick up the function I should be using to help improve my picture taking. This is assuming I'm the error behind the newest point and shoots. I'm not a photographer, and follow the "scene settings" option, but still don't have any luck. I've had several point and shoot cameras in the past that I never had these problems with, however I had other problems such as lens errors and moisture inside the camera.
This time I thought I'd do more research, and ask professionals on what they'd use if they were going somewhere where they'd have to use a smaller camera, such as a point and shoot.
What would you buy your college kid, wife (who travels on business but doesn't have much experience with cameras) or relative? You wouldn't buy the cheapest one on the market, because they'd be sending you pictures of them while they're away. But at the same time, you wouldn't trust them using a DSLR because they may either break it, or not know what they're doing.
In comparing the SD880 and SD990 you will see a distinct quality difference in the two with the SD990 ALWAYS equaling and many times besting the SD880 in detail and clarity. I have both and have done hundreds of side by side, same place, same subject, same light and be able to see the outcomes. I use a Nikon DSLR for much of my shooting when I don't mind carrying about 5 pounds around with the big zoom mounted, but the SD990 travels with me 100% of the time because it is closer in picture quality than any other pocket camera I've used, and it is mere ounces of weight.
I bought a SD990 for my son for Christmas after using one for a couple months for myself. Since I have a DSLR to use for when I want the best possible shots and enlarging, I use the SD990 as a carry around the rest of the time. I also like the viewfinder on the SD990 for framing some shots. Since the SD990 has flash compensation it takes better indoor flash shots than those without any way to adjust the output. Red-eye can be a problem as with all the little point and shoots with the flash and lens so closely aligned, but it is easily corrected with software these days when it does show up.
Here are some side by side comparisons between the SD990 and SD880 to see for yourself: flickr.com/photos/33346716@...
And here are just some of the random shots from the SD990 that might give you a clue about picture quality: flickr.com/photos/33346716@...
The SD990 for me has made a great carry around camera, but each has his/her own preferences and needs so be sure to look for what meets your needs and shooting preferences.
There's just something about some photographers who constantly want to get more image out of less camera. There were those crazies who thought they could get a decent picture with a tiny little 4"x5" negative, ignoring the well-established wisdom that 8X10 was necessary; then there were poor deluded fools who tried to convince people that the pictures they took with those little 35mm toys could be taken seriously as photographic art.
I don't know... perhaps they will bring back 2/3" sensors. Anyhow performance in low light and ultra-compact (And relatively inexpensive)... Lumix Lx3, Ricoh Cx1, and Fuji f200EXR.
Olympus has said they will be releasing a micro 3/4" sensor compact.... Perhaps see what they come out with.
When you download your images from the camera using Canon's software, the pix first appear in a low-resolution version. They look badly out-of-focus, and generally crummy. For some reason, it takes the software awhile (like 2-5 seconds per image) before it finishes processing the images and they start to look acceptable. It goes through this process every time, no matter whether you've looked at the images previously. This is clearly very processor-intensive, and I'd guess that if your computer is slow, or burdened with a lot of other processes at the same time, or doesn't have a lot of RAM, it could take a long enough that you might give up before the process completes.
As I say, this may not be what Rachel is talking about, but...
It could also be the Auto focus on the 790. Canon redid its focusing routines and called it AiAf... they made it the default. You don't notice the blur on the LED so much but do notice it at full crop on the computer. When you look at the photo everything is slightly blurred except for one thing is in complete focus... the one thing you didn't want in focus. Setting it to center focus helps. You can also set focus lock and move closer or farther away by a few inches while staring at the LED screen to fine focus it.
You also get Wonkiness because Canon claims the min focus in the specs is the min focus at wide angle but the min focus actually changes along the length of the zoom- not a problem if you are shooting 3-5 feet but is a problem up close.
Anyhow the above two reasons are why you see a lot of negative reviews for Canon's A and SD lines from (The last 2 years) some users... They just can't put thier finger on it though. Its not so much a problem if you are shooting people at 3+ feet but is for non-people up close, Eg Flowers/Leaves/small seashells or items for EBay.
When I started being disappointed with pictures, I chose to open the flashdrive icon on my desktop, and pull up the pictures manually, then opening them in programs such as Picasa and Adobe Photoshop to edit and over-write.
Would you recommend using the camera's software over iPhoto, Picasa or Adobe Photoshop?
As previously mentioned, I may have just had a defected camera. I had several point and shoot cameras growing up, as well as when I was a student in college, however I did not come across "photo errors" until blurs and smears with the Canon 790.
The reason I questioned my laptop was because the images seem to be clear on my camera screen. If I used the zoom while reviewing a picture, I could notice some blur, however nothing close to what my computer produced. At that time I was wondering if my computer's technology was having a hard time keeping up to the devices I was plugging into it.
For what it's worth, I too use a Mac. I used iPhoto for a while and decided I didn't like it as much as the Canon software.
Can't hurt to try yet another program, ha ha!
So check to see what your photo program is opening the picture as "full resolution" or at a more viewable/realistic size and see if that helps clear up things alot.
The blur may also be a result of shutter lag. It's the delay which happens between triggering the shutter and when the photograph is actually recorded. It's a common problem with point and shoot cameras. But there are ways to combat it.
1. Prefocus. Hold down the shutter half way to get a prefocus of the image you're shooting. When it changes, prefocus again. This will speed up your camera's performance during picture taking since it won't have to autofocus before it shoots the shot.
2. Use faster SD cards. Yes, there are faster cards and it does make a difference in writing the image file to the card. This is especially key if you're taking multiple or burst images.
3. Fresher batteries. Use alkalines at least. But I recommend using high energy batteries designed for digital photography. Varta is a good brand. They are usually sold in camera shops, are long lasting (because they are sold in small quantities) put out alot of energy.
4. Pan with the action. You can create some pretty cool shots by panning with your shot, focusing on your subject. This will create the effect of your subject in sharp contrast to the blurry background.
6. Stick with 100-400 ISO. Going higher will cause more noise/grain in your shots, particularly in darker settings.
Doing these, particularly prefocusing and panning with the action will cut your shutter lag by as much as 80%.
The real question is when you print at the size you want do you see the smears? I would venture that you would at 8X10. If you shrink down the image to a small section on the screen it will look great even it it prints like manure. You will see those smears at 8 X 10. 14 MP will print a relatively clear shot at 11 X 14 at 300 DPI- so yes, you will see those smears... even more so with a 10 MP sensor at 11 X 14.
Couple of things to keep in mind here... If you have to shrink it down or only print 4X6 and the camera is shooting at a whopping .8 FPS with a very limited zoom that doesn't do well in low light, then whats the point? You probably are already carrying such a camera already.. its called a cell phone.
Thanks for all your help, ALL of you! I'm going to relate back to this post/blog as soon as I get my new camera!
I do notice that when I adjust the option to "full size" on my computer - the image is close to perfect. However my computer shrinks the size - which must be messing up the overall photo all together?
I'll try to shrink the photo size on my camera settings before I start taking pictures!
Some cameras have written into their firmware a process called "binning," which merges the signals of multiple pixels to make larger pixels. Usually at a 4-1 ratio. This will essentially turn a 12-megapixel camera into a 3-megapixel camera. And that gives you the opposite problem of too many pixels on the chip ... you now have too few and as such, will run into artifacting instead of noise.
I'd recommend you download Google's Picasa ( picasa.com ). It's a very good, and free, photo editor and management tool. You should be able to take your images and, once they're imported, you can size and edit the photo as you need. But if you want more control, pick up a copy of Adobe Photoshop Elements. It's not too expensive at about $60.
However it doesn't help blurring or smeared colors, which was my problem. All I could do was hit the black and white option, and hope for the best.
Excited to use it this weekend...wanted to say thanks again to everyone for their imput!
SD 970: $350
SD 990: $310
SD 880: $288
My wife and I are purely amateur photographers with 90% of our shots being of our kids. We love our D60 but want something we can drop in a pocket or purse on a regular basis. Would love any opinions here. Do we give up much by going to a 2.5" LCD instead of a 3"? We are not yet hi-def at home so I'm not sure the HD video from the 970 is of much added value. My inclination from previous reviews is to go with the 990 but would love any thoughts given how we're going to use this. Thanks so much.
I would buy the 990 over the 880, unless you absolutely want/need the 28mm wide lens of the 880. The 990 uses a larger sensor than the 880 (or the 970) and adds better detail and lower light resolution to your shooting. The 990 also add a viewfinder to frame with, and flash compensation so you don't have to settle for washed out faces in indoor shots. For more natural looking light step the flash down a notch. Or for whole room lighting step it up a notch. It really does make the flash produce much nicer lighting. Neither the SD880 or the SD970 have flash compensation, so the SD990 has the advantage here.
Neither the sd880 or the sd990 will take as good of pictures as your D60 (especially enlarged above 8x10), but the SD990 is the one that I've coupled with my Nikon D50 because it takes the nicest pictures without lugging around the D50 everywhere. For dedicated photo shooting, lug your D60 and a good all around zoom or fast prime lens. For everyday purse/belt/pocket carry, slip either the SD880 (for the smallest thinnest one) or the SD990 (for the best detail/clarity/flash) into you pocket and you'll have a great combination.
Just having a little camera around, that produces good images, will have you capturing more photos than you would with a single larger DSLR sitting in the closet waiting to be hauled out for special occasions.
Pete
What I don't like about the A series is the battery life and AiAf.
The A1100 or 2100 (Has a 6Xzoom but no viewfinder- blehhh)....
Although Olympus is suppose to release its Micro Three Fourths Cameras this summer olympusamerica.com/cpg_sect... and the prototype looks very much like a compact- you may want to wait a month or two to see what they release.
If they do release a compact with interchangeable lenses and three fourths sensors then that would be the best.
Basically what I am saying is if you can hold off buying the camera it may be worth waiting a month or two to see what Olympus actually releases...
SD/IXIS ( AKA Digital ELPHS) except for the 990 do not have manual modes, the A series do. The SD 990 has a Manual and Program mode but no Aperture Priority Mode or Shutter Priority Mode.
The 990 uses a larger sensor 1/1.7" vs the A1100 and 2100 1/2.3" sensor (Other SD line cameras also use a 1/2.3" sensor). Basically with the SD series you pay a bit more for the slimmer form factor.
You can get a 6X zoom with the A2100 instead of the 4X on the 1100 or 3.7X zoom on the 990 .
Anyhow a visual walk through of the manual mode controls is here digitalcamerainfo.com/conte...
When you are in Manual mode (You have to turn the bottom dial to switch between M and P modes) if you exceed +2 or -2 from the metered exposure it flashes a red +2 on the screen when you push halfway down on the shutter (Letting you know that you are over or underexposing the shot- which you very well may be doing on purpose). Depending on where the zoom is you will have less aperture choices (A function of the lens design).
Anyhow the A series cameras (And other brands of cameras) have had the full manual mode for a long time... Not sure why everyone is raving over it.
For ease of use and the smallest portability I still like the SD880 for a couple of reasons. It has a 3" LCD screen (but no viewfinder if that's important to you) and starts at a wider 28mm. Simple controls, but has features such as "face recognition" and several good scene modes that work well. It is also somewhat lower in price than the SD990.
On the other hand, the SD990 adds some features which some will find useful: flash compensation for adjusting the flash output, and manual shutter speed, for instance. It also uses a larger sensor and as a result it handles lower light better than the 880 and keeps more detail and less blurring in low contrast areas. It also has a viewfinder along with the LCD (2.5") which is a combination that some prefer.
The A series for the most part have a little more complete manual control setup than the SD990, but you may or may not need those. If "small" is your priority than the SD880 is the best of the smallest. If you are looking for top of the line, and don't mind a little fatter camera (1/4" fatter) and have the $50 extra to spend, the SD990 makes a good choice. If you're on a tighter budget, the current line of A series from Canon will do quite nicely at the least amount of cost.
Yes, it is probably time to retire the A710 as Canon has made great improvements in many areas. Just be sure the model you buy uses the newest DIGIC IV processing as there are still some left over models using the DIGIC III and I would avoid those at this time. The other advice is to be sure and buy from an authorized Canon USA dealer so the warranty is valid and you'll have a full 1-year coverage should anything go wrong. Avoid the imports, even though they are tempting at 20-40 bucks savings. Look for a reputable dealer and if possible select one that has a good return policy in case it does not meet your needs once you start shooting with each.
On the other hand if you find yourself using the viewfinder a lot, then the A1100 fits the bill better, and on top of that you pick up a little faster frames per second shooting speed (2.0 fps VS 1.1 fps).
So if you need/want the longer zoom and don't mind not having a viewfinder the A2100 is the best for you. If on the other hand you really like using the viewfinder at times, then the A1100 will have all the same controls and processors but minus the bigger zoom capability.
It would have been nice to have a different choice: longer zoom and a viewfinder. But unfortunately each user will need to decide what feature(s) is most important. Picture quality will be equal between the two cameras.
Micro 3/4, when they get released in compact form-factor, will be the best of the small cameras. Olympus has said Summer 2009. (Panasonic) Lumix has micro 3/4 out right now in handheld SLR ish formfactor and are calling them mirrorless SLRs.
Sigma makes a very good camera with a good prime lens but it is pricey in the Sigma DP2...
Olympus Stylus Series (If you want slim and good photo quality)
Pentax Optio P70 if you want small and a lot of bang for the buck (Sub $200).
And if you want dirt cheap (Sub $100) a few frills but still decent photo quality the Afga Photo Sensor
Lumix has the best of the small superzoom cameras if that is what you are into.
PreProduction Review is at DPReviews dpreview.com/previews/olymp...
Best of the small.... Starting at around 700 smackers.
One outstanding larger camera is the Canon SX-10-IS. One nice thing about the Canons is that they have a really small macro, like 3 to 5 mm and less. I copied some 35mm slides once, by placing the slides ON TOP OF the lens on a Canon A520; others have reported the
"lens surface" macro ability on other Canons.
The compact Canons, like the "SD" series, are also very capable. I own an SD1000, and I take it with me wherever I go, it's so handy. I love the SD, or "Elph" line as Canon used to call it.
A couple of nice cameras from Nikon are the P5100 and P6000, both have viewfinders, and close macro focus, too.
I haven't bought a camera yet...and I'm not sure that you've answered the Q. cameras with viewfinders other than talking about Nikon (two models)...I'll have to look into these.
Does anybody else have any comments??
The CCD receptor is the device that "reads" the image, and converts the image into digital info. Macro mode on a camera simply refers to shooting closeups, IE 6 inches, not 4 feet.
The "extra real estate space" simply refers to the larger amount of volume available when one camera is physically larger than another.
Good luck with ur search...
The issue has been the cost and I have been continuously waivering between the two. Adorama has the 990 for the lowest price right now? Is that a reputable place to purchase from?
I also would like to know what the best high speed card would be for either of these cameras?
Thanks in advance for your knowledgeable and helpful answers.
Most point and shoot camera require lots of light to take good pictures (even the "image stabilization" ones). A good test is to take some indoor low light shots and then take some outdoor sunlight shots and see what the difference is in the picture clarity. If the come out blurry both indoors and outdoors then there may be a problem with the camera. However, if you find the outdoor shots come out much more clear and sharp, then the problem is most likely that you need more light on indoor shots or a different technique for shooting indoors.
Try using the flash and keep your subject within 10 feet. Point and shoots can't light up a room.
Hold the camera steady and try to brace it on something if the light is low.
Prefocus by pushing the shutter button halfway to allow it to focus before you press it all the way down. This will help you keep from snapping the picture before it is fully focused or the camera is moving as you're pushing the button.
Bring as much light as possible into the scene...more light usually results in sharper pictures.
Some cameras are better at handling low light than others, so it can depend on what camera and model you are using.
Thanks again for your time!
The 2 settings you mentioned (large auditoriums or barns) will be a problem for any camera that relies on its its little built in flash. Most built in flashes will suffice for between 8-15 feet and at the 15 feet mark you'll only be able to light up the center subject. So keep that in mind when shopping. If you want to fill a room with light you'll need a flash hotshoe on the camera and an attached external flash OR you'll need a camera that can take a fast, low-light lens (think DSLR with a 2.8f lens...i.e. expensive)
So getting back to the smaller point and shoots available, I have personally found the Canons and the Sonys handle lower light better than some others out there. Panasonics (TZ5 for instance) handle low light by losing great amount of fine detail when erasing the "noise" that will creep in during lower light. Sonys usually have a better lens (sharper) and Canons generally have better in camera processing (faster shot to shot, no lock up during writing to the SD card, and less aggressive noise reduction (leaving more fine details in low contrast).
So it is a trade off. Most Sonys and Canons now feature image stabilization, but keep in mind they work best in good light.
Finally, if you've learned how to use the manual settings for aperture and shutter speed, the Canon A series offers this type of control in a body very similar in size to the Sony S90 you've been using. They are a bit less in money, but many now have image stabilization and offer a good set of features at an attractive price.
Learning how to get good indoor shots takes practice and trying different settings. Try the scene modes for indoor shots and see how it does. Then if you have the ability to change shutter speed, ISO settings, and/or aperture settings try different combinations to see what looks best. Finally try some different techniques like a tripod, or bracing the camera, or adding some ambient light to the shot. It's better to practice a lot and then when the "kodak moment" arrives you'll have a good idea of how to best capture the shot.
the sony T100 that I have takes to long to click and I have missed great expressions, etc
1. Prefocus. Hold down the shutter half way to get a prefocus of the image you're shooting. When it changes, prefocus again. This will speed up your camera's performance during picture taking since it won't have to autofocus before it shoots the shot.
2. Use faster SD cards. Yes, there are faster cards and it does make a difference in writing the image file to the card. This is especially key if you're taking multiple or burst images.
3. Fresher batteries. Use alkalines at least. But I recommend using high energy batteries designed for digital photography. Varta is a good brand. They are usually sold in camera shops, are long lasting (because they are sold in small quantities) put out alot of energy.
4. Pan with the action. You can create some pretty cool shots by panning with your shot, focusing on your subject. This will create the effect of your subject in sharp contrast to the blurry background.
6. Stick with 100-400 ISO. Going higher will cause more noise/grain in your shots, particularly in darker settings.
Doing these, particularly prefocusing and panning with the action will cut your shutter lag by as much as 80%.
Following the prefocusing tip you will have a faster response. The T100 is rated at a quick 2.2 frames per second on continuous shooting...but that is without using the flash which may be a problems indoors. Be sure you also set the camera up for "high shutter" speed on the T100 for catching the action of kids. Then I would try using continuous shooting mode to capture multiple images in rapid succession so that you can find the ones that have great expressions.
My main use of the images is to display them as a slideshow on my 50" HDTV 1080p. I see the 16:9 resolution is 4416 x 2480 on the SD990, perhaps this is overkill. Maybe the SD880 would be just as good? I want to get a camera that excels at producing stunning images for my HDTV. I also have a 1080p DVD player with the HDMI hookup to playback the images once transfered to a DVD.
Any advice would be welcomed, Dave P.
Thanks for the reply. I just wanted to clarify on the CCD size for the SD990. Canon specs for the CCD size show it as 1/1.7, while the SD880 spec is 1/2.3 respectively. Perhaps I don't understand this notation and the smaller number is better. Could you clarify?
I'm strongly leaning toward the SD990. It has had many excellent reviews and I like that they kept the viewfinder. Also I believe it has some flexibilty for manual setting which I've always want to dabble with.
Thanks, Dave
I just spoke to a Canon rep (12/31/09), and yes, the SD990 IS is indeed discontinued and will no longer be manufactured.
I have been checking on this post every couple of days for any updates...I realize it has been confirmed that the SD990 has been discontinued...but I cannot seem to find any solid info as to why. Does anyone have any information pertaining to why it was discontinued?
t's funny that people have this touching faith in the rationality of businesses, particularly large international firms. They're collections of normal human beings (mostly) with all sorts of ego-driven internal politics and competing factions and varying interests. My opinion is that Canon screwed up the SD990 by building it with a non-functional "manual" mode. (Search around this board for more info). When they realized that it's a minefield to have that model out there, they pulled it. Or maybe a competing design group won some internal turf battle, or maybe the product manager made a pass at the marketing manager's girlfriend or who knows what.
If you want one, (I'd suggest a G series camera instead) try contacting local dealers... or non-local dealers depending on how badly you want it.
It's funny that people have this touching faith in the rationality of businesses, particularly large international firms. They're collections of normal human beings (mostly) with all sorts of ego-driven internal politics and competing factions and varying interests.
If you're a Mac person, both iPhoto and iMovie will handle it all for you nice and easy.
This is one of those situations where there's no substitute for going to a real camera store and trying the cameras.