Comments about Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera (Blue):

results are great

Comments about Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera (Blue):

after travelling around the world with my canon powershot sd600 elph, and coming up with very decent photos, i wanted something a little nicer with more zoom. i'd almost settled on canon sx1is, but it seemed way too big (and i loved canon's rechargable battery, not interested in AA batteries which contribute to size and weight.) i use the camera for travels, mainly; landscapes, buildings, landmarks, close ups of flora, friends at special occasions & motorcycle trips, etc. where size is an issue but i'd like the ability to make my own settings . i finally selected canon's sx200is, which is more megapixels than my elph (12.1 vs 6), slightly bigger and heavier but offers the familiar manual control options i've learned to use and love. it is still easy to carry and i find photo quality excellent. controls are very similar to the little elph with additional options that make for more successful shots without so much experimentation (ex. night settings/cityscapes, fireworks and snow scenes) What i don't like is the annoying pop up flash which functions fine but seems 'in the way' and will not retract until camera off. also the stops on the main settings wheel on the top do not click in place as precisely as i'd like. in addition when i use my handy flexible wraparound tripod the mount is off center and the camera a bit heavy so it won't stay put. other than these minor criticisms it is a great transition for me before my next camera, altho i think too big and menus too extensive for most point and shoot folk (i love to read manuals) who'd be happier with an elph; and not enough for more advanced amateur photogs who'd like raw shooting capability, a viewfinder and better video. so for the right person, this is the right camera at the right price, and right now, thats me.

Comments about Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera (Blue):

This is a great Camera with a few tiny concerns to me. The battery takes two hours to fully charge so if you take HD videos you get maybee 30 minutes before needing a recharge so then a second battery is important. Another thing is the HD recording is in MOV format and it will only play in Quick Time on a computer with the Canon software Zoom Browser Installed. Without Zoom Browser installed, Quick Time won't play the MOV format Canon makes[probably because MOV editing capability is embeded in Canon's MOV format]
I also find that MOV format gets only 30 minutes recording per 4 GB's data versus the preferred MPEG-4 format [used on higher end SLR cameras for HD recording] that compresses four times better at least. If this Camara could record in MPEG-4 format it would be much better. For example you can put a two hour MPEG-4 movie on 4 GB's data as the film industry uses on DVD's. Other than that I love this camera because it is highly functional, yet relatively small. I avoid those big SLR camera's because in many situations they are too intrusive to use casually in public and are easily left at home because they are a pain to lug around. This is a very practical camera for all uses except professional wedding photography and the like.

Comments about Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera (Blue):

I purchased this camera in order to have something portable for travel and hiking; my "main" camera is a Minolta SLR with a range of lenses. I mostly take wildlife shots (animals, birds, insects, plants, plus natural textures like rock and wood), plus landscapes, so the fact that this camera had a good optical zoom as well as macro functionality was the major reason for the choice.

After a month of ownership I don't regret buying it. Picture quality seems very impressive even when cropped and blown up, so the fact that the zoom is only around 300mm against my normal up to 500mm is not a problem; I just crop shots to emphasise the target animal/bird. The macro is excellent and produces great shots on still subjects. I've also taken some good nightscape shots with very little shake despite not using a tripo - just resting the camera on a railing is enough to get clear results (hand-held still too blurry but I don't expect miracles).

Issues I have are that the LCD is really hard to view in very bright light - a problem here in New Mexico and I have missed a couple of shots becaue of this. I may get a Hoodman to compensate. I have also had some focussing issues in trying to persuade the camera to focus where I want it to - still experimenting with that though. And there is a slight delay compared to SLRs, but not as bad as some compacts I've encountered. This means catching fast-moving animals/birds can be tricky.

I haven't described it as "easy to use" because, whlie it does OK on the automatic settings, I'm enoug of a photographer to make it want to do other things, and not all the settings and options are easy to find/get at/remember on the menu system (e.g. I have to remember to be on P setting for macro work, but I have to go to SCN to get foliage or sunset modes, and so forth). That'll come with practice, and may not worry people whose use is more limited. The flash seems OK but the decisions on auto the camera makes of whether or not to use it are a touch arbitrary. I will say, however, that this camera actually takes decent shots of one of my cats who with my main camera has proved almost impossible to capture (a dark tortoiseshell - the Minolta has real difficulties with the exposure, this one has none).

All in all: no regrets, great to have a camera that's pocket-sized and that I can take out on hikes yet still get great shots with. And I've barely even started experimenting with the video possibilities, but they seem impressive.

Comments about Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera (Blue):

I love taking pictures at sporting events and hikes. The problem I had was having a professional camera that could not go easily to these locations.
This camera has all the features and some bonus ones that my professional camera has. It has a wonderful zoom, clarity on the screen, easy to use and has great resolution. It does take some getting use to the flash being right where I would put my left hand but it is just a slight adjustment back. You can also view your pictures without having to turn the camera on, just hit the play button.

Comments about Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera (Blue):

Get SLR results with this pocket rocket. It looks beautiful & takes superb pictures & HD video and has all the manual settings any discerning photographer would require.

Comments about Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera (Blue):

I bought this camera for the following reasons:
1)Size
2)Zoom
3)Lens
Up to now has satisfied all my needs. I searched other brands that could satisfy my above requirements and this Canon today is the best.

Comments about Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera (Blue):

After much debate over different cameras my father and I decided this one would be the best. I've only had it since Christmas but love it. The quality is better than most things out there. I'm very excited to use it and experience all it's features. It's easy to use and understand, I love taking photos as a hobby but wanted a better camera than my Canon SD500. The difference is amazing. The pop-up flash seems a little flimsy but other than that, no complaints!

Comments about Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera (Blue):

I received this camera for Christmas and have been very pleased with the photos taken straight out of the box, on automatic mode. I need to read the manual a little more thoroughly, but so far I've been very pleased with the quality of the photos, particularly in low light. The camera has been easy to use and I've had no issues. Other reviews have complained about the flash always staying up, but it's really not a huge issue, and certainly not a dealbreaker.

Comments about Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera (Blue):

The images from this camera are very good. I typically use a Canon Mark III and wanted a Point and Shoot to use when I didn't want to lug around the "Big Body." I also simultaneously bought a Nikon Point and shoot for my daughter and was severely dissatisfied with that one. I will always stick with Canon in the future. There was NO COMPARISON between the Canon and the Nikon. The Nikon is getting returned.

Comments about Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera (Blue):

It's great that it has all-auto mode for easy operation and still can go into manual modes to manipulate settings if you are an advanced shooter. Great zoom, plus Hi-Def video.

Comments about Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera (Blue):

Use for vacation, sports and wildlife shots.
Great zoom, good resolution, good automatic features.
The zoom takes a bit too long, and then focus, not great for active shots. Great for stills!
Would and have recommended to friends. Two friends have purchased as Christmas gifts this year, one as a birthday gift.

Comments about Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera (Blue):

This is a great camera with lots of options. The only down side is it is heavy. But with all the options, I guess it has to be. I love the zoom.

Comments about Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera (Blue):

This camera is not for everybody, but I think it's a great compact alternative for DLSR users. Non-photo enthusiasts might be put off by the weight (surprisingly heavy for such a small camera) or the strange pop-up flash, but all is in service of a sturdy camera with a great lens that takes great photos.

Comments about Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera (Blue):

I liked this camera until I noticed the lens cover failed to completely open when the camera was turned on. This started within the first 15 days of use. [...]Hopefully this problem was the exception and not a reoccuring problem. Other than that, I liked the camera.

Comments about Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera (Blue):

Most of all, I like the TV feauture. I like the fact that there are more manual controls other than automatic, like TV, AE, WB, Flash, ISO, etc.
The resulting images are very sharp. The 12x optical zoom works great at close-up...the images look so real!
I carry this camera everyday. I don't want to miss any rare oppurtunity to photograp birds, nature and other wildlife. I want to capture any interesting event while on the road. Excellent complement with my DSLRs (Canon's EOS 50D and 5D Mark II).

Comments about Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera (Blue):

I bought it 3 weeks ago. Good optic zoom and good price

Comments about Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera (Blue):

I have to say that I debated awhile before buying this camera because of some of the negative comments I saw in the hundreds of reviews I read about this product. But I'm here to tell you that if you're having any doubts, put them out of your mind and buy this camera!!! Granted, I'm just a casual photographer and in terms of cameras don't know my aperture from a hole in the ground, but after only one vacation outing with this camera, I can't imagine using anything else. Even the guy at the (very reputable) local camera store I went to to look at the camera before buying it online said that "there's nothing currently on the market that even comes close to this camera, in the point-and-shoot category."

So, here are my two cents:

First and foremost, the zoom on this camera is beyond amazing! I just got back from a trip to Yellowstone, and the friends I've shown my pictures to couldn't believe what I was able to do with the zoom. The 12x optical is incredible enough, but when you multiply in the 4x digital zoom (for a total of 48x), it was unbelievable. For example, looking down from a mountain top you could BARELY see a herd of elk down in the valley with the naked eye (in fact, someone else had to point them out to me). I took a picture of the valley with no zoom at all, and you'd never be able to discern that there were any animals in the photo at all, much less that they were elk. Then I zoomed in to 12x and took the same photo, and you could easily see the herd and tell that they were elk. Then I zoomed to 48x and could only fit a few of the elk into one frame! It was as if I was standing 20 feet away from them, but they had to be at least a quarter of a mile away. Keep in mind, though, that when zooming beyond 12x, you do lose some picture quality if shooting in a higher resolution mode (which I was). It's still not bad, but things do look the slightest bit blurry at that zoom. But that could potentially be helped to a degree if you used a tripod, since when you zoom beyond 12x it's next to impossible to keep your subject in view because the slightest movement of your hand/the camera is totally exaggerated. It's like looking at the moon through a telescope--if you move the telescope a hair's width, the moon goes about 1,000 miles out of your viewfinder! For that reason, I usually had to try multiple times to get a shot with the subject in view. But as long as you realize that photos taken beyond the 12x zoom probably aren't going to be "framers" due to the slight lack of picture quality, you'll be fine. But trust me, the 12x itself is still fantastic.

I also saw a lot of negative reviews about the position of the flash. I'm telling you right now, DON'T worry about this! True, it could probably have been designed a bit better, but it really isn't enough of an annoyance to even be worth mentioning...especially after you've used the camera a bit. You totally get used to it, and there's still enough room behind the flash to hold the camera.

As for size and portability, this was also not as much of an issue as I was thinking it might be. While it would be perfect for things like jacket or cargo pockets, it might be just a tad big for jeans pockets. I did carry mine in the front pocket of my jeans a few times when I had to, but it was a bit too snug to want to carry it that way for any great lengths of time.

As for the LCD screen, it was amazingly bright! I was very concerned about not having a viewfinder, since every digital camera display I've owned in the past would be completely washed out when used outside in bright sunlight. NOT this one! 90% of the photos I took were in these bright conditions, and never once was the LCD the least bit difficult to see. I did find, however, that I could hardly see it at ALL when wearing sunglasses, so I was constantly having to slide my shades down my nose or up onto my head when taking pictures in full sun. But once I did, the screen was always plenty bright enough to see clearly (though I do have mine set to the brightest setting in the menu).

I was also very impressed by how solid and sturdy the camera is. It wasn't so heavy that you couldn't carry it around comfortably, but it was heavy and substantial enough to not feel cheap. In fact, I accidentally dropped it onto the pavement once when getting out of the car, but despite a couple of tiny nicks to the blue housing, everything was fine. About the ONLY drawback I can think of regarding its weight is that it's pretty tough to take one-handed pictures, should you ever want or need to. You CAN do it, but it's a lot more difficult than with smaller, lighter point-and-shoots.

As for picture quality, the vast majority of the ones I took were superb. There were a few where I noticed a bit of noise in the corners or along the edges, but to be fair, the light was fading or pretty low in most of those, so I'm sure it was something that could be corrected if you knew what needed to be adjusted. As I said, I'm pretty much a novice, but what I love about this camera is that the AUTO setting is perfect for people like me, but there are also a variety of manual settings (which you can very easily switch to with a couple clicks of the dial with your thumb) that give you complete control over every imaginable camera setting. So if you really know what you're doing photography-wise, I think you'd be amazed at the control you can have if and when you want it.

About the only other "con" I can think of is that the control wheel on the back of the camera is pretty hard to spin for people like me with fat thumbs. Granted, there are very few (if any) instances when you HAVE to use the wheel, but I learned that it's much easier if you use your thumbnail instead of your thumb to turn it. So, problem solved.

Some reviews also mentioned the "flimsy" plastic cover for the cable ports. While that was also my first impression, I realized that it's the same type of "single-point" hinge (for lack of a better term) that my Blackberry has, and that's never broken or caused any problems. So in the end, I'm sure it's actually sturdier than it looks/feels.

As for battery life, I at first thought it was a bit lacking, since mine completely went dead about halfway through my first day in Yellowstone. But then I realized that I hadn't started the day with a fully charged battery...even though the indicator was showing "full." But after fully charging the battery that night, I easily made it through the entire next day on that charge (which involved well over 100 shots with LOTS of zooming in and out). But this wouldn't have been an issue at ALL if I'd just had a second battery with me. Live and learn!

Another thing I like is how FAST the shutter is! The main reason I got rid of my last camera (a Konica-Minolta) is because there was a HUGE lag time between pressing the shutter button and the photo actually being taken. With this camera, it's practically instantaneous! And the image stabilizer feature is also incredible. I was taking many pictures out of the passenger side car window while riding through the mountainous countryside of Wyoming, and though we were traveling in a truck at roughly 80 mph and the camera was moving all over the place, most of the pictures were amazingly clear...as if I had taken them from a complete stop. Well, the close foreground in some of them was slightly fuzzy, but the actual background subjects were always crystal clear.

In summary, I can't possibly recommend this camera highly enough, particularly for the casual photographer. As the guy at the camera store said, "Canon has packed every feature and capability of their most expensive, top-of-the-line cameras into this compact powershot." He also called it "the King of the point-and-shoots"...and I can definitely see why! I'm also fairly positive that any limitations or picture quality issues this camera may have are the result of my not knowing the appropriate settings or adjustments, NOT because of any shortcomings of the camera itself. I really can't imagine how anyone could NOT love this camera!

Comments about Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera (Blue):

This my 4th digital. When we travel, I want a small camera that basically does most of what an SLR would do. This one is a bit heavier in weight than some tiny compacts, however, that can be overlooked with all of it's features. It can take a close up macro shot of a ant; zoom in and take a crystal clear shot of a jet skier at dusk. It takes photos inside without flash, clear, realistic light tones. Great little camera - it's manual, aperature priority, shutter priority - plus a multitude of auto settings, makes this perfect small compact camera. If I could change anything, it would only be to make it smaller or lighter.

Comments about Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Digital Camera (Blue):

We use this for general snapshots & travel. It has great color and allows you to control lighting & speed very well. The only thing we don't like is the flash coming up when you turn it on, but we knew that when we purchased it.