Great Camera with prob
I love this camera --that is everything except the high pitch whine that starts when it is turned on and won't stop until the lens is zoomed. Canon is not aware of prob. but 3 diff cameras at Best Buy did the same thing. I hope they can correct this as this camera is very good otherwise. Fast and solid construction and good looks. After zooming lens you can still hear a low level static if you put it up to your ear. Sounds like motor is still running.

Canon SD700
Camera is great but no camera is perfect.

I have been waiting for 2 months for this camera, and for the most part it was worth the wait.

A few things that irritated me the most compared to my previous Sony camera were :

a) resolution of the screen (not of actual photo, those were great)

b) the battery/memory compartment squeeks a lot

c) noise of the zoom

d) cheap plastic dial.

Overall I give it 4 out of 5 but I am not sure it is worth the high price....

I will keep mine though

Great but a few early bugs
This camera is near perfect. I love the ability to have a compact camera that does great image-stabilized video (and pictures).

The big negative, as others have mentioned, is the noise issue. It is coming from the lens image stabilizer, which inherently makes noise. That normally wouldn't be a problem, but the microphone is too close and picks it up. All my videos have poor, crackly audio, which is a shame, since that's the main reason I bought the camera... great videos.

Also, two controls are very awkward to use - the On/Off switch and the mode selector (they are better on the SD 630).

All in all, very good camera, but still needs some of the initial bugs worked out.

Nice camera, but listen to the zoom before you buy...
I really love a lot of things about this camera. The

PROS:
Image is the usual canon quality.
Like the new iso 800 and image stabilization.

Cons:
My videos are marred by this whirring sound .... I sure hope they fix this, its quite annoying. Maybe I should have gotten the SD630?

Best compact camera I have ever seen.
After falling asleep with my SD400 in my pocket and crushing the screen I needed a new camera. I had found the SD400 to work very well and take great picture, but the features felt slightly unrefined compared to some of the larger cameras I have used.

The SD700 is the perfect compact camera, it does not have these problems. It crams enormous image size and quality, image stabalization and refined controls into a tiny body (slightly larger then the SD400).

The menues and interface feel like using a Mac! Simple large icons which animated by getting larger as you scroll across them.

I am just blown away by this camera.

Oh it does make noises when you move the zoom, it sucks. The video are not the best but I didn't buy it shot video.

Great pictures, terrible audio quality in videos
The picture quality of this camera is excellent. I have to question reviews that I've read on the net, wondering if they actually used the camera, or just chose to summarize the product literature. When taking videos, the sound quality is terrible. There is a sizzling sound that is always present. I have tried taking clips indoors and outdoors. With IS turned on or turned off. In a nearly silent setting, or with music playing. In all cases, the sizzling sound and scratchyness was present. For comparison, I recently took a few video clips with an SD550 at a wedding. The audio did not have any of these problems with that camera.

Top notch camera
This camera rocks. I upgraded from my older s400, which was also a great camera.

Pros:
4x optical zoom
6MP with optical image stabilization
with a 4gb SD card, holds 1300+ images or 35+ minutes of 640x480x30fps video (whoot!)
FAST when viewing pictures and when taking pictures. Love that DIGIC II processor.
top-notch build quality
smaller than my older sd400

Improvement opportunities:
Lose the optical viewfinder, use a 3" lcd.
Allow optical zoom during video

Powerful Punch in a Tiny Package
Quiet Operation Yields Top Quality Photos and Nice Videos.

I've used my SD700 IS for several days now. Before receiving it I was concerned about the reviews on Amazon that talked about the noisy video problem. However, the first reviews were written before the camera was released in the US. So I crossed my fingers. I got my camera from Crutchfield. (By the way, their custom service was excellent!)

I have been unable to reproduce the noisy video problem. My videos are *not* noisy and sound good (for a camera of this size). I will say that if I turn up my computer's volume as loud as it will go...THEN there is some ambient background noise. But the volume is extremely loud at that point and I expect a tiny microphone to have some noise when played back at such a high level. For normal video shooting and playback, my SD700 sounds just great. I've tested it with an without the image stabilization activated and the videos do not have any excess noise. Also, my zoom is quiet! Anyway, my experience with the camera obviously differs from others'. Not sure if that helps you or not.

As far as the picture quality, I am also happy. Most of my shots so far have been indoors in the evening using the flash. Color saturation is fine and flash coverage is really good. (I'll upload some examples if I get a chance.)

Hindsight being 20/20, I'm not sure the image stabilization is something I needed. With a flash, it really isn't necessary and I've been an amateur photographer for many years so I know how to hold a camera. I'm sure the IS will be handy if I'm ever in a situation when I'm taking photos from a moving car, or letting someone else use the camera. But if I had to make the purchase all over again I'd probably get the SD600 or SD630 and save a few bucks.

It has a slew of settings including ISO 800, focus lock, flash lock, custom exposure and slow shutter setting. So although it lacks aperture and shutter priority there are still plenty of adjustments I can make in order to get a good shot (though this hasn't bee necessary so far).

PLUSES:
1. Looks beautiful and feels very solidly made when holding
2. Fast startup, fast refresh (I'm using a SanDisk 1GB Ultra II SD card)
3. Image Stabilization.
4. Quiet operation.

MINUSES:
1. Does not come with a case.
2. Does not have aperture or shutter priority modes.
3. Does not record MPEG format (video) or RAW (photo).
4. At close to $500, it's a bit spendy.

One of the best ultra compacts
In 2005, large 2.5" LCD was the feature-to-get in ultra compact category. For 2006, it is the image stabilizer. Canon's PowerShot SD700 IS is its first ultra compact with an image stabilizer. Similar to Canon's DSLR cameras, SD700's image stabilizer is an optical variation implemented on the lens, commonly referred as OIS or Optical Image Stabilizer. In contrast to electronic image stabilizer found on many other cameras, OIS does not soften the image when activated. It consumes more battery power, however. Its OIS is based on Canon's latest and greatest implementation, with support for tripod and panning (mode 2). With OIS engaged, SD700 stabilizes vertical camera movements (typically caused by shaky hands), significantly reducing image blur. Image blur is also common when shooting under low light (indoor and night time) or telephoto (zooming in). Since it stabilizes vertical movement, it is mostly effective against horizontal compositions. Canon claims SD700's OIS is good for 3 stops and no, it won't reduce image blur in demanding conditions (e.g., fast moving action, rapid panning). And certainly, do not expect to capture stable image with your hand moving.

Pros:
- Stylish and compact.
- Image stabilizer works well.
- Very low noise image up to ISO 200 and usable at ISO 400.
- Excellent high resolution 2.5" LCD (480 by 360) that shows 100% of the image.
- 4x optical zoom lens, rated f/2.8 to 5.5.
- Lots of scene programs to match various shooting conditions.
- Fast operation (focuses well under 0.5 seconds, 2.1 shots per second, no noticeable shutter lag).
- Excellent user interface.

Cons:
- No shutter speed nor aperture opening priority overrides.
- Red-eye flash not very effective.
- Wimpy power switch and mode selector knob.
- In movie mode, microphone picks up the lens motor noise.
- Optical viewfinder is not terribly usable.

SD700 addresses many issues surrounding SD550 (previous SD flagship), such as noisy image at or above ISO 200, short battery life, and low resolution LCD. Images taken at ISO 200 are virtually noise free (SD700's ISO 400 images look cleaner than SD550's ISO 200), battery life is increased by 60% (240 vs. 150 shots), and LCD is 50% sharper (173,000 pixels vs. 115,000).

Careful observer will notice lower resolution smaller image sensor, decreased from 7.1 MP 1/1.8" (7.2mm) to 6 MP 1/2.5" (5.8mm). While this may seem like a bad thing, it is not. For one thing, both 6 and 7.1 MP translate to detailed 8.5" by 11" prints. More significantly, thanks to lower pixels per unit area, SD700 is capable of producing lower noise image than SD550. Combined with OIS, you can take far cleaner image under low lighting. The lens is based on Canon's Ultra High Refractive Index Aspherical technology, which can capture fairly sharp images. Although you will not mistake its images for DSLR's, it's at the upper echelon of ultra compact camera. At 1x wide angle, distortion is pretty low and vignetting is pretty minor. At 4x telephoto zoom, distortion is imperceptible.

As with most point-and-shoot cameras, SD700's optical viewfinder -- useful for getting steadier shots, lowering power usage, or shooting under bright sunlight that may wash out the LCD -- is incapable of accurately representing the actual image and shows only 82% of the image being shot. In addition, doing so will cause your nose to smudge the LCD constantly. Fortunately, its LCD is gorgeous and very accurate. The trend is 3" at even higher resolution, but I found SD700's LCD to be very nice, better than video capable iPod. That said, I generally preferred SD550's ergonomics, particularly for its power button and mode selector knob. On SD700, they feel cheap and fussy. For the most part, however, SD700 feels solid and well built with very good ergonomics inside and out.

Since I use dedicated MiniDV camcorder for movie needs, I did not play with SD700's movie mode much. My SD700 did pick up some lens noise that others have indicated, although far from unusable amount. Recording at the highest setting (640 by 480 at 30 frames per second) produced very good looking video. SD700 captures video using Motion JPEG codec (similar to DV), which is known for inefficiency but high quality capture. Audio is only mono. Due to 1 GB file size limitation, it can record up to 8 minutes worth of continuous video at the highest quality setting. By bumping down the frame rate and/or resolution, such as 320 by 240 at 15 frames per second, you can record about 45 minutes worth of continuous video.

Perhaps my only major complaint is lack of shutter speed and aperture priority modes. I suppose I should be fair and note that most ultra compact digital cameras do not have these controls either. I think Canon could easily implement them, especially considering the price. (Like SD550, SD700 has only the long shutter speed, which is entirely different function designed to capture static image under low light.) Faster shutter speed captures fast moving action with clarity (e.g., capturing individual rotating helicopter blade). Slower shutter speed captures their motion blurred (e.g., silky waterfall texture, blazing car lights). In comparison, aperture priority lets you control the amount of light entering the camera. By varying the opening, you can control the depth of field. With SD700, neither of these fine controls are available. To compensate, SD700 has a large number of programmed scene modes to cover general shooting conditions but not enough to satisfy manual buffs.

All in all, SD700 is an excellent point-and-shoot ultra compact, possibly the best one on the market. It is no doubt expensive, but its ability to take stable image under challenging lighting condition makes it very attractive. Due to its price, one may be tempted to go with SD630 (about $100 cheaper than SD700; 3" LCD without optical viewfinder) or SD600 (about $150 cheaper; 2.5" LCD with optical viewfinder). They are very similar in spec, but with 3 major differences. First, both lack optical image stabilizer. Second, both have 3x optical zoom lens (vs. 4x for SD700). Third, SD600 and SD630 use NB-4L battery, which compared to SD700's NB-5L's 240 shots (CIPA standard), yields 160 shots. If you are getting SD700, I recommend getting a protective case, an extra battery, and two large capacity memory cards.

Proud to Own: It's Worth It.
Stepping up from my Canon S40 to the Canon SD700 was the perfect choice for me. Since deciding that my old S40 wasn't up to pair with the versatility and compact size that I needed, I looked on Canon's website to see what new cameras were on the market. I compared three basically similarly built cameras: Canon's SD600, SD630 and SD700. Wow! I thought. List price of $499 for a camera? With the only difference being an added viewfinder, the color variations on the body and image stabilization?

Is this camera really worth it?

Being a VERY touchy / feeling / must test something out in person kind of gal, I went to Costco and Ritz Camera before finding a floor model at Best Buy. There, I was able to compare the SD 700 with Sony's 8.1 megapixel contenders and Nikon's family of digital cameras. I poked. I prodded. I made movies. I rationalized. I bought it.

I haven't looked back in regret since.

This camera is a powerhouse: It's small, quick to start, and you can use digital zoom while recording in video mode. The internal color filters while in SCN mode are a big plus: the less time I have to spend in Adobe Photoshop, the better.

Plus, the SD700 can even fit into my smallest bag WITH my keys and my wallet. This feature alone makes me want to take it everywhere with me. You never know when opportunities to take photographs may arise. And yes, I actually DO like the fact that like the SD600, this camera has a viewfinder. Personally, I thought the size of the LCD screen in the SD630 was too large. The black contrast matting surrounding the preview LCD screen in the SD 700 is perfect and just right.

Like Cameron below me, my zoom is quiet and I do not have a noisy video problem. You can change the exposure settings and shutter settings in limited variables. So far, this has not been a problem for me.

This camera works great while synching with my iMac and iPhoto.

If I had to do it all over again (including my week of internet research and in store questions) I'd choose this camera in a second. It has everything I wanted in my upgrade and I'm very satisfied with it. If you buy this camera, I'm sure you'll feel the same way.

Video is unacceptable
I have studied and read every review about all the compact cameras and felt that the SD700 would be the best choice by far. High quality pics with optical image stabilization is great. The only thing that concerned me was that some people complain about the noise when taking videos. I plan on doing a lot of videos with this camera and this was a big concern of mine. Strangely enough, the other websites with reviews never mention this. Only Amazon reviews.

Well, the camera arrived today and I was very excited by the size and feel. The first thing I did was take a video to see if the complaints were valid or not. I played the video on my laptop and I was shocked at how bad the sound was. It sounds like constant static. It's not real loud, but its very obvious that there is noise throughout the entire video. I turned IS off thinking that this might get rid of the buzzing noise. But no luck.

On a side note, some people have complained that the video files are not compressed and take up a lot of space. I agree with this as well. The videos are AVI files and they require 2MB per second of video.

I hate to say this (REALLY hate to say this), but I have to go back to studying more cameras and find another choice. The pics are wonderful and IS really works magic. But the noise is a deal breaker. If you plan on doing any videos at all, the sound quality on this camera is unacceptable.

------ UPDATE --------
I went back to the camera store to research the noise issue some more. I thought that maybe they would have a SD700 without the noise problem. So I took in a memory card to the store and literally did "silent movies" of different SD700s as well as different styles of cameras altogether. When I got home I analyzed the video and they ALL have the background noise that I'm complaining about. It's not just a SD700 problem. So my theory is that since the microphones on these cameras are just microscopic dots, then you really can't get a decent quality audio out of them. You need a much larger microphone with wind protection to get quality audio. So this isn't a SD700 issue, it's with all compact cameras.

Video Noise Solution
There have been several complaints of a noise when shooting videos. I had the same problem, but it was on some of my videos and not on others. I finally figured out that the noise was created when you are shooting and you accidently cover the small microphone in the front with your finger. this problem has since gone away with this discovery. Everything else about this camera fantastic. Easy to use and takes incredible pictures, fast, durable and is a must buy if you are looking for a great point and shoot. I have had several point and shoots cameras in the last 6 years, and this one is the best by far. If you are looking for a better camera, than you must spend more money on a Expensive SLR. Otherwise this is the best point and shoot out there today!!!!!!

Canon's best PowerShot yet
This is the 4th PowerShot I have owned and my 3rd digital PowerShot. These cameras just keep getting better and this was a significant upgrade over my last model. For me the killer new features that warranted an upgrade were image stabilization, a big, bright 2.5 inch screen, 6 mega pixel sensor, improved user interface and a 4X optical zoom. The zoom has made a big difference over the 3X of my old PowerShot. The extra zoom length makes candid portraits much easier and is perfect for shooting faces from a distance. The image stabalization is fantastic and I've got some great shots in low light without a flash. The screen is great, although it could use a higher resolution to match the bigger screen size - the resolution is the same as older models, only the physical size is larger.

Two other big pluses I've found have been the battery life and card access times. I've still not had to recharge the battery after using the camera for 2 weeks and shooting over 300 shots - including a week on vacation with intensive shooting and reviewing. The access time for writing and reading from the SD card is excellent. I paired the camera with a Lexar Professional 1GB card and reviewing photos is instant. Shooting onto the card also seems instantaneous and the continuous shoot mode takes shots as quickly as a digital SLR. You can shoot a dozen portraits or action shots in a few seconds and then pick the best. Startup is also very quick, a complaint I had with older models. This camera has sub-second startup.

The rounded design is also a nice break from the boxy build of its predicessors. Overall, I can't recommend this camera enough. It's pricey but I think worth the money. The best all-round camera I have owned and the closest to DSLR features in a compact that I have found.

- An extra word about Mac compatibility, since it appears in some other reviews. I've had no problems at all using the camera with my Apple Mac or .mac accounts. I don't use any of the Canon software - just a card reader plugged straight into my Mac. This work perfectly and iPhoto manages the photos just as you'd expect. I wouldn't bother with the Canon software, which will never compete with Apple. Let Canon build the camera and Apple take care of the software - and get the best of both worlds.

It's about time!!!
It took me a ton of research & several camera test-drives/returns before I finally got to this diamond in the rough. I was looking for a replacement to my previous compact camera & was debating between a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7, Canon PowerShot S3 IS & the Casio Exilim EX-Z850. I know what you're thinking... The Lumix & the S3 are NOT compact... It was extremely difficult to find a compact camera that had features of the aforementioned products & I didn't want to go DSLR (though the entry level Canon Digital Rebel XT had me drooling). The S3 IS blows the SD700 IS out of the water, but was too big to fit in my pocket or my wife's purse. The Panasonic Lumix took decent pictures but felt as if it weighed less than a bag of chips. Construction felt cheap, it looked cheap, the IS didn't work as well as advertised, so back to the store it went. The Canon blew away the Casio in every way imaginable. Side by side photo comparisons between the two proved the inferiority of the Casio's image quality. (Purple fringing, objects out of focus, etc... - Check out dpreview & dcresource for sample images) Video quality is awesome though the microphone is in a very illogical location. (Regardless, you're not paying for a camcorder) I needed something that can take amazing, on the spot pictures (mainly indoors ) w/ little or no user interaction (due to my wife's fear of bleeding edge technology) for our newborn. I've been in situations where the perfect, once in a lifetime picture opportunity arises & the slightest of movement causes the camera to blur images beyond recognition. Breaks your heart... Not with this guy though... The IS works so well, I've purposely tried to take bad pictures by shaking the camera up & down, side to side, in circles, etc... 9 times out of 10, the picture comes out perfect. Blown up in Photoshop & focusing on background objects, they still look great. I could go on & on with this review but I'd rather stick to something short & sweet...

All in all, if you want SOME of the functionality of an entry level DSLR, more optical zoom than a typical compact & spectacular Image Stabilization, then this camera is for you... This is the closest I've seen to a compact point & shoot that can effortlessly take amazing pictures that can hang w/ the big boys. The price is a bit steeper than most but so well worth it... I bought mine from Dell during a 15% off sale + paid .99 for a stackable $35 off coupon from EBay & paid $389 out the door w/ FREE shipping... Zero regrets...

Great Camera - Not Fully Mac Compatible
The quality of the photos this camera takes are incredible. Its interface is easy to use and the image stabilization is really a substantial leap forward in no-flash photography - the difference is pretty amazing. Canon did a nice job with this camera.

Do not spend the $17 on the AC adaptor it will not charge your battery in the camera, only allow you to run the camera with a battery shaped plug in the battery slot of the camera - totally worthless.

Mac Owners: I own a Mac and this camera is an absolute nightmare with i-photo- which routinely notes that the .jpg files on the camera are an "incompatible file type". Even using the Canon software which interfaces relatively smoothly with i-photo I have had many trying times getting my photos uploaded to my Mac. Definitely not the plug-and-play transfer I was accustomed to with my older Nikon. I have managed to get all my photos off the camera and onto my Mac, but it requires a lot of patience, manual selection and downloading (which if you take lots of photos is a drag), and general fussing with both camera and the Canon software. Hopefully some type of software upgrade for either i-photo, Canon software or both will be forthcoming.

a wonderful little camera that fits all your needs!
This is a great little camera that is a point and shoot! The image stabilizer works wonderfully and the pics are great. The flash is a little weak and if you don't have adequate light your pics are a little yellow...but other than this, I cannot complain. I have waited and waited for a good small camera to carry around and in my opinion, this is the best. I bought a panasonic Lumix first before buying this one and sent it back...it was so horrible, and it has the image stabilizer in it, but the pictures were very fuzzy. This are good crisp clean photos. I purchased it through bluestripephoto.com for the best price and LOVE them..they are great! with shipping and all it was $420! Check it out!

Awesome Compact Camera
I've owned several digital cameras and the Canon SD700 IS is by far my favorite. I purchased this camera because I wanted a camera that supported photo sizes 8 X 10 or more, it had to be small and compact, have good optical zoom, and have excellent picture quality. After comparing with other brands, I found this camera had all my requirements and a whole lot more.

It's just the right size to take with you anywhere. The camera starts up quickly and is very responsive. The image stabilization works beautifully and is useful on a camera so small. Canons optical technology is superb as photos are accurately rendered and developed prints are vibrant and detailed. I love having a 4x optical zoom on a compact camera.

Along with the camera I purchased a large capacity secure digital memory card and an additional Canon NB-5L battery. I purchased the SanDisk 2 GB Ultra II Secure Digital Memory Card and at the highest image quality setting it holds 720 photos. I've always liked having an extra battery to extend my camera use.

I've been very satisfied with Canon products in general and this camera is no exception.

A Good Camera But..
This one is really a very good camrea, maybe the flagship model in the compact digital camera range of Canon, it makes good pics, it has a pic/image stabelizer,lovely design, 4X zoom like most canons compared to 3X zoon in competetive cameras, and it has many more nice features that were mentioned in previous reviews buttt..
the but is not a small one in this case, and these are the kinds of buts that diffrenciate between a good camera and a great one, it is one of the best but not the best, surely not the greatest camera in its segment:
1)almost no manual posibilities, you cant "grow" with this camera if you start liking/enjoying photography and want to expand your skills.
2)i find the digic II processor thats fitted to most of the canon models nowdays rather limited, although it gives great images, it like its sibelings has many limits and it seems over the hill compared to some of its competetors and the processors they have fitted in thier premium cameras, i have to say that this is one of the main reasons i feel somtimes that canon cameras are overrated.
3)the price, this is the biggest problem of this model, its way to high and does not justify the extra 25% till 40% percent you pay for other cameras in its premium segment, further more other cameras in its segment offer a larger varity of technical,manual and tecnological features for even two thirds of this cameras price.
4)there is also an issue with the mic when filming video, as several reviewers have mentioned.

Canon has produced a very good camrea, solved many problems of its predeseccors, dont see this review as a negetive one!! its easy to say whats good about it and honestly it has lots of things going for it and whoever buys it will surely enjoy it, its one of the top 5 camreas in its segment, that means one of the top 5 compact digital cameras out there today, but i can think easily of two, three camreas that do it for less and do it better.

Impressive, AND Mac-compatible
I just bought this camera, so am still testing it, but here are some highlights so far:

* easy to figure out without even reading a manual
* solid, quality feel
* carried it in my front pants pocket; barely noticed it
* stunning image quality
* low-light photos, without flash, are beyond what I'd hoped for; really impressive
* while your experience may vary depending on your Mac set-up, this camera worked perfectly with iPhoto. In fact, it works better and faster than my other cameras, automatically unmounting after photos are transferred. My Mac has OS 10.4.4. I'm still using an old version of iPhoto (4.0.3). I almost didn't get this camera because of Mac-compatibility concerns noted in other reviews.

So far, this is the best camera I've ever used. Canon may have a new fan.

Cool And Decent Camera, Over Priced
hi to all the readers,
ive to say that the sd700 is a nice improvment over the previous models and its one of the best compact digital cameras in the market (there are around 5 cameras that are better), it has very good picture quality, you get low noise (grain) also in iso 200 and a bit higher, large and sharp lcd screen, it looks stylish it even has an optical view finder thats not so common nowdays in digital cameras, and ofcourse the picture stableiser is a special and good feature that many cameras dont offer.
on the other hand there are some issues that bug me and the biggest is the price, its to expensive for what it gives you especially when i can see in the market 5-6 or even more cameras that give you much more for less money, this model is not a brand new one but an improvement of its previous models, it wasnt made tottaly new out of scratch but it takes many parts of the previous SD models so i really dont understand why its much more expensive then other brands, especially when you think of it and realise that there are some 5-6 and even more models from diffrent brands that give you more camera for less money, some of these cameras have really cool features and many more manual posibilities, and technical stuff taken from SLR cameras and fitted into them.
as a camera i would rate it at 4.25 stars and its because of its price i would rate it 3.75 stars, in average its around a 4 star camera.

Canon produces a great pocket camera - SD-700 gives great shots.
Canon SD700-IS Compact PowerShot Digital Elph Serial No. 2628105xxx: One of the reasons that Canon as an enterprise excels in this new world of Digital Compact Cameras, is that they have the ability to move the technology that has been refined in their flagship professional equipment, to the semi-pro or consumer gear, and on down to their "pocket cameras." This camera is an excellent example of Canon bringing over several very important Pro features. The most obvious is the large, clear, high resolution LCD display; a similar display used in Canon's $4000 pro equipment. The other important feature is the use of their effective Image Stabilization, IS. Many of the reviews I have read recently do not give full credit or understanding of this very important "candid" photographic tool. When using this camera with IS switched on, one has the ability of taking good shots at 1/15 sec or even lower, assuming that your subject is not moving. Many shots can be taken with out the Flash. Read the manual packed with the camera and experiment with this feature; you will be surprised at how powerful and easy to use this feature is.

For those wanting to know detailed features go to Phil Askey's site:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_sd700is.asp.
For those wanting a quick & dirty review plus see some unedited images:
http://www.416-1100.com/gallery/1619772.

This camera has a WOW factor for any class of user. I have used and/or own the best Canon digitals and this camera adds to a great line-up of cameras. As a teaching Pro, I for one like the strong flash, and the IS feature. Another feature I like is the Auto ISO feature. This is like committing heresy for a supposed Pro, wanting any AUTO features. Well too bad; sometimes, yes infrequently, I want to spend ALL my attention on the subject, and do not want any distractions with all these settings. I am a technology person, and read all the documentation two or three times. No matter, many sometimes I look for the Green Dot, telling me the camera is ready to AUTO expose and the Focus is spot-on ready... and I'll go full auto... It works well too. Some other notable features is the ability to turn on a GRID, superimposed on the LDC screen; this is very helpful if you are taking shots and desire to have the camera in synch with the horizon or an edge of a building. Another surprise feature, is when you are viewing shots, if you took a variety of portrait and landscape modes, when viewing shots, if you rotate the camera the image rotates automatically. What this means if you take a portrait shot, instead of seeing a much smaller thumbnail, just rotate the camera body and the portrait shot auto rotates to fill the LCD screen; very cool feature. The images shown are not fancy hand picked ones. They are straight from the camera with no editing whatsoever.

In comparing the Canon SD700-IS (N) Compact PowerShot Digital Elph with SONY's DSC-T30, which are similarly sized, priced and featured, both cameras take great videos and snap-shots in a variety of circumstances. I would rate this as a tie-vote overall. Feature wise, the T30 does have their bright 3" screen, and 7.2 million pixels, however, the SD700 (90 x 57 x 26 mm / 3.5 x 2.2 x 1 in) is 5mm shorter in overall size than the T30 at (95 x 57 x 23 mm /3.7 x 2.2 x 0.9 in); however, Canon's SD700 has a 4x zoom lens giving the equivalent of 35-140mm focal range. In shooting modes; the T30 is a bit more sensitive for low light images, having an ISO capability of Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1000 with the Canon having ISO capabilities of Auto, 80 ,100, 200, 400, 800. If you are into Macro modes, the T30 is a clear winner here in that it has two macro ranges letting you shoot to as close as 1cm. Also the focusing is superior at these close ranges, I had difficulty getting the Canon camera to focus at the point where I wanted it to focus, when taking the "bug shots." As I have stated before, picking a point-and-shoot camera is like buying sandals, a very personal choice. If you stick to the most popular brands (Canon, Sony, Nikon, Pentax, Panasonic, Casio) and buy a current new model, US$400/500; they all will take great shots once you are familiar with the controls, etc. Do not buy prior years' sale models. Too much is happening with digital, and 24 months (ago) is a whole generation in dog-years for cameras.

You won't be disappointed....
With all those digital camera models that are out on the market today, how does one choose? I've currently been a fan of Nikon in the past, previously with my Coolpix 7900 and I'm happy to say that I'm glad I switched to the SD700. I've been reading tons of reviews on it and I finally took the plunge and got it. At first I was skeptical, but after a few days of shooting, I was glad to have purchased it! The look and feel of the camera is solid. The battery charger is compact, no cords, it just plugs right into the wall. Battery life is pretty decent. The camera starts right up instantaneously. I highly recommend purchasing a high speed SD Memory Card such as a SanDisk 1GB Extreme. When taking a picture with this card with the camera, it automatically writes the image to the card without any delay. Picture quality is excellent! The images are sharp (very important to me). The image stabilization is a nice feature too when shooting indoors with flash but be aware that the pictures may come out "grainy" because the camera is shooting at a higher ISO to compensate for low light conditions. This is to be expected with any camera and should be a given. The flash recharges quickly. The LCD screen is great; 2.5" LCD. Be careful, screen is easy to scratch. Perhaps purchasing a screen protector might be useful if you are concerned about the upkeep of the screen. Also be aware that there is no shutter or aperture priority modes although there are lots of "preset" scene modes that will compensate for this as well. This camera is meant to be a compact camera and with that, you paying more money for a great point and shoot camera with little or no manual control. You can manually adjust some of the exposure settings and white balance. You can also adjust saturation, sharpness, and choose to shoot in black and white and sepia. Another neat feature is that when viewing pictures in playback mode on the camera, the picture tilts depending on how you hold the camera! For example, if I shoot a portrait rather than a landscape and view it back, the picture rotates according to how you hold the camera! No more rotating the camera based on the image, the image rotates on how you hold the camera!

User interface with the camera is excellent. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to navigate through the camera settings via the menus. There is an optical viewfinder but you'll probably won't use it. In fact, it really doesn't serve any purpose. Definintely use the LCD screen when shooting. Taking pictures in macro mode was amazing. I was surprised at the results given how close up you can focus on small objects.

As for video mode, when I buy a digital camera, I buy it for taking pictures, not taking videos! Although it's nice to have, it's something that you may or may not get use out of. There has been some feedback that playback and recording of video mode for the SD700 has been somewhat questionable. However to be honest, please ignore it. If you're serious about taking videos, please buy a nice digicam for the best results.

Drawbacks? The only one I have is I wish Canon would have put in the time and effort to make the dial on the camera something other than plastic. It's going to get a lot of use when switching to different modes of the camera and I wish they would have made it more "solid". It's like sewing on a cheap button on an armani suit. They should have made the dial better quality, perhaps metal?

Overall, definitely keep this camera on your list for when reviewing and comparing. It's probably one of the best point and shoots ultracompacts with image stabilization out there on the market. Canon has been in the business for many years and its a brand you can trust. The price has come down somewhat but its worth the money. I highly recommend purchasing the Canon accessory kit that contains the case and extra battery.

Best ultracompact, great image quality. What more would you want?
After much research, and deligation, I decided to buy the canon SD700 IS. It is one purchase that I will not regret. The big up from the SD630 and this camera is the IS (image stabilization). The extra hundred so is completely worth it. The manual controls are very intuitive, and you can have complete control over this camera with very little work. The viewfinder is a little worthless, but with a 2.5" LCD, I don't mind the optical not being great.
One thing that everyone has been complaining about is the poor audio quality in the video mode. I don't know about the rest of you, but I thought this was a digital CAMERA. You buy a camera to take great pictures, dur. A digital camera is not going to take great video, that's why you buy a digital CAMCORDER. Buy something for the primary function. This camera takes great pictures in the dark, light, rain, shine, indoors and out. That is all I want out of a digital camera, and the Canon SD700 does it wonderfully. With ISO 800 and IS, this camera will out perform any ultracompact and even compact in its price range. You are paying more, but you are getting every pennie's worth.

The LCD might change the way you work...
I just got this camera, and it's truly great, but I am biased towards the Canons (it was replacing an SD450, which replaced an S400...). However, the really big thing for me about the SD700 was not the Image Stabilization, as cool as that is, or the extended battery life--it's the LCD. It's so big and clear (way more pixels than I'm used to) that I can actually take a bunch of photos of something and then GO THROUGH THEM RIGHT ON THE CAMERA. This is huge for me: I used to shoot number of photos, upload them to the computer, go through them, put it off, never get to it, and basically, get a year or more behind as far as going through pictures and weeding out the 75% I didn't need. Not any more! I shoot pictures, and since I keep the camera on my belt, I can go through them anytime I have an opportunity. It keeps me busy when I'm waiting, and it means that I'm only really uploading mostly good photos to my computer. If I want to be really nitpicky with a photo, I can zoom in and check it out magnified, but even so, the display on this camera is so good that I usually don't even need to do that.

I love this camera.

Well done research and the truth of Canon and Mac and the Elph
I have researced this camera with the pros and due to my purchasing of more elaborate Canon products, Canon 10 and 20 D and the new L series lenses etc. the store first lent me the camera, wanting my opinion. To add to the other review about Macs I will share the solution of extreme hours of furstration, trouble shooting and the store calling the best and highest at Epson and Mac. No one had the anwer but slowly reports were coming out that the Canon 10 D printed dark and this problem was for people with macs. People with Macs use the product. They are the downloaders, the croppers and want the pictures to look right. So the truth, Ta Da Ta Da, (how I felt) . There is no problem with a Canon and a Mac nut always confirm combatibility. Canon has never been a problem with Mac, Canon is the only large camera producer who utilizes a system within their digital cameras called Print Image Matching. Why did some one not tell me this! Not evern Canon or Epson had the answer and Mac listed compatible with the camera and the R800 printer. But the pictures dark and when the LCD of both the computer and the camera looked the same and with good exposure, (Enough but not to much light) my pictures were dark and I was nuts, My husbands Dimage Minolta pictures printed true to color and beautifully. Must be the Mac the world cried out. Wrong. This is the truth no one knew until the week after I figured it out and then on the Canon Website.
The problem is that Canon, separate from most others uses a system in their cameras, that enables the information on the memory disk to talk if you will to the printer, called Print Image Matching. Most all of the other biggies, Nikon, the old Minolta, Olympus (I think) utilitze a system called Photo Matching something or other. In other words, Mac is fine, but any Canon Camera on any computer needs a Print Image Matching Printer. This is so the the camera or disk can share information with the computer who then talks to the printer about the information on the disk. Canon is the only one at the time not joining the pack and developing their own Print Image Matching. So my Epson printer is comaptible with Mac, the camera as well but due to not being a Print Image Matching Printer they were not speaking resulting in dark pictures and on the mac no way to correct it seemed. The most knowledgable at Canon knew nothing, nor at Epson so the world of course cried out it was the mac, I must of checked and rechecked compatibility over 100 times. I stopped printing. . Thanks Canon. You must own a Print Image Matching Printer. Could of told us. . I confirmed it with intense research and denial from all of a problem, when buying the Epson Picturemate four by six portable printer. I had finally after reading and reading and callng, read the reviews on Amazon of the Camera. Same complaint for more than Mac users, Hmmmm. Then in a very obscure photo magazine I saw it, Canon was the only one to use a system within the camera called Print Image Matching. Everyone else, the other. In buying the epson Picturemate for fun with the kids that has the PIM I confirmed it. My picures were priinting beautifully. My camera or disk was talking to the Mac, but the printer was not Print Image Matching so the computer could not talk to my Epson Printer re information on the disk re everything, Then the Epson Picturemate four by sic portable , bought for fun with the kids, with Print Image Matching combined in the printer with the Photo Matching what ever of EVERYONE elso. The next week of it was on Canon's website. So now, more than Canon Printers have the PIM you need, Since I bought my Canon i9900 upper end printer the shots are fabulous and they are looking good! I am however very disappointed in the lack of selection of Canon Paper both in quality and size and universally it is said that you must use, in order for them to last, the same type of paper as the printer. To add, no one can know how long digital prints will last and the claims of 100 years or 30 are unfounded. Why. Digital has not been around that long. If you scrap book ie with Digital Shots now of your baby, with a less expensive paper and printer by the time they are in their thirties and wanting to show it to their kids the pictures will probably be gone. Faded. Done. A solution is to back up the scrapbooked pictures together in a group or what is called an album and mark it for reproduction later. This is put on a CD or DVD for saving. Or be wise and do photo slide shows and put them on DVD with music and text and for me, I take out the old film camera, a Canon EOS IIE four times a year on certain memorable dates and take black and whites for longevity. Proven to last for hundreds of years. The camera (the one I am supposed to be discussing is great) I have used it and bought it as the fun one but so impressive instead of lugging the much more epensive and larger professional 20 D and flash and lenses etc. Sometime times for a pro who spent a ton on other Canon equipment and more than the camera on a rolling case to carry that equipment it has I will be honest, made me mad at times. Upsetting to check the information on the greatest Photo and see it was not taken on all that epensive stuff.
Also do you know what a picoleter is, Epson reps don't and it is important. A picoleter is the size of the droplet of ink that comes from the printer so a larger picoleter make the pictures more grainy. You want millions of small ink dots, not millions of larger, but half the amount. Important, never on the box, the old Epson 2200 had a 4 picoleter and this was considered at the time the best or the range to not go above. My Canon Printer is a 2 picoleter. Ask and people will think you are crazy but is important, Unfortunately I have discovered for myself even if I feel Ok about not bringing the big guns and throwing this in my purse, It has raised to many comments of those who are used to the professional and it, I believe, harms me but I sell my photos. You can not charge money and bring an elph. But in the secret of you house you can be jealous of some of the features and the desire to have them in your finer equipment and the man who said look for the green dot is right, I stand for minutes sometimes with my victum unknowing and wait for that shot. I move and dance around. Also please, I beg you do not use a processor of your pictures such as Costco, Walgreens etc to save money, You must crop first and just turning over a disk and say print it is crazy. Play, learn it and love it and keep that film camera for those black and whites and many times you will be infuritated as the camera you by today will be outdated and cheaper tomorrow. I wonder how many pictures, so dear to me, I would not have if I waited until the price dropped. I hear to many times the craziness of the statement "the price will drop so I am going to wait". There is no time to wait. What did you not get as you can take 400 shots for free? Let me just lecture you some more, do not be tempted by the powershot 7,1 megapixel for that great price and you want all the megapixels you can have so you can crop the picture and have a good photo still. The 4 times optical, faster processor and image stabilization makes it for those who have spent years of joy and frustration learning a no brainer. Spend the extra or you will be back to upgrade and if switching from film especially the S series is mandatory as you might repeat the mistake I see so often. By a digital, not good enough, get discouraged and not go out and just take hundreds of pictures to practice so you reach back to the film camera and it's security. Of course the Canon 2o D with the L series lenses is much finer and brilliant. But depending on the shot, it is for some, a very close call not noticed. Thanks Canon. Remember, Print Image Matching. Small picoleter of 2. Mac. Good to go. Also the other Rumor is that the Canon Photo Image Program does not work with Mac. 1) It does it is only a disclaimer of no mac disks if upgraded and 2) if you own a mac you will never use the Canon Image Program. Any computer user should have something elso. Does not need to cost gillions. The movie that was made in 9 months and had to be to make Sundance Film Festival, sweeping all awards was made on a $50 mac program. Also get used to the joy of Steve Jobs if a mac person, you will love him and hate him for the same thing, cutting edge, new things, price reductions. Stagnate or be glad there is a new Iphoto. Huge differences in 6. Go for it.

Sweet digital compact
Although not a big fan of early Canon digitals, images from friends convinced me that Canon had come a long way from its original crappy roots - and this camera doesn't disappoint although there are some cons as well as pro's (aren't there always?!):

Pro's:

**Very light
**Sleek and stylish
**Battery lasts a very long time - I've done a 4 day trip in Spain and a week in London before needing to charge the battery, and it will sit in the camera unused for up to 3 weeks before the charge goes completely - so about 1Gb of images...
**Image stabiliser works well (more so in bright to moderate conditions than nighttime though)
**Excellent macro (2cm), although may take an attempt to focus or two for the camera
**Very good colour reproduction, although to really capture the blue of flowers (always a difficult subject with digital camera's - tends to wash them out), you need to go into manual mode and make sure the camera is in 'Vivid blue' colour setting.
** Generally the scene modes are very good


Con's
**NO idea when the battery is going to run out - an icon just suddenly appears when the battery is nearly depleted and a few pictures later, your battery has run out
** Was a little deceived by manual controls -I thought that meant I could control exposure etc, but only have limited EV control, colour control
**Very poor in extreme sunshine (e.g. high altitude) - I find myself in a constant battle to stop the camera from overexposing. Even setting the EV to 2 stops into darkness does't stop the camera from overexposing
**No manual focus or ability to override focusing - which can be a real pain as sometimes it focuses on the wrong thing and there is no way to nudge the focus over to the right object
** If you set the camera in macro/infinity mode, it goes back to automatic mode after taking one picture - most of the time (there seems to be a few seconds delay so if taking a number of shots in quick succession, it will stay in macro/infinity, but the moment you pause to reacess the picture composition, it will slip back into automatic). This can be annoying, particularly in macro mode as I am frequently reassessing the image composition and suddenly find it can no longer focus 2cm from the flower and have to pull back and reapply the macro setting.
**Problematic if wanting to take night images. I found the best way was to set the camera in fireworks mode, but there is no other real way to do a 'long' exposure to capture (say) a night skyline.

I admit, I'm being picky because I have been using a digital camera which has manual override (Pentax Optio 750Z), but I wanted something that was even more compact and I guess somethings got sacrificed as a result. For the most part, this camera is an excellent little digital, will produce stunning results for people whether on automatic or 'manual' mode. The image stabiliser is superbe, particularly for those who are hesitant about always having 'shakey' hands. I really do recommend this camera for people just wanting a lovely little compact digital to take pictures of families, friends and holiday without any of the bulk.

Very good image quality, and quality build
In many ways, the SD700 is very much like it's predecessor "Digital Elphs". It's compact, and has a sleek, stylish metal design, but lacks some of the features of it's competition. But what makes this camera special is that it does what it does extremely well.

Canon has always had a flair for style with the Elph series, and this camera won't disappoint. Even pumping the lens up to 4x, it's still a compact camera (noticably smaller than, say, the Nikon Coolpix P4 that's 3.5x). It was interesting on this top-of-the-line camera that they opted for a 2.5" LCD so that they could retain the optical viewfinder (a rarity today). They could have put a 3" LCD there for more "wow" factor (like the SD630), but they realize the limitaion of LCD on bright days outside.

Controls are easy to reach, and I do like the zoom around the shutter release, but I can see others preferring a different location. Some markings take a bit getting used to, such as the difference between "menu" and "functions". Canon offers a few things, such as bird chirping sounds, that are worthless, and possibly could offer a few more scene modes.

When it comes down to why we buy a camera, the SD700 really shines. The image quality if very good, and exposures are accurate a very, very high percentage of the time. The 4x zoom performs well, and the IS (image stabalizer) truly helps in poorer lighting conditions. Don't underweight this feature. Even with a flash, the IS can be used to help bring out more background detail, making the photo seem more "real".

On thing I've always liked about the recent Elphs is the battery charger. It's smaller than the camera, with a flip-out plug, making it much easier to pack for travel than those chargers with the 3 foot cords.

Simply put, for snapshot and traveling, they just don't get any better than the SD700.

Rubbish warranty
The camera looked great in print, albeit expensive. What sold it to me was the x4 zoom and the video capabilities. Upon arrival the microphone wasn't working. Canon messed me about big time and refused to repair it under warranty as it's only valid in the US and Canada which i thought was rubbish. Thankfully Amazon took it back, which i'm grateful for. Will definitely buy from Amazon again, it won't be anythi ng from Canon though...

Great camera - compact but packs a punch!
Don't let it's size fool you. It has all the features I want and need in a digital camera and the pictures come out great.

I love the large LCD screen! 4X optical zoom is fantastic. Small enough to take conveniently everywhere. I love it!!!

AiAf autofocus is poor
The other 2 reviewers on this page are accurate in their reviews. Read them for their detail. They missed one fatal flaw to this camera. It's the auto focus, aka AiAf. I've used the Canon SD 500 and SD 550 without Image stabilization (IS) and loved the cameras. (Never had a bluring problem with these non-IS cameras) Canon can do no wrong (so I thought) in photography. I bought the SD700, blind without testing. The AiAf auto focus, auto multiple sensing zones, are lazy/not as active as the SD 550 or SD 500. Auto focus will tend to offer only one zone instead offering 2 zones. The 2 zones are important. They average the focus areas yielding an intuitive dept of field. Frequently, even in bright day-light when depth of field should be quiet wide, a critical area of the picture will be out of focus with the SD 700. I have turned off the AiAF and now manually focus using the fixed center box. That cures the problem, but makes you work a bit harder for the shot. Ease of point and shoot is lost. Shutterbug Sept 2006, just rated pocket cameras. The Nikon P3 was the top choice. I would look at this camera if buying again or buy ths SD 550.

Decent camera let down by some serious issues.
This is the latest addition to Canon's Elph series. While it offers something no other Elph has ever offered with Image Stabilization it lacks in many areas. As an S400 owner I recommended my family to purchase the SD700 as a good P&S compact as it got very good reviews. While it may work for my mom and dad with its easy controls and good enough picture quality for them (they know nothing about phtography and wanted an easy camera), I find it quite dissapointing actually. The nice things are: Good continous shooting, OK battery life, 4x zoom and the presence of an optical viewfinder. The bad points however all have to do with image quality unfortunately. Firstly, this camera suffers too much from corner softness. The images are just not as consistent as my camera or some of the other Elphs and the softness is quite noticeable at larger print sizes (not at the small sizes however). The blurry effect I do not like at all. Also, the images are a little too soft for a P&S. If it was a DSLR it would be OK as with post-processing sharpness can be gained but for a pure P&S I dont like soft images out of the box at all. The ISO range has gone up now to 800. But this is actually a trick. What Canon used to do was understate their ISO's by almost 2/3rd of a stop. Thus ISO400 on the older Cam's was almost as senstive as ISO800 on other companies Cam's. Now Canon have fixed that issue and state their ratings more correctly so ISO800 is just correctly labeled now. And well, the ISO800 image is very very grainy and looks terrible even as a 4 x 6 print, ISO400 is also very grainy but definetely better. ISO200 is fine and is pretty decent. So the camera is quite bad for low-light shooting and if you do any of that be prepared to be dissapointed. Also the AiAf system may well be the worst metering system ever produced. It was the same with my S400. Etiher way it really does not meter accurately and fails too often to expose an image correctly. Also, the images are a little oversatured too with the reds being the worst (too bright and neon like) and the greens having a yellowish tint. On a side note I found out about the Fuji F30 too late unfortunately, I actually had a chance to use it recently as a friend bought one and it got excellent reviews online and it is indeed a very nice instrument. Of course, that camera is not perfect either (no P&S is for that matter) and has some of its issues as-well but if I had known, I would have made my parents get the F30 over this anyday. In fact, I am heavily considering getting one for myself as its time to update for me and I am very put-off by Canon's latest Elph efforts. Like I said the F30 has my very serious consideration and I will probably get that camera if I decide to stick with compact cam's - though I havent decided fully yet - as I may move the DSLR route instead (probably a Canon or Nikon) - but If I dont go that way, I know Canon aren't getting the rather hefty price they ask of me for this cam - that's for sure. Overall the SD700 is a decent-to-OK camera but let down big-time by the issues I mentioned above - especially considering it is also overpriced for what it is - which made it an even greater let-down.

Great features! Great software! Great Price! Great Camera!
I love my sd700is. The image stabilization is a plus. And the large screen is beautiful. No more squinting. I also like the fact that Canon has lightened up their product line. The best feature of Canon cameras is hte panorama feature and the Photostitch software. We went to Alaska and Hawaii and came back with amazing 12 image panoramas. The camera is easy to use... and so it the photostitch software.

Very Satisfied
Although I am no expert, I have to say this is the best camera I have ever owned. It is easy to use and takes excellent photos. Its not much bigger than a pack of smokes, so its easy to take with you almost anywhere. I am happy I bought this camera.

A nice P&S camera, but overall not too impressed.
I, like a lot of people, have been anxiously waiting to get my hands on the Canon SD700 IS. Well, I've owned it for about two weeks and my conclusion is that I am pretty disappointed with the SD700. It was more hype than anything concerning the IS and the higher ISO settings. Whilst most of the outdoor pictures came out okay, it still failed to produce sharp and detailed pictures. The SD700 just lacks the "crispness" I was expecting; my old SD500 (SD550 is the same camera, btw) blows it away. Biggest drawback of the SD700: weak flash. This is very important because without a strong flash, your outdoor pictures will come out on the dull side with evidence of graininess (e.g. skies, buildings, people, trees, leaves). When there is ample lighting, however, such as at the beach, pictures are decent but still inferior to the SD500; again, due to weak flash. Another drawback of the SD700 is its smaller sensor size. Why did Canon opt to go with a smaller size? IMO, they should've stuck with the same sensor size found on the SD500. The smaller senosr size, in essence, gives you dark corners (very true when the sky is present in the background - you'll definitely notice slight vignetting on the upper left and right hand corners; it is very annoying to say the least). Then there is the issue of blurriness (you'll tend to see this on either the left or right corner of your pictures). I can't believe people who gave this camera a very high mark didn't mention the aforementioned problems, as they are common complaints addressed by SD700 owners at various online camera forums. Again, when comparing to my SD500, the SD500 produces superior images - pictures are sharper and more "alive" out of the box, has more details, better contrast of colors. Indoor pictures is a mixed bag. In certain situations, pictures do come out nice (e.g. inside a department store); in darker conditions such as your room, museum or restaurant, you find yourself raising the ISO level, up to 400 (ISO 800 is worthless; it's nothing more than a marketing ploy). I had to use a noise remover program to get rid of the noises, which I must say, did a very decent job. If you are doing a lot of indoor shooting, I highly recommend the Fuji F30. I love Canon cameras but I have to concede the F30 is a superior camera in the low-light department. Reason I didn't purchase this camera was because it uses the XDcard. But main reason for not purchasing the F30 was because outdoors pictures come out inconsistent (strong purple fringing, blown out shots, lacks details when compared to Canon pictures). The SD700, respectively, wins in the outdoor department.

Biggest pluses of the camera are obviously the IS feature and macro shot capability. But these two positive atrributes of the camera don't justify the hefty price tag of the camera; even when the camera is on sale, the SD700 is overpriced.

Bottom line: If you can deal with having to post-process a lot of your pictures, not to mention the issues I addressed, then the SD700 might be the camera for you.

I'm going to be sending the camera back and wait for the release of the next generation model of the SD700 that will hopefully make drastic improvements on the said issues.

An excellent compact camera
I travel a lot and my previous camera, while very good, was bulky and had to be carried around my neck on a strap. I wanted one that I could slip in my pocket and this one is so very good for that. It gives an excellent picture, and with the image stabilization, it makes it simple to grab the camera out of my pocket and take that quick shot while on the go. I bought a backup battery, but I don't think I need it -- the battery seems to last forever and quickly recharges with the included charger that works on 220V as well as 110. I bought a 1 gig chip for it, and that is definitly needed. The one that comes with it is not good for going on trips, but with that size chip I can put all the large size high res photos on I need for a 2 week trip. You might consider the 2 gig chip.

Great for an Ultra-Compact Digital
I read all the reviews of the Canon SD-700IS and decided I better write my own. This is an ultracompact camera and it does have a ton of excellent special features packed in it including IS (image stabilization) that really work! Canon's version of vibration reduction as it is called on Nikon cameras and differt things on other cameras, is IS and it works very well. The IS works especially well on a camera this small. You can mess up the picture if you try (have you ever gotton blurred digital pictures as in low light situations?) but in most cases the Canon image stabilization works great.

It always amazes me that a few people expect a point and shoot compact camera to do things that only top end (i.e. very expensive) SLR Digital Cameras are made to do like shoot in RAW or automatically adjust the ISO rating (actually it's the sensitivity of the sensor that replaces film in a digital) up to ISO 800 mode but most people who choose a point and shoot and especially an ultra compact point and shoot digital will never even try the plethora of features available on this camera. However, if you are one of those people like me who will USE the manual mode and special modes; you won't be disappointed unless you are expecting the the same results you would get from the Canon EOS SLR professional Digital cameras. Even then you have the same computer that is used on those cameras controlling the image intepreted (DIGICII) and the pictures I took under varying circunstances were excellent except where I goofed up.

The 700IS will do everything 99% of everything the people who buy a compact digital for better than most cameras in it's price range. Its 4X optical zoom, excellentlens quality, great image stabilization, the DIGIC II image processor, it's 2.5" LCD, excellent and easy to use menu system, and one thing many people forget until they need it--- it still has a basic (if tiny) viewfinder to compose pictures in very low light which I really miss on my Sony W7 compact digital!

It is a great buy, has very good battery life in it's proprietary rechargeable battery, a very decent flash built for an ultra compact, AUTO mode, manual mode, a nice macro mode, and if you want them special modes: Portrait, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Underwater, Indoor, Kids & Pets, Night Snapshot, Color Accent, and Color Swap. I own several Sonys, virtually all the Nikons up to the D200, but this is the first ultra compact Canon that impressed me above all the other ultra compacts and compact cameras.

Despite the hefty price, this camera takes excellent photos
After owning an SD600 for 3 months, I decided to sell that cam and purchase the new SD700. I didn't think another multiplier of optical zoom and image stabilization would be such a big deal, but after taking photos WITH IS on and reviewing them on my computer, I was shocked. I never knew that a little image stabilization (no matter how steady my shot was) would improve the image quality in normal and low light conditions. I do have to admit though, the 'noise' levels are almost identical to the SD600. Pics taken in low light conditions under ISO 400 and 800 are still a tad noisy. After taking about 3 days worth of pics and reviewing them, I have to admit, this camera is a perfect compliment to go with my Nikon D50. Basically, it's great as a secondary camera if I don't feel like lugging my D-SLR and not sacrifice image quality while doing it.

Awesome camera! And the battery life lasts and lasts and lasts....and last...
I'm extremely happy with this camera! It does all the job that it's supposed to, and the (semi) manual control also does its job very well. I won't go into details of how the pictures look, etc, since other reviewers have done so extensively well. In all, I have no complaints. I'm on a Mac, and the pictures on my Mac display seemed a little bit darker than what appears on the camera display at first, but it's easy to fix (just dim the camera display a little to match the computer display or the other way around).
Also, the battery life is amazing! I admit I don't take photos every single day, but when I do take photos, I take lots and lots of photos (I've lost count how many hundreds of photos I've taken, 2/3 of them with flash on), and the battery is still running from the first charge since I got the camera (exactly 30 days ago!).
Overall, I recommend this camera to whomever in need of a point-and-shoot camera! Its small-size and lightweight is also a delight (no puns intended) to carry around anywhere. When I travel, I travel light; and if possible, I'd rather not carry anything in my hand, which is why I also purchased a neckstrap for it. I could go on forever about this little camera, but it would all come down to this: What are you waiting for, get it now! :-)
P.S. Always format new memory cards before first use!

Great Camera
I used to own the Canon SD410, which I thought took great pictures, but had a long shot-to-shot lag. I was also looking for a camera with more megapixels because I do a lot of cropping for scrapbooking. I did some research and decided to buy the Sony DSP-200. Big mistake. 90% of the pictures were blurry. I went back to read the reviews and sure enough a lot of people had the same complaint. The ones who loved it claimed that the ones taking the bad pictures must have been doing something wrong. I'm not a professional photographer by any means, but I expect a decent point-and-shoot camera to have a pretty good automatic setting. I took great pictures with the SD410, why couldn't I do the same with the Sony? Needless to say, I decided to do some more research and buy another camera. I was leaning towards a Canon and after reading (more carefully this time) the reviews for the SD700 I decided that it was worth the high price tag. I've been taking great pictures again and the shot-to-shot lag is very minimal, even using the flash. The only little problem I've had so far was with the internal auto orientation. It seems to work fine when I upload the pictures, meaning that it does encode the orientation properly in the picture file, but sometimes it doesn't display it properly on the LCD. A portrait picture doesn't get rotated, but a landscape one does. It doesn't happen all the time though. I need to check if Canon has released any firmware upgrades because this looks like a bug.

Top-end Elph camera is solid but introduces quirks at high price
I've happily used Canon Elph digital cameras for years; my SD700 is the fifth model I've owned in the series.

Other people have reviewed this camera in general, so I'll only compare it to the Canon SD600 which I also own (see my glowing review of that model w/comparisons to previous models).

The newest Powershot Elph camera, the SD700 adds several welcome enhancements to the Elph family, notably the optical image stabilization and the 4x zoom. Otherwise, this camera is functionally very similar to the SD600, although with rearranged physical controls. The control and menu changes take a few uses to become familiar, but make sense.

The SD700 has a tasteful two-tone casing with a new ergonomic curve for the right-hand grip like the SD630. Unlike the SD630, it does have an optical viewfinder. While it's physically almost the exact same size as the SD600/630, it weighs notably more.

There's something about the photos the SD700 takes that I don't like. I find hard to quantify what makes them not as good as the ones taken by the SD600, but they seem almost over-processed, a little less crisp, a little less sharp, kind of like images smoothed out in Photoshop. Since the Digic engine is the same as the SD600, I can only theorize I'm seeing the results of the image stabilization and/or the new lens. I didn't like the effect and switched back to the SD600. The SD700 does take slightly better indoor photos that are cleared and less prone to shake, but the difference isn't that great vs the SD600. The SD700 also has a new CCD (the device that actually captures the image) which may be the culprit.

The increase from 3x to 4x zoom didn't seem to make much of a difference in my mixed usage (I took the camera on 3 very different trips to try it out), and may be a contributing factor to the problem I describe above. Generally speaking, the "longer" a zoom lens is in a small package, the less sharp/clear it tends to be.

The SD700 still ships with the same measly 16MB SD card as the SD600 -- it's way too small for any real usage and Canon should upgrade the entry level card up to at least 64MB since SD cards are so cheap these days.

This is the first Elph model I've ever had any qualms about, and I've since reverted to using my SD600 instead of this new model. While it's still an excellent camera, and hence the four star rating, at its higher price, I can't recommend it over the SD600/SD630. Buy one of those instead, unless you really need the extra bit of zoom and plan to primarily take indoor/flash photos. I'll wait to try the new technologies again when the next generation of Elph cameras comes out...

Just OK - Beware of Quality Control Issues
I was recently given this camera as a gift. Quite a nice gift for sure! But... of course the person who gave it to me didnt know I had just bought myself another compact cam recently. Anyways, it was nice having two so I could compare and either give the one I didnt want as a gift myself or sell it. In short, much has been discussed about this camera, well since its a Canon, and as long as you put the Canon name on it, everyone will let you to believe its the best cam out there. Unfortunately, I tend to agree a little more with the more critical reviews, given that this is a $500 list price cam, thankfully I didnt pay for it :-) Also since I previously owned an Elph that gave me the famous E18 error - I was already very skeptical. Do a search in Google and you will see what it is. I had lost faith in the Canon compacts since this issue and I wasnt the only person in my neighborhood that this error happened to out of nowhere. So I made a promise to myself to never buy a compact Canon camera again - DSLR's are the only Canon's I will consider from now on. Also, my best friend recently bought this camera too and guess what - the whole left side of the image always came out blurry - again another clear defect a la Canon. Heres a summary of my thoughts: the good points are there - fast operations, good continous shooting, nice video mode, good zoom range (though I would have much preffered wide angle to telephoto) and decent OIS and several other well deserved points. But, the problem is the camera offers little flexibilty when it comes to manual shooting and the camera suffers from several issues for the top-end Elph its supposed to be. Firstly, the images are a little soft. 2. I see major corner softness so if you print big be prepared to see it in the larger sizes. Also, theres some mild vignetting, though this isnt terrible. 3. Major red eye, and its just not oh theres some red eye, its full-on demon eyes that are glowing fire hot red. Thus, if you post-process and want to clean it theres no detail. Not a good cam for flash shots and portraits for sure. Speaking of flash, its weak and doesnt have a very long effective range. The points about Noise are all true, its terrible at ISO800 even in the smallest print sizes and ISO400 is OK for the smallest print sizes but not for large prints. ISO200 is pretty good though and you can happily make a larger print from it. Also, the Image Stabilization system is definetely much better in the Panasonic range of cameras. More effective, but more importantly more consistent. I come back to the manual settings now, well there are none, save for Manual White Balance. It would be nice to be able to control aperture and shutter speed for a cam costing this much if you ask me. Overall, its still a nice cam and good for regular printing and holiday shooting in the bright sun and so on, but its definetely not an enthusiasts compact cam of choice unlike say a Fuji F30 - which another friend bought online and Im very impressed with, it offers more in line of flexiblity. I do not find it a coincendence that many Canon DSLR owners I know - do not use Canon Elph series cams as their second compact cam but prefer a more capable and flexible cam such as the F30 or antther camera. Especially if you are shooting low-light - this camera will dissapoint. There are several good competitors to this cam if you ask me that are worth a look - one being the Fuji F30, the others are the Panasonic compact cams that offer Image Stabilization but also lack manual control. They are a more competitive price and justify what they cost much more than this camera in my honest opinion. Still, its a nice/decent camera, if youre the type that likes to feel good about how the camera looks in your hand and only shoot in vacations, etc. and dont care so much about flexibility and control. But in this case, I would personally recommend a camera like the Panasonic FX01 or the new one that is coming out, which have almost identical features to this but at a better price and a wide-angle Leica lens! Or the F30, if youre more than a holiday shooter and want a good capable ultra-compact cam that is maybe the only camera less a DSLR that is usable in low-light.

Fantastic little camera that you can take anywhere.
This small camera fits inside a 3.25" x 4.5" leather case purchased separately. Canon's SD700 comes with a Li-ion battery that lasts longer than most other batteries and a has a compact charger. A 2GB SD memory card (purchased separately) stores more than 360 still pictures at the highest resolution! You can even take sharp movies with this gem up to 1GB in size which is something like 40 minutes. 4X zoom lens allows for close-up detail shots from far away. This is all the camera you will need for about 6 years.

I love this camera
I got this camera after researching a bunch of cameras online. I decided to get this one with the image stabilization as opposed to the SD600 and I am so happy with the camera. I just got back from a trip from San Francisco and I purchased the 1 GB memory card for it and I was able to save 600+ pictures on the camera in the highest quality with ease. The pictures are beautiful and the color is amazing. There are a lot of features on the camera and if you are not a person that likes electronics or are scared of changing settings this camera is not for you. It does have a point and shoot automatic mode but for this camera, it defeates the purpose. The manual mode has a digital macro that is awesome and I have had amazing results. The DOF is not the best but considering that this is a Canon Elph - its pretty darn good. The color accent is pretty cool - when you have a shot that works with that. All around its a great camera. I think the battery lasts for me well over the 245 estimated pictures. I purchased a no-name battery on ebay (aftermarket) and I have had really good results with that battery as well. The screen on the camera is huge and has great detail when you review your pictures. The size of the camera is great and one of the main reasons that I got this camera. It is palm sized - easy to put in your purse or bag and I actually had it in my pocket for most of my trip to SanFran and I was able to hook it around my hand. Next time I will probably get the neck strap - it doesnt weigh much and I think that it wouldnt be too heavy. Like I said, this is a great camera - well worth the price - I am 100% satisfied with it and I have recommended it to my own family and friends (2 have purchased it as well and are happy with it too).

Wow
All of the features of the Elph with stabilization and 4x zoom! It produces fantastic pictures.

Outstanding camera!
Best digital camera we've purchased. Compact, easy to use and takes outstanding pictures!

The 4x Optical Zoom makes this camera a keeper!
This camera beats the Casio Exilim EX-Z850 in optical zoom, and as I quickly found out, that was more than enough to make up for its inferiority in virtually every other category. I know the Casio is supposed to be the better camera, but the bottom line is that the 4x optical zoom is more valuable than the white balance settings or the best shot settings. The ISO seemed to work better than the Casio's anti-shake feature as well (I got less blurry photos with the Canon than the Casio), and the Canon was definitely faster. I used the same memory card in both (Lexar Platinum II 60x), which I know doesn't mean a whole lot, but thought I'd add that all the same. I tested these cameras on my cats outdoors, flash off, underneath a tree in the middle of a sunny day. The Casio's white balance settings did shine through, but when it came time to decide, I went with the Canon because of the optical zoom, despite all the Casio's perks ($100 cheaper pricetag included). The SD700's 4x optical zoom gives me quality photos at a greater range, and that's really all there is to it. Megapixels are not even an issue (wow, they really aren't an issue, unbelievable!). I took 5 shots on this camera and realized I could get better quality photos than an 8 or 10 megapixel camera that only has a 3x optical zoom. Once Casio comes out with a 4x optical zoom, I'll be tempted to sell this camera, but until then, the steep price tag is worth it (and the only reason this camera gets a 4 out of 5).

Very close to foolproof
Great product for the price. It's super easy to use, takes beautiful pictures and uploads to a computer without any difficulty.

Great compact camera
We bought the SD700 because of Compact Size, 4 x zoom, and its a Canon. I did a lot of online research before buying, and this camera consistently gets great review. I'd thoroughly recommend it to anyone looking for a compact digital camera.

The price is a little high, and they insist you need the high speed memory which adds to the price. I bought a 2Gig Scandisk card and it can store over 600 shots at the higest resolution.

The battery life seems excellent, so far we haven't discovered its limits, and have gotten well over 100 shots without flattening the battery, and the figure in the manual is around 250.

In the video mode you do get 'click' noises that I think come from releasing the zoom button, but otherwise the video mode works well.

On the whole we are very pleased with this Camera, it is so small compared with our 5 year old S20. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a compact camera with good resolution and a full set of features.

Pros
Compact size
A real viewfinder (try using the LCD on the beach)
4x zoom

Cons
Pricey
Noise pickup in video

The best Pocket size Camera out!
Since the day i purchased this camera, i havnt been able to put it down.

- Ability to take great low noise shots in darker situations (indoors, night ect..) with the flash turned off.

- ISO settings are right at your fingertips.

- Pictures come out exactly the way you see them on the LCD, they are perfect everytime.

- Solid construction.

- Good macro mode for its size.

- Menu is very easy.

- Changing settings is a breeze.

- Image Stabilization makes a noticable difference when taking shots indoors.

- Perfect size,.

- This is the first digital camera i have actually used the video mode on. The videos are as clear as my video camera.The videos have to be seen.

I would highly reccomend this camera, It's the best I've owned and this is my 6th digital.This one will be with me for some time to come.

Nice camera
I have been waiting for this camera. It was difficult to get sharp pictures especially the macro shots with my previous camera being small, but this camera takes sharp pictures much more easily. I do not have to rest my arms on any solid objects to get jitter free pictures. Great camera to carry around for any snap shots.

good camera for the size
I wanted a small camera that would be extremely easy to use for people that really have no idea how to properly use a camera and this particular camera fit the need perfectly. My wife and I don't know anything about professional photography but this camera takes very nice looking pictures despite that, and it's small enough that it's not cumbersome to bring with wherever we go when on vacation. It's about the size of my flip phone, actually.

I had initially considered getting a larger camera, but decided that compact would better suit our needs. Since the pictures this camera takes are plenty good enough for what we want I'm not disappointed at all by that decision. From what I am told by a friend who knows quite a bit more about photography than myself, this camera is also a great upgrade to previous Digital Elph cameras (which, as I understand it, had some speed and occasional quality issues).

just plain awesome
Pros: (1) starts up in a nano-second. (2) no picture is blurry thanks to the image stabilization feature. (3) picture quality is very good. (4) optical zoom is 4x -- better than your average 3x. (5) extremely fast from one picture to the next.
Cons: (1) can't focus in low light (a problem with a lot of canon cameras)
I have small kids and need my camera to be fast, fast, fast to catch those split second moments. This camera does the trick.

What is up with the video noise?
First off, the pictures are stellar. I am an amateur user with a critical eye. This camera shoots awesome pics. No question. I researched different cameras and read as much as I could. I did read about the video noise problem with this one...some people had it, some didn't. I went with the benefit of the doubt and got the camera. Lo and behold, damn it. It does have a serious noise problem during video. I know, people have separate dv cameras for shooting video. So do I, but I don't have it with me at all times. I love being able to shoot impromptu videos. Alas, I am returning this camera because of this noise problem. And no, it is NOT caused by a finger over the microphone. Guaranteed. I want to love this camera. I would love it to work. If anyone could give me advice as to how to fix this problem, I would forever be in their debt. But for now, I have to let it go. Anyone have a good alternative?

Disappointed, Defective Failed camera
Camera delivered today after appx 25 photos lens failed to retract. Screen displays "lens Error restart camera". I read manual, used fully charged battery to no avail. Paid 399 for camera and bought 2gb memory card by sandisk for 45.00. Never got to see picture quality as camera lasted about one hour before failing. I am an experienced user of digital cameras.

Great camera, poor service!
I have owned 2 other Canon cameras that have been work horses so I was looking forward to owning the SD700 because of the image stabilization and 4X zoom. I bought the camera in anticipation of the annual visit of my British granddaughters and began happily recording their antics through the improved video and still shots. Unfortunately, the camera stopped working halfway through the visit (one month after purchase). I sent it by overnight mail to Canon Repair and then had to wait 5 days before they could even acknowledge receipt and another whole week before it was returned by two-day express after speaking to a supervisor who promised to expedite the repair and return. Along the way I had to make several calls to Canon to determine its status since the email notifications never came as promised despite my confirming my email address with them. My granddaughters had returned home by then so I lost lots of opportunities for more photos and videos and had to squeak by with my oldest Canon. Ironically, my Apple PowerBook also went in for repairs during the same time and they sent an overnight box for packing and returning it and returned it by overnight within 24 hrs of their receiving it without any cost to me. So I'm out $25 for a faulty product and missed out on some great opportunities for pictures because of the extra delay. In hindsight I'm sorry that I didn't buy another brand that had better service options than this one. It may have great features but it's useless if the both camera and the company let you down when you're counting on them.

Cool Camera! Great Photos
SD700 is a great camera! A bit pricey but the best point and shoot photos I have seen. If you are looking for a great camera to throw in your pocket on vacation this is it. Super fast when you need a quick snapshot and the photos are great! I have taken 200 photos with flash over the past few days and still have not charged the battery. It seems like the screen has been turned on for hours while I am trying to learn the menus but the battery is still going strong. Very impressed with this battery! The screen is very clear and crisp. Redeye reduction light is annoying to the photo subjects but the photos have no redeye... Image stabilizer works perfectly. Photos are crisp even when moving the camera

Beware; this camera is larger than the rest of the ELPH family but still very small. It is also very heavy (but feels really solid in your hand). Like most cameras this small it is hard to take a picture with one hand (unless you're a kid, they have small hands and have no problems with one-handed snaps). Plan on setting down your coffee to use this camera if you're a big guy.

Great easy to use camera but........
Had this camera for little over a week and I started getting the memory card error. Seems as though this is typical for Canon Powershot S400 but hadn't heard of it with the S700. Wondering if it is only a matter of time before others complain about it with the S700 aswell or whether it is just a fluke with my camera. Sent it back for refund.

Finally...The right Camera for Moms and Dads!
Just got this camera and am enjoying the Canon product for the first time. After lots of research and discussion I decided on the SD700IS. So far it has not disappointed. Very easy to use and forces an amature like myself to start educating himself. The automatic settings are precise and very reliable; yet I can tell that once I start gaining understanding about when I should apply certain elements offered in the manuel setting they will be easy to employ. Love the speedy turnaround time between shots. I also really enjoy the fact that the image stabilizing tool is valuable to the outcome of almost every auto setting shot I have taken. If I am moving...no problem. If the subject is moving...no problem. This is an easy to carry, easy to travel with, and easy to function camera that should be in the hands of all parents who want to be able to capture those unexpected moments that should be immortalized.

I love it
I'll write more later once I use it more...

I've been messing around with settings and have been very impressed with the image quality. The camera is very easy to use and while it is very small, it has some weight to it so I don't feel I'll break it.

I've taken several videos and I have absolutely no noise in the background. Crystal clear sound and the video quality is great.

I'm so glad I got rid of my Kodak DX7630 -- this Canon is so much better!

Excellent quality performance
I have just upgraded from a Kodak DX6490 and am amazed at the performance of this very compact camera. Going from a 10X zoom camera with an excellent lens I expected that I would be making trade-offs in performance along the way while picking up some higher resolution and a much smaller footprint. I have been very pleasantly surprised with the quality of the images that I have taken under various and often poor background and lighting conditions. I took several photos with horrible lighting and what I thought would be very difficult scenes to establish any kind of decent focus. This camera is fantastic; I have not yet taken an image that isn't very good to excellent. I'm starting to become a Canon believer.

Almost, but not Quite
The SD700 IS is a good camera, but not great! I read bizillions of reviews - all laudatory - of this camera before buying it. I've had it about a month and have been using it steadily. For the most part, images are crisp, clear and accurate in color. However, Arizona sunsets - beautiful oranges, reds, and magentas - come out yellow in the view finder and on the image. VERY DISAPPOINTING. I have tried different scenes, manual settings, and white balance settings (including custom). No luck. It may be a glitch in my particular camera or this model in general, but if you are planning to shoot sunsets, I would stay away from this camera.

Image stabilization makes newest Powershot even better
This is a very impressive Powershot, and the 3'rd that I've owned (SD-300, and SD-450). As much as I've enjoyed those, this camera has gone to the next level for me with the Canon Image Stabilization technology. Have been taking a lot of pix over the month that I've owned it, and am very impressed by the overall quality of the shots.

For small handhelds, camera shake is an issue in some lighting situations. Certainly the other Powershots attested to that. Not a big problem, but given that the camera is not going to give you much control over shutter speed and aperature, you may find that some lighting situations give you shots that are a little less than satisfactory. Not a lot of shots are affected, but enough that you may find yourself dorking around in Photoshop to try and "save/improve" the shot.

Now, with the Image Stabilization, two things appear to be happening. First, as Canon says, for most lighting situations, the camera will bias the shot at an average of 3 stops faster. Which to me tends to produce "better lit" shots. I know that's a bit subjective, but that's what I'm seeing.

Second though, which is probably of more interest, is that the pictures are much sharper in general. As in less blurry as one measure, and sharper as another.

Not really a scientific test, mind you, but in my month of shooting I've been very pleased with the pictures and doing the A/B with the SD-450, definitely favor the SD-700 picture quality.

Single downside is that this camera is a little bigger than the SD-300 and SD-450 size. When I travel around, I often keep this camera in my pocket. I can tell that the SD-700 is a small bit bigger and heavier. Not a big deal at all for me, just an FYI.

Although, should also mention that the camera is a bit bigger because the LCD screen is bigger. Since I tend to compose and shoot from the LCD with these types of cameras, the bigger screen is appreciated.

Very pleased with the purchase, highly recommend the camera.

Do NOT Buy This One---It Has NO WIDE ANGLE LENS!
I do not own this particular camera myself but If you are interested in digital point and shoot cameras, since Canon discontinued the Power Shot S-80, there are THREE or more digital point and shoot cameras on the market that I know of that have a "true" WIDE ANGLE lens of 28mm or even 23mm! 1) The Panasonic DMC-FX01
for $250---and 2) The Kodak EasyShare V570 with a 23mm lens for about $250 3) The Canon Power Shot SD 800 IM for about $400. and 4) My current favorite is the Kodak EasyShare V705 with 7.1M and a 23mm super wide angle lens plus a 2nd lens that goes up to about 180mm.

So, you ask, "who needs a 28mm or 23mm lens?" You do! Most people concern themselves with how LONG is their telephoto lens. But, most people who "know" know that it is the WIDE ANGLE lens that is most important---most of the "best shots" are made with a WIDE ANGLE lens. For example, you're in Europe and you are trying to "get a shot" of that Cathedral of Notre Dame over there. You NEED a WIDE ANGLE lens. You are in the California Poppy Fields and you want to get the expanse of the golden-yellow poppy flowers with the huge blue sky filled with white clouds above---you need a WIDE ANGLE lens. You are sitting at thanksgiving dinner and you want to take a photo from the foot of the table with everyone sitting on the left and right---you NEED a WIDE ANGLE lens. You are in the garden of the California Mission and you want to take a photo of the ENTIRE garden surrounded by the mission walls---you NEED a WIDE ANGLE lens. It's Christmas day and you want a photo of the ENTIRE GROUP of visitors in front of the Christmas Tree---you NEED a WIDE ANGLE lens. This is where the 28mm lens (or 23mm on this camera) comes in! So, you NEED THIS CAMERA! Otherwise you'll be cutting off heads and leaving Aunt Sylvia out of the "Christmas Group Photo" this year---and she'll disinherit you and you'll live a life of poverty and misery everafter! :o) If you agree or disagree or know of ANY other digital point and shoot camera that has a WIDE ANGLE lens please write, Email:boland7214@aol.

Great camera
This is my third digital camera after I dropeed my first cannon S400 in water and lost my S50 in downtown. This camera is best among the three. This one is ultra-compact, so it fits into my pocket or wife's purse easily. Pictures are crisp and clear. Flash works great. All indoor pics and night shots come nice and need no editing what so ever. When we bought this camera, it's list price was $500 and we got it for 420. Price is dropped now. So it's really good value for the money.

And BTW, I have two kids (4 years and 5 months old) and the image stabilization works great while taking their special shots that might have been missed with other cameras.

I like my SD 700 IS (but still love my old SD 500)!
I have always been a fan of Canon Digital Cameras after owning my very first Powershot back in year 2000. I had that Canon S10 (like 2 megapixels) from 2000 to early 2005 and it still works, with the exception that the rechargeable battery just does not last more than 24hrs. Shortly after, summer of 2005, I had purchased a Canon SD500 for about a little over a year before my sister accidentally dropped my camera onto the cement ground which had caused my LCD screen to break and leak. The camera was still functional without the LCD screen for about a month before it started acting up entirely (perhaps due to something loosening up within the camera body) - sometimes it will take photos and sometimes it wont. Having researched online to see how much repairs were going to cost me to fix my Canon SD500 LCD screen (~$100-$200 USD), I figured I will be better off getting a brand new camera - so now I own the Canon SD700 IS.

Few Key Items I love about the Canon SD700 IS:
1. Color Quality of the photos after being developed (Shutterly is the BEST!)
2. Image Stablity (altho there are times when I feel like there is still some bluriness to my pictures despite the IS capability)
3. Bigger LCD Screen (compared to Canon SD500)
4. Fast Response Time (for capturing the perfect moment and that is especially hard when ur camera takes forever to start up)
5. Stitch Assist Mode (for those beautific panoramic sceneries)
6. Compact
7. Digital Macro (absolutely the best for capturing the smallest details)

Overall, I do love this camera... however, if I had to compare Canon SD700 IS to Canon SD500, I think I still love my old Canon SD500... the pictures always came out just perfect... plus the SD500 was 7.1 megapixels whereas SD700 IS is 6.0 megapixels.

Overall - 4.0 out of 5.0 scale for Canon SD700 IS.

I wanted to love it...
This feature packed camera with image stabilization, 4x zoom and past experience with Canon cameras didn't take long to convice me to bite the bullet and buy this small wonder. Took it home and made lots of "test shots" to see what this puppy could handle... To test the Image Stabilization, I would bounce the camera up and down and take a picture -- and most would come out crystal clear. The Macro Function -- MOST EXCELLENT... Accent Color feature -- Amazing... For all intents and purposes, it was just what I was looking for in a compact camera. That is, until I decided to take some "indoor" average to low light pictures without the flash... I have one word to describe it -- BLUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRY....

Having a cat as my "only child", I often take pictures of my furry friend. Unforutnately, she is none too happy when I use the flash... With that said, I often take photos of her with the flash disabled. Suffice it to say, I was HARD PRESSED to take a photo in average to low light that was not blurry... When using the flash, in many instances, the flash appeared to be too harsh for the photo. Suffice it to say, I ended up returning the SD700.

Having had positive experiences with other Canon digital cameras (I also have a Canon S30 from 6 yrs ago), I decided to try a different model -- the Canon SD600... While the photos were better and SLIGHTLY less blurry when taking indoor photos with no flash -- I still expected more... I expected something as good as, if not BETTER than, my old Canon S30. So yet again, I ended up returning this camera as well...

Loving the distinct features that the Canon line provides (excellent macro, accent color, Sepia and B&W photos) I didn't want to give up on Canon just yet... Fortunately, I had just read that Canon had released an SD800 and SD900... While the SD800 has image stabilization and a wide angle lens, and the SD900 merely has more pixels with no image stabilization, I decided to go with the better features found on the SD800. BOY was I glad I did!! For myself, the Canon SD800 is all that AND a bag of chips! :)

So if you don't take a lot of pictures without the flash - then this may the camera for you... If you take a lot of photos without the flash, you may want to consider a different camera... Like the Canon SD 800 IS.

Great pictures, flimsy design
Pros: As far as the workings of this camera it's great in every respect.
Great pictures.
Great night performance.
Great videos.
Great sound with videos.
Awesome zoom.

Cons:
Design is good looking but bad quality. The camera is not the typical Canon quality. The AV/battery compartments open too easily but don't open all the way. The dial to the side is flimsy and impossible to use if you are not looking at it since it doesn't turn evenly. The power button is badly placed - you cannot start up this camera with one hand.

There is no reason why you shouldn't spend the extra 50 and buy the sd800. They fixed all the aforementioned problems in the new model.

Great Little Camera
The SD 700 is a great camera. I just returned from a trip to Italy where I took over 600 hundred pictures with this camera. The 4x zoom works well with the image stabilization. Virtually all of the pictures turned out great for a pocket sized camera.

Best in the lot!
This is an amazing camera in its category. Used it intensely during vacation. Definitely worth buy. If you're looking for good point and shoot camera, Cannon SD700 is the best alternative with lots of features. Photos are just astounding!

review
i love this camera, so many cool features. compact and easy to use. highly suggest this camera, however, the memory card that comes with the camera is has low storage, so i suggest getting a bigger one with purchase of the camera.

Love it!
I have been having a great time with this little camera. I carry it in my purse all the time. It's been helpful at work, fun when I'm out, and very accessable all the time. It's taken a bit to learn all the many functions, which might cause some people some problems, but I'm enjoying learning what all it does. The huge view screen was what originally drew me to this camera, and I've found it does everything I wanted it to. I already own a professional quality SLR digital camera, but it's cumbersome to carry. I wanted something small, but didn't want to give up file size... with this camera, you don't.

Great camera for family picture
I bought this camera because I broke my old camera and I decided to go for an upgrade. I use it mostly for taking family picture. I really like the red eye function and the speed at which I can download the pictures on my computer. With its light weight and compact format this camera is easy to carry around.

Handy to use
Have owned several canon cameras and this is my favorite so far. Because of its compact size, I carry it with me all the time. Ideal for quick snaps of grand kids and used on several social occasions. Haven't had a bad snapshot yet.

Nicest one yet!
I love this camera in many many aspects most of all I love the Wide screen shots it takes I get so much more in each picture. My only criticism is that 1 month after I bought this camera Canon comes along with an 8 and 10 mega pixel model witch I probably would have considered buying.

Canon PowerShot SD700 IS
I am still learning how to use this camera. All the photos I have taken so far are absolutely beautiful. Very happy with this purchase. Love the small size, as I travel a lot.

Canon SD700
We compared the Canon SD600, SD630 & SD700 and found the SD700 to be the way to go. The features and as we later found the performance of the SD700 were worth the extra dollars.

excellent camera
I am very happy with this cannon camera.I rcommend it to anybody who wants a reliable camera and easy to work with.

Pleased with camera
I've had this camera for about a month, replacing a Canon S400. I debated long and hard after reading the reviews both here and in other review sites. I was comparing this camera to the Casio Exims' because of their battery life, etc., and I also waited until the SD800 came out. I ended up choosing the Canon SD 700, and I am very pleased with the results so far. I took pictures inside with low light, and I must say that the red eye technology has improved tremendously from the S400 model, and so far I have not taken a picture that I found problematic with this camera.
I can't judge the battery life just yet, but so far I am happy with my decision.

Great battery life and camera
We got this camera in Aug and I have not charged the battery yet(11-7)! the pictures look great and it is very easy to carry. I love it!

great camera
I am not much of a photographer. I found this camera easy to use and my pix are just great. Believe me, it's the camera. The stabilizer thing works to give clear focus almost every time. I can even put the pix up on the computer and send them easily. I'm thrilled. You do need to upgrade to a 1 mgb. memory card when you buy the camera.

Tiny camera delivers great resolution, lots of digital options
I gave this camera to my husband for his birthday. It is the first digital camera we have owned though my college age son is on his third one - all have been Canon digital Elphs. This is such a great little gadget - it is smaller than a pack of cigarettes, has a big screen on which to view your photo(s), is easy to learn to use, and great for taking on trips - as long as you remember to keep the wrist strap on your wrist while you are using it so it doesn't drop and break.
I also purchased a small Canon digital printer which is great for us to take to our aging parents, take photos, print them immediately and leave them with our parents to enjoy immediately. Every Canon product we own has not disappointed us and this little camera is no exception!

Awesome camera!
I love this camera. It does everything you'd want a compact point and shoot camera to d