I'm not really involved in the digital photo scene so this won't be a super technical review.

I purchased this camera because of the size. It's about the size of a mobile phone, smaller than some, larger than others. It fits perfectly in the phone sized pocket of my shoulder bag.

Operation is mostly simple. Power it on with one button, focus and shoot with a different button. The location of these two buttons is pretty ergonomic - they make sense. I haven't taken a single picture with part of my hand shadowing the flash or found any fingers in the shot. In the past 14 months, I've taken over 2500 pictures with this unit and had no fingers in the pictures, so I think that's pretty ergonomic for a small camera.

The zoom is digital which makes it useless - if you zoom in, you can just see bigger pixels, so don't buy it for the zoom, ok?

Manual operation is hit and miss. Some of the settings I've found to be superior to the default point and shoot mode but for the most part I think you're better off using it in automatic mode. For one thing, it's really hard to find a setting where you can turn the flash off without leaving the shutter open forever. That means I can't use the camera in many museums because most restrict the use of a flash. Of course, a DIY fix for that would be to cover the flash securely with something like electrical tape, but I really don't like the idea of that.

Battery life is long, if you use the actual Canon batteries. I purchased a couple of aftermarket batteries and they only last for a couple hours of turn on, take a couple photos, turn off and repeat. So for vacation when you really need to rely on a spare, buy an actual Canon battery. It's worth the extra dough.

The case that comes with the unit is quite nice. You shouldn't need to spend more $ to buy another one. I don't like the velcro on the case so much because it gets stuck on the little camera strap and makes the strap look all scuzzy, but maybe you can find a better strap. Any cell phone strap could be used. Try to find one that will fit around your hand for security. I've dropped the unit once and it's okay so far but I wouldn't want to risk any damage.

The battery charger is small - no cord. On the US model it plugs into any two prong outlet. Doesn't work well on a power strip because it has a large footprint. But on a regular double outlet with a normal plug in one, this charger will fit just fine in the other outlet. On a totally dead battery it takes about 35 minutes to fully charge it.

The manual is descriptive. Keep it handy when you're getting started. Don't just use the quick start guide. You'll want to know how to use those manual settings from time to time. Take it with you on vacation.

Video mode is okay. The mic is quite sensitive - better than I had suspected. You won't get a particularly large image but you can find video editing programs that will enable you to enhance the video you record. For fun little snippets to send to friends via e-mail, which is what I wanted, it's great.

Sorting through the images and videos is extra simple. Deleting unwanted images is just as simple. Be careful, or you might delete something you meant to keep.

The unit does come with a 16mb SD card but that's too small for use in reality. Go to the store and buy a 256 or a 512 MB card and you'll be able to take way more pictures than your battery will allow. You should not need more than one 512 for a 10 day vacation. Seriously. I like that it uses SD cards because they're still quite easy to find. And unlike other camera brands, you can buy any brand SD card.

I can tell you that some SD cards are faster than others, which will affect your between snapshot time more than the camera itself. I'm using a PNY card and it's much faster than the card that came with the camera. Unfortunately, most of those cards are made by 2 or 3 manufacturers and then rebranded by the sellers. If you feel that it takes too long to take one photo after another, try a different card. Don't blame the camera.

There is a cable included to directly connect the camera to a device. You could use that but honestly I think it's easier to take the card out and insert into a card reader. Many computers have them built in. If yours doesn't, you can buy a reader at any electronics retailer for about $9-30 depending on how many types of cards it can read. All you need is SD reader.

Would I buy this camera again? Yes I think so. It's not everything I wanted but almost everything. 4MP is still nothing to sneeze at - the images are quite good. Usually the only modifications I have to make are to orient the photos 90 degrees(I take a lot of portrait shaped pictures, which default to view sideways when you look at them on your computer.)

Buy with confidence and enjoy this little thing. Every time I use it people still say "wow it's such a small camera!" If that's important to you, you'll really like it.

I will buy another Canon Elph when this one finally dies. With the option of going up to a 1 GB SD card, the future is wide open. It is possible to buy a lesser brand 4MP camera for a lot less, but the extra Canon quality is worth paying for if you plan to have your camera for a long time.

As one who travels extensively, space and weight limitations prompt me to pack lightly, but I refuse to sacrifice quality. This little gem easily fits into jacket or trouser pockets, whips out quickly and performs extremely well. I use the usb cable to dock into my Mac PowerBook where I use iPhoto to seamlessly import, classify and burn my pics. My wife lost me first SD10, and I'm buying a second one ASAP!

let me note that if i were rating this camera among all other small cameras, i would be giving it a 5. however, among all cameras in general, including giant ones as big as your arm that cost twice as much, it understandably gets a 4.

this is a great little camera. If you are in the market for a camera that you want to carry around in your pocket, this is it, stop looking. you won't find one that takes better pictures that is even close to this size. It still has a nice screen on it too, which i like. It's easy to use, very few buttons on this one, but it has as many features as any other camera. It comes with a good Li-ion battery that has great life. Cameras that use AA batteries are a complete pain in the neck, so I was happy about the battery. It also comes with a 32 MB memory card, which will store anywhere from 16-72 pictures depending on which size and quality settings you choose. I upgraded to a 128 MB card and i have never had to worry about even coming close to running out of memory. The only thing lacking is zoom quality. It doesn't have optical zoom, only digital, so if you zoom in at all, it makes your pictures grainy. Anyone that says that this doesn't happen is either lying or just stupid, because it's something that anyone who has ever used a digital camera would know. However, i am willing to sacrifice zoom for all of the other great things about this camera. And think about it anyway...if you are just taking a picture of some people, just take a few steps forward if you need to "zoom in." If you are taking pictures of a landscape, you probably wont need to zoom. However if you are someone that needs zoom for whatever you use your camera for, then you probably shouldn't be looking at a camera this small anyway, you will need one with one of those giant lenses. The SD-10 has an awesome macro (close-up) setting, you can get within a half inch of anything and take the most detailed picture you will ever see. I took a picture of a flower and you could see the veins in the petals when i pulled it up on my computer.
Also, not that this really matters, but every time i take this camera out in front of anyone (i got the black one), they all want to see it and compliment how cool it looks. Now, this isnt why you should buy it, but it is a testament to the physical beauty of this camera.
All in all, this is a wonderful camera and it even comes with a small, nice fitting carrying case. Again, if you need a small camera, get this one, you will not be disappointed.

if you need a new camera, want something to fit in your pocket, this ones for you! 4 megapixels, more than enough, this thing is TINY! id highly recommend this to anybody, if you don't got the money for it, consider getting one for FREE!
it got me mine, check it out, its all the information you need on getting this camera for FREE!

I recently took this lil cam on a trip overseas and am extremely happy with the pictures that it took. Color and clarity are top notch, what I expect from Canon. It's very compact and easy to carry around. Just be sure it's in a safe pocket or bag, you wouldn't want to leave it behind.

The SD10 does lack optical zoom, which is advantageous in some ways. It's easier to use (no zoom controls to fiddle with) so strangers can just point & shoot in those situations when you want a picture of yourself. "Zoom with your feet". Not having to fiddle with zoom controls also makes for quicker shooting. Use a paint program afterwards to crop what you want to keep in the pic.

This isn't a replacement for a full-sized digicam. But it sure gives them a run for their money. I wouldn't take any other cam on a long trip. The charger is universal 100-240v 50/60Hz, so no power converter is necessary (just a plug adapter depending on where you're going).

I bought this when it first came out a couple of years ago. At the time it was the smallest 4MP out there, and since my goal was to go "small," i decided that i could live without an optical zoom. While it served me well, I will tell anyone now that we all need optical zoom. Photographic quality is good, though there are sometimes too much chromatic aberration (color fringing). Focus indoors can be slow or impossible, even with flash turned on.

Unless you can get a really good deal for this, I suggest looking elsewhere, as there are many other offerings from this class of cameras now -- all with zoom lenses. I recommend the recent Casios or a Pentax Optio.

I love this camera
I love the macro, the clarity
someone into photography told me it has especially clear pictures BECAUSE it has no optical zoom and I have been very pleased. The only thing is I would like optical zoom, so I am thinking about getting another camera, but DEFINITELY sticking within the canon line.
It is super sturdy, I'm ashamed to say it's hit the floor a few times. Dont get generic batteries, it's worth the investment to get the brand name, they'll last a long time and generic just isn't worth the medium amount of money you will pay.
The size is great which is why I can take it everywhere with me. I love that I can take continuous shots which comes in handy with my godson and his brother and my rabbit.
I highly reccomend this as a point and shoot camera. I happen to know a bit about photography and love it....and the camera is great for me....sometimes I woudl like to be able to set some manual settings but then again the pros SIGNIFICANTLY outweigh the cons...the quality is good. Using the self timer I have done my own headshots, and theater professionals thought they were professionally done. Let me just tell you I saved thousands with that instance, and I can just keep updating them and whatnot. It's great to have a tripod with it sometimes and just try things out. This is my first digital camera and it's also a great one to start with, why get all the fancy shmancy if you are new to digital cameras? As a theater major who does makeup, it is invaluable for taking photos of the actors' makeup to keep it the same from day to day and even for other things with "documentation" like if I see a dress I like and I want to go get that fabric, I Just take a pic since I always have it with me, that is one of the main handy features and I have so many pics that I only have because it waas easy to carry around and who wants to lug a huge thing around all day all the time? I have even used it in craft stores to remember what I wanted to use on a project and so I would remember where it was, what it looked like and sizes and whatnot..it is So handy for things you wouldnt always think of and expect.
I really really do reccomend this and all the other elph cameras....zoom or no zoom but if you DO want zoom go for optical because digital zoom wont really get you anywhere....

enjoy :)

I have two of these cameras, the silver one and the bronze. The bronze one takes blurry photos 50% of the time. I thought it was defective. Now the silver one takes blurry photos also. Piece of crap! I guess the shutter speed is too slow. There is no way to adjust any settings on the Menu to prevent this. Skip this camera.

i was completely and absolutely dazzled by how powerful and small this camera is.

i've seen smaller cameras in the market, like the infamous casio exilim, but as far as i'm concerned, canon has truly achieved the smallest size a camera could have WITHOUT prejudicing its quality.

i've previously owned a canon powershot s110, which has only about 2MP, and i truly loved it. i was almost completely satisfied with my s110, as its image quality was stupendous: the only problems i had were regarding the shooting speed and the camera's size (which, i know, is considered small. but even so, i wanted an even smaller one).

so my main goal was a camera which could take great-quality pictures, which had a very short shooting-speed and yet was small enough to fit in a pocket.

well, i've come to learn that s10 is well-packed with all the requirements above.

previously to buying this camera, my major concern was its shooting speed, as i didn't see any reviews on that. well, here goes the first one:

this camera has two shooting modes: one is short, and the other one is shorter. amazing!

the "short" one is with the auto-focus function enable. it takes about 1 second to take a picture with perfect focus on the angles selected by the user (it draws little green squares on the screen, showing which areas it is going to focus). and to do that, all you have to do is press the shutter button half-way down, wait for its artificial inteligence to focus on the desired subject, and then press what's left of it.

the "even shorter one" is an "emergency" kind of shot. you just simply press the shutter button all the way down, and BAM: you have an almost instantly picture taken. it's truly unbelievable.

of course the picture quality in the shortest mode isn't as great as it is in the AIAF (artificial intelinge auto focus - you'll hear that a lot) mode, but it's for sure a big helper for situations on which you don't actually have time to wait up for the camera to focus (not even one little second).

other one of the impressive camera features is the possibility of choosing the startup image (the image that is shown on the LCD when the camera is powered on), the startup sound, etc., and, fabulously, the auto-shutter sound - which is great! i, for instance, recorded cartman's voice (from south-park) and set it to play as the auto-shutter goes of. you can have really funny pictures with tricks like that, because the people on subject have no idea of what that sound is and start giggling as the picture is taken. and then, there goes a smiley, happy picture. you can upload to the camera any sound or image on your computer, or use one that is already in the camera.

the time the camera takes to turn on is also something to be noticed. it's about one second (or even less). so if you're on a hurry to take a quick-shot, you're most likely to achieve your goal.

at last but not least, some people say that the only flaw this camera has is that it has no zoom. well, i say that this camera is flawless. my previously camera had 3x optical zoom / 5x digital zoom, and i don't remember using it not even once, because i mainly take short-distance pictures. so, if to reduce the camera's size they needed to cut-off the zooming feature, i can only applaude them. it didn't make any difference to me at all. in fact, this is probably why the camera is also so fast at shot-taking and at powering on and off: it doesn't have to pull-back an enourmous set of lenses.

this camera is what i needed indeed. if you are, in any way, in the needs of what i described above, search no more, because this is the camera for you. i'm 100% satisfied with it.

I purchased this camera last Christmas because I wanted a 4 mega pixel camera in a sleek lightweight body. I always use Amazon for the reviews which I read before making a buying decision and I was not disappointed. The unit is great. I just returned from Hawaii and took many pics in varying light situations and they all look super. Colors are vibrant and properly rendered. I agree that red eye is a problem though.
Being middle aged, I would have appreciated a bigger screen. That is the single largest drawback for me. I bought an extra battery and recommend that you do so if you are like me and hate to be caught short. However, I do have to say that the battery life has been good. I also popped for a 128SD memory card and found that to be more than enough to capture the 90 pics taken in large size superfine shooting format. My unit came with a very nice leather case that uses Velcro to secure the case to a belt loop. I found this to work very well and it did not interfere with getting to the camera quickly. I generally shoot pics with a 35MM NIKON 6006 SLR so you could say that I am an experienced photographer. Take it from me; you'll like this camera and the results you achieve.

I have four digital cameras - but this one is my favorite. The photos are crisp, the camera is very responsive and fast. It is small enough to carry every day. The charge is good too. I would say this and the Casio XFilm are the bext low-end digital cameras around.