Canon Powershot SX100 IS Review

The Canon Powershot SX100 IS is a super zoom digital camera. It has 8 megapixels and a 10x optical zoom lens. Where the Powershot SX100 IS differs from many other similar cameras is that it is smaller in size. Despite this it still has a good range of features, including manual exposure. I can see this camera appealing to someone who enjoys photography and is interested in learning about the subject without wishing to become an expert.

Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
Taking into account the time of the year The Powershot SX100 IS gets off to a good start. The photo was taken on a cold day and so it is understandable that you do not see the same warm blue colour in the sky that cameras I tested during spring and summer managed to produce. With the sun low in the sky sun glare also presents a problem. This camera handles it well enough.

The most impressive feature of the photo is the sharpness levels. They are someway above average, suggesting that the SX100 IS will produce crisp photos with plenty of definition.

Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
With the lens zoomed right out this test is where many cameras produce a very softly focused photo. The Powershot SX100 IS does well. It is only at the most distant points where focusing starts to break down. I also like the vivid colours in the sky.

Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
Digital cameras with longer zoom lenses suffer from purple fringing. This is where a purple line is added to light coloured objects when the zoom is fully or nearly fully extended. The Powershot SX100 IS copes fairly well with the problem, although some fringing is still evident. Sharpness levels are above average once again.

Outdoor Portrait
With a built in face detection setting the camera has no problem producing sharply focused portraits. The photo was taken on a cloudy day, so I used the white balance setting of cloudy to add some extra colour.

Indoor Portrait with Flash
With the flash unit popping up away from the camera the chance of red eye is reduced. In fact in my test shot there was not any showing at all. The picture is once again noticeably sharper than many cameras manage. There is also plenty of light in the photo. The fact that the light is evenly distributed suggests a powerful flash unit.

Indoor Portrait without Flash
This is one of the best examples of my indoor portrait without flash so far. It is a relatively new test, but the Powershot SX100 IS produces a photo that is sharper and lighter than most cameras I have tested managed. This means that as long as the light is not too low you do have an alternative to using the flash.

Colours
I like the colours that have been produced in my test shots. They are strong enough for my taste, but do not overpower each photo.

Macro
Canon digital cameras take some of the best close up shots. The Powershot SX100 IS continues this trend with a sharp and bright photo.

ISO 400
Although noise does show in the photo the quality of my test shot is better than I am used to seeing. As shown in the indoor portrait without flash the camera is capable of performing well when the light is not perfect.

ISO 1600
At this level picture quality is seriously on the wane. I would suggest this setting should only be used in an emergency.

Overall
My set of test photos is some way above average. As with other Canon digital cameras it is the sharpness of the images that really catches my eye. The camera also performed well indoors.

A single photo took 0.33 seconds and five photos took 7.72 seconds. These are average times. With the flash on it was a different story and the camera really struggled. A single photo took 1.98 seconds and five photos took 22.53 seconds.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

The Powershot SX100 IS is more compact than many super zoom digital cameras. It is still too large to fit into a pocket, but does provide an alternative to larger super zooms. With a grip on the front it is a little like a small SLR camera. It is available in silver and black.

108.7 x 71.4 x 46.7 mm

266g

Two AA batteries provide power. Canon estimate you should be able to take 140 shots with a set of standard alkaline batteries.

A 32mb SD card is supplied as standard. The Powershot SX100 IS is also compatible with SDHC cards. I was able to take 14 shots before the supplied card was full.

Click here to save money on SD cards.

Good. With manual controls and a decent range of features the Powershot S100 IS is unsurprisingly not as easy to use as a more standard model. It does have a fully automatic mode. This can be used as you get to know the camera.

Picture quality - features - indoor photos - picture sharpness

Shutter lag with flash - build quality - no viewfinder

s:

A super zoom camera with a compact build and similar lens length is the Panasonic DMC TZ3. A cheaper option with a shorter 6x optical zoom lens is the Canon Powershot A720 IS.

The Canon Powershot SX100 IS is a winner, although I do have concerns about shutter lag when the flash unit is on. The all important picture quality is very good, as I would expect from a Canon digital camera. The camera also has a good set of features.

Front View

Back View

Top View

Sample Menus

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, please make sure you double check the feature set and specification at the point of purchase.

Canon Powershot SX100 IS