Canon PowerShot SX1 IS Digital Camera Review

The 10-megapixel Canon PowerShot SX1 IS is a reasonably small camera with an unreasonably powerful 20x zoom: it’s the equivalent of a 28-560mm lens on a 35mm camera, and will take you quite effectively from a wide-angle landscape shot to a close-up of a lion’s nose while you’re safely on the other side of the zoo enclosure.
 
At a $599.99 list price, it’s certainly not the cheapest ultrazoom you can buy (the Nikon P90 sells for $200 less), but the SX1 justifies the higher price tag with good-looking high-definition video and impressive lab-tested image quality. You also get an articulated LCD screen, which swings away from the camera body and pivots up and down so you can shoot at unusual angles (you can also turn the LCD panel entirely around and position the screen flush with the back of the camera, protecting it from harm while traveling). There’s an HDMI output, allowing direct connection to a high-def TV for both video and still image viewing. And in an unusual but welcome move, Canon threw an extra goodie into the box: a wireless remote control that can be used both for shake-free shooting and to control photo and video playback.

Performance (read in-depth performance coverage at DigitalCameraInfo.com)
The Canon SX1 performed very well in nearly all of our lab testing. It captured color accurately (a Canon strength overall), offered good sharpness for an ultrazoom camera (you inevitably lose some crispness when shooting with a lens that covers such a wide focal length spectrum), and kept image noise under control. Continuous shooting speed was also better than most point and shoots, clocking in at nearly three shots per second.

When shooting video, the SX1 can capture full HD (1920 x 1080 resolution) video clips at a smooth 30 frames per second. The color accuracy and sharpness of the test video we shot were both very strong.

The SX1 offers features that appeal to both knowledgeable photographers and point-and-shooters. You can leave the camera in Auto mode and get well-exposed shots in most conditions, or choose from a generous 15 scene modes tailored to particular shooting situations (sunset, beach, portrait, etc.). If you prefer more hands-on control,  program, shutter-priority, aperture-priority and full manual modes are provided. You can also store your favorite shooting settings as a Custom mode, easily accessible by turning the dial.

Comparisons (read in-depth comparisons at DigitalCameraInfo.com)
We tested four recently introduced ultrazoom cameras for head-to-head comparison purposes, including the Nikon P90 ($400), Olympus SP-590UZ ($449) and Sony HX1 ($499).

The Olympus is the current king of ultrazoomability, with a 26x range.  It also boasts a higher megapixel count than the Canon at 12MP.  In our testing, though, the two cameras came up nearly tied for real-world resolution, and the Canon posted higher scores in color accuracy, image noise and image stabilization, the last particularly important when shooting handheld with a long lens. The Olympus is also limited to standard-definition video versus the high-def Canon SX1.

The 12-megapixel Nikon P90 is also sticks with standard-def video, and its image stabilization system was no match for the SX1 either. The Nikon scores for color accuracy and resolution were lower than the Canon, and its shot-to-shot speed was far slower, but if you’re not particularly interested in movie mode, it’s a decent performer with a 24x zoom at a notably low price.

The camera that really takes on the Canon SX1 most convincingly, though, is the Sony HX1, with its 20x zoom lens and full high-definition video recording. The Sony had surprisingly low distortion figures for an ultrazoom lens, good image sharpness and decent color accuracy. Its image stabilization system proved particularly effective, a key selling point, and it surpassed the Canon SX1 in our video color and sharpness testing. Four additional factors make the case for the HX1 particularly compelling. it can shoot a blistering 10 full-resolution photos per second. It has an extraordinary panorama shooting capability: instead of trying to line up a sequence of individual photos and stitching them together afterward, you just press the shutter and swing your arm. The camera automatically takes dozens of shots, then lines them up and combines them automatically – it’s huge fun to use. The Sony also includes two low-light shooting modes that combine the sharpest parts of multiple images to produce surprisingly good results. And finally, it’s priced $100 lower than the Canon SX1.

For a more in-depth review, visit the Canon SX1 IS Review at our partner DigitalCameraInfo.com