Canon PowerShot SX1IS 10 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.8-inch LCD

Oct 22nd, 2009 by Christos

From the Manufacturer

Put your hand around the perfectly-shaped grip of Canon’s sporty new PowerShot SX1 IS and you’re ready for a shooting experience that’s advanced in every way. Superb still images powered by Canon’s DIGIC 4 image processor, evolved Face Detection Technology and a wide-angle 20x optical zoom are only the beginning. You can also create Full HD movies and see every detail on your HDTV thanks to the HDMI output. Plus, the 10.0-megapixel SX1 IS is the very (more…)

Share and Enjoy:

Tags: Angle, Camera, Canon, CMOS, Digital, Optical, PowerShot, SX1IS, Wide

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 at 6:22 pm and is filed under Canon digital Cameras. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

30 Responses to “Canon PowerShot SX1IS 10 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.8-inch LCD”

M. Wallace
October 24, 2009 at 3:49 pm

There is a lot to love about the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS. Being able to take photographs or shoot 1080p video (get a big memory card for video!) is the main attraction for this camera, and this camera delivers. The 20x zoom lens is FANTASTIC. Zooming in and out is painless, quick, and silent. You’ll love the freedom this gives you. I love that this camera takes 4 AA batteries. These kind of batteries are available everywhere so you don’t have to worry about running out of power like you do in cameras with a proprietary battery pack. The video screen on this camera is relatively big, bright, and clear.

But the camera is not without a few problems. Coming from a Canon D-SLR, the image quality leaves a little to be desired. At 100% magnification, the images are a little noisy. However, most people don’t look at pictures at this zoom-level, and at normal print sizes, the images are sharp and noise is not really noticeable in real-world shooting. I personally don’t like the neck strap. Maybe I just need to wear it in, but at its current stiffness, it sometimes gets in the way of the camera controls. The video looks a little wobbly sometimes due to the design of CMOS sensors (Google “rolling shutter effect”). However, I only notice it when moving the camera quickly (such as panning). The battery compartment doesn’t open the way you might expect (look in the manual before attempting it). The on-screen menu is a pretty good but could be better. The viewfinder is electronic and the colors on it appear washed out, but it gets the job done. Finally, there are no threads on the front of the lens to mount filters on, but there are third-party adapters that will let you do this (Lensmate makes one).

However, I’m still very satisfied with my purchase and would not hesitate to recommend the camera to others looking for this kind of hybrid camera. I’m going on a trip in June and it’ll be the only camera I take.

BoogieNYC "BoogieNYC"
October 24, 2009 at 4:18 pm

I’ve been waiting for the HD-video-capable replacement for the SX10IS for awhile, and I’m glad I waited. There is a lot of legitimate discussion whether this, the successor to the SX10IS, is a worthwhile replacement, and the answer is contingent on what you want to do with a camera and how experienced you are with photography.

First, this camera has an incredible zoom range. I stood from several blocks away and photographed an entire seven-story building in NYC using the SX1IS’s widest zoom setting. From the distance I stood I could barely see that the top three floors featured terraces. I took another photo at maximum zoom and could not only see the terraces but see with reasonable detail that someone with a yellow short-sleeve shirt was having breakfast on their terrace. Needless to say, if you have a need for a fast, high-zoom-capable lens, the SX1IS has it.

In terms of speed, the camera feels very responsive. The lens itself zooms and retracts quickly with little noise (even while shooting video) and I was pleased with the overall responsiveness. The focus settings need to be played with somewhat, but overall the camera feels quick as opposed to sluggish or slow. Also, this (over the SX10IS) is rated at 4fps, which is mighty quick.

Picture quality, overall, is very good. There is definitely fringing on the edges of a shot where the barrel effect of a big, zoomed-out lens appears, but overall I’m happy with the results. There are some issues if you are taking a shot that will wind up on the side of a bus in an ad, but even 8×10 shots will come out wonderfully.

The camera is a bit heavy, but given the lens and the technology stuffed into this thing, I didn’t feel like I needed a massage after working with it for a few hours. It’s lots heavier than my snapshot go-to camera, the Canon 880IS, but that’s like suggesting a Maybach is a lot heavier than a Kawasaki Ninja. Apples and oranges.

Overall, I think this is a good camera. It is a great tool for people who really know what they’re doing — which frankly isn’t me. However, I have a general idea of what I want to accomplish and I’m willing — and going to — take the time to learn how to get more out of this camera. It’s fine as an automatic point and shoot — a bit complicated, perhaps — but it will definitely save me the trouble and bother of going the dSLR route. Unless the lens on this camera is damaged, there should be no need to upgrade because the wide angle is great and the zoom is incredible. The lens could be a bit better at high zoom, but I’m satisfied with the results.

The main thing that this camera offers over the SX10IS is the capability to do RAW images and HD Video. The former is for serious users — I haven’t installed my packaged Canon software yet and haven’t even explored taking RAW images or how to edit them with Photoshop on the PC — but the HD video results are pretty amazing. I’m not sure how often I’ll use this to do HD video but I can say without a doubt that I’d kick myself in six months’ time if I wanted to use it to take some video and had to rely on 480p or 720p instead of full HD video. The quality is stunning and accurate, and with stereo mics the SX10IS does better at video than some fully-dedicated video cameras from several years ago.

A word to the wise: if you are willing to take the time to learn how to use this camera or are very experienced, you will enjoy using this camera. It’s a bit pricey but I think it’s a great piece of equipment. If however you are looking at this as an improvement on a little snapshot camera like the aforementioned 880IS and all you want to do is take portraits and the like, don’t spend the extra money, get a snapshot digicam.

I’d recommend this to people who are either experienced or have a decent knowledge and understanding of photography, and also for people who would like to explore the mechanics of taking a photo beyond just hitting a button. It does produce some great photos, but it can really be frustrating. Bottom line: between the expense, the size of the cam itself and the tweaking necessary, if convenience is first and quality is second on your wishlist, this is not the right camera for you. You should go check out the Canon G10. If quality and the art of photography are the two highest items on your digicam wishlist, buy it and happy shooting.

Four stars and not five because of the lens fringe, the manual pop-up flash and the focus issues I originally experienced before I read through the manual. I’d have given this bad boy an extra star for RAW recording but I also deducted a star because you need to install proprietary Canon ‘ware (both an app and a codec) before you can manipulate RAW images in Photoshop or elsewhere.

Overall, one hell of a camera.

generic cialis purchase
May 26, 2010 at 7:52 am

I am the first time on this site and am really enthusiastic about and so many good articles. I think it’s just very good.
Always yours Mr. Cialis

Success
June 9, 2010 at 3:28 am

Hello from Vyatka River!!! Thank you for information! Itґs a good idea for next full revision…
Write more!!! ))

cialis
June 14, 2010 at 11:17 am

cialis online
What Is The Most Needed Experience I Should Rescind Adjacent to procure cialis online?

Do not palm cialis online if you:

* gyp missing of medicines called “nitrates” which are time again prescribed in the note of main stem smarting as the confederation may compel an unsafe drop in blood constraints
* capitalize on recreational drugs called “poppers” like amyl nitrite and butyl nitrite
* are allergic to CIALIS or ADCIRCA™ (tadalafil), or any of its ingredients

cialis online
June 14, 2010 at 11:34 am

buy cialis
What Is The Most Mettlesome Info I Should Positive Cover for a be prominent cialis online?

Do not wolf cialis if you:

* shame medicines called “nitrates” which are stretch again prescribed in fortify of strongbox pain as the composition may produce an unsafe snip in blood constraints
* help recreational drugs called “poppers” like amyl nitrite and butyl nitrite
* are allergic to CIALIS or ADCIRCA™ (tadalafil), or any of its ingredients