Canon Powershot SX200 IS Review

The SX series cameras are designed for tech-savvy consumers looking for a little gusto in their camera with affordable high-power zoom performance. Packed with features sure to please, the new PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera offers an array of shooting options enabling the user to choose a product that is customized to fit their needs and enhance their overall shooting experience.

With a new sleek and sophisticated package, the Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera offers consumers a great compact camera with DSLR-like features. The PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera comes loaded with a powerful 12x Optical Zoom lens and wide-angle lens (28-336 mm equivalent), and Optical Image Stabilization. This long-range seeker can get up close to subjects or capture more in the frame. Available in three colors - black, blue and red - consumers can now choose to personalize their camera according to their lifestyle. High-resolution, 12.1-Megapixels, 720p HD Movie Mode and a large 3-inch LCD screen with wide-angle viewing round out the feature set. The PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera is available for an estimated retail price of $349.99.

"Canon once again provides high-quality, consistent, and satisfying performance coupled with an array of appealing and powerful features. If you've been eyeing a compact-zoom, or a Canon in particular, you can feel comfortable investing in the Powershot SX200 IS. Its 12x optical zoom lens is just the icing on the cake." By Michael Patrick Brady on DigitalCamera-HQ.com.

This little camera has the power and capabitilites greater than many of the professional models. Check out the basics:

• 12.1 megapixels
• 12x Zoom (28-336 mm equivalent)
• Optical image stabilization
• 720p HD video
• 3" LCD
• ISO capability of up to 1600

The Canon Powershot SX200 IS is quite compact, making it a perfect camera to take with you anywhere, whether it's to a birthday party, the beach, vacation, or just hangin' out at the local coffee house. You can take landscape photos with the wide angle (28mm), zoom in (max 336mm) to get a closeup of a bird at your backyard feeder, or take portraits (there is 9-point face detection) with a shorter zoom distance.

The IS (image stabilizer) allows the photographer to take hand-held pictures without worrying about blur.The Canon Camera program modes include features usually found on more professional cameras. The user can select Program (P), Aperture (Av), Shutter Speed (Tv), or Manual (M). There are also the camera presets that are available on most compact cameras, such as sports, portrait, macro, etc.

There are a few negatives to mention:

1. There is no optical zoom in the video mode. There is digital zoom, however, using digital zoom adds some noise to the video.
2. Slow burst mode at 0.8fps (frames per second).
3. Flash always raises when power is turned on. I listed this last, but it is actually the number one complaint. I must add that most of the new owners who posted reviews on Amazon do not have a problem with the flash.

--> Click here to order your Powershot SX200 IS from Amazon.<--

When you click the link above, make sure you check the buyers' rating at Amazon. Amazon buyers can rate the products they buy, and this camera has a respectable rating of 4 out of 5 stars based on 36 reviews (as of this writing).

Couple the Amazon rating with the DigitalCameraReview.com leap from nowhere to #1 in popularity for the month of April, and it looks like there is not only interest, but positive feedback, as well.

A Face Detection Self-Timer automatically detects an increase in the number of faces and makes the appropriate adjustments. For instance, to include the photographer's face in a group shot, there's no need to rush in. Just put the camera on a stand or tripod, specify Face Detection Self-Timer, and the camera will wait for the photographer's face to get on-camera before it takes the shot. Motion Detection tracks moving subjects in a much larger range, and the Servo AF retains focus on a moving subject after the shutter button is pressed halfway--allowing you to wait for the perfect shot without refocusing.

DigitalCameraReview
"The SX200 comes off as just a little - dare we say it? - boring. Sure, it's a reasonably solid camera that will give you little of substance to complain about (especially if you're just looking for snapshots). But in spite of several upgrades over the SX110, the sum of these parts doesn't always seem to add a lot to the overall experience. On the one hand, several key improvements - from HD video shooting to a wide-angle lens to a li-ion battery - have (finally!) given Canon an SX-series contender that's capable of challenging Panasonic on turf long dominated by its Lumix TZ/ZS models."
Not Rated


TechRadar
"While the camera lacks some of the finer points of the legendary PowerShot G9 and PowerShot G10 models, like their physically larger image sensors, hotshoe attachments and the ability to shoot in RAW as well as JPEG, it offers amazing versatility and excellence in image quality."
Rating: 4.5 Stars

PhotographyBlog
"The 3 inch LCD screen has a lower resolution, the continuous shooting speed is over twice as slow, the lens is a little slower, the flash inexplicably pops-up for every shot. Which leaves us with a still very capable camera that will particularly appeal to the more experienced photographer, but also a camera that comes a clear second in the race, rather than occupying the top spot on the winners' podium."
Rating: 4.5 Stars

Digital Trends
"The Canon PowerShot SX200 IS is a very good choice for an all-around digicam-even for people who don't travel that much. It takes fine people shots, works simply in smart auto, offers plenty of scene modes, and even lets you tweak manual adjustments. Definitely keep the ISO at 400 and lower; do that and you'll have a fine camera that'll last for years, a good selling point in these tough times."
Rating: 3 Stars

(This information was copied from www.digitalcameratracker.com)