The SD900 is my 6th digital camera, replacing a well-used Canon S400 workhorse. I wanted more pixels (10MP vs 4MP), a larger LCD screen (~3x larger than S400), faster powerup (>2x as fast), wider ISO range (ISO 3200 max vs ISO 400 max), faster shot-to-shot times, better user interface, scratch-resistant case material (titanium), same or smaller size/weight and SD memory cards (new laptop has an SD reader). The top-of-the-line Canon SD900 titanium-clad wundercam delivers the goods; but not without a few caveats. The titanium case is gorgeous and virtually scratch-proof; but it's quite slippery and provides no discernable perch for fingers. (I've gotten used to it.) On the first few powerups, it sounded like the lens gears were grinding and jumping teeth or something: The usual "whir" sound was very loud, with strange clicking sounds. I almost returned the camera; but it appears to work fine.
JPEG compression artifacts are quite visible, especially at the "Fine" quality setting (~2-3 MB file size). The huge 10.0 megapixel CCD produces oceans of detail; but it is very noisy at high ISO settings. At lowest aperature (f2.8), some lens softness and purple fringing is visible in certain scenes. At higher aperatures and longer focal lengths, images are razor-sharp. The SD900 has no image stabilization; but I was able to take handheld shots in extremely low light conditions with no problem. This camera is small enought to carry with you at all times, in the pocket, the purse, the briefcase, the glovebox, always at the ready when that perfect photo opportunity presents itself. It doesn't matter now great your camera is if you don't have it with you to capture those priceless photos. If you can only have one camera, get this one
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