Roundup: Compact Digital Cameras : Canon PowerShot SX110 IS
12. Canon PowerShot SX110 IS
Don't open that catch!
Just like the SX100 IS, the new SX110IS has a small button battery to maintain the internal battery when the main power source is exhausted.
The problem is that this is hidden behind a particularly tempting catch which is very easy to open. Every member of our staff who tried the camera out were curious enough to open it up and managed to reset the camera.
While it's funny that we didn't manage to resist the temptation to muck about, this little catch could prove a real sticking point for families.
We're not at all sure it would be wise to leave this camera in the hands of young children given how easy it would be to lose--never mind swallow--the small catch and button battery.
After its SX100 IS was the first compact to respond to the challenge thrown down by Panasonic's TZ range by adding a 10x zoom, Canon has renewed its efforts with the PowerShot SX110 IS. Little has changed during the upgrade--if ain't broke, don't fix it, as they say--but selling at the same price as the earlier model, is the SX110IS a worthy successor?
Handling
- PowerShot SX110 IS...
Given how cheap this camera is, Canon had to cut back on something. They didn't scrimp on the lens though, so it had to be the case, which is molded with low quality plastic. The handle is now a little smaller, and as a result, it's slightly harder to grip the camera, but this is by no means a flimsy prodcut and the cost savings have allowed money to be spent where it can really make a difference.
On the back, then, there is a large 3-inch screen, whose 230,000 pixel resolution does sometimes result in pixellated images but is otherwise generally acceptable. It's a little too bright on sunny days, but its large size allows for comfortable focusing with a wide viewing angle--definitely a sound investment for the money saved on the new casing.
Elsewhere, the SX100 IS's reactivity is one of its strong points, with quick focusing even in macro mode. The startup time is still under two seconds, which isn't amazing but certainly understandable given the price point of the camera and the size of the lens that is deployed every time you switch it in. Equally, moving from saving one photo to taking the next is quick enough, and it's only really in burst mode that the camera struggles.
The interface is another undeniable success, especially thanks to the combined click wheel/directional control, which allows easy access to four settings (focus, sensitivity, flash and burst mode), while also being able to adjust options in semi-automatic and manual mode.
On the other hand, we can only make the same complaint about this camera as we did about its successor: the AA batteries always fall out of the case every time you open the memory card slot. Battery life itself is dreadful too--we suggest you abandon all hope of using regular batteries and buy yourself a pack of rechargeables to carry around with you to swap in as soon as this camera has emptied its first two.
Image Quality
Photos are nice and sharp. Purple fringing is only visible in areas of particularly high contrast, which can be our only real criticism of the lens. The default color settings are warm and pleasing to the eye, as is often the case with Canon equipment. Warm skin tones are particularly saturated, while the dynamic range is quite limited, with bright lights shining through very strongly.
Additionally, the ISO handling is classic, with light blurring visible, if not overpowering, from the lowest settings up. A gradual increase in noise nevertheless still permits good quality A4 prints at 400 ISO. From 800 ISO onwards, though, the billowing is very visible and soon obscures much of the detail.
Compared to the competition
It's possible to argue that this camera only has one direct competitor, as the Panasonic TZ5 is the only other compact available today with a 10x zoom. The two cameras are very different, however.
The Panasonic puts the emphasis on its "intelligent" automatic features, HD video, and an incredibly high-resolution screen, while the Canon sticks with manual controls, solid handling, and a telephoto lens that's bigger than any other on a compact. What's more, with its large case and extensible flash, the Canon very much adopts the aesthetics of a "small bridge" camera, while the TZ5 is definitely positioned as a "high-end compact."
The pricing is almost the same for both models, with a slight advantage to Panasonic, although the comparison is perhaps futile given the two very different target audiences. As we have seen, Panasonic is after fans of high-tech gadgets with the TZ5, while Canon seem to be aiming its product at dedicated amateur photographers.
| Canon PowerShot SX110 IS | |
|---|---|
| Pluses | Minuses |
|
|
| The SX110 IS is very much a step up from its predecessor. It remains an excellent camera, but the continued lack of a good wide-angle lens prevent us from giving it a better score. |  |
should have classified the cameras to at least price and/or final rating. i got discouraged to read.
should have classified the cameras to at least price and/or final rating. i got discouraged to read.
When you say classified, what do you mean? Do you mean the pages should go in order of price, or in order of rating? Such as the cheap ones at the beginning and the expensive ones at the end OR the best cameras at the top and the worst cameras at the bottom?
i meant group them by chosen price ranges/brackets or any feature you think is relevant since comparison between cameras is just difficult with the present format wherein it is only possible to compare models of a certain brand.
It would have been nice if all the cameras were given scores (yes I know this is very subjective, but so are all the comments and pro/con sections). Idealy they would be given su scores as well (i.e. a still picture score, a video score, a asthetics score, a usablity score, maybe some others) and then the cameras could be sorted by those scores with links, maybey a short blurb at each camera in the sorted list. Another thing that would be very usefull to myself and I assume other readers is a features table that allows us to compare all the cameras.