Canon PowerShot SD880 Digital Camera Review

Canon PowerShot SD880

Digital Camera Review

Sep 25, 2008 - By Alfredo Padilla
The Canon PowerShot SD880 IS is a 10-megapixel compact point-and-shoot. Small and cute with angular lines, large buttons, 4x optical zoom and a nice three-inch LCD display, the SD880 will appeal to many who want a fairly easy-to-use compact camera. The SD880 IS lacks the more advanced manual features found on the SD990 IS, and sacrifices its brandmate's optical viewfinder in exchange for a larger LCD. We're not sure the pluses and minuses balance out, however, especially when you consider the SD880 IS will come in at the same $399.99 price point as the SD990 IS when it becomes available in October of 2008.
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Model Design / Appearance
The Canon PowerShot SD880 IS is smaller and more angular than the SD990 IS, and we found the overall effect more pleasing the SD990 IS's curvy lines. We also appreciated the larger buttons on the back and the increased size of the LCD.

Size and Handling
The SD880 IS measures 3.69 x 2.24 x 0.93 inches (94 x 57 x 24mm) and weighs in at 3.69 ounces (105g). This is slightly smaller and thinner than the SD990 IS and significantly lighter. It means the SD880 is going to fit more comfortably in your pocket or bag. It's not as tiny as the ultra-slim compacts that are out there, however. Despite its smaller size, we actually found the Canon PowerShot SD880 IS easier to handle than the SD990 IS, thanks to the large, comfortable buttons on the back and the larger LCD display.


The SD880 IS is small, but has large buttons.


Menu
As with other Canon cameras, there are two menu interfaces available on the Canon PowerShot SD880 IS. Hit the Menu button to enter the main menu with a tabbed interface of options. Like the SD990 IS there is no "Favorites" tab that you find on higher end Canon cameras like the G10.


The main menu lacks the Favorites tab found on higher-end Canon cameras.

You can also press the center button of the 4-way control to access the Function Set menu. Here you can make quick adjustments to exposure compensation, white balance, My Colors, metering, quality and size. Not all of these options will be available to you, depending on the mode the camera is in. 

Ease of Use
The Canon PowerShot SD880 IS is aimed squarely at the amateur consumer market. Although it does offer a Program mode, the only adjustment you can really make is exposure compensation. Most users will use the Auto mode or one of the Scene modes to shoot, and these are easy as pie to use. Combined with a relatively intuitive menu system, comfortable buttons and a large LCD and this is a relatively easy camera to shoot with. That doesn't mean it's perfect: for example, we're not convinced it's a good idea to allow users to switch between Auto and Program mode by simply rotating the dial around the 4-way, this can happen by accident far too easily and many novice users will likely not realize what they've done.

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