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Canon PowerShot SX100IS 8MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
By: Canon Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 223
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 On: 2008-09-30
A nice performing camera with a good zoom range. Could go a little wider, but the long end is great. Image quality is good.
If it were my primary camera, I would miss an optical viewfinder, but Im mostly using this on a gigapan mount, and it does a nice job for that.
On: 2008-09-16
Canon does it again with a superb piece of equipment. I purchased this model because of its use of AA batteries. Some of us photography enthusiasts still like replaceable batteries instead of the internal rechargeable ones. Photo quality is excellent. Its "smart" processor is one of a kind. Pop up flash also gives more direct control over the flash unit. The only drawback for me is the lack of a wider angle lens for close up group shots.
 On: 2008-09-09
I upgraded to this camera from my older Powershot A510 (stolen). Its better in every way. MUCH faster, good battery life, awesome pictures, unbelievable zoom, and image stabilization (I got soooo many fuzzy pictures with the A510 -- not anymore!). Its definitely not compact (fills up my entire jeans pocket), but it takes infinitely better pictures than compact cameras. The software has also gotten much better, and you can finally play videos in ZoomBrowser. Its still not very good at extreme macro shots or low light conditions; but Im not a pro photographer either, so I rarely mess with the settings. BTW, GREAT bang for the buck.
Hope this helps you gather information!
On: 2008-09-07
For my first digital camera I wanted something that I could take pictures with on the fly as well as something with settings that I could play with. I know the basics about changing shutter speeds and other settings of that nature, but this is the first camera with which Ive actually been able to manipulate to see what the effects are. Thus far I have been extremely satisfied with the results that I have seen in my images and am blown away with the clarity of a really good shot -which I seem to be able to get many of. As of 250+ shots, I am pleased.
On: 2008-09-04
first of all this is a great camera. in addition its a sweet camcorder as well. i took so many crisp videos it was ridiculous. the pic quality is great and the zoom is by far the strongest youll find in a typical camera. definately buy if you want a good camera but are not sure of the technology. It has all the features and the pic quality.
On: 2008-09-03
I did much searching for the right camera, checked also from The Consumer Magazine, and their ratings on Cameras..This camera I bought was a consumers best buy..I am very pleased with this Camera, and still learning about all its many features!It was well worth the Money,with all this camera has to offer..I am enjoying taking many pictures,and exploring all of this cameras features..I would highly recommend this Camera!!!
On: 2008-09-02
Never having used a digital camera before, I was amazed at how easy it is to use this one. Pictures are very clear, 10x optical zoom is amazing at how you can bring scenes close, and info on screen lets you know when you need the flash before taking the picture. Well worth the money.
On: 2008-08-30
a very good camera, great quality of photos and best of all extremely simple to use. Quick delivery an no problems.
On: 2008-08-29
I love this camera. I love the zoom, I love the macro, and I love the ISO feature. The pictures are sharp as can be and the options are endless for my needs. Its easy to use once reading the manual. Cropping is a breeze on zoombrowser which came with it. I have discovered more of a love for photography then ever. I have taken the most beautiful macro pics of my kids that I have ever seen. Nature pics are going to be all over this house in frames!! This is definitely the best camera I have ever used for my family. I have had other canon power shots, but this is the best one. I have rechargeable batteries so that is not a problem. I buy the 2GB cards and they hold tons of pics. If I can find the link on here I will include some macro flower and sea glass shots.
 On: 2008-08-27
I bought this product to take on a trip to Europe and I used the automatic feature almost exclusively. I was not pleased with the
quality of a large number of my photos. It was a big let down. I
had bought it to increase the number of megapixels over my old
camera and thought the quality would be even better than my old
camera. It was not even as good. Truman Kimbrough
On: 2008-08-26
Ive owned this camera for about a month now. It replaced a 4 year old Canon Powershot A85 that started to get some colored pixel defect on the pictures (dust in the lens?). Anyways, I purchased this camera through Amazon, which shipped it quickly and safely. Ive been on several hiking excursions with this camera and it has been wonderful. I love the 10x optical zoom (along with the digital zoom you can go up to 40x zoom!). But, at this high of zoom, it is sometimes difficult to find your subject in the LCD display (could benefit from a viewfinder). Controls are similar to what I was used to with the old Canon. I am getting excellent battery life out of a set of Duracel 2650mah NI-MH rechargeable batteries.
Ive been able to get excellent indoor and outdoor photos, and even experimented on some night time photos (have to play with the manual settings to get some decent night photos), and even took a picture of the full moon at 40x zoom -- it looks like your looking through a telescope! The only problem Ive had with blurred photos was when taking photos at high zoom in poor light. Other than that, the photos have been perfect.
At the time of me writing this, the SX100 has become difficult to find, but Canon just announced the SX110, which should be a worthy upgrade if you cannot find the SX100.
On: 2008-08-26
I really enjoy my new camera. Its my first digital camera. There are a lot of options on it I am not utilizing but its great for just taking pictures and thats why I bought it! I like the 10x optical zoom and the clear pictures.
On: 2008-08-25
We bought this camera because it was rated best buy from consumer reports. And that it is! It is awesome and very easy to use. Although it uses AA batteries, the life is very long - we did not expect that, but we can shoot about 500 8mb pictures w/ one set of batteries. The flash is a little cumbersome - because you have to manually lift it, however we have found that many times the pictures come out better w/o the flash anyway. I would highly recommend this camera to anyone.
 On: 2008-08-25
After taking less than 100 fotos, I recieved the dreaded "lens error - restart camera" message. The camera refuses to turn on. According other internet sources, this has been a common problem with a number of canon models. Beware.
On: 2008-08-23
very happy with this camera. Indoor flash shots are nothing special but all outdoors pictures have been great. Very pleased with the zoom capabilities.
On: 2008-08-17
The price was very convenient and a think Amazon is a very serious enterprise. The products were shipped on schedule and they arrived to my place via Fedex. Also I catched an special offer, I had free shippig service.
I trusted in the confidentiality with my credit card also.
Id be so happy of buy some others articles via Amazon.com
On: 2008-08-17
I was throroughly impressed with the quality pictures this camera took. I went on a vacation and was wanting a compact camera with considerable optical zoom. This camera was exactly that. Plus, it takes good indoor shots as well.
As with every Canon, it also takes excellent video. I took several videos and was also very pleased with how they turned out. A couple of notes about this product before you buy it though:
(1) The flash does not come up automatically. This may not seem like much, but sometimes when youre inside on AUTO and the flash doesnt go off because you forgot to flip it up, it is slighly frustrating.
(2) It takes only 2 AA batteries. This is good and bad. Some previous camera with similar size and feature that I have had took 4 AA batteries and lasted longer. This one takes only two and the battery life really just isnt that great. And not having a viewfinder option to allow you to switch off the screen is unfortunate also.
(3) It has some excellent electronic features too. Being able to remove red eye in a photo in the camera right after taking it was great. I was amazed at how well it worked.
In summary, this camera takes great pictures, but the batteries die fast so make sure you keep a couple of extra ones close by.
On: 2008-08-17
THIS CAMERA IS THE WORST. I BOUGHT IT NEW AT BEST BUY, TOOK IT ON VACATION 1 WEEK LATER, AND I GOT A LENS ERROR RESTART CAMERA SIGN- MISSED ALL MY VACATION PICS, BEST BUY WOULDNT TAKE IT BACK, SO CALLED CANON, WENT THRU TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE, PAID $50 TO FED EX IT TO THEM TO FIX, THEY SENT IT BACK "FIXED" AND WHEN I TRIED IT, HAD THE SAME ERROR. DO NOT BUY THIS CAMERA OR ANY OTHER CANON PRODUCT- THEY ARE TERRIBLE.
SINCE THEN I BOUGHT A SONY CYBERSHOT AND AM THRILLED WITH IT. CANON CUSTOMER CERVICE IS TOTALLY UNRESPONSIVE SO I AM OUT ABOUT $ 300 WITH A BROKEN - NEW- CAMERA.
On: 2008-08-14
this is a great camera! The high point of this camera is how good it is in photographing indoors and in low light, even outside in near darkness. The battery lasts a long time, the handling of it is easy, has a stabilizer and optional flash to use and many multi-functions to choose from. I have not learned all there is about it, but so far, I can say for the money this is a great semi-pro camera! I took a photo of my husband walking on the treadmill in the evening, indoors, low light and it was crystal clear and you could see the sweat on his skin, also the television was captured perfectly. Also, I love the exactness of the color. I have another camera that does not capture the same color, this one is great with capturing the exact color and look. Enjoy! Its painless to operate.
On: 2008-08-11
I BOUGHT A CANON POWERSHOT SX100IS FOR $223.00 Dlls.THROUGH AMAZON.COM, FROM 17th.Street Photo AND IT WAS A GREEN LEMON AND A RIP=OFF BECAUSE THE ZOOM WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEVER WAS ABLE TO GET A CLEAR PICTURE......ALWAYS BLURRED!!! AND UPON TRYING TO USE THE ZOOM...THE LENS RETRACTION WOULD GET STUCK AND A MESSAGE KEPT APPEARING ON THE LCD....."lens error......restart the camera"....
1.- My order was placed from Mexico to Amazon on June 27, together with another ten different items which arrived at my daughters home in Denver by July 7....
2.- I arrived at my daughters for a month vacation on sunday july 20th, and upon checking my items ordered, I noticed the deffective CANON CAMERA and reported it to the vendor 17TH STREET PHOTO who never answered my complaints and my desired to send it back and exchange it for another BETTER BRAND like PANASONIC LUMIX TZ5K or something equivalent and willing to pay for the difference....
3.-After almost three weeks of complaints to Amazon.com and 17th Street Photo I HAVE NOT HAD A SINGLE ANSWER TO OFFER ME AN HONEST AND ADEQUATE OPTION FOR SOLVING MY PROBLEM......
"THIS WAS A COMPLETE RIP-OFF...!!!"
4.- I now have seen the same camera at BEST BUY here in Denver for $239.00Dlls, where you can operate it and double check it befor you buy it......and they give you a U.S. Garantee for one year...
"I WILL NEVER.. EVER!!! BUY ANOTHER PIN FROM INTERNET....."
ALL THEY EVER WANT IS YOUR MONEY...THROUGH YOUR CREDIT-CARD
On: 2008-08-09
This camera is awesome. I bought and I fel in love for it. You can take good pictures with a very good zoom and record small movies as well with the same quality. The most interesant thing is the option of take until 10 pictures in a roll using the one timer adjustable to until 30 sec.
On: 2008-08-09
I bought this cemra for a friend, looking for a point and shot (hes not familiar with apertures, ISOs or any other photography stuff) easy to use but with more picture quality than a mere HP.
Since I already owned a Canon Powershot A630 which has proven a very reliable piece of equipment, I suggested hom the same or the next generation for this camera. Unfortunately the budget was not enough and I had to go through an extensive research so he could have a good camera for not more than USD250.
This is what I looked for:
8+ Megapixels
10X optical zoom
Aperture and shutter priority
Buit-in flash.
Video recording
Ease of use (this should come first as primary requirement)
Light weight
low battery consuption (I didnt want him compplainig for battery life)
At least 1/2.5 sensor size. Ive proven that picture quality loos can be easily noticed with smaller sensors.
This camera meets or exceeds most of my requirements for a not-so-low budget equipment. Its fast, reliable and the picture quality is very good for a non professional user.
I strongly reccomend the Canon PowerShot SX100IS is you dont have USD350 for your home use camera.
If you need more details on it, please visit:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canonsx100is/
On: 2008-08-08
takes great photos outside and with flash. battery life could be better. cant take mutliple photos quickly with the flash or when the battery is low. you will miss some shots of kids and pets but you will get some good ones too. manual controls allow for some creativity if you like to experiment, but the programs work well and give good and great photos. sometimes i wish it had 12x optical zoom.
On: 2008-08-02
I have owned the Canon SX100IS camera for two months. I put it to good test on our Alaska cruise and took about 1000 pictures. I would like to give this camera 3.5 stars if I could.
The 10X optical zoom is wonderful. It works great and is really handy.
The picture quality is very good, under different conditions. Sunny, cloudy, rainy, indoor, sunset, sunrise, on moving ship, shoot moving objects, scenary, portrait. The pictures mostly came out clear, sharp with good colors and reflected the actual view accurately on "auto mode. On one occasion, however, the colors of a lake came out NOT as vivid as the lake actual was, with "auto" mode.
My biggest disappointment with the camera is battery life. I used 15 sets (30 individual) AA batteries to shoot about 1000 pictures. I literally used and had to carry a bag of batteries.
I got the "lens error" once, on a whale watching excursion. For a good 20 minutes, the len could not retract. No matter what I did, the camera just displayed "lens error" and was dead. I missed some really good shooting opportunities because of this. After 20 minutes, the camera magically worked again.
On: 2008-07-31
My objective in buying this camera was to get a bigger (10x) zoom compared to what I was using (3x). This camera also has more pixels (8MP vs 5MP) than previous.
POSITIVES: Love the zoom, works well. Picture quality is excellent.
NEGATIVES: This camera is HEAVY! and its big; while it fits in my pocket like my other one, its not very comfortable. Buy a case & put it on your belt. Its also very complicated, and I know Im not using it to max potential. Ive just found a setting that works, and Im ignoring the other 10-12 dial options; I just want to take pictures! Its also a heck of a lot faster than my last camera, so Im relearning timing on motion shots (jumping horses).
OVERALL: Heck of a nice camera, probably more than I need but well worth the price. Wish somebody made a nice, simple, no frills 10x or higher camera; Im sure I paid for a zillion things Im not using and dont need.
On: 2008-07-27
So far have been very pleased with image quality of this camera, but the battery life is a bit lower than expected.
On: 2008-07-25
The camera is an absolutely fantastic buy. I bought it to replace my $400 Nikon digital camera and am blown away by it. It has all the best features plus the manual apertures and shutter speeds. I have been pleased with every aspect of this camera and would recommend it to anyone!
On: 2008-07-22
Arkadaslar bu makineyi uzun bir arastirma sonucu aldim. ozellikle zoom u harika. bu aralar yogun oldugum icin tum ozelliklerini kullanamadim ama kitapcigini okudugumda kesinlikle verdigim parayi hakettigini anladim.
On: 2008-07-18
I wanted a camera that would allow me to have an extended focal without spending a lot of money and the 10X power of the Powershot SX100 allows me to do that.
On: 2008-07-18
Canon PowerShot SX100IS 8MP Digital Camera with 10...
I bought this camera for my Alaskan Cruise.
I had no trouble with it and it took clear pictures
including close ups. I would buy it again.
On: 2008-07-15
I am on my second one of this exact model. The first did not last but 24 hours. Amazon was great and exchanged it with no problem and fast too. Canon said that this is a problem that can occur with this model (the LCD screen went black). They said they could diagnose it and fix it but the turn around time for Canon was much longer than what Amazon was able to do. I do like the camera. I am hoping that it lasts over time...only time will tell.
On: 2008-07-14
Im no expert or pro. But I love taking pictures and edit etc. My old camera broke down and I asked my very camera ethusiastic older brother about what to look for. He said Canon and zoom. This camera takes great pictures and its easy to use.
On: 2008-07-14
This camera is awesome! I just wish the onboard memory was a bit larger... I can only shoot about 20 pics with the standard memory.
On: 2008-07-14
I like to take pictures and I think that is difficult to find a camera that let you explore all the aspects at a low price.
The manual exposure with the option of manual focus, etc. gives you the opportunity to see how creative you could be.
Its the perfect step before investing in a DSLR.
On: 2008-07-13
The only problem is that this thing REALLY eats batteries. On vacation we went through two Duracell Ultras per day. Worse, I had to listen to the missus whine about it. We tried some fancier batteries that are supposed to last longer, if they actually did last longer it wasnt noticeable.
Im going to try the canon rechargeable batteries, people seem to like them. It just seems nuts that this camera consumes so much power, but didnt come with a rechargeable, professional grade, battery pack.
(remember that we bought this thing for snapshots AND artful composed shots, and it performs those duties very well.)
On: 2008-07-12
I just luv this camera - its everything I wanted it to be and more! I would recommend this camera to anyone who is a beginner photogragher because it is really easy to take great pictures with it!
On: 2008-07-12
Great camera, easy to use. Small enough to easily pack. Optical zoom is terrific. Downloads easily to Dell Latitude without Canon software. Flash could be easier and better, but otherwise, perfect.
On: 2008-07-11
This is an excellent camera. its a pity we cannot remove the lens to replace them with a better one. Its easy to use, not too simple not too pro.
On: 2008-07-10
I returned a Nikon Coolpix S550 (too many blurry pictures). Who needs a sleek and slim camera with 10mp if most of the pictures are blurry? This camera replaces a Canon 3 mp. If you want sharp images this is the camera to buy. I love my test pictures and cant wait to learn how to use all of the many features. The 10x optical zoom is excellent. Image stabilization is very important when choosing a camera and for me the size and weight of the camera adds to the ease of picture taking. This is a keeper.
On: 2008-07-07
I presently own a Cannon PowerSot A540 that I use at my Home Inspection Business taking about 50 to 70 Different types of pictures everyday and this Camera has been Beyond Great. The New SX100IS that I Purchased is Truley a step up from the A540 ,it is extremely easy to use , I can Zoom in like I was using high powered Binioculars and then just tap on the "snap-botton and it auto-focuses , the screen view is crystal clear and I am SUPER Pleased !!! If you forget to pop-up the flash it simply displays that at the top of the screen so you can choose........It is Light ,Comfortable ,and has the same Quality Construction of my A540 which has fallen off a roof several times and just keeps working everyday......I just needed more Zoom than 4X and this 10X is like a Telescope ,Man-o-Man !!!!!!!
 On: 2008-07-07
Though Id otherwise rave about this wonderful camera, Im on my third version in about 4 years and am sick of replacing it. Each time, after about 4 GB of photo-taking (cumulative total -- many downloads in between), the camera tells me to "Replace the Batteries." I replace them and it will take one or two more photos before it tells me to again replace the batteries. There seems to be some sort of mechanical "wearing out" that occurs. I use the camera for vacations, school events, etc. I am not a professional photographer. So I dont think I use it excessively. Obviously I love it (and am used to the controls), or Id not have purchased two more after my first one went bad (in exactly the same way). But this latest camera lasted me less than 6 months, so Im finished with Canon.
On: 2008-07-05
Bad points:
The function button on the back is right where I rest my thumb and have accidentally changed settings. One needs to manually raise the flash which is a little cumbersome. Camera (in silver) is very slippery - easily dropped. Time for saving photos is long - many missed shots.
All in all a good value.
On: 2008-07-04
Love my new Cannon Camera. Loads of features Ive still got so much to learn about using it.
On: 2008-07-02
Ive had my Powershot SX100 for over a month now, and it has been very reliable. I consider myself to be in between a casual snapshooter and an amateur photographer. The SX100 is a great choice for anyone else at this level. Theres plenty of automatic settings but theres also room to learn with the manual controls. Other customers have said that the control wheel is too easy to accidentally press, but Ive never had this problem.
I highly recommend this camera for its consistency in taking high-quality photos and its low price.
PROS:
-Inexpensive
-Easy to navigate
-LCD screen is clear, crisp, and bright
-Takes great photos
-Powerful zoom that works very well
CONS:
-No view finder
-Battery life isnt great
On: 2008-07-02
This camera is point and shoot enough for my wife, and configurable enough for me to setup perfect shots.
On: 2008-07-02
This camera was recommended by a friend also looking for a point & shoot digital camera with a good zoom. I have been very pleased with the pictures taken so far. Camera is easy to use & I have been able to get great action pics of my kids. Zoom has also been great to capture kids in sports, etc. Even took pics in a low light setting with great results. Highly recommended for people who dont want to mess with lots of settings.
On: 2008-06-30
Just the best you can get for around 200,00 dolars.... Really awesome performance and very handy features and picture taking options..... Easy to get to know.... Finally an excellent Canon, Again.....
On: 2008-06-29
I would consider this camera to be a solid performer. It definitely lives up to being both a "point-and-shoot" as well as a usable manual shooter.
The zoom range is very useful (though not very wide at the widest angle), and the lens quality wont disappoint. The zoom adjustment is quite quick to respond, so the camera performs well in a quick-draw situation. You also have the advantage of an auto-lens cover, so you wont have to always worry about removing and re-installing the lens-cap.
Image quality is also very solid; there is visible shadow/fine detail noise visible at all ISO settings but nothing that will cause any problems at sizes less than 100%. Do not buy the camera thinking that it wont have the high-ISO weaknesses of other cameras---it does. Once you hit ISO 200+, the noise becomes quite evident (though workable through IS0 800). Im not sure what good ISO 1600 is, as the images look like they have been texturized. Purple fringing is not severe, its noticeable at times but nothing close to a shot-ruiner. Theres very little distortion from the lens, and most of the time its not even noticeable.
Performance wise, it feels quite responsive in use. The only real problem is that it only accepts two AA batteries, keeping the life far from brilliant and making the flash recharge times terribly long. Buying this camera for social snapshots is probably not a great idea, but for my usage which is typically outdoor action shots, Im quite satisfied.
For those wondering, this camera will not accept filters and converter lenses. If this is a necessity, youll probably want to stick with the A720 IS (same MP with 6X zoom) or move up to the S5 IS (same MP with 12X zoom).
The LCD screen is fairly bright and is usable for outdoor use. There is no viewfinder, but considering the horrific viewfinders that compact cameras have, I dont particularly miss it. The controls on the exterior are well designed, with ISO, macro mode, and flash options accessible from the outside. The majority of the other "important" conrols are accessible with one menu click into the function option. For everything else that youd probably only mess with once in a great while, the menu system is nicely designed and is easy to figure out. The camera will behave itself respectably in auto mode but youll get even better results if you take the time to learn the basic operations in manual mode. I dont typically use the scene modes for general use, its easier to just get used to setting the options yourself.
Although face detection seems to be a huge marketing factor for this and other cameras, I dont see it as much good. Youll be able to focus just the same on a face with normal focussing. Ive disabled the option on mine since it really wont detect faces unless theyre looking DIRECTLY at the camera and arent wearing hats, glasses, etc, and sometimes other round objects will get detected as faces and itll want to focus on them instead of what I want it to.
Canon mentions that the camera can be used by any member of the family, and it can be a good first digital camera as well as one for advanced photographers. Although thats a very overused statement, theyre very correct. If you take it out of the box, throw it in auto mode, shoot some images, and transfer them to the computer, theyll come out more than adequate to print. For the best results, you can dive completely into manual mode and itll basically give you whatever type of shot you want.
Overall, I recommend the camera for someone who plans to use it as a walkaround and outdoor camera, but do not for someone who wants it as a social tool. Youll probably be pretty dissapointed when your subjects have to wait 10 seconds for you to take their picture with the flash. The battery life also isnt great; youll want to keep some spare batteries in your pocket. For me, though, none of these are deal-breakers, and Im pleased with my SX100, an unusual little thing.
On: 2008-06-28
We have purchased many digital cameras in all price ranges. This camera outdoes everyone of them. We bought this for our 15 year old son and it is perfect.
On: 2008-06-27
Light weight, but feels like a real camera,solid. Clear pictures & love the stabilizer. Looking forward to using it on my next trip. Good Value for the cost.
On: 2008-06-25
Bought this item from Amazon Feb 25 2008...toured Canada and it was working great...got home and then about 3 weeks ago it wouldnt focus anymore...I brought it to a cannon service center and they told me it would cost 180++ usd to repair....will check now if I can have it replaced...
extremely disappointed (june 25, 2008)
On: 2008-06-24
I found the lcd screen to be extremely difficult to use on a clear sunny day. I could not locate what I wanted to focus on, especially when the subject was moving. On a cloudy day, or if I were able to physically get into the shade, I had much better viewing. Having just returned from a trip to Alaska, and a cruise up the length of Glacier Bay National Park, to the Canadian Border (British Columbia), I was furious when I couldnt photograph whales, bears, sea otters, etc. as well as my daughter with her Fuji. Not being able to see and adjust the settings made for lots of rotten shots. I think you get the point that I do not like this camera very much.
On: 2008-06-24
seems easy to use, very fast delivery,havent used yet,just trying it out around home.
On: 2008-06-23
I have searched for Olympus (I had an Olympus before)and Canon and after looking through different reviews, I have chosen the Powershot SX100IS. The reason is that this camera has full automatic functionality, plus many manual settings. As I like to play with shutter time etc. to make beautiful pictures at night using a stand I feel that this is one of the best smaller cameras that can do the tircks I want. Its small (smaller then the Olympus I got) with many options. The first battery pack ran down very quickly and I am now testing Alkaline batteries and will buy a set of type 2300 rechargable batteries to test. Still have to perform a lot more tests and settings, but firt impression is very, very good!!!
On: 2008-06-22
Im not sure of why Canon introduced the SX100 IS. Its most distinctive feature is a 10x zoom of the usual Canon quality. It appears intended to compete with the Panasonic Lumix TZ series. Compared to the TZ, it is larger and heavier, but it does have a pop-up flash which can offer slightly better modeling and, more important, for many photographers, a manual exposure mode. Canon apparently intended the SX100 to fill what they perceive as the "gap" between the venerable (and excellent) A series and the DSLR lookalike, but not function alike, Powershot S5, which is also excellent.
The SX100 has, in my opinion, one major design flaw. Instead of the more typical 4-way touch mechanism for function selection, the SX100 has a rotating wheel. This is, again in my opinion, a massive error since the wheel is very difficult to rotate accurately: fingers tend to slip off and either set a function prematurely or hit another button bringing up an unwanted function or, worst of all, both. Perhaps people with very small fingers and an acute sense of touch can reliably use this wheel. I cannot and see it as a major negative in the design of the SX100.
Other than that flaw - which I think of as a showstopper for many people - the camera is typical Canon, which means very good value for the money. The 8 Megapixel images are crisp. As always, except for very expensive DSLRs, noise becomes a problem at higher ISO values, in this case starting at about ISO 200. If the choice is between having no picture at all and a noisy picture, the decision is obvious.
The SX100 has face detection and it seems to work. The 2.5" LCD viewfinder is okay. There are a few specialized scene selectors, such as beach scene and portraits.
In video mode, you can capture 640 x 480 video at 30fps. Audio quality is passable. But you cannot zoom while doing video. Up to one hour of video can be recorded.
The zoom range is 36 - 360mm. I wish all the manufacturers would lop off the top end and make the wide angle wider.
Shot to shot recyling times are a bit on the slow side, but not unusual for this class of camera. Flash recyling time is just plain awful and much slower than other similar cameras.
The camera runs on two AA batteries, which I consider a plus since such batteries are available everywhere in the world. But make sure you carry extras because this camera eats batteries. Rechargeables are a must with this camera.
Overall, this is a general purpose camera with no truly outstanding features. While image quality is high - and the primary reason for the 4-star rating - the rest of the camera is kind of ho-hum. You might want to carefully consider this camera in comparison to its competitors.
Jerry
On: 2008-06-21
We bought this camera for our teenage son for Christmas and it stopped working in early February. My son took care of the camera - kept it in a camera bag as well. He was protective with it because it was his first good digital camera. Unfortunately when you turn on the camera now you automatically get a lens error and you cant use it at all. We have tried Canons suggestions to fix it, but nothing has worked. I guess we are going to have to send it to Canon and I will be upset if we have to pay to repair it. In fact I will never buy Canon again. I have heard by many that Kodak is very reliable, but my experiences with digital have really left me unsure. My husband and I have only bought two - one was a Nikon and it quit working after about six months - it just stopped turning on - we tried changing batteries and all. We have had no luck with digital! We have a Nikon N80 SLR (film camera) and that has been the most reliable camera we have had.
On: 2008-06-20
I have had one other digital camera and the quality was just not there. This camera is GREAT! I took it to a baseball game, was way out in right field, but could take pictures of the hitters like I was sitting right next to them. Quality of pics are fantastic. I would recommend this camera to everyone!
On: 2008-06-18
This is not a good product, night photograps are really poor, its wast of money.
On: 2008-06-18
I purchased this camera to be used when I didnt want to lug around my digital SLR. I needed something with more features than a point and shoot and did not want to pay a very high price. After looking at several cameras, this one offered the most features and bang for the money for its compact size.
The picture quality is excellent. The controls are very intuitive and easy to use. The menus are also easy to use. I love the aperture priority, shutter priority and manual control features of this camera. These give you a lot of creative control in such a compact machine. The 10X zoom lens and optical stabilization really makes this camera an excellent purchase.
Ergonomics and build quality are also very good. The hand grip on the camera is a little slippery, but the camera is very easy to shoot using one hand.
The only major negative comment I have regarding the PowerShot SX100 are the slow flash recycle times. This could be a problem for anyone who takes a lot of flash shots.
On: 2008-06-16
I purchased this camera for myself. It is my first digital after years on an SLR. I love this camera. User friendly, yet allows fully manual complicated shots. I have had it a month and love it more all the time.
On: 2008-06-15
I own this camera for just a couple days only and here are some of my initial thoughts.
Picture quality is excellent but there seems to be a problem with high ISO settings. The interface is cool but the 10 sec time lag also sucks.
So if you want to have a camera that takes pics one after another speedily
then this is not for you.
More reviews after more use :)
On: 2008-06-14
I bought my sx100IS camera from Amazon in March and the camera has stopped working. To add to it, I have travelled overseas and cant get it repaired under US warranty. When contacted Amazon, they cant replace it. I am in a fix. This model seems to have issues, I have always handled it carefully and it stopped working after leaving it idle for couple of weeks. None of the buttons,zoom work now. I can shoot the photo though. I am figuring out what to do with this camera. Amazon can you replace my camera? :(
On: 2008-06-13
I perefer Canon camera for years. So I like Canon SX 100IS camera. It is conpact, enough functions for ordinary users and for professionals. Especially I like a camera which has a button on the body for self timer. It is very convenient. SX-100IS has it. Also I like a camera which has a swinging monitor screen. Canon 6 series has the swinging LCD, but it does not have a self timer button on body. Otherwise I prefer Canon 650 to the others.
On: 2008-06-13
Just received this item yesterday and have put it thru the typical workout. The battery issue that has been reported by some here does not seem to be a problem using 1400 MAH rechargeable NIMH batteries. These are low powered older batteries and I havent even tried my 2700 MAH MAHA brand batteries in it. Probably wont bother.
Im a professional photographer who has a fondness for point and shoot cameras to hack around with. Im amazed at the features of this camera for only $220 INCLUDING SHIPPING. Ive purchased five point and shoots and so far, this one is the best of the bunch. I still like my A95 because of the swivel, adjustable lcd monitor.
The image quality of the SX100 is more that adequate for the price range. The Image Stablization works very well, just as advertized. Very intuitive features and layout, especially if youre accustomed to point and shoots, and especially with Canons.
I even turned on the digital zoom and got some very nice 40x images, considering the price of the camera. I am not a fan of digital zooms but this is again, more than adequate, if you need it in a pinch.
On: 2008-06-11
I purcased the Canon SX100IS camera because of its price, quality and ease of use. I couldnt be more pleased! Its easy to use, yet has many more complicated settings for user who want them. The pictures are great! The only minor drawback is the flash recharge time, which is a small consequence because of all of the positives. After reading reviews, I purchased a 2GB memory card, which allows up to 800 pictures. Yesterday I downloaded 500 pictures with ease. I use Google Picasa, which allows for many picture color, red-eye, darkness adjustments and, because of that, Ive been able to save many photos I would have otherwise deleted. I also purchased 4 rechargeable batteries with charger and I use 2 and have 2 recharged batteries on hand at all times. I have never missed a photo because of low batteries. In the end Ive been more than pleased with purchase and would do it again, without a second thought. Buy it! Youll love it!
On: 2008-06-11
This camera fills in the areas that I felt were wanting with my last two Canon PowerShot cameras, but is still just as intuitive in operation. Although this camera has a far more powerful zoom and more SLR style features than a typical point and shoot, it is laid out in a way that allows the user to quickly switch between functions. Often used features that in other P & S cameras were only accessible through a menu are now located on function knob on the top of the camera. So, if you want to switch to the children & pets function you dont have to navigate through a menu. There is also a button specifically for deleting photos, which I liked alot. I was a little disappointed that there is no viewfinder, in case I wanted to save battery life, but the absence of the little used viewfinder did little to dampen my overall enthusiasm, and keeps the price down. Also, I was disappointed that there was no rechargeable battery setup, but this camera uses AA batteries very efficiently. So, why didnt I give this camera 5 stars? Because at the moment I cant judge its durability. If its still functioning well in 3-4 years, I will issue the 5th star at that time. Unfortunately, my last Canon PowerShot was not as long lasting as I would have liked and the light sensor conked out after 3.5 years of, up to then, faithful service. My PowerShot before that started developing problems with the zoom lens after 3 years. This camera (SX110IS) with far more features and twice the zoom of those dinosaurs is also far less expensive coming in at a little over $200. So Ill stick with Canon for the lens and overall value. At this price I guess I shouldnt expect it to last forever.
On: 2008-06-07
This was my second digital camera purchase. I am very happy with it. It has a lot of features and takes great pictures. However, the software that comes with it is a little challenging for me. It would have been nice to get some sort of instruction manual for the software. If not for that, I would have given it a 5 star.
On: 2008-06-04
I read all sorts of photography blogs and camera review sights before chosing and definitely made the right decision - great value, and takes really fabulous pictures! If you are looking for a point-and-shoot that has a little bit more capability that you can play with, this is definitely the camera for you!!
On: 2008-05-31
Easy to use, excellent zoom, flash takes a while to load, kind of bulky. Met my expectations, 10X optical zoom for the price is a great deal.
On: 2008-05-30
I bought this camera for my causin. Its a good to handle camera for beginners.
On: 2008-05-27
I researched cameras for several months before deciding on this camera. It is an excellent camera. It is the smallest camera with a 10X optical zoom and the image stabelization works great, even with the digital zoom beyond 10X. I had purchased this camera last year the first week it came out and month ago we left it at a banquet by accident and never recovered it. I upated my research and still chose this camera again 8 months later.
On: 2008-05-26
theres nothing u need to know about this camera... u just start using it and it will make everything for you... the resolution of the photos is just great and not to talk about the 10x optical zoom plus the 4x digital makes a 40x zoom... all the pictures are great even with the digital zoom
On: 2008-05-23
I love this camera! The color is amazing. Sometimes using manual you have to be careful with your color settings because it can make the image look a little off or way too vibrant. I took a picture of a rose and, when reviewing the image, had to ask myself why it was glowing.
Its not a camera for taking self snap shots with friends. I mean you could, but its a little too bulky for that and Id be afraid Id drop it. Definitely a "sir, will you take a picture of us?" camera. Just make sure you put it on Auto before you hand it to a camera noob.
Macro is probably the best feature on this camera. Its about all I use. Takes clear, beautiful shots and allows you to get a close shot without having to be up close. Though for me macro is never close enough. If youre anything like me I would recommend something that either has better macro or can use lens/filter adaption/conversions.
The zoom is great until you get into long distances and then you get some black fuzziness around the edges (mostly just in the corners). Also anything not in the exact center of the image is slightly fuzzy.
Battery life is pitiful. Regular AA batteries just dont cut it. I went through 4 pairs of batteries in about as many days, so I just went ahead and bought a nice little 30$ charger with lithium ion batteries at Walmart. Its better than having to buy batteries every week.
I dont use flash at all so Im not much help there. High (1600) ISO setting makes your pictures come out very grainy/noisy.
Overall this camera is great for nature and macro photography, as well as outdoor portraits. Indoors is great so long as you have decent lighting.
On: 2008-05-21
I drool over pictures that people take with SLRs, and I really wanted to be able to take pictures of that quality, but not spend the $600 to do it. I thought that with this cameras manual settings that Id be able to play a little bit. Turns out it was too much fuss to take pictures of my kids. If I was sitting outside with them, I could get crisp beautiful close-ups. But inside the house in the later evening hours, Id miss spur-of-the-moment shots. The camera would tell me to lift the flash. If I didnt lift the flash, the image was terribly blurry, which makes sense because the shutter was compensating for the lack of light. But if I used the flash, it was terribly over-exposed. And by the time I got the flash up, my daughter was already in the next room. So anyway, I learned that while I love how pictures taken with an SLR or a semi-manual camera like this one look, I dont have the time, the patience, or kids who sit still long enough to get pictures of that quality. So Ill be looking for a point and shoot that lets me catch those cute moments. I liked the cameras abilities, but it just didnt work for how I needed it.
On: 2008-05-21
For this price, this camera is VERY tough to beat! The picture quality is superb. I love to shoot macros and w/ this camera, you can get as close as 1cm from the subject. You have the freedom to change all of the parameters to get the best resolution/quality from this camera. There is only 1 drawback to this camera, and that is that the flash takes a long time to recharge; usually 2-3 seconds. This is really not a problem unless you are trying to take continuous/burst mode shots INDOORS (where the flash might be needed). The flash lag time is NOT a factor if you are taking burst mode shots outdoors. Another recommendation that I can NOT stress enough is that you should get yourself a FAST memory card. I have the Sandisk Etreme III and I can shoot continuous/burst shots one right after the other w/ approximately .8 of a second between shots; AMAZING (considering the price), AND I can shoot burst mode shots until I darned well please. I had a Sony Cybershot prior to this and I was only allowed to shoot 3 burst mode shots. With the Canon SX100IS, I keep my finger depressed on the shutter button for as long as I like, or until the memory is full. There are SO many awesome features about this camera that I can not fully do it justice in this review. Overall, I LOVE this camera. Great features, Solid construction and amazing picture quality. I would recommend this time and time again.
On: 2008-05-20
I bought this camera after extensive research. I needed a camera that is easy enough to be used by my family members, and at the same time it must allow me to work the manual settings, and with 10x optical zoom.
There are other cameras that might meet the expectations, but they will cost between $40 to $80 more.
I have taken over a thousand shots with the camera in various conditions and I must say that I am very impressed. The lens is so bright that I have taken almost all indoor shots without flash. The 10x optical zoom enables me to take more creative shots. The image quality of the shots are also very good, of course it is not comparable with DSLRs with larger sensors.
For the price of this camera, you cannot get a better deal any where else.
Highly recommended.
On: 2008-05-19
Ordered this for my daughter in college. She loves it, it really does take good pictures for the average person. I assume if you want professional photos you would buy a 900$ to 1500$ digital SLR.
BUT, takes only about 30 pics with 2 AA batteries. I thought it was just bad batteries but after several hundred pics now it is obvious an average is about 30 pics per battery change. Have ordered rechargeables and will see how long they last.
Hey CANON, It really, really, really gets old to have to carry batteries in my pockets all the time?!?!
On: 2008-05-17
I have two "film" SLRs by Canon and they have served me well over the years. I decided to go digital and read all the reviews on many digital models before choosing the Canon SX100IS. For performance and price this model cant be beat. You wont regret buying this camera, for yourself or as a gift for someone else.
On: 2008-05-14
This camera is not only cheap and easily operatable but also great. The only reason i give it 4 stars instead of 5 is because the camera manual makes slight mention about RAW images even though on my camera i have had it come up saying RAW a couple of times on the screen for some of my images. Even though most people say it doesnt have the capabilities for it, Trust me i have had it say it a couple of times but i cannot remember how i got it to do it lol. This camera is great for getting quality photos and all the images are crisp and clean except for occasional noise within the photo, which only shows up by the way if you use the camera with a low battery. This camera however eats regular Alkaline batteries like mad so i would suggest buying a set of rechargable batteries unless you want to spend a fourtune. Even though it has no Veiw finder to look through the display works like a charm just as well. Even though it might be slightly expensive for people on a budget it is a really GREAT camera and it is worth buying. I have had no run ins with bugs or problems with it. The image stabilizer also makes sure that the occurrence of blurs and shake effects are minimal at best. So if you want a good camera BUY THIS ONE!!!!!!
On: 2008-05-13
While I love shopping with Amazon, I also love a "best price" deal. I did a Google search and have found this camera available for $207-$208, shipping included, elsewhere. Being loyal to Amazon, Ill wait a week to see if Amazons price drops - if not, Ill pay the better price elsewhere.
On: 2008-05-09
does everything i want it to do and more. Really happy that it is not just automatic but fully manual as well.
On: 2008-05-09
I went to a brick-and-mortar store to see how this camera handled and have to say I was unimpressed. I couldnt hold it very securely because the power source/security device made it difficult to manage the menus and buttons. Since I teach computers at the middle school level, I really wanted to get a camera with manual controls because, with a point-and-shoot, youre really only teaching composition. The other option is a $600 entry-level DSLR. So I got the SX100.
I am so glad I did. I was able to take great shots right out of the box. There was no awkwardness with the manual controls, the pictures came out great, and indoor shots were just as fantastic as outdoor shots. As someone else mentioned, pictures indoors with flash really arent as good as pictures without flash. The auto settings sort themselves out and produce really sweet images.
Someone also mentioned trying to shake the camera to make a blurry picture. I took this one step further. I drove down the highway at 55 mph and took shots perpendicular to the line of travel. They turned out crystal clear.
One of the features I like is the button that lets you view previously taken pictures without turning on your camera. It is nice not to have the lens come out on startup. Sure, you could turn the dial to the Play icon before you power up, but thats an extra step. I really like the simplicity of the one-touch image viewing. Also, to switch to camera mode, just press the shutter and you are ready to take pictures.
On: 2008-05-08
This is my first Digital Camera, and I am very happy with it. Ive had it for about 2 months now. It takes extremely sharp detailed pictures, which can easily be cropped and blown up and still retain their quality. The zoom is great, 10x optical and 40x if you add the digital zoom, although i normally wont go past the optical unless theres good lighting. It takes great pictures both indoors and out, but when indoors you will have to use the flash very often, unless the room is well lit.The video quality is not the greatest, but a very nice feature to have. You can zoom optically before you hit record, but can only zoom digitally while recording. The battery life with AA Alkaline batteries is very poor but with NiMH Recharbales its great. I only get about a half hour of on time and 30 pictures off of one set of Alkaline batteries. Take everyones advice and get 2 sets of NiMH Rechargeable batteries off the bat they work wonders. I get over 200 pictures and several hours of on time from one charge. I bought Sony Quick Battery Charger with 4 AA Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries as a pack and works great. The camera is very self explanatory and easy to use out of the box, and with a little reading the advanced options are easy enough to get the hang of. Some people were saying that when you change memory cards the batteries fall out, but that hasnt been an issue, if u get a large 2G or 4G sd card you wont have to change them very often, and just be careful. The one and only thing i dont like about this camera is the long delay between shots when using the flash. When using the flash it takes 5-8 seconds to recharge before you can take another shot. I dont know how long this recharge period would be on other digital cameras. However its not a very big deal and all of the other great things about this camera make up for it ten fold. A great camera well worth the money.
On: 2008-05-08
the camera is great for trips, as its small enough and the zoom is just great, got the camera a month ago and Ive been extremely happy with the quality of the pictures.
On: 2008-05-06
This camera has two significant problems that are getting me to return it:
- The flash doesnt deploy automatically! if you dont pop it up manually then flash will never flash.
- Date/time stamps are only available in a low resolution mode. I found the date/time stamp important for memories and so far I had to add it manually using a computer program which is a real hassle.
This camera is going back; Ill see what other one I can buy.
On: 2008-05-05
I bought this camera thinking I had finally found the perfect one... Unfortunately I was very disappointed. I wanted a compact camera that still had long zoom and in that aspect, this camera was perfect. It is very light, good size camera and has the 10x optical zoom. The outdoor pictures are good, but indoor pictures along with the time between flash shots is what prompted me to return this camera and pay a little more to get the Sony DSC H10. A lot of my indoor pictures with the canon were either over or under exposed, too much light from flash or not enough, causing shadows behind the person or the face lit up with everything else dark... Also with kids, you cant wait 10 seconds in between flash shots. While 10 seconds doesnt seem like long, it really is with children who move on quickly.
Pros:
-Compact, long zoom camera
-Good outdoor photos
-Automatic lens cover (something I wish the sony had)
-Manual flash
Cons:
-I personally dont like using AA batteries, but I notice a lot of people would consider this a Pro item
-no battery life meter, tells you that battery is low right before it cuts off
-Ridiculous flash recycle time (I wanted a new camera for upcoming disney trip - characters come and go fast in character meals, I see myself missing precious shots!)
-batteries fall out everytime you change sd card
-indoor photos are either under or over exposed (too much or too little light) causing shadows
I would give 2.5 out of 5 stars but it wouldnt let me. If you are looking for a compact camera with long zoom, I would recommend checking into Sony DSC H10 or DSC H3. Professional reviews are not as good on the sony although Im at a loss as to why. If you want a camera that you dont have to fool with settings to get good pictures - I definitely recommend Sony.
On: 2008-05-05
I purchased this camera after exploring several digitals, looking for the best macro (close up) capabilities. This turned out to work well for what I needed it for, which is to take extreme close up shots of gemstone rings.
Others didnt like the rechargible batteries, but I wont be using this camera for much else but taking shots right at home. Because of this, I dont use the battery power at all, but purchased a compatible AC/DC cord on eBay for under $20.00. Actually, a seller had several brand new Canon ACK800 cords, not just some no-brand item, and this turned out to be a great accessory (and a lot cheaper than the ACK800 package on the Canon website).
If you want a camera that has more adjustments and features than a point and shoot camera, but dont want to pay for an expensive SLR, this camera is it ... and at an affordable price.
P.S. My photography buff uncle gave me a thumbs up on this purchase!!
On: 2008-05-02
I wanted a good camera that I could just point and shoot or manually set if the situation called for it. This camera is so easy to use and it gives me the "quality" versitility that I was looking for. The zoom lens is easy to adjust for a long distant shot or a portrait photo. I especially like the way you can download the pictures into the computer crop, or do whatever else you want to do with them and then save the picture to the desired album in your computer--or upload them to have them processed. I strongly recommend this camera to the beginner or a experienced person.
On: 2008-05-02
This is my first digital. Picture quality is great. Had to buy a larger SD card but other than that I am very satisfied.
On: 2008-05-02
This camera is a bargain for the price. I use it in my business as well as for nature photos, mostly birds. Its user friendly and has a number of features I find very helpful. Takes great pics and the zoom is excellent. Id buy it again.
On: 2008-05-01
I was very displeased with this camera. It would drain batteries in record time. I would get only 30 minutes of picture time from brand new batteries. A lot of the pictures I took came out blurry, even if I used the kid mode for action shots. I could get better action shots from my old 4.0 mp Kodak that was purchased several years ago. Even pictures of non moving subjects came out blurry. The only thing I liked about it was the size. I will never buy another Canon. I am sticking with Kodak.
On: 2008-04-29
I bought this camera 2 weeks ago and it is just amazing. It is my and my husbands first digital camera and we couldnt be more pleased. It takes the most amazing photos, sharp and crystal clear, and is so simple to use when on automatic. Anyone can take great photos with this camera. I read all the reviews here and on internet camera sites and Consumer Reports and everyone had excellant things to say about the camera. I wanted one of those tiny cameras, but when I went to the store and tried them, found that they were ackward to handle and didnt have anywhere near the zoom that this one has. It is small enough to fit into a coat or pant pocket easily. I like that it uses 2 AA batteries. I went through about 180 photos with the original batteries and am now using rechargables (Sony). Our friends bought the same camera after we did and they use lithium batteries and have over 500 photos on the first set of batteries. They love the camera too. Do go out and buy a bigger memory card as the one that comes with the camera doesnt hold many photos. Using the cables to connect to the computer was easy to do and downloading the photos simple as well. We are in our Mid 50s and early 70s and still found it easy to do. This really is a great camera for everyone. My husband plans to learn how to use all the "extras" that the camera can do, but Im more than happy with just using automatic and letting the camera do all the work. I would and have recommended this camera to many others and would buy it again tomorrow. A great camera at a very good price.
On: 2008-04-29
Camera takes good pictures as long as you stick with low ISO settings. Even though you can set ISO up to 1600, for all practical performances 400 is the limit. The photos taken at high ISO are so noisy that they are unacceptable. If you dont take a lot of pictures indoors this wont matter much, but I take a lot indoors and in environments like gym, theater etc and I often prefer high ISO with natural light to flash.
On: 2008-04-28
This camera quite possibly takes the best pictures I have ever seen for a digital non-slr camera. The photo quality is outstanding even at full zoom. The slight hindrance is that when using the flash you have to wait a little while before you can take another picture. But realistically most images do not need flash, and sometimes look better without, so all and all this is an excellent camera - and it can be fully manual. If you want a compact camera with excellent photo quality than hands down this camera beats its competition!
On: 2008-04-27
This is a very nice camera. I am quite happy with it after upgrading from the Sony I had for about 4 years. I love the 10x optical zoom - for example, you can take very good pictures of youth sporting events. Cannon takes very sharp and clear pictures with good color. It also takes good videos.
Just a couple of things I miss from my old Sony: the date-stamp is only available on the "postcard" size (2 MP) images, whereas my Sony allowed date stamps at all settings (Cannon allows date stamps be added to photos you print, but I think most people view their photos on their computers and dont print many photos anymore). Also, my Sony had a setting that added 5 seconds of audio to each photo - that is a great feature that Cannon doesnt have.
As others have noted, the batteries dont last too long. However, I am happy with my rechargeable batteries, which work fine.
Overall, I am very happy with it - I would certainly recommend it.
On: 2008-04-25
I have this camera for weeks and I am happy with picture quality. This camera only print date on picture at postcard option (2MP)but not on large size. If you use canon printer, you may have option to print date. But who is going to print all digital photos with your own printer. My wife wants date print on pictures and finally I found a picture software that can add date on pictures. Thanks to smart people who create this software.
On: 2008-04-20
A couple months ago my cheap digital camera took a dive out of my pocket and nearly got swallowed by a gutter in Times Square. Sadly, it wasnt repairable, so I turned to this camera. I just bought it yesterday, graduating from a Kodak EasyShare C643, which is a huge jump to this beauty.
The zoom still makes my jaw drop with how clear it is and how precise. Being bought solely for a music festival in May, Im confident its quality of pictures will be equal to or maybe even better than the press pictures from the very front of the enormous crowd. Pictures come out beautiful and crisp, and it really can make a professional photographer out of anyone- even if its your first time picking up a camera. Yes, its a little pricey, but well worth it. I highly recommend it.
Other people might complain about the battery life, but its really not as bad as it sounds- just lower the settings on all you can (and make the resolution slightly smaller unless you want to print these photos into a poster or something) and youll be fine for awhile.
On: 2008-04-19
This is a great camera. Takes great pictures, not much of a delay after snapping the photo (unlike my Kodak) and long battery life! Only downside is the manual flip-up flash, but once you get used to it, it is a no-brainer. Many features! I highly recommend!
On: 2008-04-17
This is a wonderful camera and I am very pleased with it. I actually bought a Kodak Easyshare Z812IS 8.2MP Digital Camera first but was disappointed with it. There is a lag between pressing the button and the photo being taken. Especially when you have young children this is a deal breaker!!! They would often be heading out of the shot by the time the photo was taken. Also the book that came with the Kodak camera was really minimal - you were instead supposed to go to the website and download the guide book. Very annoying and also cheap on Kodaks part.
I had previously owned a Canon and was very pleased with it so I ordered this camera. Like my previous Canon it is very user friendly and intuitive. Here are my pros and cons
Pros
Large view finder
Complete and in-depth guide book included with camera
Sharp, clear photos
10x optical is wonderful - you can get great closeups without moving close to subject. Also for portraits you can throw the background out of focus with a long zoom in. (A long optical zoom is one of the most important features to have on your camera - the longer the better.)
Face recognition is quite useful. Allows you to concentrate on the photo youre taking and let the camera take care of the faces being in focus.
Taking a picture in "portrait" size can be viewed full screen in viewfinder if you turn the camera.
Lightweight & easy to hold
Takes AA batteries. Easy to change batteries if they die, unlike lithium.
Very easy to scroll thru photos
User friendly, my kids can even use it with ease
Cons
Need to raise the flash manually to use. (Wasnt too clear at first why flash wouldnt fire but once you realize you need to raise the flash yourself its no problem.)
Seems to go thru batteries quickly. Easy to solve though - just get a recharger.
I had seriously considered an digital SLR but chose this camera instead because it has such large optical zoom & very clear photos . Its also a fraction of the cost and so much easier to carry around with you.
This is just a fabulous camera for the price. I am very happy with it.
On: 2008-04-14
This is nice camera for the money. Very easy to use with effortless results.
On: 2008-04-14
I bought this camera about a month ago, just before our Spring Break 2008 vacation to Virginia Beach, VA.
My earlier camera was (now my 8 year olds personal digital camera) a Fuji Finepix 4x 4mp. Was getting up there in age (almost 5 years of trouble free performance.) Thus I was looking for something with a little more creative control and bigger mp and zoom.
This camera really fit that bill. Keep it in Auto mode and it behaves like a high end point and shoot. Change the settings to time priority / aparture priority or complete manual to take pictures limited by just your own creativity.
The pictures are AWSOME, AWSOME, AWSOME, the vibrancy / detail it captures is way ahead of my Fuji.
Another nifty feature is the onboard movie recorder that can zoom in and out while recording (10x optical) and also record sound :).
This virtually eliminates the need for a separate camcorder... unless you plan to really make home movies, which most of us dont have the time for. If youre anything like us, record movies during a vacation and then dont have the time to transfer those to a DVD or somethign, then this is again the ideal camera, you can upload the vides to youtube or any other site and then share with friends and family.
Uses regular AA batteries, u need to make sure youre carring enough of. Budget for one set (2 AA) for each day of your vacation. Or you can get some rechargables if you want to save some money. My jury is still out on which is better Li-ion or regular AA, both have benefits. with Li-ion you need to remember to charge the battery each night and then carry the charger around anyway, just in case, with regular AA you need to carry a spare set in the bag.
Oh the face detection, range finder and multi point TTL metering as also great features that make this camera the ideal bridge digital between a point and shoot and a DSLR without all the bulk and $$$ associated with a DSLR.
On: 2008-04-12
Love it!!! I can take great quality pictures and still fits in my coat pocket. Like so well, bought one for the office and a friend was equally impressed and bought the same camera.
On: 2008-04-10
It is gread deal to get canon 8mp with 10x zoom, I am very much happy with this.
only the cons with this camera is the flash light is not automatically opens ,we need to manually open the flap, but still it is gr8 deal
On: 2008-04-08
Great camera if you arent exactly a noob, or professional. Thats basically what it is.
On: 2008-04-08
very happy with the camera and with the service I always receive from Amazon. Great buy.
On: 2008-04-08
I bought this on Feb 15 of this year, got it about a week later. I chose to wait it out. I am very glad I chose this camera. It takes amazing pictures! I was a newbie to the world of digital cameras and was reading up on them when I came across the Canon PowerShot SX100. I am very glad I found it! There are so many things to work with on this camera, I am still learning it. I had not heard anything bad about the camera and decided to go for it. By far, this is the best purchase I have made all year. If you are on the fence with buying this I say go for it, you will not be sorry. :)
On: 2008-04-07
bought it couple of weeks ago and am quite satisfied with its performance..the 10x zoom is appealing and it maintains good quality upto about 32x zoom (adding the digital zoom), after which it starts to distort..am not a pro and use the auto setting most of the time, but i did try my hands with various options and most of the time i was impressed with the result..controllin the apperture speed, shutter speed, etc..provides most of the feature available in SLRs..highly recommended for people like me whos not totally into photography but loves clickin quality pics..
On: 2008-04-07
I did a lot of research before purchasing this camera, at least 3 weeks worth. I travel A LOT and I enjoy taking quality pictures that I can enjoy once I get home. I chose this camera for several reasons. One was the unbelievable quality and another was the incredible price. This camera has nearly the same pixels and zoom as a professional SLR camera at 1/3 of the cost. Research it, you will find it too. Another reason was because of the zoom capabilities. When traveling there are a lot of things across the bay or simply to far away to see clearly. Using this camera I was able to zoom (a total of 40X including optical and digital zoom combined) and take a perfectly clear picture. It was so amzing that several of my traveling companions and travelers around me exlaimed at its quality and wrote down the type of camera I had. The pixels are great as well and allow even far away pictures to be taken with very little noise (or speckling). The size of the camera is comfortable as well. Its not small enough to stick in your jean pocket, but its light enough to wear around your neck or stick it in a cargo pant pocket, or coat pocket. The flash is relatively good, it could be better. However, all my pictures came out wonderfully. I played around with the different settings you can easily put it on and found that putting it on the night setting in a low lit room allowed the pictures to come out perfect. All in all, this is a wonderful camera! My travel companions are purchasing some and Im sure some of the travelers around me went home and purchased them as well! It really is that good! Oh, and by the way, I looked all over the place to find a great price on this camera. Amazon is a little higher than 2 other sites, BUT I did try to buy from one of those sites and they took two days to call me to supposedly confirm my order. Really they were trying to sell me more stuff. When I told them I was uninterested, they said they would now process my order. When they did that, the camera was now on back-order for 3 weeks! Ugh! One more thing, be sure to get the canon rechargable batteries. They are $35 for 4 with the charger and they work wonderfully with this camera!
On: 2008-04-06
I am a novice photographer and wasnt sure what camera to purchase. I wanted one that would take good pictures of the kids and capture the scenary of our outside vacations. So far, Ive been very happy with the quality of pictures Ive taken with this camera. Im still struggling learning all the different settings and probably will never learn all of them, but Im happy with what I have learned and how easy it was for me to take good quality pictures.
On: 2008-04-06
Went to D.C. and N.Y.C. with this new camera and was extremely happy w/ this camera! Awesome pictures!! Once you read manual, figure out all of the different options, they really are easy to select and use. Zoom capability is awesome - especially in macro format! Battery life from Ni rechargeable was phenomenal, lasted almost 2 full days/taking pictures constantly. We also purchased the Sony Quick Charger with 4AA NI-MH batteries - which was very portable/fast charging. (Found out that the rechargeable batteries last much longer than the standard AA) The only downside to this camera is that when using flash, the time it takes to record picture to SD is a bit longer than normal. (even w/4G hi speed SD)
Otherwise, very please with the camera and its capabilities.
On: 2008-04-05
This camera turns on quickly-a plus over previous camera. It doesnt have an eye piece to look through-an archaic option probably. There are a lot of options to learn and I have difficulty remembering all the different options.
On: 2008-04-03
I purchased this camera to replace an older Canon Powershot (a 3 Megapixel version.) I was looking for a very portable camera (but not credit card sized) to take decent pictures - something to compliment my 35mm film SLR. Recently I went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park and figured this would be a good test of the camera. I was pleasantly surprised at how great the pictures came out. Usually I end up doing a little color correction on my digital photos but I will hardly have to touch the over 100 shots I took. I brought them into work the next day to show people and EVERYBODY kept asking me what was the model and make of my camera.
The images are crisp and clean. The digital zoom works wonderfully and you can get some very clean closeups. I was able to get head and shoulder shots of a cheetah over 500 feet away. The image stabilization worked well. I took a few shots of some animals in a slowly moving vehicle. I fully expected the images to blur but they didnt. The only thing I didnt test was the video capture mode but I expect it to work well from what I found.
One slight warning for anyone that plans to use the stitch assist (for panorama shots.) My previous camera had this feature and it assembled the photo as you went along (creating a very small picture in a small LCD on the camera back.) This camera assembles the pictures in your computer once you get back and download them ... but it does it much easier. Before you had to line up the pictures in the small LCD screen. With this camera you just have to get it close and the software will line it up automatically. Both cameras show the previous picture taken so you know where to line up the next shot but this time the software just asks what order the pictures were taken (which I guess means you can take them out of order) and then you click assemble and they all line up. It is quite easy.
I would highly recommend this camera for anyone interested in a very portable camera. I think the days of not using my film camera are getting closer and closer.
On: 2008-03-31
I really like this camera. We had an Olmpus C750 that we loved, but it had been dropped one too many times and the autofocus wouldnt work anymore. Given that our baby and picture subjects (sports) were almost always moving, this was a feature we couldnt live without. The software is adequate...slow to start up, but suitable for beginner and mid range needs. If you want to do some editing, find a 3rd party app, the software that comes with it doesnt get it done. It does have a very nice red-eye elimination feature when you are looking at your pictures on the screen, and the screen itself is quite large.
The downside is that what other folks have said about it going through batteries is VERY accurate, especially when using the flash quite a bit. And for some reason, it goes through rechargeables about 4 times as fast as standard ni-cads. For an environmental person who wants to use rechargeables as much as possible, this is a difficult thing. Basically it has forced me to pick up another set of AA rechargeables, along with keeping an emergency pair of standard non-rechargeable in the bag.
I did not get the full kit, as we already had a camera bag and a tripod. I do recommend the screen cover.
On: 2008-03-30
I received this camera 1 month ago and I havent put it down. It is an amazing alternative to my often cumbersome SLR. Complete features, shocking zoom and surprisingly lightweight. I am delighted!
On: 2008-03-30
I bought this Digital Cameras about three months ago because of the good reviews particularly with the image quality.The camera truly produce very sharp and crisp images however I have noticed that the camera seems to have a problem with action shots.I have a eighteen month old baby girl who moves about quickly and I have notices that the camera struggles with fast moving objects. None moving objects come out very sharp even at 10x zoom. Video quality is also very good. This is unstandable for a Mega Zoom or non SLR camera.
Summary
Pros
Very sharp crisp pictures
Very compact
10x zoom
Good image stabilization
Good quality video
Cons
Problems handling action shots
Not too great in low light
On: 2008-03-30
I have bought this camera about a month ago. I have searched and read lots of reviews on this model. I did own Powershot S1IS for over 2 years and decided to sell and get smaller camera with similar features. I decided on Canon because my previous model (S1IS) was a great camera.
PowerShot SX100 IS is a very similar camera to S1 but is smaller and comes with macro mode that I found very useful. I took the camera to many trips already and I have taken lots of pictures. The camera takes good quality pictures similar to those I took with S1IS. I really love larger screen (2,5 inches versus 1,5 inch), macro mode, manually pop-up flash. i dislike long time of recharging the flash that might be annoying to people taking lots of pics indoors.
I really like this camera and I really recommend it to anybody who wants to take good quality pictures. However S1 IS is as good as this one but larger and with smaller screen.
On: 2008-03-29
I have been searching for the perfect camera. Over the past few years, I have purchased digital cameras from manufacturers like Kodak, HP, and Casio. I used each of them a few times and I was never happy with any of them and eventually returned them all. I am a single mother, who does not have thousands to spend on a top notch camera. I purchase the Canon PowerShot SX100IS 8MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom online to make it harder on myself to return the camera if I was not happy with it. LOL. I thought I am just extremely picky, but with those purchases I felt as if I was losing out if I kept any of those cameras. That Friday night, I closed my eyes tightly and click on the final link to make the purchase of the Canon PowerShot SX100IS official and banned myself from going back into the order to cancel it. I was never so nervous about an electronics purchase. Three days later on Monday afternoon, I lifted the cancellation band and decided that I was going to check the order to see if it can be cancelled. Lo and behold, the item had already shipped that Saturday morning and was to be delivered the next day on Tuesday morning. I said to myself, "Rats! Its too late to cancel", but I can always return it if I do not like it. I studied the return policy just in case. However, since I have received the camera, I have taken over 1,300 pics. Yes, that was not a typo, I really do mean over one thousand three hundred pics. The camera is amazing. In all those pics, I would have to say I was not happy maybe 4 of the pics (no fault of the camera, might I add) and deleted them. You guys! Even my 7-yr-old use this camera. Now, I can finally get pics of my son as he grows and make money!!!! Yipee! I realized, in writing this review that I am not that picky, I just want the best that my money can buy and I will not give up until I get it. These days the economy is so bad. When I made this purchase, it was a big deal for me. I needed a camera not just for personal use, but also to start a business. I am tremendously happy with the outcome. Whichever camera you ultimately get, I hope it works great for you. I love to gamble at the casinos, but the one of the things I do not like to gamble with, is my electronics. Let me save you a lot of trouble in your decision-making process. I love this camera and will highly recommend it to you. The pics are crisp and clear not matter where (inside or out) I take the pics. Without a doubt, one of my best electronics purchases!! Youll be happy with it too!!!!
I am not employed by Canon nor do I have any affiliations with Canon. Come to think of it, maybe I should send them this review of the camera and ask them for a check. LOL. Bet they would just love that. LOL.
The link below is the same camera I purchased:
Canon PowerShot SX100IS 8MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver)
The link below is a package I wish was available to me at the time of purchase, I would have gotten it. To buy these item a la carte (separately) would simply be outrageous.
Canon PowerShot SX100IS 8MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black) + Transcend 4GB SecureDigital (SDHC) Memory Card + USB Card Reader + NiMH Rapid Charger & High-Capacity Rechargeable Batteries + Padded Camera Case
On: 2008-03-29
Small and compact. Yet wonderfully clear photos. No blurry photos like my sony gave me. I am pleased to have purchased this canon.
On: 2008-03-28
I am no expert, but I have always gotten Canon cameras. This time I was out to get at least a 10X zoom. This camera works great, takes nice pictures, and has a 16:9 mode, which I like since I view most of my pics on an HD TV via Media Center PC. Another quality Canon product.
On: 2008-03-28
I really like this camera. Seller was very good as well, with additional offers after the sale.
On: 2008-03-27
I really had a hard time deciding which camera to buy. I love this camera. It is small enough to carry around and takes amazing pictures. I havent used the full 8 mp yet due to the large amount of pixels. I have the camera set for 5mp and the pictures are great. I havent had time to read up on the additional features yet and have only used the camera in auto mode so far. I am looking forward to trying some of the other features though. The zoom was what I was really after with a new camera, and this one is awsome.
On: 2008-03-27
The camera takes great pictures and I love the 10X feature. Two things I dont like are 1) the screen becomes a blank when trying to take pictures in bright light. 2) There is no peep hole with which to compose a picture, so youre out of luck trying to take pictures in bright daylight.
On: 2008-03-26
love it. i just upgraded from a kodak that was one of the first digital cameras that i have had for a really long time. what a piece of junk that was. love my new camera. very easy to use.
On: 2008-03-26
I havent even had a chance to download my photos from my new PowerShot, so no comment on its performance. But I must say that I didnt realize that the camera would be so big and heavy. Its so difficult to tell online. I had a Canon SureShort before this and just expected it to be about the same. WRONG! This is as heavy as my new camcorder and almost the same size. No more slipping it into my purse. Beware!
On: 2008-03-26
Excellent pictures, not so hard to use i would cautiously say user friendly.all in all a good camera
On: 2008-03-26
The camera is a good entry level super zoom camera. It takes good pictures, powers up quickly and battery life has been good. The screen is easily readable outdoors in bright sunlight and the flash seems to work well indoors. We looked at the Panasonic TZ3 and the Sony but chose this model because our last camera was a cannon and the menus are nearly the same.
On: 2008-03-24
I own Sonys original subcompact DSC-T1 (without image stabilization) as well as a digital SLR for serious amateur photography. I was in the market to replace the subcompact Sony with a compact with a minimum 10x optical zoom and image stabilization for both video and photos. My choices came down to the Canon SX100IS, Sony DSC-H3 and Canon S5IS.
The Canon S5 on Amazon was only $75 more than the SX100 and Sony, for a lot more features including stereo sound for movies, a flip out screen and 12x optical zoom. In terms of bang for the buck, the S5 was easily the best deal. But it was just too bulky to easily carry to concerts, and i thought it was overkill so ruled out the S5.
So it came down to the Sony and SX 100. Both were the same price, about the same size, with similar features. Consumer Reports gave a good review to the Sony, but hadnt yet reviewed the Canon. What pushed me toward the Canon was (1) the ability to zoom while recording a movie whereas the zoom on the Sony is locked while recording movies; (2) Canon uses all forms of SD cards including the new high capacity format, while the Sony uses proprietary Memorystick Duo. But I was concerned about the battery life of the Canon versus Sonys longlife lithium rechargeable battery.
First test was at an outdoor festival concert. Still photos were absolutely superb at all zoom lengths. But I had to figure out how to focus the movies. By default continuous focus is turned off (i guess to save battery life). I eventually figured out that i should lock subject into focus at the maximum optical zoom, hit record, and then i can zoom in and out with everything remaining in focus. Once i figured out the focus part, the videos were crisp and clear, even beyond the optical zoom into digital zoom territory. The audio was totally distorted and clipped because I was standing close to the speakers, a problem thats endemic to most digital cameras which dont have microphone gain control.
Next test was an indoor nighttime concert, same artist. This time, I applied a homemade sound filter in the form of a fabric bandaid placed over the microphone. Again, the videos were great. The sound was totally acceptable, although understandably some of the high range was muffled by my filter. The photos were great with flash. I actually like the fact that the flash doesnt automatically pop up, and has to be manually flipped up. That way the flash doesnt go off at an inopportune time, since most artists dont like flashes going off while theyre performing.
I recorded +/- 25 minutes of video and a handful of photos with each set of Duracell Ultra AA batteries, and changed the batteries before they ran low. I dont know how long they would have lasted if i hadnt pre-emptively changed them. But battery life has been a non-issue.
So great photos, great videos, acceptable audio. 4.5 stars.
On: 2008-03-23
I purchased this camera about a month ago prior to going on a short trip abroad. So far, Ive been very happy with it after about 100+ shots. The 10x zoom is just right to get the close-ups. Those who havent had a camera with image stabilization should know that it cant fix all flaws - I had a very hard time getting a good shot of a statue from a boat that was vibrating from the engine. I havent tried it in really bright sunlight yet to see how it fares without the optical viewfinder, which was one of my only concerns about this model. The lag between flash photos that others have commented on is definitely noticeable, but only mildly annoying to me as I dont take too many low light shots. Battery life seems to be good - I got about 150 or so shots on the batteries that came with it, and that includes a lot of time reviewing shots and having the camera on and ready waiting for shots. The only complaint I really have at this point is that the card and batteries go in the same door and when you open it to remove the card, the batteries often fall out. This may be more of an issue for me than others as I never connect the camera directly to my PC, preferring to use a card reader.
On: 2008-03-22
It is a little heavier than my previous coolpix p2. The big difference is that I can just point and shoot under auto mode in most situation especially in in-door envents without using flash light. And with current recharge battery (Sanyo Eneloop), I can take 300 pictures. The only problem I can think of is that I still can not catch nice picture for the moving kids.
On: 2008-03-22
I bought this camera a couple weeks ago. I Love it. I have children that play sports so this camera is also great for that. I think that the battery lasts a good amount of time. I didnt think it was longer or shorter then any other. I just carry extra batteries with me. The zoom is GREAT!!! This camera has many options on it and I really like. I would totally reccommend this camera..
On: 2008-03-19
I just purchased this over the weekend, as well as a Sandisk SDHC 4GB card and have taken over 500 photos ranging from night shots, low light levels, overcast, bright indoor lights as well as great sun photos and all have come out great!
Pros: Easy to use interface with good sized & well marked icons. Fast power on-to-shooting time(just past two seconds), lighter than a DSLR but feels heavier than most mid level point and shoot cameras. (I personally dont like cameras that are too light in your hand.) Has a good comfotable grip although I can see where someone with large, note I said large not larger hands as mine are average, may feel like it is too small. Colors are rich and life-like without over saturation and blacks feel and look right. I have tried most of the larger sizes and the writing/processing to card seems fast, without the camera lagging. Macro and micro shots are good, with very good detail. The optical zoom is amazing as well as using the Manual Focus. Video is great and smooth. DVD quality if I recall.
Cons: The included 16mb card...enough said. Continuous photos seem to slow down when using the 8mp size photos, I only say that because I tried the smaller sizes around my 300th shot and it slowed down. I even swapped to new Lithium batteries to make sure it was not the batteries. The wheel/dial adjustment for ISO, Focus, Flash and mode seems a little loose or rather sensitive. I brushed it a few times and it went to adjust when I did not want it to. Video mode looks good but no sound!
I gave it the four stars only because of the cons I listed.
Sorry if I did not address modes or things that you may do that I did not try yet.
On: 2008-03-18
This is only my second ditital camera, my first one I got in 2005. This camera takes very nice pictures. I am an amature photographer and it does everything I want. Indoors and low light without using the flash you have to sit really still or you will get a blurry pictures. Outdoors or with brighter light or using the flash this camera does great! People keep saying the video is not all that great. Personally I think it is fine. I only use it to take quick video. I use my video camera to take most of my videos. I had to return this camera due to a default, but I am going to re buy this camera. I like the zoom and the 8mp.
On: 2008-03-17
I was terribly disappointed in this purchase. Every picture came out blurry... I tried every setting, flash, no flash, moving objects, static objects... we just totally wasted our money and are trying to get it back or have the camera replaced. I have only a few shots from my daughters first birthday because this camera could not take a decent picture. I cant wait to get rid of it!
On: 2008-03-13
TIS CAMERA IS MY DREAM,IT HAS MANUAL CONTROL AS WELL AS AUTO CONTROL,MAX ZOOM 40X ,GOOD FLASH,AND SUPPORTS SDHC MEMORY CARDS SO U CAN ADD 8GB CARDS TO RECORD VIDEOS,I HAVE TRIED BEFORE A BAD CAMERA IT CANT RECORD VIDEO IN DIM LIGHT BUT THIS CAMERA IS VERY GOOD IN LOW LIGHT VIDEO RECORDING,AND IT USES AA BATTERYS SO U CAN USE ANY AA BATTERIES IF YOUR BATTERIES RUN OFF CHARGE.
On: 2008-03-11
One of the best cameras ive ever had. i love to take some photos and i love when you can see all the details in the pic. this camera sure do the job and for it price, its a still.
Also, its Canon, it can be bad!!
Hope i halped you to decide.
Yoav
On: 2008-03-11
I needed a middle of the road camera with macro capability. After searching a lot and reading reviews, I settled on the Cannon SX100IS. It was a great choice. The camera is loaded with features that make it very versatile. The macro function works great and is easy to switch to with the main button on the back. No fumbling through menus. Pictures are crisp and clear. Havent found a down side to this camera yet.
On: 2008-03-06
This camera presents a lot of very interesting features. I especially like the IS, the use of AA batteries and 10X zoom.
However, the face detection still needs to be improved. It finds a face easily, but a second one is very often omitted making it a little tougher to take couple shots. Time between pictures is also a little long.
On: 2008-02-27
Bought this because all of the rave reviews I read here about the Canon SX100IS!
First the good things:
The few pictures that I took looked great and the zoom was wonderful. IS worked like a charm even after I shook the camera on purpose to TRY and create a blurry picture, but couldnt!
Now the reasons I returned it:
I hated the "wheel" on the back of the camera. While trying to spin it I would always end up clicking it and end-up somewhere else, total design flaw!
I hated the feel of it. It felt like cheap plastic and did not feel sturdy in my hands. Always felt like it was slipping out!
But the reason I returned it was because of the battery life, or lack there of. I used the batteries that came with it all of about 45 minutes. I then replaced them with re-chargable ones that came with the "accessory pack" ,that I bought from Amazon, and got about 5-6 minutes with those. Put the other set in and only got 2-3 minutes with those! Went and bought a brand new pair of lithium AAs and only got 20-25 minutes with those.
WHAT GOOD IS A CAMERA IF YOU CANT TAKE PICTURES!!!
Unacceptable. I returned to Amazon awaiting my refund!
Bottom Line: This camera felt cheap and not sturdy in my hands. Battery life was a joke and not acceptable.
On: 2008-02-25
I upgraded from the Canon Powershot S3 looking to benefit from the slimmer form factor so I can put it in my pocket for hiking, backpacking, and stadium events. For general photography, I would rely on my Nikon D80. Under low light condition, indoor and especially in stadium shows, I was really impressed with the cameras performance and stunning image quality even at the maximum 10x optical zoom. I was able to capture moving subjects in Auto mode in low light condition a good 90 percent of the time. This is impressive for a point-and-shoot camera and I would be even more impress if the flash recharge time can be reduce from the 7 to 8 seconds delay. Ive tested the macro feature as well and find it very impressive.
I like the large 2.5 LCD display which makes composing and viewing results so much more enjoyable. The video quality is amazing, yes even for indoor shows. I also like the zoom control position conveniently right next to the shutter but it could be more accurate. I think the amazing attractive price point makes it truly a compelling buy. The only aspect that I dont like is the part that everyone else has pointed out, that is, the memory card is in the battery compartment now. That is just a warp design, so I have to resort to transfering pictures using the provided USB cable instead of taking out the memory card. Canon deserves to get ding on that point, but its not too burdensome to use the cable instead.
Overall, I am very happy with the camera and will definitely recommend it.
On: 2008-02-24
Nice camera - I wish the flash cam up automatically. Other than that it is a very nice camera.
On: 2008-02-24
Cant really say enough about this little gizmo. All we wanted was a relatively nice point and shoot, but ended up with so much more! I upgraded to the Canon SX100IS from an old Olympus. I liked the Olympus, but love the Canon. I looked at the ELPH series for their compact size, but was disappointed with their meager zoom. I decided to forego the slim design for a better lens and have been impressed every step of the way!! Ive mostly taken photos on the auto setting, but also messed with the speciality settings, i.e., night shot, beach, snow, etc. Taken numerous movies, inside and out. Everything has turned out way better than expected. Clear as a bell. I caught a photo of a coyote on the north coast bluffs of Santa Cruz at an estimated 50 yards with the 40X digital zoom and could not believe my eyes at the image quality. Definitely like the manual flash - wasnt sure if I would, but realized just how often I had to turn the flash on our old camera OFF to get a decent shot. The Image Stabilization system seems to work very well. The face recognition system is great too...easy to turn off if you dont want it. All settings and menus easy and user friendly even for a novice like myself. I really like the software that came along with it too - way better than iphoto. I have tried using some of the cameras SLR characteristics like manual focus and shutter speed and thats pretty easy too, though Im sure someone with more experience could make better use of those features. Pretty durable...I dropped it and freaked out that it was ruined, but it didnt even get a scratch and works perfectly. Really like that it takes regular AAs - in a pinch, you can find batteries anywhere.
OK, so it cant be ALL positive, right? Well, if I must pick a few things I dont like, one would be the function selector wheel - its sometimes hard to turn it without pushing its buttons too, if that makes any sense. Ive resolved that issue by just not using the wheel, but just using it as a button. The fact that it only has 2 AA batts is nice for weight, but not so nice for longevity. I did experience a couple of blurry action shots of people sledding down a hill, but most were fine...I think it was just user error. Thats about it for negatives.
Overall, my experience with this camera has been beyond expectation. For portability, ease of use, number of features, quality of lens and images, it is just what I wanted. Happy birthday to me.
On: 2008-02-23
Great deal on a great camera! Easy to use. The only thing that is a little bit of inconvenience is that the memory card is located with the batteries. I have to be careful of the angle that Im holding the camera when I remove the card so the batteries dont slide out.
On: 2008-02-19
I couldnt decide between the canon powershot sx100 or the fuji finepix s700.
The last couple of cameras we had were just basic point and shoot,and I wanted a camera that had more features and optical zoom.
Ended up going with the canon, Ive had it for about a month now, and havent had any problems with it so far.
The batteries that came with it were regular alkaline and didnt last long at all. Rechargeable batteries last longer,and you can use them over and over. I found its best to take an extra set along if you plan to go anywhere.
The Memory card that comes with it holds anywhere from 3 to 52 pictures depending on the number of recording pixels. Taking video seems to use a lot of space up. So it could use a bigger memory card than the one that it comes with, but I havent found it necessary.
The zoom seems to be good, but this is my first camera with this much zoom and settings. It does get more grainy/blurry once you get into the digital zoom (past 10x optical.)
Occasionally it hasnt done the best in low light, but is usually fixed by raising the flash or changing the settings. Some of the best photos Ive taken are in the manual setting.
Ive also used it to get photos of backyard birds and it sure beats the point and shooters Ive used even with binoculars hooked to them.
Overall its a great camera.
On: 2008-02-17
You will not be able to put this camera in your shirt pocket. It does not come with the tastefully designed case you get with the Digital Elph - actually, it comes with no case at all - but, unlike digital SRLs, it will not cause a permanent spine damage, while still providing a pletora of manual options. The sharpness and color rendition are fine for my unprofessional eye, and among its features I really like the ability to "downgrade" an already taken shot to a lower resolution; saves space while giving you an option of still keeping this "not so great, | | |
