Canon PowerShot SX20IS 12.1MP Digital Camera

Discover the HD difference. With the classically stylish PowerShot SX20 IS, you can produce magnificent HD movies and dazzling photos. Loaded with features, it’s got a high-powered 20x wide-angle optical zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer, 12.1 megapixels, a big 2.5-inch Vari-Angle LCD, Blink Detection and more.

The PowerShot SX20 IS is equipped with many of the same features as a higher-end camera: an ultra-powerful zoom, eye-popping resolution and advanced picture-improving technology. 12.1 megapixels of resolution gives your photography incomparable depth and ensures that any section of any shot can be enlarged and cropped with no loss in quality when you edit the image even if you choose to print the image. It can create crisp, clear 13 x 19-inch posters.

Features

• High-powered 20x wide-angle optical zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer
• Capture 720p HD movies with stereo sound; HDMI output connector for easy playback on your HDTV
• 2.5-inch Vari-Angle System LCD; improved Smart AUTO intelligently selects from 22 predefined shooting situations
• DIGIC 4 Image Processor; 12.1-megapixel resolution for poster-size, photo-quality prints
• Powered by AA batteries (included); capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)

Customer Reviews

  Best out there shy of an SLR
I reviewed the PowerShot SX200 IS a short while ago on Canon's and Amazon's website and rated it very highly. Nonetheless, I decided to return it in exchange for the PowerShot SX20 IS.

This camera offers the following additional advantages: a viewfinder; HD video recording with optical zoom throughout the zoom range plus stereo sound; a form factor much more like that of an SLR: it is on the heavy side, but easy to hold and the viewfinder allows you to hold the camera against your body which adds extra stability, and thus better focus, especially when zooming in; diapter adjustability means I don't have to wear glasses when using the EVF; the LCD display can be closed so it faces the camera - no need to worry about smudging or scratching it.

Those who are considering the purchase of an SLR need to keep in mind that you'll need at least three different lenses to get a comparable zoom range. You'd be lugging around quite a bit of weight, and faced with the delay in changing lenses depending upon what you want to take a picture of.

Some question the quality of the pictures it takes. Keep in mind that this is not a camera designed for amateurs who insist on fully automatic features. In other words, the best possible pictures may only be obtained when you make needed adjustments ranging from setting the scene yourself to fully manual ones, or else by using a photo editor.

So far, I have taken perhaps one hundred test pictures and ten minutes of video. Unless you intend to print or view the pictures beyond 11" x 14", I doubt that you will notice any difference between the results this camera produces and an SLR. I've owned the Olympus e-510, and can say that you'd have to magnify or crop to a degree that most users simply don't in order to notice a difference. The quality of the videos is much better than that of my standard definition Canon DC230 mini-DVD camera. The downside is the weight of this camera, which makes extended filming somewhat difficult (for me, at least).

I highly recommend the camera for those who are looking for the characteristics I have highlighted. It is probably one of the best, if not the best, super-zooms on the market today.


  Use The Foilage Setting For Best Color Pics
I received the camera a few days ago. I wanted a good quality camera for all-around, basic shooting. The main features that attracted me were the wide angle/zoom lens and the video option.

I am not an expert, or even an experienced amateur. I just want to be able to point, shoot, and take decent pics and some occassional vidoe.

In my opinion, the best eye-pleasing pictures are those that show the vibrant colors and color variations - all other things being equal. I've experimented with various settings and taken the same shots with those various settings, and compared shots taken with Auto, Landscape, Portrait, etc. against the Foilage setting [SCN/Foilage], and the Foilage setting is by far the best for bringing out the colors (which it is meant to do anyway). Compared to those pics taken using the Foilage setting, the ones taken in the other settings are dull - not that they aren't decent pictures in the other settings, just compared to the Foilage pictures they are dull(er). So for basic shots, I will probably use the Foilage setting most of the time for all-around shooting - the pictures are beautiful. One problem I expect with this, is to get to the Foilage setting, you must use the top dial set to SCN, then using the free-spinning dial on the back, select foilage. Problem is, after taking shots and letting the camera hang against your body, the free-spinning dial may be prone to be moved to select another setting...

One of the issues I do have, is not being able to choose to set the Auto-Focus frame to the center of the screen for many settings - such as Auto... I'm not crazy about the "smart focus" which chooses which subject(s) that it thinks is the main subject(s) - in my case of shooting mostly non-people so far, this "smart-focus" has been wrong. I think most of us non-pro photographers usually center our subject anyway, and even if we don't, we should still have the option of keeping the AF frame in the center... One other thing that hasn't worked for me is connecting it to HDMI on my TV. I'm going to take it to Best Buy and try it there. If it still isn't working, I hate to send it back because it is a good camera, but I would like the HDMI feature to work to see my videos in true HD.

In summary, the wide-to-zoom feature is great, takes very good pictures (especially in Foilage), takes excellent video. The video option is excellent - you can take pics while filming, and you can simply press the video button in the back to start taking video even if you're in a picture-taking setting - very nice feature.

If you're not a pro photographer and want to have a great all-around camera, this is definitely a good buy. I hope I can get my HDMI/TV feature to work so I can keep my camera...

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Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera

For stunning photography with point and shoot ease, look no further than Canon’s EOS Rebel XSi. The EOS Rebel XSi brings staggering technological innovation to the masses. It features Canon’s EOS Integrated Cleaning System, Live View Function, a powerful DIGIC III Image Processor, plus a new 12.2-megapixel CMOS sensor and is available in a kit with the new EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens with Optical Image Stabilizer. The EOS Rebel XSi’s refined, ergonomic design includes a new 3.0-inch LCD monitor, compatibility with SD and SDHC memory cards and new accessories that enhance every aspect of the photographic experience.

Features

• 12.2-megapixel CMOS sensor captures enough detail for poster-size, photo-quality prints
• Large 3.0-inch LCD display; includes Canon's EF-S 18-55mm, f3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens
• DIGIC III image processor provides fast, accurate image processing; improved Autofocus and framing rate
• EOS Integrated Cleaning system, plus Dust Delete Data Detection in included software
• Stores images on SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)

Customer Reviews

  Wonderful digital camera!
This camera is impossible to beat at this price. I won't write a lengthy review, but, you can set this camera in fully automatic mode and hand it to a "point and shoot" person, and they will obtain fantastic results. For the amateur photographer, this has all of the bells and whistles, what I love is I can reset the camera rapidly for multiple shots of the same scene on very different settings. Married with a decent photo program on your computer, it is possible to achieve professional results.

Many reviews say, get this with the stabilization lens.... I wholeheartedly agree... the extra $100 is a bargain price for this lens... It is almost (and I do say almost) like having a tripod. I set the camera for 1/10th second exposures with no support, and obtained steady pictures with it, slower than this, and the stabilization did not fully correct for any unsteadiness.

We'd buy it again in a heartbeat, and I wish I could get one for everyone I know!! Best photos that I have ever taken and a joy to use! Connecting it to the computer and downloading photos takes a matter of seconds.

Get the largest SD card you can afford with it... We have a 2GB card with it, and it fills fairly rapidly. 1GB is far too small for this camera (primarily because you will take numerous shots with it, not because the pics take up a great deal of memory), I'm guessing 4GB would be near perfect (or a couple of 2GB cards, but one 4GB is safer, the cards are too easy to misplace).


  What a great camera!
The XSi is a significant step forward for Canon, and brings features to the upper end of the consumer market that were previously only seen in much more expensive professional equipment.

The most important reasons I like this camera are:

1. The kit lens (EF-S 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 IS) is very good for the price. It is as sharp as lenses costing $700 to $1,000 and has only minimally greater barrel distortion and no vignetting to speak of. There is a little bit more chromatic aberration than with more expensive lenses, but again it completely acceptable, especially for the price. The autofocus and image stabilization work reliably and quickly. For aficionados of professional grade lenses, the build will seem light, but a light and small lens is also easier to carry around. Overall, a big improvement over earlier Canon kit lenses.

2. The 12.2 megapixel sensor provides more than enough resolution. Even 8"x12" enlargements are highly satisfactory. We can look forward to the day when consumer-priced 35mm SLRs will have 30 megapixel full size sensors. At that point, the 35mm format will be maxed out in terms of resolution, as the lenses will not be able to keep up. In the meantime, this is as good as it gets. To give you an idea how good, on a shot of a 25 story building, every brick was clearly visible.

3. The camera is fast enough for essentially all non-professional use. With natural lighting (no flash) it shoots 3.5 frames per second, perfect for capturing kids or sports action.

4. Another great feature of the XSi is that it has all the manual controllability that advanced photographers want, but also has automatic modes that even a complete beginner can easily use. The performance of the preset automatic modes is surprisingly good under a wide range of conditions.

Having only had the XSi for a few weeks, I cannot yet say anything about the reliability of this new model. What I can report is that in more than 30 years of photography, I have found Canon products, both SLR and point and shoot, to be by far the most reliable. The Nikon, Olympus, and Pentax cameras I once owned have long since fallen by the wayside, but every Canon I have ever had, all the way back to a 1978 35 mm AT-1 SLR, is still going strong.

  Amazed Simply 
I'm a professional photographer. I shoot editorials and advertising. I own a couple Canon 1Ds Mark 3. That being said, I wanted a small compact camera to take around with me. I first purchased a Sigma DP-1, but found it limiting and too slow. I sold it and decided to purchase the Canon 450D (XSi). And I am simply amazed at the functionality and speedy feel of the camera. Yes, it's not as small as a DP-1, but compared to a 1Ds Mark 3, it's tiny. Every feature of this camera is well thought out and they loaded it with much current technology as possible. I can't think of a single thing to complain about. I see people complaining about the buffer, but honestly if you NEED high buffer on RAW shooting then take the plunge and buy a 1D or 1Ds.

It's not a professional grade camera by functionality and build. But the image quality is on par. sRAW on a 1Ds Mark 3 is precisely the same as this camera MP size. I would feel very comfortable with the image quality of this camera to do a editorial shoot (non-sport) with it. But of course, the client always wants to see the big expensive camera, since they're paying you. :-)  

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Canon Rebel XS 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera

Ideal for a wide range of photographers from first-time digital SLR users to veteran photo enthusiasts, the new Canon EOS Rebel XS camera is designed to embody what you have come to expect from the EOS Rebel series -- a fast, non-intimidating, lightweight, easy-to-use camera that produces excellent images and starts emerging photographers off on the right foot.

Immediately, photographers will take notice of the camera's Optical Image Stabilized kit lens for crisp focus, compensating for camera shake from unsteady hands or a moving vehicle. The new Rebel model also incorporates Canon's DIGIC III image processor, 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, Live View, Auto Lighting Optimizer, 7-point wide-area autofocus (AF) sensor and 3.0 frames per second continuous JPEG burst rate where the number of consecutive shots in a burst is only limited by the capacity of the flash memory card in the camera.

Features

• 10.1-megapixel CMOS sensor captures enough detail for poster-size, photo-quality prints
• Large 2.5-inch LCD display; includes Canon's EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens
• DIGIC III image processor provides fast, accurate image processing; Live View Function
• EOS Integrated Cleaning system and Canon-designed Self Cleaning Sensor Unit, plus Dust Delete Data Detection in included software
• Stores images on SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)

Customer Reviews

  Best Affordable DSLR (Canon XS vs. Olympus E-510 or Nikon D40/60)
I want to save you the time and uncertainty in choosing the best affordable DSLR. For those considering the Canon EOS Rebel XS, the Olympus E-510 or the Nikon D40 / D40x / D60, I believe the Canon XS is the best choice. Also, at the price difference between the XS and the SXi ($150-200 as of December '08), the XS is an excellent alternative--both take exactly the same high quality pictures, save the 2MP difference, which is negligible at the end. Please note that the XS's new lens kit comes with the better quality EFS 18-55 Image Stabilization lens (they are better engineered); and that Canon is offering nowadays generous rebates on telephoto lenses when coupled with the purchase of the XS (I bought mine with the entry-level Canon EF 75-300mm III lens with a generous instant Canon rebate. Don't buy from anybody different from B&H Photo, directly from Amazon, Adorama, Buydig/Beach Camera; stay away from Broadway Photo and TriState).

Canons are popular for the excellent image processing. Nikons for their Nikor lenses. Olympus, some say, for the color of some of the pictures they take.

The Olympus E-510 has important flaws, e.g., the average performance in high ISO speeds and highlight blowing. Also, its inconsistency with good results is worth noting.

The Nikon D40 lacks important features, e.g., image stabilization in their kit lens. The D60 is lacking the high picture quality ratings of the Canon XS. Both Nikons are nice looking, which is a selling factor I usually consider; but picture quality should be your top criterion for the long run.

Don't go through the extensive research I have already done (months, and intense debating). The Canon XS is a winner (specially with the new IS lens kit), even more with its current price (Dec. '08: $480). It is feature rich (you can even add 3 of your preferred defined Picture Style modes), good/professional looking (black body), even the sound of the shooter is nicer than the others. Bottom line: Excellent picture quality, high ISO/low light remarkable performance, and relevant features and space for customization make the Canon XS a winner for months and even years to come.


  Excellent starter DSLR
This review is geared toward complete newbies (such as myself) who are coming from the point-and-shoot world.

I purchased this camera due to a budget constraint and after reading numerous reviews. For what you features you get, you simply cannot beat the price for an entry level DSLR camera. You may have looked at the XSI (as I have) and have been tempted to put forth the extra $100 or so to get that one. If you get down to the nitty gritty between the specs of the XS and XSI, you'll find that they are very minimally different, and more importantly, those "extra" features will have no bearing on you as a DSLR newbie.

This XS (1000D) model is oft overlooked because so many are praising its "bigger brother" the XSI. But take a look at a side-by-side comparison and you'll notice not much has been scaled back for this XS. Save that extra money for better glass. I would even be willing to speculate that a future firmware release will address some of these scaled-back features.

PROS

-Currently the best bang for buck you're going to find (at this time).
-Canon didn't scale back very much from the XSI
-Some report that the lower MP (10 vs XSI's 12) gives better image quality because of the sensor (DigicIII).
-Excellent image quality even with the supplied kit lens.
-Easy to use (with some research-effort on your part)
-Canon compatibility -- nuff said.

CONS

-Not crazy about the build materials (some sort of plastic). When I purchase things, I plan on owning them for a very long time, regardless of how "outdated" it may become a few years down the road.
-Some button placements for me seem counter-intuitive, but remember, I'm only a newbie.
-Has crop sensor like all of the rebels.
-Live View usefulness is questionable.

In short: If you're coming from P&S, you will not be disappointed with this purchase. It will meet or exceed your expectations of photo quality and features.

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