If you’re a regular reader of my blog you probably know that I only review products or services which I have actually used or or heavily researched prior to a purchase. You may have also noticed that I have reviewed quite a few tech gizmos here recently. Yes I have been on somewhat of a tech buying binge, so here goes with the latest purchase.
The Canon Powershot SX10IS Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom.
I am not a professional photographer but I do like to take pictures. Plus since I will be using the camera for business, I can write off it off as a business expense. What I wanted from my new camera was one that would take good quality photos and not give me a lot of hassles while doing it.
This Canon Powershot seemed to be the natural choice for a camera which provides that with room to grow into the many custom settings it also offers which I can learn to use over time.
Here are the pros which I saw in this Canon Powershot:
The face detection technology used in the camera is a big plus. When I take portrait style photos with the camera the lighting comes out extremely good. Not to mention it removes the red-eye without the need to use the red eye reduction flash.
The easy to use flip out viewfinder which rotates offers many advantages and in my mind puts this camera way out in front of its competition.
I like that this camera warns you when your batteries are getting low.
The Canon Powershot has a separate door which opens to access the SD or SDHC memory card so you don’t have to open the battery door to get to it. This is a big deal when you are only taking a few pictures and don’t want to have to remove the batteries to get the memory card out.
It has wide angle built right into the camera. After using this feature I don’t think I will ever purchase another camera without it.
The 20x zoom is powerful and gives excellent photos even at high zooms. Just for fun I set a book up across the room, zoomed in and took a picture. I could read that fairly small print from the photo. All I can say is wow.
This camera comes with a standard lens cap, but without a tether. This is easily remedied with a trip to a camera store for a standard tether which affixes to the front of the cap so you don’t lose it.
When it comes to the controls there is a dedicated display button, video button and on/off button. The scroll wheel is easily located and the dedicated video button makes it easy to shoot without having to mess with a bunch of controls.
The shape may seem strange at first, but once you get used to it is actually easier to grip and prevent dropping. It is also shaped in such a way as to assist you in holding the camera steadier when shooting.
The size of the rotating display is useable but in my opinion could be a little larger. Some of the competing cameras do offer a larger display, but to make this happen the viewfinder might have to be eliminated which some may not like. I guess it is a matter of preference in a larger display or the ability to also have a viewfinder.
Because the video feature allows for compressed movie mode I will probably shoot videos more often with this camera. In the few times I have tried this feature the video quality still seems good even with the files taking up less space now.
One last point is that there is no threading on the end of the lens to allow for filters at this point. It was not a big deal for me as I do not typically use the filters and I suspect that someone will come out with an adapter that allows for their use.
Overall the Canon Powershot is a very nice camera that was exactly what I was looking for. It offers simplicity with the ability to use more advanced features if you want to.
February 21st, 2009 at 3:12 am
cool…how can i hide with that pixel