PowerShot SD900 Titanium 10MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (OLD MODEL)

I consider myself a photography enthusiast and a bit of an electronics geek. I love looking at the latest and greatest gadgets and often end up telling myself that I HAVE to have them especially when it comes to digital cameras. I've owned 3 sony digital cameras all of which were pretty popular models (p10, t7, n1). Although my sony cameras were always very sleek and stylish, they always fell short when it came to taking pictures of my cats and of the children I work with. If you know cats and kids, then you know they NEVER stay still. My pics often came out blurry and the settings always had to be adjusted to take a decent picture. A forced flash always had to be on in order to catch a decent pose and the color of the picture would never look natural. I also thought the newer sony models would solve these problems but after my 3rd sony, I only saw minimal improvement. I was a bit hesitant to switch brands but after fiddling with a couple of canon's from friends, I decided it was time to switch. After having this camera for about a month and a half, I don't think I can ever go back to a sony. To say the SD900 is awesome would be an understatement. It is by far the most versatile camera I've ever used. It takes beautiful pictures in low light, indoor, and outdoor settings, but what sets this camera apart is that it takes great pictures of constantly moving objects like cats and kids in these backdrops as well! The colors are rich and natural, not washed out by the flash like my sony cameras. The images are crisp in detail and even in light distribution. With the high ISO setting on the camera, you can take beautiful indoor shots without a flash that no other camera can handle. The battery life is good and the lag between pushing the button and actually having the photo take isn't bad. There are faster cameras out there that are quicker in response time but the quality pictures I keep getting from this camera is more than enough to overlook this. My sony n1 took great video but often had a hard time keeping focus on the subject matter. It would constantly go in and out of focus and make it difficult to watch sometimes. The SD900 totally blows the n1 out of the water when it comes to taking quality videos. The videos are crystal clear even when cats or kids are running around wild which is something I never experienced with a sony camera. I still prefer the sony interface and screen layout. Maybe that's just because I'm so used to it. The canon doesn't have the battery indicator that tracks battery life down to the minute nor does it have the storage gauge to let you know how full the memory card is at all times like the sonys. It's a bit annoying at times to not have these features but its no deal breaker. Overall, it's a great camera. It's a little bit on the expensive side because its canon's top of the line model. If you want something cheaper but don't want to give up the stellar performance, you should go with the SD630. I had that camera and after playing with it for a few weeks, I was thoroughly convinced that it was time to be a canon believer. I now see the light. If you want to see some of the awesome things the sd900 can do, view customer images and you'll see pictures of my cat that i took way up close. Keep in mind that these photos were not cropped or altered in any way by photo software. If you try to take a picture this close up with a sony, all you'll get is a blurry image. I hope this review was helpful and that you'll join me and all the other converts to the canon promise land.

It's amazing how much they can squeeze into such a small space. I have owned one form of the Elph or another, for the past 7 or 8 years, and they've always been top quality. This version is no exception. Everything you'd expect from one of the leading names in digital cameras. The screen is BIG, and the menus and onscreen information is clear and everything is very intuitive. The picture quality is fantastic! Crisp and hi res, with many options for size and quality. The detail on some of my shots is simply astounding! The video capture is some of the best I've seen from a none dedicated camera. The 640x480 @ 60 fps mode, is quite startling when you first see it. The improved video capabilities is one of the main reasons I upgraded. The battery life seems very good. Infact, I'd say it's a bit of an improvement over my last Elph. I purchased an extra battery, so I could be charging one, while using the other. I still haven't switched batteries yet :) Overall, very please. This is a great, stylish, neat, full featured, camera!

The camera is beautiful, and very sturdy. Going on looks, you won't be disappointed. It also takes wonderful pictures, in perfect conditions. I finally gave up and sold this camera, to replace it with a 950is. I highly recommend opting for a camera with IS.

I like my Canon Elph very much. It is not a perfect camera, but it is great for my needs. The main components that make it a good camera for me: 1. Being able to use either the screen or the optical viewer -- so few cameras have that last option, including most of the Canon P&S cameras. 2. Camera shake control, which allows me to get sharper images. 3. Size and weight enables me to carry it in my pocket or purse. The images can be enlarged quite a bit for a P&S, and the zoom feature is adequate to capture most scenes. I take snap shots of family and friends, but also capture some pretty nice scenics with this camera. It has a lot of manual features, which I have not begun to use enough. I had been used to Canon EOS Elan I and II film cameras, so changing to digital was a new experience. For photos I shoot these days, this P&S is adequate for my needs, even though I miss the SLRs and the darkroom. I already knew this camera, as I was replacing one just like it that got "frozen" and unusable, and that one had replaced a Canon SD700 Elph, which had fallen into the ocean surf with me, but which I liked very much. For the serious photographer, this would be an easy backup, but of course, the SLR would be better. For the more casual photographer, this camera takes very quality shots. Downside? It is slow. I often miss those quick shots of someone or something moving. It's not enough of a bother to me, as I'm not looking for a Pulitzer.... I do like this camera.

To make this short...I had a Sony 3.1 MP camera. Great pictures outside in sunlight, lowsy pictures indoor and in low light (like a lot of digital cameras) Switched entirely back to film...yes, real film cameras (I'm sure this is a typical 1st time parent move these days). That was short-lived and for anyone else thinking about it...don't do it. Recently bought the SD900. WOW! This camera is great! Size and weight are excellent. Feels like a $400 camera, not cheap and flimsy. There is a face recognition feature that seems to automatically make adjustments so you dont wash out your subject. The owner's manual (it came with 4) is a little intimidating. Haven't read it all of the way through. The way I figure it, its 2007. If they can't make the camera easy enough to use without reading a manual...I'm taking it back. They put a man on the moon for crying out loud! (allegedly) Anyway, like any technology...accept that in 3 years there will always be something better available. For now the Canon SD900 is the best thing out there. Great product!

I bought this camera and took it on vacation to Patagonia (Argentina). On the second day of the trip the camera got exposed to some (not a lot) of rain. It never worked again. I sent it back to the factory and they told me that it was irreparable and not covered by warranty. I have had numerous other Canon cameras in the past (digital, point and shoot, SLR) and never had any problems. I would not recommend this camera to anyone because it is very fragile. Beware!

I was looking for a pocket size 4 mega pixel camera for around $300. I'm glad I spent a little extra for this one: its simple to use, set it on auto and just point and shoot, or play around with the different settings. Its small, easy to carry around in a shirt pocket. Its durable, my daughter has a Sony Cybershot DSCW70 that had the lens pop out when she dropped it on the carpet. It has a view finder, which some cameras do not have, but the screen seems to work well even in bright sunlight. The picture quality is great. With the 1G memory card that I purchased separately it stores hundreds of pictures. The battery holds a charge well. The 10 mega pixel is more than I wanted, but it may come in handy if I want to crop pictures. It takes good video clips, too. April 2008: The viewing screen is scratched from carrying the camera in my pocket, my bad! I still love this camera. December 2012: The auto focus started giving me problems, its possilbe the camera got wet in the rain in Hawaii. Sent to Canon and they said the repair part is no longer available but they would sell me a refurbished Elph SD 320 HS for the repair cost of the SD900, $110.00. After reviewing the SD320HS I said no thanks, its not even close, fewer photography features and more wifi features. I liked the SD900 but it is now obsolete. I am concidering the Canon SX 260 HS, it sounds like an improved SD900, slightly larger, and a 20X zoom.

... I don't recommend getting it. First the good: This is the fifth digital camera I have owned and it is the one I liked best: It looks good, is small enough to carry around, and takes great pictures and movies. I did not have a problem with the fact that it does not have an image stabilizer, it still takes better pictures in almost all situations than my Panasonic Lumix DMC (which has one). The LCD display is good in all light conditions I experienced and seems robust enough in spite of its size. I've also found the camera easy to use. Now the bad: 7 months after I purchased the camera, the lens stopped retracting and the screen displayed "Lens Error". I checked on the internet and found that thousands of other people had this problem (also known as the E18 error) with the Canon Powershot cameras. I called the Canon repair center and they immediately recognized the problem and told me to send the camera in for repair. Several days later I received a repair estimate for $157 even though the camera was still covered by a 1 year guarantee. When calling the repair center I was told that the camera had scratches on the exterior and they would not honor the warranty. That's consistent with what I read on the internet: Canon is very reluctant to deal with the error. To me it seemed that the scratches on the exterior were entirely unrelated to the lens error. The camera has been handled with regular care and I've never had a similar problem with other cameras.