CameraFly

Camera Reviews from Amazon.com

• May 7, 2010
  Great images, video, features and small size!

  

  Comparing to my previous EOS Elan, this camera is amazing! You have to try it!

• April 28, 2010
  SX1: the good & the bad

  

  I bought this to replace an S5IS, so I'll be comparing the 2 cameras. in some ways it is a better camera, but the old S5 still does a few things better.
  
  The good:
  HD Video: The 1080P movie capability is pretty awesome. Very few camcorders can do 1080P, but this camera does it, and does it pretty well. Movies are stable and look good, although a little jerky at times. The dedicated movie button is cool too.
  Rapid shooting: 5 frames per second at full res is pretty amazing - this is DSLR territory.
  LCD screen: the size and clarity are awesome, and the articulating feature is a must have for me. It would be perfect if not for the polarizing - see below.
  Build quality: This is the most solid camera of this type that I've used. DSLR like.
  
  The bad:
  Picture quality: Canon went with a CMOS sensor to increase the speed, and it is fast, but the picture quality suffers. It is still pretty good, but pictures from the old trusty S5 are better - less noise, crisper, more detailed.
  Controls: Canon went from increment buttons on the S5 to a thumb dial on the SX1. This is used to change ISO, shutter speed, aperture and other settings I regularly access. The dial is just fussy and hard to use.
  Lens: Here I am comparing it with an S5 with a 1.8X teleconverter, achieving similar magnification. The the S5 images are better in every way, clearer with less distortion and fringing.
  LCD screen: Great screen BUT, and this is a big one for me... it is polarized the wrong way! Arg. The S5 screen is polarized such that when wearing polarized sunglasses, you can clearly see the screen in landscape position. The SX1 screen is polarized 90 degrees off from the S5. In other words when looking at he screen in landscape position, it is totally black with polarized sunglasses. This is a big one for me, since I love polarized glasses, and like to be able to shoot without taking them off.
  HD aspect ratio. You have to switch the camera from 4:3 to 16:9 to shoot HD video. Kind of a hassle switching back and fourth when shooting video & photos.
  
  So I am using the SX1 mostly because of the HD feature. But aside from the build quality, HD, and still shooting speed, I prefer the old S5.

• April 9, 2010
  I finally decided!

  

  After several months of trying to decide on a digital SLR or a high end digital camera I decided on the Canon Powershot SX1 IS. I have had the camera for a couple of days now, and it is wonderful. My reason for choosing this camera was to have something that my family could utilize (wife and 5 kids) but that also had some of the features a digital SLR delivers. I am a casual photographer, but I know a goood picture when I see one, and this camera delivers. The photo quality is superior and the pre-settings are great for one who has no knowledge of manual settings. The camera is bulky; so, if you are looking for a pocket camera this is not it. I am very impressed with the HD video quality, and now I feel like I can have the best of both worlds in still and video; although, my main purpose for the camera are still images. Some may not like the use of AA batteries, but I have found this to be very convenient. The most impressive feature of the camera for me is the 20X zoom that can key in on distant subjects without the need to fiddle with changing lenses. I also like the ability of the camera to capture moving subjects with ease. I have more to learn about this camera, but I wanted to chime in with a review that may be helpful for someone like me that was having a difficult time making a decision on a high end digital camera. I will say if you feel comfortable with utilizing a digital SLR go with that, but if you are like me and have other users in your family that you want to be able to utilize the camera without much training, the Canon Powershot SX1 IS is the one to choose.