need help canon sd850 IS

Hi ,
I have canon sd850 IS and have been using it from past 1.6 years. I tried auto setting tried manual with various combinations but the photo quality is not crisp as I ever expected before purchase. Am i doing some mistake somewhere, few of my friends told me that there Sony camera point and shoot camera can even shoot better quality pictures. The photos are not crisp they just look ok. i am attaching one sample picture was shot in day time on auto mode. Please comment.

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

The image looks OK to me. One thing to note is that the midday sun doesn't provide the best lighting for pictures.

thanks for your reply ..you are right ..in this latest photo which is attached below the sunlight was low and my camera was on auto mode. the picture quality dosen't look good at all , do you think i need to play little bit with mannual settings like ISO and exp.. to get the better picture.

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

dose any one has SD850 IS.. can someone tell me at what mode you have got best shots ...it is reailly hard to get good pictures from this camera.I think it is my mistake i purchased canon sd850 ..the sony cybershot can show better images than mine.

The EXIF shows ISO 80, F/8, 1/400s. I think the ISO is fine, but the image is a tad underexposed, +2/3 ev compensation might have been better.

The mist might be creating a foggy environment hindering sharpness in the photograph.

I increased brightness and sharpened the image in post. Those more experienced might be able to give a much best result...

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

Thanks Vishnu !
Looks like you have good knowledge of photography ..I really appreciate your help on this looks like I need to try the manual option to find out the better shot based on condition. I think I should not use auto mode anymore. Last question to you if can answer that please.. What camera setting should I keep in day time may be say morning and evening .below is what I have .
ISO – manual like 80 during day time..morning and evening (good light only)
AIAF- on
Digital Zoom – standard
Slow Synchro – off
Red eye – on
Auto ISO Shift –On
IS Mode- Shoot only
Display overlay – off
Auto rotate – on
Lens Retract – 1min
Quality super fine
Size -2592x1944

Looks like you missed focus on the main subject, since he's off-center, in that second shot.

The settings seem fine to me. You can play with the sharpness, contrast, saturation settings in camera to see what you like. Also to get better focus you can try setting AiAF to off and using only the central frame for Autofocus and then recomposing.

I just bought an SD 850 is for fun. I saw a documentary about several photographers. One was Albert Maysles. He has since passed away, but the photos he took were amazing. I had to stop and back up the dvr several times to see what camera he was using.

It was an SD 850 is. I ordered one off eBay the next day.

Check the advanced manual at http://gdlp01.c-wss.com …50ISIXUS950ISCU​Gad_EN.pdf. I would pay particular attention to page 49, "switching between focusing modes." As you can see there is a face detect option which might have been a good choice with the individual leaning on the railing in front of the falls. But also take note on the "On" mode and mention of 9 available points. Keep reading and you can learn how to get one of those points on your specific subject matter. Without switching between the focus points, the camera makes the choice, and then you become subject to the allowable depth of field.