to get the SD870 is or the SD790 is?

hey guys i'm heading off to college and would like to bring a digicam with me...this will be my grad gift

i was concerned about the picture quality and the built quality between these two models... i know the 870 has only 8mp and 3.8x optical while the 790 has 10 mp and 3x optical...i'm pretty sure all the technology is the same the only differences are those two specs i listed above...

which one would you guys recomend? which is more sturdy? which one takes nicer functions? do each of them have different functions?

also although the 870 is an older model vs the 790 is there really any major differences between them?

thanks!

The 790 has a focal length of 35-105 which is pretty much standard on most compact cameras these days. The 870 starts wider, at 28-105. What this pretty much means that if you were to hold the cameras standing at the exact same spot in a room, the 870 will "see" more. Most will find that more useful than the extra 2mp the 790 has.

I dont know/havent had any experience with the 790, but i did get the 870 for my brother specifically for the wide angle ability - simply because most people whom we let shoot us with a P/S cut off something around the edges.

SD870 doesn't support RAW; Amazon has it wrong there. You'd need to use the CHDK hack, which is being rolled out pretty fast for new models these days, to get that.

hmm overall would you guys say the sd870 is better although its older than the 790?

Rating a camera by its number of pixels is largely an advertising gimmick. Unless you are making prints larger than 8x10, or cropping away most of your picture, anything above 3 MP will be perfectly adequate. I recently got an SD870 and am pleased with it. As far as I am concerned, the wide angle zoom (far more important to me than telephoto zoom) blows away every other consideration for a pocket camera.

I consistently find that I want a wide angle shot when I'm using my A620 (or my DSLRs). You can always crop some; it's harder to expand a picture beyond what was on the sensor. For that reason alone, I'd go with the SD870.

jdmwol2ks wrote in post #5459639
hmm overall would you guys say the sd870 is better although its older than the 790?

It's hard to say which one is "better" as they occupy different positions in the Elph lineup. The 790 is a replacement for the 750 (I think) which is a basic ultra compact camera with a 3" LCD, no viewfinder, and which took great pictures. I would say the 790 would be an improvement over the 750 due to the inclusion of IS. The 870 is a replacement for the 800, who's claim to fame is the wide angle lens.

I'm sure the one thing you've noticed all of us who replied here have said is the wide angle of the 870 alone is the deal maker.

I'm a DSLR user and have also had 3 p&s Canons, the latest being the SD870 IS. I wish it was out when I purchased the A550 last summer. There's nothing wrong with the A550, I use it at work, photographing my construction jobs. But when I have to shoot indoors the A550 can't get the wide angle to view the whole room. Usually the site is too dusty to use my baby (30D with a 12-24mm lens). So now, the SD870 IS will get most, if not all, of the room I'm working on in the frame. It's designed well also, stylish but sturdy. Get the leather case that goes with it! The case keeps it snug and well protected from scratches.

Hope this helps!