Canon PowerShot SX1 IS (Digital Compact Cameras)

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS
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from £349.99

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Product Age Average review date: 07-05-2009

Rank 255 

alaScore 85

85100

774 reviews

May, 2012

Expert Reviews (74)

User Reviews (700)

"Awesome Quality"

By abhipandey (asia.cnet.com) Read the full review

An excellent camera. No regrets. Event liked the 4:3 aspect images in some ways as it allows icons to appear on the sides and images are clearly visible. Video quality is excellent. AF works just perfect. LCD allows you to take images at any angle....

AA Batteries, 4fps, Full HD

Battery Life, Panaromic image taking not so easy

Nov, 2009 2009-11-24   5

"Great megazoom!"

By wengmeng (asia.cnet.com) Read the full review

Bought this DC 3 weeks ago after reading lots of reviews on various website (incl. CNET Asia of course). Came down to SX1 and Nikon's P90. Went with SX1 for the HD video. Wanted a megazoom instead of a DSLR to avoid having to invest more $ in lenses &...

Very good zoom & image stabilizer, love the flip over LCD, very useful shooting modes, HD video

Uses up batteries fast - when low battery indicator is on, only allows for about 5-10 shots more before shutdown. Priciest of the megazooms

Jun, 2009 2009-06-05   4.5

"Great Product with some limitations"

By chanal2988 (asia.cnet.com) Read the full review

A great camera that is easy to use with good colours and sharpness.Noise at high ISO. Slow and difficulties focusing in low light condition can be very frustrating when the next door simple, point and shoot unit can do it easily.Good news: Raw mode...

Super zoom is great fun to use

focusing in low light is slow and difficult

May, 2009 2009-05-29   4

Videos

08:10

Canon Powershot SX1 IS

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

We're pleased to present our Canon PowerShot SX1 IS video tour. This demonstrates the SX1 IS's new features and continuous shooting, along with several examples of its 1080p movie mode. We're presenting the video below

Feb, 2009

00:48

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS 10 Megapixel Digital Camera

Apr, 2009

Manufacturer's Description

Whether the action is fast or slow, close up or far away, you'll always get the shot you want with the PowerShot SX10 IS. This camera puts you on the cutting edge of advanced technology, with an incredibly powerful 20x optical zoom, 10-megapixel resolution, and DIGIC 4 image processor for high-performance face and motion detection. The PowerShot SX10 IS is equipped with a 20x optical zoom lens with a focal length of 5.0-100mm that allows you to shoot any scene from wide-angle to telephoto...

Showing 1 - 10 of 37 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (37)

Review summary for the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

By (alaTest Reviews)

alaTest has collected and analysed 774 reviews from magazines and websites. People really like the zoom. The performance is also appreciated, whereas many are less positive about the low light performance and value for money. There are some mixed reviews about the battery.

We analysed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Digital Compact Cameras the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 85/100 = Very good quality.

May, 2012 2012-05-16 alaScore 85 4.3

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS review

By Lori Grunin (cnet.co.uk)

One of the best superzooms we've seen, the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS offers a 20x zoom lens and HD video, which you can't get in similarly priced digital SLRs. It also delivers more features and slightly better performance and photo quality than the...

Relatively fast ; Good hi-def video ; Raw file support

Large ; Quirky interface ; Some image artefacts

Generally, photo quality tends to be the weakest aspect of superzooms, but the SX1's pictures are among the best in its class. While its colours aren't quite as good as the SX10's -- oranges, yellows, reds and purples are slightly off, although you...

May, 2009 2009-05-07   3.9

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Canon PowerShot SX1 IS review

By (expertreviews.co.uk)

With a 10-megapixel resolution and 20x zoom, this camera may seem wildly overpriced compared with Panasonic's FZ28. However, two key features differentiate it from most other ultra-zoom cameras.

Apr, 2009 2009-04-22   3

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Canon PowerShot SX1 IS review

By Andrew Kliem & Kailas Shastry (pcadvisor.co.uk)

The Canon PowerShot SX1 IS may just be the best featured point and shoot camera you can buy.

The £455 can buy you a DSLR with a couple of good lenses. But then, don't make the mistake of comparing the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS (an advanced point and shoot) to an SLR - the SX1's stupendous zoom and HD video recording cannot be got in an SLR at...

Nevertheless, had the SX1's price been less steep, it would have obtained a higher score - good as it undoubtedly is.

Mar, 2009 2009-03-25   4

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Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

By Cliff Smith (trustedreviews.com)

With 10 megapixels, 20x zoom and HD video recording, the SX1 IS has it all.

The PowerShot SX1 IS comes closer than any other compact still camera to matching the video capabilities of a dedicated HD camcorder, and no doubt there are some people out there who will find the 4fps continuous mode very useful for something or...

Feb, 2009 2009-02-04   4

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Review: Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

By Alexandra Savvides (asia.cnet.com)

If you can bear to part with the cash, you won't be disappointed with the superb HD video and image quality of this superzoom camera.

Great image quality; full-HD video recording; 20x optical zoom; dSLR feature set

No external microphone input

The SX1 IS is a great camera for those who don't want the bulk of an SLR but desire the flexibility of different shooting modes and customizable options, with a long lens. The inclusion of (good quality) HD-video recording just makes the package even...

Dec, 2008 2008-12-30   4.1

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1 of 1 people found this review helpful:

Canon Powershot SX1 IS

By (gadgetheaven.co.uk)

The relatively fast Canon Powershot SX1 IS offers raw file support and satisfactory HD video. This camera is ideal for users who want mega zoom owing to the 20-x zoom lens. This feature is ideal especially for creative photography, where the...

The good tone range offers less contoured shadow areas. Noise levels are low with the SX1 camera. Quiet zooming can be enjoyed during the recording process. Video quality constitutes saturated and sharp images that are nice to view. Exposure adjustment...

With more features, high photo quality and good performance, the Canon Powershot SX1 IS is a great option.

Apr, 2010 2010-04-17   3

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Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

By Hitesh Raj Bhagat (ld2.ciol.com)

The SX1 IS is what would result if an entry level DSLR and prosumer camera get it on

Full HD video ; 20x zoom

Noisy above ISO 400 ; expensive

Jun, 2009 2009-06-02 No rating -0.1

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Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

By Kevin Carter (macuser.co.uk)

Maintaining the similar SLR-like styling and high ratio 20x zoom of its predecessor, the popular S5 IS model, Canon's new PowerShot SX1 IS adds several innovative features to the mix. Most notably, the SX1 IS is one of the first compacts to feature a...

Minor gripes aside, this is a great camera that we can heartily recommend

It's the same small 1/2.3in type (6.2 x 4.6mm) as that found in their other compacts, but the switch to Cmos may help reduce noise levels

Apr, 2009 2009-04-01   4

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Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

By Andrew Kliem & Kailas Shastry (techworld.com)

The Canon PowerShot SX1 IS may just be the best featured point and shoot camera you can buy.

The £455 can buy you a DSLR with a couple of good lenses. But then, don’t make the mistake of comparing the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS (an advanced point and shoot) to an SLR – the SX1’s stupendous zoom and HD video recording cannot be got in an SLR at...

Nevertheless, had the SX1's price been less steep, it would have obtained a higher score - good as it undoubtedly is.

Mar, 2009 2009-03-25 No rating -0.1

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Canon - PowerShot SX1 IS

By (itreviews.co.uk)

Following hard on the heels of its little sister, the SX10 IS, Canon's SX1 IS is the second PowerShot to feature a 20x super zoom, using a 35mm equivalent lens of 28-560mm in 4:3 aspect ratio ...

We found this camera available online for considerably less than its £589 SRP, and although it is still expensive for a non-DSLR camera, the range of new technologies, solid design, far reaching zoom and Full HD movie capability should ensure the SX1...

Mar, 2009 2009-03-09 No rating -0.1

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Showing 1 - 10 of 14 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (26)
Review this product! Write a review

alaTest has collected and analysed 9 user reviews of the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS from asia.cnet.com. The user reviews were collected from Jan, 2009 to Nov, 2009. The average user rating from asia.cnet.com is 86 out of 100.

Quotes

"Awesome Quality"

An excellent camera. No regrets. Event liked the 4:3 aspect images in some ways as it allows icons to appear on the sides and images are clearly visib

"Great megazoom!"

Bought this DC 3 weeks ago after reading lots of reviews on various website (incl. CNET Asia of course). Came down to SX1 and Nikon's P90. Went with S

"Great Product with some limitations"

A great camera that is easy to use with good colours and sharpness.Noise at high ISO. Slow and difficulties focusing in low light condition can be ver

"Good DC !"

Good DC ! Good DC Good DC

  8 Users positive 1 Users negative

alaTest has collected and analysed 69 user reviews of the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS from amazon.co.uk. The user reviews were collected from Oct, 2004 to Sep, 2010. The average user rating from amazon.co.uk is 81 out of 100.

  59 Users positive 10 Users negative

alaTest has collected and analysed 6 user reviews of the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS from ciao.co.uk. The user reviews were collected from Nov, 2008 to Sep, 2009. The average user rating from ciao.co.uk is 90 out of 100.

Quotes

excellent technology

has unveiled its latest model, the . It's the fifth generation of Rebel and enters the market at a difficult time - in the midst of a global economic

Canon Powershot SX1 IS Not as good as I expected

The Canon Powershot SX1 IS seems to offer the impossible, read the reviews and it seems image quality is great, the lens has an amazing range of 28-56

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

excellent and priceless for people who loves photography .It is a very powerful device not easily breakable but at the same time is very heavy i.e not

A Priceless Possession

I have been a Canon camera user in my college days. With Canon camera, you can be sure that every shot really counts. Its resolution is crystal clear

  6 Users positive

alaTest has collected and analyzed 1 user review of the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS from play.com. This user review was collected in 2010-02-01, with a rating of 100 out of 100.

Quotes

Excellent Full HD

First of all, it is large & slightly heavy but have to say is still worth getting just for the amazing Full HD video recording @ 30FPS, even in low li

  1 Users positive

alaTest has collected and analysed 6 user reviews of the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS from reevoo.com. The user reviews were collected from Mar, 2009 to Jan, 2010. The average user rating from reevoo.com is 88 out of 100.

Quotes

Canon Powershot SX1 IS

Feels good and solid, and easy to pick up the basics. Even for a complete novice like me Minor point, but I would prefer a proper user guide manual, i

Canon Powershot SX1 IS

The camera is of the high standard and quality you expect from Canon giving excellent results. Being a bridge camera it is just what I wanted with SL

Canon Powershot SX1 IS

I have not had much time to use it yet but so far it seems extremely good A complex product if you really want to use it in depth which will require q

Canon Powershot SX1 IS

EASY TO USE WITH EXCELLENT PICTURE QUALITY . THE MOVEABLE PREVIEW SCREEN IS VERY HANDY NO REAL BAD POINTS WITH THE USE I HAVE HAD WITH IT IN THE FIRST

  6 Users positive

alaTest has collected and analysed 55 user reviews of the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS from cnet.com. The user reviews were collected from Mar, 2009 to Dec, 2010. The average user rating from cnet.com is 86 out of 100.

Quotes

Very solid, Super fast very quiet zoom, IS and focusing

The ring around the 4 way (usual) control on the back is "to get used to" and can control fine focus, white balance etc etc. If your thunbs are as wor

Excellent images and great versatility!

We primarily bought this camera for high image quality and excellent video capability without paying the price for a dSLR. It has excelled in what we

VERY GOOD CAMERA"

ALL MY FRIENDS WANT MY CAMERA FOR THEIR VACAT...  PICTURE QUALITY,LCD SCREEN, EXCELLENT ZOOM,HD VIDEO WEIGHT,YOU CAN NOT CHANGE THE SENSOR

Great camera for my macro experiences !"

1.Excellent photos in good light 1.A bit noise

  49 Users positive 6 Users negative

alaTest has collected and analysed 14 user reviews of the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS from dpreview.com. The user reviews were collected from Dec, 2008 to Apr, 2010. The average user rating from dpreview.com is 87 out of 100.

Quotes

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

AFTER FIRST LOOK,HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MANUAL EXPOSURE IN H D VIDEO MODE, BUT EXPERIMENTING A BIT, FOUND THAT THE BUTTON FOR CONTROLLING MANUAL EXPOSURE

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

I've had my SX1 for about two months now and I'm still learning the ins and outs of it. The amount of functions is still overwhelming! The HD video is

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

I bought my SX1IS in December 2008, one year ago….I was waiting for a successor of my SX2S which gave me good results… I am globally speaking quite h

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

I bought the SX1 in July 2009 (US$ 560) and have found it a great camera for the money range. IS is great, excellent image quality in good lighting c

  14 Users positive

alaTest has collected and analysed 17 user reviews of the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS from cnet.com.au. The user reviews were collected from Dec, 2008 to Mar, 2009. The average user rating from cnet.com.au is 86 out of 100.

Quotes

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

Fantastic camera! Still amazed at what this puppy can do after using it everyday for two months. Surprised at the image quality at full zoom. The deta

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

MARKED AS SPAM BY AKISMET lens lid has no string to hang on...

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

Just got my hands on the SX1 IS and it is a fantastic bridge between it and the 40D which I have with 6 lens'. Heaps of options and the HD movie DEFIN

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

Helloooo! Is anyone listening? If you are can someone please tell me: does it shoot vids for more than one minute???? There have been lots of comments

  16 Users positive 1 Users negative

alaTest has collected and analysed 2 user reviews of the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS from dell.com. The user reviews were collected from Aug, 2009 to Oct, 2009. The average user rating from dell.com is 90 out of 100.

Quotes

Great video camera, awesome zoom, great pictures.

I usually am very picky when it comes to choosing a product. I did my homework and research for days. I looked and looked at videos, reviews, and webs

Amazing features

I'm not a professional photographer by a long shot having upgraded to the sx1 from a Sony Cybershot, but the features of this camera continue to amaze

  2 Users positive

alaTest has collected and analysed 10 user reviews of the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS from newegg.com. The user reviews were collected from Apr, 2009 to Mar, 2010. The average user rating from newegg.com is 86 out of 100.

Quotes

My Cannon Power SX1 IS Delivery

This is one of the few camera out there that is an HD with a Cmos sensor that can be used with Iphoto and Imovie. Most other HD use AVCHD or some othe

Excellent camera

This camera rocks, the Full HD video is awsome ; And there are a lot of cool functions, if you like to make nice photos but you are not a pofessional

Not too good for low light scenes

Not a replacement for dedicated HD camcorder but a good choice to take quick HD vids in a crunch. Excellent high quality day-time pictures (as good a

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS Black 10.0 MP 2.8" 230K Vari-angle LCD 20X Optical Zoom 28mm Wide Angle Digital Camera

I probably would not use filters but the camera has to have an adapter to use 58 mm filters. Nice camera with good quality pictures. The option for t

  10 Users positive

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Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS: product specifications

Audio Input
Microphone Operation Mode
Stereo
Microphone Technology
Electret condenser
Type
Microphone
Battery
Battery Form Factor
Standard form factor
Supported Battery Form Factor
AA
Camera Flash
Red Eye Reduction
Built-in
Type
Pop-up flash
Digital Camera
Digital Camera Type
Compact
Supported Flash Memory
MultiMediaCard / SD Memory Card / SDHC Memory Card / MultiMediaCardplus/MultiMediaCard / MultiMediaCardplus / SD Memory Card / SDHC Memory Card
Digital Storage Media
Type
 None
Dimensions & Weight
Depth
8.7cm/8.8cm
Height
8.8cm
Weight
0.56kg/0.59kg
Width
12.4cm/12.7cm
Display (Projector)
Diagonal Size
2.5in/2.8in
Diagonal Size (metric)
6.4cm/7.1cm
Display Form Factor
Rotating
Technology
TFT active matrix
Type
LCD display
Exposure Parameters
Shooting Programs
Aquarium / Beach / Colour Accent / Colour Swap / Fireworks / Foliage / High sensitivity / Indoor / Landscape / Macro / Night scene / Night snapshot / Portrait mode / Slow shutter / Snow / Sports mode / Stitch assist / Sunset/Aquarium / Beach / Colour Accent / Colour Swap / Fireworks / Foliage / High sensitivity / Indoor / Landscape / Macro / Night scene / Night snapshot / Portrait mode / Snow / Sports mode / Stitch assist / Sunset/Landscape / Portrait mode / Slow shutter / Macro / Stitch assist / Fireworks / Night scene / Sports mode / Sunset / Indoor / Foliage / Beach / Night snapshot / Snow / High sensitivity / Colour Swap / Colour Accent / Aquarium
Header
Manufacturer
Canon
Model
SX1 IS/SX10 IS
Packaged Quantity
1
Product Line
Canon PowerShot
Lens System
Lens Aperture
F/2.8-5.7
Max Focal Length
100mm
Min Focal Length
5mm
Optical Zoom
20
Type
Zoom lens
Optical Sensor
Optical Sensor Size
1/2.3 / 1/2.3"/1/2.3"
Optical Sensor Size (metric)
11 mm ( 1/2.3 ) / 11 mm ( 1/2.3" )/11 mm ( 1/2.3" )/11 mm ( 1/2.3" ) / 11 mm ( 1/2.3 )
Optical Sensor Type
CCD/CMOS
Sensor Resolution
10Megapixel
Optical System
Built-in Optical Image Stabilizer
Built-in / Yes/Yes
Image Stabiliser
Optical
Storage Floppy Drive
Type
 None
Video Input
Digital Video Format
H.264
Digital Zoom
4
Face Detection
Built-in / Yes/Yes
ISO (Max)
3200
Light Sensitivity
ISO 100 / ISO 800 / ISO 400 / ISO 200 / ISO 1600 / ISO auto / ISO 3200 (2Mpix)/ISO 100 / ISO 1600 / ISO 200 / ISO 3200 (2Mpix) / ISO 400 / ISO 80 / ISO 800 / ISO auto
Shooting Modes
Frame movie mode
Special Effects
Black & White / Sepia / Neutral / Vivid / Custom Effect / Lighter Skin Tone / Darker Skin Tone / Vivid Green / Vivid blue / Vivid Red / Positive Film/Black & White / Custom Effect / Darker Skin Tone / Lighter Skin Tone / Neutral / Positive Film / Sepia / Vivid / Vivid blue / Vivid Green / Vivid Red
Still Image Format
JPEG/JPEG / RAW
Type
Digital camera
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Colour Support
Colour
Viewfinder Type
LCD monitor

Manufacturer's Description


Whether the action is fast or slow, close up or far away, you'll always get the shot you want with the PowerShot SX10 IS. This camera puts you on the cutting edge of advanced technology, with an incredibly powerful 20x optical zoom, 10-megapixel resolution, and DIGIC 4 image processor for high-performance face and motion detection. The PowerShot SX10 IS is equipped with a 20x optical zoom lens with a focal length of 5.0-100mm that allows you to shoot any scene from wide-angle to telephoto. The camera uses a VCM (Voice Coil Motor) for high-speed, quiet, energy-efficient lens movement with precise control. Focal length is conveniently indicated on the lens barrel. The lens is optimized to fully exploit its zoom length and wide shooting angle in concert with the camera's high 10.0-megapixel resolution. UD glass effectively suppresses chromatic aberration, while enhanced negative refractive power ensures that distortion at the wide-angle is also corrected. Further aberration is controlled with the inclusion of a double-sided aspherical glass-molded lens and ultra-high refraction index lens. The SX10 IS is equipped with Canon's acclaimed optical image stabilizer technology that automatically detects and corrects camera shake - one of the leading causes of fuzzy or blurred shots. Even when zoomed in, you can get the steady, crisp, brilliant images you'll be proud to shoot and share. And Canon's optical image stabilizer technology is convenient to use. It functions perfectly with or without a flash.

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