Canon Powershot SX10IS 10MP Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Canon Powershot SX10IS 10MP Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

Canon Powershot SX10IS 10MP Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Review

I got this camera for Christmas last year, so I have a year of experiences and thoughts to share... nonetheless, I'll try to make it worth your time!

First off, I recently read another post that said "All choices of cameras and lenses are compromises, involving size, ease of use, cost, weight, lens quality, and more," and I need to say I couldn't agree more. If you're looking for DSLR quality images (due to the larger sensor size) or super-fast burst rate for shooting sports, or even great low-light performance, this camera will provide you with basic functionality but leave you always looking up-market (and wishing you had the cash to satisfy your desire!). Alternatively, if you're looking for a great little camera that takes terrific shots and which you will always have with you because it's easy to carry around and fits in your back pocket, this camera will have you gazing admiringly at the never-ending onslaught of point-and-shoot ads coming your way. So, you need to recognize that whichever camera you buy, you're making a compromise, because camera manufacturers have not yet figured out how to make a DSLR-quality camera that slips easily into your pocket or purse.

Why choose the SX10IS then? I'd say start with this premise: great photos are more a function of the photographer (and his/her use of composition, use of light, and editing software!) than the technology at his disposal. I've taken some great - really interesting - shots with my iPhone because the opportunities presented themselves and that was the only camera I had available. But having taken those shots and been encouraged by them, I wanted to explore what I might be able to do with a more powerful camera at my disposal. The SX10IS has been that camera.

As a novice, the most amazing features of the camera will be the 20X zoom and the image stabilization. I've taken photos of my wife and son at least 100 yards away at the top of a sled run, on full zoom, where their faces came out clear as a bell. I'm told this used to be absolutely unheard of without a tripod. Similarly, I've taken some beautiful panoramic pacific ocean sunsets and then zoomed in from a mile away on a fishing boat where I can see the fisherman working on pulling up his net in profile - all while sitting in the exact same spot! Absolutley amazing stuff... never discount the power of image stabilization for improving your pictures, especially if you've suffered from blurred photos in the past, as I have.

Some other thoughts: this camera has just about all of the manual settings you'll get on a DSLR, so if you want the opportunity to grow and learn, this will allow you to do so, at a fraction of the cost. Also, the pre-set "scene" modes should not be overlooked. I was trying to take pictures of my son's soccer games on Auto mode and not real happy with them, when I remembered the "Sports" mode on the dial. I switched the dial, and suddently I was able to catch the action with the players in mid-stride and the ball frozen mid-air, just like the pros (well, not "just like" but pretty good, given I didn't have the super-fast burst mode they do).

I will say that the user manual is a pain to follow, which has slowed my progress in learning the manual features.

All in all, I have to give this camera two thumbs up: it met my needs for cost (got it for only 5, with free shipping and no sales tax!), while feeding my desire to learn more and improve my photographic skills. Do I still wish I could get Canon 40D-type quality and specs in the body of a Canon S90? The answer is a definitive Yes (the Canon G11 might be the another great compromise, like the SX10), but short of carrying around multiple cameras, the SX10 is definitely a camera that can be recommended.

Happy shopping and happy shooting!