What does the 'IS' stand for in a Canon sd 800 IS digital camera?

IS means imagine stabliztion. This is built into the camera to help for unsteady hands. Canons IS system works by shifting the lens to compensate for the movement of the camera by gyros inside the lens. Of course it has limits, if you delibraitly or are in a bumpy car for instance, the IS will not work properly. I would highly recommond it if you will be using the SD800 for a lot of night or low light shots.

IS = Image Stabalization

hi to your question it stands for Imagine Stablizition.

image stabilization

IS stands for Image Stabilization. This is a technology that compensates for slight camera movement or shaking when the picture is taken.

This is especially important when taking pics at high telephoto, where every slight movement is magnified.

Lots of people move the camera when they push the shutter button, so IS helps give them clearer pictures.

Good Luck