Canon Powershot SX10IS 10MP Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom - 2665B001

Notes for the aspiring photographer

9/15/2009

Flexibility is this cameras strong point. I bought this camera as my first foray beyond point-and-shoot, and have been using it to learn more serious photographic techniques. I am mainly interested in landscapes, but also do macros, wildlife, product photos, family and pets. You can do almost any type of photography with it with as much or as little automation as you need, and get very good results. It is hard to beat that zoom lens short of a DSLR, but there are limitations. If these issues are important to you, there are cameras by Cannon and others that may be a better match for your needs, but without the very handy zoom.

Camera Modes
I tried fully automatic, and though it was far and away the best full automatic I have ever tried, I never use it. I use manual mode almost exclusively because the results are far-far better still. I especially like the C mode, where it remembers the settings I like best.

Depth of Field
Shallow depth of field is not possible. As with all cameras in this class, the sensor is very small. If you check a hyperfocal chart, you will see that the range of focus is always very broad regardless of aperture. While you can focus on a flower within millimeters of the lens, you won't get that nice out of focus background even at f2.8. Comparing test photos of landscapes with objects from 12" to infinity, at every aperture between f2.8 and f8 (the full available range), everything was in focus almost equally. P&S people probably would consider this an advantage, but the aspiring photographer would not.

Speed vs. Resolution
If you want to photograph birds, animals and action, you need strong light. While the speed of this camera is excellent, short of a DSLR, balancing between low ISO for sharpness and fast shutter speed for eliminating blur can keep you turning dials instead of watching for that special moment. I haven't gotten a good bird shot yet.

Light
Using a tripod I have gotten many beautiful shots between 80-400 ISO. Hand held shots up to 1/32 second are not a problem with the stabilizer. Indoor shots with ambient light are good as long as the subject is still and there is contrast to focus on. The live histogram can be way off under low light conditions, but the playback histogram is a good guide for proper exposure. The spot meter and +/-2 stop indicator works great for the Zone system. Detail falls off quickly at about +1-1/3 stops but holds down to about -3 stops, so erring on the under-exposure side works best. The aperture does not go down very small, so long exposures for blurring waves and waterfalls requires very low light or ND filters.

Other
This camera has no RAW format. You have to buy its stable mate at +$100 to get that. 52mm filters can be screwed in, though the lens isn't actually threaded for them and it is fussy. A third party adaptor for 58mm filters is available, which makes filter changes much easier. Vignetting is the same either filter size and starts when 2 filters are stacked at full wide angle. Lens flare shows up in my photos frequently, so I bought an oversized aftermarket lens hood and screwed it to the 58mm filter adaptor.

Overall I would say the SX10is was a good choice, given that as a beginning photographer I had little real basis to make a decision. I needed a safe, jack-of-all-trades to gain some experience and learn with. Though I have found some limitations to the camera, I will be the greater limitation to its potential for quite some time. In 2-3 years, digital cameras will be even better, and the potential of a more expensive model will not have been wasted on my meager skills.

can't use without memory card

9/14/2009

I can't evaluate the product. I would expect that a memory card would be included in the pkg. The main reason for buying on line is not to have to hunt from store to store. However, the camera came without a memory card which means I still have to either wait for another order specific for memory card or go to a store. Since I am unable to drive, this is a difficult situation for me. Once I am able to get the memory card and can begin to use the camera, I would be happy to do a new evaluation.

sx10iscanon

9/13/2009

instruction book writen very well.takesgreat pictures.i do wish it would have a uv filter to fit it.

Excellent Camera

9/13/2009

This camera makes taking good pictures very easy! The zoom feature is one of the best features.

Perfect Camera! So glad I picked the Canon SX10IS!!!

9/13/2009

Before purchasing the Canon SX10IS I did about three months of looking over reviews, going in stores to actually hold different cameras, and constantly changing my mind from Canon to Sony to Panasonic and back again. As you know there are plenty of diehard Canon and Sony lovers that have reviewed their particular purchase. I have not been brand loyal when it comes to digital cameras. I have had mostly Sony's, a few Canon's and some lower end Kodak's. So when I finally made my decision to push that order button on the Canon SX10IS it was because I felt it was the best camera for me.
I was in a heated internal battle between the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H50 and the Canon PowerShot SX10IS. Both cameras have great ratings and reviews on Amazon and other electronic sites. One small thing to others was a big thing to me, the battery situation. I prefer to be able to use AA batteries over having to buy Sony batteries. Just for the ease of AA being handy no matter where I go. The other selling points for me were the flip LCD screen and the hot shoe feature for future use if I decide to get serious with my photos.

I have waited to post my review because I wanted to use the Canon a while before giving my final thoughts. I am by no means a top tier photo person and I do not know half of what my Canon will actually do (yet, still reading the manual as needed). However, I can honestly say the pictures are flat out beautiful that I have been taking. The 20X zoom is far more than enough for all my needs. The pictures I was taking so impressed the folks sitting next to me at a recent concert that they wrote down the model of the Canon so they could go home and order it from Amazon too! We were sitting in the middle of the arena and my shots of the singers are like I was in the third row. Not only are the pictures great because you can actually see who is on stage (unlike some of my previous camera's photos due to low zoom capability), but they are also so crisp. A major concern of mine prior to buying my camera was that there are not too many reviews that talk about concert photos. I give an A+++ on this bad boy when it comes to concerts.

The Canon SX10IS is a tad heavier than the Sony DSC-H50, but after holding both I liked the little extra weight. When we are getting to this level of point and shoot cameras, I liked the feel of holding something with a little more substance to it.

I hope this review helps you make a decision. On a side note, the shipping from Amazon was wonderful. My camera arrived two days earlier than expected!