Canon PowerShot SX100IS 8MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black) Reviews

• Great zoom, good color, not great for low-light or flash

  
  By A11FFLD0GV82CQ on 2007-11-13
  After using this camera for a longer period of time, I have a bit more to say about it than my initial review. While I originally touted the manual controls, I found that they were not as useful in real world situations as they were while simply getting to know the camera. This camera performs well in daylight, but shots requiring a flash will drive you nuts because of the long recycle time.
  
  The Good:
  
  * Compact size with great zoom (best feature)
  * Great color (in good lighting)
  * Flash is easy to control (doesn't fire when you don't want it to, a problem I've had with many other cameras)
  * Nice LCD
  * Comfortable grip, better than a mid-size pocket camera
  * Easy to use
  * Manual controls are easier than other compact cameras
  
  The Bad:
  
  * Flash can take up to 10 seconds to recycle, not good for people photos (for example, if you shoot a photo of a friend and find that it needs more light, you pop up the flash and have to wait 10 seconds before you can take another photo. most people find this wait time annoying.)
  * Dead batteries leave the lens halfway retracted (making it risky to transport the camera until fresh batteries are installed)
  * High ISO is too noisy (common with compact cameras, but I've seen other compacts that do better than this one when it comes to noise)
  
  Overall opinion:
  
  At this price point, the good mostly outweighs the bad here. If you are looking for a camera for travel, this gives you a long zoom, and thus a lot more freedom in what you can shoot, than a standard 3x zoom, without the bulk and weight of larger cameras and DSLRs. If your photography consists of mainly people, at all hours of the day and indoors, you might want to avoid this camera as it will feel too slow to get the shots you want. If your photography does NOT consist of mostly people, then this camera should work great.
  
  

• Viewfinder Schmoofinder

  
  By A2QM1GCSESER6I on 2007-10-26
  You can ignore any review of a point and shoot camera based entirely on the presence or lack of a viewfinder. There are plenty of cameras with viewfinders and plenty of them without. If you really want a high end Canon with a viewfinder, stop reading and go look at the G9, the S5IS, or the A650. Most people who shoot with this type of camera don't even use them, and for people with strong glasses prescription, like myself, they are so small they are absolutely useless. With a P&S viewfinder, you don't even get the true picture. What's actually going on the sensor is what's on the LCD. The new models are so bright you can see them in almost any light. Most even have way to boost the display if needed. Viewfinders are a nice feature but only one of many.
  
  I have tried out this camera in stores and plan to buy one. The scroll wheel makes it very easy to adjust settings, like to change ISO for example. Ergonomically, it's large and curvy, like a mango, very comfortable to hold, even if you have big hands. The buttons are big and in the right places. It isn't small enough for a shirt pocket, but it is still quite portable. It has a large sensor, which means those pixels are bigger and hold more color information, giving you better pictures. My only gripe is that it doesn't start at 28mm (wide angle); that's not a deal killer, but for indoor, family shooting, I'd prefer Wide to 8x over Normal to 10x. Most people would take 10x over Wide. Teens and Twens looking something sleek & sexy to take clubbing, this isn't it; the SX100 is sensible shoes in a stylish world.
  
  I highly recommend this camera to anyone who wants a easy to use point & shoot that takes great pictures; to anyone who wants a P&S than can do manual/aperture/shutter priority but can live without RAW; to anyone with a touch of arthritis/carpal tunnel or anything else than makes gripping and manual dexterity a challenge; and to those who really want a G9 but can't justify the extra $200.
  
  

• I love this camera

  
  By A3DMJBOIJRVJIK on 2007-10-17
  I bought this camera last week and I've take over 200 photos and a couple of movies. This camera is great for some one like me who wants the point and shoot options and settings but still likes to dabble in the manual world and play with doing it myself. I've used this camera to shoot pictures of my niece at the park, at the aquarium and on a carousal. The face recognition/ picture centering feature and the image stablization is great and allows you to capture images with out blurring. The aquarium pictures were amazing, with very clear detail and perfect lighting. The movies were clear with out shaking and the sound was pretty good. I also like that this camera allows me to use 2 AA batteries of any brand in case I get stuck somewhere with out any power.
  
  

• Great pocket-sized alternative to other Canon cameras

  
  By A1SV680BIAY9UI on 2007-12-17
  Whether you are an experienced DSLR owner (as I am) looking for a compact second camera or you are someone looking to upgrade from your old point-and-shoot digital camera, the Canon PowerShot SX100IS is a well designed compact camera that has a lot of rich features at a very reasonable price.
  
  I've been using my Canon Digital Rebel (DSLR) for several years and am very pleased with it. However, I have become increasingly aware of how bulky it is, particularly when I want to go places where it's inconvenient to lug around - like going hiking. So I set out looking for a smaller pocket-sized camera that had as many features as I could find comparable to my DSLR.
  
  Being a fan of Canon cameras I limited the field to the PowerShot G9, the PowerShot Pro Series S5 IS, and the PowerShot SX100IS, all Canon products. The G9 is promoted and priced as the best of Canon's non-DSLR cameras, although from the reviews I've read it is more appreciated for its look and feel than for its performance. It is an 12.1MP 6x optical image stabilized zoom camera that can shoot RAW images. In comparison, the SX100IS is an 8MP 10x image stabilized zoom camera that doesn't shoot RAW. (I've shot RAW using my DSLR and don't find it necessary to get great photos.) The SX100IS has almost all of the other features of the G9, is about the same size, but weighs a lot less.
  
  The S5 IS is an 8.0MP 12x optical image stabilized zoom camera. It looks a lot like a DSLR but doesn't allow for swapping lenses, and it can't shoot in RAW. It has very similar features to the SX100IS but is considerably bulkier and weighs more.
  
  Even though all 3 cameras live up to Canon's reputation for taking great shots, I chose the SX100IS over the G9 because it had a higher optical zoom capability, weighed a lot less and was about $200 cheaper. I chose SX100IS over the S5 IS because it is more compact and lighter, and is about $80 cheaper. (Also, the SX100IS' 10x optical zoom is pretty amazing in its own right.)
  
  The SX100IS has almost as many features as the other 2 cameras at a considerably lower price. I particularly like the Macro setting (which allows me to take really close-ups shots of ferns and the like on my hikes), and I like the manual focus capability for when the situation is such that the auto focus won't work properly. Also, I find that the lack of a viewfinder isn't bothersome. In fact, in some instances like when I'm playing around with white balance, I can get a preview of how the exposure changes on the 2.5" LCD screen, which isn't available on my DSLR.
  
  Since purchasing the SX100IS about a month ago, I find myself reaching for it more often than I do my DSLR. For my money and for most of my needs, this camera is superb.
  
  

• Light, pretty and useful

  
  By A3E6301D8WSU5T on 2007-11-07
  I already have a SLR digital Rebel, but it is too big to carry to some places. So I was looking for something small, light and with enough features to keep me, a SLR buff, interested.
  
  My wife wanted a sleeker, colorful and tiny camera. I felt that we needed a more jack of all trades model. So I looked for a good optical zoom (10x), and as much manual features as possible. I ended up with three cameras: a Sony, a Canon and a Panasonic. It didn't take much testing to see that Canon was superior in every aspect.
  
  The menus are simpler than Sony's. The physical buttons are better placed and bigger than Panasonic's. The only thing that I will miss is to have wider lens. Both Sony and Panasonic have wider angles, good for that classic auto-photo with your friends in a club.
  
  Other than that... My god. This camera is amazing. I didn't need the manual to figure the commands out. Everything is where it is supposed to be. You just navigate and the commands just appear in context of what you are selecting. So, if you are in full auto, you won't find controls for Manual Focus and flash. But if you change to other programs, these options are there.
  
  The manual commands are great. The manual focus is almost perfect and the ISO options work perfectly. I prefer the way they built the flash: it does not open automatically when the camera needs it. It asks you to open. I hate when the flashes keep popping and opening without my consent. And also it is one more feature to break somewhere down the line. I like the idea of just opening the flash myself.
  
  In the end. It is a little bigger than the models my wife wanted, but being an amateur photographer herself she didn't need much time to see that, for a few fractions of inches more, we had a better deal.
  
  Oh. I almost forgot. The biggest problem, really, is the downtime between shots. These cameras need to be faster. It makes me crazy when I need to take a shot and I just have to wait while the microprocessor is working. Come on, guys. You can make it better.
  
  Other than the speed issues... Great package. Amazing colors and lens. Almost perfect camera.
  
  
• Just what I was looking for
  By A3QP11YS380Q2Z on 2007-11-15
  I have used this camera for one month and will comment on my observations. First the zoom lens is superb. It works smoothly and is easy to operate. I use it all the time. The pictures at full optical zoom (10X) were crisp, detailed and clear. The color was bright, warm and true to life. I found myself saying, "Wow, wow, wow. I can't believe how great these pictures look ". They are superior to the ones I take with my Canon S2 1S. One brght and sunny day, I took some pictures of a near by river and pedestrians who were at least 100 yards away. I used the digital zoom to enlarge the pictures 40X. They were surprisingly good..again couldn't believe it. However, on a gray day this was not the case. The pictures were pixilated and of poor quality. However, the 10X optical zoom pictures were always excellent. The superb image stabilization system contributed greatly to the quality of the zoomed pictures. My Canon Powershot SD 1000 is a wonderful pocket sized camera but at times frustrated me because it only has 3X optical zoom without image stabilization.
  
  The macro setting of the SX100 IS is superb and easy to use. The picture quality caused more "Wow, I can't believe how good they are." Some of my most exciting pictures have been in the macro setting.
  
  The camera is small enough to fit in my pants pocket albeit with a noticable bulge. I have been carrying it this way for the past month even though I have a carrying case for it. I wanted a camera with a decent zoom lens to carry with me on most days. It works but it is definitely not as portable as the Canon Powershsot SD 1000. I don't mind the increased size because I love the zoom. Thus far the unprotected LCD screen has not been damaged in my pocket. The screen itself is good size, easily cleaned and scratch resistant. The screen in no way reproduces the fine quality of the pictures as seen on a computer or when printed out. The screen has fewer pixels than the SD 1000 screen. This is not a problem for me. There is no viewfinder but the screen works reasonably well for me in bright sunlight.
  
  The camera has a solid feel which I like and is relatively easy to hold steady for zoom shots. The battery and SD card cover at first felt a bit fragile but on repeated use it seems to work just fine.
  
  The movie function is average at best. The low resolution movie setting takes poor quality movie that are unacceptable to me. At the high resolution setting the movies are o.k. You can zoom during a movie but it goes out of focus. If I want a close up movie shot, I zoom first in the camera mode and then switch to the movie mode and shot the movie. The results are o.k. My Canon S2 1S zooms while shooting a movie which
  I like.
  
  I have not used the manual controls so I can't comment on them. I have use the programed shooting modes for evening and inside shooting etc and they work just fine.
  
  This is a great camera albeit not perfect. For me, the picture quality is it's greatest asset. It is a pleasure to give it a 5 star rating.
  
  
  
  
• Great camera, price and features
  By A2W54XGZJI6QRY on 2007-11-20
  This is a great camera for the pro/am shooter that wants a little, but sturdy camera around. I normally shoot with a Canon Mark II, so I'm sometimes reluctant to shoot with smaller cameras, but this is a great deal for the price and features.
  
  First off, understand that no point-and-shoot will ever match the quality of an SLR... but as far as point-and-shoots go this is one of the better ones.
  
  The top feature so far to me is the image stabilization. Absolutely amazing. With decent support I can take shots at 1/8 shutter speed and still come out with a clear shot. It's so much better than sacrificing picture quality with a higher ISO.
  
  Second plus is the price. At around $250 the SX100IS is as good as the Canon A640 and about $100 less. The A640 is 10mp, 4x zoom and has a flip screen, but the SX100IS has 10x zoom to trump it. 8mp is all you need in a camera like this. Don't get me wrong, the A640 is a great camera, but the SX100IS is the better deal.
  
  Everything else is what I've come to expect from Canon and more. Much better manual controls -- the scroll wheel makes it simpler to change settings. A wide variety of ISOs from 80 to 1600. Good face recognition technology.
  
  The SX100IS falls short in only one area... the flash.
  
  Before I get to the negatives, the great thing about the flash is that it doesn't pop up automatically, and yes that's a good thing. I like this because it's simple -- flash down, it will not fire. Flash up, it will fire. No fumbling around for the flash button, no unexpected flash in the museum, etc. It's a very common-sense approach. Kudos to Canon for believing that their customers aren't complete idiots and that they don't need an automatic flash.
  
  Where the flash disappoints is in performance. First, as usual, it over powers on most close up people shots, whiting out faces. This is at least correctable by dialing down the flash power in the function options.
  
  Red-eye is another problem I always seem to have with Canon point-and-shoot flashes. I don't think the red-eye reduction feature works at all.
  
  There also seems to be a little delay when using the flash. Not that this isn't the case with other point-and-shoots, but this one seems a little longer than normal.
  
  Finally, the automatic color processing with the flash doesn't compensate enough for the flash. Pics look a little blueish. It's not too bad, but again I've seen better.
  
  So this camera gets a 4 out of 5 because of the flash issues, but if you're mostly shooting without flash (and with that great image stabilization, you can shoot a lot more no-flash) then it'd be 5 out of 5.
  
  
• Great combination of capability and ease of use
  By A3226KN23XIR3R on 2007-11-13
  PROS: Great controls that are easy to use, lightweight, simple to operate and not at all intimidating like many more expensive "advanced point-and-shoot" cameras.
  
  CONS: Despite quality, there is some appreciable picture "noise" at the highest resolutions. This is a minor issue as it is to be expected in a camera this inexpensive.
  
  I purchased this camera yesterday based on reviews of this camera and similar cameras I found here on Amazon, but I felt that this model didn't have enough reviews going for it.
  
  First of all, the SX100 is a good size and the controls are easy to use, especially when compared to similar cameras in the "advanced point and shoot" category.
  
  While the camera is fairly large when compared to newer "sleek" cameras that are so popular right now, when I compare this camera to the Canon Powershot A40 that I'm replacing, it's a little bit smaller and MUCH lighter. Furthermore, when you compare the size of this camera to Canon's upper-end models and competitor's cameras in the same segment, the SX100 is quite a bit smaller.
  
  The controls are excellent - firm, crisp, and very logical. I doubt anyone will have difficulty figuring out all of the camera's basic functions. The controls are one of the best aspects of this camera. The competing cameras I tried had a lot of buttons and they were intimidating. I'm sure that I'd figure those out too, but I like the idea of knowing how to use a camera in 30 seconds (easier to explain to people taking pics for me, my girlfriend, etc.).
  
  The movie feature works quite well, but like all camcorders an external mic is required to get halfway decent sound. Still, for the money, it's a great added feature.
  
  As far as the zoom feature goes, it's solid. 10x isn't enough for me (I don't know what would be), but it's quite a bit better than most digital cameras on the market. It was enough to get a decent picture of a person standing over 60 feet away. It should work well for my purpose of taking decent photos at sporting events.
  
  If I had to make one complaint, it would be that there is some "noise" present at the highest resolutions. It's quite a bit better than a cheaper 5MP camera I've used in the past, but it doesn't compare to the image quality from an SLR. This is a minor complaint, simply because most cameras in this segment (and for this price) have some picture noise.
  
  To sum it up, I'd recommend this camera to anyone looking for a quality point and shoot who doesn't need or want the features of an SLR. If you're really interested in total control, lots of buttons, a "shoe" for mounting external flash, mic, etc., this isn't your camera. For everyone else who just wants to take pictures, go for it. It's a great deal
  
  
• Great Digicam!
  By A2160QWG0FEO2O on 2007-11-15
  I pre-ordered this camera and paid full price because I couldn't find another camera with a similar features list at this price point. I haven't been disappointed. I've taken it on trips to San Francisco and China and it performed flawlessly. I took about 75 pictures before I had to swap the rechargable batteries I'm using (Energizer sells a nice 120/240V collapsible charger with 4 2300 mAh rechargable AAs for about $15). I haven't used all the features but made good use of the manual mode settings for night photos of the Golden Gate. I had to deal with camera shake at high zoom levels but that is a problem with any lens above 200mm.
  As expected, digital noise begins to show up at ISO settings above 400. If the lighting is good the processing time is short. However, processing is a bit longer in low light conditions.
  In general the controls are logically placed, the buttons are not too small, and the menus are easy to follow. I find the scroll dial on the rear a bit clumsy. Occasionally, I push too hard and make a selection by rocking the dial rather than scrolling.
  I added a SanDisk 2Gig Ultra II memory card with the USB feature and highly recommend it.
  I was looking for a camera that I could use in Auto when I don't have the time or desire to compose a shot but offered the option of manual controls. I found it. With the features, 8 meg resolution, and 10x optical zoom (36-360mm equivalent) this camera is only one step shy of a DSLR without the bulk.
  
  
• Good pictures but battery life is atrocious!
  By A35HNDMXI6UEWN on 2008-02-27
  Bought this because all of the rave reviews I read here about the Canon SX100IS!
  
  First the good things:
  The few pictures that I took looked great and the zoom was wonderful. IS worked like a charm even after I shook the camera on purpose to TRY and create a blurry picture, but couldn't!
  
  Now the reasons I returned it:
  I hated the "wheel" on the back of the camera. While trying to spin it I would always end up clicking it and end-up somewhere else, total design flaw!
  
  I hated the feel of it. It felt like cheap plastic and did not feel sturdy in my hands. Always felt like it was slipping out!
  
  But the reason I returned it was because of the battery life, or lack there of. I used the batteries that came with it all of about 45 minutes. I then replaced them with re-chargable ones that came with the "accessory pack" ,that I bought from Amazon, and got about 5-6 minutes with those. Put the other set in and only got 2-3 minutes with those! Went and bought a brand new pair of lithium AA's and only got 20-25 minutes with those.
  WHAT GOOD IS A CAMERA IF YOU CAN'T TAKE PICTURES!!!
  Unacceptable. I returned to Amazon awaiting my refund!
  
  Bottom Line: This camera felt cheap and not sturdy in my hands. Battery life was a joke and not acceptable.
  
  
  
• Great camera, despite noisy ISO's.
  By A2W5PK5OIJFA97 on 2007-10-31
  I just got this camera last week, but I've spent like 3 months researching cameras on the internet. I really wanted the Canon G9, but I couldn't afford it.
  I've taken tons of pictures already. The zoom is wonderful, as is the picture quality at lower ISOs. I love being able to adjust the aperature, shutter speed, white balance, and colors. It really allows for some creative photos.
  It does, however, take me a while to find the best settings manually, and so I und up missing spur of the moment shots. I wish it had a "high sensitivity" setting for quick pictures.
  The picture quality at higher ISOs is quite dissapointing, too. But thats standard with non-SLR cameras in this price range. Its probably actually one of the better ones, its just that 'better' still isn't very good.
  The ISO button is definately a plus, as is the scrolling wheel. I didn't think that would matter much, but i really like it.
  I've heard that the movie quality is dissapointing, but I haven't tried it out yet.
  All in all, I really do like the camera. the pictures are amazing. they look very artistic and clean.
  
  
  
• More con's than Pro's
  By A3A7BDY6ZTHN5N on 2007-12-31
  Canon PowerShot SX100IS 8MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver)
  
  I purchased this Camera by looking into the positive reviews that every other site had. Here are the problems
  - This has just a reasonable picture quality. But this severely fails in dim light. Believe me, My Nikon coolpix 3200 is far more better in dim light. I also compared the shots with Kodak ZD 710 and Kodak is miles better than SX 100.
  - The color distinction is very poor. A blue object in low light looks like a black object. I tried with all possible night settings. But unfortunately nothing worked.
  - The camera performs superior than others in terms of focusing while zoomed and clarity of zoomed photos are better
  - The flash recharge time of 4-5 secs is unacceptable
  - The only advantages I see are battery life looks to be decent, and this camera does not need a lens cover and is 'relatively' compact
  
  I lose 10% restocking fee on return, still I would prefer to return this.
  
  
• Good camera - Good price.....
  By A3HWWWA1WI4RVN on 2007-11-22
  This camera is a canon, so the picture quality is high as expected....Even auto mode produces photos of very high quality.
  I haven't actually figured out the face detection yet, maybe i'm a little slow........but hopefully that works well......
  
  The controls are easy to use and all functions are easy to find...
  
  Only thing I don't like, is there is no histogram on the display screen while taking a picture.....it only shows up when you review a photo
  
  I like the idea of the flip up flash....its good to not have to worry about the flash firing when not wanted......
  
  I got the camera for $235.00.....it was definitely worth it....ordered if from amazon for $259, plus i had a $25 reward certificate from amazon, so put that towards the camera to......
  
  you will need to buy a memory card and batteries, and i also suggest lcd proctors to put on the lcd screen....
  
  I would recommend this camera to anyone looking for a quality digital camera with lots of manual controls....
  
  It is a large camera compared to a lot of other digital cameras, so if small size is important..this camera isn't for you........
  
  
• great camera
  By A2DJNH6ZJ4EYXT on 2007-11-24
  pros
  its a comparatively small camera with the features of larger camera. i like taking panoramic pictures but use it mainly on social events. the face recognition feature also lets you know that the camera is focus on what's important to you. the night feature is great too.
  cons
  a little (just a little) too bulky to fit in your pocket. otherwise, the features more than make up for the bulkiness. after taking a picture, it may take just a little for it to come back to be ready for the next picture. again the feature more than make up for the slight delay.
  
  consider carrying a little camera pouch. get yourself a couple of 2G SDs and 2 extra AA rechargeable batteries and your set for a day of videos and stills.
  
  i also recommend the silver. most carry only the black one. you may pay a little extra for the silver one but its worth it. it looks better. you can see the camera better specially in darker scenarios including the little labels on the camera. this may not seem important until you're there and have to hand off the camera to someone whose not so familiar with the camera.
  
  
• Nice All Around P&S
  By A2SFLVARTIRLVK on 2007-10-15
  I bought the SX100 as an everyday camera so I wouldn't have to lug around my Canon 30D DSLR. I've had it for a week now and it takes very decent pictures for a P&S. I haven't used a P&S in a couple of years since buying my my DSLR so it took some getting used to.
  I took a couple of shots yesterday of my daughter and while it doesn't have the clarity of a DSLR (obviously) I got some very nice shots with really nice, sharp eyes.
  
  My only gripe so far is that I wish it had a viewfinder. That may not be an issue if you're used to P&S cameras without one but I find myself putting the camera up to my face like I do my 30D.
  
  
• Good choice
  By A18S0UDV7OWHIG on 2007-10-31
  I've received this camera today. First, I'm curious about the price, the Silver model has dropped its price by 20 $ since Friday, when I've ordered it (and back then, the Black one was cheaper).
  I already own a Canon PowerShot S3 IS and I'm a fan of Canon cameras, so I wanted to buy another Canon. I was looking for something easier to use, more compact and lighter than the S3. I've studied the Canon cameras, read a lot of reviews and settled for an A550, but I wasn't very sure. I've discovered the SX by mistake, while visiting an electronics store. I was amazed by the clarity of the pics and the lightness, compared to the S3. And the zoom... it's actually hard to give up a 12x optical zoom like the one the S3 has, and that quality of images. But the SX proved to be a good choice. Reviews generally criticised the inacceptable noise at 1600 and the poor movie quality. I do agree about the ISO 1600, but movies seemed quite nice and the pictures are good even compared to the S3, although night isn't SX's best friend.
  I recommend the SX100 for those who want something more than an A camera, but don't like the bulky feel of an S3 and need something portable and more friendly-user. Otherwise, go and buy an S3 or an S5, their quality in pics is better and the price is almost the same.
  All in all, I'm happy with my little SX and thanks Amazon for the order. 4 stars from me - because night and ISO 1600 are poor and reaching for the USB port ain't very easy
  
  
• The PERFECT camera! I love my SX100IS!
  By AY1NUCXXJ5WD5 on 2007-12-08
  I just bought this camera to replace an older Sony camera (which I could never get to take good pics without editing them). Well with the Canon, no editing necessary.. Pics come out perfect every time! Nice true color (unlike Sonys), not too dark, and very sharp, crisp images. I was totally amazed that I could even see the bright LCD screen outside in the sun!! We have had many digital cameras, and this is by far the BEST we've ever owned! It is the most feature-packed camera I've ever seen. There are so many pre-defined modes I can't remember them all, but some good ones were Portrait, Kids & Pets, Nighttime, Landscape, Indoors, Snow, and even Fireworks! The face detection feature is amazing, and I also like that it shoots 16:9 widescreen pics. The menus are easy to use.. I started using this right out of the box, without even having read the manual. The 10x optical zoom is fantastic, and I just discovered the digital zoom goes all the way out to 40x! The zoom is AMAZING for such a small camera! This is not as small as other pocket-size cams, but it still fits nicely in my purse, which is important. Dimensions are about 5x3x3, making it pretty hard to find a nice case for it right now, since most other cameras these days are only about 3 in. wide and an inch thick (and I am not fond of the style of case Canon makes for this). But hopefully third parties will starting making cases for this camera. The only other thing I could wish for this camera is a lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack, so we don't have to buy AA's or use the short-lived Nickel Metal-Hydride (NiMh) batteries that end up developing the memory effect. Other than that, I can't say enough about this wonderful camera. You name it, the Canon PowerShot SX100IS does it!!!
  
  
  
• Decent Camera, but high ISO performance is terrible
  By A2H6JN5E1NRFOJ on 2008-04-29
  Camera takes good pictures as long as you stick with low ISO settings. Even though you can set ISO up to 1600, for all practical performances 400 is the limit. The photos taken at high ISO are so noisy that they are unacceptable. If you don't take a lot of pictures indoors this won't matter much, but I take a lot indoors and in environments like gym, theater etc and I often prefer high ISO with natural light to flash.
  
  
• I just got this camera for Christmas, great colors, slow shooting
  By A3VHIH2DV5PAS8 on 2008-01-13
  I just got this camera for Christmas. It takes wonderful outdoor picture with vivid colors. Indoor pictures are good, but just don't expect to get your grandchildren to sit still long enough for it to warm up to take a second picture.
  
  It takes way too long warming up before you can get another shot. Mine cost $299 four weeks ago, but I noticed in today's ads that here this camera is selling for under $200 now.
  
  If you don't need to take fast pictures then this is great camera!
  
  
• Love it!
  By A1BOVOUVB4M4FX on 2007-10-27
  I bought this to replace an old Canon Powershot. So far I like what I see. The pictures are very clear and the settings are easy to use. I love the zoom capability.
  
  
• does what it does very well
  By A39E8DC7MVKD70 on 2007-12-21
  This is yet another one of the compact ultra zoom IS cameras. Canon seems to have played a delicate balancing game with this one -and hit upon a winning strategy. The camera's big points are great image quality at ISO 200 or less, IS for steady images all the way extended, a usable high ISO (not great, but usable - especially if you have something like noise ninja), light weight, AA batteries, and a video mode. Another bonus is a general Canon bonus, they do very little in the way of image processing in camera so the higher iso photos, while not as good as the lower, respond better to post processing than cameras that do a large amount of in camera noise reduction. The facial focusing is really a nice feature and the auto focus is lightening fast - I was quite impressed.
  
  If you know the Canon UI, the SX100 is simply a wonderful refinement of it. Setting anything is almost completely intuitive. now if you do have big hands, the scroll wheel may be a problem, but that's about the only flaw that I could see - and for me, that wasn't even an issue
  
  The downsides would be that there isn't RAW processing - but for a cheap camera, this isn't unexpected. The video doesn't let you zoom as its shooting - for that you'd need the S5, the wide end isn't all that wide, and higher iso isn't all that great (but better than other point and shoots (if you want quality here, you are looking at dSLRs) - and really those are the main downsides - all trade-offs I was willing to make.
  
  At the end of the day, if the iso is less than 200, you'll get great photos. IS makes it easier to take tele photo images that aren't blurred due to camera shake - and it works well. If you are looking for a cheap, good, light point and shoot this may be the one.
  
  
• Best camera I've owned
  By ATMRQI9M8BQBT on 2007-10-17
  I love this camera. My fiancé and I bought this as a great camera to have around since my old camera took really blurry pictures. It was a great investment. It takes great pictures and has an excellent shutter speed for a digital camera. It's really nice because we have a young kitten who runs around a lot. I would definitely suggest this camera to anyone I knew was buying a camera.
  
  
• Mega Zoom
  By A3OVBI2RNSUIJQ on 2007-12-10
  I went for this camara for the zoom and the price and so far I have been very happy with both. The zoom allows me to get pictures that I couldn't get with my old digital with 3x. The picture quality looks great and even amazes me on the LCD. I was already familuar with the other features because a friend of mine already owns a Canon. Being able to play with his camara and see the stitch mode and the video mode made me jump on the sx100. I knew that my friend's Canon would not allow you to zoom out during movie mode so I was very impressed when I was able to both zoom in and out when taking video on the sx100. This camara will serve me well with a new child on the way.
  
  
• the Power of the PowerShot
  By A346VOTWKT6OED on 2007-12-07
  This is my fourth digital camera. I get get bored with things and have to have another one thats better, but I think this camera will be around for some time. It makes taking a great photo easy. I was driving and a car was passing me, so I pulled out my camera. I did not even look at the screen and took a picture. The car was at least 50 feet away going over 70mph. The photo came out great and I could even zoom in to see the license plate. The image stabilizer was great. I will be buying another one of these cameras as a gift for my family.
  
  
• Excellent Camera and Awsome optical zoom at this cost..unbelievable
  By A2V5Z1U3PAPK2S on 2007-12-08
  A worth pay camera...excellent pictures and features..no malfunction...not at all difficult to use...Guide provided is excellent...
  
  Liked pics and movies taken in my florida trip.
  
  Only thing I am UNHAPPY IS THIS CAMERA WAS SOLD AT 256 $ and now it's COST is 239$ on amazon...:( within 15 days...
  
  Nice camera for family trips, fmily occasions..., in home and office. and good for starters too...especially the 10X optical is a bonus...
  
  16MB SD card is a joke I used my 1 GB SD I had ...It stored 350 pics with default setting in auto...I had to replace batteries 2/3 times....if you take videos more , you will need bigger 4 GB SD card..good thing SDHC also works with camera...EXCELLENT HAPPY
  
  
• #1 in a league of its own
  By A1T128K58CR5N3 on 2008-02-17
  You will not be able to put this camera in your shirt pocket. It does not come with the tastefully designed case you get with the Digital Elph - actually, it comes with no case at all - but, unlike digital SRLs, it will not cause a permanent spine damage, while still providing a pletora of manual options. The sharpness and color rendition are fine for my unprofessional eye, and among its features I really like the ability to "downgrade" an already taken shot to a lower resolution; saves space while giving you an option of still keeping this "not so great, but..." picture.
  My major concern was the batteries: how many should I carry? I started with two Energizer Li batteries, which I get cheaply in bulk at the Sam's Club. After a week of vacation and more than 300 shots on highest resolution/largest size, many taken with flash, I still didn't need to change batteries! This leaves my Canon rechargable battery pack unused and unopened.
  "Facial recognition" works great if faces are big enough and subjects are directly facing camera. I use it to see whether anyone's eyes are closed on the picture - it's much faster than usual scrolling and zooming.
  Macro mode works great - so much better than in smaller Cannon cameras!
  Image stabilization: I did not notice much effect of it, especially with higher zoom, but I didn't test it specifically.
  To me, this camera is a great transition from the credit card-sized point-and-shoot-and-email-it cameras to something different, which might eventually help me to make prints worth hanging on the wall.
  
  
• Very Happy
  By A33OX7XD1WW2YV on 2008-01-04
  I bought a Powershot A570 to replace an old A510 and had to send it back. It had full manual controls, which I liked, and it took pretty good pictures, but the the build quality was horrible. The zoom was jerky and it just didn't feel or sound like a very healthy camera.
  
  This SX100, however, is another story. It is solid, the zoom is smooth as can be and the LCD is a lot crisper than the A570. Plus the picture quality even seems a little better.
  
  My only complaint is when you screw a tripod mount to the camera it covers the battery cover. I nearly always use a tripod and I don't store my camera with the batteries in it so when I want to take them out I have to take the tripod mount off too. But this is relatively minor and I'm sure I can get used to it. While it certainly has enough manual controls to be used by the professional, most people will probably just use it as a point and shoot anyway so this wouldn't be much of an issue.
  
  If you are thinking of going with the A570, and you can possibly swing it, I would recommend spending the extra money for the SX100. The trade-off you get in quality is worth it. Most retailers are getting $300 for it, but I bought mine from Adorama for $235 plus shipping. Amazon doesn't seem to have it in stock right now.
  
  
• Worth the money.
  By A2RQGZHGM7SXRC on 2007-12-02
  I've had other powershot cameras in the past so I knew I wanted to stick with Canon. I ordered this camera a few weeks ago because zoom and MP were better than my last powershot. I'm very happy with the quality of photos from this camera and the ability to change settings to take black and white and such is fun to play with. The lack of a viewfinder doesn't matter if you're used to looking through the screen as I am. Tho I tend to forget to raise the flash, but a reminder is displayed. :) This camera is definitely worth the money and the price is a good deal through Amazon.
  
  
• Very slow camera..Not impressed with picture quality as well
  By A1HYBIJ0A3P3T3 on 2007-12-30
  I was using Canon A610 before buying this camera and was extremely satisfied. I thought of upgrading to some advanced camera and bought SX100 IS but am not impressed at all. It has a very slow response time between shots. Picture quality is also not very impressive. Another problem is its flash. It has a pop-up flash which needs to be poped out manually. There are great chaces that you will foret to pop it out and would loose precious shots..huh!
  I'm returning this camera.
  
  
• So versatile, so EASY!
  By APPXAZTJQ2QU4 on 2008-01-28
  I used to dabble in amature photography. Mostly trees. I like trees, and they basically stand still.
  But once I had my kids, and the digital age set in, I had to pack up my old SLR and get with something that could keep up with them.
  I first owned a polaroid of some sort that took a hundred years to download, and had no room for memory expansion... Held about twelve pictures, and also, stank. So I bought a nice Pentax Point and shoot and kept dragging rolls of film in for awhile.
  I finally took the plunge when the 5mp cameras came out and bought a samsung digimax. Hm... It served a purpose and took good outdoor shots. Lots of red-eye and taking any photos in flourescent light was forbidden.
  I had a few other play cameras, like an oregon scientific, and some other pocket pix ones and decided to look around this year.
  
  After lots of shopping, I settled on the Canon that you are now looking at.
  What a camera.
  
  Here are the features I was looking for.
  1. Picture clarity. You can have all the megapixels you want but that does not make for a clear picture... there are a lot of other factors involved.
  2. Versatility, (as in I can take pictures inside and outside, of moving objects and such without blurring, light problems, etc...)
  3. Small- I dont want to drag around a giant camera. I take my SLR with me with all the lenses if I wanted to do that.
  4. The zoom has to actually work. I mean-- a lot of zoom is great, but not if the picture always looks like a colorful cloud-- This camera has image stabilizing, and it WORKS
  5. I wanted the camera to take a picture RIGHT when I clicked... My samsung had the nasty habit of waiting around seven years of me holding the button down until the red eye and many other factors were done "warming up" before actually taking a picture. Needless to say, there was never an option for a candid shot.... Lots of photos of the back sides of people though, and peoples faces right after something happened...
  
  So, The Canon has it all. For years, Canon has been working to make photography easy for dorks like me
  THe image stabilizer works amazingly.
  The images are sharp.
  The camera is small and light weight.
  The red eye reduction works all the time.
  The face finder rocks
  The Zoom comes out with clear pictures-within reason anyway-
  shots with and without a flash come out wonderfully and well lit whether or not I use the flash!
  The camera can take picture after picture with virtually no rest period, and no warm up time.
  
  Here is what I found out and was surprised by, and LOVE!
  Switching to different modes is easy, totally self explanatory.
  This beautiful little camera uses batteries VERY conservatively.
  My old camera took maybe.... 60 shots before I had to replace the batteries, and I should, God forbid, take a film with this camera, I dont have to stop and replace the batteries after three minutes of filming.
  On the two energizer lithiums, (batteries I used in my last camera too) I have taken two hours worth of film shorts, about three hundred and fifty photos and I have turned it on at least 20 times to go through the photos and used it like a brag book. Now, the battery says empty, but it is still going strong. So, when you get this, dont change the batteries the second you lose all your bars.... You have a good few hundred pictures left on it.
  
  I am SO happy with this camera. The price is just icing on the cake.
  
  I only got it a month ago, for the holidays, and I have just been trialing it.... I have not even delved into the world of features it offers.
  I cant wait.
  
  
  
  

• Adobe Photoshop CS4 Upgrade
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• Kingston 2 GB SD Flash Memory Card SD/2GB
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• Canon PSC-100 Digital Camera Case
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