Отзывы о Цифровой Фотоаппарат Canon PowerShot SX160 IS

This camera has everything I want

AA batteries-
I always go for cameras that take AA batteries as that way if it goes flat while out I can simply buy more from a shop.

10x optical zoom-
fantastic I have used this to the max a few times particually when I was sightseeing in New York

9Mega Pixels-
Good enough for anything I need. I could print an A1 photograph with this at it would still look good :)

Settings saved when the camera turns off-
this was a big selling point fot me as my last camera use to irritate me when I wanted to use night settings or change the flash I would have to go through the menus again each time.

It know which way is up-
when viewing your images you can rotate the camera and the pics rotate so they always stay the right way up, also meens you dont have to turn your camera round when looking back at you pics.

Easy to opperate most popular features

Good flash which you just flip up

I have taken lots of very good indoor shots with this camera

This is the most amazing camera I have ever owned. To be fair, I have only owned 2 previous digital cameras - an ancient Canon Powershot, and a Sony. This camera, however, is as close as you could get to a DSLR quality image, while still being a point and shoot.

I was going back and forth deciding to buy this camera, or the Canon G10. While the G10 boasts 4 more megapixels, I am confident that this is a far better purchase. The price is FAR lower, and the image quality, I find, is the same, if not better. What really makes this camera knock the G10 out of the water is the zoom. The zoom is absolutely incredible. I researched both models for weeks before buying, and I just cannot find any real justification for the enormous price difference between the two cameras.

The rotating LCD screen on this camera is a huge plus as well. Especially when taking a self-timer shot, I like to rotate the LCD screen to face me while I position the camera. And when shooting in macro, you can tilt the screen up to face you so you don't have to get down on the ground and use the view finder (like when shooting flowers and plants that may be low to the ground).

It's fairly easy to learn how to use, though I still haven't gotten the hang of taking good indoor and night time photos. For that, I'm sure, a tri-pod would be of good use.

Read the manual, it's very helpful.

I have gotten so many compliments on the shots I have taken with this camera already. The macro and supermacro modes are outstanding, as is the portrait mode. They both produce beautiful clearly focused images with a nice blurred background.

The color options are fantastic as well - I love shooting in vivid colors and sepia tone.

This camera is a MUST BUY.

Good, well made sock, with thick fabric and well finished. Nice to touch. Keeps camera screen clean as well.

Its ok, although I've had a cannon sock before and it doesn't seem to be up to the same standard... the canon bit rubs off which I'm sure isn't right and its much thinner than the one I had before, its ok but I wouldn't buy it again, I'll be going to a camera shop next time.

After testing the Canon TX-1, this has been my experience:

PHOTO QUALITY: Excellent. Canon wisely uses in-camera noise reduction (blurring) lightly and preserves sharp detail. On close magnification, single pixel detail is present, which the Panasonic DMC-TZ3 that I compared blurred details into a gradient. Color saturation and contrast are excellent. Focus is fast and accurate. Overall, superb qualtiy still pictures.

VIDEO QUALITY: Very good. Quality is roughly midway between DV and a dedicated HD camcorder. Though criticized by some for their large file sizes, Canon's Motion JPEG compression codec yield video that is of excellent contrast, and good color saturation. I took video samples and re-compressed them using Canon's codec (included with their camera's software) and other codecs including MPEG2, QuickTime, and multiple other codecs from Adobe Premiere, and found that the Canon motion-JPEG, though theoretically not as efficient a compression scheme, ended up with the best quality video, while other codecs of similar file size were more washed out. Another advantage of this compression scheme is that you can get good quality frame captures, as each frame is compressed individually. It's not perfect: unlike my dedicated HD camcorder, the TX-1's video has a vague "shimmering" effect, from the JPEG compression varying from frame to frame. Also, with moving objects, the motion isn't quite as fluid with as with my dedicated HD camcorder. But for a combination still/video platform, the video of the TX-1 is remarkably good. File sizes are large, but they will be with any high quality video.

ERGONOMICS: In my medium to small hands, the camera is easy to hold. Some reviewers complained that they needed to use their left hand to stabilize the camera, but I always hold cameras with two hands. This one can be held with one, but any camera will yield less blurry pictures if held with two hands. If you have large fingers, you may find this camera too small.

CONVENIENCE: The LCD folds into the camera, and there is no optical viewfinder, so when the camera is closed, there is no vulnerable glass to scratch up on any side. And it is so tiny that you can throw it in a pocket or bag or purse and pull it out for an unexpected spontaneous shot.

FLASH: I was worried that the flash would be too under-powered. It is a weak flash. Unexpectedly, this turned out to be a good thing. I've noticed with past cameras that indoor flash pictures screamed "FLASH!" and were bright with a thin dark shadow next to foreground objects from the flash. This weaker flash ironically ends up making more natural shots as it doesn't saturate the shot and some existing light adds to make a more pleasing picture. The flash is too weak to brightly light up a large dim room that you are shooting from a long distance, or if you zoom in under dim conditions.

ZOOM: 10X zoom is really powerful; I can zoom in a lot more than I expected. The excellent image stabilization allows these zoomed in shots to not be blurred from camera motion.

LOW LIGHT: Like virtually all compact cameras today, the tiny CCD does not perform well in very low light shots without flash. The TX-1 is no exception. Fuji cameras are known for better performance in low light, but currently don't have optical image stabilization. The image stabilization in the TX-1 (and other cameras with this feature) help a lot because you can use much longer shutter speeds and make up for the small CCD.

PLAYBACK: It has been fun for me to plug the camera into my widescreen TV and watch the photos and video in a combined slide show. That format is fun for the family and allows everyone to enjoy the memories without having to sit by a computer monitor or wait for prints.

PROBLEMS: The only thing I've not enjoyed is that the small LCD makes it harder to see detail in composing a shot, especially in bright sunlight.

OVERALL: The TX-1 produces excellent quality still pictures, very good 720p video, is tiny, not easily scratched, has a huge zoom, great image stabilization, and will end up being something you will want to toss into a pocket or bag and capture a spontaneous, memorable moment. It is a rare camera that can record both stills and video without one of them being useless. I'm very happy with it. I hope you enjoy whatever you decide on too!

I recently bought this camera after fighting with the decision to go with a Sony Cybershot DSC-H10 8.1MP or go up in size and get the Canon Powershot SX10IS 10MP. I chose to stick to a smaller size camera so I would take it with me most places instead of leaving the bigger camera at home. So even though I love all the features of the Canon Powershot SX10IS 10MP it's just too big for me right now.

First I would like to point out that this is a point and shoot camera, designed for everyday pictures and some advanced shots if you have the know how. We would all love to get the hand held digital camera that can take stunning SLR pictures but unfortunately that still doesn't exist. This camera with the right equipment and experience can come close though.

I have to disagree with those that are saying the battery life is short. I have had very good battery runs, including the batteries that were supplied with the camera. So far this has been one of the best point and shoot cameras I have ever used. Here are my run downs:

Pro:
-Great image quality, I mean really superb. Can go to ISO 400 and still be a good enough to print pictures. After that your going to need some clean up with an editing software or "noise" will be too prevalent.

-Fast response time from power up to shot. In between shots it depends on what level flash you use, the brighter the flash the longer it will take to recharge the flash. This problem, however, is in just about all cameras of this caliber. Even the sony and canon SX10 would take 5-7 seconds to recharge after a full flash was used. I have a sony alpha and that flash drains sometimes takes 4 or more seconds to catch up.

-Great LCD. I have it at half brightness and it's more than enough in almost any situation.

-Easy to learn operation, don't believe me, just set it to easy and it'll do all the work and be right most of the time.

-Nice solid feel to it.

-Prints have been excellent and full of color.

Cons:
-I wish the f/stop would go below 2.8. That's just me maybe.

-Even though I know the flash will take a few seconds to recharge, I wish someone could come up with a way to make that faster. It would save some missed pictures.

All in all it's a great camera. Easy to use and not so bulky that you won't take it with you everywhere. I carry mine in belt pouch and have been lucky I had it for some great pictures, that yes would have looked slightly better with my dslr, but I wouldn't have gotten them at all if I didn't carry my dslr with me.

Highly recommend it and am probably going to get one for my wife so she'll stop taking mine.

This item was purchased as a gift, but even so, I've had the opportunity to use it here and there, and it has worked well. One of the main reasons I bought it was the viewfinder that lets you take a picture without using the screen on the back. I have another camera that has the same feature, and it has come in so handy that I did not want to give a gift without this view finder option. The reason I went with this camera is the Canon name and favorable reviews and lower cost through an Amazon partner, where-as the camera I have (Ni-kon) would have cost considerably more. The picture quality is good, the flash works well, and the camera is using a 4 GB SDHC class 6 memory card beautifully. For batteries, we gave Energ. ultimate lithium, which lets the user avoid having to use & manage rechargeable batteries, since new ones are easy to replace and recycle. The use of the camera is limited, so the batteries last and do not loose charge while in storage, and the flash charges quickly still. I have not seen the pictures on a computer screen yet, but on the preview back screen, the pictures look good, and video also looks good. The buttons on the back could have better labels, but the selection wheel on the top works excellent, with nice clicks between the different camera options. Overall, I'm please with the camera and its function.

I bought this battery as a back up for my XTi. Seems to work at least as well as the original Canon battery. I recently took approximately 1500 photos over the course of a weekend and I couldn't tell a difference when switching back and forth between the two batteries.

digital zoom will will not focus in less than 2 years

definitely an expensive disposable.

Never will by another cannon product and the support is terrible.

This camera is almost perfect. I'm not going to be able to add much to what the other reviewers have stated: I agree with all the good points (type of batteries it uses, easy to hold, great lenses that adapt themselves to shooting almost anything, doesn't weight too much but, at the same time, feels solid, easy to use, the rotating LCD display, etc.).

I cannot comment on the filming angle of the camera since I do not use it for films. I expect that, if I do use it to film something, it will be along the lines like the use of the camera that my cellular phone has: as an emergency measure only. If I need to film then I'll get a film camera.

Getting back to the camera: I've had mine for a bit over a week by now and shot over 400 photographs.

I'm definitively NOT a power user, but I do know a bit or two regarding what constitutes a good photograph: if I like it then it's a good one!

This machine makes almost all shots look like good ones. If you don't want to bother about anything, just select the AUTO function and zoom to the point of getting in the picture what you want. Period.

If, like me, you like to tinker a little (or a lot!), it has almost all the functions that you might wish for (and, perhaps, some more that you didn't know existed).

When I say that it's close to perfect it is because:

a) The shutter cannot be programmed for a lapse greater than 15 seconds. If you want to shoot stars or some other night pictures, this might be a bit of a concern. I would have liked the shutter to be fully programmable up to infinity.
b) The low battery alarm only comes on when you're dangerously low on power. By then it might be too late. I would have liked a battery level indicator that tells me at all times what the level of power is so that I can take precautionary measures (like buying some more batteries ahead of time).
c) The continuous shooting mode, when you have selected the 10 Mega pixel resolution, is slow. I was shooting a "corrida" here in México and action was a lot faster than what the machine was capable of capturing. Most certainly the 0.6 seconds that are specified need to be improved (perhaps up to 0.2 seconds or less). If someone tells me that I can get a faster response by lowering the resolution, my response would be: what's the point of getting a lot of low resolution pictures? If I'm shooting something it's because I'm interested in it in the first place!

If I had to resume this machine it would go along these lines: It has almost everything that you might want but doesn't force you to use it: it leaves you the freedom to be the type of photographer that you are.

Not much else that I can add.

Camera is very good and reliable. The AA batteries do not last very long though, which can be frustrating. Otherwise it is a solid Canon camera that takes very nice snapshots.

The most outstanding features of this camera are its rather incredible potential focal length (i.e., 20x zoom), its high resolution (10MP), and its rather open configurability.
In my own case, the SX10 replaced a Canon S3 IS, a marvleous 6MP camera with which I obtained quite amazing photos. The SX10 is just about the same form factor, though deliberately a bit easier to grip, but delivers sharper images at all focal lengths, far longer focal lengths, and somewhat greater and much more easily accessed control of the settings for individual shots. Like its predecessor, the SX10 does not allow for saving shots as .RAW files, which is probably a good thing for Canon, because if they did the rationale for buying their mainstream digital SLRs would be less compelling.
I like Canon equipment very well and was inclined to upgrade into their product line, but compared the SX10 with as much of the competition as reasonable before biting the bullet. THe cameras I fussed with the most are the Canon G10, which adds .RAW files but has a much more limited optical zoom capability, and the Panasonic DMC-LX3. I nearly bought the latter, in fact, because it has much higher resolution video available, but at some cost to picture quality. Ultimately, I decided that I'd use a video camera for videos, and hence picture quality won out.
Aside from its limited f-stop range (endemic to its competitors), and its rather odd failure to include .RAW files, the limitations of the SX10 show up in comparison to digital SLRs. Aside from a comparatively circumspect range of f-stops, the focusing alternatives tend to be more restricted, the photo quality above about ISO 400 deteriorates pretty obviously, and the time between photos at maximum rep is actually lower than for the venerable S#. So if you spend a lot of time taking action photos, or shooting pictures at very low lighting, then consider the G10 or its competitors. If 90% of your shots are taking in reasonably lighting without lots of action, as are most of mine, then you will be VERY hard pressed to find a better compromise camera. It's not perfect, but that's not the point of a compromise, is it?

If you are looking for an affordable camera (in the $100-ish range) that can do a lot, then this unit may be for you.

When our last digital camera bit the dust after a long and productive life (an earlier generation Canon) we started looking for a replacement, and were extremely pleased to find this camera.

This is what I was looking for:
1) A camera with enough megapixels to be able to produce high quality images (this one has 8MP)
2) A camera with a viewfinder. Many cameras lack that feature, but I do much better by using a viewfinder than by using a digital display. The reason I prefer a viewfinder is that I have continuous focus lenses in my glasses, and it's tough for me to look at a digital display and simultaneously at my subject, but with a viewfinder that's not an issue. This camera has a good viewfinder.
3)I wanted a camera with a range of features. This one, of course, has several photo capabilities, plus video capabilities.
4) I wanted a camera that uses a standard sized battery so I can get replacement batteries wherever I go. This camera uses two AA batteries - so no problem there.
5) I wanted a camera that uses a standard SD card to store images, and this one does. That makes it EASY to upload images to my computer, and even to remove the SD card and plug that card directly into a digital photo frame, or into my TV which has a slot for an SD card.
6) I wanted a camera I could grip - and the shape of the camera allows that.

All in all, this is a great camera for family's and my camera needs.

Lest you think that this camera is the end all be all of cameras, it has are a few shortcomings. One such shortcoming is that the viewfinder does not have framing guides in it, so you have to guess at where the edges of the image will be. When you use the viewfinder the image captured will have more space around the edges than you can see through the viewfinder, especially if you happen to wear glasses, which make it more difficult to get your eye close to the viewfinder.

All in all, though, I think that this is definitely a 5-star camera for this price range. I don't think you will go wrong if you choose this camera for your snapshot photo needs.

Thanks Cannon! 5 stars all the way!

I immediately put the Canon SX110IS to work shooting flowers using the M (manual) mode with micro. I was amazed with the clarity and sharpness of each shot after I'd made the necessary manual F Stop and speed adjustments. Over the last two months I'd been experimenting with all the scene modes; indoor mode shots, kids & pets mode, night-snapshot mode, landscape and portrait modes. I wasn't as impressed with any one of them. The TV and AV modes don't impress me, however, if I don't want to use time making manual adjustments, TV and AV work fine. Don't expect your photos to be exceptionally sharp. I have yet to work with the P (Program mode). This Canon takes clear, steady movies. The sound is good, too. Just be careful...when you turn to movie mode and want to shoot in standard, turn the ring around the Func/set button. You'll get a readout, it tell you which mode you are in...Standard or Compact. Compact makes the movie small thereby emailing will go faster. But the compact mode gets blurry when watching it on the full screen computer or TV. I take my movies on Standard mode 640x480 30fps. By using that you'll get the clarity of almost HD movies. Oh, I use rechargeable Ni-MH AA batteries. I was in Denver, CO for three days last month and took 150 photos and three movies on one set of rechargeable AAs, and they still had juice in them when I got home. I also use a 16GB memory so I'll won't run out, but I do carry a 4GB SanDick ExtremeIII memory card as backup. Check the front page of this camera to see the closeup shot of a yellow flower I took last month.

This Canon SX110IS is my fav. I'm going to purchase a Flip UltraHD camcorder, 120 minute. Both cameras will accompany me to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico in October when I go for my son's wedding. I'm aware that the Flip doesn't have image stabilizing, but my hand is Ultra Steady. Good like people with your camera purchase. I hope you'll be as happy with yours as I am with mine.

For $250 the Canon PowerShot A540 is an excellant camera. The camera is easy to operate, gives good quality pictures at 6MP and the display is large enough to actually see what the picture looks like that you just took. Of course an LCD viewer remains difficult to see clearly in bright sunlight. The camera is not quite as small and thin as other cameras on the market but the price is right for this camera.

I read a reviewer in PC world who said " My 3 year old son can take pictures with this cammera". He was right. I put in automatic mode, and concentrate soley on composition now. The camera works supriseingly well in very low light stuatuions, if the light is below a certin level, the flash automaticaly fires. I have only scrathed the surface of the capabilities of this cammera. AND it was only a few dollars over 100 $. It's only drawback?, I only get about 70 shots from duracel battiers, other brands give me less that 35 shots. Also the incuded memeory chip will only let you take 12 pictures, buy a 4 or 8 gigabyte card as soon as the cammera arives. Either should give more than 500 shots in memeory.

Had I owned this camera before I owned the A720IS I might be giving it five stars, but when comparing the two this one loses both in build quality and feel. Back in June I was traveling across Louisiana on my way from Brownsville, TX to Clarksville, TN when my A720IS managed to drop from my truck unnoticed. I had owned it for more than a year, was thoroughly satisfied with it and am still furious with myself for losing it! The A720 felt very good in my hands and had a very nice fit. The A590 is a bit smaller and doesn't feel quite as good, but this is purely subjective on my part and will not be the case for everyone. Build quality is not subjective: the zoom mechanism is disappointingly sloppy. The zoom lever doesn't have the same substantial feel as the one on the A720 and the whole zoom operation is considerably less precise. With the A720 the lens would 'stop on a dime' when the lever was released while on the A590 the lens continues to drive for a millisecond or so, just long enough to position the lens at an undesired zoom level and making readjustments quite necessary. The 4x optical zoom is adequate for most purposes but comes up short compared to the 6x of the A720. None of these things is a deal-breaker and wouldn't matter on their own. It is only when comparing this camera with the A720 that one notices the difference. In my opinion Canon took a step back with this camera, albeit a small step, and if you are able to find the 720 for a reasonable price I would recommend it over the 590; however, both are capable cameras that take good quality pictures and both will serve you well. There are still a few 590's for sale off the shelf in stores and the clearance prices make them very attractive buys, especially now that both they and the A720 have been priced way out of reason in on-line stores.

I got this sock free with my Ixus 80 almost two years ago. I kept my camera in it for the whole two years and it has been all around the world with me - there isn't a scratch or mark on that camera. I took the caribiner and cord off and just use the strap attached to the camera - the sock doesn't slip off. If like me you keep your camera in a bigger bag/handbag, then this handy little sock just protects it from scratches - it's lightweight, can be washed and doesn't end up bulking your camera to twice the size.

Perfect.

I had a Nokia digital camera for a couple of years. I don't have much knowledge and wanted a camera where I could easily use the auto mode. Well, the pictures always came out too dark even when a flash was used. Luckily I dropped the camera and broke the lens for it made me do in depth research before I purchased this little gem of a camera.

I needed a workable camera for a New York City trip and I heard good things about Canon as well as this camera in particular. I am thrilled with my purchase. It is a small camera that is also very sturdy and an excellent piece of equipment. Many electronic items now come with cds to read the manual. This one actually came with many manuals and they were lenghthy and definitely user friendly. Everything is described in full detail from first set up of the camera to the great enhancement features this camera possesses.

But luckily for me I was able to go to New York and use the camera in the auto mode and it took amazing puctures whether it be day or night, cloudy or sunny. The detail is amazing and color is crisp. Whem I the pictures to mt computer again there were easy to follow instructions provided. Everything about this camera is A+ and I can't wait to explore the more advanced enhacements it has. No item is perfect and people are complaining about the battery life with the camera. I have had no such problem. I own a 4 AA battery rechargeable kit and I put freshly charged batteries into the camera and went 5 days, taking over 200 pictures without the batteries needing to be changed. Now 2 more weeks have gone by and those same batteries are running strong.

With so many oprtions out there with electronics it is very important to go by others experience using the item and really read their opinions to see what applies to you. For me this camera receives the highest grade. I can use the auto mode as I desire for perfect pictures and there are many great additional features to utilize as I progress as a photographer. I now also trust Canon and learned my lesson about Nokia. Canon is reliable and this product comes well packaged with all the instructions you need.

Highly recommend this superb digital camera.

Canon PowerShot A590IS 8MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

My one Daughter lost her camera, so I gave her my two year old Kodak point and shoot camera and hit the Internet to find me a replacement for that one. After spending several hours looking and reading reviews, I picked the Cannon A590IS. The things I liked about the camera when I first saw it, was the shape. I don't like those real small flat ones. They are great to stick in your shirt pocket, but are hard to hold steady and shoot. This one had a nice handle like grip where the batteries fit in and you can hold it and shoot with one hand if you want to. It's still small enough to fit into a coat pocket, purse and pants pocket. It had great reviews and the price was great.I sure wasn't disappointed when I got it and got a chance to use it. It was everything people were saying it was. Easy to figure out, took great pictures and had a good zoom.

I wanted a camera that used AA batteries, which you can find anywhere if your batteries die on you. The Cannon had that too. But it had something my Kodak didn't have and that was a view finder. Not many cameras have a view finder anymore. It really comes in handy when the sun is bright and washes out your LCD screen.But I soon discovered another great use for it. The view finder can stretch the life of your batteries a long way. On many shots, I turn the screen off and shoot using the view finder. The screen will light up for a second or two and show me what I shot and turn off again. That really is a great battery saver if used and would take care of most of the complaints about this camera.

There are so many features on this camera, both automatic and adjustable that it's hard to believe it sells for so little. It should satisfy the needs of about anyone, novice or skilled camera user.

A good safety feature you can use, is when putting your camera away, put the switch in (review) mode and not in (shoot)mode. That way if it accidentally gets turned on, the lens won't open up and push against what ever you put it in with and mess up the lens.

I liked this camera so much, I just ordered two more. One for my other Daughter and one for my Son. They should get them this week and I'm sure they will love it as much as I do.

If your looking for a good point and shoot camera with most of the bells and whistles on it and small enough to put in your pocket, but big enough to get a good grip on it, you can't go wrong with this camera. You will love this Cannon.

Hi
I researched for a good camera and zeroed in on the SX1. It was real hard for me to shell out about $650 for the camera and memory card.

Pros: What I liked with the camera: good contrast, colors in pictures. 20x optical and 4x digital (80x combined) zoom is super!

Cons: Pathetic image quality. If you take some pictures of trees + grass, everything is smudged. My 7 year old Fuji 2800 model (2 MP) camera takes sharper pictures (see my post at [...]) in which we can see the grass and foliage with well defined borders... This has been a great disappointment and nullifies all the pluses of the camera.

I am returning this item to seller...very unfortunate experience

Update:

I have returned the camera

It was really hard to choose between this camera and a more expensive DSLR ....and all that entails...but I wish I'd made the jump...
But that's just my personal take...

This is without doubt a great camera, with features galore for the enthusiast.
Or those willing to become one...:)

The main reason for my purchase, beside the manual controls...
is the great swiveling LCD...once you've used one you don't want go back (sort of like dial-up vs cable :)
And there's that big zoom lens...
Most folks will find the wide angle more useful than extreme zoom, but the long zoom is really fun to play with thanks to the image stabilization.

It's an excellent camera...you just have to learn how take advantage of it's strength's

and you will experience a learning curve...it's one you will HAVE to play with, read the user guide, refer to frequently... and then perhaps love to play with ;)

It is a a great feature-packed, photography enthusiast imaging tool that produces excellent images, and it FEELS like a real camera, solidly built

The features and price points sort of blur when you can get a camera like this with so many features and control options versus a DSLR...
with a better sensor...that is a consideration, indeed...$

otherwise,it's a good buy IMHO!
I think the SX10 offers an outstanding value for photographers that want extended control over the camera, and are willing to put some time and effort learning how to do so...without breaking the bank...

but there's that darn DSLR looming....

Bottom line,
I love this camera,
not everyone will,
it loves to have it's buttons pushed, just so you know where YOU are...
or where to lead you..

And you must read/refer to the manual
It's definitely not a point&shoot except on Auto, and that works well in most situations too.

I used to dabble in amature photography. Mostly trees. I like trees, and they basically stand still.
But once I had my kids, and the digital age set in, I had to pack up my old SLR and get with something that could keep up with them.
I first owned a polaroid of some sort that took a hundred years to download, and had no room for memory expansion... Held about twelve pictures, and also, stank. So I bought a nice Pentax Point and shoot and kept dragging rolls of film in for awhile.
I finally took the plunge when the 5mp cameras came out and bought a samsung digimax. Hm... It served a purpose and took good outdoor shots. Lots of red-eye and taking any photos in flourescent light was forbidden.
I had a few other play cameras, like an oregon scientific, and some other pocket pix ones and decided to look around this year.

After lots of shopping, I settled on the Canon that you are now looking at.
What a camera.

Here are the features I was looking for.
1. Picture clarity. You can have all the megapixels you want but that does not make for a clear picture... there are a lot of other factors involved.
2. Versatility, (as in I can take pictures inside and outside, of moving objects and such without blurring, light problems, etc...)
3. Small- I dont want to drag around a giant camera. I take my SLR with me with all the lenses if I wanted to do that.
4. The zoom has to actually work. I mean-- a lot of zoom is great, but not if the picture always looks like a colorful cloud-- This camera has image stabilizing, and it WORKS
5. I wanted the camera to take a picture RIGHT when I clicked... My samsung had the nasty habit of waiting around seven years of me holding the button down until the red eye and many other factors were done "warming up" before actually taking a picture. Needless to say, there was never an option for a candid shot.... Lots of photos of the back sides of people though, and peoples faces right after something happened...

So, The Canon has it all. For years, Canon has been working to make photography easy for dorks like me
THe image stabilizer works amazingly.
The images are sharp.
The camera is small and light weight.
The red eye reduction works all the time.
The face finder rocks
The Zoom comes out with clear pictures-within reason anyway-
shots with and without a flash come out wonderfully and well lit whether or not I use the flash!
The camera can take picture after picture with virtually no rest period, and no warm up time.

Here is what I found out and was surprised by, and LOVE!
Switching to different modes is easy, totally self explanatory.
This beautiful little camera uses batteries VERY conservatively.
My old camera took maybe.... 60 shots before I had to replace the batteries, and I should, God forbid, take a film with this camera, I dont have to stop and replace the batteries after three minutes of filming.
On the two energizer lithiums, (batteries I used in my last camera too) I have taken two hours worth of film shorts, about three hundred and fifty photos and I have turned it on at least 20 times to go through the photos and used it like a brag book. Now, the battery says empty, but it is still going strong. So, when you get this, dont change the batteries the second you lose all your bars.... You have a good few hundred pictures left on it.

I am SO happy with this camera. The price is just icing on the cake.

I only got it a month ago, for the holidays, and I have just been trialing it.... I have not even delved into the world of features it offers.
I cant wait.

I got the Canon SX10 because it seemed to be better than the Nikon P80. But when I brought it home, it frustrated me that I couldn't zoom in and focus on someone's eye while 5 feet away. (the P80 couldn't either) I also didn't think it did great in poor lighting without the flash. The files were a bit grainy, and sometimes it didn't focus.

So I returned it and got the Nikon P80. I fell in love with it because of the ease of use, the manual was so easy to understand, everything seemed wonderful. But when I compared the pictures side by side with the Canon pictures, Canon came out ahead. I took pictures with both cameras of the same things, at the same times and settings. The Canon images were more true to color, they were clearer, and flash didn't dominate or change the lighting. It performed better in almost everything, and it's a much more solid feeling camera.

THE VIDEO AND SOUND QUALITY WERE MILES APART!! The Nikon video was very grainy and not too focused. When I played it back on my computer, the mono sound was so hollow. But the Canon video was so clear I could see my reflection in my daughter's eye! And the sound is truly in stereo! There is NO comparison. You can even take still pics while doing a video with the Canon, but not with the Nikon.

Nikon is definitely better at taking sharp, clear images in poor lighting. But in the zoom, Canon is slightly ahead.

I don't really like the design of the Canon, specifically the location of the three buttons where my thumb likes to hold the camera. One of them is the DELETE button! I keep accidently pressing those buttons! They should not be there. There should be a rubber grip like on the Nikon, and nothing else.

Also, I like the lens cap better on the Nikon than on the Canon, but for the quality of the pics and especially the video and stereo sound, who cares about the cap!

Well, I went back to the store and asked for my Canon. They still had it in the same place when I had returned it the day before. I'm loving it now. I will learn to grip my camera wider so that I don't hit the buttons, and I will zoom out just a bit to get that perfect shot.

There is yet another thing. When I looked at the "details" for the files, the Nikon ones recorded at 300 dpi, and the Canon ones were only at 180 dpi. So I don't know what's going on there. They were both set at the highest, largest, superfine settings. Oh well. I still think the Canon SX10 performs better than the Nikon P80.