 Rebutting the Cons |
| Review Date: April 3, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Jacqueline Buemi, Ohio |
This review is based off of several days of use and a THOROUGH review of the manual. If you are interested in seeing specifications and actual pictures of this camera (which I suggest you do) I recommend visiting websites that offer extensive these types of reviews [...]First, lets review what seems to be common CONS to the camera.
POP UP FLASH. Contrary to some reviews, this camera is not hard to handle/hold nor does the pop up flash get in the way or feel flimsy. Notice Canon has made three designs to combat this problem (e.g. indented thumbprint above controls on back of camera, curved body on right side of camera, and about 3/4 inch space to place finger behind the flash. As I right this review, I am playing around with the flash and notice it feels sturdy; not flimsy. Also, the further the distance between the flash and the lens allows for a better red-eye reduction.
NO VIDEO (optical) Zoom. This camera offers excellent video quality for a "point and shoot camera". It is 720 so expect that quality - no more no less. As for the zoom, it only has a digital zoom (i.e. less quality than optical). Nonetheless, it should not be a deal breaker - unless you are in the market for a digital videorecorder. I recommend a stand alone video recorder at this point. Would it be nice to have a zoom, sure, but honestly, this is not a big deal.
NOISE - Indoor use. PLEASE believe me when I say I find very little if any noise on indoor shots (when using the camera correctly (e.g reading the manual!!!). There are many ways to adjust this camera - MANY ways! Again, I am reviewing pictures I just shot today inside my local library and find them very pleasing and no noise!
FIT/FEEL of Camera. This camera does not feel flimsy. This I think I can promise you. Actually, when I got the camera in my hands, I was suprised to feel and see it was thicker than I thought - but not too thick. Still able to put in pocket (although not if you are wearing tight jeans). If you are looking at this camera, chances are you doing so because of the aesthetic body - and you are right. When/if you put it in your hands, you'll understand that it is, well, sexy and fashionable.
I have put forth what I saw as potentially "deal breakers" to some people and find all of these supposedly negative points not so negative. After thorough research and an extensive review of the manual, I find this camera to be excellent.
Finally, let me try to state what I believe to be the absolute best features of this camera.
1. Quality. The only way to defend this point is to recommend doing research. Many websites have posted pictures this camera has taken - many of them stunning. I even saw a side by side comparison with the SX200IS rival - the TZ7. It was a picture of a night time view of a major city. This camera won hands down. And as for video quality, I was happy with the quality - if you expect 720 and not blu-ray quality. It honestly is great- oh yea, and I notice that when shooting with video, the image seemed to have little or no shake ( I was suprised about this).
2. Function. You can immediately use this even if you never used a camera before. Thank canon for the "easy" function which lets you only hit the shutter button: it does ALL the work for you, and has hints/tips on the screen as you shoot. Or if you are not so novice, you can turn this camera into a complete manual function and create your own aperture, shutter, and ISO values. (This is the reason I bought this camera; so I could go more manual while my wife could just point and click).
3. After having this camera, I have noticed that CANON has not marketed this camera well enough. It has LCD image brightness control that changes on screen depending on how bright it is where you are shooting. Very nice to view the lcd. Also, the LCD has been layered with a scratch resistant coating!
Finally, in my opinion, this camera's best feature is its versatility. What I mean by this is that it takes excellent pictures and allows you to grow with the camera - this point needs to be emphasized.
I suggest that you truly do your research (as you are doing!!:) and you may see as I did that no matter how many cameras I reviewed, I kept coming back to the SX200IS. I am glad I have it.
One final point. If you do get this, please review the manual. It is your bible and will really help you understand the camera if you want to turn it into more than a point and shoot. I wrote this review because I was SHOCKED at the criticisms this camera received. I agree that this camera can be fine tuned (longer battery life.....etc...) but these are by no means deal breakers. Don't worry, whatever camera you get, it will be soon outdated - all cameras get their annual tweaking. Having said that about camera's getting outdated, note that I chose this camera for the features it has for the price it is. Having taken it home, I realize that I am more than getting my money's worth. I am honestly concerned about answering any questions you may have. I wish I could ask people questions before I buy things, so please feel free to comment and/or ask. Best wishes.
***Updated 4-6-08****
For those interested in comparisons, I have recently compared the SX200IS vs the Panasonic TZ5 [...]. Unbelievable, I was able to find same scene shots taken by these two different cameras. This is hard to find. Plus, being that the TZ5 is really the main competitor to the SX200IS, it makes for an interesting comparison. If you do review this website, particularly notice the "city night shot" and ISO 400 setting. In my opinion, the SX200IS is much clearer and offers a more accurate picture. Again, the SX200IS is a winner to me!
***Updatd 7-26-09***
After 4 months of extensive use, this camera is now having power issues. When the camera is turned on, and then turned off, it automatically turns on when I do not want it too! :( It will go back to be fixed. So in terms of reliability, I am a little disappointed. Nonetheless, given the quality and features of this camera, I will GLADLY keep the camera and GLADLY have it fixed. Even with this electronic issue, it is still the best camera out there. |
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| Review Date: March 31, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Eric, Huntington Beach, CA United States |
I received this before a weekend trip and it turned out to be a very well rounded camera. It's not as small as an Elph but it's still just small and light enough to carry around in your pocket or purse for easy access. The 12x zoom lens is terrific and in well lighted situations even the digital zoom creates clear, sharp pictures. The offset is that you lose the f2.8 aperture of other 3x camera's.
I tried most of the scene settings and they all produce slightly different results. The AUTO setting uses a higher shutter speed and ISO setting than Portrait. In Program mode you can set the ISO setting to 80 or 100 and have the camera adjust the shutter speed. The foliage setting does enhance the greens. If you have enough light the indoor setting works better and uses a faster shutter speed while Night snapshot uses a slower shutter speed and produces a better overall shot in lower light. In all but the low light scenes the camera does tend to over expose the shot slightly so I ended up using the exposure adjustment at - 1/3 or -2/3's to compensate.
I really liked the ability to adjust the settings to get a well exposed picture out of a range of situations that you can't always get with an Elph and the zoom lens allows you to frame a shot from just about any distance. The pictures are clear, bright and on par with other Canon camera's in it's class. There's plenty of features to play with like face detect and blink detect and the Image Stabilization works very well.
If you are ready to step up from a point and shoot camera to one that provides more control, has a better zoom but is still pocketable the SX200 IS is well worth putting on your list to check out. |
I really like this one!
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| Review Date: April 2, 2009 |
| Reviewer: E. Goldblatt, LA, CA |
Canon SX200
Well - I read in another post that someone likes to try the latest camera - me too! Check out my other reviews as I'm always in the market for a P&S that take at least 720HD Video. I've been using the Sony T500 and Canon G7 for most of my pic/vids until now! Since my last review, I've tried at least 6 other cameras and camcorders - all where returned for one reason or another; let's see - there's the: Samsung HZ10, Panasonic TZ5, Sanyo 1010, Leica D-Lux4, Leica Clux3, Sony CX12, various other cameras at the local store. I have great news! This new Canon SX200 will be my "go to" camera - at least until something better comes along (my trusted T500/G7 will be laid to rest). I'm giving it a 5 Star rating - is it perfect however! No, but for MY needs, it great.
Pro's:
1) Great picture quality - generally speaking indoor pictures are pretty good, noise low on anything below 400ISO, comparable to my Canon G7, much better than my Sony T500, as good - if not better than my old Panasonic TZ5. Outdoor - outstanding - what you would expect from a Canon, sharp, clear, good color, nicely exposed. Have not fooled around with manual settings, but nice to have.
2) I like the design and find it easy to hold (no slippage in my big fat fingers!). Other cameras make it easy for you to hold your finger over the mic or flash, but not here.
3) Flash - I do not mind the pop-up. No big deal for me! Works good too!
4) Menu's are pretty easy to navigate - no problem here.
1) HD Video - I really like the quality of the video, nice wide screen playback on my 40" Samsung HDTV and looks great on the desktop. Playback is easy and smooth, no problem. (not diggin' the digital zoom - see my cons). Codec actually works with my Windows Media Player without any hick-ups or wiggles. It's not perfect (like "Sunrise Earth" HD quality), but pretty nice for taking shots of the kids and grandkid, etc. Again, plays nice on the HDTV. Sound quality is only mono, but SOOOO much better than the Panasonic TZ5 (my deal breaker for the TZ5) it's no comparison. The Sony T500 beats them both for sound quality - it's stereo! Remember, during video you can NOT optically zoom this camera, but you can digitally zoom - it's not great, but will get you a little closer if you need.
6) IS - works great
7) Zoom nice and smooth - focus is fast and accurate.
8) Battery - pretty good - seems to last me the day - I bought an extra just in case.
9) Auto Focus works like a charm, even in low light - no problem here.
10) Macro looks great - took some beautiful shots of flowers and roses in my backyard.
11) Easy to carry around - not to big, not to small either - just right!
12) Overall quality and "feel" is nice! Seems well built and should hold up to many outings with the kids and hiking around.
Cons:
1) No optical zoom with the Video. If this camera was able to optically zoom, it would be as good as it gets for a point and shoot with HD Video! Come on Canon - what's up with that!!!! Panasonic can do it -why can't you! Do you want your customers to jump ship when the new Panasonic TZ7 comes out??????? If SOMEONE could.......please, please, please, hack this and help me. Maybe Canon will do some kind of firmware update and allow optical zoom. I can put up with the motor noise of the zoom for this ability!!!!!!!! While you're at the firmware hack - if you could disable the flash pop-up that would be nice too!
2) Indoor shots a bit soft, but just about all P&S's are, the SX200 is pretty darn good though.
3) In the Auto mode, the camera automatically (hence "auto" mode) picks the setting it thinks it needs for the best shot. For example, if you real close to an object, it will automatically switch to Macro, then turn back to other modes if you take another shot - this process takes a little time (maybe a second or two) to switch. I do not mind because that is what is supposed to do, it just takes a "learning curve" understand what is happening.
Anyway, these are just the things that really stand out. Of course there are other functions that I really like and others that I will rarely use.
Just one camera geeks opinion, I've read the above folks comments and agree with some, disagree with others. Each piece of tech has it's quirks (like the flash popping up when the camera is on; or it feels slippery; or whatever). It's hard to try something new, but with all of the cameras I've tried, I can tell within a few shots (I have my test shots all picked out for comparisons) if I'm going to like it or not. The SX200 was the first in long time that kept me inetested, testing, and ultimately claim this one as a keeper! Interested in your opinion - just me nice!!!! Oh, and one more thing - PLEASE don't tell me to go and get a DSLR and a dedicated HD Camcorder - been there, done that!
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Excellent SLR replacement/backup
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| Review Date: May 20, 2009 |
| Reviewer: M. Chesner, Shelton, CT |
The Short Version: I love this camera. While it has a few clear weaknesses, it more than makes up for them in quality, ability, and manual controls.
Background: I am a photography enthusiast. Not the kind who stalks around taking random pictures of strangers, or who wanders the forest looking for interesting plants. The kind who enjoys taking pictures at events: quiz meets, softball games, weddings, etc. to share with friends. I own a Canon EOS 50D (digital SLR) but also like to have a smaller point-and-shoot for travel or situations where the "snap-click" noise of an SLR is unacceptable. My last point-and-shoot had proved bad for the lower-light situations where I tend to shoot, and a wedding was coming up that I wanted to cover. In the past, I had always gone for ultra-compacts but this time around I wanted something that could handle both low-light and long zooms while still being pocketable. I tried an Olympus Stylus 9000 (returned due to impossibility of focusing reliably and blur indoors) and researched the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. But in the end, I chose the Canon Powershot SX200 IS and purchased it from Amazon.Com.
The Good: This camera is a joy to use. It has an automatic mode, a "super-easy" mode, 5 scene modes, a dedicated "special scenes" mode with less-used options, video, full manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, and Program mode, like an SLR. Unlike the competition, the camera has nearly as much customizability as an SLR and the controls are fairly easy to use due to a new menu structure for Canon camera. The pictures are clear, crisp, and has relatively low noise even down to 1600 and 3200, when compared to other point-and-shoot models. The SDHC card slot will accommodate even the largest 32 GB models of memory card (yes, I tested with one those those) and saving to card is quick. The 3.0" LCD on the back is also clear and crisp. And I love the "selective desaturization" mode in the camera. And how do you beat 12x zoom (28 to 300mm equivalent lens) in this size package?!
The Bad: The camera is not perfect. First, while very pocketable, it is not an ultra-compact - it is about as long as an iPhone but 4 to 5 times as thick and it is has definite heft in your hand and pocket. Second, time from shot to shot is not quick, even in "burst" mode, sometimes taking a full second or 2 to recycle between shots. Third, battery is life is only moderate - over the course of a wedding and reception (about 8 hours) I went through 3 fully-charged batteries, and the batteries themselves take over 2 hours to recharge. Finally, when zoomed to the extreme, the camera often finds it hard to find a focal point and may vacillate between two of them, forcing you to let go of the shutter and recompose the shot. This lead me to lose a few really critical photographs.
The Bottom Line: This camera is a keeper, but you'll want to keep your SLR for the most important or challenging occasions. The 12x zoom is great for getting in close or finding a good wide-angle option. It is pocketable, has a plethora of manual options to allow you to get the best shot, has several really fun auto options, and comes in at under $400 even at the expensive shops. How much did I like this camera? Let's just say that I am now one of 3 friends who all own the Canon PowerShot SX200 IS. |
Terriffic Zoom - Great Bird Photos
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| Review Date: April 2, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Michael McKee, Port Townsend, WA United States |
The best camera is the one you have with you. I walk either on the shore or in the woods every day and am a passionate if novice birder. I've used this Canon to capture images of birds that I couldn't identify in the field. The long zoom is amazing, especially with the image stabilization. This camera is small and light enough to slip in my vest or coat pocket and as such has become my constant companion.
The images it takes are good. I've compared it against my SLR a Pentax K20D. In good light its images stack up well against the jpegs shot with my SLR's kit lens, though they aren't as sharp as as those I take with my better lenses. This doesn't do RAW files to compare to, which are always richer in image information. In lower light and at higher ISOs the difference between this and the SLR becomes major, which is typical of a point and shoot. This is not a great low light camera, but that's not why I bought it. To further emphasize that, point please understand that the flash is pretty anemic. But that's not what I bought this for. Look at the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3, which should be out soon for better indoor capability. It has a better flash and somewhat better low ISO performance.
In daylight, even under medium overcast this PowerShot does a great job. I especially like the manual exposure and focus capabilities this camera has. The Panasonic against which this model is pitted is brilliant at auto exposure, still there are times when I want full manual control and this gives it.
I'm new a movie taking so can't really compare the abilities against dedicated movie cameras. I do love the fact that I can simply push a button and start taking a clip. Yesterday a bald eagle fought the heavy wind about 100 ft overhead and I got a great 2 minute movie of it struggling with gusts. Of course the microphone picked up the heavy wind sound but it doesn't seem to in more normal weather. The movies imported directly into FinalCut Express for editing. They're taken with the h.264 codec, which I've found in other circumstances gives good quality at comparatively small file size. That seems to be the case here as well. It also takes HD movies. Since my we got a widescreen TV, my wife only wants to watch wide screen video. That's covered with this camera.
For good light and where you'd want a high power zoom as well as pretty good wide angle, say landscape, wildlife or stree photography, I wholeheartedly recommend this camera.
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