Needs Improvement

Author's Rating:

Pros: Nice size
Easy to use
Sturdy, solid frame

Cons: Focus problems

The Bottom Line: 
Avoid this camera until Canon fixes the focus problems

Author's Review
I received the Canaon SD940is camera for Christmas and started using it immediately after charging the battery. It is very simple to use and its size is quite convenient. I particularly wanted a small camera that I could keep with me at all times, and this fits the bill nicely. My main camera is a Nikon D70S, but it is a pain to lug around all the time.

The menu structure is straightforward and easy to use. Making use of the preprogrammed picture taking settings requires a bit of work, so most people will simply use the default automatic settings. This is where the problems with this camera start to show up. Of 20 or so pictures I have taken in different settings, 90% of them are out of focus. It seems the camera is picking the wrong element in the photo to focus on. I have tried indoor, outdoor, bright light and flash photos, and the results are very inconsistent. I experimented with the same settings using my daughter's Sony DSC-W170, and the results were much better.

This camera is very new and I suspect that a firmware upgrade will be required to fix this problem. Since I have a small window of time to return the camera, waiting for a firmware upgrade is not going to happen.