Canon Powershot SX200 IS – Video Review
The 12 megapixel Canon PowerShot SX200 IS is one of Canon’s newest point and shoot cameras. It combines a compact design with a 12x – 28-336mm optical zoom lens. It features a high resolution 3.0 inch LCD. It shoots HD video at 1280 x 720 pixels.
As of this month, according to DigitalCameraReview.com, the Canon Powershot SX200 IS tops the list as the #1 most popular camera in its class. This camera was not even in the top 10 prior to taking the top spot. An amazing leap, don’t you think? Why?
I believe it is because of the versatility of the camera. When I go camera shopping, I am attracted by a number of features:
How many megapixels. Digital zoom (I personally am not going to buy a 3x or 4x zoom camera). Image quality when photos are printed. What kind of reviews is the camera getting – not only from professional reviewers, but also from folks who already bought the camera. Camera control features – how much control do I have over the image I’m taking – do I get to control what I’m doing or does the camera do it. And now, Video capability.
With this new entry, Canon has met all of my expectations. For example:
12.1 megapixels is huge – you can print wall-sized prints. 12x zoom is, in my opinion, excellent when compared to most other cameras in the same category. Image quality has been reportedly very good. The reviews have been good, which is why this camera has jumped to the top of the popularity list. Control features are unsurpassed when compared to other cameras in this category. Even professionals are grabbing this little camera as a carry-anywhere spare.
OK, so now we come to Video, which is the reason for this article. The Canon Powershot SX200 IS has some fantastic video capabilities. Check this out:
My daughter-in-law uses her Sony point and shoot camera all the time for videos of the kids – shoot time is about 30 seconds. The SX200 is capable of a full 30 minutes (that’s minutes, not seconds) of video.
Add to that the ability to take HD video at 1280 x 720 pixels. At this resolution you get fantastic quality results that can be shown on your HDTV screen. The camera comes with a mini-HDMI connector for direct connection to a high-definition monitor so that you view your video without loss of quality to the picture or the audio output.
So you get great quality and long shooting times, along with the 12x zoom. I must mention that there is no stereo sound capability when shooting video, but the other options, including digital zoom help to make this a very nice option for those who want to carry only one camera for both still and video shooting.
As you can guess, I’m a fan of the Powershot SX200. It’s a fine advance for Canon in the personal point and shoot category of cameras.
By: Wayne Rasku
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Filed under Shopping And Product Reviews by on Jul 4th, 2010. 