Отзывы о Цифровой Фотоаппарат Canon PowerShot SX510 HS

i don't usually use such descriptive words for products, but this camera is simply and truly amazing.My background: An amateur/hobby photographer for 35+ years. Do mostly landscapes and birds/wildlife. Started with a Pentax film camera years ago, then went to Nikon. So I am very familiar with adjusting F-Stops, shutter speed, etc., to get a good pic. Took many courses on photography over the years. Traveled around, years of some pretty great photos. Fought the change to digital, but finally gave in about five or six years ago. The digital Nikon SLR I have now is about five years old, and the auto focus always gave me problems with birds. Bought a Nikon "advanced" P&S (similar to this) about three years ago. Same problem, plus the quality of pictures were never quite up to snuff no matter what I tried. Though I have a 400mm lens with the SLR, still isn't enough for birds much of the time. Along the way, bought three Panasonic P&S. Fabulous pictures every time! Was set to buy latest Panasonic like this Canon....then they took away Leica lens, and build them in China. That was the end of that.This is one terrific camera. I've been taking loads of shots the last three weeks. I purposely have not even done anything in the way of making "adjustments" other than to adjust the exposure, just to see how good it is, or where it may be weak. That's it. The 1200mm lens is unbelieveable. No camera shake whatsever....although, I will have to say that if you are not steady, you may want to use a tripod at that length. It IS possible to get a great handheld shot at that length, but you must be steady enough to do it. Where I live we have high winds almost all the time, so it's a bit of a challenge! But I managed to get some fantastic shots despite it. (And mind you, I'm very particular about what is acceptable vs. what has a real "wow" factor.)Adjusting the exposure, which is easy to do quickly, allowed me to get terrific closeup shots of many birds (think always-on-the-move palm warblers and hummingbirds, goldfinches in flight!) in low light conditions and on overcast days (of which we have had far too many lately).The macro is also terrific. I always had a hard time getting good closeup shots of flowers with any of my other cameras. This one is right on. I'm really impressed with the results, with no lenses to change out!The crispness and clarity of the shots I've taken is amazing beyond belief. Color is right on. I am still in awe of this camera. I may never buy another SLR! I can take this birding with me, too, and not have to lug around a heavy SLR. That way I can watch the birds and still hope to get a few good shots along the way!I have medium size hands, and the camera feels very good to hold and manuever. The moveable LCD screen is great. I've not had one before. You can use it to shoot (I prefer the viewfinder....a big reason why I got this type of camera), or it works really well to review a shot. The viewfinder has a diopter, so you can adjust it to your eyesight. You can actually see the LCD screen very well outside (unlike any other digital camera I've had before).Only drawback is that I worry about the card/battery latch at the bottom of the camera. It is not a rigid/tough plastic, and I'm not sure why they cheaped out on it. Though, in reality, if it should pop open or break off for some reason, the battery and card will not just fall out (they are secured). Also, I do wish it had a Landscape setting. My Panasonic has that, and it's great. Not a big deal; I simply put it on Landscape and adjust the exposure accordingly. I have more flexibitiliy in getting the shot I want that way anyway.Canon has a new fan! I've been told by my photographer/birder friends for years Canon was the way to go. Why didn't I listen?Be sure to always have an extra. fully-charged battery on hand. I have been shooting a lot of pictures lately over a span of a few hours, and the battery usually does go out during that time and I have to change it out. But this is not necessarily any different than with other cameras I've used.

This camera was worth waiting for.My review might be too long for some persons. In that case you may scroll through to the Pros and Cons at the end.First for some background on me for context. I am an amateur but aspiring to be advanced photographer having been only a snap-happy point and shoot user over the years. 3 years ago I bought the Canon SX120 with the 10x optical zoom specifically for a function at which I was gonna be sitting some distance away from the action. I was very impressed with the zoom and the photo quality, especially considering this was an indoor function and the lighting was not great.Ever since then I have been hooked on Canon and have been anticipating each generation of new high-end P&S cameras. I first fell for the SX30, then the SX40 and finally when the SX50 was announced I knew I HAD to have it. After researching all alternatives online for months I finally took the plunge and haven't regretted it since.I got the camera just before Christmas 2012 and was tempted to write my first impressions at that time but thought better of it. So after nearly 4 months and over 3000 photos and videos here goes:Build and layoutThis is a $400 camera but feels like much more. It has an all-plastic body but there is nothing flimsy about it at all. Everything feels very solid in my hand. Those accustomed to using full-size DSLRs will notice it is somewhat lighter and smaller but the overall form factor is identical and allows users to "play photographer" just like the big boys (especially if you slapped on an EOS neck-strap like I did, haha).The hand grip is deep enough to allow for a good solid one-handed grip on the camera (I'm 5'11" with big hands). With this hold though there is the likelihood of accidentally hitting the menu button or self-timer with the fleshy part of your palm at the right thumb. It happens infrequently and I have learnt how to hold the camera to prevent that happening, most times. Annoying, but not a deal-breaker for me.Other cons on the layout: the card and battery compartment are located on the bottom of the camera and are inaccessible while using a tripod. My guess is that most users of this camera wont find that a big issue since tripod use is almost unnecessary considering the image-stabilization (IS) on this camera. Will get to that later.Personally I would prefer to see the playback and video capture buttons reverse place (as in the SX40) because I find I have to adjust my grip to hit the video button while shooting stills and that can be awkward and sometimes causes me to lose a shot. Other than that the buttons are well laid out and within reach.Menus and controls are fairly simple and intuitive, especially for previous Canon users. New users will appreciate the brief descriptive on-screen explanations and tips on each menu option. Sadly, a few things are inexplicably complex and inaccessible. (See my comment about hi-speed burst shooting in Performance below).ZoomBelieve the hype. The zoom on this camera is THAT good. It reaches so far that you can see details that are completely invisible to the naked eye: - the tail numbers on jets passing overhead; Who knew that your favorite player had a wrist injury? This camera picks up his wrist-strap all the way from the bleachers; You can read the watch on the preacher's hand and signal him to stop already! Pictures of the moon are detailed and sharp - the craters are clearly visible. This camera is binoculars, telescope and spy-scope all in one!Admittedly picture quality suffers somewhat at distance but not as much as one might expect. Truthfully, the issues you see with the camera at full zoom are minimal and frankly 50x pics are simply not available with other lesser tools so a little loss of sharpness is acceptable considering. I am quite proud of my moon shots and the varied color and detailed plumage of the birds in my neighbor's tree are now clearly visible. I have great close-up shots of John Legend at his piano from mid-crowd about 100 feet away!Digital zoom is helpful, but image quality degrades rapidly. It is the nature of digital zoom and not an issue unique to Canon.Canon had the good sense to realize that zooming at those distances frequently means we lose sight of our subject and have included a "Zoom framing assist" feature which helps you to toggle quickly between focal lengths to re-acquire your subject. Brilliant!AccessoriesCanon supplies this camera in a bare-bones package. You will need to get a memory card (SD, micro-SD with adapter, SDHC, - class 10 recommended. Also, there is no printed manual - it comes on a CD.I also recommend a spare battery, especially for a full day of shooting and night-time events. I get approximately 250 shots per charge.I have chosen to attach a UV filter to my camera as this reduces the haze in some scenes. More importantly though, the filter serves as a protection for my lens (which, being non-interchangeable would kill your camera if

There are good reviews here from knowledgeable photographers. Mine's from the simpler view of what this camera is like for a Point & Shooter. I can't even call myself an amateur photographer and know nothing about ISO and such. I wanted a camera with a great zoom that would take quality pictures, but that was pretty simple and fast since my subjects are likely not going to sit still while I fiddle with controls. My father loved photography and developed his own pictures back in the day, but he was never able to teach my mother the fine points so I spent half my childhood posing for lengthy sessions while she struggled with f stops, focus and lighting. My grandchildren are used to quick camera phones and aren't going to be sitting still for me doing the same. My camera has to be fast, smart, easy and reliable.Since I live in the country I especially enjoy nature photography, but the wild turkeys refuse to come close enough for me to get decent pictures of them, the little birds seldom pose for long and the deer and other creatures are pretty jittery subjects. I needed a really good zoom, auto focus, multiple shots with one press of the button sometimes, an easy way to go from movies to still shots and a fast way to access different functions. This camera does the best job of the three I've tried and I like it, but there are a couple of issues too.It does not come with a cable to plug it into your computer. If you have a newer computer you may have slots to insert the camera's SD card instead of plugging the camera into a USB port to remove the pictures, BUT if you want the software and user guide installed, you have to plug in the camera. Hummm. Luckily I have a smaller PowerShot camera and already had a cable with a mini connector that would work (there's also a slot for a wider flater connector), but I'd have been pretty annoyed if I didn't. The second downside for me is that I'd really like to try the software, but can't get it. The software is not on the CD like I expected. The CD just starts the installation process and determines what model camera this is. It then downloads the software from the internet (without telling you that's what it's going to do). This may not be a problem for some users, but for those of us out in the sticks with poor internet access and maybe a data limit to boot, this is a huge problem. After two tries and nearly 1 GB of data (which pushed me so close to my limit I can't do much of anything further till my cycle rolls over), I was able to get only the Image Browser which is not for extracting the pictures from the camera, but for organizing the pictures in your MyPictures folder. I totally don't care about that and can't believe I wasted 1 GB and two hours to get it. Nothing tells you what the various software components are or how big the files are.Windows is happy to download my pictures and videos just like it does with my phone, but since I was unable to get the other items listed in the software download, I don't know what I may be missing. I manually searched the CD and found the pdf file for the User Guide in the folder 'ReadMe', subfolder 'en' for English. Once you've started the 'easy' installation process for the software, you can't choose just to install the user guide, so I don't know how else you're going to get it but this manual method. I recommend choosing the 'custom' installation where I assume you could choose to get the User Guide installed first and then later decide if you want the other components. The installation screen tells you almost nothing useful. Very dumb--and in my book they lose a star for this whole hookup software thing.On to the camera itself: I'm quite satisfied and might be even more so after I read the User Guide and learn how to do some things that look interesting like setting up certain favored shooting modes to assign to custom setting buttons for quick use. So far the only thing I've experimented with are the preprogrammed settings. The zoom is really good and there are assists to help you keep your target in frame and focus on it. I particularly like that there is a viewfinder as well as the large display that can be used several ways. I sometimes find it easier to keep the camera steady by using the viewfinder, which allows me to steady the camera against my face.I like the dedicated movie button and ability to take a picture while also taking a video. The ability to shoot multiple pictures is great, but doesn't ensure perfect focus on them all. Still it gives you a better chance of getting a good shot during action. The focus, by the way, is fast and accurate compared to the two other similar cameras I tried. The FujiFilm and the Olympus were both slower at focusing and the Olympus was annoyingly loud as well.This flash must be raised manually. If the camera thinks you need it a message on the screen will tell you to raise it, after which it will fire automatically as needed. I like the separate era

JULY 29th, 2013 UPDATE!! ....Just read on the 'Fatdragon' site (a girl who has posted tons and tons of helpful insrtuctional videos on the SX40), that the SX50 has a 'Superfine' setting, which enhances sharpness even more! The funny thing is, even though I've had my SX50 for quite awhile now, I honestly hadn't even noticed! Why? I can only assume that it was because my older Canon DSLR had that setting, and had seen it so many times that I had simply taken it for granted as something that was on my SX40 (which I still have, by the way), and hadn't paid much attention too. So there's yet 'another' great reason to get the SX50! Now I want to try the 'Superfine' setting on mine, which I'm not sure I had even really used- after all this time!!I was prompted to write this review based on some comments I'd seen on YouTube or somewhere, where someone had proclaimed something about the Canon SX50HS, "blowing away" the SX40HS, or something to that affect. Well, I happen to now own both cameras, (being a musician, I realized that I had one or two guitars too many, after so many years, and decided to part with one in order to buy it), and having now had the SX50 for close to two weeks, I noticed a few other interesting things about it, which I'm not sure are mentioned in some other reviews....But first, the comment regarding the SX50 being vastly superior to the SX40? (drum roll, please).... Nonsense! In fact, the SX40 is a great camera, but in my opinion the SX50 is better, but while I hesitate to say 'a lot' better, I'd have to say more than a 'little' better. Already, reviews and descriptions above mention the most obvious differences, those being 15X more optical zoom, and greater digital zoom, the RAW feature, and better image stabilizer, etc.I would have to say that one or two videos on YouTube of people demonstrating the image stabilization is what finally made me want to get the SX50 afterall. That, plus the fact that (even here in Canada), I found it on sale already for only $6 more than I paid for the SX40 when I bought that about six months or so, ago. Oddly enough, it was on sale at a regular Sears store for considerably less than at camera stores, Best Buy, etc. Even as much as $100 difference, compared to some places! I should think that Amazon, and other places will have it for even less just before Christmas and on Boxing Day/week.DEC. 16th, 2012: UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! Recently found out that another Toronto camera store has it for $385, so took my receipt to Best Buy, had them check on the Internut (yes, that was intentional), and since it's still within 30 days, they not only reimbursed me that difference, but added the 10% difference in price, making the price of my SX50HS here in the Great White North a total of $383.50!! I wanted to share that because right about now, as well as Boxing Day/Week, would likely be the best time to check everywhere (do it here online to give your feet a rest before going!) Now I've actually paid less than what the SX40 cost me- while it was on sale! It won't likely go this low, or lower until next Fall or thereabouts. Of course, in the U.S. I expect it would be even less ($320-$350 perhaps?) here on Amazon, and other places during these next 2-3 weeks, so keep your eyes peeled!NOTE: Since the last update, I actually found the camera for $349.99 at Best Buy, rather 'hidden' online, since the continued Boxing Week sale filled up most of the website page. I decided not to search the online flyer (which listed it for $399.99 the week before), and just type in 'Canon SX50', in the the window above. Much to my surprise, it was listed there for $349.99! Unfortunately, this was only minutes before midnight on the last day of the sale! Had I gone to the store earlier that day with that knowledge, I would have also gotten the 10% difference discount, which would have then brought the price down to about $346! I went the next day, but they said basically that it was too late, but I still got it knocked down a further few dollars due to another price match. Moral of the story? Keep checking all your local store's websites every Friday, or whenever they post the new sales prices, which also includes Amazon. I once bought an amazing Michael Palin travel boxset (which was regularly about $250), for around $120 on Amazon, but that sale was listed for only one day! Be vigilant!Back to review......The first difference I noticed, once I took the SX50 out of the box, was the (intentionally) rougher exterior, which I liked immediately, regarding 'slippage'. Of course, the more recessed grip also helps. Cosmetically, the SX50 is more attractive, and more 'professional' looking, with it's more angular body compared to the 'rounder' look of the SX40. Even the shiny piece of plastic on the outside of the lens barrel I find attractive. Not that these things are incredibly important!The next thing I noticed was the movie record button being conveniently placed near the edge of the right side,

First of all: Please apologize my language, I'm no native speaker, but received so much help from Amazon.com reviews over the years, that I now try to give back my modest bit and tell about my experience with the Canon SX50 HS.Before I used to walk around with two cams standby:1st the Samsumg WB500, because I'm living at the shoreline where we need horizontal space for our pictures, hence can make best use of the 24mm ultra-wide lens.2nd the Olympus SP-800UZ, because in a harbor area there are lots of fences and off limits zones, where they won't let you in, but you just want, want and want to take your pics nonetheless, hence depend on zoom potential.Additionally there are seabirds and seal, a shy sheep's eye, a distant cow's tongue, whatever - I just never left the house without the 30x zoom of my Olympus.Some weeks ago however, I noticed that besides taking pictures I'd love to now and then take videos, too.And this is, where the Canon SX50 HS cought my attention, because:My Olympus can take decent movies, but either you want it to zoom, so you need to go without sound. Or you want sound, so it won't zoom. No comment. :-(My Samsung can take decent movies, even with zoom and sound, but once you touch the zoom, it will produce this pesky grinding noise, which spoils whatever atmosphere.So I googled my bit and my nostrils got wide when I cought whiff of Canon SX50 HS's fragrance.A bridge camera with 24mm ultra-wide lens, x50 instead of my beloved x30 zoom?OK, here is, what I can tell about after 12 days of testing:I tested it for 3 days with 3 cameras around my neck. Every video I shot, every picture I took, were shot thrice.Meantime (day 11) I only leave the house with one camera with me, with Canon SX50 HS).Beginning with the results of what my other cams did satisfyingly good anyway:The 24mm ultra-wide lens is at least as good as is the Samsung WB500 one. No awkward distortion. You can approach the ship or whaterver else horizontal you wish to take your pic of, and will be satisfied with the result.Canon SX50 vs Olympus SP-800UZ: Of course the zoom range 30:50 stands for itself.The magnificent difference in addition however is the Canon's stabilisation potential.No matter if picture or video, where an Olympus' shot depends on absolutely steady hand, your Canon will be tolerant and kind of swing it out gracefully.I compiled some videos Canon vs Olympus on youtube, to show the difference, you can find me on "amSeehafen", if you like to watch.I also put there lots of videos, which to even try wouldn't have made any sense with both the other cams.1st: Neither Samsung WB500 nor Olympus SP-800UZ are any good after sun down.Still, such a harbor area has it's temptations at nighttime as well.So one of my first Canon tests was, to see, how it would handle darkness.You can see some results at youtube amSeehafen, too. It paints black black and light light. Quite crisp and perfect. Wow.My next reason to love the Canon is, that it is way more tolerant re movements, shaking of hand, etc.Of course it shakes like hell, if your hand is directly being twisted by coastal winds.Who wouldn't.Yet if it's just halfway still, you can zoom the full ammount (including digital) zoom without tripod, and earn undreamt of crisp and calm results.The sound, however, at first shocked me. Knattering, rattling, loud. (!?)Until I found out, that the culprit was our constant coastal wind. So I reduced noise sensitivity down to close deafness, and voila: This lovely camera's sound is pretty perfect. It can even handle wind and make it sound like wind. Which - you'll agree, if you're anyway experienced - is quite a piece of artistry!(Addition - written 1 month after: On the long hand the deafened microfones are not satisfying, because they muzzle too many desired environment sounds, too. But some investigation on youtube gave me the idea, which helped to solve the problem: Just attach a piece of fur via doublesided sticky tape round the microfone holes. Make sure not to block the openings. I admit, it gives your cam quite a funny look, but hey - you'll love the sound! Find my tutorial and sound examples on youtube AmSeehafen.Well, what else to tell - I tested the macro mode with both flowers and spiders - you can find shares on youtube amSeehafen as well, it's doing good job.I found the slow motion mode, which nobody needs, but is lots of fun. I never knew how long our cat's tongues can gear out, until I could watch them slurping their treats in slow motion...The only shortfall I noticed up to now is, the lense is helluva sensitive to pollution. So you best *always* carry a handkerchief or something with you, to clean lense as soon as necessary.None of my other cams ever was nearly as 'sissy, as is the SX50 HS in this regard.But the display is fantastic. Even I with my elderly weak eyes can notice pretty quick, once the pictures or movies blurr.Talking of the display: I also love that it can be moved. I'm not so tall, and fences can be oh s

Disclaimers: I own several cameras, the main use ones are a Canon T2i with multi lenses, a Fuji xp60 for quick underwater shots, and an old Kodak Z612 (a 6.1 mega pixel camera). I am not comparing this camera to the T2i or the Fuji. I am comparing it to the Kodak which, for it's time, had one of the longest zooms available (12x). I get perfect shots off of this camera, and it has nearly all the adjustments of a DSLR. I also acknowledge that I could have just gotten a bad camera, but the bulk of the camera makes it a no go for me, anyway. This review is for anyone who might really want a camera with one lens that will also do a lot of what a DSLR will do. This camera doesn't do it easy, if at all.I had high hopes for the SX50. I like a long zoom, and have no problems getting a great picture zoomed in. My problems were are follows:Much bulkier than the Z612 (makes sense, due to the long zoom, but adds one more negative for me)Bright sunlight, standing still, half the pictures still came out blurrier than the Z612. Tested on all settings, not just Auto.I cannot force a flash on the "Auto" setting. Sometimes "Auto" is almost what I want, but I want the fill the flash gives me. I don't want to the set the whole camera just to get a flash, but on Auto, in sunlight, even if there are shadows, you can't force the flash. The screen even says so, if you couldn't figure it out for yourself.Hard to set the "Manual" settings. I don't have big hands, but I was constantly hitting something other than what I wanted. The shot is gone.Controls are not intuitive for me. I liked the controls on the Nikon P520, but that camera was too slow to focus.The focus isn't "on" for this camera. On Auto settings, it frequently will focus on something in the background instead the the face in front of me. I had to re-focus several times, and still did not always get what I was trying for.Flash shots took three times longer to process that non-flash shots. What the hey?No way to take multi shots in auto settings. Once again, the screen said so.....Too many button pushes to set scenes, get your stored settings, set everything. Setting one thing is not difficult, setting f-stop AND shutter speed AND flash compensation AND ISO AND whatever else is cumbersome. (I don't have this much trouble with my T2i, although that was not the comparison-the Z612 is a breeze compared to the SX50)Viewfinder was useless. Too close to the body. Where do they think you are going to put your nose?Lens is VERY sensitive. It would try to focus in on the dust particles near the lens. No, it was not on macro.Too much lens flare in sunny situations. I had to keep moving around to avoid pink spots in my pictures. No, I was not looking into the sun, although my friend's Samsumg One Note got an incredible picture of the sun through the trees. The SX50 couldn't even hope to get that shot due to lens flare.It didn't equalize the picture on Auto settings. In a forest, where there is some shadow and some bright areas, the bright areas are over exposed, and the dark areas are still dark. Not so with my Z612.There may have been ways to accomplish what I wanted, but it wasn't easy to do.One the plus side, close up pictures were VERY sharp, but any standard vacation pictures were soft. The auto focus on the zoomed out setting was much quicker than any other camera I tried (but not quicker than my Z612). The zoom was phenomenal. The depth of field was better than the Z612, but not better than the Canon Powershot 260 a friend was using.Bottom line for me, I can't give this camera more than one star. The zoom and macro seemed very good, but I could not get a really good picture with it when it wasn't on zoom or macro. Auto settings were not usually sharp, and it took too long to set for conditions. I can see how this could be a good camera for birders, but I like a one-camera-does-all for vacations and arty pictures while on vacation. Your mileage may vary.

m27Y1ARJQ1PN1S / moY5M0EJEJSCJ5 Length:: 1:09 MinsI ordered the SX50 through Amazon, I tried it out, I liked it well enough and I intend to keep it. For what it does best, it works very well. For the rest, well... that depends.&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&This is a video I shot of a fishing boat in Monterey Bay. I used my new SX50 with a 50X optical zoom and a 4X digital zoom for a total of 200X (sort of.) I know it's pixillated, but still just look carefully and you can see the fisherman casting his fishing pole at the stern of the boat and then sitting down. Pretty amazing video technology they have developed for this camera. So that is where this review starts - with the monster-zoom telephoto lens.&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&What this camera does best is pretty obvious - it has a monster-zoom telephoto lens. I enjoy doing some telephoto work, and for that purpose it works amazingly well. At a 1200mm - 50X - zoom you simply cannot buy a Canon DSLR lens with that kind of magnification for any amount of money.*1 The largest [standard production] DSLR telephoto lens that Canon makes is an 800mm and that lens costs over $13,000. So there you have it. For around $500 you can run circles around that magnification, get some fantastic shots and have a lot of fun with it. It will most definitely amaze your friends when you show them with what you can do with the monster-zoom feature alone.*1 Technically, "any amount of money" is not completely true here. Another poster has pointed out that on special order Canon will make a 1200MM lens for a DSLR. It weighs about 40 lbs. The MSRP is $100,000. Only a few dozen have ever been produced. My bad.It also has a wide ISO range (film speed) combined with some very fast shutter speeds for fast-action shots. And the recovery and repeat shot time is very fast too. There is also built-in HDR (High Dynamic Range) feature that will be fun to use for creating vibrant-colored, surreal landscapes. (Don't try it with portraits though, since HDR is notoriously bad at distorting human skin tones.) For the more advanced shooters it also offer RAW files as well as RAW plus JPEG, so that you can fine-tune your photos with post-processing in a Photoshop-type program.All around this should turn out to be a good recreational and family-fun camera that will work very well for daytime things like social events and sporting events, particularly at getting candid shots of people all the way across the other side of the auditorium or the sports arena. And it has an excellent HD video feature that - with a good secure tripod - can produce some very respectable quality videos. Unfortunately, the "hot shoe" for the camera only works with an external flash, not a high-quality external microphone. So no, it won't take one, so you don't even need to ask. Yes, of course with a high quality HD video feature you would only expect that Canon would allow you to attach a high-quality external microphone to the hot shoe, but no they don't. You can take that up with Canon - again - just the way people did last year, and see how far you get with it. Otherwise you will simply have to enjoy it the way it is, or else use a tape recorder and sync the sound with it in a movie-making program afterwards.But if you want to take any long-exposure, nighttime shots with it, then this camera probably will not work for you at all. It COULD take them easily, but for marketing reasons Canon put an arbitrary ISO limit on it last year that will no longer let it take them. (Earlier models of this same camera could easily take them before Canon imposed the arbitrary ISO limit on it.)If you have ever owned any of the previous cameras of this series, (the SX1, SX10, SX20 and SX30,) then you probably know that it has a rather small 1/2.3 sized sensor, but (now) it processes the images with a very good DIGIC 5 processor. If you have also owned an SX40, then you also may be aware of a rather recent limitation on this line of cameras that the previous models did not have. Beginning with the model SX40 Canon put an arbitrary ISO (film speed) limit on the camera which severely restricts one type of photography in particular - long-exposure, low-light, nighttime photographs. They are now almost impossible to take with this line of camera, because the user can no longer select any ISO greater than 100 at any of the slower shutter speeds, not even in full manual mode.ISO 100 is a film speed (nowadays called "sensor sensitivity", but the numbers are identical) that has been traditionally used only in bright daytime photo shooting. Low light and nighttime exposures have always required faster film speeds like ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1000 or even more. Photos of that type which had always been easy to take with earlier models of this camera suddenly became almost impossible to take beginning with the SX40. Suddenly any attempt to set the shutter speed to slower than 1.3 seconds automatically reduced the camera setting to ISO 100. There

So I purchased this camera with the intent of it becoming my primary digital camera. I had researched a wide array of digital cameras including the panasonic fz70, the fz200 (which based on what I read, might be better all around, but there's a reason I went after this one, and I'll get to that), and the nikon p520. I ultimately settled on the sx50 because I did want to play with the high end zoom after seeing sample shots and because I love the canon interface. This is a very user friendly camera and unless you want to get professional, dslr style photographs out of it, you won't be disappointed.In terms of picture quality, if you're shooting outdoors, the pics you can get out of this camera are pretty good. I took the camera with me on a hiking trip and was able to shoot some object far away using the zoom, like an airplane flying overhead, or a tiny insect crawling through some trees. It does some neat work. The other wow on this camera are shots you can do at night of the moon. Pair up the 50x optical with digital zoom and you can get some fantastic shots!In terms of your day to day photography, the camera is decent enough. It struggles a little bit in low light. If you're doing pictures for the web or internet, low light photographs are actually pretty good. Canon's digic5 processing system probably has something to do with this, boasting an ISO up to 6400. What I like about night photos on here is that color wise, they look true to what you're seeing in the night without use of the flash. The only downside is that they are noisy unless you are doing a long exposure at a low ISO. Still, for the price and all the features, it looks nice.The other fun part about this camera is the array of filters you can use. Alot of the filters are things found in standard free photo software for phones, but they work well here. One of the fun filters is color swap or only using one color and placing the rest of the photo in black and white. The cool thing is you can use a lot of these filters while shooting. I also particularly like the super vivid option on the canons. The pics really come out, especially outdoors.There's also a lot I haven't played with yet on this camera, including the in camera HDR and the video. And this is probably the one thing I really don't like about the camera - and it's not entirely a bad thing. This camera is not a DSLR and will not give you DSLR quality. But Canon put in a lot of the adjustment features you traditionally find on their rebels. You will get a tad frustrated when you find what the settings can do and youll be a tad disappointed when you realize you can't get those proshots. For someone wanting to have fun and learn how to manually adjust the camera a little more, this is a great bridge camera. But if you're wanting to jump right into taking professional shots with this camera, remember - it's a point and shoot. It's a really good one, mind you, but that's still what it is. It is definitely worth the value. I have posted some pictures up to demonstrate some of the features of the camera, including a shot of the moon, use of color accent, and night shots.

I picked up on the SX50 to do wildlife identification with birds and other critters. I have spent many hours behind the lens of Canons EOS cameras including the Mark III and 5d2 with L grade telephoto glass but I needed something lightweight and compact to use when the weight of the DSLR system was not desirable.This camera is amazing for that task. I had looked at the SX30 and the SX40 in the past but for me testing them out at the stores the Autofocus just was not yet fast enough for me to be willing to work with. The SX50 changes that and has a very quick AF system that has already worked for me in a variety of situations for a sub 500 dollar point and shoot class camera I am extremely impressed with the AF system.The resolution at 1200mm has exceeded my expectations and can create print worthy sharp results throughout the entire length. To get that kind of focal length with a DSLR would require a serious budget destroying investment that would weigh a large amount. I highly doubt my 100-400L cropped to the same reach or frame could beat this camera at 1200mm.Ill go over a few of the cameras functions.AF. Very fast for a point and shoot. Not DSLR 7D fast while running L lenses fast but still locks on with ease. The autofocus does have a tendency to lock onto foreground elements when shooting in foilage and I do wish it had a MF ring of some kind or a AF stop button that the DSLRS have. Using MF is frustratingly slow with the back dial.ISO. Blown away at how good the ISO ratings are for this camera. It has been a while since I owned a small point and shoot and I am amazed that I can get usable results at ISO 800. Raw images clean up especially well and respond to noise reduction. Its a good thing the camera can handle higher ISO's well because the slower lens does eat up and demand a lot of light.IS The image stabilizer works remarkably well and easily preforms to the claimed 4.5 stops or more, I have taken several successful shots at 1/100th of a second at 1200mm. Thats simply unprecedented. The IS also does a great job at stabilizing the image while framing. Turn the IS off for a bit and you will quickly realize how hard the IS has to work to make the 1200mm lens on this camera worth using.Zoom. looong. 24-1200mm is insane look at my sample shots of the mine at 24mm and 1200mm to get an idea of the range of this camera.Many of you will complain about the slow f stop at 1200mm but consider that a 35mm SLR lens at 800 5.6 will set you back 10k and a 1200 5.6 is 150k so a useable 1200mm equivalent at F6.5 for 479 is an absolute steal. The fact that this little camera can get a acceptable shot at 1200mm opens up a realm of possibilities that was previously simply economically impossible for many. It also zooms along the range very quickly, the framing assist button along the cameras side is a handy feature and backs the lens in and out fast allowing you to recompose.What do I dislike so far?The EVF viewfinder is garbage, there is not enough relief between the body and the EVF for it to be very useful for me and it does not have enough dots to make out what you are photographing,the EVF screen is washed out especially on bright sunlit days. I have opted for the swivel LCD exclusively and would not have missed it had they omitted the finder altogether thankfully the LCD is plenty bright so it can always be useful but a better evf would be handy to hold the camera in close.Front dial. Canon why cant you give the top of the line powershot a front rotating dial? That dial would make adjusting things on the fly tremendously easier. The body is a bit small and the back dial is low that using it while keeping a secure grip is a bit difficult for me as well I would of prefered it to be higher on the camera personally.Flash does not pop up automatically. The flash button on the side of the camera does nothing unless you have physically raised the flash yourself. This is not a deal breaker for me because I will likely use the flash rarely if everl, I have better cameras that cover the range of the tiny flash, but for the average point and shooter whom will purchase this as an only camera this could ruin a lot of photos.No front threaded filter mount. The only way to attach a filter is via the bayonet adapter. I would of preferred a screw on attachment for a permanent UV filter to protect the lens.All in all I am quite pleased with the camera its an enjoyable system and I have already gotten many great shots with it. The super telephoto lens has a bit of a learning curve but as soon as you get the hang of it and understand the IS systems limitations you will be on your way to getting many great photos with this little guy.The Minimum focus distance has a few awkward spots at around 700mm it jumps up to 6.5 ft but drops down to 4.2 ft at 1200mm this may make a few macro insect shots hard to do without externally attached filters.

This camera is a perfect blend of a digital camera and a professional.Pros- Many different effects to help you take the perfect picture. Once you learn how to use each of them, it's very easy to choose the right effect to help you take a good photo that won't require much editing. I personally love the Vibrant feature, Portrait (blurs the background), and Hi-Speed Burst.- The zoom is incredible, at 30x. I have taken fantastic photos that would have been pixelated from the zoom with other cameras.- 12.1 MP creates flawless photos, it gives the illusion that I have a professional camera and actually know what I'm doing! Haha.- The camera strap is great. I often take pictures at the zoo, and instead of fishing my camera out of my bag, I can just put the strap over my shoulder or go full-tourist by putting it around my neck.- The camera is a nice size that allows you to comfortably grip the camera.- A rechargeable battery is great, I prefer it to carrying around a pack of AAs like I did in the good ol' days. The battery has a long life, and doesn't take long to charge. If I were going on a trip where I didn't have access to electricity, I'd pack an extra battery.Cons- I wish there was a viewfinder! Sometimes it's hard to see the screen when you're in the sun--I had trouble in Hawaii.- WiFi isn't all that great. I prefer taking the SD card and putting pictures right onto my computer, it's a lot faster than waiting for them to upload via WiFi, then downloading them from the site, then editing, etc. If you don't edit your photos, then you would like this feature, I personally don't.- Be careful, it's very easy to delete all of your pictures! I bought this camera right before I went on vacation to Hawaii. After I had taken over 300 photos, I was trying to look at a set of pictures I took with the Hi-Speed Burst function, and accidentally deleted ALL of my photos. I freaked out for a minute, then googled to see what I could do, and it turns out that if you don't take any pictures, you can find software online that will recover every photo you have ever taken on that SD card. It took an entire evening to recover all of my photos, and I'm always very careful when reviewing pictures on the camera so that I don't have to experience that headache again.- Manual focus would've been nice. As this camera is not a DSLR, I can't really blame Canon for not allowing some manual focus... But at times when I'm trying to get the camera to focus where I want it, I have to lightly press the capture button several times until I get what I want. Not unbearable, but in the future it'd be nice.All in all, this is a great camera. I've been using Canon for years, and this is by far the best camera I've ever owned from them. If you want a camera that feels like the lovechild of a DSLR and a Digital Camera, then this is the camera for you.

There are some great in-depth reviews out there on this camera already. So I just want to add my personal likes and dislikes about this camera since buying it about a month ago. I have previously owned the Canon S2 and the SX20, and have used and abused them well in my travels. Furthermore, I've made some great photos and videos with these cameras, and have created several good quality DVDs and Blu-rays of my travels). With the promised better low light shooting and the greater zoom that the SX50 has to offer, I jumped at the upgrade. I'm glad so far that I did.Likes: "It's the zoom, stupid!" No seriously, I love to zoom in on wildlife and people from a distance. I travel a lot and this allows me to take photos of people without the need to ask first (and thereby not get a posed shot). The 50 times zoom works really well and quite frankly is astonishing.I like the larger LCD screen. It frames the 4:3 aspect photos a lot better. I have always loved and used the articulation feature of the screen.I mostly shoot in Manual mode, but I love playing with the HDR (High Dynamic Range imaging. This effect shoots three exposures and combines them to produce a tone-mapped effect with color effect options including Sepia, Black and White an Super vivid colors). I've taken some really nice shots with this, although at lower light situations it's best to have a tripod (which I plan on buying soon).Shooting in low light situations. I have gotten some pretty good shots with hardly any noise at both 800 and 1600 ISO. Far better than earlier versions of this Canon zoom. (Yes, I know: the Panasonic is better at this. But the Panny is about a couple hundred bucks more.)The High Speed Burst HQ (accessed via the "SCN" preset menu) is pretty cool, shooting up to ten frames at, I believe, 13fps.I'm ok without having the 4 x AA batteries. The SX50 is significantly lighter than the SX20 because of the use of a propriety Li-ion battery instead of the AAs. Sure the battery life is not so hot, but I bought 2 extra Li-ions from non-Canon manufactures at about 9 bucks each.I am pleased with the speed of the auto focus. It did not take long to focus on and shoot some wildlife, all of which can easily and quickly slip away. Shoots well through windows.I love the electronic level. My horizons are no longer tilted.Dislikes: "It's the zoom, stupid!" The lens will not allow much "depth of field" in your photos. This is a huge dislike, although I can manipulate photos in editing software.I don't like the viewfinder. Hard to frame anything using it. This definitely keeps me from giving the SX50 a 5 star rating.The super slow motion feature is at a high frame rate (240 frames per second), but at a very low quality. You can't really use it in making your DVDs or Blurays (at least I haven't found a way yet). I guess you can just use it for a playback on the camera's LCD. The quicker slow motion has better quality, though still not HD.Panning while shooting the high quality HD video is horrible. It created a very choppy looking video I took of the ocean. I will have to test to see if the lower quality setting (which the SX20 has--which panned nicely) is any better. Update: the panning of stationary scenes is fine with the high quality setting.Although the SX50 has the ability to shoot in RAW format, I have not seen the need for it. As I progress in my understanding of how to use it with post processing software, it might be useful. For now, I am happy with the JPEGs I get.The build of the strap holders does not allow for attaching a different strap. I had a camera harness (useful while hiking or biking) that cannot attach because they made the holders--if that's the term--too far into the camera body. In the SX20, the holders stick out.The quality of the camera's build feels cheaper. They used a plastic which, although lighter, feels and looks cheaper. I am however, getting used to it.Final thoughts: I am reading more photography books to learn how to more effectively utilize the impressive features of the SX50, such as HDR. I am looking forward to taking it up with me backpacking in Yosemite this summer, and South East Asia next winter. I also hope it will be more useful in capturing low light photos of my 6th grade students working inside the classroom. Though not perfect, and with the lens not having a low aperture--so a lack of depth of field, it feels so far like a good upgrade from the SX20. I am okay with my purchase.

I purchased the Canon SX-50 HS digital camera early in 2013 when it went on sale & also to replace the Canon SX-40 HS digital camera I had before. Both the Canon SX-40 HS and SX-50 HS controls are laid out pretty much the same. Both cameras takes great photos, but the SX-40 HS had a few quirks that bothered me for the 2 years I had that camera, but the SX-50 HS does not have any odd quirks when taking photos yet.Anyways, I have used the Canon SX-50 HS digital camera for awhile now and took it on vacation as I required a digital "point & shoot" with a pretty decent optical zoom and this camera has the zoom I require for my long-range scenic photo needs of mountains and similar items.The good stuff: Long 50X optical zoom [1200mm zoom power] and it works quite well & pretty fast. Very easy to use. My outdoor photos seems to come in quite well, especially in lower light situations such as sunrises or sunsets. Using the optical zoom, the photos will vary and the more zoom you use, the worse the photos outside turns out. Modest zoom usage and the outdoor photos are still pretty good. Marco/super close up photos with this camera is absolutely great!!! I have got bird photos so close and clear with this camera, you can see the feather textures so easily with this camera....simply amazing!! Moon shots with this camera is excellent & as good as the Canon SX-40 HS. Indoor shots seems pretty decent with this camera too, as long as you're using the flash. Overall, photo quality with this camera is very good. Controls are laid out decently for the most part. Optical viewfinder is a nice touch, even tho I use the flip out LCD viewfinder most of the time, but in real bright sunny weather outside, I will use the optical viewfinder instead. The SPORT MODE on this camera is very nice to have & very nice feature!! This camera uses the common SD and SDHC photo card, a nice plus. Video quality with this camera is decent. I only shoot short videos with any digital camera and the video quality with this camera seems as good as my prior digital cameras I have had over the past few years.Photos are a bit "softer" with this camera compared to my former Nikon P-510 camera, but that's just a minor issue.The bad stuff: The video button is placed right next to the thumb rest on the backside of this camera and it's easy to activate by mistake. Canon should have placed the video button on the top of the camera instead of the backside. The external flash hot-shoe on top of the camera lacks a cover, something the SX-40 HS had [a cover].Battery life with this camera seems pretty good and uses the same battery the SX-40 HS uses. Battery charges pretty quick also, 2-4 hours usually with the supplied Canon battery charger. Get a few extra batteries also if you plan on taking a trip or taking lots of photos at any public event.Overall, I think that if you need a pretty long zoom in a point & shoot camera without having to fumble around with a few different lens & still want a very good photo, this Canon SX-50-HS camera will do the job just fine.I am pleased I now own the Canon SX-50 HS digital camera and it hopefully will serve my photo needs for a year or two with minimal problems. I even bought a second SX-50 HS digital camera because I like this one so much and the second one works just fine too and is my "back-up camera" now. I have given this camera 5 of 5 stars....to me, it's a great camera!!

I had a Nikon S9700 that I really liked and lost, followed by a Canon SX170 that I disliked and returned, followed by this camera. This camera, the Canon SX50 HS, has turned me around on Canon.First off if you are buying this, you probably are looking for the zoom. The 50x optical zoom is incredible and unlike previous cameras I have owned, the additional digital zoom is not totally worthless. The digital zoom adds a mild amount of noise to the picture, but with a stable hand it is still possible to take a relatively high quality picture.When left to its own devices this camera fairs well in both well lit and night time outdoor scenes. Where it seems to have the most trouble is high contrast scenes, like trying to take a picture into dimly lit building from a bright outdoors. I think the Nikon had a leg up on this camera in this particular situation, but I was more interested in the zoom.Nighttime pictures with this camera come out impressive, much more so than the SX170. I have a bit a trouble getting the camera to take sharp daytime pictures, but I am learning and there are many examples of amazing daytime images from more skilled individuals [...] There is definitely a lot to be gained by manually tuning settings with this camera [...] All that said, this probably isn't the camera to try and capture great shots at a sports event. I do notice a bit of blurring in pictures with motion. With motion, or even worse low light + motion, it can take a couple attempts to get a picture I am fully satisfied with.As for the battery, it lasts quite a while, well over 300 images. If that is a major selling point for you, just keep in mind batteries for this camera are ~$10; keep a few on hand maybe even a second charger if it is a big issue. I personally did not want to sacrifice quality, price, or size in order to gain longer battery life.My main gripe with this camera is that it didn't include a USB cable, and it doesn't use the same one my smartphone uses. I figure if you are going to design the camera to take the less common type of connector you should at least include a cable.All my gripes combined are not enough to dock a star for this camera. For the niche it is an extremely good camera. I call it a niche, but the niche is basically doing everything well and on the fly without having to change lenses or tweak numerous settings. This camera is well rounded and inexpensive, so don't expect it to outperform a DSLR. That said DSLR cameras are usually larger/heavier, more expensive, require multiple lenses and much setup, and generally require a deeper understanding of how a camera works.

I'm shopping for a camera in this class, and settled on either the Nikon L830, Canon 510HS, Fujifilm S8200, or Sony DSCH300. I'm a Canon-kind-of-guy, and was happy to decide to get the Canon after a comparison. The Canon has some drawbacks, but it scored enough for me to go with it—until I realized what a dumb design it truly is (fortunately I read the manual first). I.e., I probably will not spend my money on it. And I am really miffed about it, because I really wanted the Canon. So I'll share with you, FYI. There is a deal breaker with me when it comes to cameras, and it is the absence of Auto Exposure Lock (AE Lock). My itty-bitty compact 2007 Canon Digital ELPH, has it. And so do many if not most Canon cameras. It allows you to quickly get a good exposure in auto mode, in one area of the ground/sky/wherever, and apply that exposure to the scene you want to shoot elsewhere but are struggling to get a balanced exposure on (e.g., think bright sky and dark ground in a landscape shot). I use it all the time outside, and it makes for well exposed pics really quickly without fussing. With the 510HS, for some reason, the AE Lock cancels after taking 1 pic! What?! Why would they do that? It's ridiculous. But OK, for one photo at a time I can live with it begrudgingly. But then I discovered another deal breaker I didn't realize I had in me...the camera doesn't have a panorama feature (all it's competitors do!) and it also doesn't have a Stitch-assist function, which once again, even my low-end compact from 2007 has! It's like discovering your $100,000 car doesn't come with mirrors. So to take a panorama when you are traveling, you have to manually compose the pics without the help of an assist, and then compile it with software later. OK, once again I could deal with that very begrudgingly...except now have to keep the exposure constant somehow between all your pics! How could you do this? Well, with AE Lock. Oh. Wait. It cancels after one shot! Son of a...! Do they not want you to take panoramas?! So yes, Canon, I could work around it by fidgeting with Manual exposure for 5 minutes until I get the perfect aperture and shutter values and then take multiple images and then use software to merge the scene...but you know what, I don't have to go through that 5 minutes of hell, because I can use my 2007 compact elph to take the shot in 5 seconds, or just buy any one of your competitors' cameras with a panorama feature that'll lock the exposure. Oh well, I now realized that I secretly did want the Nikon's twice-as-fast shooting lens for safari shots anyway. Thanks for choosing the Nikon, Canon.

So the Camera itself has been great so far. I have take some great photos with it and it has taken some great movies too. The zoom is pretty good although indoors it does have a bit of a tough time gaining focus when zoomed too far in. I like the added adjustments it has.The two complaints have have are one, the microphone is a bit weak, in that it doeasn't pick up voices all that well and when taking video outside, even with the wind filter on, it really picks up wind noise. Plus, it also picks up the zoom motor when zooming during a movie.The other issue is the wifi. I have two main issues...1) It doesn't recognize wireless access points properly. I have 2 routers, one at each end of the house, because one router will not cover the full house. I have one set up as the main router and the other as an access point. With just about all other devices, I only see one wireless network in my house for the "G" network(as I should) and devices will just use the access point, to that network, with the strongest signal when connecting. HOWEVER, with the camera, I see two completely separate networks, both named with the identical name. So when I goto connect, it will always try to use the access point it used prior. If it is out of range, it fails and I have to redo the setup, choosing the other network of the same name and connect. Since this thing doesn't have great wireless range, I also sometimes get the "Invalid Password" error, if I am too far from the access point it is trying to use. This REALLY gets annoying after a while having to change the "network" I am using depending on where I am in the house.2. As mentioned in 1, when it has a weak signal, it is quick to suddenly not recognize my wifi password, giving my a "Password is Invalid" message. Moving right next to the router will sometimes correct it but it will still fail sometimes. Even choosing the "other" network(aka access point) it still won't recognize the password. Once it gets the password error, it seems like it gets stuck in the mode somethimes and the only way to get it to connect it do a WPS connection with the routers. Once I do that, it will be fine until the next time I try to connect and I am too far from the access point it is set to use and I get the error again.The wifi issues are enough to really sour me on a good camera. One of the reasons I liked this camera was because of the wifi. I love not having to mess around with cables and such getting my photos/movies to the PC.I gave it 4 stars but it probably should be 3.5, as the pictures are great so far(which is what a camera is for) but if it supposed to have wifi as a main feature then it should be implemented right and it's not.Pros...Great photos so farGreat movies so farMany setting to choose from, even includes a manual focus modeCons...Poor microphone for moviesZoom motor noise during movies.WIFI issues!!!!!

Full disclosure - I am not a professional. I am a serious armature who love learning about photography and improving my skills. I currently own a Canon 7D DSLR with the kit lens and also the Canon 70-200 L F4. I love that camera and use it when I am out on an event or outing where I really want to try to get some great pictures. However, I decided I wanted a good light, small, bridge camera that I could use as a "grab and go" camera to use at events like Birthday parties, social gatherings, etc., where I'd like to get "good" pictures, but not out for great photography. Just something I could keep in a small tot to have handy when I didn't feel like carrying the 7D with all it's lenses and associated trappings.I did a lot of research and it came down to this camera and Panasonic FZ200. Which camera takes the "best" pictures depends on which review you read, but in the end, after looking at may comparisons, the SX50 seemed to fit what I wanted.The Good:- The zoom is amazing. And the IS is so good that I can take fairly good telephoto shots, even when hand-held.- Very fast multi-shot capability with the right SD card.- Lots of nice "Picture Type" settings that help you get a good shot under a variety of conditions, when you don't what to take the time (or don't have the time) to mess with manual settings.- Light weight, but doesn't feel "cheap"- Articulating LCD is a must!- Hot shoe for better flash- Shoots RAW! This was a must for me! I am starting to dabble with Photoshop and Lightroom and the ability to import RAW images was a must. There are not many bridge cameras I found at this price point with RAW capability.- Excellent image quality, even at Telephoto distances. It's "Only" 12MP but unless your printing huge posters, 12MP is plenty for most applications.The Bad:- Image noise when you get much above 400 - more noticeable than my 7D for sure so this Camera may not be a great choice for low light situations with no flash - a trade off I was willing to make to get the 50x zoom.- Flash does not automatically pop up. You must lift it up manually to take a picture with flash.- The F-stop is not constant across the Zoom range. The one thing the Panasonic I mentioned had in it's favor was a F2.8 across its full (30x) zoom. Sine most of my shooting would be with decent light, or in situations where I could use flash, this was not a huge concern. I can always fall back to the 7D if low light is an issue.- No USB cord. Not going to ding it a star for this, but come on Canon, really?- The AVF (View Finder) is not the best. Not as bad as I thought it would be based on some of the reviews I've read, but still not nearly as good as it could be. Serve's it's purpose - just.Bottom line - I love this camera and feel it will do just what O need it to do

There are those who questioned whether the 50X optical zoom in this camera is useable in view of the smaller aperture (f/3.4 - f/6.5) with some recommending a camera with a smaller zoom power and larger aperture over one with a longer zoom and smaller aperture. This may sound persuasive, but when it comes to the awesome 50X optical zoom found in the Canon Powershot SX50 HS, the pros of having a longer zoom certainly outweigh the cons of a smaller aperture. Anyway the aperture is really not that much smaller than the previous powershot model SX40 (f/2.7 - f/5.8). Now the full-range f/2.8 aperture of the new Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ200 24X zoom camera seems groundbreaking in comparison, but if you read its reviews, you will discover that there is a price to pay in higher picture noise levels, as the performance of Panasonic's LSI Venus processor still lags significantly behind Canon's excellent Digic 5 processor when light levels go down and ISO goes up. Furthermore, the FZ200's optical zoom range of 24X is also less than half that of the SX50 HS.I've used the SX50 HS extensively over 9 days for my vacation in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia recently and can confirm that other than for low-light photography, the maximum 1,200mm telephoto setting is still very useable - handheld, without using a tripod or any kind of support, all thanks to Canon's anti-shake image stabilization system, since I don't have the steady hands of a surgeon. Anyway, if you are into low-light photography, it's much better to invest in a more expensive digital SLR or use a compact camera with a wider aperture such as the new Sony RX100 (f/1.8) for your low-light shots. This is not to say that the SX50 HS can't be used for night photography - just that you will need a tripod or some kind of support to steady your shots, if you won't be using the built-in flash for illumination at night.It's not always that you can move closer to a subject for the shot, without frightening it away (eg. bird photography) or putting yourself in mortal danger (eg. wildlife photography). If you're not careful, you can even fall off a cliff while trying to get closer to frame the shot you want. For those times when you just can't physically move any closer to the subject, you will appreciate the awesome zooming power of this camera. There were times when I even wished that the camera has an optical zoom of 60X or more, and I am truly puzzled by those who suggested that 50X is just too much zoom to handle. Nevertheless, the fact remains that this camera at maximum zoom really makes it affordable to own a 1,200mm telephoto lens compared to a similar lens on a digital SLR - which will certainly cost an astronomical amount of money.There's no need for me to comment on the excellent color and picture quality this camera is capable of delivering, especially if you turn 'vivid' mode on - just look at the photo samples in the many reviews appearing on photography websites. Each day more and more reviews appear and continue to affirm that Canon has indeed done its homework to produce a very useable and affordable 50X optical zoom camera for the masses. Having owned and used a variety of 35mm film-based compact and SLR cameras from brands like Nikon, Pentax, Olympus and then digital cameras from Canon, Olympus, Samsung, Panasonic Lumix and Sony over the last 30 years, I can say that overall, this is the best camera I've ever owned in terms of features, zoom range and value for money. This is the ideal camera for you if you are upgrading from a 10X-20X travel zoom compact camera, or if you want far greater zooming range than the typical digital SLR or have simply grown tired of lugging around a heavy camera bag laden with interchangeable lenses for your DSLR.In the end, what really matters is whether you can take the shot or not when presented with a photo opportunity that requires extreme telephoto, and if you don't have the versatility of a 50X zoom like this camera, probability of taking the shot is definitely less. With the Vari-angle LCD on this camera you can practically shoot from the hip, zooming from 24mm wide-angle to 1,200mm extreme telephoto in an instant to capture the moment, when a DSLR user would still be busy changing lenses. Here's looking forward to the next SX60 HS version with an even more powerful zoom next year!

I am giving the Canon PowerShot SX50 a 5-star rating because the photos and the zoom are amazing. I am not a "photographer" by any stretch, I'm just a girl with a blog who loves nature and enjoys photographing birds and such. I had a Kodak Easyshare with a 21x zoom and was very happy with it until I started blogging, and following the blogs of some nature photographers. It was soon apparent that my little camera was lacking. A photographer I respect recommended the Canon PowerShot SX50, saying it would do everything from macro photos to long-range bird photos without having to mess with lenses or complicated equipment.I have only had this camera a couple of weeks and so far I am very pleased with the quality of the photos and the zoom. I have posted many photos of birds both on my blog and facebook to rave reviews.The camera itself probably rates a 4-star review. My biggest complaint is that there are several function buttons on the back right where you would place your thumb. I am forever accidentally hitting something I don't want to, and once I even messed up my settings because I accidentally hit a button, had a bunch of stuff pop up on the screen, and then couldn't undo what I did. Also, the PDF manual that goes along with this camera is very complicated for a simple person like me. Like I said, I'm not a photographer, I need simple and easy to understand. The manual uses a lot of icons and symbols and also skips around a lot - giving you partial information and then referring you to another page for further information. This is not very convenient. If you are not already familiar with the lingo of photography, you will find the manual a bit overwhelming. Even my photographer friend said the manual is not very user-friendly.I am not crazy about the auto mode on this camera. I've been shooting in program mode, which I find easier to use. I am slowly educating myself about the different settings and reading different photography books to improve my skills and understanding. I also think it's rather chintzy that the camera does not come with a USB cable, you have to buy one separate. Even my $200 Kodak came with all the necessary equipment.If you are looking for a longer zoom with a fairly easy to use point-and-shoot, you will like this camera. It is a good value for the price and takes awesome pictures.

I hate pretention, so I'm going to make this simple:Pros:1) MUCH better than any digital camera I've ever used. The closest comparable ones were a Nikon P40? with 40 or 45x zoom, which was horrible and a Fuji that could get 30x. The Fuji was mediocre but could pull off some nice photos and could get pretty clear shots of planes very high in the sky without a hellish amount of blurred shots. It wasn't great for long distance for some reason when it came to people and scenery, but just a little above okay so that it was website worthy. I only used the Nikon one for a few minutes, I left a review for it, but since amazon has repeatedly banned me my accounts are fragmented and it skews how my review habit actually is and my score (and they relentlessly spam me and use my affiliate links anyways, very honorable of them huh - banned for "an extraordinary amount of refunds" by the way, read the boycott I made on boycottowl.c0m for more on that extraordinary claim). Anyways.2) Excellent zoom and resolution. Ironically this was nearly the reverse of the Fuji, even with 20x more zoom far away pictures of planes are blurry, then again the sun was nearly down and I only got a few shots, most of which were blurred. I used it on people that were far away and the blurring was minimal and I could see their faces clearly unlike with the Fuji which at it's best could only pull off muddyish features at 30x, and just about useless at night.3) Night video was very useable and much much better than any other camera I've used to record night video except this Sanyo cam that you hold like a gun, I forget, which could amplify light tremendously, especially for photos at the cost of making everything appear to be golden and muddy and grainy. But the Canon had no such muddy or grainyness, but as I said, I couldn't force it to up the ISO. Maybe messing with the exposure would have done something but I haven't tried it yet as it's not the easiest control system.4) It seems to have a level so you can know if the camera is parallel with the ground/horizon or not, cool! I was actually wondering why no camera had a physical level like the kinds that have a bubble in them.Negatives:1) I can't figure out how to adjust the iso on video, there appears to be no way to change it.2) No manual focus control, which isn 99.99 percent of the case with all point and shoot cams.3) I found the control ring confusing as it not only allows manipulation through the use of a dial ring, but the usual cross way button pressing. At one point when I switched to manual and macro and got the iso where I wanted, the screen kept turning white, so I was forced to switch modes and found messing with the exposure put a stop to that. For some reason in macro mode on manual I couldn't change the exposure significantly, and at one point told me I could do such and such because the shutter speed was too slow (I'm less than an photo amateur so I didn't understand what that meant, and yes, I've heard of F stop, and don't bother telling me I don't want lessons through amazon comments.)4) What little I used of the the dynamic range, and it was only a little, didn't look impressive to me and you had to keep the camera very still. This in contrast to some new Panasonic point and shoot cam (which was terrible) which came out with an amazing HDR photo when I wasn't even intending it and not exactly keeping the camera still, though I was sitting down unlike when I was using the SX50 for HDR. I was bending over and pointing it close up at a rock, and it made some sort of shaking camera symbol on the bottom and in the middle indicating to not shake the camera. I couldn't see any way to turn the anti-shake on.5) The lens already has a faint scratch on it, about half a quarter of an inch maybe, as far as I know I've not scratched it with a rock, the only thing that would have done that is an incredibly small grain in the form of dust. Sucks.I didn't read the manual and don't want to, I hate reading white and black manuals, hate it.

I hemmed and hawed quite a bit before making this purchase. First off let me tell you that I own the SX40 and LOVE it. The picture quality on the Canon cameras are the best IMHO. I have owned several Kodak, Nikon and Minolta cameras. I have rested on the Canon brand because the pics I take with these cameras need little or no post edit fixes.I had the SX40 for about one year and honestly thought I would never need another camera. I decided to purchase the SX50 to see if it could out do the SX40...if not, I would return the SX50.It was a VERY difficult choice but I ended up keeping the SX50 and selling the SX40 on Ebay.The deciding factors and tough choices I made were all about the lens and autofocus.SX40:LENS- f/2.7-f/5.8 35x optical zoomSX50:LENS- f/3.4-f/6.5 50x optical zoomThe 35x optical zoom was fine for the type of pics I take. I did not really think that I needed a 50x zoom but I have to say, the zoom on the SX50 is amazing. You can still get good hand held shots at full zoom in good light. Tripod would be needed for either in low light. What I did not like was the loss of the f/2.7. After playing with both I decided that for the travel/night shots that I take....I would need a tripod for either the f/2.7 or the f/3.4 in low light so I felt OK about giving up the wider aperture of the SX40. If you consistently need a fast shutter that goes with a wider aperture...you may want to keep your SX40.AUTOFOCUS: The autofocus on the SX50 is faster than the SX40. It is enough faster that I really noticed the difference in side by side shooting situations. The SX50 is a significant improvement in that area.MISC: I only went over the factors that went in to my decision. For others the deciding factors may be that the SX50 shoots in RAW and JPEG...not a huge deal for me. Or that the SX50 has a few more bells and whistles such as HDR preset. I always had my C1 set for HDR on the SX40 so not a big deal either.What I HATE about both:Many other reviewers reported that they did not like the program presets in either the SX40 or SX50. I am in agreement there. Especially the fact that if you are shooting on manual and choose a shutter speed of 1" or greater, the ISO is fixed at 100 for the SX40 and ISO 80 for the SX50. I hate that about both....I get around that with the CHDK hack. I know it may sound intimidating but it is not. If you go to you tube, you will get step by step instructions on how to do this for you Canon cameras. It does not hack your camera, it hacks the SD card so you can override the camera presets. The camera hardware is not changed. I do that so I can be fully manual and set the ISO,aperture, shutter speed to MY liking, not the camera's program.I travel all over the world and like to travel light...that is why I insist on a good 'bridge' camera. I do not want to pack extra lenses and equipment. I am not a professional photographer but I have won some photo contests and I quite often blow the photos up to 20 x 30 or 16 x 20...either of these cameras are superb for that. So in conclusion, I decided that giving up the 'faster' lens (aperture)on the SX40 was worth it for the faster autofocus and larger zoom of the SX50.

I have multiple cameras (and lenses of course), each for different task(s). All are DSLR except this tiny SX50 monster. Mostly I use it for shooting my kids when they perform (like violin, not very quick dance) on stage or play sports games (like baseball, not very quick running). As long as they are not in quick motions (like running and jumping), I can take very decent photos from a very far distance (about 30 to 120 feet even more, for example, from the very far end of a 3000-seat theater). Even indoor and with normally low stage light, I can take very good photos. Three things I want to share are 1) when you zoom it in near the far end, the long focal length will generate more beautiful pictures with clear background,i.e. bokeh, and 2) the image-stabilizer feature of this camera can help you produce a sharp photo at the 50x end even at a slow shutter speed of 20 without using tripod (of course you need practice); 3) you can take video with it and press shutter button to take photo anytime without stopping the video, which is amazing.You may wonder how good those photos I took are. Let me give you an example. My friend (John) and I went to a concert last week, we both brought cameras to take photos for our kids. He carried his Nikon D7100 with 70-200mm f/2.8 lens (total cost over $3000), and I carried my tiny sx50 (cost over $300, 10th of John's) leaving all my DSLRs at home. John laughed at me, ' is that a toy?' , I said, 'yes'. Then from the end of the small theater, I took photo for my son and he did for his daughter (of course his 200mm not that long enough, he had to crop his photos). When we share the results next day, I laughed and he was amazed, by my photos, not by his. Of course, if we can get close to the stage, I won't compete with him, I know 70-200mm f/2.8 is perfect for that (especially with a full frame body that allows higher ISO and speed).Although many other features have no use for me, I give it 5 star, for the feature I like.The only thing I want to warn you is that you can not adjust the focus completely by manual even there is a manual mode on SX50, seems the camera doesn't trust you, it always does something for you, which is funny, and annoying.

I have a love/hate relationship with Canon I'll admit. I love their Elph pocket cameras. And I hate the ergonomics on their DSLRs, they can never get the grip right at least on the lower end Digital Rebel line. Nikon has far better feeling DSLR on the low end.For this camera I had high hopes. But I find the electronic viewfinder (EVF), the heart of the user experience, to be one of the worst implemented EVF ever. I'm not a snob on EVF. I thought the EVF on the Sony Alpha a55 were well done when most other users hated it. I have a Panasonic DMC-G5 and think the viewfinder is very good. I have owned a number of Panasonic FZ long zooms going back to FZ28, FZ35, FZ47, etc and I think the viewfinders there are very usable. But this viewfinder on the SX50 is so small its feels like a toy camera and really reminds me of some poor Fuji EVFs from years ago.I compared the SX50 and the diminutive SX510 side by side. I really believe that if you are going to have a digital camera that you really should have a viewfinder of some sort. This was part of the secret to the success of Canon's A-line of cameras of the 2000's. Even if you just have an optical-approximating viewfinder it works. There is something about boxing in the composition in a viewfinder that really helps you project in your mind what the final image will look like. That's something you can't really do with just a LCD screen that you likely cannot even really see in bright sunlight. (And you should note that Canon's A-series took a sharp dive when Canon started making the SX cameras years ago, so in many ways the (S2 IS/S5 IS) SX is the descendant of the A-series.) But in comparing the SX50 and SX510 my surprising conclusion is that I'd rather use the smaller SX510 because the EVF on the SX50 did nothing for me. Even the diopter adjustment on the SX50 felt like it was thrown in at the last minute, just not polished, not easy to find, and moved with the most of difficulty (almost like it had sand in the mechanism and would try and move past the setting you wanted. The tactile experience on the diopter adjustment was just bad).Besides EVF my other main concern with the SX50 is 50x zoom. 50x? The rush to the long end of the zoom lens is as misguided as the other tech trends such as more megapixels. You can barely compose a shot at the longer end due to camera shake and focus hunting in many conditions. So it's great the temporary zoom-out control/indicator is on both the SX50 and SX510. And Canon is thinking about the image quality by staying with a 12mp sensor instead of 16mp or 20mp like some of the others. A 20x or 30x option is better if you are looking for an all around camera and not just taking shots of birds or other creatures where the awe of the shot outweighs the other compromises in optical quality to get you there.Overall this camera did not feel like it has the same polish as other competitors in it's class.

I'll start off my review by stating simply, I'm not a photographer. I'm just someone who wanted a better than standard camera that would be able to take decent photos in all sorts of situations without having to switch out parts and accessories or even if the guy behind the lens has no idea what he's doing.If this sounds like you, let me tell ya...This camera doesn't disappoint. Not even a little.My first impulse when shopping around was to buy a DLSR and a couple of lenses. Once the initial sticker shock of just how much that was going to cost me subsided, I set my sights on what's commonly referred to as a "Bridge" camera.I spent a good hour or two picking over mid-range cameras at the local big box store before finally settling on this one. My reasoning behind this over a similarly equipped Nikon was purely aesthetic. The Canon felt better in my hand and the controls were laid out in a fashion I was used to with other digital gadgets I've owned in the past. A few moments later on Amazon.com and it was on it's way to me.I told myself I'd spend a day or two when it arrived to play around with the settings and features, but like everything else life tends to get in the way of the best laid plans. So without ever even having read the instructions, I took the camera with me on a trip to Germany. And shockingly enough, I managed to get some amazing photos! The camera itself is extremely intuitive in it's own "AUTO" mode, and I only switched it out of that mode when I wanted to try using some of the other features for really close or exceptionally far away shots. Honestly, AUTO mode will probably satisfy 90% of what the amateur photographer needs.Speaking of the zoom feature...HOLY COW! I was taking some landscape shots and saw something off in the distance...a few seconds later and I was zoomed in so close I could read the signage on a building nearly a mile away, and pick out the individual rocks in a stream at the bottom of a very deep ravine. Not only that, but once you snapped the photo, you still had enough clarity through the anti shake feature to produce a decent photo. Simply awesome...Bottom line, if you're looking for a camera that does more than your standard point and shoot, but less than a professional DSLR, you need look no further.

This is our first upgrade from a standard, inexpensive, compact point and shoot. Maybe it is just me but I am blown away! I think the average person will find this camera to be fantastic. Photography nuts will undoubtedly find issues with controls and sensors and things, but for the rest of us that just want to take a good picture, it fits the bill.Size: This thing is a little smaller than I was expecting, and that is great. It is easy to take pictures with one hand if need be, but is also comfortable to hold in two hands.Pictures: To my eye, the pictures out of this thing are great, and much improved over our older cameras and current cell phones. For now I have just been using the Auto settings and letting the camera decide what internal things to change, and it is great. I am a notoriously bad photographer (at least according to my wife) and even she things I take good pictures with this camera.Usability: I haven't played with the picture taking settings yet (ISO, aperture, etc). But I have played with some of the pre-set configurations and they work as advertised. It is easy to adjust so I think I will sit down one day and really get a feel for what I can change. Taking movies on this thing is ridiculously easy. Push the little red button by your right thumb and you are in movie mode. Sound comes in pretty well and the movies look great on our TV. The optical zoom is excellent and the "finder" feature when zoomed way in is indispensable.WiFi: So setting up the wifi was amazingly easy for me. The instruction book jumps around a bit but if you follow the instructions, it takes less than 5 minutes. I have successfully connected the camera to my home Wifi and computer, as well as my tablet and phone. I love that I can connect it to my phone/tablet even without an available wifi (the camera itself becomes the hotspot). This is perfect for downloading vacation pictures in the evening.Overall, I am very pleased with this purchase. For the price, I feel that I am getting a great camera with a ton of features. For those that want more than a traditional point and shoot rectangle camera, but don't want to drop a grand on a DSLR setup, this camera is perfect. Even my photog friends are impressed with the capabilities of this little guy.

I did quite a bit of research before purchasing this camera and figured it would be my last for awhile, but...First for the good stuff: It takes beautiful photos, including in low light with no need for flash. There is no noticeable recovery time between photos; I've never found myself having to wait on the camera to reset in order take a picture. The image stabilization is amazing; I took some photos while riding in a cart on a bumpy street - most came out unbelievably clear and focused. Flash throws a good distance when needed.I usually shoot through the viewfinder, but I LOVE the articulated LED screen! It allows me to take photos from a lower level without having to kneel. I can be discreet when taking candid shots, as I am looking down at the screen, not directly toward my subject. On a recent tour, I was able to lift the camera over the heads of other tourists and perfectly frame the shots I wanted. It's idea for macro photography, plus the LED screen is protected when it is closed.It's the design of the grip that keeps me from giving this camera 4 stars. I don't know how many times I, or someone I asked to take a photo of me, set off the self-timer or activated one of the menu items. While this is not a heavy camera as compared to a DSLR, it is not as light as many other point-and-shoot cameras. It requires a firm grip, but you must be careful where you grab it. The normal "SLR grip," if you know what I'm getting at, places the heel of your thumb directly over some of the controls. This is annoying, esp when a shot presents itself only briefly; the delay involved in resetting the camera after the self timer - or some other function - kicks in has cost me multiple photo opportunities.As with many cameras now, it comes with no user manual; you must download and print it out. I am still exploring features as I attempt to broaden my skills. It offers many of the features available on high-end DSLR's without the need for purchasing expensive lenses, so is a good camera to learn on b4 investing in a more expensive camera.I would recommend you buy at least one extra battery if you plan on taking a lot of shots in a day, as when you are traveling. I generally run through 2 batteries a day, but I do take a lot of photos. For the everyday photography, one would probably be enough, but it's nice not to have to worry about it.

I was not quite ready to move up to the major leagues of DSLR. I purchased this camera because it's versatile, has lots of bang for moderate bucks, with a good-enough lens for short and long shots in most shooting situations. All in all, this camera has proven to be a sweet, sweet deal, well suited to my current needs and interest in photography.If you are new to digital photography as I was, the number of features and combinations thereof initially may seem overwhelming. Expect to invest some time (as in hours) reading the manual, tinkering and testing features. (The manual is only available as a pdf file.)In addition to registering the product at the Canon site, you can download an ImageBrowserEX utility for copying of files from the memory card. The utility also can be used for some basic editing tasks. You may also want to download and install the Digital Photo Professional application from the Canon web site. It includes some additional editing functionality, like cropping images, tweaking contrast and saturation. These two applications have so far proved to be good enough for most of my needs.The many features of the camera have been well covered by other reviews. I would like to remark upon one that has turned out to be quite useful for me: the custom delayed timer. Most cameras advertise a maximum of 10 seconds delayed time to get into pictures. For more time, you must invest in a delayed timer accessory.Alas, for the peculiar shot angles that I like to take, 10 seconds max is often insufficient. The Canon PowerShot SX50 HS offers the flexibility to customize the delay to as long as 30 seconds. In all my research -- including much higher priced models -- I never found another model with such a generous delayed timer. Not one.Bottom line: I am very pleased with the features and performance of this camera, and I would recommend it to anyone in the market for a camera in its class.

This camera has all the specks that one can possible desire. However I just wanted a small camera that I could take to Africa and take some wild animal pictures. The specifications certainly made me think this was the camera. It would be small enough so that not a lot of space would ben necessary and with the zoom lens I could get some close ups of the wild game. Did the camera perform as advertised?First my photos are most disappointing. Thank goodness I took along my Nikon D-90 from which I got some great photos. My photos are not professional quality and more than likely just above candid snap shots.The camera is small and you will immediately notice this once you put it in your hand. If you have large fingers you are going to find the controls rather awkward and even the place where your right thumb fits on the back of the camera is small and my large thumb kept getting in the way and effecting the cameras settings. The zoom in switch is located on the right at the front of the camera and once again if your fingers are large you may encounter a challenge.The camera has a fixed lens that is advertised as a 12.2 MP Digital Camera with 50X wide angle optical image stabilized zoom. Too often I let the optical portion of the lens go beyond the optical limits to the digital and that was a total disaster. Even at the 50X mark I found that my pictures were not clear and clean. The lens is fixed therefore you cannot change lens. This is basically the same kind of snap shot camera one buys to slip in one's pocket so you always have a camera handy. However this camera is too large to slip into your pocket. I think this would make a nice camera for a child as a first camera. It does have a screen on the back which rotates and a viewfinder and viewfinders seem to be a thing of the past unless you go into a higher priced products. I missed some really good big game shots due to using the optical and digital lens Zoom. The photos will be find if I limit my prints to 4 X 6 but trying the enlarge them is a complete disaster.The camera write up claims that you can imagine getting right down on the filed to capture sports action, zeroing in on your child's expression on a crowded stage and recording elusive wildlife shots. It's a good write up but one that certainly did not happen with me. If one would take the time and put this camera on a tripod and then use appropriate filters you can more than likely get some good shots in what I would call a mid range area. Just don't do like I did and try to capture moving shots at 100 yards. That tri-pod will help with the stabilization. If you want to take some close up snapshots then don't worry about the stabilization and shoot away. You will get some really great "snap shots".The image stabilized zoom will actually help stabilize your shot if you don't have the zoom extended too much. Go all the way to 50X and that is another story. The specks refer to a "Zoom Framing Assist" that will help you track your subject even a long distance away. This is true to some extent. Once again don't do like I did and try to extend the zoom too far as that little square will simply move all over the place. Perhaps with a lot of practice you could get this function working better than I did.I am certainly not giving up my Nikon and will stay with inter changeable lens mounts for the future. I will continue to work out the "kinks" I have created and eventually have this camera working like it should.

I just received my Canon SX-510 HS digital camera to replace an older Olympus digital camera since I needed a replacement pronto. First thing I noticed when I opened up the box & took out the camera and my first thought was....."holy cow...it's so small!" It looks like my Canon SX-50 HS camera, but smaller with a few features missing.I took a small variety of photos yesterday with this camera and overall, not bad.Photo quality outdoors seems good and also in low light situations, this camera seems to take decent photos without flash. Indoor photo quality seems good with flash. Video quality is fine also and in HD.Overall, this small camera seems easy to use and very similar in ease of use compared to my bigger Canon SX-50 HS camera.Pros include: easy to use, good menu system, 30X optical zoom, large rear LCD viewfinder, nice quality-looking camera, comfy hand grip....tho a bit smallish, great high speed photo shoot option and finally acceptable photo quality inside and outside.Cons include: a fixed rear LCD viewfinder [not really a big deal], zoom operates a little slow and rather smallish camera. I am not really a big person, but this camera seems tiny.....like a compact point & shoot with a huge zoom on it.To me, this camera seems built for a smaller adult, teen or younger since it's really smaller than I thought. If Canon made the grip just a bit larger, that would have solved the problem....at least they added a rubberized outer coating on the grip and that's a very nice touch.It's a nice little camera that takes decent photos. I intend to keep this camera and overall, I gave this camera 4 of 5 stars mostly due to the fact this camera is a bit smaller than I expected and a bit sluggish with the zoom operation. Otherwise, this is a very nice digital camera.

I'll keep this short and sweet... Why would this semi-pro photographer/graphic designer buy this plasticky, consumer camera when he already has a Canon 5D Mark II with lots of good "L" glass with decent reach (up to 300 mm). Well there are three reasons:FIRST and most important, the REACH of this little camera is AMAZING! I took a photo of a turkey vulture walking about 25 feet away from the driver's seat of my car through the rolled-down passenger window (I'll upload it to Amazon). Even from that distance, the amount of detail was amazing! There is no way I could have gotten that shot with my 300 mm lens on my SLR. Heck, even if I owned a 800 mm lens that costs $12,000, I still couldn't get that shot because 1) I could even lift that lens, 2) there's no way I could maneuver that lens inside my car, and 3) I couldn't hold that lens steady because I would be crying because I dumped $12,000 on a lens. 1200 mm lens for $400 bucks! Amazing!SECOND reason: BOKEH! Bokeh is the background blur produced by a lens. That why folks like SLR cameras--the big sensors allow lenses to be produced that can be opened wide open to produce those artsy portraits with blurred out backgrounds. The problem with small sensors on consumer cameras is that the physics of everything makes it difficult to produce ANY decent bokeh. However, because the Canon SX50 has such an amazingly long zoom, it can produce some decent background blur. Is it as good as my SLR with a 50mm 1.4 lens? No way! My SLR with good lens produced a MUCH smoother backgrounds. But the Canon SX50 isn't bad considering how small the sensor is. Not bad at all! Actually, it's sort of a miracle that a sensor this small can produce ANY background blur!THIRD, there are MANY times where I really wished that I had my camera, but I didn't because it's a pain to lug around my SLR with a big lens. So I have plenty of missed opportunities. About two weeks ago, a bald eagle landed on the cross on top of my church. And the morning light was perfect! How I wished that I had my SLR with long lens! But I would have looked like a dork for bringing that setup to church. The only camera I had was my iPhone. Suffice to say, the iPhone was worthless and the eagle looked like a tiny dot. However, if I had a Canon SX50 with me, I'm sure that I would have bagged some amazing shots. Since the SX50 is so small, I will be carrying this camera with me at all times. No more miss shots for me! Being a good photographer has a lot to do with being at the right place at the right time (but even that doesn't help unless you have some decent gear on you).So that's it. The SX50 is just another tool in the bag. I'm still using my SLR/big lenses. Now I have more options (and I'll still be able to feed the family).UPDATE 3/21/13Amazing reach! This past weekend, I went on a boat tour on the St. John's River in Florida. I had both my Canon 5D Mark II with 300mm lens and the SX50. We came across two Barred Owls and the SLR with 300mm lens simply did not have enough reach. So I got out the SX50 and got some terrific photos. The reaction time of the SX50 simply cannot compare with the SLR (so I had to take lots of shots to make sure that I had a few keepers). And there is no question that photos with the SX50 have more grain--the SLR does much better in low light. But I'll take some grain for better reach any day! Great tool to have beside my SLR.

So I had the Canon SX30 and though I liked it sold it to buy the Panasonic FZ150. I also liked the Panasonic but sold it to get the added zoom of the Canon SX50 and the fun settings of miniature and especially fisheye. On a recent vacation I took about a thousand pictures with the new Canon and a new Panasonic SLR. How did I fare?I like the CanonSX50 quite a bit. The crazy zoom alone is a feature worth having. I've taken pictures of subjects barely visible and zoomed in close up using the camera hand held. I could get the same reach with the Panasonic FZ150 by adding a teleconverter and holding the camera steady on a ledge or with a tripod. With the Canon SX50 I don't need a teleconverter.Picture quality with this Canon is very good, not spectacular, but for a long zoom point and shoot far more than adequate. I took quite a few pictures of alpaca who were lolling about in the shade; the pictures turned out well with good detail and clarity after a little bit of post processing.The menu takes some getting used to. It's not intuitive, so it'll take lots of hands on experimentation to learn. Having had the SX30 previously, I learned to navigate the menu. I much prefer the easier to use menu of the Panasonic FZ150.While on vacation I took some night pictures of the same scenes previously photographed with the FZ150. The night pictures with the Panasonic turned out better.Comparing the Pansonic FZ150 to the Canon, I can't say that the Canon necessarily takes better pictures than the FZ150, but I love the incredible zoom of the Canon and have a lot of fun with the fish-eye effect.Many neat features are built into the Canon SX50; so many that it takes lots of trial and error to learn how to access and take advantage of them. If you want a long reach and don't want to fool with carrying more than one camera or changing lenses, this may be the camera for you.You can't add filters to the Canon unless you buy a relatively inexpensive converter ring. Then you can screw on 58mm filters to protect the Canon's lens.NOTE - Initially I became very frustrated by not being able to get the flash to work or being able to use the bracketing feature. I was ready to give up and return the camera. Then I got on line and discovered that there's a little plastic cover that slides into the hotshoe. When it's inserted, neither the flash nor the bracketing controls work. Now I know to remove the little cover when I want to use the flash or bracket pictures.

Note:I am not only new to this camera but digital photography as well. This is good for you the reader because I write these tips assuming no knowledge on anyone’s part.Also, I’ve had this camera just a couple of days…my tips will be expanded as I learn new things.Warning:If you are not given to reading directions, i) camera use might be extremely frustrating, and ii) you will be significantly limited in what you can do with this camera.Online Manual:The online manual is quite good, but you have to remember that it is both written and reviewed by those who already know what the camera should do (as opposed to having the manual reviewed by someone who has zero knowledge as I did). This will be clear from my comments below.Transfer Images to a PC:The only information the online manual provides for a NON-Wifi tranfer of images to a pc is the System Map on page 125.1. see pages 12-13 of the online manual for inserting and removing a memory card from the camera.2. buy a card reader w/usb and attach to PC.3. insert memory card into card reader (recommend bringing memory card to store from which you will purchase your card reader and have salesperson show you as there can be many slots and it’s not particularly intuitive).4. using windows explorer, move to the DCIM folder.5. go thru the sub-folders to find the jpegs.6. copy and paste the jpeg files to your computer.Memory Card installation & formatting:Directions for installing are on page 12 of the online manual; however, the manual states to format the memory card but the formatting directions aren’t until page 121. So here’s what you do:1. turn on the camera2. hit the menu button3. on the FUNC.SET dial, use the right icon as a right arrow and click right to the tool box at the top of the screen.4. on the FUNC.SET dial, use the bottom icon as a down arrow and scroll to FORMAT on the screen.5. press FUNC.SET to choose FORMAT.6. confirm and you’re done.Charging Time:First, there is an error on page 12 of the online manual. It states, “For details on charging time…” and references page 160. However, page 160 does NOT provide any information on charging time. So I timed it myself and it took exactly 1.5 hours.

As a long time Nikon user, I was more than curious about the 1200mm zoom reach on the SX50. I was skeptical to say the least. But its true, its a long neck reach into the 1200mm range.Although I have 4 DSLR's already, and a slew of lenses, the small size of the camera coupled with the talked of the fast focus made me want it.I like to travel with the smallest lightest equipment when I do street photography and or travel. I need a camera that can keep up with me in all light conditions. A camera that can shoot very fast FPS. This camera shoots 10 frames per second. The onboard lens is a 24-1200mm (35mm). Quite a focal length. The aperture ranges from wide at f/3.4 to zoomed out of f/6.5. What this tells me is that you will need lots of light when you use the longest reaches of the lens. The optical zoom has a button of the left side of the camera body that helps refocus the image when you are zoomed to the maximum. But again, this features works best when outdoors in strong light, indoors its not effective, resulting in blurred images.I also bought the YN 560II, an all manual flash for $60 here on Amazon. It outperforms higher priced Canon speedlites. The best feature is the "slave" mode, for off camera flash photography. You can use the on board or built in flash to trigger the YN 560II to fire at will. The YN 560II, was surprising good. In fact the flash is so large that it makes the Canon SX50 appear even smaller.Cons: Low battery life, about 250 images on one charge. Buy extra batteries. Won't last a full day of shooting. Slow to process in continuous burst mode. The self timer button area should be moved. I have hit it by accident several times when using the mode dial. The on and off button should be placed near the front of the camera. The image review, and on and off power button, are too close for me. Macro settings are only in preset shoot mode. You can still get very close with the non macro option. The flash use is very odd. You have to manually flip up the built in flash. The flash icon on the side is for flash options only.Overall image quality is okay, nothing super. The camera has trouble focusing in the longer focal lengths. A tripod helps and the more light you have the better this all works.Pros: Small and compact body. Durable, light weight. Fast auto focus. 24-1200mm great for all around picture taking. Intuitive menu options. Great quality video at 1080p. Good audio quality. 24-1200mm (35mm Equivalent) Lens 50x Optical Zoom 12.1MP CMOS Sensor DIGIC 5 Image Processor (Same as Canon 5d MKIII) 2.8" Vari-Angle LCD with Viewfinder Full HD 1080p Video with Stereo Sound Optical Image Stabilizer High Speed AF Focuses in 0.19 sec High-Speed Burst HQ for 13fps Shooting Built-in Hot ShoeEmail with any questions.Cheers!

I'm just a point-and-shoot guy, and all I wanted was a good point-and-shoot camera with a powerful zoom lens, and good picture quality for an admittedly undiscerning eye. I got all that and more with this camera. Since there are plenty of "expert" reviews, I'm not going to say anything about the ins-and-outs of the camera. So, for what it's worth, here are my random comments.1. Besides the 30x optical zoom on the SX510, the other cool feature is the wifi capability. Setting up the wifi was not particularly intuitive, but I eventually got everything working. I read one review from a mac owner that the wifi would not transfer pictures wirelessly from the camera to the the Apple computer. That's not true. All you need to do is download some Canon software (available here: [...] Once you download and install the software, you need to connect your computer to the camera via your home wifi network. Again, this isn't very intuitive, but it's not too difficult either. After the connection is made, you'll be able to transfer photos from the camera to your Apple computer via the "Image Sync" command.2. One reason I decided to get a new camera (I upgraded from an older Canon Powershot, the S3) was because my old camera took terrible pictures indoors and in low light. I read that the SX510 did much better. To my untrained eye, this certainly seems to be the case. I took a couple of indoor pictures that turned out very poorly on my S3; using the SX510, the same shots were significantly better. On close inspection, I could see some "noise," but relatively speaking, the differences were huge.3. The SX510 is very compact and light. One big reason, of course, is that it uses a proprietary battery, rather than 4 AAs. A lot of people prefer AAs for obvious reasons, but as long as you are prepared, the proprietary battery should not be a problem. You can buy extra batteries online (on Amazon) for a very low price. Having extra batteries will help you avoid those sad situations of not having batteries when you need them.Well, that's all I can think of for now.

I bought this camera in May 2013 and have been taking great shots of birds and other animals using our bird feeder (opossums, skunks, deer, raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, etc.) with great results for wide angle to full zoom. But, I really had not used it as intended for our travel shots until this March when we were finally able to go thru the Panama Canal on our 50th anniversary cruise. We also visited Columbia, Guatemala, and Mexico, generally via bus excursions.This is where the SX50 shined. I took several snapshots thru the bus window, as the bus was moving, thinking there was no way for the camera to be able to focus that fast. I took both video and still shots - almost all came out as if I had spent time to focus and frame the picture first. Most were taken as I moved the camera from my lap to the window, and without pausing, snapping the picture! In several of these I snapped down side streets as the bus was moving slowly (30 mph). All came out, but a few were crooked because of my not holding the camera straight. One was of a man on a motorcycle on the side street about 5 feet from the bus, and a foothill in the background a couple of miles away. The picture of trees and rocks at the top of the hill, and the picture of the man were both sharply in focus even though shot thru the bus window with no focus time on my part. These were shot on the "auto" setting. I took over 900 pictures, reviewed the pictures at the end of most days, and only changed the battery twice. I am so impressed with this camera and its abilities!

Had I not been leaving town for a trip the next day (October 18), I would have bought this through Amazon with the additional warranty, just to be safe. The Amazon price is a great price. This Power Shot is an upgrade from my first Cannon Powershot, the A590. For me the selling features were, it's a Cannon and the extended telephoto 30X Optical Lens. I've had great success with Cannon cameras, with many of the pictures I've shot with the A590 being used for magnetic photo bookmarks I sell. The primary limitation with the A590 was the optical telephoto only being 4X with digital abilities to shoot out to 8X. Shooting many outdoor shots, particularly of hummingbirds as an example, I could never get the quality shots I wanted. With the SX510 I can stand off, zoom in and now have great shots. It has all the features of the earlier A590, plus the longer telephoto, better battery life with it's Lithium Ion battery and some great new features I'm still learning. One limitation is the lack of a viewfinder. The digital screen is great, but a bit cumbersome to use when I zoom out to catch something in the distance. That takes a bit to get used to and I'm still working on it. As long as my subject doesn't move, fly off or disappear I can find it and shoot. The other drawback is it's limited number of F stops. I prefer the full range of F stops on my old SLR camera. The SX510 gives you F3.4 - F8. Although limited I have found it adequate for present. The kit that it comes with gives you everything you need to get started. It did take me a couple of weeks to realize that the little snap strap on the camera case is meant to snap around the camera neck harness. That's a nice feature - I pull out the camera and don't have to fumble around trying to put the case down - I just let it hang from the neck strap and start shooting. All in all, this is a great little camera for the price and it's a step in the right direction from earlier PowerShot cameras. I would buy it again with no qualms. This will do what I need, while I research Digital SLR's to replace my old film SLR.

Are you wondering what this thing can do? For high-quality photos, sports mode, video, etc.? Go to my photography page where photoshoots and videos are posted with using THIS camera. Facebook.com/DiligoAmabilisPhotographyThat'll bring you to the page and you can see all the work I have done with this camera, I am so happy I got it! If you want to handle it before buying it on Amazon, go to Walmart, Target or Best Buy. They should have it on display (I got mine at Best Buy).By FAR the best thing about this camera is the zoom! It probably shouldn't be legal for how far this thing goes... Haha! And no, it's not some big blurry blob of nothing when you zoom all the way, the quality is amazing for how far away it can be.Got questions about it and wanna talk about it? Email me! DiligoAmabilisPhotography@aol.com -I'm happy to answer ANY of your questions!Good:Lots of different modes/settings to make wherever/whatever you are shooting the best quality it can be!I do professional photography, and the "C1" setting vs. auto...? C1 makes a crystal clear photo, the megapixels makes you want to shout with joy... lolSports mode shutter speed is crazy fast!The screen will come out, flip over, go sideways, etc. When you shoot up, you can aim your screen down. Or when you shoot down you can aim your screen up. Just about anyway you need to shoot, the screen can be combatable with.Okay, as I said... THE ZOOM! Speaking about it doesn't do it justice...The sound quality when you are recording video is so good it's almost annoying... I was once was making a video in my basement, and had to stay awake until 1am when everyone in my house was asleep... Why? Because the camera picked up floorboards squeaking upstairs... No really, you could probably mumble something and somehow, it'd be on audio...Good, anti-slip grip when holding it.LONG battery life... When fully charged, mine goes for about 12hrs.Anyways... I could go on and on and on about good stuff. So email me with specific questions... Hah!Bad:(I'm sitting here trying to think of something negative, and it's not working... Geez. There has to be SOMETHING that is slightly wrong with it)...OH. When your shooting in the evening, sports mode takes pictures slower...Um um um... That's all? I'm sure there might be another thing or two, but that's all I can honestly think of..-Again, please do not hesitate to email me if you have any questions!!

5 stars for value for price factor. Well built, solid. Flash is adequate for family oriented, non-professional work but don't try to shoot a wedding with it professionally ;0) Has a flash override which I use a lot, many times I need a fill flash in bright sunlight to avoid harsh shadows on a facial portrait (eg at the beach). So-so quality in existing light situations; again, you're not paying top dollar either. It's good for me, but for those who love dark settings/existing light it will be iffy results, sometimes great, sometimes not depending on conditions. Shooting at a full, bright moon on a clear night with stars will give good results, shooting the moon when overcast at night with tree branches will not have a good result. You will totally love the zoom, and the anti-shake feature at extreme zoom is excellent. I shot a wedding recently, and got some great candids. 300 people and I could stand at the far end of the hall and easily frame a head & shoulders on someone at the other end. They didn't know I was photographing them so I got some really nice shots. No blurs from handshake, there was slightly dimmed lighting in the hall for mood. General outdoor has excellent, deep color. On scenics, especially wildlife, you will kiss this camera, trust me. Your finger will never leave the zoom lever. Camera also has wide angle/24mm which is about as wide as you can get without going into fisheye lenses. Good for mountain ranges, etc.Canon has put out another great camera.

I bought this camera to replace my Fujifilm FinePix HS10 that has recently decided to take pictures only 10% of time when the "shutter" button is pressed. With a 50x optical zoom, the Canon SX50 HS could so easily be a "Five Star No-Brainer", but it misses the mark in several key places. Because of the number of extensive and well written reviews of this camera and its features, I'll simply give the bulk of my review in list form of pros and cons.What I Like- "Holy Crap It's HUGE" zoom- Very good image stabilization- Quick focus (when it works) and metering adjustments when snapping pics... no shutter lag at all- Very good quality bright light photos- Very good (for a super zoom) color in images- Did I mention the size of its zoom?What I Don't Like- Auto focus is sometimes quirky- 12 megapixel is a little on the low side... I'd think this camera would've merited 16 MP- Camera body is just a little small for a bridge super zoom camera- Placement of Movie Record, Self-Timer, and Trash buttons ensure you will occasionally press them by accident- Not the best indoor shots (you don't want to go above ISO 800 with the SX50)- Fold out LCD can get in the way- Auto focus assist light blinds subjects, even from 15 feet away- Doesn't use standard AA batteriesThe focusing problem is my biggest issue with this camera so far. Sometimes the camera will focus on a small object, and sometimes it will focus on the background. For example, I recently tried zooming in on a bluebird sitting on a fence post and it took several attempts before the camera would focus on the bird and not the foliage behind it, even though the bird nearly filled the screen. I ended up having to put the camera in full-time auto focus, get it to focus on the base of the fence post where it met the ground, and then move center frame up the pole until I had my bird centered.In conclusion, I'd be in heaven if I could take the best qualities of this camera (mainly the zoom) and combine them with the best of my old Fuji HS 10. Obviously that isn't possible, so the question really is, if I had a "do-over," would I buy this camera again? The answer is, with a little reservation, yes. Most of the faults of the camera are things I can overcome, and I'm sure with a little time, I will learn to adjust my shooting technique to minimize them.The bulk of my photography is wildlife (mostly birds) and landscapes, so the zoom on the SX50 is perhaps the most important feature for my type of photography. If I did a lot of indoor photography I might think twice about making this my camera of choice. If I were shooting a high school wrestling tournament or basketball game, this would not be the camera I'd want in my bag, in spite of what the zoom would do for my shots.

My wife and I are birders and are always on the look for a camera with great zooming ability that is still sufficiently light to carry. We have owned Canon's prior model, the SX40, for just 2 months and loved it. When the SX50 came out, we were tempted, but skeptical about the faster auto focus and the additional zooming ability. We decided to give it a try. The verdict: Canon managed to noticeably improve on an already excellent product, and we bit the bullet and bought the new model.Here are our observations:General impression: the camera is light, has a nice grip, and takes amazing bird pictures even with free hands. The image quality further improves with the aid of a light tripod. When it comes to landscape pictures, the image is less ideal (less sharp) comparing to those taken by Canon S95, a compact camera we own. So our solution is to carry both cameras (both are so light) if we want to have excellent pictures for birding/wild life and landscape.Below is a direct comparison between SX50 and SX40:Auto focus: It really is much faster and more reliable than the SX40's. This is a big deal, particularly for taking pictures of birds.1200mm zoom: This sounds too good to be true for free-hand shooting with a compact camera and in a way it is. At some point cropping yields better results than zooming. So I was skeptical whether SX50's extra zooming ability would really add any value compared to the SX40. Some extensive testing revealed that the SX50 performs equally well as the SX40 at the same (840mm) zoom level. When zooming in further, there is some additional resolution (sharper image) compared to cropping. However, the added value is small and disappears in all but at the very best lighting conditions.Aperture: The aperture numbers are less than stellar: 3.4W-6.5T. Keep in mind though that at 1200mm poor aperture numbers are simply a fact of life. Also worth mentioning: At around 840mm, the aperture is the same as the SX40's, so no loss there. That being said, I would not recommend using this camera except for its amazing zooming ability. In the standard or wide angle range most any compact camera will deliver better results than the SX50.In summary, the SX50 is an amazing camera if used for the special purpose that it is good for. This includes birding, wild life photography, and anything else that really needs zooming in to the max. However, this is not an all-purpose camera. If your main need is to take amazing landscape pictures, other compact cameras would be a better option. (For higher quality images, we use Canon S95 or 5D depending on weight restrictions).Worth mentioning: Before we purchased our SX40, we also tested Nikon P510. SX40 outperformed P510 in auto focus (speed & reliability) and picture quality (sharpness).Useful accessories to greatly improve image quality:- Sirui T-1204X: ultra lightweight and super sturdy tripod, essential to keep the ISO low.SIRUI 4 Section Pro Carbon Fiber Tripod T1204x with Professional Travel Bag- Sirui G-10 ball head: lightweight and smooth. Total weight with the T-1204X is about 2.5lbSIRUI G-10 29mm Ballhead with Quick Release, 40 lbs Load Capacity- Canon remote switch: to avoid shaking caused by pushing the shutter release button.Canon Remote Switch RS60 E3

LOVE this camera! excellent quality pictures, easy operation, compact and the zoom is awesome! The macro shots are clear and capture the detail without blurring. I have been very impressed with this camera. It's a dynamo in a small package. The video is great....good clear videos and very good in low light. It's a very good bridge camera for the money.The only thing I would change is that I keep accidentally hitting the self timer button somehow....that button does not need to be so easily turned on and I have small hands! I accidentally hit that self timer button and then I have to wait for it to go off before I can take my shot resulting in some missed shots. The way the buttons are arranged, I have to be extremely careful not to mash one or more buttons on the camera every time I pick up the camera, The battery life seems to be kind of short also. I purchased 2 extra batteries and have had to rely on them several times when out shooting pictures. If you buy this camera, spend the extra money and get extra batteries. But except for a few aggravating features like the battery and the buttons, the camera is excellent. I'm giving it 5 stars on the picture quality and the awesome zoom capability.

This camera, while reputed to be not up to the image quality of a DSLR, more than makes up for the difference in convenience, weight and simplicity. The images are plenty good enough for my purposes. I previously owned the Canon SX40, and this newer model has noticeably shorter shutter lag, a needed improvement which shows up in my action photographs. For example I just attended an air show with the Navy Blue Angels performing. While standing at the front of the viewing area I was using the zoom function between 400mm and 1200mm, and captured a number of maneuvers being performed at 350-450 mph, in a couple of instances with jets entering the image area at 400mph from opposite directions, a total of 800 mph. I actually captured close-up images with the planes virtually nose-to nose, in one case actually overlapped - one with cockpit up, one down, all in single-shot mode. Certainly I had some misses also, mostly with planes zipping out of the image area in tight crops, not unexpected because I wasn't using a tripod..The SX40 would have been useless for this scenario. I also feel that the improved Auto Exposure scene selection logic gives more consistent results in varying light and contrast situations. I love the new larger and sharper LCD. And all this capability fits into my fanny pack with a spare battery, 1200 mm and all. Love this camera.

I hauled off & bought a Nikon L810 in January 2013. I got the Nikon & was okay happy about it until I used the Video & discovered the blurry + zoom it had. I also noticed that the Shutter Button wasn't "acting right" & all of a sudden, it stopped working altogether. So back in the box it all went, I sent for a Refund & good ol' Amazon was MORE than willing to give me a full refund.The next day it left my home & when I went back to look at other models, I decided I was NOT going to limit myself to a mere $200-250 price tag. I stepped up my budget and BOY am I ever glad I did! I saw this Canon SX50 & went to You Tube, looking at all the Reviews and demonstrations of the camera & it's 50X zoom. I splurged and put this SX50 on my Amazon.com Store Card.Believe me now & hear me later, I looked at EVERY single bridge camera out on the market in the span of a month and the SX50 is THE best deal going....could it have a 16MP on it, sure; but you'll not miss it, the pixs on this camera are just fine.I got the camera yesterday & I am ALREADY thrilled and can't WAIT to get to CA in March and try it out on the Auto Club Speedway!! This zoom is INCREDIBLE, the camera is sturdy, the functions are MANY but almost idiot-proof....I hate having to "study" a manual on anything, but this camera's functions are straight forward and almost make sense the way they are programmed into the camera and set up to guide the owner thru taking pictures or videos. No more dragging the manual out EVERY time you go to take an unusual picture or video,.....the instructions make it pretty safe to bet your pix will be good.If you're curious about the bridge cameras, go to You Tube, you find out ALL you want to know about this little gems.I paid $403 for mine, it's already gone down to $399 and might go down more, I have probably already sold at least 3 of these for Amazon! The filters, hood, adapters, accessories and cases are cheap enough here, or on Ebay...you do not have to be rich to HAVE a good bridge camera. You don't have to be a semi or pro photographer, this camera will walk you thru everything. The CD w/ apps and manual is easy to read and the manual is easy enuff to pull up anytime.I used to take LOTS of photos for my work & personal use with my old Yashica FX-2 & this Canon is the closest thing to my old faithful 35mm I have found yet, unless I wanted to spend the megabucks for a DSLR. Don't hesitate, if you want a good bridge camera and have $400, this is the best one to date. There's only Pros on my Review; I guess if I just HAVE to gripe about something, it would be that you don't get a USB cord in the box.I'm a happy camper, this is gonna be it for awhile, it's all I'll need unless I leave it on the roof of my car someday. ;) JK! Not gonna happen, love this camera.

I won't go in-depth with this review, as more knowledgeable camera aficionados have written more detailed summaries than I possibly could. But I wanted to add my voice to the chorus who are singing this camera's praises in the reviews.I love photography but am not a camera-savvy expert by any means. I like a camera that takes great pictures without me having to know a lot about the technical considerations. The SX50 is the perfect camera for me. I can leave it on auto mode and get great shots in just about any lighting conditions. Of course, the SX50 has a full menu system with which I can control the camera's configurations should I wish - it's an enormously flexible piece of equipment. And as many people here have said, the 50x zoom is spectacular, for the most part taking great shots even when handheld. I recommend a tripod for full zoom though, as well as a remote shutter switch so that the camera won't shake when you press the shutter button at full zoom. Check for my pic of a recent full moon in the submitted pics section for an example of full (optical) zoom, Auto mode, tripod and shutter remote.I know I'm going to get my money's worth out of this camera, and I do highly recommend it.

I wanted a camera that took awesome still shots and could shoot 1080P for my youtube projects. I thought I had struck gold with this camera, but unfortunately I was wrong. I tried recording videos over and over again and randomly, during the process, the camera would beep and stop recording. Confused and irritated, I looked online, tried contacting Canon for support (that was a waste of time) and kept looking for help on forums. Finally, I found a yahoo answers that explained what was happening. The sensor in the camera will start to overheat, or get close to overheating and stop recording to protect itself. Though it may be a nice feature to elongate the lifespan of your product, Canon really should have mentioned a LIMITED recording time on this product page. It just says "Capture beautiful 1080p full HD video in stereo sound with a dedicated movie button." When it should have said, "Capture beautiful 1080p full HD video in stereo sound for a few minutes, before I get too warm and switch off." Of course, that doesn't sound very appealing, now does it?That being said, The image quality of the photos were absolutely awesome! So I'm very sad I'm returning this camera.Pros - Great still shot quality and great build quality.Cons - Shooting video with a sentient-like sensor that will just randomly shut off when it gets warm sucks, hardcore.

My husband and I were in the market for a new camera as what we would be replacing had lower megapixels than our cameras on our phones. It was time for an upgrade! After extensive research online and recommendations from friends we decided to go with the SX50. We wanted something that had the ability to be customized as I learned more about photography and would be similar to a DSLR yet we also wanted to be able to just "point and shoot" until I got the hang of it all. I enjoy taking photos but I really have no idea what a lot of the terminology is yet. The idea of getting a DSLR was really intimidating, plus the cost difference was pretty substantial if we were going to go with the "best" beginner DSLR out there. The SX50 offered the chance for me to learn more while still have an automatic setting that could take all the guess work out of it for me. Less than a week after we got the camera we went to a friend's wedding. The 4 hour plane ride to get there allowed me some time to play around with all the settings and trying to learn some tricks to get good pictures at the wedding. At the wedding though, I wasn't comfortable enough to actually use any of the settings so I took nearly all of the photos on the auto setting. It actually worked out ok because the auto setting took GREAT pics! Since we've been home I've gotten the chance to mess around with the settings a little bit more and I'm slowly starting to get more comfortable with them and what they do. I'm really happy that I'm able to do that. Other features about the camera that we really like are the 50x zoom. I had no idea how far that really is until I was taking pictures from my couch of a squirrel outside in a tree-I got so close that it looked like he was sitting right next to me! We also really like the screen and the way it can be folding back to protect it. Another camera we were thinking of getting was the Nikon P510 but we really disliked how the screen on that one moved. With the Canon we can put the screen facing in to protect it from being damaged when we aren't using it and that is a huge plus-the last thing I want to worry about is breaking the screen because we couldn't protect it.Overall, we really like this camera and are really happy we got it. We've yet to do a lot of picture taking since Spring has taken a while to show up and we haven't been outdoors a lot yet. But once we're able to I plan to have that camera by my side taking all kinds of different pictures!

I am the owner of many a Nikon (Coolpix, D90, D7000, and D5200). I LOVE my Nikon dSLRs. I am going to Walt Disney World in October and didn't want to drag one of my dSLRs, but I wanted something that would be more flexible and have a better zoom that the Nikon point and shoot that I keep in my pocket book. I was researching on line and was looking at the Nikon Coolpix P520 and read a review about the P520 that mentioned that the SX50 HS was superior. I went to web sites that compared the two and the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS was rated much higher and had better reviews - so I cheated on my NIkons and purchased this Canon. I can't give it 5 stars because I compare its functions and build with my dSLRs - which are much more flexible, more solid, etc. than this Canon - However, it is fast and takes great photos outside (I don't really care for the inside w/ a flash shots - but that is because I usually use external flashes with my dSLRs inside and the quality is just much better). I like that this has a viewfinder as well as an LCD swivel screen. I do not like taking pictures via a LCD screen unless I have too (sometimes it is nice - for instance when shooting video). The video quality of this camera is great. It has a very good 50x Optical Zoom (I seldom use a digital zoom - the quality stinks). I have taken quite a few shots with this camera out the full 50x and have been impressed with the shots even without a tripod. I wish the camera more than a quick manual in hard copy. It really just helps you set the camera up. The full manual is on the CD inside the box -which I have not looked at yet. So - all in all - I am very pleased with this camera which is very reasonably priced. It is well worth the price it sells for. I would recommend it to those not looking for a dSLR but wanting a camera that does more than a point and shoot and that has a good optical zoom.

It goes without saying that any camera that tries to do too much is going do to some things less than ideally. With the long zoom and tilting LED I bought it mostly to photograph people on the street or at events like rodeos, festivals,etc, and also birds and wildlife without having to carry around a big, heavy and intrusive, neck-breaking SLR. The 50X lens though needs a whole lot of light and the viewfinder even in good light is disappointingly dim so finding things can be tough and uncertain. My SLR is so much brighter and easier to use. Forget about photographing in the deep woods too. Even without zoom the camera often does not have enough light to focus when my little PowerShot could do it easily. So it's not a great all-around camera, but I didn't get it for that purpose either. With enough light the manually initiated image stabilizer works stunningly well at high zoom and the image processor gets thing right 90% of the time. The camera is like having a small, powerful telescope and for the money, Canon has really made this technology work.

Superzooms. Incredible zoom at an incredible price. But what is real cost? 50x zoom --- is this really needed? (Don't forget the ability to crop.) Not by many. Indeed, Canon opted for zoom at the expense of lens speed. That is, the already zoom far enough for near anyone SX40 (about 35x) has a faster lens (check it out). Comparing the two cameras the SX40 seems to shoot better indoors, too (not as dark). On the other hand, this camera is a bit smaller and more elegant. It is also very fast to zoom and can do about 10fps under certain conditions. It has RAW --- anyone really going to use that on this?Near fatal flaw --- terrible viewfinder (I believe 202,000 pixels) --- would, say, 600,000 pixels have cost too much? Almost useless and needed if one is super-zooming (less blur when held to nose rather than using the smallish LCD. The noonday winter (much less later in the day winter sun) ruins shots and is unpleasant to use. This price cutting (I'm assuming it is not a size issue) is annoying and silly on such a camera --- charge $20 more. As a comparison my Nikon D5100 (a DSLR) has an easy to read viewfinder in the same sunlight. My venerable FZ35 even has a better viewfinder !!! Get some dough ready for a new tripod :-).Very good for pics on a sunny day (especially in the summer) --- surprisingly sharp --- the IQ is great. Indoor pics much harder.Will try and update to see if this camera warrants 4 stars (and is better than the SX40).Too bad they did not keep the prior lens and let us enjoy the relative speediness of this lens. I mean, 35x is good enough for me, and I don't need bragging rights.The FZ200 is probably the one to get --- less zoom, better video, great lens (2.8 at any zoom) and more pixels in the viewfinder. If the same price, I would have obtained the FZ200.UPDATE:It's close but I'm upgrading this to 4 stars. Compared to the Nikon P500, it seems much better. The P500 has trouble focusing at full zoom, a smaller battery, and, of course, a smaller zoom range (20x - 40x is enough for me). The SX50 is better than the P500 indoors and out and with more use, I believe it is overall better than the SX40. IS seems a bit better, the LCD seems a bit better, and so on. IQ, with practice, better than expected. No, it is not a D5100 or even a G15 in terms of IQ, but that's to be expected.Four stars is still a bit difficult. It's priced at about $399 while the D3100 with a good kit lens is about $499. Better value: D3100 in my opinion. Also, that viewfinder remains terrible (the same one is found on the SX40). Of course, the D3100 has a much better one. But even the FZ200 megazoom has a much better one with more than 1 million pixels. Try these three out and, perhaps, the G15 and it's fast lens.