Canon (NYSE:CAJ) refines their Digital Elph line every year, tweaking the Canon PowerShot SD850 IS to satisfy the needs of all pocket camera users. The new iteration includes a jump from 6.2 megapixels to 8.3 megapixels, face recognition, new Digic III image processor, and ISO 1,600. Amazon is offering the Canon PowerShot SD850 for $253.00 (reg. $399.00) with free shipping and gift wrap option.  

Why fix something that isn’t broken? Canon stuck with the signature design of the previous model. All point and shoot feature small buttons, which will never completely satisfy clients with large hands. The diffence between the SD850 and SD800 is the lens. The PowerShot SD800 IS features a wider lens, 28mm-to-105mm, whereas the PowerShot SD850 is equipped with a narrower lens, 35mm-to-140mm. In our shot by shot comparison, we concluded that the SD850 had a superior lens. Images were sharp with accurate colors, even at lower ISO settings.  The ISO 1,600 displayed too much noise, and we suggest you stay below this setting. The SD850 performed 0.5 seconds quicker then its predecessor in our point and shoot tests. The camera took 1.7 seconds to start up and take a snapshot.

Canon’s optical image stabilization truly sets this camera apart from cheaper cameras. Images are sharp even if your hands are shaky. Blurry images are finally behind us. This important feature alone justifies the camera’s price over bargain-basement cameras.