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
4
Glad I bought this one!
on November 23, 2009
Posted by: traveller
from LA
I've used the SX20IS for about one week. Love the zoom feature (20X). First impression of the controls is good . . . very similar to SD800 I currently own. Wished the camera came with a comprehensive user's guide, however. Must install ExBrowser to obtain PDF Users's Guide. Wanted something a little more advanced than SD800 but not quite ready for a EOS Rebel! So far, great still shots, but not experienced enough (haven't read user's guide yet) about action shots.
Pros: easy to use, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable
Cons: Short battery life, seems to be a little slow between shots
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
new to this
on November 22, 2009
Posted by: mbuckley
from Fort Worth, Texas
My wife bought me this camera about 2 days ago.
I think it's a pretty cool camera, All I have to do is figure out all the things it will do.
I think it's a pretty cool camera, All I have to do is figure out all the things it will do.
So far the pic quality is great.
I would like to know what movie format it makes, I made a movie this weekend of my turning shop and have to convert them, this takes for ever.
I would like to know what movie format it makes, I made a movie this weekend of my turning shop and have to convert them, this takes for ever.
other than that I like the camera and will use it a lot
Pros: easy to use, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, Bright LCD, excellent image quality, Good Low-Light Performance, Lightweight/Portable, good battery life, durable
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
An incredible value
on November 19, 2009
Posted by: Lightspeed
from San Diego, Ca
I owned a Powershot A80 for 5 years, (owned a Rebel SLR before that). It required repair once, but I was very happy with it. It recently developed problems so time to upgrade. I don't really need a DSLR but wanted something better than the small Powershots. This camera does it. Great pictures, features and ease of use. Since I was familiar with my previous Powershot it did make maneuvering a lot easier but if you take the time to read the manual (which is on the CD) it does a good job.
One thing I loved about my old camera was the flip out LCD and I am VERY happy this one has it. Another reason I bought this model. Having 4 batteries does make it heavier but I am fine with that in exchange for the longer shooting time.
I didn't think I would use the "movie" part of it but I am very impressed. I'm a professional videographer so I thought this part would be a toy but it takes great video considering its size. 20 min of HD or 45 min SD on a 4GB chip. Canon supplies its own software but being on a Mac I wanted to use iPhoto. No problem, imports fine and plays using Quicktime. This is a lot of camera for the money. Keep in mind its not one of those small cameras, much more like a SLR and my old chip reader would not read the new HC chips. Bought an iogear reader and problem solved plus faster transfer times.
If you need RAW files this camera doesn't do them but if you want high quality without the big price jump to a DSLR this is a great camera.
Pros: easy to use, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, good battery life
Cons: Poor Low-Light Performance
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
FOR A BEGINNER 2 BCOME PRO
on November 17, 2009
Posted by: IMAMAC
THIS CAMERA MUCH EASIER TO HANDLE THAN OTHER BRAND...AT SAME PRICE.
Pros: easy to use, Simple controls/menu, Lightweight/Portable
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
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
Good Choice
on November 12, 2009
Posted by: BC
from Philadelphia, PA
I received this camera the day I left for a trip to Disney World. The trip gave me an opportunity to try the camera quickly. Since then I've used it on a number of occasions and I'm happy with the results.
The outstanding features of this camera are the zoom and the HD video. I have three DSLRs and use them frequently. However, carrying the lenses and supporting equipment can be cumbersome. None allow video. The SX20 IS gives a ton a features in one package.
I took photos of a stage show at Disney. The wide angle shot showed the characters but they were a distance away. I zoomed in fully and was able to isolate one character (Minnie Mouse) and could clearly see the sequins on the costume.
I've recently had opportunities to use the video and they have all been excellent. Being able to use the zoom while recording and taking a still photo at the same time is a real plus. Be aware that taking the photo results in a shutter noise and a black spot in the video. My biggest problem was remembering I had video capability. I missed several opportunities because I've been shooting stills for so long I forget about the video.
Some suggestions. Learn the camera features. While auto is okay I've had better results with program and priority modes. Also, be ready to accept a bit of noise in the photos. I've taken shots with the SX20 IS and the Digital Rebel XSi side by side. When reviewing the photos critically the DSLR had better quality. However, the SX20 photos were certainly acceptable for my uses.
When storing the camera make use of the articulating screen and store it with the screen against the camera. I forgot about this feature and placed the camera in a back pack with other items. There are now several minor scratches on the screen. It's my fault and it could have been avoided.
Also, research rechargeable batteries. I've tried several brands of NiMH batteries and the results vary widely. The top name brands did not necessarily give the best persormance. I've recently read about the Nickle Zinc battereis and sent an inquiry to Canon. The advised against them at this time.
Oh yeah, get a large memory card. I have two 8GB cards and I think they are adequate. I'm seriously considering adding a 16GB. They're not that expensive.
I have one minor gripe. The camera comes with a lens hood, certainly a good feature. However, when you are shooting wide angle the endges of the hood appear in the photo. It's very annoying. I would have thought the hood would have been designed with the range of the lens in mind.
I hope you enjoy this camera as much as I do.
Pros: Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, easy to use, hd video, articulating screen
Cons: lens hood at wide angle.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
4
First digital camera
on November 10, 2009
Posted by: DJ
this is our first digital camera and my family is absolutely pleased with the performance of this camera,
Pros: easy to use, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, Bright LCD, excellent image quality, good battery life, durable, the zoom is exceptionally great!
Cons: Heavy/Bulky
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
4
Great bang for the buck
on November 10, 2009
Posted by: Zintkala
from Chicago, IL
First I should state that I was a professional photographer for 10 years shooting nature/fine art and commercial. My review will be more biased towards an advanced amatuer or pro user. Have had the camera for three weeks now and have shot extensively with it under a variety of conditions. Very impressed with the overall performance. First thing that is a must is to use rechargeable batteries. Using rechargeables the battery life is excellent. Lot going on elctronically and with standard batteries it drains them very quickly. The autmatic white balance does a very good job of correction, lot's of flexibilty using the different balance modes for creative effect or need for a good unadjusted image. I do not use the Auto mode very much so can't speak to that but I find the different Program, aperature and shutter priority modes very easy to use and like the 1/3 stop exposure compensation capablities. Controls are very intuitive for anyone that has ever used a decent SLR. I prefer to shoot in the Vivid mode for color correction as I feel that it gives better image quality. To some of the users stating it has poor low light performance, I must say that I disagree completely. Give it a second to lock focus and it will deliver excellent low light photos. Good technique is good technique and I have found that with the image stabilization onboard that I have been able to shoot very sharp and clear images handheld at as low as 1/4 of a second shutter speeds. Give the camera time to do it's thing and it performs very well. Excellent performance from the glass and very good coatings which keep colors true and flare to a minimum. Some say it is bulky but I tend to disagree. Very solid and stable platform that is easy to handle and use. Love the rotating LCD. Makes macro work much easier. Overall it is a very fine camera capable of delivering pro level performance if used right. Now for a few cons. Black and white mode does not shoot very well in my opinion. To me the images come out overexposed and washed out. Not a big deal for me though as I prefer to edit all of my images in Photoshop and have been able to produce some excellent BW images from color shots taken and then worked over on my computer. The built in flash is adequate for fill flash but does not provide full field coverage at wide angle and is not usable with the lens shade in place as it leaves a big dark area center bottom of the image. Use a Speedlight if you need to do a lot of flash work. I do wish the aperature stopped down less than F8. There are times that I would like greater depth of field or longer shutter speeds for artistic effect. Understandable though considering the design compromises to deliver a very fine megazoom lens in a relatively compact camera. Would I buy again? Absolutely and if I were a pro looking for a backup camera to throw in the bag I would be considering this camera for sure. Hope this was helpful and good shooting!
Pros: Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, good battery life
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com