I did all my research. I compared sample images. I pored over review after review after review. I compared it to all it’s competition, and thought I had found exactly what I was looking for. The SD850 IS (which stands for Image Stabilization! ooh!). And I had… except…
Dear Canon,
Why would you produce a wonderful camera, with a huge LCD backpanel AND a viewfinder should the sun be too bright to use the LCD? With a 4x optical zoom and a relatively noise-free images all the way up to ISO 1600? Why would you do all this so as to make me buy the camera, and not include a latch on the battery door????
Sincerely,
Jim Markham
A pissed off customer
Seriously though, I spent almost a month doing my homework on this. I was looking at an Olympus that is supposed to be pretty much ‘everything-proof’, but after seeing multiple sample images that had excessive lack of focus away from the center of the frame for both near-field and telephoto, I went back to the drawing board. I found glowing reviews about the SD850, and only 1 negative comment about the battery door which was, and I quote: “Battery/SD Card Door can slide out and pop open easily.” Can pop open easily? Try this on for size as a better statement of the above: “You may find it difficult to handle the camera, i.e. take the camera out of a camera case, without ‘inadvertently’ opening the over-sprung, under-latched battery /SD card door.” Complete showstopper. Every other Canon camera I’ve used, and as a matter of completeness, EVERY camera I’ve operated in say the last 10 years, has either a two stage latch, or a very tightly fitted slide latch. Either push a button/switch/slider one direction then pull the battery door in a perpendicular direction to open it, Or hold the camera tightly and press on the battery door while sliding it to open it.
Exhibit A: Video of the battery-door in operation
Why is this bad? Here’s why: I bought the camera to go to Iraq with me. Its intended use is to be a camera I carry everywhere, shoot lots of photos with, and generally abuse for the 12+ months I’m going to be there. This sort of function is unacceptable for a point and shoot camera I’d throw in my pocket here in the States, but for something I’m planning to use under conditions inconceivable here it is a showstopper. I’m not going to be all melodramatic and say it could get me killed, but I will say it would definetly make me miss some shots I’ll never again in my lifetime have an opportunity to take. Fumbling for the battery door in the dark, in a Humvee, with gloves on… you get the picture. Or not.
Back to BestBuy with this one, and back to the drawing board…
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