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great camera
I really like this camera, it is compact , takes great pictures and i love the big screen and image stabilization features.

I do find the manual is not as easy to follow as I would like & why does it only come with a test memory card?

Great Point-and-Shoot, but you still want to know how to use it
I have been using this camera for about a year and I love it. As far as point-and-shoots go, it's great, however, it's a point-and-shoot and has those limitations:

The good:
- Takes great quality photos for a point-and-shoot, even on the preset modes
- For someone like me, who doesn't know how to use an SLR, it's easy enough to use the manual features like exposure controls and long-shutter
- The wide lens is great for group shots or outside shots
- The stabilizer helps a great deal on taking shots; my previous camera didn't have one and I had way more blurry shots
- In proper light, the movie quality is pretty good at 640x480. With an 8 gig-card, it's not bad for a cheap video camera replacement, though by no means is it a camcorder
- It's tiny and can fit easily into jeans, which is great for guys, as we don't care purses (at least most guys)
- The wheel is actually touch sensitive, which I don't think Canon points out, but if you have a big memory card (I have an 8 GB), it's the best way to scroll through photos really quickly
- The LCD is great and I've never had issues using it, even outdoors in bright sun (and in California that is important)

The bad:
- It's a point-and-shoot so the flash sucks. I have the external flash add-on, but it's cumbersome to carry and kind of defeats the purpose of having a tiny camera. This is to be expected of a camera this size
- Because of the small size, there is slight barrel distortion, but it's really not a big deal
- The camera does scratch easily. While it fits in your pocket, if you have keys it will scratch the camera. My first one got really scuffed up after I left it in pocket one day. Now I don't put anything else in the pocket with it, or use the case, which is somewhat bulky
- Above ISO400 the image quality is really poor, so taking night photos without a tripod is not easy unless the subjects are close enough for the flash--but no point-and-shoot can really do this

After a year of using this camera I have to say I really happy with it, especially after learning more about how I, as a user, can take better photos in general. Here are some tips I've found:

- If you're taking photos with the flash, set your mode to macro if you're very close and infinity if the subject is more than 4 meters away, it makes a difference. For close shots, use macro mode and zoom into the subject so the light from the flash doesn't bounce off the object too quickly
- If you're taking night shots, use the red aimer thing to make sure there is somewhere to bounce the light off. If, for example, you are taking a picture of someone, the best thing to do outside is to flash the light towards a pole or object just behind, this way the flash doesn't go on their face (and have that whitening effect), and bounces back fast enough to take a clear shot
- For proper night shots you need to use a tripod. If the objects aren't moving that much long shutter is the best way to do this, but it takes a long time and any camera shake will screw it up. To get long shutter, go to the exposure setting and press display to get to long shutter
- Learn some basics about taking photographs, it really helps. Higher ISOs make it easier to take stable shots, but they make the photos grainier. Natural light, if possible, takes more accurate photos than the flash, as the flash whitens, don't stay too close to your subject, use the zoom (it will distort the faces, especially the nose as the light doesn't bounce back evenly). I never bothered to learn this things and 10 minutes of reading makes your photos so much better
- Take practice shots. Too many of my group photos (I take many) were dark or didn't have the right light in the past, and many times it is because I didn't want to take test shots to calibrate. If you're at a restaurant the waiter or waitress will take one or two shots, so if you want it to count have it set up beforehand, it's the only way to be sure
- Remember this isn't an SLR--it's a great point-and-shoot and takes great photos, but if you want that beautiful "pro" look you need an SLR and you need to know how to use it

I love this camera
I absolutely love my Cannon PowerShot SD870IS camera. I found a nice case to keep it in at RS. It takes great pictures and it is small enough that I carry it in its case in my purse at all times. My purse is not like a suit case either. There are a lot of things that I have not learned to use on it yet and maybe never will.I have only had one other digital camera, so I am not an expert on them. I really love the stabilizer that actually works. I am not real steady with taking pictures or any thing else as far as that goes. Like previously stated, I only have my Kodak Easy Share to compare it with and that one is too big to carry in my purse. The pictures with my Cannon are far superior to my Easy Share pictures, also. I like taking pictures of wild life. It is great to have on me at all times as I never know when a photo opt is going to come along. It is easy to use, cause I am a dummy. The only thing that I have found that I wish were different so far, is that the turn off button and the snap button are a little too close together and I find myself turning off the camera unexpectedly. Fingers must be too big. Anyway... as a causual photographer, I really do like this camera and would and have recommeded it.
airtips

Great for active situations and ebay photos
The LCD screens on most cameras are too small for me to see well, but this camera has a huge screen, which allows for fast, one-handed operation, even from horseback. That was a significant factor in my purchase decision and I've not been disappointed.

The camera takes very close shots with great clarity which is unusual for a point and shoot. In a low light indoor situation, the limited flash distance is an advantage if you're trying to photograph a particular item and don't want to show the rest of your room. That limited flash isn't good if you're trying to capture a group at a long table in a dim restaurant, however--you won't see the people toward the back very well.

I wish the camera were perfect because with its small, sleek size, I can easily carry it everywhere with me and as a result have been able to capture some super shots that presented themselves unexpectedly. No more wishing I had a good camera at hand--because I do. I've not yet found a camera that is perfect for everything, and for what this camera does well, together with its portability and ease of use, I've been very pleased.

With only a 3.8x zoom, I know I'm not going to get the distant mountain wildlife shot, but with the clarity and stunning color I get in decent light, the 8mp quality allows me to zoom in and enlarge a portion of a picture pretty well when I'm photo editing on the computer later. I've had the camera for about a year and have had no problems with it. It's gotten a lot of use and will continue to. Battery life is great.

Flash Spots and Red-Eye!
I did a lot of research for a camera, and the SD870 was rated extremely high in a lot of reviews, so I bought one after playing around with it a bit.

The feel is great and the options are good, but over half my indoor flash shots have a couple of round spots on them. It looks as if there's something on the lens, but that's not the case. I see this is an issue in many other forums.

Another big issue is that the red-eye reduction is terrible on this camera. Compared to my previous Olympus without red-eye reduction, the Canon is awful. Nearly every single flash shot accentuates red-eye. It's far worse than other cameras that I have used.