Cheap Canon PowerShot SD1400IS 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Silver)

Ok, let me give you a little history. I've loved my little canon...that is an old canon, my PowerShot SD 400 5mp. It's pretty old. But you know what? It creates pictures 2-3x better in terms of sharpness than this pile. I honestly could not believe I'd ever be rating Canon bad, but it was so bad I just had to come on Amazon and take some time to write this huge review just to save others some pain. I have not looked at the canon compact cameras since about 5 years and wow, they have really changed for the worse. I cannot believe I just paid $230 for this plastic toy.

14 mega pixels? Ok, but who cares when the picture is always soft and lacks any sort of sharpness whatsoever no matter what you try. This camera is not even worth $100 in my opinion.

I am a decent amateur photographer who normally shoots with a $2000 professional SLR and a $600 professional lenz. No it does not mean I'm too picky. I know that these small point and shoot are not a $2000 SLR. But I also know surely they can and have produce much better pictures, something palatable to my eyes as they have in past canon cameras years ago. We bought this for my wife actually for a quick point and shoot for her (not me), just like our SD 400 from years ago which was absolutely stunning in picture quality. Being that I do know how to work a professional camera, it means I know how to keep a camera steady (tripod also) and this camera produces blurry edges on everything in your pictures. It does not matter how still you keep this camera. It's the quality of the lense that is absolutely just horrible. Canon should be just ashamed of themselves for ripping of customers like us.

The video is good. But the main function of this camera is TAKING PICTURES right? Exactly.

My assumption as to why there are so many 4 star ratings on these latest Canons is because they are given by people who just don't care about sharp pictures or just do not know the difference between a soft picture and a sharp picture...probably because they really don't pay attention much and probably never had a decent point and shoot previously. If they were to see the difference in quality in pictures when comparing this pile to something such as a Panasonic Lumix or Nikon CoolPix, they'd then start seeing the huge issue with these canons today.

Please take this review seriously. Don't waste your time with the latest Canons. SD 1300, ect. I would settle for "OK" but these pictures are "HORRIBLE". Again why? Because ultimately Canon changed out their good lens for some piece of trash. The lens is what makes a camera work well and is hands down the most important part of any camera you buy.

Go with the following alternatives instead:

- a Panasonic DMC-ZS6 (http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-ZS6-Digital-Optical-Stabilized/dp/B003NYRMGA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1277097609&sr=1-2) because they're using an much better lens from Leica (http://us.leica-camera.com/photography/), a top lens maker!

or

- a Nikon CoolPix (they are using their good ED glass on the lens http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-S8000-Vibration-Reduction-Black/dp/B0034XIM82/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1276817207&sr=1-1). One thing to note though on the CoolPix are that they produce poor videos. So if you really want great video along with great pictures go with the Panasonic Lumix camera line.

I ended up returning this piece of junk and ended up getting the Panasonic DMC-ZS6 a couple days ago, and it blew away my expectations both in picture quality and video.Get more detail about Canon PowerShot SD1400IS 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Silver).

Buying Canon PowerShot SD1200IS 10 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Orange)

The Canon SD1200 is a good ultra-small camera at the current price of around $150. For people planning to spend $200, there may be better choices from both Canon and Panasonic.

The materials and workmanship on the Canon SD1200 look cheaper than on my older Canon SD1000. The SD1000 looked like a very expensive camera, and the SD1200, up close, looks cheaply made. Looks don't always predict durability...judging by customer comments, it is likely that the two models are about equally reliable.

As with most small Canon cameras, photos taken in the "auto" mode are likely to be adequate, but seldom exceptional in quality. To get the best results with the SD1200, the owners should spend a couple of hours practicing setting exposure levels, ISO levels, and adjusting white balance, contrast, saturation, and sharpness. For most outdoor photos on a sunny day, the best results will come from "locking" the ISO at 100, dropping exposure 1/3 stop, decreasing contrast to the minimum, and increasing sharpness.

With practice, you can change exposure levels or ISO levels in less than five seconds. If a photo looks too bright or too dark, you can simply retake the photo with the exposure level adjusted for the best results. The tiny flash of the SD1200 works best if you "lock" the ISO at 200, and stay three feet to six feet from your primary subject. If you take a flash photo of a group of people sitting twenty feet away, you are likely to get poor results.

Read the complete owners manual, and work through all of the settings page by page. Many folks have, by accident, set their camera for macro focus and are surprised all of their photos are now blurry, or set the camera in a mode that takes tiny one meg sized photos, and are surprised by the photos not being sharp and detailed. A less than excellent photo with this camera will be the result of a mistake by the owner about 99 times out of a hundred.

The folks who complain about not getting sharp photos simply need to practice. To get sharp photos, you should press the shutter down halfway to lock the focus and exposure, hold the camera steady with both hands, and gently push down on the shutter. With practice, most people can get very sharp photos outdoors at shutter speeds as low as 1/15th of a second. The folks who hold their camera with one hand and fail to pre-focus will seldom get sharp photos with ANY small digital camera.

Although the SD1200 will fit into your jeans pocket, it belongs in a padded case. In your pocket, sooner or later you will damage the lens mechanism, and the lens will refuse to open or close. Or you will damage the viewing screen. Keeping the camera in a padded case in your bag or clipped to your built ensures many years of reliable service...and don't forget...never leave a digital camera inside a parked car...the 120 degree summer temperatues will fry its brain.Get more detail about Canon PowerShot SD1200IS 10 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Orange).

Buy Canon CLI-8Y Yellow Ink Tank

Thank you for providing this product, which is getting very difficult to find at retail and office specialty stores in my area. And, at a fair price and quick-shipping.Get more detail about Canon CLI-8Y Yellow Ink Tank.

Order Canon EOS Rebel T2i 18 MP CMOS APS-C Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only)

... and so do I. I use a 7D, she likes the T2i because it is lighter but otherwise nearly equal to the 7D. Biggest difference is the slower frames-per-second. She formerly used T1i which tended to "hunt" focus. The T2i is much better at holding focus and is faster to boot. Our habit was to skip a body generation but the reviews on the T2i convinced me to get one asap. Good decision.Get more detail about Canon EOS Rebel T2i 18 MP CMOS APS-C Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only).

Shop For Canon BP511A 1390mAh Lithium Ion Battery Pack for Select Digital Cameras and Camcorders

I always purchase brand name products when dealing with my expensive gear. If im using in in my expensive body im not putting cheap replica batteries in them. The life of the battery is great and you can shoot for a whole day without the battery dying.Get more detail about Canon BP511A 1390mAh Lithium Ion Battery Pack for Select Digital Cameras and Camcorders.

Canon CLI-8M Magenta Ink Tank

I have been using Canon printers and ink for many years. I like the printers that use the individual ink colors best. Although the Canon ink is expensive, the resulting prints are wonderful. Amazon's price, delivery time, and shipping costs are as good as gets.Get more detail about Canon CLI-8M Magenta Ink Tank.

Canon PIXMA iP4700 Premium Inkjet Photo Printer (3742B002) Review

What can I say.....I have yet to be disappointed with any Cannon printer. I ALWAYS research big purchase items through Amazon being such in invaluable review tool...I love you AMAZON.

Back to the printer. I almost fell for the Kodak printer because of ink cost...the big seller. I hate buying ink and Kodak does develop excellent pictures so I was about to stray away from my beloved Cannon. But after reading the reviews there was no way I was going to settle just to save on the ink cost. So I got my new printer in the mail and WOW. You can't go wrong, you really can't.Get more detail about Canon PIXMA iP4700 Premium Inkjet Photo Printer (3742B002).

Canon Rebel XS 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black) Top Quality

It looks great. I am giving it as a gift, so I don't know how well it works yet. Has come highly recommended by photographers.Get more detail about Canon Rebel XS 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black).

Canon CB-2LV Battery Charger for the Canon NB-4L Li-Ion Battery This instant

This is the same exact charger that came with my camera. It works the same as the original, because it is the same as the original. I'm happy with my purchase, and would completely recommend it to anyone that's lost their Canon charger.Get more detail about Canon CB-2LV Battery Charger for the Canon NB-4L Li-Ion Battery.

Canon PowerShot SX210IS 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 14x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD (Black) Immediately

I just tried out my new Canon SX210IS today and I am very happy with it. I've read some negative reviews about it so I was prepared for a disappointment. But I'm glad to say it works great for me. The pictures were mostly taken in bright sunny conditions and the bright scenes were a little washed out but iPhoto on my Mac lets me tweak them so they come out great. Nothing will help out of focus pictures though. I knew which ones I goofed on so it was no surprise when they came out blurry. I never used a tripod on any shots and as lightweight as this camera is you won't need a very big one to hold it anyway. I took all of the pictures on AUTO or Macro to start off and I will use all of the manual adjustments later. I was in such a hurry to see how they would come out I didn't read up on advanced settings yet. I still own a Canon G9 which takes beautiful pictures that can look outstanding with iPhoto in my Mac. It seems to have plenty of scene choices that can be accessed easily enough to experiment. The auto focus did hunt some in darker conditions in the swampy area I was photographing in. But I still got some great shots and used photo lock to focus on a near object then moved to the object I wanted. I will mostly be taking outdoor photos so auto focus in dark conditions won't be a problem for me. The zoom worked great too taking some full optical zoom pictures of wildlife that look great. I only used the video a couple of times so that's a work in progress keeping it steady,the auto focus worked good while filming and I zoomed in with no problem also. I only use video for a few minutes at a time so it's not that big a deal. This isn't a camcorder too! Just a little extra to use every so often. I took 102 photos and a couple minutes of video in about 2 hours in the park. I didn't check the battery afterwards, I just put it on to recharge when I got home. I can't really say how long the battery will last but I'm not a professional who'll be out all day shooting photos so I'm happy. I will say the small controls on the back are not made for people with large hands. I found it easier to use them the more pictures I took and made adjustments. The menus and the wheel to navigate them is pretty cool to. Just download the manual on your computer and read up on the things you want to try. Don't try to do everything in one day. Put it on auto and see how you do then move on . This camera easily fits in your pocket or a small holster. I just left the flash down until I needed it and that way it never got in my way when I was holding the camera. This was the biggest complaint by most people but you just open it manually for an easy solution to me. Overall I highly recommend this camera because it gives you the best of all worlds in such a small package.Get more detail about Canon PowerShot SX210IS 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 14x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD (Black).

Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras Best Quality

I'm just a casual photographer who is learning about all of this stuff, and this was the first lens I bought other than the one that my Canon came with.

With the kinds of shots I take (live theater, wildlife, etc.) it's absolutely fabulous. I have no problems with picture clarity, and I have really steady hands which makes stabilization a non-issue.

This would not be the best lens to get if you want to shoot sports or something, but I'm very happy with it.Get more detail about Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras.