Reviews Home /
Consumer & Home Office Reviews /
PowerShot Cameras Reviews /
PowerShot SD/ELPH Series Reviews
Binoculars(35)
Calculators(11)
Camcorders(820)
Copiers & Fax(199)
EOS Cameras(5,524)
PowerShot Cameras(5,866)
Other PowerShot(1,937)
PowerShot A Series(1,159)
PowerShot D-Series(170)
PowerShot G Series(508)
PowerShot S Series(392)
PowerShot SD/ELPH Series(1,633)
Printers & Multifunction(5,062)
Scanners(485)
Shop Now At Canon
Top-Rated Products
Customer Reviews for PowerShot SD3500 IS
PowerShot SD3500 IS
Simply put your finger to the brilliant 3.5-inch wide PureColor System Touch Panel LCD screen, and the versatile excellence of the Canon PowerShot SD3500 IS Digital ELPH is at your command.
Average Customer Rating:
(48 Reviews) 48
Rating Snapshot (48 reviews)
5 stars
30
4 stars
6
3 stars
5
2 stars
6
1 star
1
34 out of 48(71%)reviewers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Review 1 for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Nickname: MickieG
Location: Greater Los Angeles Area
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: Yes
Overall Canon's Best Yet
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:October 13, 2011
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use, fast f stop 2.8, true wide angle 24mm, largest lcd 3.5 inch 460k pixels, hdmi out to tv
There are many Canon SD Series Elph Cameras to ponder. But it was simply a toss up between this fine camera, and the Elph 500hs. But I wanted the larger LCD screen for playback, videos and love that the F stop is 2.8 vs. other models. In addition, the true Wide Angle format is superb. All touch screen is really nice and the future for most electronic devices. This is my third SD Elph camera and all are still excellent quality.
Canon by far as great reliable products. For those less knowledgeable regarding features: Its important to have lower F Stop for low light situations. And the other factor is the lens going from Wide Angle to Tele. 24mm Lens is great to have, to capture group shots of family , friends and what the naked eye captures. The HDMI output is also great for sharing proud pictures and videos directly to the Widescreen HDTV . This is a great camera with no complaints here.
Canon by far as great reliable products. For those less knowledgeable regarding features: Its important to have lower F Stop for low light situations. And the other factor is the lens going from Wide Angle to Tele. 24mm Lens is great to have, to capture group shots of family , friends and what the naked eye captures. The HDMI output is also great for sharing proud pictures and videos directly to the Widescreen HDTV . This is a great camera with no complaints here.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 2 for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Nickname: manila hobo
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
So-So Camera
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
3
out of
5
Price/Value
3
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
3
out of
5
Date:August 17, 2011
Pros: good battery life, Nice features/settings, durable, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Cons: Poor image quality, Poor Low-Light Performance
The camera takes disappointing quality pictures. I have owned many Canon cameras in the past years and this one has the worst quality pics. My old Canon a95 with 5 megapixels and Canon a480 with 10 megapixels shot photos that looked brilliant compared to this camera. Even my old G3 had better looking images. The photos are flat, grainy, and just plain uninspiring. On the pro side, the LCD is awesome and the touch settings are fun to use. The video is also awesome. If it weren't for the video, I would give up on this camera.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 3 for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Nickname: Smitty
Location: Pittburgh, Pa
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Business
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: Yes
Worse Canon I have owned
Overall Rating
Features
3
out of
5
Performance
1
out of
5
Price/Value
2
out of
5
Quality
3
out of
5
Satisfaction
1
out of
5
Date:July 18, 2011
Pros: durable
Cons: Dim LCD, Poor image quality, Poor Low-Light Performance, Difficult to use
I have owned 3 Canon digital cameras and two other brands. While I love Canon, I really dislike this camera and I am so sorry that I purchased it. It is difficult to hold this camera still while trying to use the touchscreen. Not only was it more expensive than other models that I have purchased, it did not perform near as well. Half the photos are dark, even in good light situations. I sell on eBay and take hundreds of close-ups a week. You cannot use the zoom on this camera for close-ups of fine details; everything is blurry. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say, I would not recommend this camera.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 4 for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Nickname: badbrt
Location: La Farge,Wis
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: Yes
Our favorite camera!!
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:July 1, 2011
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, easy to use
My wife got it for me on fathers day and we absolutely love it!! No problems or whims as of yet. Takes even better pics than our bigger Canon powershot! All around awsome camera!
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 5 for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Nickname: Cherie
Location: OK
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Casual User
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: No
Touch Screen Stubborn
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
3
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:June 30, 2011
Pros: Nice features/settings, durable, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, easy to use
Cons: Short battery life, Complicated controls/menu, touch action doesn't work
I love the camera after I read the entire manual (which I printed) and learned more about using it. It was a little frustrating until I did this. I bought it about a month ago and practiced taking immaterial pictures while reading the manual. There is one feature that I want to use, however, that refuses to work--setting touch actions. The touch actions are set, but camera will not perform the action when you touch the screen in desired path. I may take it back to the store to see if something is wrong with the SD3500 IS. Since I have only had it a month, they may replace it if they can not make it work either. Unfortunately, the clerks at the store where I purchased it are not knowledgable about the different cameras. Also, I don't think the Calibration works!
I am happy with the pictures I have taken so far! It seems to be a good camera for the price if I can get these two feature fixed!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 6 for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Nickname: canon devotee
Location: San Francisco, CA
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 11 to 20 years
Product replacement: Yes
Terrible touch-screen interface
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
2
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
1
out of
5
Date:May 24, 2011
Pros: excellent image quality, Lightweight/Portable
Cons: Difficult to use, Complicated controls/menu
The SD 3500 IS is, I think, my 6th Canon Powershot camera. Unfortunately, it is the one that I most dislike. The touch-screen interface is terrible. It is slow and difficult to select options. I have liked all of my other Powershot cameras. I strongly recommend against purchasing this camera. Canon's Powershot line is great but this camera represents an unfortunate deviation for Canon. I am saving up for a newer Canon and I will NOT get a touchscreen!
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 7 for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Nickname: Peter
Location: Houston, TX
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Travel
Canon Enthusiast: 11 to 20 years
Product replacement: Yes
I love this camera dispite an initial problem
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:April 24, 2011
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
I am extremely happy with this model dispite an initial problem that required me to return the original camera after only 26 pictures to the dealer who replaced it. The problem was with the electronics with the touch screen...none of the setting would respond. I now am back into the new replacement camera and have really enjoyed it.
I have had 4-5 Canon cameras, including an early Rebel, and this one is truly exciting with the large screen and the 14 mega pixel capabilities. I do not have any "Cons".
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 8 for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Nickname: Summer
Location: Los Angeles
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Casual User
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: Yes
Best Camera for its Price Range
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:April 6, 2011
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, easy to use
Cons: Complicated controls/menu
Image quality is amazing. Fairly easy to use for casual picture-takers. It makes taking pictures funner.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 9 for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Nickname: Barb
Location: California
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: Yes
Great Camera
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:February 9, 2011
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
This camera is easy to carry, takes great pictures, the different touch settings is great.
My only complaint I can't see very well in the LCD because of the glare. Out side it is really bad.
My only complaint I can't see very well in the LCD because of the glare. Out side it is really bad.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 10 for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Nickname: smiley
Location: minnesota
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Casual User
Mostly used for: Portraits
Canon Enthusiast: Less than 1 year
Product replacement: Yes
great camera!
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:December 17, 2010
Pros: Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
I didnt know anything about cameras when I began looking, I have heard nothing but good about cannon cameras. I wanted a easy to use, good camera. So far I love the zoom, the image quailty and the fact that this camera works for people that dont know much, but the basics of taking pictures. I would recommend this camera to people who want good pictures, quailty and style!
14 of 14 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 11 for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Nickname: ImageSnapper
Location: Greer, SC
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: Yes
Surprisingly Disappointing Camera
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
3
out of
5
Price/Value
3
out of
5
Quality
1
out of
5
Satisfaction
1
out of
5
Date:November 26, 2010
Pros: size and appearance
Cons: low image quality, slow response, on-screen controls
I have had several Canon SD cameras over the past years and have loved them - took thousands and thousands of photos with no issues, bought them as gifts for others, and recommended them to everyone I know. I unfortunately had my latest, the SD950, which I was very pleased with, fall into a glass of water while in the middle of nowhere - no remedial help to be gotten.
I thought the SD3500 would be a great camera to replace it, and I was WRONG. This camera takes very fuzzy photos most of the time and is very slow to respond, which makes it difficult to capture the grandkids in motion. There is no crispness in the photos, which I've come to expect from Canons. I've owned it now for just about a year, and I tend to drag my large SLR with me rather than depend on the 3500, which sort of defeats the purpose of owning it. And I'm not a big fan of having all the settings on-screen - I could do a lot of changing by touch and keep my eye on the photo ops, and that's no longer true.
I keep looking at the new Canons to replace this one, but I'm hesitant to jump in and get one. For every great review, I read one that talks about poor image quality. Since I do a lot of print work with my photos, I need great image quality. Don't know what I'm going to do... Because of the loyalty I've always felt for Canon cameras, I'm dragging my feet about looking at other brands. Keeping my fingers crossed that I'll get the right camera with this next purchase.
62 of 65 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 12 for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Nickname: jg
Location: vestal, ny
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: No
sd3500is
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:November 11, 2010
I purchased this camera because I was moving into a new apartment and needed to document pre-existing damage. This was to be my first digital camera and I was nervous about it being too complicated . This camera was perfect. Not only was I able to take very clear "damage photo's" of the apartment, I also took some excellent photo's of Plantation Garden's at Cornell University at Ithaca, New York. I am going to buy this camera for my granddaughter for Christmas.
12 of 14 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 13 for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Nickname: Tunasnaps
Location: NJ
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Professional or Expert
Product replacement: Yes
Features vs. Quality of Images
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
3
out of
5
Price/Value
3
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
3
out of
5
Date:November 9, 2010
Pros: good snapshot camera
Cons: image quality compromised for features.
In looking for replacement for my point and shoot (A720IS) with over 10000 images taken, I thought to try the 3500. Features are cool. Viewing is cool. Images suffer though. Snapshot are great, but the noise and distortion of the images is very visible when compared with the older Canon camera (8 Mpixels). Even at low ISO equivalent there is more noise. It disappears in a small print, but very evident in enlargements that the larger pixel count should support. So for a cool, touch screen, very capable camera for snapshots - this is a good one, just don't expect the high pixel count to support high quality image enlargements. Touch screen is ok, although accidental selection of features can happen. After 1400 images, it's still just ok. The 720 was a workhorse when not carrying the 40D. Most recently, the S95 is about the same size, but 10 times the camera than the 3500. Need to have small hands to manipulate the controls, but I'd recommend it over the 3500 or its derivatives! But for snapshots, the 3500 is a fine choice.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 14 for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Nickname: Ethel
Location: Dodgeville, WI
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Casual User
Product replacement: No
So easy to use!
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:October 30, 2010
I have always been a camera klutz! I got this camera for my vacation. I was delighted with how easy it was to get some great pictures of the beautiful scenery! I like being able to choose the size of the image file, depending on how I planned to use the images. I love the huge touchscreen and the user friendly interface, as well as the sleek appearance and the sturdiness of the camera. I only learned the basics and I know the camera can do much more, but I think the pictures came out really well. Documentation was adequate to get me started quickly with no issues.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 15 for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Nickname: derex3592
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Casual User
Product replacement: Yes
Great Camera
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:October 5, 2010
I purchased this camera for the purpose of taking it on a 2 week trip to Alaska. This camera was an outstanding choice. Compact, lightweight, easy to use and very good quality all in one package for a great price. People who are giving this camera bad reviews simply don't know how to use it correctly. I took all my pics at full resolution and also took plenty of HD videos, most of which were in flight, both in fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. The camera performed flawlessly. Upon arriving back home from my trip, I looked at the pictures and videos on a 65" plasma television and they looked amazing. Don't be afraid to buy this camera, it's very good.
50 of 50 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 16 for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Nickname: devo
Location: brooklyn ny
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: Yes
pretty good
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
2
out of
5
Quality
3
out of
5
Satisfaction
3
out of
5
Date:September 19, 2010
I think this camera is good for someone who likes to play around. I was really surprised when the indoor pictures are very bad quality and this costed like 400 bucks. I would of much rather gotten an slr for another 2oo for way better pictures. the touch part is very good, but its very delicate and u cant do a few things that other canon cameras can like recording, slow motions videos, swapping colors etc. Im pretty happy with it, just surprised about the price and the unclarity of the pictures. there are a lot of other cool modes on this
3 of 15 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 17 for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Nickname: Not Happy
Location: New Hampshire
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Casual User
Product replacement: Yes
Nice ...but
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
2
out of
5
Price/Value
3
out of
5
Quality
3
out of
5
Satisfaction
3
out of
5
Date:September 7, 2010
Pros: look and feel, touch screen
Cons: image quality
After many years of use my SD400 started to have problems but it always took great pictures. Because of this I decided to replace it with another Canon. This camera has a great look and feel but it does not take good pictures. Many of the images are not clear. Not sure if this is a result of bad software or hardware but I am not happy with the results. May end up on the yard sale table this weekend.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 18 for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Nickname: engineer99
Location: Atlanta, GA
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: Yes
Best Point-and-Shoot Camera
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:July 31, 2010
I bought this camera while on a trip to Europe. This camera did not disappoint in daylight, dark, stills, action, or low magnification zoom. It is very intuitive and the scene features are easy to use and actually work well. In my opinion, this camera is best-suited for someone who does not consider themselves a professional photographer but yet still really enjoys taking pictures and video that are really clear without a lot of effort. Furthermore, I am disabled with limited dexterity (quadriplegic). However, the touchscreen on this camera was still easy to use for me---way easier than any other camera in its class whether touchscreen or not. Even with the touchscreen there are still enough buttons to do things manually (like zoom). Note that the only con of this camera is the low zoom (x5), which is still plenty for most applications.
21 of 22 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 19 for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Nickname: roxcb
Location: CA
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: Yes
returned camera
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
2
out of
5
Price/Value
2
out of
5
Quality
1
out of
5
Satisfaction
1
out of
5
Date:July 31, 2010
Pros: nice features
Cons: bad quality pictures
After 3 months of use, I was still not satisfied with the quality of pics. On screen the pictures look fine, but once you download them they are fuzzy and not crisp. I did like the touch screen, but the quality was terrible. After much use, and trying to fix my pics on the computer,I finally decided to return the camera, and get the canon G11, which takes much better quality pics.
11 of 17 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 20 for PowerShot SD3500 IS
Nickname: keye
Location: San Jose, CA
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Casual User
Product replacement: Yes
Bad LCD display glass
Overall Rating
Features
3
out of
5
Performance
3
out of
5
Price/Value
3
out of
5
Quality
2
out of
5
Satisfaction
3
out of
5
Date:July 28, 2010
The good part for this product that it had big LCD display window and it's touch screen to operate all the functions.
I had used for a month and it was cracked on the LCD
display inner glass. The outer glass was OK because I didn't
drop the camera and it was stored in the hard case also.
I will not buy the big LCD display camera in the future unless
the product gets to be improved on the LCD display glass.
I had used for a month and it was cracked on the LCD
display inner glass. The outer glass was OK because I didn't
drop the camera and it was stored in the hard case also.
I will not buy the big LCD display camera in the future unless
the product gets to be improved on the LCD display glass.
4 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
