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I've owned each novel version of this camera since the Powershot S2IS. For me this is a worthwhile upgrade over the prior version, the S5IS.
I'll launch by saying that I am not a digital camera "power user". I objective want superior quality photos without a lot of hassle. This camera provides that, yet also provides a lot of room for growth with plenty of custom settings that I can exercise if I want to learn how to employ them in the future (for example, aperture priority) .
Pros:
- In initial testing, the face detection technology seems to work well. I can consume a self portrait now and the lighting comes out very worthy. I assume the technology has gone from buzzword marketing to apt usefulness.
- One side attend of the face detection technology is that it enables the camera to intelligently acquire red-eye out of pictures without using the red-eye reduction lamp.
- The flip-out and rotating viewfinder has always and continues to position this camera apart from its peers from other companies. It allows for less intrusive candid photos and has many other advantages.
- Thankfully, the SD card door is separate from the battery door as it was with the S3IS. Thank you Canon! There are times that I honest want to pick a few pictures, and now I don't have to begin the battery door to recall the SD card out and build in my PC's card reader.
- Improper battery warning. I deem this is the first version to have that and it's very welcome.
- 28mm -- I will never come by another camera without wide angle built in. I have the Canon Elph 880IS too, which is a very distinguished "pocketable" camera that complements this one well.
- Involving 20x zoom. Pictures turn out very profitable even at high zooms. In an indoor-lit apartment, I can read fairly minute print from a photo taken all the plan across a room -- it truly is wonderful.
- The relate quality is better at higher ISO's than previous models. Each model improves on this and this one definitely continues that. I haven't tried out the "I-Contrast" setting (on vs. off) but I can say that in some outdoor pictures that I have taken detail is pleasant in shadow areas.
- Finally, a standard lens-cap. It doesn't have a tether, but you can steal a cap attachment from a camera store that sticks on the front of the cap. The one that I got has an elastic band that goes around the unfriendly of the lens. I also got a better lens cap which can now be done since it's standard.
- Controls ... I like the fresh placement of the controls such as dedicated on-off button and prove button. I don't assume I will like the scroll wheel but time will direct. For those not familiar with this camera, there is a dedicated video button so that you can purchase video fast without having to mess with the controls.
- Weight and shape. I liked the shape of the S5IS a slight better. This one seems too "boxy" and the grip seems too abrupt. It's bigger and heavier but not in a intention that matters. It's expected with the current lens.
The only thing I would have liked to study improved is the size of the rotating point to. It's usable, but the 3" one on my pocket SD880IS is remarkable better, and competing cameras offer a larger note. In order to acquire a larger exhibit though the electronic viewfinder would probably have to be eliminated which is something that many wouldn't like. I'd rather have a larger expose.
I don't know if the compressed movie mode results in less quality because I didn't occupy movies with prior versions of this camera because the file size was larger. I like that videos lift up less region now and I will employ the video feature of this version.
Canon released a camera similar to this with HD video capabilities but it's not available, as far as I know, in the U.S. Check the Canon website for more info. if you want to research that.
There is not a procedure to screw filters on this camera as there was with the optional lens adapters available for the S5IS. It seems that Canon could have easily done this by threading the ruin of the lens but maybe I am missing something. I anticipate that Canon or some other company will advance out with an adapter that will allow filters. My main spend of filters was simply to protect the lens.
I don't know if the software is improved because I don't spend it. If you want date / time stamps on your photos, you need to do it via software.
If you like this camera and are alive to in a colossal pocket-sized camera to complement this one, check out the SD880IS. It has many of the same features such as the Digic 4 chip, face detection, wide angle, I-contrast, and in addition it has a radiant 3" expose.
Update 10-26-08
- I previously commented that I opinion the shape was too boxy" and the grip "too abrupt". After using the camera for a while I have grown to like the shape because it helps retain the camera more proper and helps prevent dropping it. There is a ridge below where the index finger is, and above the other 3 fingers holding the camera. That helps withhold a sterling grip on the camera which makes it steadier while shooting and helps prevent dropping it while carrying it around.
This is a second update. It comes after several months working with an SX10 IS.
SHORT LIST
Pros:
Excellent resolution
Very well-behaved noise control
Image edge and corner sharpness
Less than average color fringing
True wide angle and phenomenal telephoto
iContrast for highlight/shadow
Vari-angle LCD
Focus frame size adjustment
Brightness, disagreement, sharpness and color settings
Great movie mode with stereo sound
Hot shoe
Lens hood
Cons:
Slow f5.7 maximum aperture beyond 100mm
Tendency to overexpose (though this can be an advantage--see below)
Low light autofocus issues
Minor lens distortions and color fringing at either destroy of zoom
Tedious control dial
LCD hard to explore in shiny outdoor light
Zoom sounds audible in movies
IN DEPTH
A semi-pro photographer with 30+ years' shooting experience, I am respectful yet rigorously demanding of my photo equipment. I push parameters, often absurdly so, but the SX10 doesn't seem to mind it one bit. For its notice point, features and class, this is a stellar offering, and I highly recommend it.
The camera is solidly built and, although hefty for a point-and-shoot, feels well balanced in the hand. Controls are intuitively placed and easy to get with your fingers--no need to catch your witness off the LCD or viewfinder when you've become acquainted with their positions.
Performance is favorable in all but crude light, where autofocus and shutter shuffle are sometimes at hiss. The camera powers on and is ready to shoot very fleet. Image recording time is swift, especially with a Class 6 card, and in reasonable lighting focus is both swift and fair. Resolution is superb; image stabilization is best in class. And the sheer zoom range--wow!
Point-and-shoot capability is sizable. Originate the box, install batteries and memory card, and fire away. It's so easy, kids can do it. And given a microscopic time and tinkering, in its creative modes the camera really shows its chops.
In this review, you'll gawk several references to existing-light photography. It's my personal preference; I only employ flash when I must. So I've spent a lot of time working out the angles for that sort of shooting. What you won't sight is anything more than a cursory convey about action photography. It's not something I've veteran this camera for unbiased yet.
In this model Canon addresses several issues inherent in the "S" series--most notably noise and dynamic range. Though tranquil noisy at ISO 800, about half the images I've shot at that setting have been okay for prints, and nearly all are very qualified at ISO 400. Pictures taken between ISOs 80 and 200 are dapper and edifying. Noise reduction at higher ISOs does degrade saturation and details a bit (more noticeable at the longer raze of the zoom, especially in low-contrast lighting) but not enough to abandon the higher sensitivities altogether.
Both edge and corner sharpness are very honorable at anything but widest angle and chunky zoom, and even here sharpness is powerful improved over the S5 at ANY focal length. In truth, no zoom lens of such wide range has edge-to-edge sharpness at its focal extremes.
Color fringe is a mixed bag. Depends somewhat on the focal length, ISO, aperture and shutter bustle. Overall, fringing is not that bothersome. At both the widest angle and burly telephoto ends you'll search for some colored edges, most noticeably in areas of high incompatibility. Bumping the zoom lever once or twice makes all the incompatibility.
Some barrel distortion occurs at the wide waste as well, though not too abominable. It's only noticeable where there are certain vertical or horizontal lines (again, a bump or two of zoom, and lines strighten moral up) . These issues can of course be corrected in most photo editing programs, although not in Zoombrowser EX, the camera's supplied software.
Achieving focus in definite lighting can be iffy and sometimes fails. Changing the focus frame size will usually remedy this. When it doesn't, manual focus feature comes to the rescue. Fortunately this feature is improved in the SX10. The autofocus instruct seems linked to extremes in difference, whether coarse or high, rather than genuine light available. Uncouth inequity, coarse light situations display the most pains, but a couple of times my copy has struggled and failed in high-contrast, intense lighting, too. Lowering the ISO helped.
If you select existing light photos and conclude at ISO 400 and under, at focal lengths beyond 100mm you'll need to lop shutter speeds due to narrowing apertures, and action shots rep tricky. For stationary subjects, though, the camera can be hand-held at speeds as gross as 1/6 sec to beget fascinating images without flash--phenomenal. This works best with image stabilization spot to single shot rather than continuous.
It IS a profitable opinion to carry a mini-tripod or monopod. The SX10 tends some toward overexposure, though, which works to your benefit; an increase in shutter bustle not only balances exposure but also results in fewer blurry hand-held shots. So, although it's a superior view to have one handy, the tripod probably won't be needed too terribly often.
The camera's built-in flash is quite noble to about 17 feet. There's also a hot shoe for dedicated external flash; and with flash employed, the playing field broadens significantly. I've not yet encountered a residence where I couldn't salvage a relate when working with flash. A few times manual focus has been famous, but by golly, I got the shot!
That tremendous lens does zoom--boy, does it ever! Furthermore, digitally zoomed images are surprisingly detailed. Image stabilization is so effective that in edifying lighting fascinating, hand-held shots are VERY doable at maximum magnification--a whopping 80X. The hardest thing about shooting at that length is unbiased keeping the subject in your viewfinder!
Canon's vari-angle LCD is thoroughly spoiling--it cooks. There have been many times when I simply wouldn't have gotten a keeper without it. An articulating LCD not only offers the flexibility to shoot no-hassle self portraits, overhead, ground-level and other awkward-angle pictures, but it also gives an extra measure of stability in composing your pictures. Objective fold out and tilt the LCD and fill the camera finish to your body with your elbows tucked in. It's a great steadier stance than the veteran arms-out, eye-level design. Makes for some kindly stealth photography, as well as opening up current perspectives (mediate children and pets) . And it's a accurate boon for tight spots and macro work. My only quibble about the LCD is how difficult it is to sight in smart sunlight. (Fortunately, the electronic viewfinder is wonderful, so you can shoot, no matter what.)
I really delight in the ability to crop the focus frame for capturing miniature details (it's nice to have a camera that "knows," for instance, that you're going for the antennae of a moth and not its entire body) . Better yet, you can zero in on the witness as the sharpest point in the frame, making for stand-out people, bird, wildlife and pet photos. Pictures are so considerable more intelligent with this capability.
About iContrast: while dynamic range does increase some, it's not a magic wand. With it turned off this camera does shapely well (though not d-SLR well) at highlight and shadow details. At least in my copy, pictures shot with iContrast are sometimes processed with a plain, gray-blue cast that no color or white balance setting offsets. So I maintain iContrast disabled during shooting, unless the lighting is blooming improper (the user guide suggests this near) . I've found iContrast of greater abet, editing images in Review mode. Colors are more vibrant this way; the pics don't come by that gray-blue cast.
SX10 pictures are not as contrasty as those from Canon's previous ultrazooms, especially at longer focal lengths. This is not a form flaw--you now have the option to adjust difference as a custom function. It's found in My Colors. Options for adjusting sharpness, saturation and skin tones--as well as red, green and blue channels, are available there, too.
Often pictures lacking in difference are simply the result of overexposure. If you're using one of the camera's built-in My Color settings, in average to vivid light exposure compensation frequently helps, adding vibrance to your images and upping highlight details. The exposure compensation button makes this easy. On the other hand, photos captured in overcast and other low-contrast lighting conditions nearly always lack disagreement, regardless of how you adjust exposure or which iContrast setting you're using. I personally don't mind this, as dissimilarity can always be boosted in post-editing.
Even if you're a seasoned photographer, I can't stress enough: READ THE USER GUIDE even if you've owned one of Canon's previous superzooms. While the SX10 is very similar to its predecessors, there are also some grand differences. When I got mine, I didn't actually glimpse at the guide for almost a week; until I did, I grew steadily more disappointed. And fair knew that Canon had lost their marbles.
If you're a full-auto kinda person, you'll probably appreciate the camera without reading through the whole manual--that is, until you invent your first movie. If you haven't read the advanced instructions for video steal, here's where you'll probably encounter dissatisfaction. Be positive and read the advanced guide for movies on pages 87-90 (English version) . For instance, you can lock the focus--very nice--no more fading in and out. But the thing I mediate you'll really want to know about is a scheme to brighten movies when zooming. (More on that in a bit.)
It's when you depart beyond point-and-shoot into the creative zones that an in-depth peer at the advanced guide gets significant. The satisfactory stuff is in there all honest, honest waiting to be tapped, but you'd practically have to be psychic to know how to work it. It's not a hard camera to control, but some of its features and the procedures for using them aren't exactly transparent. You're paying for a attractive extraordinary, feature-rich camera. Instead of bashin' or smashin' the darn thing, do yourself and the SX10 both a favor. Read up on how to spend it. It's well nigh impossible to earn the best from it til you do.
In its auto modes, the camera selects ISO, aperture and shutter speeds which almost always work very well, although you may occasionally bring home noisier images than you'd like, and the white balance can sometimes be unprejudiced a tad off. It also means employing the flash indoors fairly often, so if you assume point-and-shoot, existing light photography you really may want to deem a different camera.
About Movie mode, in my estimation the only down side is the lens noise it records--an audible clacking sound during zoom. In every other respect, movies are outstanding. Before I bought the camera I had read user complaints about dusky videos, and that concerned me. Certain enough, when I got the camera and gave it a whirl, my movies were impartial bogus beyond the 100mm tele trace.
Then I read the advanced guide--duh. And found that Canon has made provision for the lens's narrowing aperture as you zoom in. When you peruse the image growing sunless, you can increase the exposure--during recording! It's very easy--a press of the exposure compensation button and a twirl of the control dial is all it takes. Works like a charm. And that's not the only fresh enhancement (earlier I mentioned focus lock) . Before beginning a movie, you can also position preferences for white balance and color. With stereo sound, volume adjustment, a wind filter and such titanic focal advance, the Movie mode is a astronomical addition to an already ravishing camera--why, it's impartial gravy.
If anything ever fails on my copy, it'll probably be the control dial. Learning to spend it was gorgeous trying. The dial is thin and slippery, and the mount is too shallow, almost flush with the FUNC/SET button it surrounds. The knurls on the dial are barely palpable and provide minute traction. Worse, the dial tends to spin while it's turning. Applying enough pressure to capture it can inadvertently change the ISO setting or switch the camera to Manual Focus or Macro mode. My touch has improved with time and practice, but it took scheme too long to score the knack, and it's composed not surefire. The thing's unbiased dull tetchy!
Despite its idiosyncracies, I'm very delighted the control dial is there. The SX10 is a camera that offers many adjustment options for making the very most of its unbelievable abilities.
If the dial were more easily engaged, and the zoom were still during video grasp, this camera would salvage my resounding five-star rating. It probably deserves one anyway. If I didn't expend the creative modes almost exclusively, the control dial wouldn't be such a bother. And if I weren't so persnickety, the lens sounds in video probably wouldn't be an convey, either. The dial needs improvement, though. Because this camera falls in the "advanced" category, aimed at the photo enthusiast/advanced photographer, and because it is one of the most-used and considerable features for that kind of shooting, I can't rationalize away its mediocre develop and fair care for the dial anyway. Canon simply MUST improve on future iterations of their SX cameras, and I request they will!
This camera replaced my old-fashioned Olympus C2100, a formidable 10x zoom camera introduced 8 years ago that started the mega-zoom hasten. Have played with the SX10 IS for a week now and very overjoyed with it.
Below are what I like:
-It uses regular "AA" batteries. Never acquire a camera that uses specialized batteries no matter what people may impart you. Updated 6/27/09: this camera is so power efficient that it can steal 600 photos on a single location of AA rechargeable batteries according to a leading consumer magazine (no other camera can even advance terminate, non) .
-It has a useful 28mm wide angle lens. This means you can include a whole group of people in a describe without standing too far assist(such as in a limited room) . Most cameras (I say 90%) do not have lens this wide.
-You can zoom (optical & digital, with audio) while taking movies. Many cameras do not allow optical or audio during movie taking.
-It takes SD memory cards which is most well-liked (plentiful, cheap) . Do not resolve for cameras that choose any other type of memory cards.
-It has a rotating LCD reveal.
-It is rapidly to select (and opinion) pictures and movies.
-Picture and movie quality (with stereo audio) is superbly competitive to any other high quality cameras.
Below are what I don't like:
-No grip: this is one slippery camera. I like its size and weight but its grip needs to be designed accordingly.
-The LCD demonstrate is very easily scratched. Do not wear this camera with a neck strap with the LCD facing out, because your shirt buttons will scratch the LCD. Immediately keep a protective cloak on this LCD first; there are several protective shroud or tape products available.
-The lens has no thread so you can't save on a lens filter to protect it from smears and dust.
-The lens cap has no tether or tether hole so there is small you can do to set the cap to the camera. Canon, what was you thinking?
-I wish it can describe movies in widescreen 16:9 VGA. It does not have HD movie feature but I don't need HD, I only wish widescreen VGA.
Currently there are several 20x zoom cameras available, such as the Olympus SP-570UZ and SP-565UZ, Casio EX-FH20. I've tried all of them, and eventually chose the Canon SX10IS as I deem it gives you estimable features and quality for an extraordinary stamp.
