1. 12.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality poster-size prints
2. 4x optical zoom and Optical Image Stabilizer; 2.5-inch LCD screen
3. DIGIC 4 Image Processor with evolved Face Detection Technology; Face Detection Self-timer
4. Uses 2 AA-size batteries
5. Compatible with SD/SDHC, MMC/MMC Plus/HC MMC Plus (not included)

Editorial Review :

12.1-megapixel effective recording * 4X optical zoom (4X digital/16X total zoom) * optical image stabilization * 2-1/2" LCD screen * viewfinder * 35mm equivalent lens focal length: 35-140mm * top JPEG resolution: 4000 x 3000 * 16:9 widescreen photo mode *

Customer Review :

I'm not pleased - poor pic quality, construction not durable

I bought this camera before Christmas 2009, and took lots of pictures during the colorful holidays. I was not thrilled with the results - photos seemed dull, flat, and uninteresting. Photos taken with my 6-year-old Sony were much better! Thought about returning the camera, but couldn't be bothered. Wish I had - camera recently fell off a low end table, and the small plastic clasp for the battery/memory card compartment broke off. Now, because compartment doesn't close properly, camera doesn't always work. I have a good excuse to get a different camera - think I'll go back to Sony.

Rating :

flimsy battery and memory card cover

light weight and very cute looking......great quality photos.....however, the battery and memory card cover is very flimsy and feels like it could break with very little force. My older canon's cover worked better and felt more heavy duty.

Rating :

Great value

We just took this camera on an extended trip abroad and were totally delighted with it. It made our old camera that we took along for backup look mediocre. Image stabilization is very good, exposure in low lighting was impressive, and automatic settings worked well to give us impressive photos. The only surprise was that there's no selection for image quality to control the size of the files.

Rating :

Gorgeous pictures but...

...this camera is a hard-core battery addict! I can use it for "maybe" an hour and the batteries are dead! This happens with or without the view screen on. I either need to get a ton of rechargeable batteries or a power cord!

The pictures are beautiful! I use the macro mode for taking pictures of jewelry and they come out crisp and clear. I'm not a shutterbug by any means so it took me a while to figure out why they were coming out so HUGE.

If the batteries would last longer I'd love this camera!

Rating :

Don' like

Siempre tuve nikon, primero una L4 y luego una L11, pero ahora me cambié para canon, .. el software es mejor del canon, pero la calidad de fotos es muy inferior la de canon.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. 3.5-inch LCD with Touch Panel Technology; customization of touch screen icons and touch AF/AE
2. 14.1-megapixel resolution for high-quality prints up to 16.5 x 23.4 inches
3. 24mm ultra wide-angle lens; 5x Optical Zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer
4. 720p HD movie shooting capability plus HDMI output
5. Smart AUTO will intelligently selecting from 22 predefined settings; scene modes such as Miniature Effect and Fisheye Effect

Editorial Review :

Touch. It's always been the heart of communication. Simply put your finger to the brilliant 3.5-inch wide PureColor System Touch Panel LCD screen, and the versatile excellence of the Canon PowerShot SD3500 IS Digital ELPH is at your command. Naturally, a camera this smart and intuitive knows a few things about style. Color gleams, while smooth curves reveal a definite edge. Touch the future!

Customer Review :

Excellent or Acceptable Depending on your Usage

Alright, so the basic features of this camera (minus the tilt shift and fish eye, and the resolution) are pretty much the same as a previous model i owned.

I knew what to expect from this camera but with only a few slight improvements. It was the exact same cost as the model I had before (which thoroughly impressed me), so I had no problem switching it out for this one.

The full touch screen made two-handed menu navigation much easier to get through versus having to use buttons with the right and thumb on the left. basically you can safely hold the camera and use both thumbs (or even fingers depending on how you hold it) to use the screen. I dig the fluff features like tapping the side to navigate the photos and clicking (think iphone/ipod touch).

One piece that I will touch on here is the quality of the presets. While there are certain scene settings you would use for certain situations (snow fireworks, etc) they do not do a thorough or specific enough job explaining when you'd want to use this versus the "P" (program). The low light scene setting is the most disappointing. You can't simply flip it on and expect fantastic pictures as if you had a good natural light source. The flash is a default with this, so if you're trying to get something close-up in a darker setting, beware. Otherwise, the setting is OK with a flash, so long as you are not right up on the subject or trying to capture something reflective. I simply have personal presets that I picked out to avoid using the flash at all. Generally for low light settings, I opted to program my own so I can choose the ISO that fits it the best. Just know that the higher you set the ISO, the grainer you pictures will become. This is something that is a universal thing, not just specific to this camera. The same goes with digital zoom. This is a point/shoot camera so it DOES have limitations; I'm well aware of that, so if I need something i know it can't do, I just use my highzoom Fuji or DSLR NikonD3000.

You can't have a single camera that is going to be able to do everything perfectly. But I will say that unlike some other reviewers I found the quality that comes from this model in generalized scene settings or even auto is actually quite good compared to other cameras i've used over the years.

As for the HD video. I have to agree on that point. There was more that could have been done with it. But you know what? People forget this is a still-shot camera FIRST, and a VIDEO camera SECOND. Video recording is an feature, not a function. You will have less options and control with it. same goes for video cameras that take still shots. Often the MPs are lower, and the quality leaves a lot to be desired. The only exceptions are some of the DSLRs with video features, but smooth zooming is often a problem for most people with those. Solution? If you want great HD video recording, get a video camera. There's nothing easier than that.

Battery life is acceptable and about average compared to other model cameras, but if you plan on taking out for an entire day, I suggest picking up a second battery as a back-up. Being forced to use the LCD screen for everything drains the battery fast, but it does have an auto shut-off to conserve energy. While some people don't use it, i will would have liked to have had a view finder, however the lack of one in now way kept me from buying this camera.


Be weary of putting a screen protector on the back. Unless you get one from Canon meant for this model camera, or from an authorized Canon dealer, you can damage the screen. Having a screen protector can interfere with the touch-screen interface.



This isn't the Magic Hat of cameras. Everyone is going to have their own personal view on it and find things they love or hate. My suggestion is if you can find a retail store with a working display, go look at it in person first. That's the best way to judge if its going to suit your needs or not. Or if you know someone who happens to have one, even better. I've already gotten some beautiful 16x20 prints, and 18x24 is pretty good too (however at this size, you need to make sure your picture quality is top notch).

If you're using a high ISO setting, or a longer shutter speed, use a tripod- the slightest shake in your shake WILL blur/ghost the image; again, that is something that happens to all cameras. They sell a variety of smaller tripod (the grypton ones are fun and versatile).

Perhaps in the future these limitations will be eliminated, but that remains to be seen.


All in all, I knew what I was getting from this camera. The price is exceptionally reasonable considering all you get.
I'm not disappointed by any means, because I figured out very quickly how to manipulate the settings to get better picture than the scene settings could produce. It definitely suits my needs for this category of camera; I really just needed this guy to take around the town and on nights out, because who really wants to tote a DSLR with telephoto lenses or a clunky highzoom to a bar ;)

Rating :

Fudging the numbers

This camera has an absolutely mesmerizing touch screen that will immediately seduce you. But while Canon chose to innovate in this area, the rest of the camera falls far short of the quality they've been known for. The camera boasts 14.1 MP and an ability to shoot "HD" video at 1280 x 720. This is true...technically speaking. Canon achieves this by fudging the numbers. While the HD video is indeed 1280 x 720, it's at a data rate of 23.9 Mb/s. To put this into perspective, older Canon models (going as far back as the SD700IS...3 years ago) shot 640 x 480 video at 15 Mb/s and above. Simple math should tell you that while Canon has doubled the video size, it hasn't doubled the data rate. The resulting video actually looks WORSE per-pixel than other Canon models, even models that are 3 years old. The same is true for the 14.1 MP JPEGs. While they are indeed 4320 x 2432 with images around 3 MB, Canon's older model cameras have much larger file sizes per megapixel than the SD3500IS (6 MP files at 1.8 MB). This means that the image quality per-pixel is actually significantly worse than older cameras. The result is grainy photos, ghosting and halos around almost every edge, and exaggerated contrast. This is absolutely noticeable, even given the enormous image size. (In "auto" mode, the camera always tries to shoot with the aperture wide open, usually around 2.8, further decreasing image quality)

Canon also boasts a wide-angle lens. Indeed that's true. In certain circumstances this is a great feature. Shooting huge landscapes is this camera's strong suit. But the drawback is the absolutely enormous amount or parallax you get in return for this wide angle. Getting straight lines with this camera is virtually impossible. There is a significant "fishbowl" effect to all the images. Faces and objects distort as they move away from the center of the image, resulting in eggplant-shaped heads and heavily leaning walls. You have to constantly think about shot composition, exactly centering important subjects. Personally I find this incredibly antithetical to a fun shooting experience.

Two good things I will say about this camera; Canon has finally fixed their flash woes (this flash is stellar), and the touch-focus is brilliant. While these two things are great, the drawbacks far outweigh the benefits.

On paper the Canon PowerShot SD3500IS is a beautiful and technically adept camera. The reality is something altogether different, and very disappointing.

Rating :

Great little camera

My last camera was pretty ancient - a Canon SD630. I bought it some years ago, and it was top of the line. It still takes really good pics for a camera its size. But, I felt it was time to upgrade. When I took my first SD3500 picture, the first thing I noticed was that it did a great job with the colors, even with the flash at close quarters. My second impression was that the photo looked a tad soft compared to my SD630, so I fired up an image editor to look at the quality.

The SD3500 *seems* to favor color quality and accuracy over sharpness. My SD630 seems to prefer sharpness at the expense of color quality. I did a fair test by setting both cameras' flashes off and doing a timed tripod shot of the same subject. The SD3500 produced noticeably sharper images, so my fears that the optics weren't there were allayed. I think if there is softness, it comes from image processing and not from the actual optics.

Auto mode is really, really good. I truly feel confident in leaving it in that mode as it seems to find its footing every time. And when the flash goes off, though I expect to see a whitewashed foreground and a darkened background, I get a very color-rich and white-balanced image. Again, auto mode really works.

Video quality was good, not great. I can get pretty clear 720p video, but it's nothing that will astound anyone. Zoom during shooting is definitely digital, so pre-optical zoom before shooting.

All of my testing tonight has been in low light, so that could also explain some lack of sharpness. Can't wait to try this in the sun.

The touch screen is responsive enough, though I find the photo swiping and pan scrolling gestures to be a bit slow and laggy. Other gestures and button presses work pretty well. Not iPhone quality UI, but not bad at all. Photos and videos look really great as the screen res is very high and colors are very saturated.

Build quality - well, Canon always does a great job. The SD3500 feels to me just a hair lighter than it looks, which is a good thing I think. I like the less gawdy design than some of Canon's other designs.

Is this camera better than the SD980? I honestly don't know as my upgrade isn't from that camera. I do know that I really like this camera.

Pros:
- Seems to focus on color quality over sharpness
- Auto mode always produces good to great results
- Touch interface works great, overall, and the side tapping is useful
- Touch to focus, smile detector, blink detection, and all that stuff actually does work well.
- Image Stabilizer is not overdone, and still gives you responsiveness.
- The various shooting modes are fun to play with
- Great build quality

Cons:
- Some aspects of the touch interface could be more responsive
- No optical zoom during video shooting
- No high frame rate video modes
- HDMI and USB doors are a little hard to get open
- Mini HDMI cable is not included. Cmon Canon, it's like $2 from Amazon.
- Well, er, seems to focus on color quality over sharpness.

Rating :

Less than expectations

I recieved this camera one day ago...I have many P&S all of them are less expensive but regarding the image quality,all of them better than this camera....I took few pictures under sun light and the image quality is not bad but not great...They are close to the kodak M340 which is one sixth the price of this one....
The touch screen is very responsive,the design is good and it feels tough..These are the only advantages and why I gave it 2 stars...
But...I expected a camera with a fast shutter speed and no delay and at least can take good pictures...But realy this camera disappointed me...The indoor pictures are BAD even using the flash which takes the whole life to load ,and on top of that slow shutter speed..Pictures are noisy and you even don't want to look at them...I campared its pictures to the pictures of the Sony DSC-T500,Kodak M340,Kodak Z950 and Samsung TL225 and no comparison with the pictures of any of these....I tried all the settings hoping I'm wrong but all the indoor pictures were horrible.
Maybe my expectations were high...But this what you expect from canon and for this price...I hope I'm wrong but I don't think this camera worths $30.

Rating :

Great camera, very compact, beautiful screen and HD recording!

This camera is awesome.I have a Nikon SLR that I love but I get tired of lugging it around everywhere so I decided to look for a compact full featured point and shoot. Being a Nikon fan I was having a tough time deciding between the Nikon S8000 (which has 10x zoom and a 3.0 inch non-touch screen) and the Canon SD3500IS (because it was slightly more compact at the cost of a lower 5x zoom but it had a bigger 3.5 inch screen touch screen). It reminded me of trying to decided between a Honda(Nikon) and a Toyota(Canon), both are quality japanese products where you really can't lose either way, the honda feels more sporty but the toyota is more refined. Needless to say I went with the Canon SD3500IS because although a 10x zoom on a point and shoot would be nice my top priority was a compact camera with a proven track record. The Canon SD line has has been around a lot longer than the Nikon Cool Pix line so I feel Canon has much more refinement and experience in the point and shoot category. I think both are really good cameras but for my needs the Canon won out by a slim margin. I've had it for a few days now and here is what I've noticed so far.

Pros: 5x optical zoom, 3.5 inch screen, image stabilization (which seems to be standard now on most point and shoots), really good Auto mode (automatically detects the best out of 20 settings based on the current shooting conditions, save yourself the time of spinning a dial and trying to choose the best macro mode, just put it in auto and be convinced you picture will come out right), touch auto focus(touch what you want to focus on the screen and the camera will lock on the target even if you move the camera around), 24mm wide lens(everything fits in the screen).

Cons: I'm not sure if this is really a con but with the screen being so big and the camera so compact your thumb will definitely get all over the right side of the screen because there is not much extra space on the right to hold it, so make sure you get a screen protector! At the time I write this review the camera has only been out for about a week so I have yet to find a website listing screen protectors for the SD3500IS.

Summary: Great camera but you will want to be careful with the screen.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. 12.1-megapixel resolution; 28mm wide-angle lens with 4x optical zoom and Canon's Optical Image Stabilizer
2. Capture 720p HD movies; HDMI output connector for easy playback on your HDTV
3. Crisp 2.7-inch PureColor System LCD with wide viewing angle
4. Improved Smart AUTO intelligently selects from 22 predefined shooting situations
5. Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)

Editorial Review :

Your camera says a lot about you - and according to Canon's PowerShot SD940 IS, you're into hot design and cool technology. Emerging from your jeans pocket or purse like a sleek little jewel, the PowerShot SD940 IS makes a statement before you even take a picture. And the menu ensures easy access to all its advanced Canon technology, where 12.1 megapixels, improved smart auto mode and 720p HD movies are just the beginning.

Customer Review :

Decent digital camera with HD video recording

I got this camera just a few weeks ago and I shot a few movies in 720p and a few hundred pictures. It's the third Canon SD camera I have so I am quite used with the series. The first one died after almost 6 years, the second is still in use after 3 years.
The camera looks small even if it's the same size as the other 2 - it's because the rounded corners. The buttons are OK, the menu has a huge selection of modes, but not a manual one, the image quality is very good for a camera with lenses and sensor that small.
Recording video is easy and the quality is good, but there are 2 serious problems: 1. the length is limited not to the space on the card but to some limits Canon imposed with no evident logic behind it and 2. the video is recorded as H264 (great) in a .MOV container (very bad). Editing the video with popular tools like VirtualDub is almost impossible because of the poor choice of the container - AVI is far more popular.
One strange problem with the camera is that opening the door to the card compartment shuts down the camera even if the lens is out. I understand why to shut down (it is possible to extract the battery) but no idea why it does not retract the lens.

Rating :

great cam

I got this camera for my mom for her bday. She loves it. Its a great camera. Takes guality pictures, small and slim. The black looks good. I recommend this camera for anyone.

Rating :

Disappointing image quality overrides the benefits.

I have loved my Canon cameras, all the way back to my FTb (now you know I'm no kid). I thought I would replace my battle-scarred SD870 with the tiny SD940, after all it has about the same optical specs and more MP. I really like the small size, the black matte finish, and the overall high-quality construction - just like all the Canons I have owned. However, the image quality just doesn't cut it. I'm not sure why that is, I thought it was just the fact that I was taking a lot of indoor photos in natural light. But after I tested it in full sun, shooting landscapes, they were very soft as well. There is no excuse for that type of performance in a $250 camera in today's world. For me, image quality is most important because I do books and some large prints, and the SD940 has noticeably poorer image quality than the 3-year old SD870. I had to sell it, now I'm looking for a replacement.

Rating :

overall, really great...

funny to read reviews on amazon; same item, some people love it, others hate it.

am surprised about the negative reviews for this camera; i've had three other canon's, this is my fave. great pictures, good options. i use it more for "art" shots, (see? i put that it quotes to NOT be obnoxious), so am using Vivid color, center-focusing (instead of face), and iContrast. i NEVER use the flash.

am really pleased with the pictures i am taking, and the video is great too (when i use it, which is rare).
great ergonomics, great size. the black version is unobtrusive. am carrying this everywhere.
will enjoy this for as long as it lasts (or until a newer camera insists on being bought...)

Rating :

Great camera to take everywhere

Most of my photography revolves around my daughter. After noticing that out of the thousands of photos I have taken of my daughter, I didn't have very many with me and her. Carrying a DSLR around everywhere is inconvenient and I wanted something better than my iPhone so I started looking for something I could put in just about any pocket. I read reviews for about two weeks before deciding on this camera. The picture quality is decent enough and it takes 720p video. Its also very easy to hold out at arms length to take a photo of myself and my daughter when we're out and about. it's a great camera to photograph our adventures without getting in the way of the fun. It's also great for photographing places I want to return to later with my DSLR. Overall I'm very happy with it. The only criticism I really have is the battery life.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. 3.0-inch wide touch-panel PureColor System LCD; updated Active Display for quickly switching between images with a shake of the camera
2. Capture 720p HD movies; HDMI output connector for easy playback on your HDTV
3. 5x optical zoom with ultra-wide 24mm lens, plus Canon's Optical Image Stabilizer; 12 megapixels for amazing resolution and editing
4. Improved Smart AUTO intelligently selects from 22 predefined shooting situations
5. Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)

Editorial Review :

Canon's iconic ELPH has always been a show-off, with the looks and smarts that make you want to carry it out in the open for everyone to see. The PowerShot SD980 IS takes the concept even further with Canon's first-ever touch panel interface. The camera that invented sleek and slim is equipped with a huge 3-inch PureColor System LCD screen that responds to your touch, delivering operation that's as natural and intuitive as cutting-edge technology should be.Just touch your finger to the huge 3.0-inch PureColor System LCD panel and the PowerShot SD980 IS responds - creating a fun, natural interface that's just the way you want to interact with technology now. When shooting, you can choose an AF point, select a shooting mode, operate the flash, set exposure compensation and more. Playback functions are also performed at your touch: switch between images, scroll display, magnify a portion of an image and control movie playback.

Customer Review :

I love this camera!

This is my 3rd Canon compact camera. This camera has so many more features than the other versions I have had. I love the touch screen features. It makes using the camera much easier and faster when you need to change a setting.

Rating :

Great camera

My wife and I were looking for an inexspensive digital with at least 12MP. This camera is amazing. Loaded with features and picture quality is outstanding. Would definitely recommend. Great value!!

Rating :

Nice package but poor usability should make you think twice

I bought this camera hoping for nice general use and was disappointed by some fundamental shortcomings
The camera does well in well lit conditions or indoors at wide zoom levels. The features and touch screen works well after you get used to them
Indoors at more than half zoom and the camera struggles. The slow lens speed and small flash don't measure up to adequate performance
The 720p video is awesome, however be advised that you can not rotate wide screen movies if you take them portrait versus landscape format
Also, the camera does not provide a full owners manual - only an electronic one. This slows down the ability to get familiar with it.
Bottom line, if you need portability this is a good choice. If you need performance indoors forget it
In conclusion, I would recommend this only as a second camera to one that does better at any decent zoom settings and indoors

Rating :

Least Favorite Canon PowerShot

I certainly agree with the reviewers who have been saying the SD980IS produces fine pictures, but not in automatic mode. However, my review is less forgiving. If I buy a PowerShot, I expect it to perform well in ALL modes. I typically prefer to shoot in the manual modes, but there are times when I really like to go fully automatic and not think about settings.

I kept hoping there would be some type of firmware update that would tweak the settings in the automatic mode, but none have been produced yet. In auto mode, the picture quality is the lowest I've seen for any PowerShot, 8MP or greater. I tend to upgrade my pocket camera every year. I don't know if it is something unique to the sensor used in this camera or is a firmware issue.

I've traded my SD980IS for the Canon Powershot SD990IS 14.7MP Digital Camera with 3.7x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver). I was worried, because I was afraid it was an issue with the DIGIC 4 technology, but the pictures with the SD990IS are great in ALL modes.

However, the touchscreen features of the 980IS are fun to use and I like the ease for using the focus features it allows. Intuitive. Also, the VIDEO quality is excellent. Would like to combine the touchscreen features of the SD980IS with the picture quality of the SD990IS.

Rating :

What an upgrade !!

My last digital camera was a Canon Power Shot SD550 digital elph. I decided to buy a new camera for my trip to Costa Rica. after investigation I chose the Canon Power Shot SD980 IS. It was perfect for this trip. The touch screen makes it easy and fast to use in all types of settings. Anyone who has used an iphone will have no problem using this camera. It is small enough to fit in your pocket yet takes beautiful pictures for an amateur photographer. You can take pictures in bright light as well as almost darkness. The battery has a long life. It is easily charged. It is a perfect little camera.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. 14.1-megapixel resolution; 2.7-inch PureColor System LCD
2. 28mm wide-angle lens; 4x optical zoom and Optical Image Stabilizer
3. 720p HD movie shooting capability plus HDMI output
4. Smart AUTO intelligently selects from 22 predefined settings
5. New scene modes such as Miniature Effect and Fisheye Effect; Low Light mode for dimly-lit situations.

Editorial Review :

Shy and modest is so yesterday. Get ready for brilliance that's the center of attention once the PowerShot SD1400 IS Digital ELPH camera is in your hands. First glance says it all: nothing moves you like the impact of sleek sculpture, especially when it's drenched in the purest, ripest colors. Inside, Canon engineers defy micro-space with big, brilliant innovation. How do they do it? Who cares!

Customer Review :

No review yet