It would be tough to find a superzoom camera with more features than Canon's 10-megapixel PowerShot SX1 IS ($599.99 list), which offers terrific image quality, a powerful 20X optical zoom, and the ability to capture (and easily export) full HD video. The user interface is fast and straightforward, and you also get some manual controls. Sony's $499 Cyber-shot DSC-HX1 looks as if it will be a serious (and more affordable) contender in this category, but the SX1 is an excellent choice for those looking for an easy-to-use superzoom camera.
For its size, the SX1 is pretty light. It weighs only 1.29 pounds—including its whopping 20X optical zoom lens, which has a focal range of 5 to 100mm (35mm equivalent: 28 to 560mm) and maximum f-stops of f/2.8 and f/5.7. (A chunkier Canon D-SLR, such as the EOS Rebel XSi, can weigh 1 pound without a lens.) But the SX1's 2.8-inch LCD screen is a mixed bag: Its 16:9 aspect ratio is great for properly framing shots to fill widescreen displays, but it shows images with black bars to the left and right if you shoot in the more traditional 4:3 aspect ratio. This reduces the LCD's active width to 2.25 inches, downright tiny for a camera of this size and caliber. The 4:3 screens on the less-expensive Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1 and ($399) are 3 inches, dwarfing the SX1's LCD, and the cameras sport impressive 20X and 24X optical zoom lenses, respectively.
The SX1 offers an auto mode, face detection, and a number of scene modes, as well as fantastic manual controls. A scroll wheel to the right of the LCD allows for quick changes to the shutter speed or f-stops. The controls and interface are identical to those of the Canon PowerShot SD990 IS: comfortable, large when they should be (shutter release, zoom trigger, scroll wheel), and easily accessible to all of your fingers. I was less impressed with the electronic viewfinder (EVF). This tiny LCD, mounted where the optical viewfinder usually is, may be a good alternative to an optical viewfinder on a point-and-shooter, but it's nowhere near the quality of a D-SLR's viewfinder. It's as if you're looking through a VR headset instead of binoculars. And you can't look at it for too long—motion blur on the LCD screen soon becomes wearying.
The camera uses a CMOS image sensor (usually found in more expensive D-SLR cameras, like the Rebel XSi) as opposed to a CCD sensor (typically found in point-and-shoot models). Running the SX1 through our photography lab and real-world testing showed that its CMOS sensor did not help the SX1 deliver SLR-level image quality: This camera is basically a very solid point-and-shooter, producing great shots in good light but noisy ones in low-light situations.
About as fast as a point-and-shoot camera can get, the SX1 was able to turn on and snap off a shot in an average of 1.9 seconds; between shots you have to wait only an average of 1.5 seconds. The Shooting-Digital.com shutter lag test showed that the SX1 averaged a mere 0.43 second of shutter lag. If you want faster operation, you have to step up to a D-SLR.
But you shouldn't expect D-SLR performance from the SX1, especially when it comes to image noise. When shooting at ISO 1600, which is used for capturing images in low light, the SX1 performed well for a point-and-shooter, but the Canon EOS Rebel XSi delivers only 47 percent of the noise the SX1 does. On my tests there was also some chromatic aberration, which suggests that color fringing could be visible in images. My time with the SX1 outside the lab supported Imatest's results. Images looked crisp (and I was able to get extremely close to my subjects thanks to the long lens), but the high-contrast areas of corners had slightly noticeable color fringing.
HD video recordings look and sound terrific. The camera captures at up to 1,920-by-1,080 resolution at 30 progressive frames per second, and you can even capture still images while you're shooting video. Video is captured as MOV files, which can easily be dragged, dropped, and played on any PC or Mac. Mounted on the side of the camera is an HDMI port, which makes it a breeze to connect the camera to your HDTV for video and audio playback. Unfortunately, the HDMI port does not support "Consumer Electronic Control," a clever new feature that allows your HDTV's remote to control other HDMI-equipped devices.
Unlike many digital cameras, the SX1 is powered by four AA alkaline batteries. Personally, I'd rather have one rechargeable battery, but being able to stock multiple spares in a camera bag can be a nice thing. Canon claims a fresh set of batteries should yield approximately 160 shots, but keep in mind that HD video recording requires a considerable amount of power, so if you're shooting a lot of video, be sure to have those spares on hand.
The Canon PowerShot SX1 IS is a solid choice if you're looking to upgrade from a pocket point-and-shooter to a camera with extreme optical zoom, HD video capture, and quick performance. If you want a higher level of image quality and more speed, you'll have to move up to a D-SLR, like the Nikon D5000 or the Canon Rebel T1i, both of which capture HD video. But if all you want is an easy-to-use camera that gets you closer to the action than your typical shooter can, the SX1 could be it—if you can afford the $600 price.
