Cameras: Canon Powershot SX1 IS – Review – 77

Canon has really delivered a fine camera in the PowerShot SX1 IS. At first glance it looks like a dSLR but this model has a lens fixed to its body and is a little smaller than one might expect. But don’t let its physical size worry you too much, because this little package offers big features 
and functionality.

Five minutes after opening the box you would have slotted in your four AA batteries and started shooting. You will be impressed by a 20x optical zoom lens that delivers clear, crisp images to the camera’s 10 megapixel CMOS sensor. It is the first time Canon has used this type of sensor in a compact camera.

Only trouble is, I wouldn’t quite call this a compact, given the ultra-slim shirt pocket models that are now doing the rounds. Certainly, CMOS sensors have – until now – only ever featured in the firm’s interchangeable lens dSLR cameras.

And it is probably because of the SX1 IS’s dSLR-like body that Canon has been able to slot in a CMOS sensor over the much smaller CCD (which was used in its predecessor, the SX10 IS). So what does it all mean?

Well, the fact these sensors are typically used in larger dSLR cameras means you are getting dSLR grunt and quality for the price of a high-end compact. And the sensor is powerful enough to capture pictures that can be printed up to A2 size (420 x 594mm). That’s much larger than most domestic printers can handle, so you’ll have no trouble printing glorious photos to A4 size (210 x 297mm).

And being a ‘compact’ – aimed at the person who wants to point and shoot – this camera is easy to use. But it also features many options the keen photographer needs, including the ability to use it in full manual mode.

While the camera has a built-in flash, it will only light objects up to 4.8 metres away – that may be fine for most situations. However, this camera does allow you to connect an optional flashgun to its hot shoe. With a good-quality flashgun you not only get the range you need, you also get the option (depending on the one you buy) to swivel it in different directions and bounce the flash off walls and ceilings, allowing you another level of creativity.

The lens needs a special mention because it is so versatile. In opting to use a 28mm to 560mm lens, Canon has made a big effort to meet most people’s needs. At 28mm you can grab gloriously wide landscape and crowd shots, and the zoom means you can really get up close at sporting events.

It also has a zero-centimetre super-macro facility that should satisfy anyone keen on photographing coins, flowers, insects, jewellery and the like. And the camera uses an optical image stabiliser (that’s what the ‘IS’ stands for) to help you keep those long zoom shots steady.

The SX1 IS’s 2.8-inch LCD is a lot like those seen on video cameras. Here you can flip out the screen and twist and tilt it to all sorts of angles. It means you can hold the camera high above your head and look at the screen to frame your shot.

And because this camera also shoots full resolution HD moving images, the screen is perfect for recording video. Moreover, unlike some cameras, this model allows you to record video and still use the zoom feature of the lens.

Small and light, the PowerShot SX1 IS is a camera for all seasons that will meet the needs of keen photographers. It shoots at up to four frames per second and has strong video recording features and a built-in stereo microphone.

STEVE HART

Tech Specs

PowerShot SX1 IS
Digital Camera
$1099

Effective pixels: 
10 megapixels
Lens: 20x zoom, 28mm-560mm (35mm equivalent)
Monitor: 2.8-inch LCD vari-angle, approx 230,000 dots, 16:9
Viewfinder: Electronic 16:9
Picture format: Selectable 4:3 or 16:9
Aperture: f2.8-8.0
ISO: 80, 100, 200, 400, 
800, 1600
Media: SD card
File format: JPEG, MOV
Flash: Hot shoe for 
flash attachment
Interface: USB, HDMI
Battery: Four AA
Dimensions: 124 x 86.9 x 88.3mm (W/H/D)
Weight: 560g

PROS

• Fast shooting at four frames per second at full frame

• Good zoom

• Doubles as a hi-def video camera (1920 x 1080)

CONS

• Firmware upgrade needed for RAW mode shooting

VERDICT

• Neither dSLR nor point and shoot, the SX IS is instead a great all-rounder

CONTACT

www.canon.co.nz

This Review is from Tone Issue #77.