Canon Ixus SD850 IS 8Mp compact camera

Sleek and silver, Canon's PowerShot SD850 IS exemplifies its Digital Elph line: solidly built, beautifully designed and sweet to use. One of three Digital Elphs we've seen, this model has a simpler set of features compared with its siblings.

See also: Canon PowerShot SD950 IS review

Not that the Canon PowerShot SD850 IS comes poorly equipped. Another model in this line, the SD870, has a 3in LCD and an extra-wide-angle 28mm zoom (35mm equivalent), but the Canon PowerShot SD850 IS still offers a sharp, bright 2.5in LCD and a 4X optical zoom that starts at the more traditional 35mm (35mm equivalent).

Plus, Canon PowerShot SD850 IS has an optical eye-level viewfinder, which the SD870 IS lacks. For any photographer who likes to take quick shots or loves to shoot in bright sunlight, any eye-level viewfinder is a must-have.

In look and operation, the 8Mp Canon PowerShot SD850 IS is a near twin to the top-of-the-line, 12Mp SD950 IS. Both come wrapped in a rugged-feeling metal shell (the SD950's is titanium). With either, you get well-organised, efficient, and flexible exposure controls and silky-smooth operation. And since you can buy the Canon PowerShot SD850 IS for a lot less than its sibling, it's truly the better value for the average photographer.

One of the more interesting advantages of the Canon PowerShot SD850 IS over the other two models is its LCD. A common problem with many LCD screens is that they are difficult (sometimes impossible) to view when you're wearing polarised sunglasses - the screens in essence turn black.

According to the published specifications, all three cameras use the same LCD technology. But in bright sunlight, wearing expensive prescription (and polarised) sunglasses, the Canon PowerShot SD850 IS was the only one of the three cameras in this line we tested whose LCD we could easily view.

As with other Elphs, the Canon PowerShot SD850 IS has lots to like. All of the key exposure controls are grouped together on one screen. Scrolling through them and changing settings is about as quick and easy as it gets.

The innovative focus-check window, during the instant shot review, magnifies a portion of your photo, letting you know whether that future enlargement will be sharp. Advanced controls include exposure, flash, and focus lock, but no aperture- or shutter-priority or manual exposure controls.

NEXT PAGE: image quality, the down sides and expert verdict > >

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Total reviews: 4,313

• www.egears.co.uk
• eGears
• £195 inc VAT

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