Canon PowerShot SD880IS - Digital Camera Review

The PowerShot SD880IS is a nicely equipped, inexpensive camera. The 10 megapixel resolution is impressive at the camera's price point. Likewise, the 4X zoom is pretty nice for such a thin camera. Canon also continues to improve its image stabilization and face detection technologies.

On the downside, the 32MB memory card may be limiting, but that is easily and inexpensively overcome with a larger card. The lithium-ion battery is a tossup. The environmentalist in me likes the rechargeable battery, but my inner adventure tourist might like the versatility of widely available AA batteries, which are sometimes easier to find than power outlets.

The biggest drawback is the lack of an optical viewfinder. I still find greater stability holding the camera to my eye, and the bright LCD screen still doesn't quite compensate for really bright sunlight.

If cost is the top priority, the PowerShot SD880IS might not be the camera for you. A cheaper camera will likely be larger, but it will deliver the same features in perhaps a sturdier package. On the other hand, a fair balance of cost and size might leave a buyer firmly in the SD880IS camp.

The design might be the biggest drawback of the PowerShot SD880IS. Again, it depends on your perspective. Canon seems to be bucking popular design trends. While many companies focus on sleeker and more streamlined designs, Canon went slightly bulkier and more curvaceous with the PowerShot SD880IS.

Rather than being a symmetrical and square camera, it is more rounded and bulged on the side with the controls. It also has larger and control buttons on the back. Depending on taste, this can be more comfortable and user-friendly. It could also be simply less attractive.

Likewise, it is a matter of taste, but Canon is betting that all its users want basic silver and gold, rather than the bright reds, pinks and blues of other point-and-shoot Canon models.