Canon PowerShot SX100IS Review
Canon PowerShot SX100IS 8MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
“The Canon PowerShot SX100 IS marks the debut of an entirely new category of compact digital camera,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging, Europe. “Standing for high optical zoom performance and easy to use, the SX series gives families the zoom they need at an accessible price point.”
Canon SX100 IS will inspire you with its with special 10x Optical Zoom…and so much more. There’s the 8.0-megapixel CCD and Optical Image Stabilizer for shake-free long-distance shooting. Plus, the DIGIC III Image Processor with advanced Face Detection, Face Chooser Button and Red-eye Correction assure splendid results every time. Auto ISO Shift and ISO 1600 makes ease of low light shooting. The large Mode Dial lets you select Scene Modes or full manual control comfortably.
Example photo taken with Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
Buyer’s Review 
“Great pocket-sized alternative to other Canon cameras”
Whether you are an experienced DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera) owner (as I am) looking for a compact 2nd camera or you are someone looking for an upgrade of your rusty point-and-shoot digital camera, the Canon PowerShot SX100IS is a well designed compact digital camera that has a chunk of features at a very very reasonable price.
I’ve been using my Canon Digital Rebel (DSLR) for a couple of years and am very pleased with it. However, I have become increasingly aware of how bulky it is, particularly when I want to go some places where it’s inconvenient to lug around - like going hiking. So I set out looking for a small-sized camera that had as many features as I could find comparable to my Canon Digital Rebel.
Being a fan of Canon cameras I limited the field to the Cannon PowerShot G9, the Canon PowerShot Pro Series S5 IS, and the Canon PowerShot SX100IS, all Canon products. The G9 is promoted and priced as the best of Canon’s non-DSLR cameras, although from the reviews I’ve read it is more satisfied for its look and feel than for its performance. It is an 12.1-megapixel CCD and 6x optical image stabilized zoom camera that can shoot RAW images. In comparison, the Powershot SX100IS is an 8-megapixel 10x optical image stabilized zoom camera that doesn’t shoot RAW. (I’ve shot RAW using my DSLR and don’t find it necessary to get great pictures.) The SX100 IS has almost all of the other features of the Powershot G9, and is about the same size, but weighs a lot less.
The Canon Pro Series S5 IS is an 8.0-megapixel 12x optical image stabilized zoom camera. It looks a lot like a DSLR but doesn’t allow lenses swapping, and it cannot shoot in RAW. It has very similar features to the SX100IS but is considerably bulkier and weighs more.
Even though all 3 cameras live up to Canon’s reputation for taking great shots, I chose the Power Shot SX100 IS over the G9 because it had better optical zoom capability, weighed a lot less and price was about $200 cheaper. I chose Canon SX100 IS over the Canon S5 IS because it is more compact and lighter, and price is about $80 cheaper. (Also, the SX100 IS’s 10x optical image zoom is pretty astonishing in its own right.)
The Canon PowerShot SX100 IS has almost as many features as the other 2 cameras at a considerably lower price. I particularly like the Macro setting (which allows me to take really close-ups shots of ferns and the like on my hikes), and I like the manual focus capability for some situation that the auto-focus won’t work properly. Also, I find that the lack of a viewfinder isn’t bothersome. In fact, in some instances like when I’m playing around with color or white balance, I can instantly get a preview of how the exposure changes on the its 2.5″ LCD screen, which isn’t available on my DSLR.
Since buying the Cannon Powershot SX100IS about a month ago, I find myself reaching for it more often than I do my old DSLR. For my money and for most of my needs, this camera is superb.
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Tags: canon, Digital Camera, powershot, review, stabilized zoom, sx series, sx100-is