The reason i switched is because of these issues. The thing is, even if you can find a way to make it work better, it will be a ongoing thing where you have to manipulate the camera with most shots to rectify the problem. That to me is unacceptable. And then you have to come to terms with the shot that can't be fixed, which in my experience were many. The shots you took were show exactly what i kept saying when i was being persecuted for saying the 750 is better, tho not to the degree that they show outdoors. So your camera isn't defective because my second one which was better still does this perticular thing just as bad. The 850 CAN take nice shots. But in my experience the majority were anywhere from silghtly problematic to very because it's nite and day how it reacts from certain lighting/scenes to the next. But you have both cameras also and therefore see this. Why some with both don't i don't know. But it's so blatently obvious in my tests there was no mistaking that i made the right decision by switching to the 750. People kept taking that as my being biased and jumped all over me. But i'm just telling it like it is from the perspective of an owner with both, and ianyone looking at those pics you posted now know what i see consistantly when comparing the 2 cameras, yet to a lesser degree even than i get in many outdoor shots.
So you have to ask yourself whether the features of the 850 are worth it. Personally, and i'm not exagerating here, i have not found anything the 850 features have that really make any difference in the final product, the picture. I even find some features better. for example, the manual settings are all in one mode. So you can go to that mode and choose shutter priority and aperature and ev all in the same mode. I can't understand why they seperated it because in the 850 you can't do them both at the same time and you have to switch modes to do one or the other. The flash is also easier. Click thru the settings instead of having to click to get to the settings, then click thru them, then click to get out. Twice as much time and clicking. Makes no sense. So i look at the features and find nothing really that make a differnce other than simplicity, and the 750 is easier there ! The movie light is fun, but how often do you need it. plus i can hold a tiny LED flashlight and do the same thing with even better light for the rare instance where i need or want it. the stabilization feature can be done manually with the 750 and is a pathetic attempt at image stabiliazation anyways. The LCD IS a benefit, as is a little better battery life. But other than that i see nothing but benefits in the 750. i think some have a hard time believing that just because thier reaction is it's newer so it has to be better, and the 750 is older so it has to be old technology.
Now maybe you feel different as to the features, but also just maybe, and the reason i'm saying this, maybe you haven't really considered these things and weighed the benefits/disadvantages of each and what they really mean to you in the final results. Even the LCD deosn't seem to be a big issue because it seems most of your pics are indoors. Plus while much less bright, once used to it even outside its just not a big issue in the final anaylisis when you look again at what these things mean to you in the final product, the picture. Consider all these things and think about it. Because when i switched to the 750 i realized i had been worrying about things that in reality were nothing compared to the advantages. I miss absolutly nothing but the LCD which i can easily live with as the only disadvantage behind countless advantages. And it all comes down to the final picture. I know you see the difference there, but i'm suprsed you're seeing them as close as you are because to my eye it looks like the pictures from a very good camera compared to a mediocre one. I can't imagine a wider spread w/o the lesser pics being from one of those $99 no name things. So think about the features and what is really important to the final picture. If you're like i was you may have been putting more importance on certain things than you should, because if the pics aren't as as good then every feature on earth is useless.
