I recently purchased the SD300 and have not been overly pleased with it. I am a confessed shutter bug so my quality standards are somewhat higher than most. Here are the things I like about the camera:

1) Nice look and feel - metal outside and nice weight
2) Compact size - one of the smallest with zoom and the feature set
3) Separate battery charger is very small and easy to take with you.
4) Uses standard USB cable to transfer directly from camera to computer

Things I don't like:

1) Pictures are definitely on the soft side
2) Very hard to get a decent picture in moderately low light without the flash. I suppose it is using a very slow shuttle speed.
3) I would like a battery meter instead of indication your battery is almost dead

and last but not least and the reason I returned it

4) the LCD is basically unprotected and since it is very large, I felt I would break it like many other reviewer's have. I frankly do not believe the LCD breaks by itself, but since there is no protection on it, simply grabbing it a little hard seems like it could damage the display.

I want to thank all the previous reviewers that made me aware of this issue. There are many other cameras that have unprotected LCD's too, not just Cannon's. However, there are also many that protect them with a plastic or glass cover.

I'm trading the SD300 in for the Casio Z55 which is the same size, lighter in weight, 5 Megapixels and equivalent functionality. The jury is still out the picture quality of the Z55.

I am pleasantly surprised by how small it is. It is about the size of a deck of cards. But the best of all is that it does everything I want and more.

Great
- Very Sharp and rich pictures as well as video
- Great real time video in a small package - I don't bring my camcorder anymore!
- Fast focusing - no delay
- Fast processing and saving to memory

Not so great
- Metal body is slippery - use wrist strap at all times
- Software menu to adjust manual setting
- Battery life is short (about 100 shots) especailly when using flash and shooting video

This camera is for my wife and she loves it. I can't wait for a prosumer version for myself!

Think twice before buying the Canon SD 200, SD 300 or any SD series camera. The LCD displays are large but extremely fragile. Mine was cracked on the second day. It was NOT dropped or abused.

I also have a Canon S110 and have taken just over 5,000 photos with it since Christmas 2001 without any problems. Apparently, in an attempt to make the new models light and the displays large, Canon sacrificed durability.

In some cases Canon will "waive" the LCD repair cost. In others they demand $165 for the repair.

i upgraded my sd110 to this camera...im happy with my choice..

i chose this camera for its better optical zoom and more MPs..and when i received it i was happy to see that it was a thinner and smaller camera than the sd110..which i thought to be small enough

the sd300 also offers a 2" viewing screen which makes it very cool.

its a well built and designed camera in my opinion...it was a bit pricey...but all in all..worth it i guess...it was more of a buy than splurging on the sd400 in my opinion...which didnt offer enough to make me spend that extra money..

Let me begin by saying that Canon makes exceptional digital cameras; the best in the market right now. This is because they have always used high quality components since they began manufacturing digital cameras. This one is no exception.

Now that I've sold you on a Canon, which one should you choose?

First off, let's see if you really need an SDxxx camera, or would be better suited with a cheaper non ultraportable camera.

The SDxxx Series offers several key advantages over less portable models:
-Beautiful, sleek design and metallic body will wow anyone who sees it.
-Gorgeous 2 inch LCD screens
-The excellent Dig!c 2 processor (other Canons only have dig!c 1)
-Much better movie mode than previous Canons
-Small light, easy pocketability

On the other hand, there are some significant drawbacks due to the components Canon had to use to get the camera so small:
-Few manual controls.
-Pictures are not as sharp as those of similar non ultraportable cameras.
-The flash is very close to the lens (lots of redeye problems)
-More purple fringing issues than other Canons
-Proprietary batteries that are expensive to replace
-The LCD is very fragile. Read the SD200 and SD300 reviews to see lots of unhappy people whose LCDs broke. Canon's warranty does NOT cover this either. My suggestion? Buy using a credit card that offers a warranty in addition to the manufacturer's. If your lcd breaks, many CC companies will replace the camera no questions asked!

If you don't need the ultra portability and flashy looks of the SD cameras, a slightly larger camera with more features might be right for you. I would highly suggest Canon's A510 or A520 if you don't need an SD model.

If you still want an SD model, which one should you choose? The SD200 with 3.2mp, the SD300 with 4mp, the SD400 with 5mp, or the SD500 at a whopping 7.1mp?

Your first instinct may be that more megapixels is better. Today, however megapixel ratings are similar to Ghz ratings in the computer world: They used to mean a lot, but they don't mean as much anymore. More megapixels do NOT mean a better image. They mean a larger printable image. Unless you have to have huge prints, you simply do not more megapixels. In fact, the 3.2mp of the SD200 is enough for anyone who doesn't plan on printing pictures larger than a standard 8.5x11 sheet of paper.

That having been said, there are some differences between each SDxxx model. In order to get the larger 7.1mp sensor in the SD500, Canon had to make the camera larger. Thus, it is around a quarter inch thicker and 30% heavier than the other 3 models. The larger size did enable Canon to pack more features into it, however:

Features unique to the SD500:
-1/4 inch thicker
-30% heavier
-50% longer flash range
-14% more battery life

The SD400 and SD500 also share these benefits over the SD200/SD300:
-New "Night Display" feature which brightens the LCD in low light
-My Colors feature lets you highlight or swap colors right on the camera
-USB 2.0 High Speed support

The following are shared by all the SDxxx Cameras:

Pros:
-Beautiful, eye catching design
-Great image quality, though not as good as non ultraportable models
-New Dig!c 2 image processor
-Excellent Movie Mode
-3x optical zoom is adequate for most people
-Excellent, intuitive manual controls
-Huge 2.0 inch lcd that looks great under various lighting conditions
-Uses widely available and cheap SD cards

Cons (most of these are minor quirks):
-Some purple fringing problems
-Proprietary batteries are expensive to replace and inconvenient at times
-Lots of issues with fragile LCDs
-No RAW support
-Few manual controls

If you do choose this product, the first thing you should buy is a larger SD memory card. The camera comes with a 16mb card (32 in the SD500), which is pretty much useless.

You should also immediately purchase a case and some screen protectors to protect the LCD.

I am giving this five stars because I cant give 4.5. I had the camera for about a month and the screen became bluishly hued. I guess the Lcd might have cracked. I sent it to Canon and got it repaired for free. For a very compact camera,, it takes really good pictures. The manual mode with a good adjustment is adequate. The pictures are a little on the soft side. Night pictures are decent, but the camera really shines on cloudy days. The flash is okay for the most part. 4MP suprisingly takes really good pictures, I was skeptic gettig this camera because of the resolution, but it does look amazing. I love the macro mode a lot. The camera itself is sexy, on par with my ipod. It's light in the pocket but feels substantial when held. You wont appreciate the size until you hold it. It fits you pockets easily. If you want the best in ultracompact/best picture quality, you cant go wrong with the Canon SD series

I strongly recommend not buying this camera. What you get in features, you lose in robustness. The battery cover is plastic and flimsy. The worst is the large LCD screen - there is absolutely *no* protection against minor knocks. My screen cracked after two weeks and I honestly have no idea how it happened (and have to pay big money for repairs)

I wish there would be a digital camera that is as robust and well designed as my iPod....

I had mine for about 3 weeks before my LCD screen cracked as well. If you find that it is hard to believe, (...). The camera, itself, takes good quality pictures, but the LCD screen is much too fragile. I sent my camera in and they sent me a bill of $114.05. I had heard from other people that they were not willing to waive the fee, but I decided to give it a try anyways. I simply asked the representative why my camera was not covered under warranty and immediately she says, "Okay.. this will be a ONE TIME free repair". So, if your LCD screen was cracked.. send it in, give them a call (nicely), and they'll fix it for free. Once I get it back, I'm selling it and buying a different camera. =)

This is my fourth digital camera in the last twelve months. I am constantly buying new ones in the $300-500 price range and selling them on eBay once they've revealed their flaws to me. Without a doubt, this is the best one I've had and I think it'll stick around for a while. What's good about it:
1. size and style are great; there is nothing that can be improved upon here;
2. the LCD is a nice size without sacrificing the viewfinder;
3. the controls are very easy to access and understand. Though I prefer the point-and-shoot method, I find myself dabbling with the controls a lot and I take better pictures because of it;
4. the time it takes between opening the camera and taking a photo is almost instantaneous. There's no warmup period. Likewise, taking several pictures rapidly is a breeze, no lag time at all;
5. in general, the camera is simple to use. Someone with no experience could pick this up and use immediately; and
6. I wish more cameras would use plain ole AA batteries, but since that's probably never going to happen, Canon's li-on battery is adequate. It lasts a decent amount of time and charges very quickly. The charger is improved in this line from the S410, which was somewhat bigger and more awkward.

And what I don't like:
1. pictures indoors or after dusk just don't turn out that well, regardless of using the nighttime/indoor settings on the camera. I think that the flash is adequate but after all my digital camera trading, have found this to be a universal weakness. It's annoying;
2. no meter for the battery. You get about five pictures once the indicator tells you the battery is on the way out. It's something a lot of people have complained about and doesn't seem like a tough thing for Canon to fix; and
3. the software that comes with the camera is junk. I hate it. I recommend downloading Picasa, which is fabulous, and free.

As for the LCD cracking, that really sucks and I hope it doesn't happen to me. The obvious answer is to pick up a case and cart it around in that. I haven't had any experience with redeye-no more than expected, anyway-or purple fringing. For the price and portability factors, the SD300 can't be beat.

This was my first foray into a digital camera that came with much dismay about whether to finally take the plunge. Having been a long time Canon 35mm owner, I looked at this and many other options.

This camera has been a great find. It has a large screen, easy to use controls for point and shoot fun. I used this camera on a recent week long trip to China after having owned it for only one week. I hauled along the 35mm just in case... needless to say that roll of film is still in the camera weeks later. The joy of taking a picture and checking the quality are worth the jump to digital. Colors and clarity were excellent with this camera. Shooting in the mid-quality mode let me get 300 pictures and some short video clips onto the 512 MB card with room to spare. Another added bonus was the size and ease of portability. Movie mode is great, but will eat up your memory card. Go for the 1G card if you want to take a lot of footage. Size and weight were a major concern for me and this does not disappoint. It will fit in the palm of your hand, yet is light and offers the benefits a large screen.

A couple of small downsides include getting used to the focus with this camera, particularly for long distance shots and figuring out which mode will accomplish this task best. Sometimes having too many modes is almost a hassle. It also would be great if this camera had a slightly better way to review the most recent picture, but eventually you'll get it. The other twist is the lack of a battery monitor. Keep an extra battery on hand because once the indicator comes up you have about five pics left.

I also picked up the accessory pack with an extra battery. I managed to use the two batteries to take mearly 300 pictures and didn't have to charge over a 9 day vacation. The camera is tough to get out of the holder when on a belt unless there's a strap on the camera.

Quality of prints seems to be excellet. Included software is ok.

Have not experienced any of the cracked screens or error messages other users have reported, but did experience a bit of the condensation problem when going from cold to warm climates. Don't lose your battery charger... made this mistake and a replcement (Canon proprietary) cost $60.

This camera and its prints have made heads turn, particularly from other people who were on the same trip.

I purchased this camera to replace a Pentax Optio 330 which got wet and died.

This is a nice little camera, much smaller than the small Pentax that it replaced. It takes very nice pictures. The LCD screen is nice and bright, but beware - it scratches easily. The pictures don't seem as vivid as they did with the Pentax, but they could be considered more realistic with the Canon. The time difference between pushing the shutter button and the picture being taken is much shorter on the Canon.

My only beef that I have is that the 'auto' mode doesn't let me change two settings that I like to tweak.

The first one is the auto-focus selection. The camera focuses on what it 'thinks' you want to focus on (of multiple focus points). It does provide an indication of what it selected. But, you have no way of overriding that in auto mode. You must switch to one of the other modes for that override capability.

The other is the ability to force the flash to turn on, which I use often outdoors for fill-flash. You cannot force the flash on in 'auto' mode. Yet again, you must get out of auto mode to change this setting. You can force the flash to stay off in auto mode, but not force it to go on.

This is a nice camera to take along when you don't want to carry your larger SLR. Just be careful not to scratch that LCD screen.

LCD cracked in my pocket 2 weeks after we bought it. Didn't sit on it, didn't bang it into anything. Loved this camera otherwise. Great movie mode, navigation, etc.

I read the reviews ahead of time indicating that it was fragile, so was very careful not to abuse it. I suppose I could've bought a case or screen protector, but figured it was at least engineered well enough to survive in a pocket. After all, previous cameras and cell phone lcds always have.

Luckily, J&R accepted the return and refunded my money. Feature-wise, I haven't yet found anything else I like quite as much as the SD300.

I am an unibiased photographer (I actually use many different digital cameras, including Canon) but needed an ultra slim compact for leisure travel and everday use. Canon should be ashamed of the SD200/300 series.

Screen: I hear alot about cracked LCDs...well mine is not cracked yet but it probably will be soon. No LCDs do not crack themselves, but when you start with a poor LCD and do not protect it, well...

Although recessed the TFT LCD is left exposed and unprotected and is VERY sensative. The LCD is perhaps the worst in its class, good pixel count and bright and smooth straight on but horrible when at ANY angle or in semi bright light--it whites out around the edges, unlike Sony and Casio models. Lots of pixels do not mean a great image if the LCD is pporly constructed. Canon needs to build in a poly screen protector to improve clarity and protect the LCD. The LCD WILL BREAK if you take this in hot or cold weather or keep it in your pocket...hmmm, makes sense for $300+ and for a portable camera, right? wrong.

Photo quality is average at best. The Casio EX series blew this away in terms of quality (although it is 5 MP)Canon produced horrible purple lines around bright objects, red eye, lack of clarity. Color good though.

Cheap battery door inexcusable, battery life is the lowest i've seen out there for a digtal camera and menus are confusing.

Overall a great waste of $300+ bucks.

Our Canon PowerShot digital camera lens froze and with the E18 error. We rarely used the camera and kept it in perfect condition (locked up and well protected). But one day the lens would not retract, and the display only showed the error code "E18" in the lower left corner. I took out the battery and replaced the flash card with a new one, tried everything else I read about.... There is no reason why my camera should have stopped working, unless it was manufactured to do so...

My friends told me that their PowerShot camera did the same thing, so instead of sending it back and getting another that would soon give another E18 error, we decided to purchase a Sony Camera that works.

Canon should take responsibility for this!

The first SD300 that was shipped to me was defective. I was concerned that maybe the camera was a bad product overall, but I know many others that own Canon Powershots who love them. I decided to give the camera another shot. I exchanged the defective one for a new SD300 and I LOVE the camera. The flash does not have a long range, so indoor shots are very dark, but I love the LCD screen and for the purpose that I use the camera, it is perfect for what I need. It is tiny, and that was an important feature for me. It is sleek looking and the zoom is decent. For basic memorabilia, this camera is perfect. For anyone looking for a nice camera that can fit in your purse and keep track of all the important events in your life, I highly recommend this one! For anyone looking to start their career in photography, there are far better cameras out there to suit your needs.

I loved by canon powershot SD300 4mp digital elph camera so much! I took care of it better than anything i have ever owned. It was never dropped, wet, left in the heat, and never in the hands of someone i didn't trust. However, I only had it for 40 days before i got the infamous "memory card error". Last night i got the error and after a quick google search i see that it is common. I loved that camera so much and boasted about it and all canon products NON-STOP. Starting today though i will make sure that everyone i know will never buy a canon product again. This is extremely disappointing. I spent $400 on a camera that should have lasted YEARS... I wanted it all through college it was my HS grad present to myself. What a waist of $400! :-( I am so upset and so very disappointed in Canon!

This camera is good but there are a few problems. If your a big clutz like me then small camera is prolly not a good idea. There is also an orb problem with this camera. It is not just mine, I know people with this camera and orbs frequently show up in dark pictures and sometimes in other pictures. This was cool for about a day. Other than that I like it, I mean I didn't return it and that says something.

This camera is great! It takes exceptional pictures and is very easy to maneuver. I would recommend this camera to anyone who needs a digital camera. :-)

The Canon S400, S410 and S500 have all had serious reliability problems. Read the reviews on this website and you will see that many customers have had a mysterious 'memory error' and/or the lens jamming (E18 error). These problems have shown up at about 18 months on all of these models. Since Canon hasn't fixed the problem in over 3 years since it first started showing up, I wouldn't want to bet that the new SD300 camera won't also turn into a paperweight after 18 months.

Oh - I forgot to mention that Canon will 'fix' the cameras for $150. Nothing like turning a defective camera into a profit center.

Great battery life, huge screen with great resolution, easy to use but plentiful shooting modes, small size can be carried in almost any pocket -- even a shirt pocket. Only problem is screen is easily scratched.

Great camera for the price, compact size is a huge plus, battery life is above average, and with a larger memory card (512mg) I rarely need to think of charging the camera or emptying the stick. The video quality is surprisingly good, and the photos are everything I would expect and more from a pocket digital camera. Overall, I am thrilled with this purchase and would recommend it to anyone looking to buy a point and shoot digital camera.

I have never broken an LCD - ever. I even knew to be extra carefull with this camera, so bought it knowing the risk. Even then - this one cracked after having it for just 35 days. 5 past the return period. DO NOT BUY this camera.

I've taken it out with me just about everywhere. It works great. The pictures are good. The only problems I've had are with red eye inside and some blurriness on a few occasions. I think I was shaking a little on those. The red eye just might be because I didn't have the red eye reduction turned on. I've also had some weird blue eye effects from time to time. I would recommend purchasing an extra battery. I bought a generic brand on a popular auction website for ~$10 shipped. Using the video feature eats up the battery and so does a lot of LCD use. But I've taken 100 pictures in a night with average LCD use and a few video clips before the battery gave a low indication. It's rediculously small and light weight. Anybody who has complained about the pictuers not being good enough or the zoom not being good enough is being too picky. It's not designed to be a professional photographer's camera. If you just want to take snaps for fun or for posterity then this is an excellent camera because it takes good pictures and you can take it anywhere.

The last camera I ever wanted was a digital....too difficult, too expensive....and then, who wants to be one of those tourists holding their cameras high above their heads and snapping away with wild abandon?

When I retired, my school gave me a check with which I wanted to purchase something memorable....so I caved for the camera. After a little research, I chose the Canon Elph and cleared it with my hi-tech son. The Amazon price (around 300.00) was very competitive.
Why I waited so long to plunge into digital land I now wonder. This is fun...and user friendly...and so easy to carry around. It is also pretty amazing since one can make a short movie; but the best part is the ability to download pictures to the laptop and flood relatives and friends with photos of vacations, babies and cats.

The SD300 is a great camera for outdoor, daylight shots. I thought that the indoor shots are pretty grainy in the darker areas of the pictures, but I expected that from a camera of this size. It has a little more trouble focusing than my older Nikon Coolpix 4500, but the SD300 is way faster and smaller. This camera is a little wider than the length of a stick of gum.

First, I am not a professional photographer. I *am*, however, an enthusiatic amateur, who has taken pictures for 25 years, with a variety of cameras, including SLRs. I am the proud owner of a Canon S230, Canon G1 and Canon G2. We got the Canon S230 because it was very small and took VGA quality movies (ie, 640 x 320 movies), which look good on a TV screen. We lost the S230 and needed a replacment, therefore we got the SD300. What a difference!!! This camera, the SD300, surpasses them All! I have used this camera extensively for a month now. Like the commericals for the old TV show, the 'Six Milliion Dollar Man', this camera does it 'faster, better, longer'! I chose this over the SD400 as my favorite camera website, [...], thought the SD400 had 'soft' images. I also looked at the SD500, but thought that the smaller size of SD300 camera was better for me (and cheaper to boot!)

What I liked:
0. Great, well exposed pictures that make great prints.
1. Excellent macro -- 3cm! This is better than the SD400 or SD500
2. DIGIC II processor really works well to quickly and accurately get well focused images....way better than the previous DIGIC 1 processor.
3. Movie mode is excellent. The length of the movie (with sound) is only limited by the SD care size

What I did not like:
1. Poor flash. Now, this is not a dig against the SD300 only, rather a comment on the fact that ultracompacts do not function very well for indoor flash photography...although an external flash the HFDC1, is available.

Summary:
This camera is well worth the cost. I got mine from Amazon for 300 bucks and it has performed flawlessly. I would say that it is a good idea to READ THE MANUAL as it will dramatically improve one's pictures. I would also get a high speed SD card so that movies can be easily recorded.
For what it's worth, I know that others have had problems with the screen cracking. I have taken this camera on hikes, etc. without any case, just in my pocket, with no problems.
Buy this camera, you won't regret it.

I bought a brand new camera which I expected in a seal box/container. However, I received my camera in an open box, which I think it might be already used or it is a returned item. So far it function ok. I hope it perform well

Canon are good quality cameras. i had the previous snapshot and i love it. My only complaint was that it is thick in width. Now i bought this one for my sister and it is even better. She loves the camera. Very easy to set up, play with and learn the many options that it provides. I recommend it to any person looking to buy a digital camera for a semi-decent price.

Love the camera, much faster all around than my old Fugi 2400Z.
What you may have read is true about purple fringing, only noticable in bright high contrast situations. The only other downfall is no on demand battery meter, it only lets you know a little before it goes dead. The camera takes great pictures, easy on the eyes menu system and plenty fast w/o superfast memory. If you want better than this in the Canon line skip the SD400(it dosen't take better pictures) and go right to the SD500.

After reading the negative reviews and warnings here (and via Google searches), I went ahead and bought this camera. As near as I can tell, it offers the best quality pictures and features for the money. Of course, this will be irrelevant if I encounter the manufacturing defects that are so often described. As for now, I'm extremely satisfied with this camera!

I have had other small digital cameras. This one is the greatest! It is fast, takes great pictures and is small enough to carry with you at all times.

I am very impressed with this camera. The only thing is that once you get it, you'll need to go out and buy a larger memory card. The one that comes with the camera is only 16MB, therefore you can't really use the video feature without using it all up after 5 seconds. Other than that, it's a great buy. I shopped around forever for the best deal on this particular model. The best deal I found was on Amazon with tax included and free shipping. It was definitely worth it to shop around and I am completely satisfied.

Super easy to use camera. Fits in a pocket, yet gives excellent quality pictures. Couldn't be happier about my purchase.

I bought this camera to take on vacation and it arrived the day we left. It was easy to learn to use and takes great pictures. I was surprize that the video feature took such clear audio and video. I took pictures from a moving car and action shots of the surf which came out very clear. I'm still finding all the features of this great, small, light weight camera.

great camera - takes quick photos and good video and i can put it in my front jeans pocket.

This camera is awesome & well worth the fortune I paid for it. Since I have not used all the features yet, and I have not found anything about the camera that I don't like I'll list the features I have used.
1. SIZE - this camera is the perfect size for both front jeans pockets and back pockets. The small size could be a drawback for those with large hands or arthritis, but as I have standard size female hands the small size does not affect my use of the camera (my brother also owns this camera and does not have any problems with size).
2. QUALITY OF PICTURES - the overall quality of my pictures has been really good. The camera has a flashing orange light which flashes after the shutter is pressed and before it closes if the camera was not held relatively steady while the shutter was pressed. While using the action mode, all my pictures have been clear. I have not experienced any of the weird purple shadows that other reviews mention.
3. USE - this camera is very easy to use. Basically point and shoot. Changing between modes is easy once you figure it out (reading the manual is a good idea).
4. DOWNLOADING - once pictures are on the camera, it is very easy to download them to the computer (install the software first) just plug-in and follow the steps.
5. BATTERY - I have not used this camera for extended periods of time, but for just plain old regular use the battery works great.

I really love my SD300. I researched cameras for weeks before deciding on it, and it was the obvious choice (except for the price, but it is well worth it). I highly recommend this camera to anyone wanting a good point-and-shoot digital camera that is easily portable and simple to use.

I've had some experience with digital cameras. Have handled most if not all of the most popular brands, and I must say that I have found that Canon cameras seem to take the best pictures. I've used 7 megapixel cameras from Sony and compared it with similar shots from a 3.2mp Canon, and the picture quality is far superior. The flash is also wonderful, I've taken pictures in pitch black and they come out clear. The SD300 is a wonderful unit in the Canon line, I've had it for some time now and I can't find anything to complain about other than because of its size it may be easily misplaced. It usually amazes people to see the pictures produced by this pint sized camera, and the camera is extremely sleek and beautiful. It uses SD cards which for me is great as it is compatible with my laptop and other devices. The battery life is also great, even better when you take pictures in the daylight and conserve on flash. The video quality and supported special effects is pretty good too. I would highly recommend the SD300 for anyone seeking a camera that you can easily fit in your pocket, has great battery life, takes beautiful pictures and video.

I've had this for about half a year now, and I have to say that is really a perfect camera, pros:
- very good image quality
- takes unlimited length movie (well, limited by the size of the memory available)
- LCD is not only large, but the display is much sharper than the Nikon and Casio cameras.
- compact.
- durable. i dropped it once from 4 ft. high (slipped out of my hands) onto some stone steps while on vacation, but it functions no different from before. The only things left to remind me of the incident are that the metal casing is a bit bent and that there's a tiny dent on one corner.

Con:
- the only thing i can think of is that in order to change the shooting mode to manual, you need to press buttons and change from menu, instead of turning the knob like in my old canon S45.

I used to have a Canon S200 and this is superior in so many ways. Superquick from power on to being ready for picture, terrific pictures (colors are awesome), tiny camera (pocket size), fast scrolling through pics on camera, good red-eye reduction software, great video. In total, I am completely satisfied with this camera. I bought the 300 instead of the 400 as I read that the pictures with the 400 are not as good due to compressing more resolution on the same size CCD. Don't know if this is the case, but the 4 megapixels is plenty for just about everything.

I'm a digital point-and-shoot camera kind of guy. I've previously owned two Sony Cybershots, a Fuji Finepix 6 mp, and a Canon S400. Going into this new purchase, I decided to look into Canon as it's always impressed me with nice looks (in the Elph line) and great colors. They've been doing it for so long, and although other brands have been competing with Canon in features and size, nobody can surpass Canon's beautiful palette of crystal-clear colors.

I wanted a camera that is small, yet still has a big screen (been a hot commodity lately). Canon delivers with this model on both fronts, the size is beautifully and intelligently compacted, taking features from past Elph models and fusing them into the most attractive and sensible package.

So:
- Small camera
- Large LCD screen
- Canon-quality photography
- Added 'manual mode' features
- Fixed problems, like Canon's past model's long lags between flash shots
- New everything: new battery type (larger, flatter), new memory card format (sd rather than CompactFlash = much smaller chip)

Canon has really been brainstorming and working on always bettering their products, and it is beautifully shown in this camera. Kind of like how Apple has been constantly at work adding features to their iPod line, so too has Canon been always improving. And I applaud that.

It's all I always wanted. Good shots in night, small and light... and i think a good price.

I orderded the Canon SD300 camera on Saturday 10/8/2005. I received my camera the afternoon of Tuesday 10/13/2005. I was absolutely astonished at the speedy delivery of my merchandise. I will definately order more items in the future from OneCall. Thank you for the prompt delivery service.

Scotty Ferguson

given the diminutive dimensions of said big time. Seriously, I'm not much of a gizmo guru, but the camera takes good pictures. I'm just afraid I'll swallow it in my morning eggs.

i previously had 2 cameras a Kodak CX6200 2 Megapixel camera and a sony DSC-P78 and found that with the sony any photo i took tht wasnt in perfect daylight was blurry and basically not worth keeping (as a result i have tarnished memories of an epic trip to the snow) so out the door went the sony. i purchased this canon after reading many reviews for many different camaeras and i have to say i absolutely love it.
its so small it fits perfectly in my pocket and i carry it alomost every time i go out and as a result have some awesome memories of some great times.
i thoroughly recommend this camera to anyone looking at purchasing it. its fantastic.
as for the screen cracking fault that people seem to be having, hasnt happened too me (touchwood). i noticed most people got this problem a few months after purchase. something to think about
anyway, happy hunting

I bought this camera looking for something compact, and something high quality though. That is exactly what I got. I love it because it is so small, it fits nice in the pocket, and if you buy a carry case it is still small enough to wear on your belt without discomfort. I really enjoy this product, it takes great pictures, and it was a great price too, i saw it in stores for $100 more at some places.

I seem to be among the many unlucky ones who encountered a problem with a cracked LCD. I bought my camera less than 3 weeks ago and was extremely happy with it. It is light-weight, beautifully designed and takes great pictures. Then the other day, my LCD mysteriously cracked! It was always in my purse and I have it safely tucked in a thick camera case so I dont know how that could have happened. I never dropped, banged or abused it in any way. There was not a single scratch on the exterior of the camera so I dont know how the LCd could have been damaged. (The Canon representative I talked to said it may have been exposed to extreme heat or cold which causes damage to the LCD. But I never kept it in any place over a normal room temperature.) I just turned it on and a white screen with purple jagged lines appeared on the LCD. And all this happened 2 days before I was suppose to leave for my vacation to Hong Kong, which was the main reason I bought the camera in the first place. Very disappointing!! Fortunately, the online store I bought it from is willing to exhange the camera for a brand new one. I decided to get the same model however because many of my friends have had the Canon cameras (the SD200, SD300 AND SD400) for years and they havent had any problems with it. I figured this one I got was a defective item and i'll have better luck on the next one.

This camera is incredibly small (it can fit inside an Altoids tin). The pictures are just as good, and the flash is good enough for darker scenes. The video mode is convenient, but not very feature filled. I am not a serious photographer, but everything I want to capture, I can. In some cases, there were two compacts, this one, and a Sony Cybershot, and the Canon had superior low light pictures.

Before the LCD screen gave way, this was a very nice camera. The screen breaking my have been my fault, because i take every ware with me, like snowboarding in CO. and to the beach in bermuda. it had nice features and was extremly small and compact. When snowboarding i kept it in my jacket pocket and you couldnt even fell it. It seems that im not the only one with an LCD problem if you just google SD300 LCD you will see some other complaints.

I just wanted to say that I've had this camera for over 6 months now and it is great. I love it. I wasn't really looking for a camera THIS small but im so glad i got it because i take it everywhere and it has come in SOOO handy to have it be so small. I got pictures at events i normally wouldn't have brought a camera to if it was any bigger (like being out in the woods all day, i could just clip it to my belt loop)

I have had NO problem with the LCD screen and if it is a concern for you (as it was for me before i bought it) buy it from a place that offers a good warrenty (Ritz camera covers everything except fire damage, you can drop it right in front of them and they'll fix or replace it- $60 / year)

Only real complaint is a) red eye, but i knew i was going to ahve to live with that. Not as bad if i use the zoom which brings the lense farther away from the flash b) bad focusing in low light, the camera will really hunt for a focus and that shot that you wanted to take might have passed by at that point- or it will be blury. but again, thats the same for most compact cameras and c)no battery indicator (buy an extra battery!)

if you have any questions about this camera feel free to email me Ruffian829@aim.com

This is an awesome camera, i bought it for graduation and loved it. Little did i know i was going to get into photography so much using the camera, so i just recently sold it to get the SD 550. I say get this camera if your just beginning in photography or if you just like to take pictures, this to me is the best 4.0 mega pixel camera out.

Absolutely love this camera. Even takes good pictures at night when you use a tripod with it. It's small enough to take with you everywhere. Pictures inside are a bit fuzzy on the auto mode. Other than that I have no gripes.

Pretty good digital camera for basic point-and-shoot and family/party photographs. It is small and cute, but equally fragile .
Expect a large drop in picture quality when the flash is removed.

Before buying this camera, look at this forum: http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=44980
Get the SD400. I think there is a problem with the SD300s... DONT LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!!!

I had the Canon S230 until it was stolen... Then I got the SD300 which i loved, all of a sudden i looked at the screen and i saw the cracked LCD display... underneath the glass. It costs $50 for a new screen and $100 in service fees... this is with my Best Buy warranty. My Best Buy Warranty did NOT cover this! Maybe the Amazon warranty has a different plan, but i have heard many people who have had this LCD thing break... just be VERY VERY VERY careful. I dropped my S230 100 times and nothing happened to it... So beware!!!!

Overall thought, the camera was great. I am going to buy the SD400 as my replacement. The Canon Phohtoshots are great unless the LCD breaks!!!!! From what I have read, its a problem with the SD200 and 300... but the SD400 is ok?? i think?

One of my best buys ever. This camera is so sleek and easy to use yet is small in size. Atleast 5 friends bought this camera after seeing mine.

I loved this camera (past tense because mine was recently stolen). I will only buy canon cameras after owning this. Takes great pictures, super small, and plenty of features.
I am now looking into buying the new sd450 that is replacing it.

Ironically enough, my camera was also stolen like the previous reviewer. It devastated me to lose my SD300 because it's by far the best camera I've ever used. Macro pics come out very clear and it's very hard to get blurry shots with this camera. The size is perfect. It will fit in my back pocket. My little cousins loved using it because it's so easy to take pictures. Lag time is practically non-existant. Battery life is incredible! I'm buying another one. I've researched other brands just for researching sake, and nothing compares to this camera. It's close to perfect.

My wife and I bought this camera about 6 months ago as an upgrade to an aging kodak 2mb. I am pretty much a "automatic settings" guy whereas my wife loves to use manual settings, change ISO, shutter speed etc. This camera is perfect for both of us and the picture quality is amazing.

I was somewhat sceptical on reading other reviews on the display cracking but, fingers crossed, have not had any problems. The movie feature is very very impressive, and on the highest quality is good enough for transfer to DVD. Would advise you to get a 1gb ultra fast card to really benefit from the cameras features.

Only complaints are that the software that comes with the camera for image editing is terribly outdated and looks like something to be used on windows 3.1 and the transfer via the cable is quite fiddly leaving you to wonder if the door to the usb cable socket on the camera would break over use. We bought a universal SD card reader and take the card out itself and then transfer to the pc.

There is no battery indicator which is ridiculous. Suddenly the camera says "low battery" and then shuts off. Get yourself another battery as a spare. Whoever left this feature of the camera at Canon should be fired.

Download the free picasa image software. Much better than adobe photo album and the canon software included in the box.

i've had my camera for almost 2 years now. it's great. i haven't had any problems with it, no lcd cracking or the purple stuff. i have dropped my camera before, from i would say about 4ft+ onto the cement and it barely left a dent, and it still works as good as new. the picture quality is awesome and also the video feature is really good. i love it. but the ONE con is that there is no battery indicator thing, it only blinks low battery when it's about to die, but the pros about this camera definitely weighs out that one con.

ALSO, from a few of the reviews i have read, some people said that you'd have to take extremely good care of this camera because it's really sensitive. but honestly, i haven't been taking care of my camera. i don't carry it in a case and i always either have it in the back pocket of my pants or in my purse or i'll just hold it in my hand and actually it's been banged around a couple of times, but i hardly have any scratches on it except the tiny dent from that one time i dropped it.

PROS:
durable
small
lcd screen is huge
it doesn't lag
it's cute
excellent picture/video quality
long battery life

CONS:
no battery indicator

i DEFINITELY reccomend this camera to everyone :).

I had this camera for about a month and the first time it broke, I don't know why it broke. I set it down and when I turned it back on, it had cracked. I then bought another LCD screen and repaired it myself, but two weeks later, I had a CASE for it, and put it in my purse. I carried my purse around and had not set my purse down. When I took it out, it had cracked again. I would not recommend getting this camera.

ditto....lcd cracked for no apparent reason

sent it to canon in illinois

awaiting outcome on repair

good overall camera, but no low battery signal

I had this camera for one whole year. It was great. This camera take beautiful pictures and is so easy to operate. Its size makes it so easy to carry around.
However, while looking for cameras last year i came upon this one. Many reviews talked about cracking LCD screens. I ignored these reviews thinking it wouldnt happen to me. I was wrong. I was taking pictures one day of my car. Not even 15 m inutes later i took it back out of the case to put my pictures on the computer, and the screen was cracked. As far as i know, nothing happened that would make it crack. Its such a dissapointment, and i dont think i will be able to get it fixed through my insurance. A big disappointment. However, it was a GREAT camera while it lasted.

I have been a digital camera owner since the 640x480 days when digi cams were the size of bricks, and now i have one that's small as a deck of cards...the sd300. i've had it for almost a year now, and it keeps on kicking. I read all of the reviews about the cracked LCD screens and all, but i took my chances anyways...and quite frankly, the screen itself has taken a beating from me, it's all scratched up from being in my pocket, banging around with my keys and coins, etc. i applied a thin screen protector and it fixes the cosmetic blemishes (and added scratch glare from sunlight) due to the scratches. picture quality is awesome, i've made large prints at costco and they look immaculate. I use a 512MB SD card which is able to hold around 200 pictures in "superfine" 4.0 megapixel mode (there are 3 modes for each of the 4 available resolutions; coarse, fine, and superfine).

it is durable too, i've dropped it numerous times, and it still works beautifully. the metal casing doesn't only look good, it truly serves its purpose in protecting the camera's vital internal components.

I don't see myself buying another camera for a long time as i usually make 4x6 to 8x10 prints, which come out great from the images taken with this camera. the size adds even more incentive for one to buy this camera or any from the powershot SD series, it allows one to easily slip it into their pocket or purse. one can then whip it out, power it up, and be ready to snap a photo in under 9 seconds...seriously. the power-up and load time is extremely fast, even faster if you buy an SD card with a faster write capability.

Also, i was able to purchase extra nb-4l batteries for this camera from pricegrabber.com for only $4.99 a piece, can't beat that.

i'd give this camera a 6 star rating if i could =)

I bought the sd300 to take with me touring by motorcycle. It is so small, I can just put it in a belt case and always have it. With the appropriate sd card I can take a huge number of pictures at a high quality setting. The pictures turn out great, BUT. Eight months after I bought it, the LCD screen suddenly went all crazed when turned on, tho there was no visible damage. I returned it for repair, no problem, no expense, had it back in two weeks. less than 3 months later, same thing. I know I did not drop or bump it, it went down in the 10 minutes between showing some pictures to one person, then to another, indoors. I called, was told it was still
under warranty from the previous repair, and got a return label. Then I got an e-mail saying that I would have to pay $97 for repairs to the lcd screen caused by impact damage. I replied to the e-mail to protest, and was ignored. I finaly called, and was told that tho the warranty was still in force, this damage was not covered. Checking aroun the web, I found that this is a common problem, not damage. Unfortunately, I had already authorized the repair when I found this out, so I guess I am stuck. I have several canon products, will not buy any more.

I bought this last year ago after my wife raved about hers. It has lived up to the Canon name and takes excellent pictures. I haven't taken the time yet to figure it all out but even the movie option is great. I love the camera and the low price I paid.

I got this camera about 2 years ago because my sd 200 broke. It is soooo easy to use and takes great pictures. Its also very sleek and small.

I bought this camera in Oct 2005. I brought it everywhere. Loved it. In April 2006, the LCD screen blew. Canon replaced it with a refurbished camera. In March 2007, the exact same thing happened to the screen and now they will only repair for $97.00, as they have determined this is the result of impact damage. How they determine this is unclear to me, as it was not dropped or impacted...Apparently, you will spend 100.00/yr maintaining this camera. That, to me, is the hallmark of a faulty product. Unfortunate - as I really loved this camera.

The Canon Powershot SD300 is, even after 2 years, a heavenly product that I have yet to regret purchasing.

For one thing, my LCD never cracked. However, and this is entirely my fault, over the years, I haven't always used the best protection that I could have for my camera, thus resulting in some obvious LCD scratches. But I put that blame on myself, not the product itself.

This camera has definitely taken some sharp, vivid, and beautiful pictures over the years. Even my professional photography family members acclaim some of my pictures. And here you thought it was JUST a snapshot camera...

The compact size is great, and I always continue to find amusing places where this camera can fit: jean pockets, cell phone cases, my polo shirt's little itsy bitsy pocket, ...

The thing that bugs the heck out of me is that, right after I had bought this, like a month or two later, newer and supposedly better models of the PowerShot line started coming out. I bought this baby for $400 dollars, so you imagine my dismay. Regardless, I'm not feeling regretful all too much because this is quite the well-made product.

The one con (of the very few) that I can think of about this product is that, over time, my camera (when the lens would retract itself) a noise that I'm sure didn't appear before now does. I don't know if it's the product, or if it was just those times that I brought this baby to the beach only to have sand kick at it, but yeah, just an observation.

Oh yeah, I also find myself charging the battery for this camera MUCH more often now. I don't know if age, wear and tear, or whatever has to do with anything, but charging this camera before some event is a MUST for me. Always.

But, in conclusion, it's a great camera and I'm truly surprised to see this older model of Canon PowerShot have such great (overrall) ratings considering the newer, edgier, and cooler models now and days.

I think I'll be sticking with this camera for awhile, maybe wait for Canon to come up with something new(er) in their PowerShot line or whatever.

I purchased this camera about two-three years ago. It's my first digital camera. It's easy to operate, small enough to fit in my pocket and or purse. The viewing window is big enough for me. Easy to download pics to my computer. This camera is capturing many memories for me. I'm enjoying this camera and would purchase another from Canon.

I recommend you buy another battery so when vacationing and or on outings, you'll have another on hand. As you know, the battery always gets low during inconvenient time(s). There have been many times, it's given out but luckily my backup battery is always on hand. :-)

My wife loves her little camera and I like the fast response I received from shipper. Very satisfied with service provided. The camera was well packed and protecetd from damage in mailing.

I like the simplicity of it.
There are simple icons allowing some versatility.
However,the camera under poor lighting conditions doesn't operate so well, so I rated it with 4 stars rather than 5.
It is easy to use though and a good basic everyday camera.