Canon Powershot SD990IS 14.7MP Digital Camera (Silver) - Review

I realize there IS no "perfect point and shoot camera". I suppose there can not be a PERFECT small camera due to the small size.
In recent months I have owned TOO many small point and shoot cameras including..the older Canon SD950, a Fuji F100FD, a Panasonic TZ5, Even an Olympus 1010 model..and lastly bought a new discontinued Fuji F30 off e-bay for indoor low light shooting. I am sort of running my own private consumer reports situation it seems. :)
This SD 990IS is maybe the best OVERALL point and Shoot I ever had. But, instead of all the usual glowing remarks Canon Elphs seem to get..I want to point out a few negatives or inconsistencies with this camera. I mostly bought this camera because of the new function..FACE SELF TIMER seemed like a GREAT and useful idea as I take more pics with my g/f, or friends, dog, whatever..on timer than anything else. Long story short Face Detection works THE best on this 990 of ANY other camera I have ever used. It's nearly flawless INDOORS. However I tend to use this Canon more OUTDOORS. Problem is is in rather bright sunshine like MANY cameras, Face detection has trouble. Simply, often it doe NOT detect a face..and won't detect the second face either. This is only in rather strong sunshine..otherwise Face detection and Face Self timer DOES work and works rather well. The lens is OK, but on such an expensive elph I feel there should be less purple fringing THOUGH it's not BAD..but it IS there...and also indoors ISO set above 250 or so tends to get a bit grainy. So much so, I set the megapixels to 10..thereby why did I need a 14.7 meg camera??
I have also noted to my eyes this camera is not producing the almost too vivid colors of most canons...DEEP greens...Deep blues. But I actually feel the colors produced by this camera are perhaps more natural than almost any point and shoot I have had so that's a good thing. Also a positive..this camera handles blown highlights (Too BRIGHT) and dark shadows better than most. To sum up..this IS a really good camera with REALLY useful features WHEN they work, ala face detection in bright sun.
I feel Canon and just about all the point and shoot cams presently out there are WAY too concerned about who's got the most meagapixels. I'd much MUCH prefer a camera closer to myOLDER Fuji F30 which BLOWS the doors of this Canon in low light no flash) WITH JUST 6 MEGAPIXELS..then a nearly 15 meagpixel camera with too much noise. The Fuji's lens sadly has THE most purple fringing outdoors of any cam I have tried, hence my search has continued. To sum up..in today's market..perhaps this 990is may be about the best OVERALL small cam out there..but as I pointed out..if you are rather picky..it has a few flaws and I feel it is a bit overpriced...BUT also a VERY good camera which will make most people quite happy. It has a nice metal body..and the battery lasts a LONG time..another plus!