Canon Powershot SD900: Easy-to-Use, Compact Camera

When I write a product review, it is solely with my purposes in mind. Unlike professional product reviews, I don't consider features or functions that I don't use. When I bought my Canon SD900, I intended to use it for family pictures and for photographing coins for my eBay listings, and I'll review it based on these two purposes. I don't claim to be anything but a novice with a camera in my hand, and I still don't know what a lot of the buttons do!

I purchased this camera about 15 months ago and paid around $500 for it, which was one of the most competitive prices after doing some research. It was one of the more expensive cameras out there at the time, largely because it is a 10 mega pixel camera.

For use as a snap-and-go camera to record all of your family moments, it is terrific! It is small enough to slide into your pocket, yet packs a 10 mega pixel punch. The pictures are great quality. We've even used pictures taken with the camera in lieu of professional photos to include with our Christmas cards. It's important to me to have a compact camera, so I wasn't carrying a lot of bulky gear during our trip to Disneyworld. The camera fit nicely in a small case clipped to my belt. It was secure on the rides and didn't get in the way whatsoever. It really does fit in a pocket, but I don't recommend this because LCD's are delicate-as I learned the hard way.

Speaking of, when I cracked the LCD (because I was carrying it in my pocket) I tried to find a Canon authorized repair facility locally because I thought it would be the easier way to go. I got a couple of quotes, but they just weren't easy to work with. Finally, I decided to just send it back to Canon, regardless the cost because I use it for eBay auctions. I was pleasantly surprised that they charged about the same as the local dealers and were very easy to work with.

When I sell coins on eBay, it's important that I get a high-resolution picture so I can crop minute details on a coin to show an error or a particular variety. This camera is terrific for this purpose. I can crop a tiny area on a coin and blow it up to full-screen with tremendous detail. It has really helped my sales and many people have asked me what camera I use for my auctions.

It has plenty of gadgets and gizmos for those who are little more proficient photographers than I am. I don't know how to work many of them. I do like the panoramic feature and the multiple-shot options. They are great for capturing landscapes and action shots of the kids. It's simple to use; I'm not a fan of user guides and have been able to figure out everything I need without it.

So, if you're looking for a compact camera that has a lot of features but is still easy to work that still takes great pictures, this is the camera for you!