Excellent Camera for Excellent Price

I had a Sony digital I purchased in 2004 that I have somehow not been able to get rid of since it was performing so well. It was the one digital item I hadn't upgraded every few years, but I got a good price on a top-rated Canon camera and jumped on it. Here's why and what else I found out when I got it:

1) SD memory. I am completely SD/microSD right now for all my devices (digital camera, video camera, phone/Pocket PC, digital picture frame). That Sony-specific/more expensive memory was really getting on my nerves. Glad to be on the main stream with storage again.

2) Display screen. The screen on the back of this camera is twice the size of my Sony (it is 4 years old to be fair) and that is a very nice feature when you are used to a 2004 display screen. Almost all cameras now come with large screens though.

3) Size. This ELPH is much smaller than my previous camera.

4) Start-up time. You can take a photo in less than a second. Once you hit the power button, you can move your finger right to the take-photo button and hit it. It's unreal.

5) Canon quality. Apparently Canon makes good products before they had 2-3 of the top 5 cameras that I reviewed according to numerous sites.

6) Video quality. This camera features very high quality video, so much so that I probably won't use my actual digital video camera very much. It has a very high record rate for memory (56 MB for a 30-second video as an example) on the top setting, BUT you can knock it down to a lower quality for more storage if you need to. On high quality, the videos are unreal. I hooked the camera up to my TV directly and the video at full screen on a 32-inch was perfect. On a computer with 1400x900 resolution and 17-inch monitor it is crystal clear.

7) Interface. The camera's menu, the operating system if you will, is very user-friendly and offers many ways to customize the settings. The controls on the back aren't very obtrusive at all yet offer a lot of options.

8) Battery charger. No more cords to charge the battery inside, which my Sony had. This has a very VERY small charger, barely larger than the battery itself, which can plug into an outlet with the battery inside. This is a tremendous feature I hadn't read that I found when I opened it.

9) Price is excellent. $179 or less as of today almost everywhere online.

10) Durable. I handed my camera to someone to take a picture of my family the second day I had it and of course she dropped it on rocks (I was at a river/waterfall area). No performance problems although the side now has a scratch, which bothers me greatly when I think about it. It actually turned off and closed the lens when it hit the ground, which I thought was cool. I didn't check, but I'd guess there is a shock sensor that does this.

11) Picture quality. Probably something you want to hear about eventually. Every photo I took on the default setting was crystal clear. This has a high of 7.1 MP which is very very excessive of course. I am using 1600x1200 resolution, normal quality (called M3 on the settings). This gives a 300-400 KB image size, which is totally reasonable for long-term storage. You can use a variety of dimensions and qualities (super fine, fine, normal) within those dimensions as well to customize what you want. I rarely print pictures and mostly just archive them and share online/use as desktop backgrounds so I don't need anything more than 1600x1200 with normal quality. If I knew I was taking a picture I'd print, I'd pump it up and I have ample room to do so.

It has the options of customized scenes too (kids/pets, fireworks, underwater believe it or not, etc.). I find the auto setting works for me, but if you knew more about cameras, you may want to customize or use scenes.

12) Memory card access. To remove the memory card it is very simple and convenient. Most cameras are, but I figured I'd address it in case you were wondering. Battery is in the same place as well.

13) Battery life. I can't actually comment on this much since I have had the camera only a few days, but I used it a great deal and am on the first charge still.

One negative so far is lack of display telling battery life/status. The display only alerts when it's low. I liked the Sony display which gave you the power meter all the time.

14) Hooking up to a TV. There is one short cable with one input into the camera and a video and audio out. When connected it is very easy to navigate through photos and videos and watch on the screen. I rarely used this before with other devices, but this camera makes it easy and good enough that I may do it more often.

15) Accessories. I ordered the Canon Accessory Pack 4, which has a case, extra battery, and long lanyard to wear it around your neck for 50 bucks. This is only slightly more than buying an extra battery itself and the price is reasonable. Extra battery is key if you are doubting whether you need one or not. Many times I have found I forgot to charge my battery and was going somewhere I'd need the camera. Battery number 2 is then ready to step up.

Overall I am very happy I upgraded to this camera and if you are in the market, this is my top recommendation.