Отзывы о Фотоаппарат Canon PowerShot SX260 HS

I am revising my review because I just returned the camera to Canon. On reviewing the videos taken in quiet rooms, I found that I had clicks and whirs. Perhaps it is something about the autofocus mechanism but a properly designed microphone shouldn't be picking up internal sounds.The quality of the video, apart from the sound, is excellent. The camera's performance indoors in situations like museums and restaurants is great. The AWB is not as good as the one on the Nikon S8100 (but the lens mechanism seems to be better than Nikon's, which failed). The zoom and image stabilization are fantastic for both video and stills. I am hoping that Canon gives corrects the problem because as a travel camera, having this much zoom and quality of video in a pocket-size package is great. If they can fix the sound problem, I'll change the review back to the 5 star I first gave it.Here's the rest of original review:I just got the camera yesterday so I haven't gone anywhere. How can I say it's a great travel camera? Last summer I traveled for 30 days in China, carrying a backpack, roller bag, and a ScottEVest. As much as I would love to take an SLR, the weight of the camera and lenses I would need, plus being alone with a prominent camera, make taking an SLR impractical and unwise. I was very happy with the NIkon S8100, but I went through two of them (scratched lens on the first; "lens error" on the second. After reading other's experiences trying to get Nikon, I decided to come back to Canon. I looked the Sony travel zooms too and they looked like excellent choices, but I have had good luck with Canon.While I had glanced at the manual online, once the camera arrived, I wanted to start shooting right away. I didn't wait to give the battery a full charge. The controls are fairly intuitive (finding the scene modes takes a bit of practice). The Auto and Easy focus modes work great (I need to read up on the difference; apparently you can easily change settings in the Easy mode, but I have only turned off the flash.). Reviews of the SX230 had complained about the flash automatically popping up and the position. When you are out of the Easy mode, the flash stays down even after you turn it off. In the Easy mode, it pops up after you turn it off if it needs light.The default for the GPS is apparently off when it comes out of the box. When I found I had no GPS data (there's map software that uses Google Maps), I turned it on and took more pictures outside. The SX230 reviews had complained that the camera often wouldn't shoot if it didn't have a GPS fix. I didn't experience that, but I also have an acre and clear shot of the sky. When I checked the track log in the software, I found that at the closest zoom level I had a track that showed all of my wanderings around my yard. iPhoto picked up the location data without any problem. Pictures in Picasa showed the precise location but the default setting hides the location so you don't have to worry about your privacy if you wish to hide it. With the proper setting in Flickr, you get a nice map of the locations in your uploads with precise locations you never even heard of. iy home shows up with the name of the subdivision plot. The only other place I have seen that is on my property deed and the county assessor maps.. I have both a Mac and a PC; there are versions of the software for both. However, I probably won't be using it since I use Lightroom and iPhoto. Both the Mac and the PC had no problem recognizing the camera and transferring the pictures.I tried a few of the scene and effect modes and they seem to work fine. The Supervivid gave a very impressive brightly colored picture of my neighbor's field and horses (see my uploaded images). The "fisheye" worked as expected. I shot some "Very Low Light" pictures and the camera worked well even though I didn't use a tripod; however, the version that showed up when I tried to upload it to the Amazon gallery didn't show a tree caught in the moonlight. I guess that was because of the compression.The video mode works fine and is accessible with a red record button so you don't have to dial up the video setting which is on the dial. The microphone is very sensitive. I could hear the cars passing on the street 150 yards away (we don't have any buildings between the road and us that dampens the sound). HOWEVER, you can also hear the zoom motor sometimes so if you are going to make video, it would be best to shoot, stop the shot, zoom in or out, and then shoot again. You can see some of the video in my Flickr photostream; I am eslbruce. Of course, when you zoom at the extreme ranges, you do get camera jerking and moving when you are just holding the camera with your hands.I have ordered three extra aftermarket batteries and a charger for my travels. I expect the GPS to drain the battery; hopefully , four batteries will do the trick. In an unusual setting like the Forbidden City or Summer Palace in Beijing, I can easily shoot over 1000 p

I am not a photographer -- I'm a picture-taker. I got a bit compulsive about snapping photos when I owned a Canon PowerShot SD 4000 IS (the box says "Digital Elph") . Purchased in, like, 2007, I think. Perfect camera for me. I loved the smooth, slim shape, and how the controls were easy to manipulate one-handed. Seriously, I have great photos that I've taken while biking, horseback riding, walking the dog...And the best thing about that old camera was Canon's low-light technology. I have so many fun shots from just whipping out the camera at parties or in bars or even around campfires -- no flash, and they all come out great. The camera is like a cat's eye or something, the way it can use ambient lighting to illuminate indoor/dusky photos that otherwise would come out dark. As a candid image shooter, I rely on the element of surprise/spontaneity. So when I broke my old SD 4000 IS (my bad entirely), I definitely wanted another Canon with the same low-light technology!Canon had introduced a lot of new products since I purchased my old "digital Elph" so I had a hard time figuring out which new model to go with. My two main issues: I wanted the low-light tech & I wanted something very small & portable & discreet. I sketched out the measurements for this model on paper before ordering. It actually appeared a little smaller than my old SD 4000....In person though, ugh. It's a stout little thing. Heavy!! Clunky in my hand. Controls aren't nearly as intuitive for me. Hard to find a good case for it, the one I bought along with the camera is a tight, tight squeeze which is nice protection I guess but makes it hard for me to just whip out the camera on a whim.Takes great pics but they're HUGE. I use the "burst" function when I take candids so I get like a dozen at once and then pick out the best ones to name & post, right? Well with this camera, I am eating up memory cards, I needed to buy a bigger system backup package, ugh....Other stuff I didn't like: eats up batteries (compared to my old SD 4000, that is). And it's a bit slower than my old camera, when you hold down the button to take a bunch of shots at once, there's considerably more lag. I am not a big fan of all the options, either. Fish eye lens? Really? I'd rather less functions, more functionality.But not a bad camera, at all. Just little too much for this casual picture-taker. I'm not trying to publish calendars, I'm just goofing around, here. Thank goodness for ebay, I've got my little SD 4000 back again so this story has a happy ending!Good luck with your camera search, hope this helped.

Canon SX260 HS: I'm happy to say that I was one of the first people to buy this camera. I bought it from one of the sellers on Amazon Marketplace, before it was officially released (it wasn't even available on amazon.com itself when I bought it).It's a good camera & quality clear pictures, with a clear & sharp LCD screen.The camera has the option of changing the aspect ratio for the pictures; you could choose from 16:9, 4:3, 3:2 & 1:1. You could also change the amount of recording pixels from L, M1, M2 & S. In auto mode, it has many predefined scenes. The camera could also be set to various scene modes, including portrait, Smooth skin, smart shutter, High-speed Burst HQ, Handheld night scene, low light, underwater, snow, fireworks, discreet & stitch assist. It does not have the scene modes for Kids & pets, foliage or beach, which other Canon powershot cameras have, but I don't think that would make a big difference, as it takes great pictures anyway. It also has creative filters which I haven't yet used, including fish-eye effect, miniature effect, toy camera effect, soft focus, monochrome, super vivid, poster effect, color accent & color swap. It has the movie digest feature & face ID. It also features continuous shooting.In manual mode, there are many different options, including setting the ISO speed (speeds available: 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 & 3200), flash output, changing the compression between fine & superfine (superfine is not available in Auto mode, but is available in P mode), white balance (settings available: auto, daylight, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent, fluorescent H, underwater & custom), my colors (including: vivid, neutral, sepia, B/W, film, lighter & darker skin tone, vivid blue, vivid green, vivid red & custom) & light metering. Manual mode has the option to have the flash forced on (forced flash is not available in auto mode, but is available in P mode). You can also set the shutter speed anywhere between 1/3200 of a second & 15 seconds (with speeds slower than 1.3 seconds, ISO speed is set at 100). Aperture value could be set anywhere between f/3.5 & f/8.0, but it also depends on the zoom position (with maximum zoom, aperture value could be set either at f/6.8 or at f/8.0).There is also a P mode, where various functions can be set. (Many of the options available in manaual mode are available in P mode also, including forced flash). I'm not here to describe every detail of the camera, as there are many more functions available as well (including setting the focus & exposure, plus some more that I haven't yet figured out), but for those that would like to know everything prior to buying the camera, they could go to Canon's website - [...] (find the camera, click on brochures & manuals) & download the complete user guide.Movies: Good quality with very clear sound. Optical zoom could be used for movies (& the sound of the zoom during the movie is extremely faint, not like some of the previous canon powershots). Options available are: Full HD (1920 x 1080, 24 fps), HD (1280 x 720, 30 fps) & VGA (640 x 480, 30 fps). Maximum clip length is approx 30 minutes for Full HD & HD, & approx an hour for VGA (or until the memory card is full). Movie format is .MOV. It also has iFrame (1280 x 720), & super slow motion (640 x 480, 120 fps, or 320 x 240, 240 fps). Please note since the primary function of this camera is for stills (as this is not a camcorder), therefore when you shoot a movie, it uses quite a lot of memory & the files will be very big. On an 8GB memory card: Full HD will be approx 30 minutes, HD - approx 42 minutes & VGA - approx 1 hour & 28 minutes, whereas on a camcorder, for the same amount of memory, the shooting time could be much longer, even in HD. But for shooting small clips here & there, it's very good.Zoom: zoom is very good - 20x zoom. It zooms quickly. Wide angle is 25mm which is very good & for some pictures you might want to zoom in a bit; otherwise it might be a bit too wide. In full maximum zoom, you may want to use a tripod; otherwise it might take some time to focus (but you could get good pictures even without a tripod). I found that in full maximum zoom (indoors), auto mode might not get the right ISO speeds etc. & you might need to use some manual settings, but that shouldn't be a big problem (plus you don't have to always use the full maximum zoom).Playback: It has some cool features for playback, including giving you various transitions between pictures (fade, slide or scroll), or watch them in a slide show on the camera. Erasing pictures is very easy; you do not need to go into the menu to erase pictures. You could also organize pictures in categories, or set-up a photo book. It has red-eye correction in shooting mode & in playback. You can also trim pictures or resize them in playback.Camera body: I find that the camera is very solid; the door for the memory card & battery compartment is sturdy, though the cover for the (AV & HDMI) terminals is flexible. The tri

I am your average person. Average in so many ways. When it comes to cameras... the simpler, the better. BUT... I still have SOME requirements. For instance, the size of the lens is important to me. I don't want a small lens. I also don't want to lug around some monstrosity of a camera in order to take pictures of my kids and family. Sorry but being a momtographer just isn't my thing. I still want good pictures though.It was important for me to have a point-and-shoot camera that I could fit in my jeans pockets (and I don't mean skinny jeans. I suppose to a degree I wear "mom" jeans, lol). Anyway, this fit the bill for that. I also wanted a camera that took crisp, clear pictures. This also fit the bill for that. I ALSO wanted a camera that was easy to use, since as I said, I am no photographer or momtographer.The "auto" feature on this camera was lacking, big time. Although it was wonderful for taking pictures with no flash (particularly pictures of fidgety kids who can't sit still) without having blur.... it sucked for the times I wanted to have a flash for a picture! Too many picture ops. were lost because I had to roll the dial to the "portrait" setting, and then change that to "flash on" since the auto setting only allows you to have either "auto" flash (where IT decides, and sometimes thinks there's enough light when there isn't) or "off." I HATED that about this camera and it was very, very frustrating.I also despised that the flash was a pop-up flash. Prior to this camera I had the Canon Sx110. It was a little bulkier but at least I could pop up that lens when I saw fit. This one popped up for you - except often, it was right underneath your finger. So then it would jam because your finger was holding it down (simply because your finger naturally went there in order to grip the camera correctly!)Videos were a good quality, no complaints. Though I didn't like that I wasn't able to snap stills while video was in motion. I can do that with my cell phone but not with this camera? Ugh.It's not a bad camera.... and as I said, the pictures are usually crisp and good. The compactness of the camera and the size of the lens makes me happy. But this is certainly not one of Canon's best. My next camera will be a Panasonic Lumix. Hoping I'll love that one because this one was not one of my favorites.

Although I own the previous model of this camera (SX230) I thought a review under this current model may help others. I am employed in an Audio-Visual field and take photos as part of my job. I have also taken over 15,000 family photos. I was looking for a small camera for home that had some manual controls and thought this camera fit the bill.Unfortunately, it is in the repair shop for the third time. The first time they replaced the focus assembly. As soon as I began using it I noticed the problem wasn't corrected and I immediately sent it back. The focus assembly was then replaced a second time. I started using it again with mixed results, getting a few very nice photos, but the majority of them were unacceptable and I could not trust it for important photos. At this point I noticed the camera in complete auto mode would very often default to ISO1600. I took the same pictures with my Canon Vixia video camera in still camera mode and the pictures came out great. The ISO1600 occurred in both well-lit situations and in medium lighting. I spent time on the phone with a technician changing some settings and doing some testing but ultimately it went back a third time.A "Senior Technician" reviewed sample pictures and agreed that several settings seemed off including iso, aperture, and shutter speed and he was going to consult with a supervisor. I spoke to a supervisor and asked for a replacement camera based on all the issues. He said he would not send a replacement because the repair was too far along and he wanted me to try the camera after the repair and we could take it from there. I asked what was done in the repair and he said nothing was found to be wrong with the camera and no repairs were made. I asked how trying it after the repair would help if no repairs were made. He then proceeded to tell me that if I continued to have problems after I got my camera back he would have me talk to a technician on how to properly take the pictures. I explained to him I take photos as part of my job and I understood the operation of the camera and if he would just allow me to send him a couple sample pictures he could see the issue I was having. He would also see that the photos were taken in a normal picture taking environment where a typical point and shoot camera would excel . He said that sending him samples wasn't possible and he would only go by the opinion of his technician. I also asked to speak to the person making the repair hoping if I could further clarify the problem maybe it could be corrected, he told me that wasn't possible either. In my opinion I felt the supervisor was condescending and unwilling to offer any real solution.After years of buying Canon still cameras and video cameras I think it is now time to look at other brands.If you look under the one and two star reviews for the sx230 and sx260 you will see other people have had similar issues with these cameras.If you look at the product images I added a photo of a stuffed bear. I also uploaded it to a Canon technician who said it had sharp focus and he could see the individual hairs of the bear. When I argued it was not in focus he said it was a great photo because it has a soft look like it was taken in a studio. This is how most of my indoor pictures have been coming out. It's hard to argue with support when they tell me this is a great quality photo.I also spent time taking duplicate photos one with the canon camera and one with my canon hfs20 camcorder. The camcorder stills consistently came out great while the still camera had grainy out of focus pictures.I would expect a dedicated camera should take better pictures than a camcorder but that is not the case for me. The technician told me this is the quality I should expect from this camera in auto mode and he could find no issues at all.

The Canon SX260 HS has a zoom lens of astounding power and quality that covers the range from an ultra wide 25mm out to a 500mm long range zoom that enables you to get a good photo of the batter from a seat in center field.Why do I love this lense? The photos in the wide-angle range of 25mm to 35mm are superior in quality to those taken with my Nikon and Minolta wide angle lenses that sold for twice the price of this camera. The lens is especially sharp in the 50mm to 150mm range where most photos are taken. And, surprisingly, the long-range photos in the 300mm to 500mm can be superb if you take the time to carefully steady the camera and lock in a precise focus.The stabilization mode enables you to take good photos at 500mm without a tripod, although supporting your hands on a railing or other support will increase the percentage of sharp pictures. The Canon will focus quickly at 500mm in bright sun light, but in hazy, or cloudy conditions, it may take a few seconds to lock in a precise focus.In the "old days", we used a heavy duty tripod and a magnifying eyepiece to get sharp photos at 500mm. So, I don't mind the fact that the Canon sometimes takes five or six seconds to get a precise focus lock on long range subjects...beats carrying a five pound tripod and two pound telephoto lens.The Canon's many manual modes permit getting exactly the photo you want, although studying the full 240 page manual, and reading Burian's "Canon Powershot G12" Guide will help you learn how to unlock all of the powerful features of the SX260. And, you can put the Canon into the "easy mode" with the red heart symbol, hand it to a ten year old, and most of the photos will turn out great.I prefer to use manual mode, with the ISO locked at ISO 100, and the aperture set near f/4 for the sharpest results. Under cloudy/hazy conditions, I use ISO 400 and I found that an 8 x 10 enlargement from the ISO 400 photos look just as sharp as an 8 x 10 enlargement from a ISO 100 photo. The quality of 8 x 10 enlargements at ISO 800 are noticeably lower, which is why I don't like using the Canon's auto modes...the auto modes often select ISO 800 when ISO 400 would be a much better choice.The SX260 has a "Live" mode that enabled me to take a photo I've struggled with for years. A building in my neighborhood has a facade that mixes white stone with gold stone, and brown stone. I've taken photos of it with about six different cameras and every possible setting. At best, I can get the color and tone of two of the three colors of stone just right, but never all three.The "live" mode puts an image of the building on the screen and then lets me move three sliders for the color balance, brightness, and color saturation. Just keep moving the sliders until the image on the camera's screen has all three sets of stone precisely the correct color, then take the picture. The photo will be perfect.The power of the "live" mode is that you are not chosing a "sunny" color balance or a "shade" color balance...the slider lets you dial in a precise color balance that may be somewhere between "sunny" and "shade". Likewise, the color saturation slider lets you get colors that are stronger than "neutral", but not as strong as "vivid". The live mode is easier to use than to describe, but the bottom line is: you will be able to get a perfect photo of any subject, no matter how challenging.Flash photos are mediocre. I get better results indoors by using ISO 400 and keeping the flash off. The "custom" white balance feature makes it possible to reproduce a candle lighted dinner or a Klieg lighted rock concert.The SX260 is the smallest and lightest camera with a 25mm to 500mm zoom lens that provides full manual modes. It is the best light weight travel camera on the market selling for anything close to its price. I suspect more than a few pros will have one in their bag.If you want to be able to enjoy the full power of the SX260, buy Burian's "Canon Powershot G12" guide. The SX260 and G12 share most of their key features, although some features have different names. Burian will show you how to take photos with the SX260 that look like photos taken with a $3,000 pro DSLR.

Like many other reviewers, I spent countless hours researching before purchasing. I seriously debated between this camera and the Panasonic Lumix DMC- ZS15 Panasonic LUMIX DMC-ZS15 12.1 MP High Sensitivity MOS Digital Camera with 16x Optical Zoom (Black) I read all of the reviews posted here (plus comments) as well as the in-depth reviews from c/net and dpreview (I would strongly suggest reading the reviews on dpreview - very, very helpful!) I was in the market for a point and shoot because I am having my first baby very soon. In the end, I picked the Canon over the Panasonic because I've heard that the Canons are more "user friendly" and I want to enjoy taking pics, not be struggling with a camera. I won't re-iterate everything already posted here, just some comments: 1) If you are considering buying the "red" camera, be advised that the color is definitely more of a pink/rose/plum. (I posted a pic above) 2) The camera does NOT come with a memory card. You will not be able to take pics without one - like the old fashioned film cameras, you had to buy the film separately - not sure why this is a huge problem for so many people. I would suggest getting a class 10 - I bought this one & it works great. I have NO ISSUES with it being "slow to focus" or delay between shots --> Transcend 16GB Class 10 SDHC Flash Memory Card (TS16GSDHC10E) 3) It does NOT come with a full printed manual - it is accessed via the included CD or online at the Canon website. At 238 pages, it's "greener" to not include it. It comes with a quick-start printed 35 page booklet only. HOWEVER, in EASY mode, step-by-step instructions appear on the LCD screen to guide you along. 4) Lots of reviewers complain about the pop-up flash interfering with finger placement and how it pops-up "unexpectedly" during a shot. The flash does not obliterate the entire corner. It actually takes up less than half of the depth. There is plenty of room behind the flash to rest your finger if you insist on placing your fingers on the corners (unless you have huge fingertips). Also, you can simply turn the flash off - it is very easy to turn on and off with each shot. 5) Auto mode vs Easy mode - Auto mode is fully automatic, all buttons except zoom, flash disable, and movie button disabled. Easy mode is ALSO fully automatic with all buttons except zoom, flash disable and movie button disabled HOWEVER on-screen instructions on the LCD screen guide you through each shot. SUPER easy!PROS (some repeats of other reviews - sorry, just can't help myself!) :-The zoom is just freakin' awesome - I didn't think I needed it, but wow!-Made from metal, not plastic - feels sturdy and well built, without being heavy.-Very, very easy to use - literally just point and shoot for great shots, but with enough options to "grow" with the you and/or satisfy the more camera-savvy-So many settings and options! Not just the fun stuff like fisheye and pinhole effect, but settings for red-eye correction, wind filter, checking for closed eyes, face detection, wink self-timer, smooth skin, customizing sounds, discreet mode, snow, fireworks, underwater...plus so much more-Simply outstanding pictures - clear, crisp, vivid, bright, no blurring or overexposed photos - just AMAZING!-Price - for under 200 bucks, its a steal!-Amazon's phenomenal return policy. If you're not happy, return it - simple as that.CONS:-NONE so far - but I'll update if anything changes-Battery life - I haven't had an issue but others do complain about it. I have the GPS off which supposedly makes a big difference.

Canon PowerShot SX260 HS is a very nice versatile camera (w/ really powerful zoom!) and ability to take some decent videos as well (mine doesn't make weird sound, just make sure you have some ambient sound. Otherwise it calibrates microphone to catch every lightest sound, even the sound of inner mechanism). Others wrote already enough about the camera itself, so I just want to provide some hints about protecting it.I've checked many of camera cases and I found 3 which fit the best - snugly but not too tight:Lowepro - Newport 10 - it's just simply pouch with zippered main compartment and zippered front pocket (which can accommodate spare memory card and battery without getting bulky). Pros - price; cons - only not-so-convenient sewn-on loop on back (makes necessary to unbuckle belt, strap, e.g.).NO shoulder strap, nor possibility to attach one! But it's more than OK if you plan to carry it only in your purse or on your belt.Case Logic DCB-302 - nice, well-padded case. Main pocket zippered, so is an additional front pocket (with internal slip for memory card - nice!). On the picture this case looks more bulky than it really is. In fact even with 2 spare batteries it doesn't get fat. Sew-on belt loop and detachable shoulder strap. Pros - price, padding, shape; cons - permanent belt loop, plastic (somehow cheap) hooks on shoulder strap.LowePro Rezo 30 - zippered main compartment with soft lining (it opens wide - careful not to drop camera!). Two zippers allow you to lay out the camera strip outside and carry it in the case on your wrist (and that's additional option - always nice to have!). Front pocket (w/ internal slip) has Velcro flap opening (too bad it gets awkwardly bulky with anything else than one battery inside). Pros - high quality materials, well refined details (e.g. stretchable gussets provide a tight fit with easy access), unfastening Velcro belt loop (but with a snap to make sure it won't open by itself!), doubled zippers in main compartment; cons - bulky front pocket, somehow too widely opening main compartment (learn not to open it all the way and you're OK).I've heard Tamrac 3821 Neo's Digital 21 is also a good fit if you prefer Velcro flap opening rather than zippered one. But front pocket doesn't have the separate closing and isn't extremely big. It has belt loop too (but I don't know if it's opening) and shoulder strap. Pros - easy, fast access, cons - price (4 times DCB-302 and twice Rezo 30!) small front pocket.Warning - Case Logic TBC-302 FFP is too tight (unless you have a few minutes each time you take the camera out or in. But I bet in long run it will make more harm than protection...)

I was 14 when I bought it; so I've had it for a couple of months now. I was looking for a good camera because my old Nikon was junk. When I got it, I went outside right away and started shooting (I love taking pictures). I was absolutely amazed. Every time I took a picture, I was shocked at the clear quality. I had been concerned about it not having RAW, but I have no regrets. The only thing is, I took it out onto the beach and didn't take good enough care of it, and now there's some minor problem with the lens cover not popping out by itself (It didn't affect the pic quality) because I got sand into it:(. I still love it though. The only complaint I have is some of the night scene pictures aren't very good (sunset is spectacular though), and, of course, I blame myself for not taking more care with it! :( I saw some reviews that the flash placement was a problem? It doesn't bother me because there's enough space behind it to grip, but, of course, I realize that to some people this is big. Another thing is the battery. I leave my battery in the charger most of time that I'm not using it, and it hasn't really given me a problem so far. I would suggest getting a replacement battery though.I saw some reviews where people complained about slow response time? I don't know if this is common knowledge or if I sound dumb saying this, but in order to take a picture, you have to press the shutter release down halfways down until the viewfinder flashes green, THEN press it down all the way. So far, I have not had a problem with response. The camera's great for action shots. If I know somebody's going to move, I hold the shutter release down halfways, and when the action's "going" I press it down completely. I get some great shots.Videos? Awesome! The sound and resolution quality is great! The only complaint I have of the video is that when I'm taking videos of group singing, I can't sing because it'll pick up my voice too well. But that's not a big deal because it stands by itself really well; therefore I can walk away from it.I've taken a lot photos and videos and it still affects me the same way as it did at first. It's soooo cool. Especially with the different effects. My fave "funny effect" is the poster effect. And don't get me started on the zoom: it's...indescribable!

I just got the camera a few days ago and my initial impressions are very positive. I bought this camera to replace my older Olympus 550uz or 7.1mp and 16x zoom. I wanted a more compact camera that fit in my pocket for travel while still being able to accomplish the same things as my old camera.I have tested it out and the pictures look as good as indicated in many other reviews. However, I do not yet know if my video will have the noise problem some others have encountered. Looking at video from the camera viewfinder and listening through the camera speakers have only indicated some light backround noice, but nothing that seemed offensive to me.This camera also gives the user quite a bit of freedom to set their own speed, aperature or full manual mode as well as fully automatic. This is a major reason I chose this camera. One feature I liked on my old camera was the SCN mode that I used frequently when shooting through glass or on a bus. Although this is not part of the SCN function on this Canon, the camera is smart enough in to take a great picture through glass in AUTO mode.I have learned that it is necessary to read the manual and understand how a camera works and what it can do before evaluating the camera itself. I have seen many reviews mentioning blurry pictures. I originally had this problem with my old camera and had to learn how to use the auto-focus mode. Once I did, I now get clear pictures. Using this technique, which involves letting the camera get the exposure correct with a 1/2 button depress followed by a quick full press once set allows for the best pictures. When objects are in motion, I always go to fast exposure in Tv mode with 1/1000 setting or faster, depending on lighting. The face recognition function also looks quite useful.I have not yet tried all functions, but most seem like my old camera, and that makes me satisfied with the purchase. One thing I especially like is the slow-motion picture mode in video that lets you shoot video with over 200 frames/sec and plays them back at normal speed to allow for the slow-motion effect.Lastly, the handling of the camera is nice and it feels well build (not cheap) when holding it. The flash is in an awkward spot but I have learned to work around it and don't take many flash pictures anyway.For any new users that worry about fast battery use, I have learned to turn my camera off when not in use and then back on when I plan to use it. Leaving a digital camera on indefinately will use up your batteries pretty quickly.Update...4/24/2013...I have now used the camera quite a bit and on a vacation and the pictures have turned out quite well. I like the automatic focus that "knows" what to focus upon. It works well through windows. The only complaint I have is some sunset pictures I took were too yellow rather than reddish. Overall, I am very happy with this purchase

This is a great camera, if you want a large zoom and need a compact body that will fit in your pocket.This camera had two major competitors when I was deciding what to buy: the Canon S100 (+ larger sensor, + larger max aperture, - less zoom, - more expensive) and the Panasonic ZS20 (+ touch screen, - shorter zoom). I didn't put the Sony HX20 in the 'race' because I found it's image quality to be subpar, although it seems to have better video capability (which is not rather important to me), nor the Nikon S9300, because of it's lack of manual controls (PASM).After a lot of research and some quick hands-on experience (I was lucky to find some people who let me use their cameras for a short while), it was very difficult to choose - all three are GREAT pocket cameras.I'm not a touch-screen type of person, I have big fingers, and I find it easier to navigate using buttons, specially in shaky environments (moving vehicles and such), but I have to agree that the Panasonic ZS20 has a cleaner working area.In the end, I valued the zoom range more than the larger sensor, so I had to drop the Canon S100. If I shot more indoors, and had a deeper pocket, the S100 would have a far better chance.After some pixel-peeping and *very* close inspection, I decided that the pictures from the Canon SX260 had a slightly better contrast and color vibrance than the ones from the Panasonic ZS20.In the end, they both performed great, yielding fantastic pictures and videos, most of them keepers. I ended up choosing the Canon SX260, mainly because it felt better in my hands, its price was a bit lower and the zoom reached a tad farther than the ZS20.Now for the ugly part: Amazon has a terrible habit of pushing its prices through the roof when their inventory is low - when I was in the market for the camera, the price here was $279, and everywhere else was $229 or lower. I finally got it at $209 at a flash sale, at Walmart. Once again, shame on you, Amazon! I would have waited, had you just told me 'more are on their way', and offered me a better price.----------------------------------Update - March 23rd 2013: I have shot over 500 pictures with my camera, and although I already knew that battery life was rather short, I didn't realize exactly what that meant. I had to change batteries during a party, because they go dead all of a sudden. This brings me to the second and third points: buy extra batteries (2 Pack Battery Kit For Canon PowerShot SX260 HS, SX260HS, Canon PowerShot SX500 IS, SX500IS Digital Camera Includes 2 Extended Replacement (1200Mah) NB-6L Batteries + LCD Screen Protectors + MicroFiber Cleaning Cloth are great, and cheap), and install CDHK in your SD card - you'll be able to shoot RAW images, use bracketing, live histograms, control your battery life and much more.All in all, this is the best pocket camera I have used in years!

I purchased this camera just a bit over a year ago to take on a trip to Europe. I have had several Canons in the past and had always been pleased with each of them. My Canon PowerShot SX260 HS 12.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 20x Image Stabilized Zoom 25mm Wide-Angle Lens and 1080p Full-HD Video (Black) did not disappoint. The images are very clear, the controls easy to use and the performance is usually fast (some caveats in low light, flash photography especially with a battery that needs charging). I love the small size, being compact enough to carry in my front pocket while I hike or travel. I was able to get alot of great shots during the travels for which I purchased the camera. I continue to enjoy it for every day pics, hikes, travel, skiing,...BUT---The reason that I felt prompted to write this review is due to my experience these past two weeks with Canon's repair department. About 10 days ago I noticed that I could not use my self-timer as that functionality of the control dial had apparently broken since my last usage (a hike a couple of weeks ago). Using Canon's support website I very quickly ascertained that the product was still under warranty (Yay!) and could be returned for repair. The online forms were quite easy to fill out and in a snap I had the camera sent off. I received a confirmation email within a couple of days as well as two more emails within the next week keeping me informed on the status of my repair. Due to the nature of the malfunction, Canon chose to replace the product, at no cost to me. I received it via FedEx today. It is labeled as "refurbished" but looks brand new. All the parts were in the box as if it were new and it works like a charm, just like it did previously. Also, in the course of my repair I had occasion to call the Canon repair center in Irvine and both times was treated very efficiently and with friendly service. I was very impressed with the entire repair experience and will definitely favor Canon's products for my future purchases as I have found them to have the best feature sets as well as superior customer service. Thank-you Canon!

I am so disappointed with this camera. I purchased it after reading the hundreds of glowing reviews and found it to be an abysmal choice for my family. I guess if you were only shooting landscapes in brilliant sunlight, it might be an acceptable camera, but for capturing two young kids and the joy of Christmas it is a horrid choice.There's not a single photo of people that doesn't have some blurring in the photo. The auto focus function is very slow and randomly locks on to various spots in the frame. It makes trying to a photo more like trying to play a very frustrating video game, better fire when the sights are on the correct target, because who knows how long before it jumps to the next one. Many of the photos of the kids were missing one thing.... the kids, this camera is so laggy that they were often out of the frame by the time the camera decided to release the shutter. Forget about getting another shot off to make up for the one you missed, as the write time (even to a class 10 card) also seems excessive.I purchased this camera to replace a 6 year old Canon Powershot ELPH SD600 - now that is a fantastic camera. In fact, we gave that camera to our seven year old daughter and the photos that she took are so much clearer and in focus than those taken with the SX260. Even the photos I took with my iPhone 5 are better, since I could focus reliably. I've never seen a camera that focused so poorly. After I realized that the photo quality was so bad, I began testing and took multiple shots from the same location within a few seconds of each other. The focus point would change betwen these shots and result in wildly varied pictures. The one thing that I noticed was that on highly zoomed shots of inanimate objects, the focus was much sharper and more what I expected from this camera.Even though I purchased the camera to use for pickup and shoot pictures, I did try to experiment with the various settings and took the camera off Auto mode. I got better shots using AV or TV mode, but even then the shots were just plain bad. It seems that there's something off with the flash (in addition to the horrid placement, more on that later) it didn't freeze motion like I'm used to with other cameras. Even flash photos are very blurry if there is any motion.And speaking of the flash, it is like a jack-in-the-box that pops up, right where your fingers naturally rest, at the most in opportune times. This either shocks and makes you miss your shot or requires you to restart the camera if you don't get out of the way in time.The horrible photos, the frustrating focus, the draggy performance and the poor design all add to to make this the most aggrevating device that I've seen in a long time.

I went out and bought this camera, thinking that it would replace a Sony HX20V that I purchased, because I wasn't satisfied with the image quality on the Sony completely. All the professional review sites indicated that the SX260 has the best image quality out of the travel zoom compacts, so I went to a local retailer and purchased it to make sure before I sent back the Sony. Here's what I found:In bright daylight, the SX260 is a great little camera, it focuses well, takes good, sharp pictures and is very snappy overall. The build quality is solid, and overall it compares quite favorably to the Sony. The image quality is slightly better than the Sony's, but overall it's probably is not noticeable for most people. I did notice though, that the Sony has consistently sharper images across the entire scene, whereas the Canon tends to smudge focus towards the edges more.In lowlight though, it's a completely different story. The SX260 continuously hunts for focus in anything less than very bright lighting conditions, which means you're going to miss shots that you would otherwise get with a different camera if your subject is moving. When (or if) it finally does find focus, it often focuses on the wrong subject, especially in complex scenes. The result is that many pictures wind up with very soft focus which very noticeably degrades image quality, even at small print sizes. This is not an issue with other cameras in this class, such as the Sony or the ZS19. In a few cases, the Canon could not lock focus period. I had to go in and manually help it focus or change my position/enable the flash to take some of the shots. Of course, this was using the auto mode on both cameras, so you can probably get it to focus using the manual controls if you take the time to do so, but since most people will probably leave it in auto 90% of the time, it's a good test to compare the two cameras.The real problem though, is that it can take 10-30 seconds for it to hunt for focus, only for it to wind up failing to focus on anything at all! Try getting most people to stay still for that long, and you'll see why that can be a BIG problem with this camera. It's terribly frustrating to have a shot lined up, and then the camera fails to find focus, or worse yet, finds focus in the wrong part of the scene!Overall, the SX260 is a good camera, but the image quality suffers in many situations from focusing issues that it's competitors just don't have. I'm not sure if there's a definitive, "best" camera in this class as it seems that each one has its trade-offs, but I wound up keeping the Sony in the long run, even though it has worse image quality overall than the Canon.

I received this camera as a Christmas gift, albeit a bit begrudgingly. I hadn't been allowed to get a Kodak because they're going out of the camera business, so I'd settled on this one. But it's definitely grown on me in the two days I've had it, and I just adore this camera.The image quality is excellent, with fairly minimal noise. In full optical zoom, obviously, there's noise, and I would recommend a tripod to get the full benefits of the 20x. Colors are very vivid and true to their actual pigments(and, if you so choose, you can accentuate certain colors via color settings).So here we go.PROS:- excellent optical zoom, good to use in situations where you can't get close or want to photograph some scenery- variety of settings to experiment and tinker with, one of my favorites is the color swap.- shutter speed and aperture are completely free to be manipulated, as well as many other aspects of shooting (the camera isn't always stuck in Auto)- The macro is fairly versatile, it can take pictures from more than just one specific cm range- if you're not an expert photographer and are new to it like myself, this camera can walk you right through the motions. Want to take a picture in the snow, but have no idea how to set the exposure correctly? Try the snow setting, it works pretty well and with a few adjustments from you it can be perfect! Etc.- The camera has shown no signs of lag or slowness when I navigate menus, change settings, turn the features wheel, scroll through pictures, etc. It's nice and quick.and there are many, many more... but I can't possibly get them all here!CONS:- the camera can be a bit slow to shoot when the shutter is depressed, especially with a flash. if you want to get an action shot, plan accordingly to shoot slightly before the event you're taking a picture of.- when in slow-motion video mode, the feature that allows you to take 240-frame-per-second videos, the video gets extremely dark. I recommend finding a good light to be under, because no matter how much I've fought with the thing it won't brighten the picture. However, this could also be human error; perhaps the option is there and I'm just not finding it.- Battery life is fairly short. ...then again I carry this baby around and take dozens of pictures because I just love it to death.In short, this is a great starting camera for someone who wants to learn how to take pictures while still capturing moments (ooh, how cliche) with great quality and a large variety of options! I'd recommend it to anyone; I read a review from a rather experienced photographer who loved this camera because it's so conveniently sized and is still a force to be reckoned with! Definitely worth it.

I upgraded to this camera from my nine years-old Canon S1IS, so of course I was blown away in many ways by this camera, including by the size and ease of using the LCD, the speed, the size of the camera, the power and stabilization of the zoom and generally speaking the sharpness and richness of color of the photos I can get out of it. I very nearly returned it, though, and have resigned myself to it with mixed feelings. Because there are so many options to tweedle with that I'm not sure I've mastered them, I won't lay down an absolute verdict on everything that dissatisfies me about the camera, but I have to let out a yowl over the funhouse mirror effect in the corners of the wide-angle images. People's hair-dos and heads splurge into the corners like lava lamp blobs, and I find myself having to throw away some of my favorite compositions (unless you like the cliche tourist snapshot with your subjects centered against that sunset or mountain range, you want to frame them toward the side, in which case, you can take the shot but won't want to show it to anybody who knows the person in the upper left or right hand corner). The auto-white balance is very untrustworthy indoors, the default the colors are surreally intense and over warm (as has become the standard it seems) and to my surprise the artificial intelligence can't tell you're under trees on an overcast day, so I have to stop down in order not to overexpose my photos. Even though there are many options, there is no mode that gives you all of them, so you don't get to take advantage of everything you might like. I find I can't easily stay away from the high ASA settings, over which the sharpness drops steeply. Partly it's just a slow lens even at wide angle, but also it seems pumping up the ASA to 1200 or higher is the camera's favorite way to get the exposure right. I also miss the spot-focus/spot-metering button of my old Canon (you have to enter the everything menu to do anything), and wish it either told me or had a stop mid-zoom for the equivalent of a standard lens (i.e. neither fish-eye nor telephoto). What else? It's not nearly so small and light as the less zoomy point-and-shoots--I was particularly surprised by how heavy it is--and it's just absurd how you're forced to hold the camera to avoid blocking the popup flash (fortunately for me, I don't use flash much, and just set it to off). Still, the thing is a marvel. As every reviewer says, you get a lot for the compromise it represents.

I received my SX260 last Wednesday and have taken about 700 shots and a few quick 5 minute video. Without writing a novel, here are the high/low points of this unit. In addition to this unit, I also purchased a couple of aftermarket batteries (and after market A/C adapters for about $5.00 each) for about $5.00 each and the batteries work fine. With the battery (original and aftermarket) I was able to get over 300 shots (50% flash) with zooming and playback and the battery meter still showed about 25% charge remaining.Pro'sZoom - very long for a subcompact camera 20x optical, total 81x combined (yes 81 times!)Image Stabilizer - Excellent (far superior than the DSC-HX9V); Even at 81x the picture did not come out of focus, but of course not as sharp. I think it's still acceptableScenes - A few scenes; I think the portrait, sepia, B/W works real well (the Portrait+ suppose to blur the picture a bit, but it's not to my liking) It has a few effects (fish eye, toy, miniature) that's very effective and can be fun for creative shots.Auto Mode - was able to pick the correct type of scene almost all the time; it has an easy mode, and smart auto. Not sure why they have an easy mode, but the smart auto works greatSize/Weight - very compact and weigh's 8.2 oz. I would have prefer if the lens was flushed with the unit, but at 20x it may not have been possibleUniformity - the unit does not feel cheap, and beautifully curved; no sharp jagged cornersGrip - the right side of the camera has a nice plastic strip for easier gripControls - Dial extremely easy to use with one hand. The other buttons, if you're a previous Canon user, it's a no brainer; the menu and setup are practically the same across all their models.Screen - 3 inch TFT LCD screen very beautiful; nuff saidProcessor - Didn't notice that much difference between the DIGIC 4/DIGIC 5, but compared to the DSC-HX9V, this camera is like a Ferrari.GPS - Camera has it, but I never used it and probably won't; at least for the time being. Am more interested in a camera that takes excellent pictureCon'sVideo - compared to the Sony DSC-HX9V this Canon comes in a distant second; if you plan on using this primarily as a video recorder, look elsewhere. I think Sony has excellent lens on their camera but their processing technology is clumsy, painfully slow and unacceptable; whereas with taking videos, the Sony does not do any processing (not to mention it captures at 60fps compared to Canon's 24/25 fps) This is one thing I will miss dearly.Flash - not sure if there is a good place but I had to change my grip as the flash is on the top left corner. Couple of times, I had my left index finger on the flash and the camera gave some flash error message and had to power off and power on the camera to reset the flash.If you're a casual or intermittent photographer (or a professional wanting an everyday point and shoot camera without carrying a luggage everywhere) that is interested in looking for a well refined point and shoot camera, yet has manual controls usually found on higher end DSLR (or higher end point and shoot camera), this is it!UPDATE 04/14/2012 - I paid $349 and today I noticed it's selling for $299, a 15% price drop in less than a month! I thought cars depreciate quick ...UPDATE 04/18/2012 - The Live Mode works great! For those hard shots (for example, taking indoor picture with fluorescent lighting and without a flash), you can view the screen and make the adjustment right then and there. You look at what you plan to take, compare it to the SX260 LCD screen and press the shutter button.

I would characterize myself as a mid-level amateur photographer - I'm picky about good image quality and not satisfied with cell phone pictures or a basic point and shoot. On the other hand, I don't want to carry a lot of bulky equipment and I don't know enough about photography to mess with things like aperture settings. Between 2005 and 2009 I went through four or five digital cameras as the technology evolved trying to find one that fit my needs. In May of 2009, I got the first camera in this series, the SX 200, and felt that I finally had the camera for me. It just takes fabulous pictures, is so easy to use, and easy to carry around. It has 12 X optical zoom, which was unbeatable in a compact point and shoot at that time.I've kept my eye on the newer models coming out and haven't been tempted to upgrade until I saw that the SX 260 had a 20 X optical zoom. I was concerned that some of the modes I used regularly on the SX 200 (indoor lighting, landscape) didn't seem to exist anymore, and another mode that I used frequently (portrait) still existed but wasn't accessible through the dial, you have to go through the menu.After a few days of trying this camera, I am just blown away by the image quality. I experimented with different scene modes, but there's really very little need to use anything but auto. The camera just figures out what you want to do. I've gotten a number of incredibly beautiful flower pictures without ever leaving auto mode. If you want macro, you just zoom in on what you want and there it is. If you want pictures of people, it figures that out and adjusts accordingly. The 20 X zoom is phenomenal and, as others have stated, the image stabilization is flawless. I can take pictures one-handed while holding my two dogs' leashes in the other hand as they pull and tug to keep walking, and there's no blur or lack of focus whatsoever in the pictures (I will say this was also true of the SX 200).I've uploaded a couple of images if you want to look at them.Regarding video, I'm of the school that if you want video, use a video camera. I do have a video camera, but I don't use it very often. Generally I prefer still photographs. So, I would use the video in limited situations where something came up that I wanted to capture and I didn't have my video camera with me. I did a little testing of the video and did not hear the whirring and clicking that others reported. The video quality is very good. I did notice that the playback was atrocious using VLC media player - there was a very loud hiss and the images would pixelate and freeze during playback. However, when using Windows media player for playback, the hiss was only slightly audible and significantly reduced, and the video playback was flawless. For the limited occasions that I expect to use the camera for video, it's perfectly adequate for my needs.I've been so happy with the Canon SX 200 that I really hesitated a lot before purchasing the upgrade. Finally I decided to give it a try, knowing that Amazon would take it back if I wasn't happy with it. I'm so happy that I did - I'm extremely pleased with this camera.Oh, I got red, not black, and it's a little more pinkish than I would like, a darker red wold be nicer :) But who cares, a fun color is nice but what really counts is how it performs.

Bought this for a recent trip to Paris hoping that the zoom would help me get lots of memorable pictures, and I was not disappointed! From the Eiffel Tower I was able to zoom in and capture the spires of Sacre Coeur with perfect clarity. I was very pleased. Also got some beautiful images at Notre Dame with the zoom. Some of the reviews said it wasn't good in low light, but I was able to get some spectacular pictures of the interior of Notre Dame in very low light. The video works equally well, and didn't drain the battery as much as I had expected. My kids love playing around with the slow motion video. It was easy to stash in my purse while on the Metro...nice plus.

ALL OF THE 5 STARS REVIEWS HAVE TOLD EVERYTHING ALREADY.It took me months to research and find the perfect camera, and this was the winner. Luckily It was even more better than what I was expecting.This was what I wanted:-A camera than took pictures closely to the quality to a professional, without being one!-Good night picture quality, no grainy or blurry pictures.-Long and quality Zoom!-Colorful pictures (without needing to edit the color each time)-Quality focal pictures......I got even more than this! you'll be amazed with the quality of all pictures, specially the night ones.It's hard to find a digital camera than takes pictures this good at night! Even caught ups fireworks, glow stick , Christmas trees amazingly well! (look at my tree in the customers pictures). The zoom is my other favorite! you can be in the last seat, way up in a huge stadium at a concert, and still get a really sharp and super close up to you favorite artist!..ill definitely recommend this camera to any one.Is the best small digital camera I've own up to this point.The cons:Just like many 4 stars say.. the flash location!BE AWARE OF THIS.. I WAS AWARE BEFORE BUYING IT, SINCE A LOT OF REVIEW TELL THIS.Everyone will definitely have a problem with the flash location, In my case I don't really care because I've gotten used to putting my finger somewhere else while taking a picture, but it does bother when you give it to somewhere else and they put the finger in there and the flash won't come up.You just ALWAYS have to remember to tell them not do that before taking it, or just like I do it, I quickly turn off the camera & randomly take a picture (to the floor, anywhere) before giving the camera to someone and the flash will stay out for a while for the next picture (or until you turn it off). People will see the flash is there and that makes them not to touch it.I can't really give this camera 4 stars just because of this, because In my opinion all of the amazing pro's that it has are worth it! If they ever make the a newer model with the flash in the middle, or somewhere it will absolutely be 100% perfect. For now i'll give it a 99% :)

So as to not repeat many other reviews, I would refer you to the review by E. Tam on March 20, 2012. This review is a good review and assessment of the SX260.As a long time user of Olympus point and shoots, I just wasn't convinced the last one I purchased was up to reasonable expectations. So, after searching, I settled on the SX260. I had considered its predessor the SX230 but just didn't want to pay another $100 over the Olympus I purchased instead at that time. I have never regretted the higher price for the SX260. It's worth every penny more.After 2 weeks in Europe as my first big camera outing with the SX260, I'm totally pleased. For the amateur, this camera has an excellent Auto Mode. Beyond that, it has myriad of features you can work with. It's all about how involved you want to get.E. Tam listed Video as a con. I would tell you that I am pleased with it. I've actually had other cameras which did annoying things like only zoom during video in the digital zoom mode or no audio when zooming. The SX260 does it all...optical zoom and audio. For a still camera taking videos, it does well.Low light/no Flash mode: This is absolutely terrific. I've always been frustrated with the poor quality of low light/no flash pictures of other cameras. Set to this mode, this camera takes 4 quick shots of varying exposures with one push of the shutter and then the internal software overlaps the exposures to create one amazing picture. You just have to remember to hold the camera very still because it is a slower shutter speed. No tripod needed. Many times at night the picture was better than what you could see with the naked eye. This feature alone makes this camera totally worth it to me.While the camera does a good job of not eating battery life, if you have the power save setting on, you should get another battery or two, especially if you think you are going to use the GPS feature. Set to on, it will drain batteries pretty quick. Amazon has some inexpensive generic batteries that work well.This camera does not come with a printed User Manual, only a disk if you want to print it off. Because the manual is 245 pages long, I opted to order one from "manualsink.com". It was worth the $15.If you want to protect your camera when you carry it around but don't like the bulk of a camera case, I bought a camera "wrap." Amazon and Ebay sell them. Search for "Pedco Wrap-up". It attaches to the tripod socket, wraps arount the camera and secures with a velcro flap. Once you get the hang of it, it's very convenient, quick to open/close, and will fit in your pocket.

I had an older Canon 'Powershot' camera for years and absolutely loved it. Then several years back I ordered a newer 'Powershot' camera because my wife wanted to upgrade a bit. That camera was not a great one though, and we have struggled over the past few years with getting quality pictures from it. We are not amateur photographers, and we only want something that can be taken to a child's school event and can take QUICK, EASY, and FOCUSED photographs without having to change the settings on it every time we use it. This camera does exactly that, and was very affordable, and is compact, yet solid. I read a lot of the other reviews on this camera before buying it, and I figured that if a camera had over 1000 reviews on it, and the average rating for it afterwards was a 4.8 star rating, it had to be a pretty darn good camera for the price! Well, they were correct in their rating of it, and I'm very glad that I purchased this camera. We will have it for several years to come.

The pictures are good. I bought because of the high optical zoom. For a simple to use and good pic easy vacation camera, this is a good one for the price and you'll like the pics.Major design flaw - the way you hold the camera, i.e., naturally, like about 95% of the population, your index finger will be over top of flash, which is supposed to pop up when needed, meaning you're blocking it. Dunno why Canon couldn't have just built it in like their eos models, but this is just dumb, i always think I'll end up breaking it, or someone I lend to use and take a pic.Could be a little more solid like the eso model, which, when travelling, it's kind of important.If you're 'easy' on electronics and just want a simple but good quality pic camera, for the price, this is a good bet.

This camera claims to be able to take great pictures under low light environments, but after use I see that the pictures lose a lot of focus and sharpness. When taking video it is even worse, I've had galaxy cellphones take better quality video under low light conditions.The zoom is very good however and there are many settings to get a good shot, keep in mind however that some settings require time for the camera to take a clear shot (slow frame shutter) and can result in out of focus images if you take fast action.

A little background: I have owned several film SLRs (Olympus OM1, Minolta XD11) as well as point and shoot (P+S) film cameras (Nikon, Minolta) and over the last few years, several P+S digital cameras (Canon, Panasonic). One of the most important things I have found is the need for a decent wide angle lens. For a P+S camera, I make sure it goes to at least (the equivalent of) 25mm at the widest angle. Otherwise, if I am standing close to a large object, I am unable to frame it properly. The lack of a 25mm wide angle is what prevented me from buying the earlier model of this camera, the SX230HS.The SX260HS addresses this issue by having a 20x zoom lens that goes from 25mm to 200mm. This covers a very useable range in terms of wide angle to telephoto. The quality of the pictures is excellent. The only issue, as others have noted, is that in low light, the auto focus isn't that great - it can take some time to focus. A minor inconvenience is that the pop up flash has been placed on the left side, where I am used to grasping the camera. This does take some adjustment and I wish they had placed the flash in the middle rather on the left side. However, like most P+S cameras, the flash is fairly anemic (doesn't go beyond 10-15 feet), so most of the time I end up turning off the flash anyway and just shooting using available light. Another thing to note is that, like many other P+S cameras, the battery is not very big, so it pays to buy 1-2 extra battery packs.This is the first camera in a long time that has got me passionate about photography again. The relatively small size allows it to be easily carried, while the very versatile 20x zoom lens allows for excellent closeups as well as wide angle shots. Another thing to note is that, using the publicly available CHDK software, the stock firmware can be temporarily bypassed, allowing for longer (e.g., 1 hour) videos, shooting in RAW mode, etc.All in all, the SX260HS is an excellent P+S camera that is small but versatile. Like any P+S, there are some design tradeoffs, and so the camera is not without its minor flaws, but all things considered, if you are in the market for a P+S camera, the SX260HS is worth checking out, especially considering Canon aggressively discounts the SX260HS compared to comparable cameras from Sony (DSC-HX20V, DSC-HX30V) and Nikon (S9300).

I researched and researched trying to find that 'ideal' camera....one that had great zoom, clear pictures, small compact size, fast shutter speed, movie capabilities, easy function and use. You know, the 'urban legend' of cameras. I decided on the SX260. From what I read, an improvement over the older model SX230. From a very novice photographer and in basic layman's terms, here's what I have liked, and not liked.Pros:Great pictures with flash, especially outside and in good lighting. Phenomenal ability to get real clear, real close up photos. Easy to use buttons and functions. Each option on the function wheel tells you on the screen what it does. There is a 'beginner' mode that does all the thinking for you. The lens is really impressive. Surprisingly large for such a small camera. The camera is responsive, but does have a small window of time on multiple shots, that the flash needs to recharge. When zooming in, the stabilizing feature turns on, to help still the shot. It is larger than our past compacts, but still small enough to fit in your pocket or handbag. The display is large (no view finder). It comes in cool colors. We got the green, which is more teal in person. No mistaking it with another.Cons:The shutter speed isn't super quick, but the camera can be placed on a mode that prioritizes that over all other functions. The battery, so far, has been the biggest disappointment. We are using the one that came with the camera, but it seemed like we got about a 100 pictures, and a few minutes of video out of it. We are recharging it again, for a longer period of time to see if that helps. I also read that turning off the GPS feature and limiting the brightness of the display will help the battery life. We'll see. The flash position is supposedly an improvement. I still find that it pops up under my fingers when taking a photo. Its probably just a matter of getting used to it and holding the camera differently. The camera's weak point is indoors in low light. The photos were a bit grainy.Bottom line:We wanted a portable camera that took both quality video and good photos. So far, we aren't disappointed. But as far as being that 'ultimate' camera...not sure if Canon's SX260 is it, but it comes pretty close. amazon.com has the best price around.

I did a lot of research before purchasing the Canon SX260-HS. I have a Canon 20D SLR that usually sits in the hotel room on trips because it is too big and heavy to carry on wander abouts. This camera slips very easily into a front pocket of my pants, so it is there when I want it. It has more bells and whistles than the 20D, which cost $2k in 2005. That's a sobering thought...Here are some LIKe and DISLIKE ramblings...DISLIKE: No viewfinder, but I knew that when I bought it--just didn't realize how much I would miss it. Small cameras generally cannot have both a viewfinder and a large LCD screen.LIKE: The white balance for various settings like bright sun, cloudy, tungsten etc. seem very accurate.DISLIKE: No printed manual--It's 246 pages, and you most likely will need to read it to understand half of what the camera can do.LIKE: Fast. Takes about 2 seconds to turn on and extend the lens. Less, to re-extend the lens from sleep mode.DISLIKE: Internal stabilization. I no longer put any faith in this and recommend getting a small, malleable tripod. Except in very bright sunlight, a picture taken one-handed will show jitter, and some two-handed shots will also show jitter. Brace the camera against a wall or lamp post where possible.LIKE: Pretty good video, but I can faintly hear the servo whine in the background in quiet settings. Using the telephoto in video mode without a tripod/brace will exacerbate movement.DISLIKE: Naturally, it won't react as fast as a dSLR, especially in lower light settings. For action shots, take bursts of multiple shots and keep the best ones.DISLIKE: No RAW.I believe that if I had the time to truly read the manual, I would be better able to understand the camera's logic and thereby possibly circumvent permutations I inadvertently may create.I'm a Canon camera devotee. I compared a lot of cameras on the CU website, and then read a lot of reviews on Amazon. I narrowed my choices down to the S95 and the SX260. I ended up choosing this one for the 20X optical zoom over the S95's potentially better low light capabilities. Now, if I did it over again, I might opt for the S95. Tough choice.If you purchase this camera, I recommend a fast card like the SanDisk 32 GB SDHC Class 10. With the least compression, it will hold over 5500 pictures. I also recommend you buy at least one other battery as they average between 230 and 260 shots per battery. I was able to buy a genuine Canon battery in retail packaging with hologram through Amazon--not one of their market place sellers.

About my need and what I do with my camera: I am an average Joe photographer. 90% of my pics and videos are of my 2 years old daughter. I don't/can't go in explicit technical details of a shot, all I can tell about a picture is weather I like it or not!I bought this camera due to my prior very good experience with other Canon Cameras. I had developed almost blind faith in Canon quality. I have/had Canon SD1100IS, SD1300IS, and SX200IS. I have been most happy with SX200IS with very good picture/ Video quality and it being a mega zoom camera.I thought, and had hoped for, that SX260HS would be equal or better than SX200IS. At least, all the technical specs are better. However, I think Canon tried to bite too much this time, got ahead of theirselves. They didn't need to try besting theirselves if technology couldn't support it. I am unhappy with this camera from day one, and honestly, can't wait to go back and get another SX200IS. (my daughter smashed it :( ) Here are the reasons why:1. Slow response time, at least compare to SX200IS. I can't give you exact details, but I can't seem to capture quick moments of my 2 years old daughter that I was able to with SX200IS.2. Distorted, wavey pictures often. (it is called Barrel effect I think.) Faces and objects look distorted as you go away from the center.3. HD Video zoom - didn't keep the focus while changing zoom. I got blurry, lost focus, videos often, to the point where I don't use zoom at all during video. Just a second or two of blurry focus makes the whole clip pain to watch for the rest of your life.3. HD Video - 1080P videos look choppy. Not sure if 24FPS has anything to do with it or not, bu I have hours of 720P HD video from SX200IS and it is buttry smooth. I think 720P is good for SX260HS too, but upgraded specs of 1080P aren't good for me.4. I am finding more and more blurry, lost focused pictures. I took about 10 pics outside in low lights, and 8 of them turned out to be blurry. I am Mad. I am done with this camera. I will also seriously consider buying locally to so that I can return POS like this easily, even if it costs a little bit more.There might be other reasons, but just the fact that I am not anxious to take pictures with this camera like other Canon camera's I had before makes me rate this 1 Star.edit 11/13/12: Added #4, and corrected a couple of typos.

I have been using this camera now for a while. I come from the SLR film days and needed something that would provide full manual (just enough) controls that would allow me to tweak settings if I wished. This camera is a 90% fit for me in this regard. No use having all of the bells and whistles and not be able to grab it and carry it along and end up missing the shot. There are compromises, notably some quality, for the convenience. If all you end up printing on is letter sized photo paper, you'll be fine. I use a Canon Pixma 980 and the results are as good as my SLR stuff from 25 years ago, all instantly, compared to those days. Take the time and go through the manual (it's a pity that it only comes in pdf format) it is really worth it. That being said, it's a lot to digest in one go, so give yourself some time to work through the features (and there are many). Seems that each setting has some gems buried in sub-layers of settings. Unless you clearly understand the basics and what the terms mean, it can get quite intimidating. The auto modes do work well though, and if you understand the impact of high ISO, various shutter speeds and aperture values, you can always tweak things yourself. The bottom line is that it does a fine job of both auto and manual shots. The wide to superzoom is really great, and combined with some really good low/natural light capabilities, this camera is lots of fun. The most confusing thing for me when I first held it was "where do I hold it?" It's so small, that I really do not know where to place my fingers at times, but the metal feel is sturdy. The flash can be a bit annoying sometimes, but I've worked that out by mainly shooting in "auto" and setting "no flash" until I do really need it. The GPS feature is handy, but I would not use it unless travelling around. Get lots of spare batteries, you'll need them, as battery life is not too good. Also get a good case, as the lens can be easily damaged. There is lots more that I can say about this camera, nearly all good; but I'll leave it here for now. P.S. Do not be afraid of the digital zoom, this one can actually get a really far off shot if necessary, and the blur is understandable, but tolerable.July 17th 2012 Update:Still loving this camera. Pay attention to all of the features and experiment with P settings. Keep ISO at around 200 and you will get the sharpest pics, although the high ISOs in low light on Auto does do a pretty good job. The camera has what it takes if you care to take the time and learn how to use its many features. Sometimes a bit daunting for the point and shoot person, but nice to know that manual settings are there when you feel to push your photography skills a bit further.October 3rd 2012:It has been six months now, and this camera does not disappoint ....period. Want a solid point and shoot with great quality? Buy this!

I bought this for general photo and non-critical vacation shots; the 20X zoom is great for critters, birds, sunsets and so forth. The only drawback to this camera is that the mode wheel moves occasionally when you put into or take it out of a pocket or bag and you then take photos in the wrong mode or not at all. Be aware that trying to hold a camera steady and compose at 20x is very difficult.

This isn't the model to buy if you want the wi-fi and instant posting capabilities. Also, the one that I ordered did not have a booklet/manual so that was odd. It has a lot of cool features mentioned on the Amazon board, but I was not able to easily work through it without the manual. Gives crisp photos and is compact so it is easy to take around (though, not sleek, its a bit stocky).

The ability to take this camera anywhere and obtain great pictures is amazing.The zoom and wide angle features assist in obtaining the shot you want.I carry it with me all the time . Far superior pictures compared to the I Phones.This is my second SX260 as the first got water logged on a ocean kayaking venture .

I purchased this camera a full month before it was released on Amazon for an upcoming trip to southeast asia. As luck would have it, it arrived the day before my flight took off. I've had good luck with Canon cameras in the past and their picture quality is among the best. The SX260 caught my interest mainly because of the 20x zoom. There are already a couple of reviews going into detail about all of the features so I won't be redundant. Just let me say that there are more features than you will probably use. I will play around with the myriad of shooting modes from time to time, but mostly I will do 99% of my shooting in P mode, tweaking settings as I desire on the fly. I love the GPS feature; I will keep it permanently on so that all of my pics are geo-tagged. The Canon imagebrowser software that comes with the camera will show you the exact location on Google earth where the pic was taken. Pretty cool! I used the movie digest feature during my trip and like it very much. The camera will record three second snippets of video before each pic is taken then stitch them all together into one video. Again, pretty cool! The battery life was a major complaint on the previous model SX230. I did not have any battery life issues with this camera, but then again, I only take about 50 to 60 pictures in a day. I spent several days exploring the Khmer temples in Cambodia, taking my 50 to 60 pictures and at the end of the day the battery level indicator was at half. If you take a lot of pics then you may want an extra battery. With my shooting style, the battery life is fine. The picture quality is excellent. The somewhat slow lens gave me a little pause when I was making a purchasing decision, but it turns out that the CMOS sensor coupled with the HS system more than makes up for it. Turns out this camera is the best low-light performer I have had. I love the zoom. 20x optical plus 4x digital means a full 80x. I took a lot of pics at 80x during my trip and was pleased with the results. Even at 80x, the image stabilization was able to give me a clear pic in full sunlight. I found that I needed to steady myself in lower light to get a clear shot which is to be expected. The camera feels sturdy and has a nice "heft" for its size. I did drop it twice onto solid concrete (not like me at all) during my trip with no ill effects, thank God. So I guess it is solidly built inside as well. My only gripe with this camera is the very annoying location of the flash. It pops up where you naturally want to put your finger. Many times, my finger was in the way when it tried to pop up and it "jammed" causing an error message that said to turn the camera off and then back on. That always corrected it but I was afraid I would eventually cause it to break. I considered downgrading the rating to four stars because of this but eventually I trained myself to place my finger behind where the flash pops up and no longer do I have any issues with this.

I had a Canon 780 IS and I love Canon cameras. I wanted similar but with a super-zoom and still pocketable. I am a total amateur but when I go to a concert I want to zoom into the band and get some good closeups. I just took this to Black Sabbath concert and got amazing pictures! I love this camera. I don't want to think when I point & shoot, I just want good easy pictures. This is the camera I will use for several years. I don't buy cameras very often, maybe once every 8-10 years. thank you canon. I also seriously looked at Nikon 9500 but I did not want to learn a new system if you know what I mean. I was already familiar with Canon's interface. BTW I chose black this time. My other Canon is a cool red but frankly after several years it is scratched up. I figured this black (boring) color won't look so bad after all the abuse I plan to put it thru over the next several years.Update: I wanted to add that I bought this instead of the 280 for a few reasons. The 280 has some problems from reading a lot of blogs. Also, this one is a lot cheaper. And I don't need the added features of the 280 such as wifi. Not needed plus I read it is not user friendly and hogs the battery. The 260 has everything I need.

Prior to this camera I had a SX200 that I loved. It unfortunately started having internal issues most likely due me taking too many mountain bike rides with it. The SX260 has all the features I loved about the SX200 plus it is much thinner, lighter and now sports a 20X optical zoom with IS. It's a tough combination to beat! I have a DSLR and the SX200 is a nice complement to it when the DSLR is just to bulky to bring along.

Pros:1. Compared to compact superzooms that I have personally experimented with (Panasonic ZS19, Sony Cybershot DSC WX300, HX20V and HX9V, Samsung WB750, Nikon Coolpix S9100, Casio Exilim EX ZR100) Canon does better at the basics of taking photos and videos than the others.2. The optical image stabilization works well and photos come out nice even with 20x optical zoom fully extended.3. It feels thinner and lighter than most compact superzooms (though Panasonic ZS series models are technically the most compact as the Canon's lens assembly is not flush with the body).4. There is reasonable amount of space to rest your fingers behind the pop-up flash.5. The 'Live' mode is an interesting novelty as it allows you to adjust colors before you take a photo (though the default setting results in the most natural colors).6. My daylight videos turned out just fine even though many reviewers believe Canon to be behind competition in this department.7. Comes with an external charging unit which doesn't require the USB cord and allows the camera to be used with another battery while the first one is being charged.8. The context sensitive menus are easy to navigate.Cons:1. The biggest disappointment was lack of in camera Panorama mode. Canon instead has a stich assist mode which allows you to align multiple snaps and use supplied software to manually put together a panoramic image on your computer. I'd suggest Canon incorporate Casio style in-camera panorama mode, the best implementation of panorama that I have seen so far.2. Flash pops up automatically and you can't push it back down with your finger. I like the design choice of Panasonic, Casio and Samsung compact superzooms where the flash isn't pop up and of Nikon S9100 where it's a manual pop-up and can be pushed back down.3. Even with the pop up flash there were way too many white spots in nighttime photos.4. Lacks the ability to take 3D pictures and email pics using WiFIBottomline is if you are not used to current generation features like panorama mode, 3D pics, WiFi etc. you will like this camera.

I just got back from a safari in Tanzania. People have been very complementary about the pictures I took with my SX260 - they say they look like professional pictures. I'm very please with how well it did. I really expected I would have to get a bunch of pictures from my brother-in-law, who has an SLR with a big zoom lens, but in fact my SX260 pictures are just fine.

Inspite of all the negative reviews ....which by the way are accurate, specially regarding the flash possition, the quality of the pictures, the lense, and the camera size are definetely worth the buy. my family and I love it. anyone can use it and get a geat image. I totally recommend it!

This review is for the Canon PowerShot SX260 HS 12.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 20x Image...This camera has been all over the world with me. I only learned how to do the basic functions, but all of the pictures are photo book quality.I'm so pleased that I bought a camera with a 20x zoom, and the green color is wonderful.

Our old Kodak camera was out dated. Have looked for months for a new one and bought this one just before we left on vacation. My husband loves it. Took 400 pictures more than he has ever taken. They are all just great. Even from a distance the zoom worked great. Fits nicely in his pocket.

I love everything I've ever owned made by Canon, and this camera is no exception. It has a wider angle lens that produces beautiful photos. I've checked the photos this produces over with a magnifying glass, and they are extremely sharp and crisp, with great color. I was wanting another Canon Powershot ever since I lost my last one on a trip to Mexico, and this one has been updated and improved in many ways over my old one, even though that one was also a great camera.PROs:*This has a large variety of shooting modes, from basic point and shoot all the way up to full manual. The video quality is amazing for a small inexpensive camera, as well as the photo quality. The image stabilization in the video mode in particular is fantastic.*Very fast shooting. The new improved image processor in this allows it to shoot in bursts of up to 10 frames per second.*Excellent GPS system, and this newer version of the Powershot has made it easier to turn it on and off.*Shutter speeds from 15 seconds up to 1/3200.*Small and lightweight.*Zoom works and focuses well.*Excellent low light photos*Excellent colors. Photos are bright and well saturated and accurate.*Very good video quality. Video quality stays excellent even on my large screen TV. This records full HD movies.*58 Pre-defined shooting situations*10 scene modes*Creative filters: Color Accent, Color Swap, Toy Camera, Soft Fucus, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, Fisheye Effect and Miniature Effect.*Flash only pops up when needed*3 inch displayCONs:*short battery life*panorama mode is still Stitch Assist, not automatic*only 3 manual aperture settings with the lens fully extended, so the lens is slow when used fully as a telephoto.(There are 9 aperture settings when not fully extended.Of the 58 predefined shooting situations available, one has Canon's face recognition feature. You can program the camera to recognize up to 12 faces which will then be priority for focus and exposure.I love using this camera. It takes beautiful shots and has all the features I need to take some great looking photos. I can highly recommend this camera.

I ordered this camera for my husband as an early father's day gift (we wanted it in time for our vacation at the end of May). For the three weeks we had the camera it took beautiful pictures and the burst feature was great for taking pictures of our eight month old daughter. Then, the lens wouldn't retract and an error code appeared on the screen. No big deal, we thought. We've only had the camera for three weeks, it must still be under warranty. Per a Canon representative's instructions, we sent the camera back via priority mail. We got an email from Canon stating the camera was out of warranty (what!?!?!?!) and a replacement would cost $269.00. I paid less than that including shipping from Amazon (which is a great company). What kind of company warranties it's products for less than 30 days? Are they being serious? I even went as far as to request clarification because their response stated the camera was "being replaced," which implied a replacement would be provided free of charge. Nope, they stated without a hint of irony, if we want a new camera we need to give them $269.00. Long story short, Canon does not stand behind their products and provides customer service that is on par with a student loan company...or a collections agency....or the prison system. Don't buy their products. Just don't.

We travel often, and I am a serious-amateur photographer, taking many photos on every trip, both in the US and in Europe. One of my criteria is that the camera must be one I can carry in my pants or jacket pocket so it's always ready, but still high quality enough to take excellent photos and videos, be versatile, and have a processor that allows me to take good shots without a flash in places such as museums, cathedrals, castles, and other interior sites. Most of cameras have been Canons, and they have performed well. Based on reviews in camera mags, I bought the Canon SX260 this fall, as I thought its amazing 20x optical zoom, new processor, stabilizer, and wide angle lens would make it ideal for travel photos. At only $270 from Amazon, it was well below the big SLRs and other cameras I saw advertised, but would still be in-the-pocket ready. We have just returned from a two-week tour of Scotland- lots of lakes (lochs), the highlands, historic sites - a real test for any camera. In every respect, the Canon 260 lived up to its claims, and, in my opinion, may be the best camera for travelers on the market. The 20x zoom, over and over, allowed my to get shots of scenery, people, castle and cathedral interiors that would have been impossible before. The amazing processor "gathered" light in even very dim places,so I never had to use a flash once; I turned in off on the first day of the tour and never needed it for two weeks! And - a small but appreciated detail -- in every Canon before, if you turned the flash off for a shot, the next time you turned on the camera, it defaulted to flash on, making you turn it off over and over. With the 260, if you turn it off, it stays off until you change it - a big time saver. I was even able to take night shots of the lights and harbor at Oban- no flash, handheld and stabilized. The improved video controls on the back make that job easier as well. Although a bit larger by about 1/4" and a bit heavier by about 1 1/2oz, it is still easily an in-the-pocket, ready to go camera for any trip or occasion. In short, I 100% recommend this new Canon, for travel or otherwise, I

I love this camera. I needed something lightweight but not cheap. It also had to be fast and accurate. With 12.1 MP and a 20x zoom this camera take sharp clear shots. It's zoom often comes in handy. Its GPS capabilities are GREAT. I would buy purchase this camera again.

Really like the camera and the ease of use, it seems to be the only model that I can't purchase a waterproof case for.

i am no professional photographer and i was looking for the cam that gives me high resolution pics and easy to handle and use and get good results even if i pass it to a kid or a passing by person with unknown photography skills to take that shot for me somewhere ... i was so lucky to find this cam on amazon with a great reviews from buyers whether pro photographers or just every-day user, those reviews i second almost all of them and maybe i can praise the HD vids that this cam can shoot a bit more than others reviewed it!the optical zoom 25x is so impressive and beyond that the cam can give you up to 80x digital zoom which is still good .. what is more impressive is that it has this stabilizing system that gives you imho 90% of the times stable images even with the 80x zoom and the usually shaky hands that we non-pro people have !one more thing very impressive the lens that is so sensitive to light .. i tested pics with very dim indoor lighting conditions and still i got very good images relatively and this applies to shooting vids too (that is in comparison to this cam's closest competitors)taking panorama pictures and stitching them with the software that comes in the software CD is something so easy and lovely .. and you can take as much as 26 shot to stitch them together!the UI is very friendly and so is the software that comes with the packageone thing maybe you'd need sometime to get used to is the flash light that pops out of the cam's body when it is needed .. you just need to have your finger always placed away from the hidden flash light ... you will need some time with holding the cam and then you'd know how to handle it right and comfortably so that's not a big dealand don't expect a RED cam as described by canon .. because it is plum-red just as the pic showsfinal word: LOoOoOve it

I absolutely love this camera. It rivals my Canon 20D with a 300mm zoom lens. Even at 20X zoom in hand held mode the camera images remain sharp when there is good day time lighting. The wide angle aspect of this camera is also very useful. The flash works exceptionally well and throws light out much farther than the stated 12 feet contained in the user manual. Even if you know nothing at all about cameras you can leave the camera in auto mode and it will produce outstanding results. However, if you're willing to read the user manual of if you are experienced with photography this will be the best camera you ever owned. You can take photos in almost any lighting situation and in any shooting experience.One note of caution, not only for this camera but all cameras, always be careful to check your lens for smudges or dust before you use it. I smudged the lens of my SX260 and it would not focus properly and there was light blooming in the center of each image. It was my fault, of course. Because the camera kept trying to keep good focus and was working the small servo motor used to focus, the batteries wore out and had to be recharged frequently. Once I cleaned the lens this problem disappeared. Don't forget to buy additional batteries for this camera. These smaller Li-Ion batteries tend not to last a long time so if you are going out for a long photo shoot you'll need two or three more charged batteries. I have 10 batteries which I bought for my SX260. I imagine you can probably take 150 to 200 photos with no flash on just one battery. Amazon.com gave me a good price on this item. I bought a used, or open package camera which arrived in excellent shape. All the separate components appeared to never have been opened. I save about $25 with this purchase. The supplier delivered the item to me in 4 days, or about a week before the expected delivery date. I love the camera.

very happy with the pictures i love the small size i was looking for a good camera that would fit in my pocket