Customer reviews from usa.canon.com
Canon - PowerShot 12.1-Megapixel Digital Camera - Black
Average customer rating
4.5
(219 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 219 reviews
5 Stars
145
4 Stars
46
3 Stars
16
2 Stars
9
1 Star
3
87%of customers recommend this product.
(
191 out of
219)
Customer Reviews for Canon - PowerShot 12.1-Megapixel Digital Camera - Black
Customer Rating
5
Great Camera I ever Purchased
on November 15, 2009
Posted by: cblue
from Buffalo, NY
It was very user friendly. The guide book was very helpful. For the extra features. Would buy this product, and recommend it to anyone. Took it on vacation, the picture came out wonderful. The pictures that I took at night I had few problem but that was my fault. For not reading the directions.
Pros: easy to use, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, Bright LCD, excellent image quality, Lightweight/Portable, good battery life, durable
Cons: Poor Low-Light Performance
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
on December 12, 2009
Posted by: GSM
from Mumbai,IN
SX 20 IS is an excellent camera. Overall performance is very good.
Pros: Good Low-Light Performance, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
2
disappointing
on September 13, 2009
Posted by: Midwesterner
from Midwest
Oh where do I start.
I still have a S5is, and a SX10is, putting these literally side-by-side with my newly acquired SX20is, with all the same settings and pointing to the same focal point a block up the street I take pictures in the AUTO mode, PROGRAM mode, CUSTOM mode, and LANDSCAPE mode; The S5is and SX10is both produced sharper images than the SX20is. (At 4:15 in afternoon, facing East so as to have the sun light-up the scene. Both with the clouds shading the sun, as well as with the sun clearly shining on the scenery.) Very disapointing.
AUTO mode, the SX20is searches to select the optimum settings for the conditions.
I feel, while your busy trying to capture the second (the moment), the camera is busy trying to figure out what settings are required, leaving the picture less than desireable.
I expected a 12MP to be sharper than the 8 and 10MP of my other two cameras. Not the case, disappointing.
I think the pretty colorful icons and rolling icons on the viewing screen during shooting is too much for the little processor to do AND capture the picture all at the same time.
I bought the SX20is (12MP) expecting super-sharp crystal-clear pictures; sorely disappointed. It appears that, one out of four pictures are acceptable to good.
Outside picture require good strong sunlight, inside - as others have written "leaves a lot ot be desired". Even my 430EX-II had a time trying to make it bright enough for acceptable pictures taken inside.
CANON I think you are trying to make the camera do too much, and the viewer too colorful and cool looking - forcus on pictures, leave videos to your video-cameras.
I expect Exceptional, Sharp, Clean, Clear pictures form a camera Thank You.
I will be sending this one back, with a severely let down feeling with hopes of better in the future. You haven't lost me yet but, I am what you could call gun (camera) shy now.
Oh yes, for you power people. I had the camera on just over four-hours, just over 300 daytime shots were taken, and 4gig of daytime HD-movies on Energizer 8x lithium batteries (not rechargables) I will be putting these batteries in my SX10is or S5is when the batteries are gone in either of them.
I still have a S5is, and a SX10is, putting these literally side-by-side with my newly acquired SX20is, with all the same settings and pointing to the same focal point a block up the street I take pictures in the AUTO mode, PROGRAM mode, CUSTOM mode, and LANDSCAPE mode; The S5is and SX10is both produced sharper images than the SX20is. (At 4:15 in afternoon, facing East so as to have the sun light-up the scene. Both with the clouds shading the sun, as well as with the sun clearly shining on the scenery.) Very disapointing.
AUTO mode, the SX20is searches to select the optimum settings for the conditions.
I feel, while your busy trying to capture the second (the moment), the camera is busy trying to figure out what settings are required, leaving the picture less than desireable.
I expected a 12MP to be sharper than the 8 and 10MP of my other two cameras. Not the case, disappointing.
I think the pretty colorful icons and rolling icons on the viewing screen during shooting is too much for the little processor to do AND capture the picture all at the same time.
I bought the SX20is (12MP) expecting super-sharp crystal-clear pictures; sorely disappointed. It appears that, one out of four pictures are acceptable to good.
Outside picture require good strong sunlight, inside - as others have written "leaves a lot ot be desired". Even my 430EX-II had a time trying to make it bright enough for acceptable pictures taken inside.
CANON I think you are trying to make the camera do too much, and the viewer too colorful and cool looking - forcus on pictures, leave videos to your video-cameras.
I expect Exceptional, Sharp, Clean, Clear pictures form a camera Thank You.
I will be sending this one back, with a severely let down feeling with hopes of better in the future. You haven't lost me yet but, I am what you could call gun (camera) shy now.
Oh yes, for you power people. I had the camera on just over four-hours, just over 300 daytime shots were taken, and 4gig of daytime HD-movies on Energizer 8x lithium batteries (not rechargables) I will be putting these batteries in my SX10is or S5is when the batteries are gone in either of them.
Pros: durable
Cons: Poor image quality, Poor Low-Light Performance, auto-mode in camera is indecisive
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
4
Very Nice
on August 31, 2009
Posted by: Anonymous
from Duluth, MN
I'm usually a DSLR man,but I had to sell my expensive equipment to survive another college adventure. I'm pleasantly surprised with this little fella. It's no SLR, but it does pack alot in a small package. Pictures seems a little noisy, but I have yet to master the in and outs of this camera. I know I going to look to Canon when I am in the market for an DSLR after college and leave the my previous camera company. =)
Pros: very user friendly
Cons: images seem a little noisy
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
2
disipointment.
on October 11, 2009
Posted by: jimi77
from flint, Michigan
I love my canon S3IS so when i got the money together for the SX20IS i was excited! 12mp compared 6mp, 20x zoom compared to 12x zoom. National geographic here i come! I take my camera with me every place I go, work, trips, vacations you name it. First thing I did not like the lens cap, ok I can live with that. I like the feel of the camera, the look, the use of AA batteries, even the display and controls are all good. However the picture quality is not what I expected in fact I'm quite disappointed with it. No matter what settings I used I could not out shoot my old camera for picture quality in fact the old camera was much better, sharper, cleaner and less noise. I took shots inside, outside, day light, evening, but I could not get as clear a picture as my old S3IS. In fact the zoom was just as good it seemed. I'm taking mine back and getting my money back, I had such high hopes for this camera and wanted it to be a knock out. I was hoping I just needed time to learn the camera and sought out and tried all kinds of different settings. I will say its a ok camera but if I lost my old camera I would buy that one again before I would get this one.When you have the once in a life time shot before you, I just do not trust this camera to capture it.
Pros: easy to use, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, good battery life
Cons: Missing features/settings, Poor image quality, Poor Low-Light Performance, no fine setting, lens cap
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Excellent value
on October 12, 2009
Posted by: Canon Pro
from WMass
I currently also own a 5DMkII and a SD950IS. The SX20IS fits my use perfectly. I wanted a a well built superzoom point and shoot with video. This camera fits my needs perfectly. Image quality is exellent, for a point and shoot, and full zoom pictures are sharp. If you buy this type of camera expecting a DSLR, you are misguided.
The only negatives are that some pictures suffer from chromic aberration, and the access doors don't open as well as they should.
Great camera, overall, and well worth the bucks
The only negatives are that some pictures suffer from chromic aberration, and the access doors don't open as well as they should.
Great camera, overall, and well worth the bucks
Pros: Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, good battery life, durable
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
4
on August 12, 2010
Posted by: PowerShotUser
from Worcester, MA
This is an update of a review I placed several months ago. The SX20IS meets all of my expectations except one. This camera is missing a SuperFine setting.
I don't understand how Canon could build such a decent camera then skip the SuperFine. I wish Canon would include it.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
2
Not the best purchase
on September 8, 2010
Posted by: HG
from Marshfield, MO
Camera has several usless features. Photos are not sharp, a very cheap camera produces far better photographs. Image quality in some macro modes is fine. Camera will not focus on small close things when there is a large close background. Image quality suffers in all modes. For a camera in this price range it lacks RAW capabilty. Very disappointed with the camera.
Pro - the camera has excellent battery life with rechargable battries
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com