Canon SD870 vs. SD1100

[macrofantastic]

Hello,
I'm upgrading from an Canon SD500 to one of these two canon cameras, but I need help deciding.

I would like a camera that I can take along, but size isn't too important to me anymore. Image quality is defintely at the top of the list. I narroed it down to these two cameras because:

-IS
-good Li-ion battery
-macro mode for close up photography

After reading the reviews, I still have no idea why Canon makes these two cameras...they both seem to do the same thing. Still can't figure out what differentiates them.

Any insights would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Edit: oh, one of the difference - the SD870 doesn't have an optical view finder. That doesn't bother me at all.

[jekostas]

The 870 has a wide angle lens (starting at 28MM), while the 1100 has a more telecentric lens (starting at 38MM), but it's slightly faster at the telephoto end.

I'll be honest, I really wouldn't suggest either of these particular cameras for macro work - Canon Elph cameras tend to keep the aperture wide open and just boost shutter speed in macro, and this tends to mean a small DOF. If you want to stay with a Canon compact, you should really look at the A5xx or A7xx series of cameras to get full manual controls, or look into the CHDK enhancement.

This thread is a good example of what I'm talking about - http://www.dcresource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40120&highlight=modeller

Taking AA batteries instead of Lithium should not limit your choice - they're cheaper, and you'll get the same, if not better battery life without a huge weight difference.

The Sony W150 is also a compact camera with IS and a good macro mode, but it's got fewer on-camera controls.

[macrofantastic]

Thanks for the reply. I'll follow up on the A series.

Thank You.