Canon IXUS 860 IS / PowerShot SD870 IS / IXY 910

Good resolution, excellent edge-to-edge sharpness, Useful zoom range (although no 28mm wide angle), Very clean results at lower ISO settings, Fast and accurate focus (although slightly slower in low light), Very responsive, Excellent user interface and...

Battery life when using LCD not brilliant, Slightly underpowered built-in flash, No 'A' or 'S' modes, generally little manual control, Auto White Balance performance under artificial light not brilliant, The usual problems of noise and noise reduction...

The SD850 IS is a typical example of what Canon does so well; a beautifully constructed, well designed and capable compact camera that doesn't break any new ground but does what it does with the refinement that comes from years of fine tuning and a...

Big, 3-inch LCD. Wide-angle lens. Touch wheel control.

No optical viewfinder. High ISO settings result in noisy images.

No optical viewfinder. High ISO settings result in noisy images.

Extra-wide zoom lens ; Big LCD (3 inches)

Not as well constructed as other Elphs ; Animated on-screen button is distracting

It's pricey, but the extra-wide-angle lens, the big LCD, and the well-thought-out exposure control system make this an attractive compact camera

Extra-wide zoom lens ; Big LCD (3 inches)

Not as well constructed as other Elphs ; Animated on-screen button is distracting

Though not made as sturdily as other Elphs, the SD870 IS has a big LCD, an extra-wide zoom lens, and takes great pictures.

Excellent build quality ; Effective image stabilization

Zoom button is somewhat uncomfortable ; Sibling model has wider lens, bigger LCD

The SD850 IS performs similarly to the newer SD870 IS but has a smaller LCD, a lens that isn't as wide--and a better price.

Good image quality (at lower ISO settings), Accurate metering in the majority of situations, Very useful lens range with surprisingly good edge-to-edge performance, Useful and adaptable Auto ISO-shift function, Handy macro performance at wide end of...

AiAF/Face detection a little haphazard, Occasional tendency to ignore (and overexpose) bright regions, Touch wheel slightly awkward, Image quality suffers above ISO 400 due to noise and noise reduction issues, Easily scratched and scuffed, Manual...

The SD870 IS follows in the footsteps of some highly regarded cameras so it's understandable that Canon has chosen not to tinker too much with a successful formula.

Excellent colors ; Great movies ; Excellent White Balance accuracy ; 3-inch LCD with wide view ; Trendy look ; 28mm wide lens ; Quick face detection

High noise above ISO 80 ; Poor dynamic range above ISO 80 ; Lots of over-sharpening ; 1.3 fps Burst mode ; Weak flash ; Expensive

The steady effectiveness is further enhanced when paired with the new "Auto ISO Shift" feature which, at the touch of a button, can automatically increase the ISO speed setting as required to maintain fast shutter speeds when shooting in low-light...

Great resolution on nicely sized LCD ; Camera body looks good ; Nicely organized menus ; Optical image stabilization ; Great Movie mode

Small, inaccurate optical viewfinder ; Horrible handling ; Tiny, crammed controls ; 230-shot battery ; Expensive at $399 ; Weak and spotty flash

Click to view the high-resolution images

Excellent portraits; all-around good photos

Few manual options; slow cycling with flash

If someone was to ask me which digital camera they should buy for everyday snap shooting, I would recommend the Canon SD850.