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Canon PowerShot TX1 7.1MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
By: Canon Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 68
More Information
 On: 2008-06-30
It took me many months before I decided to purchase this camera. There are so many reviews, both positive and negative, that it was almost confusing. This camera is really for the individual that wants to be able to take both video and still photography. Is this the best video camera? No. Is it the best still camera? No. Is it the best combo camera? Without a doubt. It offers great versatility and quality in a compact, mobile package.
First let me say that I have shot with a DSLR for years. I love still photography and never thought about going back to point and shoot after owning a Canon Digital Rebel and now a Canon 40D. But over time I wanted something smaller that I could fit in my pocket and take with me to many locations where a DSLR is just too prohibitive. The Canon TX1 was the one for me.
This camera is a just a little wider than some of the small profile Powershot cameras, but it fits very well into the pocket of your pants. It is sturdy and the lens and LCD screen are protected.
Video and Photo Quality:
I was impressed by both the quality of the videos and photos. The only pitfall is the ratio of still photos is 16:9 unless you go into the menu and switch to 4:3. Thats not horrible, but I wish there was a button to easily switch back and forth. The zoom was awesome. The videos and photos have great saturation and color.
Use of Buttons/Camera:
The buttons are small and if you are going to hold the camera up and record video for 30 minutes it can be a bit of a pain. However, I dont plan on recording 30 straight minutes of video. If I did, Id likely be on a tripod. The zoom button works very well and smoothly for transitions during video recording.
LCD Display:
I thought at first it might have too small of a display, however, after using it for a couple of weeks it works very nicely. You can see everything you need to and the quality is excellent and bright.
A couple of side notes:
-The built in microphone is awesome.
-My unit got a little warm when I heavily used it (recording lenghtly vids one after the other), but nothing that alarmed me.
-I picked up 2 Transcend 16GB SDHC CARD (SD 2.0 SPD CLASS 6) with Compact Card Reader and they work great. You get plenty of recording time and photo storage. Fast transfer as well.
-Some people feel that the camera misses the mark in being the perfect video camera or perfect still camera. Its not for that market. Try the camera out somewhere and you will love it. HD video, awesome still shots, compact form...what more can you ask for under $500? Shop around and you can get a really good deal.
On: 2008-06-08
If youre looking an all-in-one that does the job "good" all around, this is it. What youre not going to find is the best camcorder. Its also not the best camera. What it is however, is the best combination of the two, in the smallest size (roughly a pack of cigs). Ive taken more video and pictures with this than I have with my "professional" level equipment. I carry this thing around all the time for those impromtu moments.
If youre not going to film the next block buster hit or shoot the cover of Sports illustrated, youll be MORE than happy with this.
On: 2008-05-21
Canon PowerShot TX1 7.1MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
I was in the market for a new camera & a new camcorder, to replace my 3.0 MP Olympus & my JVC DV camcorder. In my research , I came across the Canon TX1 . For me, it is the perfect solution. I am by no means an expert photographer- just a guy who wants to be able to take some nice pictures & video of the family. We are going to be taking a big Mediterranean cruise this summer and want to be able to bring back some nice photos & video. Here are the things I was looking for:
1. Compact. This camera is a little larger than some , but still small enough to fit in my pocket without a problem
2. Good video capabilty. This can record Hi-Def video at 30 fps. The video looks great on my Sony LCD TV.
3.Plenty of storage capability. I also purchased through Amazon a Transcend 8GB,class 6 SDHC card for about $35. This allows plenty of room & works great!
4. A good zoom. This camera is the only one of its size with a 10x optical zoom.
Ive also found that the Canon face recognition software works well. The red-eye reduction also works pretty well, although Ive had a couple photos it didnt clear up.The video looks much better than my old camcorder. I immediately took it to my daughters water polo game, at an indoor pool with somewhat dim lighting. I was afraid the video wouldnt come out well in that lighting, but it worked wondefully - very good color & balance. The LCD screen is a bit small , but necessarily so to keep the unit compact. The LCD is quite crisp though- much brighter than most. I would say that a person looking for a digital camera that is extremely portable and easy to use, and also needs a camcorder would be well served to purchase one of these. I also got a great price from Worldwide Distributors on Amazon ( about $335). You can also get a Pelican 1010 micro-case which fits this camera nicely for about $13, and a spare Lenmar battery (DLC4L) for about $11 through Amazon. Im extremely pleased with all the purchases and would highly recommend the TX1 for the family on the go that wants nice pictures & video without lugging a bunch of cumbersome equipment- stick it in your pocket or purse & Go!!!
 On: 2008-05-17
Ive been using this for a month or two and can say its a fairly decent camera. It works well in day light, and OK indoors. Not at all good as a night video camera.
This is the first camera I have owned that only has an LCD screen, and it is not that usable directly in the Arizona sun.
It certainly is well made and easy to use. However, I find, me mind you, that the zoom control is upside down to how I would imagine it functioning. I also find that the shutter button is a little too far forward.
Video seems to drain the battery pretty quickly so buy some spares.
It does not have the greatest set of options but this is a camera youll have in your pocket and is not intended to be the be all and all. Its image stabilizer works well except at 8X and beyond.
All in all a great little camera to carry in your back back or glove box.
On: 2008-04-24
If you have a cheap micro camera that smears if anything moves or has trouble syncing voice with action, consider the TX1. Here are some examples of its work.
[...]what happens when you strap it into a model airplane.
One thing it does particularly well is recording lectures. The audio pickup is amazingly good, and it handles a variety of lighting situations well. Battery life is a limitation here. See an example at [...]
The downside of this camera is a lack of inputs: no IR control, and no audio input. I live with the lack of IR control by strapping the shutter control down and using a big SD chip. The TX1s microphone is so good at picking up voice that I havent really missed the mic input.
On: 2008-04-20
A wonderful camera. Exactly what I needed: small, practical, very good photos, good HD videos in normal light conditions.
I only suggest a second battery...
On: 2008-04-17
amazing little camera. Most imortant is ,it is easy to have around most of the time. My nikon d40x is super but often at home when Im not. I leave this or my much smaller nikon coolpix in my briefcase 100% of the time.
very clear pix. My only complaint is not specific to this model, but I really do not like cameras without viewfinders cause they are difficult to hold still. Putting a camera to your face is very stabilizing. Holding it out to see the LCD is very unsteady, no wonder they all need stabilization.
This camera does as good a job as any for its purpose, top end point and shoot for movies as well as stills, and including high def,well 720 hi def. note I believe it works out to 15 min per gig of HD?
good batt life, lots and lots of features, if ur flying to australia u might just finish the manual!
 On: 2008-04-11
Unfortunately, I only had this camera for less than a week before the LCD went out on me. Obtaining service for the broken camera was certainly a bit of a hassle and I had to pay for shipping back to Canon. Regardless, the video quality of this camera was spectacular (while it worked). In addition, the digital pictures were as good as most of the pictures from my digital SLR (a Canon rebel).
This camera does struggle a bit in low light situations with a fair amount of graininess and dim illumination. In outdoor situations, the camera is unbelievable and is virtually indistinguishable from a video quality standpoint when compared to my friends 1080i $1000 digital camcorder that is three times the size and three times the cost of the TX1.
The camera also struggles a bit from an ergonomic standpoint. The buttons controlling the record function, zoom, and picture are difficult to reach. In addition, the camera does not balance well with the LCD screen extended on its base (it has a tendency to tip to the left).
The audio quality is excellent (much better then my Sanyo XACTI) and the video quality along with the optical Zoom and image stabilization are both much better than my Sanyo and Sony camcorders. Much has been said about the larger file format used by Canon but this camcorder works well with the larger HCSD cards and there are no issues using this camera with Apple products.
On: 2008-04-06
I was sooo tired of hauling around a digital snapshot camera and a camcorder. Ive got 4 kids and we do all the normal stuff. Soccer, skiing, Disneyland etc. etc. Have you ever skied a full day with a camcorder hanging around your neck? Almost as much fun as trudging through Disneyland for a day with one of those things around your neck.
So I heard about these "dual purpose" camcorders that record onto a memory card. I read all the reviews I could find. But let me tell you, dont believe these guys who pooh pooh this camcorder because the images arent sharp enough or theyre not "true" HD, or they use some unconventional file format. If you care about that stuff, then go spend the $3000 to get that stuff. But if you want a pocket sized camcorder to haul around to the family outings, buy this. Still images are excellent. Theres plenty of pre-programmed settings (snow, beach, portrait etc.), so youll always be ready to go. And the video quality is unbelievable coming from this little thing. I got an 8 Gig card and Ive never run out of space. I plugged it into my Mac and it worked without a hitch or any messing around with settings, cords, connections etc. Pure plug and play with iPhoto. iMovie imports the movies from iPhoto. The Canon software isnt bad either, but I seldom use it.
The ergonomics do take some getting used to. The shutter button is at the top of the box and its a little tricky on the first few uses to keep the rest of your fingers out of the frame. The thumb controls on the back for the camcorder can also be tricky to get the hang of. But after a few uses, I got used to it and it feels great now. Be careful asking strangers to use it though because its not your typical button layout for either a camera or a camcorder.
This is the best $400 Ive spent in a long time. Replaced both a digital camera and a camcorder. And its saved my neck, back and sanity on all those family outings I enjoy shooting.
On: 2008-04-02
The form factor fits nicely in the hand when taking action shots on the run. The AVI format produces great video without any blurring unlike other heavier compressions. I recommend an 8GB class 6 SDHC card to keep up with 720p recording. Battery life is quite good and lasted at least a full day in cold weather. The separate video record button is very handy. You can record at moments notice without having to fumble with modes, dials, etc. The small on/off button takes a bit of effort to operate but not too bad. At least I know it wont turn on by mistake when pocketed. The stills pick up a fair amount of noise in low light conditions especially if ISO increases over 80. Therefore, I have turned off auto ISO and fixed it at 80. To be fair, the noise levels are consistent with other cameras such as the SD500 and noticeable only if you are used to the quality of a DSLR. Overall, this camera is orders of magnitude better than any helmet cam (hopefully, I can find a strap to attach it to a helmet or arm). The 10X zoom is one of the best features of this camera especially for sports. One slight annoyance is when I take a still shot during a video shoot, the video gets briefly interrupted (this does not happen in the sony camcorder I have). So far, I have taken mostly VGA sized video and reserve the 720p video for special moments (including those which I plan to extract still frames). Regardless, I would highly recommend this camera for any sports enthusiast or traveler looking for a pocket sized camera with video capability. I also plan to take this to kids soccer games which would allow me to capture a combination of stills and video (like I did with the SD500 but with a more powerful 10x zoom and stereo audio). By the way, the key motivator for me getting the TX1 when I already have a SD500 is that unlike the SD500, the TX1 allows you to operate the optical zoom during video recording. Also, the 10X zoom range and 720p capabilities are hard to live without once you get used to them. I do miss the optical viewfinder of the SD500 to help increase battery life and to get around washed out LCD screens on bright days. But that is a minor issue.
On: 2008-03-30
I was looking for a compact point & shoot type camcorder and this was excellent; 10X zoom, stainless steel body, & an impressive power-on/off mode (enough for the guy next to you to stare at the camera while you switch it on).
I was one of those who dumped their tape-based video camcorders because I could not be bothered with keeping tapes, let alone editing them. So even when the introduction of mini DVs, CD-R or DVD-Rs, I still shy away from taking videos. It keeps avi format videos on as SD card, with a 8GB it can take almost an hour of video on standard 640X480 sized video (normal TV standards).
Normal complains I read on the net of this camera was the form factor. I guess its either you love it or hate it. For me its easy enough to handle. My hand does not complain about the small camera. I can manage it with one hand easily (you have to be right handed though). All the controls can be accessed using one hand.
A bonus for me is that it can take 7MP stills. A warning though the form factor was optimized for one-hand video recording, not as a digital still camera. You take videos/photos landscape mode while the camera is `vertical. Seldom have you seen someone tilt the video camcorder to take portrait videos. So portrait still photo mode may be tricky.
I am happy with my find and have started to take videos again with this.
On: 2008-03-25
Ive had this camera for over a month. The video quality is excellent, sharp with great color. Excellent portability, almost dissapears in your hand. This is truly a take everywhere camera. You will alway have it with you so you wont miss those great video oportunities.
Likes
*Starts up fast.
*Video sharp with great color. You will love the color
*Audio is great but if you take it to a concert turn down the gain it is very sensitive.
*small, easy to carry
*MJPEG can be edited in most computers
Some notes:
If you want to see what this camera can do, go to the vimeo website and search for TX1. I use Vegas Movie Studio to edit with no problem. The gorrila pod suggested is not great for video because the camera will wobble with any wind or bump. A walking stick type monopod is excellent though. Just an incredibly fun camera!
On: 2008-03-24
I bought the Canon Powershot TX1 in September 2007 to replace both a 3.2 MP Canon S30 still camera and a Sony DV camcorder. I selected the 720p/7 MP TX1 over the 720p/7 MP Sanyo HD700 and 1080i/4 MP Sanyo HD1000 because the TX1 (1) is a digital camera first (with Canons reputation for photo quality) and a camcorder second, (2) has the smallest form factor (slightly thicker than Digital Elph), and (3) has excellent build quality.
Having used the TX1 now for 7 months--photographing/videoing my new baby daughter on a daily basis, on weekend trips, and on our 2-week Mexico beach vacation--I rate the TX1 a solid four stars and give Canon a thumbs up for a strong first effort.
Heres how I break things down:
Video:
The TX1 records its 720p video using the same inefficent Motion JPEG (MJPEG) codec that Canon uses in the rest of its cameras (in the AVI container/file format), as opposed to the modern H.264/AVC or AVCHD codec. The result are huge file sizes: an 8 GB SDHC flash card only hold 28 min of 720p video in the TX1 (though each file itself can be no bigger than 4 GB; this is a limitation of the FAT32 file system of SDHC and not the fault of the TX1), while an H.264/AVC or AVCHD camcorder can compress some 80 min of *1080i* video in the same 8 GB card (its bitrate-dependent, of course). There is, however, the option of setting the 720p recording to LP mode, which doubles the recording time, giving 56 min of 720p video on an 8 GB card--but I havent tested how noticeable the degradation in quality is.
Still, huge file sizes are not a deal breaker--just buy a couple of extra 8 or 16 GB flash cards or, better yet, an external travel hard drive with a built in flash card reader such as the Digital Foci Photo Safe (which worked great on our Mexico trip!). A tip: buy fast SHDC Class 6 cards (not Class 2 or 4)--youll need it for smooth video recording. What the MJPEG codec does have going for it versus H.264/AVC or AVCHD is that virtually any Pentium4-class PC can play it using virtually any media player (Windows Media Player, Real Player, or Quicktime). And MJPEG can be edited by most video editors. This isnt true of H.264/AVC or AVCHD files, which, while efficient, requires significantly more computing power special software to decode/play back and, in particular, to edit.
What kind of video quality do you get in these huge files? In well-lighted environments (daytime outdoors, mainly), the quality is quite good--definitely better than 720x480 DV. Having been stuck in standard-def camcorder land up until now, I found myself smiling with satisfaction at the new-found clarity and detail in the TX1s 720p video and marvelling at how Canon managed to pack HD resolution into a pocket cam. Still, I have to confess that the resolution, despite being nominally 720p, looks softer on my 50-inch 720p Panasonic plasma than what I expect true 720p video to be. Its certainly not as good as a dedicated 1080i HD camcorder (video from my friends JVC 1080i Everio camcorder of the same beach shots looks crisper and has more detail). And in low-light (evening indoor situations without good lighting), forget about it--the TX1s video becomes grainy, and much detail is lost. Because of its small lens and CCD, low light performance is even worse than my old Sony DV camcorder.
Nevertheless, with the TX1, these days, I no longer lug around both a camera and camcorder (plus all the requisite extra batteries, chargers, and big DV tapes) when I travel. I know full well the TX1s video limitations, so I accept the trade-off for portability.
Photos:
Im no photography expert so I wont go in depth. Suffice it to say that the TX1 photo feature set and photo quality appear equivalent to current-generation canon Digital Elph cameras with Image Stabilization and Face Detection, but with the added bonus of a 10x optical zoom somehow shoe-horned in. Once the camera is turned on, the lens extends out of the body about 3/4 inch, and regardless of zoom, it doesnt extend any further. This 10x zoom lets you boldly go where few other pocket cams dare go and IMHO is almost enough to justify the TX1 price premium over a Digital Elph even if you dont use the HD video.
The manual controls are limited to basic exposure and a white balance calibration mode; there are, of course, various canned shooting modes like night, portrait, beach, snow, etc., and various useless canned color schemes like sepia, B&W, etc.
Its worth noting that the TX1 allows you to take photos while recording video without switching modes, though with a brief 1.5-sec pause in the video for each photo taken. This is a killer feature that regular cameras (that I know of) dont have. No more mommy takes photos with the camera while daddy holds the camcorder or figuring out whether to grab the camera or camcorder when the baby decides to try out a new trick shes been learning. This is one place where the TX1 shines.
There is one quirk that should be known: the TX1 lets you select different resolutons for digital photos and for videos, of course. Max photo resolution is 3072x2304 in 4x3 mode (which is 7.1 MP) and 3072x1728 in 16x9 mode (which is only 5.3 MP; that is, it simply lops off the top and bottom of the 7.1 MP photo to make the 16x9). 720p video is 1280x720, and there is the run-of-the-mill 640x480 video. Ideally, Id want to set photos to 4x3 7.1 MP and, simultaneosuly, video to 16x9 720p, but the TX1 does not allow this. If I want to shoot 720p video, then I have to set the camera global mode to 16x9, which forces the photos taken to also be in 16x9 (5.3 MP) mode. If I want full 7.1 MP photos, then I have to set the camera global mode to 4x3, which forces the video to be in 4x3 640x480 standard-def. In effect, because I want my video to always be in 720p, Im forced to accept 16x9 5.3 MP photos. Otherwise, if I want both 4x3 7.1 MP photos and 16x9 720p video, I have to constantly switch back and forth between 16x9 and 4x3 modes. Again, its not deal-breaker, but it is an annoying limitation.
Finally, even with the anti red-eye function turned on, the TX1 produces terrible red eye in flash photos, worse than any camera Ive seen and worse than other Digital Elph cameras. The reason lies with how close the flash bulb is to the lens (directly over it). Considering how small the camera is, Im not sure whether is a way around it. Perhaps a pop-up flash would help. It does have a built-in post-processing feature that lets you manually attempt to fix red eye in photos one incident at a time, but its time-consuming and mostly ineffective. The only thing Ive found I can do about it is to Photoshop the red eye out of photos I want to share or print.
Form Factor and Ergonomics
Several reviews have disparaged the ergonomics of the TX1 because of the difficulty of one-handed operation of its small boxy shape and controls. But with my medium-sized hands, I got used it in a matter of a few days, particularly using two hands (one-handed operation is just too shaky anyway with my caffeinated hands). To all those complaining about the ergonomics, I say its a fine trade-off for the small size.
The camera body is metal and has a solid, luxurious feel--definitely a cut above many plastic-bodied digicams these days. I woukd fault only the flimsy thin strip of a battery compartment cover, which requires a delicate touch each time you change the battery. Speaking of which, filming 28 min worth pf video (one full 8 GB card) will drain the battery, so youll need to pick a couple of spares.
The buttons (all are multi-function, depending on the mode the camera is in) are responsive, and the directional joy stick has a precise, positive feel. The on/off button is slightly recessed into the body to prevent accidental turn-on (and glows green when on), but it nakes it slightly difficult to use.
Wish List for the next version of the TX1 (TX2?):
- 1080i or 1080p using H.264/AVC or AVCHD.
- The TX1 comes with component cables, plenty good enough to display 720p video on your HD TV. But it would have been nice to have HDMI, like the Sanyo HD700/1000.
- Longer battery life and less-flimsy battery cover.
- Reduced red-eye.
On: 2008-03-11
This is my favorite digital camera of the 4 that I have. The zoom is excellent, picture quality is sharp and vivid. You cant get this good of an optical zoom on this small of a camera anywhere else. And I got a great deal on it at Amazon.
On: 2008-03-10
Ive used my TX-1 for over a year, and I still love it.
Pros: Great quality video, supports 2, 4, 8 and 16GB SDHC cards (so far)
Cons: need lots of batteries, camera functionality is just OK, 2GB file size limit (translates to recording time limit)
I use the camera primarily to video stuff for the kids (sporting events, performances, etc.). Thankfully, most recordings dont need to be more than 15 minutes at a time -- otherwise, the 2GB file size limit would hit and/or itd run out of batteries.
On: 2008-03-08
This little guy has a little of all the features in demand plus a few. Its size is so small that it will fit in a pocket. The intructions are easy to read and apply. Havent used all the features yet but the ones I have used are great. Shudder time has small delay but also can be set for needs. I would recommend this over the straight camera or digital movie. Unless you are a professional or anal you can get and create wonderful results. For filming you will need a large storage card (8mg) so that you get more time to film. The conversion of time from stills to movie is huge as far as storage space. I recommend you get an extra battery so you are not caught short at the wrong time.
On: 2008-02-24
Ive had this camera for a couple of weeks now and am pleased that it exceeds my expectations. Ive had a lot of digital cameras and must say that this is probably the best for most purposes.
I like the hybrid cameras. Video is very important to me and the TX1 takes really good HD videos. They look super on an HD TV. The stereo sound is excellent. If youre willing to shoot in the 640x480 mode, you can extend the 10X zoom by either 1.5X or even 1.9X. Stills are excellent, typical Canon image quality.
There were several negatives about the TX1 noted mainly by professional reviewers. Short battery life was one. This was easily cured by purchasing two Lenmar batteries and an extra charger that works in the car for a total of $37 from Amazon. The memory gobbling HD video gets about 30 min on an 8GB card. Sandisk 8gb SDHCs were on sale at Adorama for $33 and I bought several. Handling qualities were knocked by many reviewers. Ill admit that if I try one handed video, including zooming, I have trouble being totally steady. Ive decided that this is a two handed camera for video. Its simple to use with one hand when taking stills, though.
To me, the best camera is the one you have with you. Ive bought my last camera that will not fit in a shirt pocket. Thats the real beauty of the TX1. Its a small camera that you are most likely to have with you when the larger ones are at home on the shelf.
I consider the TX1 to be an excellent camera and a good value. I suggest that anyone considering the TX1 read the user reviews on CNET and other forums. While getting mixed reviews from the pros, most users love this little camera.
On: 2008-02-17
I have nothing new to add, but to reiterate, this camera performs well in well lit environment, but performs poorly in low light (both camera and camcorder functions). Also, I would like to see more controls and better placed external controls. The camcorder function is a memory hog, so get a large SD card if youre planning to shoot a lot of video (I have 8 gigs which equals about 30 minutes of video recording).
All-in-all Im satisfied with the purchase, but just barely.
On: 2008-01-24
i have been reading reviews on the TX1 for quite some time now, and most of them (maybe 90%) have done nothing but praise its features. so this past christmas i replaced my aging canon SD450 with the TX1. right off the bat....this thing is beautiful. stainless steel, heafty weight (but not too heavy), and a eye catching design. it fits in my pocket quite well, and i love the flip out screen. its design reminded me of the early CF canon Elph models before they got all slim and streamlined. the TX1 is hefty and substantial.
a little background.....i dont take alot of still photos. and yes, i know the TX1 is somewhat lacking in comparison to other 7 megapixel cameras in this respect. mostly i wanted it for its 1080x720 30FPS video capabilities. after having it roughly over a month, i estimate ive taken close to 100 short video clips, ranging from 30 seconds to several minutes. i wanted to really give this puppy a thorough runthrough before writing my review, to be fair.
after the initial "oh i got a new toy and its shiny and i heart it" feeling wore off, i started analyzing the video clips rather closely, and found that in many of the clips (i would say close to 80% of them) there were noticeable blurring issues. sometimes several times in one videoclip, the subject matter would become out of focus for a second, before refocusing. at first i thought i was just being a bit nitpicky, but after seeing that it was happening quite often, i began to worry. i read the manual and adjusted the ISO to auto, then to HI (the manual recommends doing this if u are having focus and shaking issues), and still there was blurring. (i have not taken enough still pictures to give an accurate review of the quality there).
i tried changing the IS mode to "continuous", "shoot only", and "panning", but still got the same results. i shot indoors (which resulted in grainy, dark video clips) and also shot outside in bright sunlight, and still got the blurring. even when im staying completely still, and my subject is also unmoving, i still had issues. but when i would do a quick panning shot, i noticed it was even more pronounced. honestly....i have more confidence in my old SD450, as well as my old(er) sd100 than the TX1 for taking video clips. they may not be HD quality, but at least they were clear. i will say tho, that the few clips that were blur-free were beautiful, except for the fact they were just so few and far between.
i bought an SD6 8 gig SDHC card, supposedly very fast, and noticed that some of the clips would...hang...for a second during playback. i did some research (http://powershot-tx1.blogspot.com/ is a great resource for this camera) and found that this issue is due to slow write speeds of the memory card, not the cameras fault at all. but still, i picked a pretty fast card (and paid a pretty penny for it) so its disapointing that im having these problems.
on a good note (so far), i called canon support and they were very helpful. they helped me troubleshoot what they thought could have been the problem....but it didnt resolve my issues. they recommended that i send it back for repair, which i plan on doing. overall, this is disappointing because....i mean, who wants to send back their new christmas toy to get fixed, after having it less than a month?
in short:
pros:
great design, fits in pocket
records video in 1080x720 with stereo sound
u can watch directly from this camera to your HDTV set
7.1 megapixel still camera
several shooting options, including color swap, B&W, etc
good customer service from canon
supports SDHC memory cards, for longer shooting times
comes with a handstrap (dont laugh. the handstraps have saved my camera from accidental drops countless times.)
cons:
blurring issues when shooting video.
depending on memory card, can have hangups during video playback.
somewhat expensive.
large video files.
bad quality video clips in low light or indoors.
conclusion:
maybe i got a bad model or something, but this camera was a bit of a let down. if i send it back to canon, and it gets returned with all the problems rectified, i will adjust my score on amazon accordingly. i wanted to love this thing. but i cant honestly give it anything higher than a 3.5 stars.
ALSO: i do NOT recommend buying from Broadway Photo in New York. they advertised free shipping, but ended up charging me a hidden $25 handling fee that was NOT on their website. i got a call from one of their salesmen after i placed my order, and got nothing but an upsale pitch. the guy was quite rude and when i asked why i was getting a handling fee, he hung up on me. i would NOT buy from them again.
On: 2008-01-23
Video performance in very good light is very Good. But, it degrades very badly with little less light. I took a video inside my home with 3 100 Watts bulbs and resulting video was very-1 grainy and frankly use less. I have a Casio V8 digital camera and it takes much better indoor videos and very good DVD quality videos in good light.
On: 2008-01-04
This is one amazing little camera. When I first saw the size and price, I was suspicious. But it certainly exceeded all my expectations. It is better than any video camera that Ive previously owned, and at considerably less cost too.
I need both video and still images for work. I suppose there are camcorders and regular cameras that provide higher quality for each its own specialty, but the TX1 provides both with exceptional quality. I cant imagine any ordinary users being dissatisfied with the quality. I end up using the lower resolution and size settings because they give me what I need, using less drive space.
The small size is really an advantage for me in carrying around in the field, when I need to use my hands for other things. Now no need for a clumsy holster or carrying case. I have large hands and I have no problem operating the controls. True, the on-off button was a bit hard for me to depress, but Ive learned to use the tip of my finger in a way that works.
My previous camcorder was a Sony with settings operated with by LCD touch control. That was awkward and the displays were confusing. This tiny joystick and the layout of commands is much better.
A bonus was the voice recording function, which I can use for taking notes in the field, either in general or in association with a specific still image.
My first digital camcorder cost nearly $2000 a few years back and it took lousy still images. This cost me less than what analog camcorders were going for then.
What can possibly come next?
On: 2007-12-26
I sold my Sanyo Xcati HD2 to purchase the Canon TX1 because of its size and optical stabilizer. Many people complaint about its ergonomic design and hard to hold but I have no problem with it (I have smaller hands than most people). Other HD camcorders may have much better picture quality but Im happy with that of the TX1. Of course you have to give up something to gain something else. Now I can have an HD camcorder & still camera with me anywhere I go and people wouldnt even know. The only complaint I have is its lack of an auto on feature. On my old Sanyo HD2, I simply flip the screen out and the camera is automatically turned on. On the TX1, I have to flip the screen and press the power button to turn the device on (but this is only a minor thing). Im happy with this camcorder now until Canon comes out with a 1080i/p camcorder with the same size.
On: 2007-12-26
(There are great full reviews online - dpreview.com does a great job.)
I dont know why people complain about low light performance. Professionals always have lots of light for video or movies - there isnt really any equipment out there that does a lot more in low light.
I took some test photos and video in a bedroom poorly lit by a desk lamp - the TX1 could shoot what I could see. It was really very dark. TX1 did better than other digital and film cameras I have used.
I have shot a lot of 35mm with ISO800 film indoors at night using fast lenses. TX1 with image stabilization can capture more quality images than I could before with a heavy camera and monopod. Maybe there are other cameras with better low light performance, but I still think the TX1 does an amazing job of low light work. It does have some trouble focussing in low light - which is not what dpreview said. (I am still working on figuring out the conditions in which the focus has problems.)
Infrared nightshot would be nice, as I have it on a mini-DV video camera, but practically its uses are limited.
Very few cameras will do macro to 0cm (16x12 field of view), without special macro lenses. Super macro with optical image stabilisation is amazing.
On: 2007-12-18
The video quality of this little toy is beyond anything Ive seen. Images are sharp and colors are vividly true to the original scene. However, if you try to play the video clip straight out of the camera, they dont look as well, because most of the video players cant play the mjpeg video very well, and also the size of file is very large. However, if you try to compress it using VirtualDub (with file size reduced by at least 7-10 times), the resulting video plays so smoothly and the noise (in of low light situation) is so much reduced. I have no doubt that the video quality from this little gadget is way superior than most of digital camcorders on the market. I have a 3CCD Parasonic camcorder and when comparing TX1 videos with those of Parasonic, there is no doubt that TX1 is way better than Parasonic.
The still pictures (using built-in flash) are also very good, considering that TX1 can also take excellent videos. Of course you cant compare the image quality with that of a SLR camera (with a dedicated flash), but all the pictures that Ive taken indoor are of very good quality.
To rip all these benefits from the camera, however, you have to invest a good high-speed SDHC card (e.g. ADATA 8GB or 16 GB class 6), which you can buy from eBay for about $60-100 (8-16 GB). Then, you can shoot your video for about 30-60 minutes at the highest resolution.
On: 2007-12-08
Image quality and video quality are better than average but not great - however I am happier saving many many memories in better than average quality, rather than very few memories in high quality. THe price is right. CAVEAT - definitely need more than one battery - the battery life is very poor
On: 2007-12-05
This is an excellent camera/camcorder. My first batch of pictures turned out excellent, similar to my old Sony point-shoot camera. Video is actually better than my Sony miniDV camcorder. Make sure you buy enough SD cards as a 4GB SD card will get you 1 hour of video.
 On: 2007-11-26
Ok I am being harsh on this one since of all the cameras I have ever owned this is the most disapointing.
It does do nice video and pics outdoors.
Indoors forget it. Very, very grainy video and pics.
The flash is way underpowred.
Best for use as a outdoor point and shoot camera only.
The files for the HD video are very large and fill up that hard drive fast.
Now as far as size it is very small and feels solid in your hads but because it is metal it sweets in your hand quickly!
There are many other cameras that do a much better job for about the same price or less. Look at aiptek a-hd or go-hd if you want good pics and video plus much less money. Please note: that they both have much better video and pics indoors. But the subjects will need to be somewhat still or they may blur.
 On: 2007-11-20
It is my beliefe that the TX1 is a step toward a new idea. A camcorder slash digital camera, and it shoots in HD. I have many complaints about this product as most New ideas have lots of bugs that need to be worked out over time, Canon has them here. I wont bash it too hard but here is the Low Down, The Canon TX1 takes remarkable pictures, and very nice looking video, granted your outside. The flash is weak and video looks terrible indoors, in HD or not, its Grainy and no better then pocket vid size quality. The 16:9 aspect ratio is nice, cool they put a black bar on top and bottom. My largest complaints are in the following areas. Focus is SLOW on recording start up, recording start up itself is very slow as well. It also makes this God awful Metal scraping sound when you turn it on. Dont try to film nature, it will scare everything in the forest for miles. The screen Super Small and quite honestly hard to read, and software isnt new at all. Every function works the same and of course no new themes, youd think after 6 years they could come up with a new theme other then the birds chirping. The analog on zoom doesnt work very well, when trying to achieve a slow zoom youll find it speeding up and slowing down now matter how hard you try to hold that thing steady. I will say that the Image Stabalization is pretty darn good at full zoom you could be impressed by that, however My final verdict is this.
I have a Canon sd500 that is 7.1 MP same as the TX1 It shoots Videos at 640 that have better quality then that of the TX1 The photos are JUST as good the screen is a whole Inch bigger and the Focus is flawless and right on the money every time. All at Less then Half the cost of the TX1 I would not recomend this product to anyone unless they plan on shooting nothing but outdoor shots in the city with plenty of sunshine.
Simply Not worth the Money..
On: 2007-11-02
This camera needs light. The flash is weak. It does take a good video though, but again, in bright light. I just ordered the aux flash, I hope that helps the pictures. The size is nice, fits in the pocket, and its great not to have to carry a len cap since its built in. The battery is not long on life, so I ordered an extra one of that. The zoom is great for such a small camera. All in all, I am happy with it, the pros out weigh the cons.
On: 2007-11-01
This camera needs light. The flash is weak. It does take a good video though, but again, in bright light. I just ordered the aux flash, I hope that helps the pictures. The size is nice, fits in the pocket, and its great not to have to carry a len cap since its built in. The battery is not long on life, so I ordered an extra one of that. The zoom is great for such a small camera. All in all, I am happy with it, the pros out weigh the cons.
On: 2007-10-24
This is a great little camera. I take mainly stills but I wanted to have the option of video as well. A friend of mine showed me her TX-1 and it was one of those "Gotta get one" moments. I couldnt be happier with the overall quality of it. It is a bit intimidating at first but Canon did a great job with the user manuals. I had it down in pretty short order.
It is a great size for slipping it in your pocket as well. That being said, it did take a little bit of time for me to find a comfortable way to hold it due to the small size. After using it for a while there is no longer a problem. You will definately want to use the wrist strap to avoid any accidential drops from larger hands.
Be sure to get at least a 1 gig memory card, as the one supplied gets eaten up pretty fast in the video mode. A spare battery is also a good idea.
On: 2007-10-15
This is my tourist-use point and shoot camera that can go into my pocket. Small size was key for me, replacing an old Canon 4MP of about this size. My main interest is stills. I wanted this camera for the unique 10x optical capability, with image stabilization, in this very small package. My secondary interest was brief video clips in special situations. I wanted the HD 16:9 format because Im migrating everything to HD. No other camera today would do these things.
I delayed buying this camera because I was concerned about the ergonomics. I wear a mens large glove size but have found no problem with the physical placement of controls in relation to hand size. It takes 20 mins of shooting to get comfortable with the control placement, but I think that this is not an issue, as some have suggested.
If your interests are similar to mine, I think that you will be quite happy with this camera, as I am. As a quality check I carefully compared about two dozen still photos taken with the TX-1 with the same shots from a recent Canon SD700, also 7MP, and found the picture quality essentially identical when set to comparable zoom. Apart from the tradeoffs noted here, the camera performs very well.
The trade offs are: you get 10x zoom but a much smaller display and must "open" the display to shoot. That trade off will not be to everyones taste but if you want more zoom flexibility than most cameras this size offer, then, you, like me, may be happy with it. Also, I dont need the long shooting capability of dedicated HD camcorders or their ability to shoot indoors in dim light. Finally, this camera has a weak flash, weaker than most pocket cameras and if you take a lot of flash pictures it isnt a very good choice. I avoid them whenever possible, so thats ok by me.
I love the 16:9 video format with stereo sound. Files are big, but since I rarely shoot clips longer than 30 seconds, I dont care. I merge, edit, convert all of them to mpeg-4 on my computer and they get small.
In conclusion, if you prefer the features that this camera uniquely offers to the trade-offs, you, like me, will probably be very happy with it. For me there were no negative surprises, just positive ones.
On: 2007-10-10
I upgraded to the Tx1 from the Canon Powershot S60 and, despite Canons boatings of new features, have found the still image quality of the two camera to be approximately the same. Where the tx1 comes out on top is in its video quality. In sound, color, focus, etc. the Tx1 takes markedly better quality movies. Additionally, I have been pleased with the ability to zoom in and out while shooting a movie.
Another neat feature of the TX1 is the cameras ability to choose an appropriate ISO speed to minimize blurring. Of course, as always, the faster speed you use, the more noise you get, but theres a fine line between whether blurring/noise is preferable, and the camera (feature activated by pushing the "print" button while shutter is half-way depressed, so yes, may require two hands) is pretty good at making a decision when it comes to this trade-off.
Some people have said that the shape and position of the controls on the TX1 make the camera difficult to operate, and I admit that it took a few days to get used to the vertical design. Although its possible to use the camera one-handed if youre just taking simple point-and-click photos, as with most camera models, making adjustments requires two hands. The viewscreen is visible even in bright sunlight (unlike the S60), so I havent bemoaned the lack of of a viewfinder.
Bottom line: a solid camera for its size; recommended for people who mainly take still images but still like to take videos from time to time; enough manual controls for people who do mostly point-and-click photography or who only start making adjustments when not satisfied with what the cameras software chooses. This is not a replacement for a high-powered SRL camera or a normal-sized video camera. But, I have been happy with it and will continue using it for several years....
(Note, I was a little worried about the swivel screens durability, but Ive had the camera for several months and havent noticed any degradation in way it moves--i.e. getting looser or getting stuck.)
On: 2007-09-12
Certainly it has limitations, and one need some learning with it, but I didnt wait for next years improvements!
Valuable as second camera at events, where my Sony HC1 is set up (with permissions) as the principal video, the TX1 for those audience and second angle shots needed.
Valuable as tourist camera, compact to carry and use, sufficient 7M photo resolution so I dont need two cameras for everyday use. Independent audio recording (voice and up to hifi) is a useful feature.
The 720 line resolution combines with the higher resolution (1080 line) of the HC1, in the Mac iMovie and iDVD editing programs.
On: 2007-09-11
I bought this camera after reading the somewhat mixed reviews here, but I have to say its really one of the best purchases I ever made. I recently took it to Costa Rica and have been wowed by its performance. Its takes amazing movies with great resolution. It also takes very good pictures. The only thing it does not do well is do either if it is dark - this creates alot of noise. But if you take pictures outside or inside with the flash it does a great job. Its so convenient to just grab it out of your pocket and take a movie or a picture. A must buy for anyone that wants a portable video camera that also takes pictures!
On: 2007-08-28
I purchased a Canon TX1 and have it about a week now and Im very happy with my purchase. Its not perfect, it does have some pretty sticky issues, most that Ive been able to work around though.
The camera itself is a joy to use. Great menus, easy to use, even in manual mode, and my smaller hands dont make this the ergonomic nightmare that tech critics are panning the camera work. There are a few things that could be changed, the shutter button could be placed maybe someplace else (not really sure where though so maybe it is in the best spot) but Ive gotten used to it and it take pictures pretty well with it. The auto focus speed isnt terrible as others have noted unless your at full max zoom (and at 10x I can forgive a bit of auto focus speed issues). The 16:9 aspect photos are very clear, I hear the professionals talk about excessive noise in low light and at high ISO, but I havent seen it so far with mine, but Im also not a trained photographer nor do I have a trained eye for that. It takes photos, theyre clear and in focus, the colors are accurate, thats really all i can ask for. In indoor lighting it is a little more difficult to take good photos, but it is possible. Outdoors though there are no issues whatsoever, its just a fun point and shoot 7 megapixel beauty that Im glad I own now.
Video is another story though. At 1280x720 30fps, the video is good in bright conditions. In medium indoor lighting or less, the video becomes very very grainy. Not surprising maybe, but a little disappointing. Its obvious from the LCD that the video is going to be grainy, and on my HDTV or on the computer, it looks VHS like grainy, the quality just isnt there. The resolution might be there, but things although in focus, look like upscaled SDTV or worse. Outdoor video shooting is similar to the photo quality, everything works great. It looks great on the HDTV. But indoor video is very grainy unless you have very well lit conditions. At the price I guess you shouldnt expect a product to compete with HDV camcorders though. And HDV camcorders dont do 7 MP stills.
Some people have complained about the MJPEG format for video. With an 8 GB SDHC card, you get get 27 minutes of shooting time. And bigger SDHC cards will exist in the future. MJPEG may not be the most advanced codec like AVC is, but it certainly is still useable and great to edit movies with and older computers can watch MJPEG with little computing power. On my old Mac, the H.264 files I converted the MJPEG films from choke my computer at full resolution.
One big flaw I find is that in OS X, when you plug in the camera, it does not mount the SDHC card, but rather iPhoto or Image Capture just grabs the images and downloads them. But theres no way to reverse the process without a dedicated SDHC card reader. I believe that holds true for many Canon models though, not just the TX1. Again annoying, but there are work arounds.
Overall Im still giddy about my purchase. I love the product. It would have been a 5 if it had better indoor / low light performance. Other than that, this is a great product, and hopefully will only get better with the next version (please Canon keep updating this product).
On: 2007-08-14
I bought this camera for the simple reason that it was so small and can capture video to flash memory. The packaging is rock solid and you can tell the build quality is very good. I dont have any use for taking digital pics with this unit and the reviews are correct.. It lacks in that dept but is ok if your expectations are low. This camera takes great video but the auto focus is very slow and in most cases you have to hold the camera very still to get a good video shot. Also, if your in anything less than bright sunlight you will have noisy/grainy video. The zoom feature is also very very slow but it will reach out there. One more thing worth mentioning. If you buying this camera to upload videos to you pc like me make sure you have the horsepower to play them. The files are massive and if your trying to display on a high def monitor you might need a dedicated video card with min 256MB ram.
I had to send this back only because when I saw the quality of the video it could take in bright sunlight then compared it to what I got in the house with a few lights on I was really disapointed. Im going to pay the extra cash and try the new Sony...
On: 2007-07-31
the reason i dont give this product more than four stars is becouse i dont know much about cameras but so far this is the best i ever have i usualy dont trust revews but i am happy that i did ; thank you all.
On: 2007-07-28
I have not yet tried video because i was waiting to receive my 8GB SDHC card. Pictures are great, camera is small. So far so good.
On: 2007-07-25
After reading the last review about the focus problem, Ive got to post that I have a problem with mine focusing also.
Ive had this little gem for about a week. The first thing I noticed is that it had a very hard time focusing - to the point that it would only auto focus (no manual focus available) in the middle of the zoom. I could occasionally "coax" it to focus outside the middle, and hoped it would get better with some use. After 5 days of playing with it, I pulled it out to take a picture of my daughter playing in the pool, only to find it took me over 60 sec to get it to focus - missing the shot.
Knowing this is the first generation (I am a owner of the first generation ELURA miniDVD camcorder too - this is the replacement) I made sure I bought a USA Warrenty camera. I have now sent it in to the Cannon Factory repair in Ill. If it comes back and works properly - its a KEEPER. If it doesnt, it will be sent back again, or on Ebay, and Ill be waiting for the second version.
On: 2007-07-24
UPDATE:
Canon Factory fixed it in about 8 calander days. Focuses excellent and fast. Love it! Excellent stills. I have not figured out which of the 2 video modes to use, both seem very nice and Im burning DVDs which are not HD anyway. Oh, buy MORE batteries. I have 3 and am using at least 2 on a long vacation day.
After reading the last review about the focus problem, Ive got to post that I have a problem with mine focusing also.
Ive had this little gem for about a week. The first thing I noticed is that it had a very hard time focusing - to the point that it would only auto focus (no manual focus available) in the middle of the zoom. I could occasionally "coax" it to focus outside the middle, and hoped it would get better with some use. After 5 days of playing with it, I pulled it out to take a picture of my daughter playing in the pool, only to find it took me over 60 sec to get it to focus - missing the shot.
Knowing this is the first generation (I am a owner of the first generation ELURA miniDVD camcorder too - this is the replacement) I made sure I bought a USA Warrenty camera. I have now sent it in to the Cannon Factory repair in Ill. If it comes back and works properly - its a KEEPER. If it doesnt, it will be sent back again, or on Ebay, and Ill be waiting for the second version.
On: 2007-07-20
This camera seemed to work well for about an hour before it lost the ability to focus. It now shows blurry images. It is worthless.
After transferring the few in focus videos and pictures that I was able to take before it failed, I now see that they are all VERY NOISY. Really bad. I own a Sony DV Camcorder, a Canon ZR DV camcorder, a Nikon Coolpix 8800, and a Sony DSC-T30. They are all superior to the TX1.
Im not a happy camper.
On: 2007-07-15
After testing the Canon TX-1, this has been my experience:
PHOTO QUALITY: Excellent. Canon wisely uses in-camera noise reduction (blurring) lightly and preserves sharp detail. On close magnification, single pixel detail is present, which the Panasonic DMC-TZ3 that I compared blurred details into a gradient. Color saturation and contrast are excellent. Focus is fast and accurate. Overall, superb qualtiy still pictures.
VIDEO QUALITY: Very good. Quality is roughly midway between DV and a dedicated HD camcorder. Though criticized by some for their large file sizes, Canons Motion JPEG compression codec yield video that is of excellent contrast, and good color saturation. I took video samples and re-compressed them using Canons codec (included with their cameras software) and other codecs including MPEG2, QuickTime, and multiple other codecs from Adobe Premiere, and found that the Canon motion-JPEG, though theoretically not as efficient a compression scheme, ended up with the best quality video, while other codecs of similar file size were more washed out. Another advantage of this compression scheme is that you can get good quality frame captures, as each frame is compressed individually. Its not perfect: unlike my dedicated HD camcorder, the TX-1s video has a vague "shimmering" effect, from the JPEG compression varying from frame to frame. Also, with moving objects, the motion isnt quite as fluid with as with my dedicated HD camcorder. But for a combination still/video platform, the video of the TX-1 is remarkably good. File sizes are large, but they will be with any high quality video.
ERGONOMICS: In my medium to small hands, the camera is easy to hold. Some reviewers complained that they needed to use their left hand to stabilize the camera, but I always hold cameras with two hands. This one can be held with one, but any camera will yield less blurry pictures if held with two hands. If you have large fingers, you may find this camera too small.
CONVENIENCE: The LCD folds into the camera, and there is no optical viewfinder, so when the camera is closed, there is no vulnerable glass to scratch up on any side. And it is so tiny that you can throw it in a pocket or bag or purse and pull it out for an unexpected spontaneous shot.
FLASH: I was worried that the flash would be too under-powered. It is a weak flash. Unexpectedly, this turned out to be a good thing. Ive noticed with past cameras that indoor flash pictures screamed "FLASH!" and were bright with a thin dark shadow next to foreground objects from the flash. This weaker flash ironically ends up making more natural shots as it doesnt saturate the shot and some existing light adds to make a more pleasing picture. The flash is too weak to brightly light up a large dim room that you are shooting from a long distance, or if you zoom in under dim conditions.
ZOOM: 10X zoom is really powerful; I can zoom in a lot more than I expected. The excellent image stabilization allows these zoomed in shots to not be blurred from camera motion.
LOW LIGHT: Like virtually all compact cameras today, the tiny CCD does not perform well in very low light shots without flash. The TX-1 is no exception. Fuji cameras are known for better performance in low light, but currently dont have optical image stabilization. The image stabilization in the TX-1 (and other cameras with this feature) help a lot because you can use much longer shutter speeds and make up for the small CCD.
PLAYBACK: It has been fun for me to plug the camera into my widescreen TV and watch the photos and video in a combined slide show. That format is fun for the family and allows everyone to enjoy the memories without having to sit by a computer monitor or wait for prints.
PROBLEMS: The only thing Ive not enjoyed is that the small LCD makes it harder to see detail in composing a shot, especially in bright sunlight.
OVERALL: The TX-1 produces excellent quality still pictures, very good 720p video, is tiny, not easily scratched, has a huge zoom, great image stabilization, and will end up being something you will want to toss into a pocket or bag and capture a spontaneous, memorable moment. It is a rare camera that can record both stills and video without one of them being useless. Im very happy with it. I hope you enjoy whatever you decide on too!
On: 2007-07-05
I took a chance on the TX1 and I am SO GLAD that I did. Just before leaving on an extended cruise I found that my digital camera had some issues so I decided to purchase a new one. Having suffered through dragging around several different kinds of still and video cameras on previous vacations and events, I resolved that whatever I came up with, it had to be extremely portable and not a hindrance to any planned activities. After the frustration of seeing Paris mostly through a video viewfinder a few years ago, I gave up taking video on vacations. But, a side of me still wanted to have HD video available when needed. So, after reading as much as possible about the TX1 on the internet (instructions, reviews, etc) I decided to make a leap of faith. I eventually found a vendor with one available and it arrived just a couple of days before we left for the cruise. Armed with a very fast 8 Gig card and a couple of extra batteries we set off. A couple of days into the cruise I was hooked. I carried it in my pocket the whole trip no matter what I was wearing (except when swimming obviously)! No bag over my shoulder or strap around my neck to get in the way. It was always ready to capture the moment. And capture the moment it did....in high form. I downloaded the photos and video to a laptop several times and we were all IMPRESSED with the high quality of the stills and videos that it captured. There are so many different scene options available to cover any situation that we wanted to capture. The colors of foliage and ocean are vibrant and true. And, when I, in hast, used the wrong settings, I was always able to make a simple correction of the colors in Photo Elements. The detail of the HD video looks great on out 52" HDTV as do the photos. I averaged a hundred still photos and about ten minutes of video per day for twenty days. I found that the battery life was much better than I had expected given some reviews I had seen, but a second battery would be a good investment if you like to take many photos without recharging. (Only about $12 if you look online) Some of the reviewers I have read simply must not have spent any time becoming acquainted with the camera or they expected it to be a "studio" unit because every "short-coming" I found listed in the reviews had a quick and simple solution in the menu settings or with a realistic view of the target audience for this camera. Without any doubt, the TX1 is the best camera I have ever found for my style of use. In summary it is extremely compact and easy to transport while delivering excellent high definition still and video output. But... If I say "I love this thing" one more time to my wife, Im afraid she will bean me.
On: 2007-07-04
I enjoy using this camera. Its perfect for a person that like gadgets. 720p output to my 1080p Sharp Aquos LCDTV via component left a little to be desired but I dont know of any other camera this size that has the capabilities this one does.
On: 2007-07-01
This neat little camera that takes superb video arrived with a malfuctioning scroll wheel. In the shoot mode menu, if I pushed the up arrow button the cursor went down and if I pushed the left arrow button it went right. This did not happen in the playback mode. The Canon representative suggested I return the camera. I cosidered making an exchange but I decided not to because of the difficulty I had operating the scroll wheel . The scroll wheel arrows buttons were hard to activate because they are so small and once they did activate the cursor it would often jump 2 or 3 spaces instead of just one. I found I had to reverse the direction of the cursor frequently. This was particularly annoying when trying to manually operated slide show on my TV. I suspect I could have learned to minimze this problem with further practice. The HD movies were superb even in low light. However a large amount of space was needed to store HD movies on my media card and computer. In 8 minutes of shooting video clips, I used up the meory on a 2 GB card. I was hoping my experience would be better but it wasnt so I think I will wait for the next generation of the TX-1. It has great potential after Canon fixes some of the problems I mentioned.
On: 2007-06-28
Recording the activities of our three year old will no longer require deciding between lugging a video bag or using the so-so video mode of our digital still camera.
This is a pocket-sized wonder - Progressive HDTV, 7.1 MP photos, no discs or tapes to worry about and simple to use. Sometimes not having every possible feature can be a blessing.
I did purchase an additional 4 Gb card as the included 32 Mb is good for about 9 seconds of 16:9 (HDTV) recording! Someone at Canon needs to have their sense of humor adjusted.
My box did not include the Basic manual which describes much of the initial set-up - it was easily found on the Canon website. A good thing too as my TX-1 booted-up in Japanese, a fine and wonderful language which I cannot read. With the basic book it took 5 seconds to change it over to English.
Im a Mac user and was pleased to see that without loading anything or changing any computer configurations, that upon plugging the TX-1 into the USB port, iPhoto immediately found the camera and imported both still and video files. Ill be doing the iMovie thing next.
A belt pouch is recommended for protection and summertime carry.
On: 2007-06-18
Got the TX-1 last week through Amazon.com and was able to figure out how to use it quickly. It works exactly as advertised and is not nearly as hard to handle as the CNET review indicates.
I found reviews here very helpful and bought a Kingston 8-gig high capacity memory card which worked flawlessly with no formatting and an extra Lenmark battery (much cheaper than the Canon battery) as well as a Pelican 1010 case (very cheap, very solid).
It will take me a while to get used to all the options; but, so far, Ive covered a wedding and got good stills and videos without more than a rudimentary idea of what this thing can do. Hard to believe you get 7.1 megapixel stills and near-HD video for this price. Sony and Panasonic arent in the neighborhood yet as far as I can tell.
The included software works very well; but Ive only used it in a limited way so far.
You really must get a second battery to make it portable, unless you purchase the adapter. The charger that comes with it requires you to remove the battery and charge it (1.5 houres).
Again, the key is that it is small enough (slightly bigger than a standard deck of cards) and versatile enough (good stills and good video) so that I will actually take it with me and use it. That was the problem with my last camera and the old VHS camcorder, just too big to use consistently.
On: 2007-06-18
Terrific camera, but needs some tweaking. So many reviews say the ergonomics are bad and it is difficult to hold. This is not true, it is just different than other point and shoot cameras. You just have to approach it differently. I bought my TX1 for a vacation I am still on and when having strangers take my picture they have had no problem seeing how to take a photo. In short it is simple to use, takes excellent photos and videos.
The build quality and internal design on the otherhand...
I have had my TX1 for 3 weeks and it is already failing. The lens cover does not close as quickly as when I first got it. (sometimes it takes 4 minutes to close!!) Another big problem is with image capture, In video mode a small spot is viewable. This ruins all video. No problem with stills, but the whole reason to own this camera is to take video. After only 3 weeks of ownership having these kind of problems is not acceptable. I called Canon and will be sending the camera in for warranty repair. Having to cover the cost of shipping after a product fails so quickly is a bit disappointing.
If you can wait for the next generation I would.
On: 2007-06-15
Im the proud owner of a digital SLR. For professional looking artistic shots this is what I recommend. But the large sized D-SLR is not convenient for those less formal spontaneous photographic moments such as when youre out with friends or when youre on a vacation and wish to relax rather than document. I needed a small light and uncomplicated point and shoot camera for those unexpected photographic moments. This fit the bill perfectly. I took mine for its maiden voyage during a weekend vacation in London. As far as the photographs go the 7.1 mega pixel resolution pleased me quite a bit. The 16:9 aspect ratio was a new feature to me in still cameras and is my new favorite feature in the still photo department.
But unlike any other still camera that Ive used before, this one features the ability to capture 720p HD video at 30 frames per second. This coupled with a fast 8gb SDHC card will land you 28 minutes of highest resolution 16:9 aspect ratio video. Considering this is not a video camera that is excellent. This space is perfect for those moments where you would like a short video to merely capture a moment rather than document an event as you would with a actual video focused product. For instance a few minutes of myself and friends in the Absolute Ice Bar in London. Or the belly dancer in the next bar/lounge we visited.
Ultimately I found the camera small, fast and uncomplicated for my level of technical ability which may be higher than the average consumer. Im what is known as an early adapter. If you wanted to perform tasks such as manual focus and manual white balance a person would be frustrated with the task though not impossible without leaping through a few hoops. But the quality with the quickly accessible features are excellent and I have already recommended this camera to others.
On: 2007-06-13
The TX1 is an upgrade to my 4mp Pentax MX4 that also has a 10x zoom but with no image stabilization and shot 640x480 30fps MPEG4 video. It is even smaller than the MX4 with much better 1280x720 30fps video that can be used at 10x handheld with no shakes compared to the MX4 that needed a tripod at 10x . Its the perfect pocket camera for still and video use. I use an Epson P-2000 40gb multimedia viewer/storage device to unload my 2gb SD cards and have a Kingston 8gb class 6 SDHC card on order. I use my Pentax DSLR with a myriad of lenses if I want to do creative stills but the TX1 will be used for most vacation shots of the kids etc.
On: 2007-06-13
The TX1 is exactly what Im looking for. In order of importance, I was looking for something (1) small that (2) takes good/excellent video on (3) flash memory that will (4) work with my Mac and (5) can replace my point-and-shoot camera. Im not particularly fond of taking video so I didnt want to buy a camcorder that only took video and was large, or at least larger than the TX1. However, for those times that I do want to take video, this is perfect, and the picture quality, imo, is great. I can have it with me all the time because its small. Its not as small as some cameras, but what do you expect for all that it does? This is cheaper than Panasonic and Sanyo equivalent camcorders, the small ones also with pistol grip.
Those hoping for video quality on par with an HD camcorder are looking in the wrong place.
Personally, I think the videos and still shots are fine for this type of device. The clips and photos I take with the TX1 arent being broadcast, and theyre not going in magazines. So for what I need, its perfect. Actually, the video quality is better than my (older) MiniDV camcorder. And the truth is, I never use that older DV camcorder anymore. With my old camcorder I didnt like watching unedited clips from the machine itself, so I had to tranfer them to my computer, which was cumbersome. The clips from the TX1, while large, transfer via USB, so thats faster than the DV transfer. And like I mentioned, better picture quality. Ive already used the TX1 more in the past 14 days than I have used my DV camera in the past two years. When I want to "serious" pictures I haul my D200 and lenses. If you want to take "serious" video, buy something dedicated, which will be more expensive.
As for photo quality, I have not printed anything, but viewing it on my computer, the pictures seem on par with other point-and-shoot shots. There is fuzziness and focus searching in low light conditions, but thats what Ive come to expect with point-and-shoots; theyre inherently limited machines.
One last thing, you can zoom while shooting video in the highest quality; you can zoom in any video setting for that matter.
by: Anonymous On: 2007-06-13
Canon, being #1 seller in consumer digital photography, demands a premium price in an imitation product (see Sanyo, inventor & still leader of this extremely handy form factor). Canons image stabilization seems to fill a gap at first, but after using awhile and looking at side-by-sides with the Sanyos, its a coin toss. The boxier shape is slightly different but just not as comfortable. Havent found it to be worth the extra bucks.
On: 2007-06-13
I Preordered my little new camera...I received it a week earlier than scheduled delivery. As it came out of the box I was surprised to be a little bulkier than my other SD1000 but that something that doesnt bother me a bit. I can carry it on my hand not my pocket.
Why did I buy it? because I wanted something compact and reliable, the amazing 10x optical zoom, and with video capabilities larger, longer, and better quality than the 3 minutes clips of my old camera. also easy compatibility with my mac laptop. the pictures are crips and colorful, I guess depends where you point the camera at. Video quality is superb, not HD though and the only low down its very noisy at low light levels but Im not using it for broadcast. for that I got to use the SNHVRZ1-J HD cam. Also the audio is fantastic, got some really good sound from a considerable distance at a concert.
Battery life. As expected, 1 hour for HD video and 4 hours for stills. buy a back up if you expect to shoot for more than 1 hour of video without having to turn it off.
Memory card. I got the 4 GB memory card.. definitely enough for the time I need to use it, I got a second card as a back up.
Overal, a great compact camera, I love it, even with the cons the pros outweight any doubt about it
coudnt have made a better choice.
On: 2007-06-12
I have been waiting a couple years to purchase a new digital camera that would shoot high quality stills and HD video to an SD card. I made the decision to purchase the TX1 and I couldnt be happier. The stills have that crisp, clean quality that most all Canon Powershot cameras produce and the video is just as clean. This is one of the first truly high-quality hybrid still/video devices that is portable and easy to use. I do agree with some of the comments about the controls being rather tiny (and I have fairly large hands) but what can you expect when you are trying to cram a ton of features into such a tiny device. I also agree that the addition of an external mic would make this camera a perfect 10 but for most purposes that is not an essential feature. One thing that I dont think has been mentioned is that the telephoto (zoom) functions are -disabled- when you are shooting in HD video mode. Also, much like most cameras and electronics there are way too many features that I will never use (color replacement?). Id love to see manufacturers start sacrificing features for quality but I know that is a very minor complaint. 9 out of 10 stars. Amazing little device.
On: 2007-06-12
The TX1 is an upgrade to my 4mp Pentax MX4 that also has a 10x zoom but with no image stabilization and shot 640x480 30fps MPEG4 video. It is even smaller than the MX4 with much better 1280x720 30fps video that can be used at 10x handheld with no shakes compared to the MX4 that needed a tripod at 10x . Its the perfect pocket camera for still and video use. I use an Epson P-2000 40gb multimedia viewer/storage device to unload my 2gb SD cards and have a Kingston 8gb class 6 SDHC card on order. I use my Pentax DSLR with a myriad of lenses if I want to do creative stills but the TX1 will be used for most vacation shots of the kids etc.
On: 2007-06-12
The TX1 is exactly what Im looking for. In order of importance, I was looking for something (1) small that (2) takes good/excellent video on (3) flash memory that will (4) work with my Mac and (5) can replace my point-and-shoot camera. Im not particularly fond of taking video so I didnt want to buy a camcorder that only took video and was large, or at least larger than the TX1. However, for those times that I do want to take video, this is perfect, and the picture quality, imo, is great. I can have it with me all the time because its small. Its not as small as some cameras, but what do you expect for all that it does? This is cheaper than Panasonic and Sanyo equivalent camcorders, the small ones also with pistol grip.
Those hoping for video quality on par with an HD camcorder are looking in the wrong place.
Personally, I think the videos and still shots are fine for this type of device. The clips and photos I take with the TX1 arent being broadcast, and theyre not going in magazines. So for what I need, its perfect. Actually, the video quality is better than my (older) MiniDV camcorder. And the truth is, I never use that older DV camcorder anymore. With my old camcorder I didnt like watching unedited clips from the machine itself, so I had to tranfer them to my computer, which was cumbersome. The clips from the TX1, while large, transfer via USB, so thats faster than the DV transfer. And like I mentioned, better picture quality. Ive already used the TX1 more in the past 14 days than I have used my DV camera in the past two years. When I want to "serious" pictures I haul my D200 and lenses. If you want to take "serious" video, buy something dedicated, which will be more expensive.
As for photo quality, I have not printed anything, but viewing it on my computer, the pictures seem on par with other point-and-shoot shots. There is fuzziness and focus searching in low light conditions, but thats what Ive come to expect with point-and-shoots; theyre inherently limited machines.
One last thing, you can zoom while shooting video in the highest quality; you can zoom in any video setting for that matter.
On: 2007-06-12
Its the best thing going unless you have the budget to go for the Cannon HV20.
On: 2007-06-12
I have read most of the reviews about button location, picture & video quality & all I can say is that this camera works GREAT for me. The quality of the video @ 640x480 30fps is fantastic....all I have to do is remember NOT to move so much while shooting video. As for the picture quality, I took some pictures at the Yankee vs Pirates game this Saturday 6/9/07 using the zoom feature....EVERYONE who saw the pictures commented about the EXCELLENT quality. I have a small to medium hand & the button location is NOT an issue. I believe that even the larger hand will learn to adjust to the button location. The software that comes with the camera is also VERY user friendly.
The ONLY negative I found was with the flash, it is NOT the best. Also its hard to find a "GOOD" case for the TX1, although you CAN carry it in your shirt pocket or purse if you wish.
I would recommend getting a spare battery & a "GOOD" SD card, I use the Sandisk Ultra II 4gb SDHC card that I got right here @ Amazon & it has PLENTY of room for videos & pictures. I understand that Sandisk is NOW going to offer an 8GB SDHC card, WOW. One note; If you get an SDHC card...get the one that comes with the MicroMate card reader included, most of the "OLDER" computers wont recognize the SDHC card when you insert it into the card slot.
If you are looking for a good "COMPACT" digital camera that takes both EXCELLENT videos & GREAT pictures...then this is the camera for you...
On: 2007-06-12
Life is full of compromise so not everyone will be happy with this or any other camera. That said, this is the best small size, still/video camera I have seen. The picture quality is outstanding, the size is outstanding, and it can be as simple or complex as you want it to be. If you are looking for a fun, pocket camera you can take anywhere at anytime, this is it.
On: 2007-06-11
I have been waiting a couple years to purchase a new digital camera that would shoot high quality stills and HD video to an SD card. I made the decision to purchase the TX1 and I couldnt be happier. The stills have that crisp, clean quality that most all Canon Powershot cameras produce and the video is just as clean. This is one of the first truly high-quality hybrid still/video devices that is portable and easy to use. I do agree with some of the comments about the controls being rather tiny (and I have fairly large hands) but what can you expect when you are trying to cram a ton of features into such a tiny device. I also agree that the addition of an external mic would make this camera a perfect 10 but for most purposes that is not an essential feature. One thing that I dont think has been mentioned is that the telephoto (zoom) functions are -disabled- when you are shooting in HD video mode. Also, much like most cameras and electronics there are way too many features that I will never use (color replacement?). Id love to see manufacturers start sacrificing features for quality but I know that is a very minor complaint. 9 out of 10 stars. Amazing little device.
On: 2007-06-11
Its the best thing going unless you have the budget to go for the Cannon HV20.
On: 2007-06-11
I was very excited about this camera when it was first announced - finally, HD-quality video in my pocket! 10x optical zoom, optical image stabilization, excellent! And Ive always been a huge fan of Canons SD series - tiny pocket-cams which take great stills and decent video. This seemed like the next step - great stills and great video too. So I pre-ordered the camera as soon as I could, and waited eagerly for it to ship. And waited, and waited...
When the camera finally arrived, I was surprised at the bulk and heft of it. Sure, its still highly compact, but for someone used to the SD300 and SD600, this is a step backwards in portability. It makes my pockets kinda bulge. Right off the bat, strike one: my primary use case for the camera was to keep it in my pocket all the time. Once I tried it though, I realized that itd have to go in a bag most of the time.
Strike two: its kinda awkward to hold. I have very large hands, so I rarely have a problem with any camera. Im not sure if others would have the same experience, but its worth noting, since Ive always been comfortable with various other Canons, Nikons, and Pentaxes.
Finally, my main criticism, Strike 3: Picture Quality. I wasnt happy with either the stills or the video. With the stills, I had trouble with the focus system. The face-tracking system seems useful at first, but when I viewed the photos on my computer, the focus never seemed quite right. Even when I switched to a more conventional focus mode, the picture quality just wasnt as satisfying as that of the SD600, an older and cheaper model.
Video quality was, for me, the last straw. Sure, it may be technically HD, but for me, HD promises more than just resolution. When I think HD, I think sharp, clear, and vibrant. The video produced by the TX1 is high-resolution, it is wide-screen at 16x9 - but its not really HD. The video picture is blotchy and fuzzy, and really no better than that, again of a much cheaper SD series camera. Its nice that its wide, the video is definitely much better proportioned for todays wide-screen televisions, but its not much of an advance beyond that, and it certainly isnt really HD.
Also worth noting is that the video files produced by the TX-1 are immense, making it fairly inconvenient and/or expensive to use as a video camera. These file sizes certainly arent justified by the video quality.
To sum up: the TX-1 has an impressive array of features, and had the potential of being a truly groundbreaking device, of finally bringing HD video and stunning stills into a single pocketable device. Unfortunately, however, it doesnt deliver on quality, and its not as pocketable as its predecessors, which take better stills and video thats nearly as good as the TX-1s.
Ultimately, for me, the TX-1 wasnt satisfying as a still camera or a video camera. Ive returned mine; Im going to stick with my SD600 for now.
Im still eagerly awaiting the first truly pocketable device which shoots both high-quality stills and video. Id even be willing to pay more than I did for the TX-1 - maybe that would give it a better chance of succeeding. In the meantime, Ive got my eye on the Canon HV10 HD Camcorder to supplement my SD600 and Nikon D80.
[...].
On: 2007-06-11
I have read most of the reviews about button location, picture & video quality & all I can say is that this camera works GREAT for me. The quality of the video @ 640x480 30fps is fantastic....all I have to do is remember NOT to move so much while shooting video. As for the picture quality, I took some pictures at the Yankee vs Pirates game this Saturday 6/9/07 using the zoom feature....EVERYONE who saw the pictures commented about the EXCELLENT quality. I have a small to medium hand & the button location is NOT an issue. I believe that even the larger hand will learn to adjust to the button location. The software that comes with the camera is also VERY user friendly.
The ONLY negative I found was with the flash, it is NOT the best. Also its hard to find a "GOOD" case for the TX1, although you CAN carry it in your shirt pocket or purse if you wish.
I would recommend getting a spare battery & a "GOOD" SD card, I use the Sandisk Ultra II 4gb SDHC card that I got right here @ Amazon & it has PLENTY of room for videos & pictures. I understand that Sandisk is NOW going to offer an 8GB SDHC card, WOW. One note; If you get an SDHC card...get the one that comes with the MicroMate card reader included, most of the "OLDER" computers wont recognize the SDHC card when you insert it into the card slot.
If you are looking for a good "COMPACT" digital camera that takes both EXCELLENT videos & GREAT pictures...then this is the camera for you...
On: 2007-06-10
I am mom to three kids ages 2 to 9. I have kept a Canon Elph in my purse for years. That was great because I could catch important and cute moments wherever we were when they occurred. The TX-1 is like someone threw a video camera in my digital camera that I keep in my purse!
I read reviews before I purchased the product. Some man said that the little controls were difficult and didnt understand why they just didnt make a bigger camera. Im pretty sure this has to do with the size of his hands. The controls arent too tricky for me. I have also heard criticism of where the buttons are located. The on/off is located far from the other controls. Thats actually good--I sometimes turned my Elph off instead of pushing the shutter and now that isnt an issue. I like where the buttons are located. I can take a still photo, press Rec, zoom and switch modes with one hand!
One last criticism I dont feel is a problem: there is no red-eye reduction flash setting. I dont like that setting anyway because the subjects would have to sit staring at the camera which never makes for a good shot. The TX-1 includes in-camera red-eye removal which is far superior. Its so fun to push the button and watch the red-eye disappear!
Bottom line--
Practical for mommies!
On: 2007-06-09
I am mom to three kids ages 2 to 9. I have kept a Canon Elph in my purse for years. That was great because I could catch important and cute moments wherever we were when they occurred. The TX-1 is like someone threw a video camera in my digital camera that I keep in my purse!
I read reviews before I purchased the product. Some man said that the little controls were difficult and didnt understand why they just didnt make a bigger camera. Im pretty sure this has to do with the size of his hands. The controls arent too tricky for me. I have also heard criticism of where the buttons are located. The on/off is located far from the other controls. Thats actually good--I sometimes turned my Elph off instead of pushing the shutter and now that isnt an issue. I like where the buttons are located. I can take a still photo, press Rec, zoom and switch modes with one hand!
One last criticism I dont feel is a problem: there is no red-eye reduction flash setting. I dont like that setting anyway because the subjects would have to sit staring at the camera which never makes for a good shot. The TX-1 includes in-camera red-eye removal which is far superior. Its so fun to push the button and watch the red-eye disappear!
Bottom line--
Practical for mommies!
On: 2007-06-09
Goldilocks would have loved this camera. Although it may not have saved her from the bears, it would have certainly met all of her other particular criteria.
I bought this camera direct from Japan a few months ago when its introduction to the US market was delayed, and have not regretted the purchase. (Once I was able to find the menu setting to display in English rather than Kanji...)
Elph sized, this recording device can do any sort of capture you desire to best preserve those special (and mundane) moments. Its not too big (like most Hi-def camcorders). Its not too small (so if you want a spy camera, look elsewhere). Its size is just right - fits in my pocket, my wifes purse, and surreptitiously in one hand when I want to sneak some video I shouldnt be taking.
Functionally, it will record images and videos in every resolution any prosumer could need. For video, you can capture all frame sizes and rates - from full HD (1280, 720p, 30fps) down to 640x480 15fps, both 16:9 and 4:3 ratios. For images, it does everything any other good digital camera does, from 10X *optical* zoom to macro, image stabilization, and "quick settings" for portraits, night shots, even "aquarium lighting." (The 10X optical zoom is awesome, btw - Ive never found this on any but the pro/commercial end cameras.) The 7.1Megapixels are plenty for most digital imaging tasks, supporting 8x10 prints indistinguishable from any other higher res images.
Ive edited the HD video, and it is very easy to work with - much more so than H.264 video. This is due to the fact that Canon uses motion JPEG compression, which allows each frame to stand on its own (kind of like snapping 30 images per second of 1080x720 pictures - not only can you edit down to the frame level easily, but you can extract a frame as a still image with all quality intact - handy when you want to make a nice picture from some video youve shot).
It is true that for any specific function this camera performs, you can find another gadget out there that does the same function better. But nowhere have I seen one device that handles *all* recording functions (video/image and sound) to the excellent degree that this camera does - you arent compromising on function here to get the convenience of portability.
The primary advantage of this camera is the fact that it truly does it all. No more do I need to decide in advance whether or not I will want to shoot video on an outing (then deciding wrong and later trying desparately to capture that special live action moment on my 640x480 15fps camera, or worse yet my cell phone!). No matter what moment presents itself, I can capture it in the way best suited to the action. Always. By simply reaching into my pocket.
Wait till you see the HD video of these three angry bears running after me...and no bulky equipment to slow my escape!
On: 2007-06-08
I think some people are very hard to please
I have nothing bad to say about the TX1.IT shoots great still a FANTASTIC video!The snap on the fly feature is wonderful. Im left handed and find the controls easy to use left or right handed. Thanks canon this camera is the party animals dream!
IF youre a Pro or looking to make a FEATURE FILM for hollywood. Dont buy this camera.If you are looking for a fun do all still video cam that will fit in your pocket.I say this is the one.THANKS CANON!!!!
Now how about a selphy printer and stand alone DVD burner combo to go with it?
On: 2007-06-08
Goldilocks would have loved this camera. Although it may not have saved her from the bears, it would have certainly met all of her other particular criteria.
I bought this camera direct from Japan a few months ago when its introduction to the US market was delayed, and have not regretted the purchase. (Once I was able to find the menu setting to display in English rather than Kanji...)
Elph sized, this recording device can do any sort of capture you desire to best preserve those special (and mundane) moments. Its not too big (like most Hi-def camcorders). Its not too small (so if you want a spy camera, look elsewhere). Its size is just right - fits in my pocket, my wifes purse, and surreptitiously in one hand when I want to sneak some video I shouldnt be taking.
Functionally, it will record images and videos in every resolution any prosumer could need. For video, you can capture all frame sizes and rates - from full HD (1280, 720p, 30fps) down to 640x480 15fps, both 16:9 and 4:3 ratios. For images, it does everything any other good digital camera does, from 10X *optical* zoom to macro, image stabilization, and "quick settings" for portraits, night shots, even "aquarium lighting." (The 10X optical zoom is awesome, btw - Ive never found this on any but the pro/commercial end cameras.) The 7.1Megapixels are plenty for most digital imaging tasks, supporting 8x10 prints indistinguishable from any other higher res images.
Ive edited the HD video, and it is very easy to work with - much more so than H.264 video. This is due to the fact that Canon uses motion JPEG compression, which allows each frame to stand on its own (kind of like snapping 30 images per second of 1080x720 pictures - not only can you edit down to the frame level easily, but you can extract a frame as a still image with all quality intact - handy when you want to make a nice picture from some video youve shot).
It is true that for any specific function this camera performs, you can find another gadget out there that does the same function better. But nowhere have I seen one device that handles *all* recording functions (video/image and sound) to the excellent degree that this camera does - you arent compromising on function here to get the convenience of portability.
The primary advantage of this camera is the fact that it truly does it all. No more do I need to decide in advance whether or not I will want to shoot video on an outing (then deciding wrong and later trying desparately to capture that special live action moment on my 640x480 15fps camera, or worse yet my cell phone!). No matter what moment presents itself, I can capture it in the way best suited to the action. Always. By simply reaching into my pocket.
Wait till you see the HD video of these three angry bears running after me...and no bulky equipment to slow my escape!
On: 2007-06-08
Ive only written one other review - when I thought I had a duty give back to these forums! This is one more time - I feel compelled to share my recent experience with the new TX-1. I have used almost all of the Canon P&S type cameras. Ive also owned several Sonys, Minolta, Panasonic, and other digital cameras over the years. Thank goodness some vendors have generous return policies or Id be broke! With this background and my comments below - you can see that I am no "techo" person, just a gadget geek that likes new stuff that takes good pictures and video! Well, when I saw the TX-1, I thought I had fallen in love "again" - it looked too good to be true. So I bought one! Currently, Im also using a Canon G7 (also have the Canon SD700 and really like it - but gave it to my son) and LOVE IT!!! Many have complained about no RAW and other stuff - but I think its a great camera that take excellent pictures as well as pretty darn good video!
Well, back to the TX-1 - I wont comment on the looks (although I think it looks pretty neat) - I will just focus on how it worked and takes pics/video. Well - in a word - I was very disappointed. Believe me, I tried all the settings - both auto and whatever manual I could use. Pictures are totally inferior to the G7 (and SD700)and just about all the other cameras Ive used lately. Simply too grainy, some out of focus, or under/over exposed. The 10X zoom was pretty cool - but did not make up for the poor picture quality.
The video was also pretty bad (except for the ability to use the zoom). I think the biggest problem was "focus hunting". This has happened in other cameras Ive used, but not as bad as the TX-1. It did not do well indoors or shadowy areas outside. The camera just could not cope with lighting changes. Again, video looked grainy (like the pictures) and generally not clear. It was very hard to hold the camera still during zooming (although the IS worked as good as it could - IS is not a miracle option - just a help).
Bottom line - Im keeping the G7 - returned the TX-1. Sorry Canon - I am a big supporter and generally love your products, but the TX-1 is not one that I can recommend!
On: 2007-06-08
This camera is small enough to carry with you at all times. The picture quality on the stills @ 7.1 mgpxls is more than adequate. If you are serious about shooting in HD you will need to aquire an 8 mgb speed class 6 sdhc card for best performance (available on amazon). The opticaly stabilized lense allows the shot to be zoomed without the concern of fuzzy shots due to hand shake. A spare battery is also needed as far as video recoding is limited to around 30 minutes @ 720p HD. The camera takes some practice to feel comfortable in your hand as some of the buttons seem awkward at first. This is a "fun" camera you can carry with you in a belt pouch or purse. If your "gadget" freak this is a must have!
On: 2007-05-30
This is certainly a nice little camera, but as a lefty, I found it extremely difficult to use. The cameras screen flips out to the left hand side of the unit and there is no optical viewfinder. It takes good pictures and shoots very nice video, but not recommended for lefties!
On: 2007-05-22
Motion JPEG is unheard of in consumer cameras. The advantage is the best quality in fast motion and faster editing because each frame can be decoded independantly of the others. The generated bitrate is 34Mbit just for the video.
Most consumers care about compression ratio and not quality, so they normally use temporal compression like MPEG-4 in consumer products.
This is a very short lived opportunity to capture living, breathing motion JPEG HD video in a consumer product. I expect Canon wont repeat the mistake and their next product will only support MPEG-4 at much lower quality.
The generated audio is uncompressed 16 bit, 2 channel, 44100, and the recording level can be set manually, another feature unheard of in consumer products. Its like semi-pro gear that slipped through the marketing department.
While sound cant be recorded from external sources, someone with enough balls could probably solder an external mic jack to this thing and make a killer bootlegging device.
Finally, Canon provided the exposure lock feature that was desperately lacking from Sanyos HD cams. Now if only they made enough of them to meet consumer demands.
On: 2007-05-22
Used it for 6 months. Sadly, it was destroyed in a helicopter crash. Before then, had enough time to realize that although it uses 34Mbit MJPEG compression, the amount of noise reduction and blurriness of the lens were unacceptable.
It couldnt equal the sharpness of the Sanyo HD1 even with software sharpening. The noise reduction eliminated what little detail remained. Certain levels of zoom got sharper images.
The worst problem was the lack of an ND filter. Without it, the sensor bloomed in any daylight conditions. The problem affected every object, not just the bright light sources. Images were like looking through dirty windows.
The recording time was 29min on an 8 gig card. Never used the special audio features like manual gain & audio-only recording.
For video control, the exposure lock didnt work. It only locked exposure after recording started. Focus lock worked, but was kicked out during zoom. There was no shutter speed or aperture control, only exposure lock. You couldnt force a faster shutter speed and wide aperture to capture sports at night. Forget about depth of field effects.
Auto focus was horrible. The Sanyos funky 5 point auto focus did a better job. The Canons single point auto focus always searched.
The one redeeming factor: stabilization was the best of any camera.
On: 2007-05-18
I agree with the previous reviews: its an average still camera but a really sweet video camera. Its main plus is its small size (about the size of 70-80 stacked playing cards), which is also its primary disadvantage. The buttons are tiny, the viewfinder is tiny, but the camera is tiny and the video looks great. Its too heavy to be a shirt pocket camera but it feels solid except for its plastic battery cover door. For a case, consider a Pelican 1010. The camera and strap just fit in the case which is waterproof and crushproof. I carry it hiking as a video camera and emergency still camera.
Start off with at least two batteries.
On: 2007-05-16
Overall, I am very happy with my purchase. It works just as advertized and is super small. The video mode is perfect. Certainly way better than a typical point and shoot.....in video. A fews things irk me though. The canon case is not that good for this one...been searching high and low for a decent one. Also, there is streaking if you film very bright objects....like very bright sun reflections, the sun, etc.
On: 2007-05-09
I preordered this camera in February (after extensive research and reading reviews)and was waiting for it 2 1/2 month. Compact size allows you to have camcorder and 7.1 MP photo camera in 1. Aluminum case feels great and made of great quality. I took couple of sample movies and pictures and could not be happier with the quality. Its very easy to download movies and picture to the PC without any extra software installation. This is highly customizable camera if you want to use manual controls, but for average user is very friendly with Auto settings. Canon far above competition with this camera. I used Corsair 1Gb 60X SD memory card now and it worked great with no issues. Basically you can install any SD card to record but SDHC is recommended (High Definition mode is not available for 1GB card, but 640X480X30fps looks awesome). I would highly recommend Canon TX1 for everybody.
On: 2007-05-08
Do not buy this camera if you are looking for either a great camera or camcorder, buy it as the best micro image recording device available.
As you will find in other reviews, the camera portion is average. What makes this camera stand out is the fact that it will do 1280 X 720, 30 frames PROGRESSIVE! This is simply amazing since this camera is no larger than a box of cigarettes. It is not perfect though. There are few manual controls, e.g. no shutter rate or ISO control, however you do have control over locking ASE and Focus, as well as white balance. Some reviewers have complained about ergonomics, but a small monopod or makeshift grip that attaches to the tripod mount will do the trick. I personally would have preferred a REC button in front of the camera. If I could also make a couple of wishes, I would also ask for an external 1/8" stereo external microphone connector, as well as LANC control that could be used for zoom, focus, record/pause and stop. Finally, low light levels are very noisy.
There are also concerns about battery power. I have been able to go an hour without a charge. Again, it is suggested to buy an extra battery. If you really need to have this camera running continuously, buy the external power adapter. If you need more remote power, buy one of those extra lithium ion external power packs that has an output of 3.5 volts and retrofit a coaxial plug to fit the external power adapter.
Some reviewers are complaining about Canon using the Motion JPEG file format for video. True it is not the best compression format for making small files, but the quality is better than most MPEG 4 or even MPEG 2 file formats. Plus, you get frame by frame editing. To make up for the poor compression, just buy a larger card.
There are also some questions if this camera can support more than a four gigabyte SD card. Yes, but it will need to be a fast SDHC card. This poses its own problems because it is not backwards compatible with SD card readers so you will not be able to use it with any card reader unless it specifically says it is compatible with SDHC. This is not too great of a problem since the camera uses a standard mini USB female connector and XP, Vista, OS X recognize it without additional software.
In my opinion, this has been my answer to a stealth high definition documentary camera. I will find many uses for this camera in the upcoming months. Look for my documentary "Gamer: The chronicles of Evanor" [...] to be released at the end of the year. It will contain footage from this camera.
I gave it a four out of five stars for not adding an external microphone adapter, LANC control, and a few more manual controls. This would have garnered a perfect score from me. I hope Canon is listening.
On: 2007-05-07
Do not buy this camera if you are looking for either a great camera or camcorder, buy it as the best micro image recording device available.
As you will find in other reviews, the camera portion is average. What makes this camera stand out is the fact that it will do 1280 X 720, 30 frames PROGRESSIVE! This is simply amazing since this camera is no larger than a box of cigarettes. It is not perfect though. There are few manual controls, e.g. no shutter rate or ISO control, however you do have control over locking ASE and Focus, as well as white balance. Some reviewers have complained about ergonomics, but a small monopod or makeshift grip that attaches to the tripod mount will do the trick. I personally would have preferred a REC button in front of the camera. If I could also make a couple of wishes, I would also ask for an external 1/8" stereo external microphone connector, as well as LANC control that could be used for zoom, focus, record/pause and stop. Finally, low light levels are very noisy.
There are also concerns about battery power. I have been able to go an hour without a charge. Again, it is suggested to buy an extra battery. If you really need to have this camera running continuously, buy the external power adapter. If you need more remote power, buy one of those extra lithium ion external power packs that has an output of 3.5 volts and retrofit a coaxial plug to fit the external power adapter.
Some reviewers are complaining about Canon using the Motion JPEG file format for video. True it is not the best compression format for making small files, but the quality is better than most MPEG 4 or even MPEG 2 file formats. Plus, you get frame by frame editing. To make up for the poor compression, just buy a larger card.
There are also some questions if this camera can support more than a four gigabyte SD card. Yes, but it will need to be a fast SDHC card. This poses its own problems because it is not backwards compatible with SD card readers so you will not be able to use it with any card reader unless it specifically says it is compatible with SDHC. This is not too great of a problem since the camera uses a standard mini USB female connector and XP, Vista, OS X recognize it without additional software.
In my opinion, this has been my answer to a stealth high definition documentary camera. I will find many uses for this camera in the upcoming months. Look for my documentary "Gamer: The chronicles of Evanor" [...] to be released at the end of the year. It will contain footage from this camera.
I gave it a four out of five stars for not adding an external microphone adapter, LANC control, and a few more manual controls. This would have garnered a perfect score from me. I hope Canon is listening.
On: 2007-04-23
Now I can confirm, that the movie quality of the Canon TX1 (MJPEG) -- compared to the Sanyo Xacti HD2 (MPEG4) -- is really much better! (Couldnt wait and bought it a few days ago from Hong Kong.) IMHO at the moment its really the best cam for 1280 x 720 HDV of that kind. Thank you, Canon! :-)
(BTW Is there a batt | | |
