WHAT: Canon PowerShot SD3500 IS
PRICE: $329.99
FUN FACT: The PowerShot SD3500 IS also comes in pink. So those of you suckers for love can cop a matching one for your lady friend.
WHY COMPLEX IS CO-SIGNING: The ability to touch makes everything better. Just ask the millions of iPhone users, or anyone who's ever been to Sin City in the Bronx. In the past, touchscreens were relegated to more expensive products, making you throw down a sizable chunk of change for the luxury of using no buttons. But now that the tech has become more mainstream, you can find it in well priced gadgets like Canon's new PowerShot SD3500 IS. What would otherwise be a solid middle of the road point and shoot camera is kicked up a notch by the 3.5" inch touch screen slapped on the back. Add to that the list of features like the 14.1 megapixel sensor, the 24 mm wide angle lens, the optical image stabilizer and some pretty cool new touch features, and you've got yourself a hell of a lot of camera for $329...
DOPE!:
• The 3.5" touchscreen is nothing short of gorgeous. It's the perfect tool to capture images using the 24 mm wide angle lens. You can breeze through the image settings with a touch, or flick of your finger.
• At less than an inch thin, and a little over 5 and a half ounces, it's a great size
• The menus are clear and easy to read and use—you can change the ISO (exposure) settings, photo size, video recording quality. If the icons—which will include flash, timer, photo settings and functions—on the screen are cluttering up the screen, just hit the DISP button to make them all go away.
• Also cool is the ability to focus by double tapping the screen.
• You can capture 720p HD video. Just make sure you have a large SD card.
• The features you'll most likely be using are the 17 photo settings that adjust exposure, focus and shutter to achieve some pretty interesting effects. Our favorites were Miniature which focuses on a certain object and blurs the top and bottom of the image to make whatever you're shooting seem small; Fish Eye; and Color Swap, which lets you literally swap colors in photos as you take them.
• When viewing photos, you can either swipe to get to the next one like on an iPhone, or you can tap the sides of the camera. Tap on the left to browse to the right, and tap on the right to browse to the left. Sick.
• Canon brought along their face detection software which can detect smiles and blinks to make sure you get the optimal photos. We're not sure how they do it, but the Smile Smart Shutter can actually hold off the shutter until it detects your subject smiling. It's pretty dope.
NOT SO DOPE:
• We doubt most of you will ever use it, but some higher ISOs would have been nice.
• With the widescreen lens and awesome touchscreen Canon's panorama maker would have been a nice addition.
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