Canon PowerShot SX20IS 12 1MP Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2 5 inch Articulating LCD
With the classically stylish PowerShot SX20 IS, you can produce magnificent HD movies and dazzling photos. Loaded with features, it’s got a high-powered 20x Wide-Angle Optical Zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer, 12.1 Megapixels, a big 2.5-inch Vari-Angle LCD, Blink Detection and more.
- This high-powered 20x Wide-angle Optical Zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer reduces camera shake so you achieve magnificent images whether you are up close or far away.
- Provides flexibility to use the optical zoom while shooting superb 720p HD movies with stereo sound so you can fully capture those fun, memorable moments, with an HDMI output connector for easy playback on your HDTV.
- Improved Smart AUTO intelligently selects the proper settings for the camera based on 22 predefined shooting situations.
- This classically styled DIGIC 4 Image Processor, 12.1 Megapixel camera is a perfect device for any shooter!
- Large 2.5-inch Vari-angle LCD enables easy viewing.
- This AA battery powered camera enables you to easily power up.
- View Sample Images
Powerful Zoom, True-to-Life Imaging.
This high-powered 20x Wide-angle Optical Zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer reduces camera shake so you achieve magnificent images whether you are up close or far away.
The PowerShot SX20 IS is equipped with a 20x Optical Zoom lens with a focal length of 5.0 – 100mm (35mm equivalent: 28 – 560mm) that allows you to shoot any scene from wide-angle to telephoto. The camera uses a VCM (Voice Coil Motor) for high-speed, quiet, energy-efficient lens movement with precise control. Focal length is conveniently indicated on the lens barrel.
The lens is optimized to fully exploit its zoom length and wide shooting angle in concert with the camera’s high 12.1 Megapixel resolution. UD glass effectively suppresses chromatic aberration, while enhanced negative refractive power ensures that distortion at the wide-angle is also corrected. Further aberration is controlled with the in
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Looking for a “bridge” camera? here you go…
I got this camera about a week ago and have been satisfied with it so far. I bought it for a trip to Australia later this year. am new to photography and wanted to get my feet wet with something more than a pocket point & shoot, but less bluky and cheaper than a DSLR or even a mini DSLR like the Rebel. aside from the bulk of carrying lenses, i wasnt quite ready to make the jump to a $700-$1000 camera.
As far as bridge cameras go, this seems to be a great way to go. the picture quality is quite good and photos come in nice and sharp when properly exposed. having said that, this camera is not a point and shoot. it is also not a DSLR. if you are expecting a substitute for a $2000 camera, you will be left wanting. I also find it the make some questionable exposure settings when i leave it on AUTO. it is fairly good size, not something that i would be able to put in my pocket. but it could fit into a midsized purse or a day pack fairly easily for a trip when you know you will be taking pics.
back to the point that this is not a DSLR. this camera cost $360! it is not a replacement for a full size, interchangeable lense camera with a full image sensor. having said that, the lense is quite amazing. at the wide angel, you get the full 28mm (35mm film equiv) and at full zoom, you get the equivilent of 560mm. and that lense offers surpirsing image quality over the whole spectrum. it does slow down (allow less light to reach the sensor) to F5.7 at 560mm, but it offers a steller F2.8 at full wideview. the image stableization also workes wonders on this lense.
the sensor chip on this is not the full size offered in DSLRs, this camera does have some low light noise. i found that on AUTO or P, the ISO would go up to 800 on a well lite indoor subject. i manually brought that down to 200, and still ended up with well lit photos without the noise. i cannot speak for the low light performance compared to other cameras in this class, but i have found little fault so long as you are prepared to dabble in the manual settings. just dont expect it to be as clear in low light as your D5.
The manual modes all seem straigh forward. you can switch between apature and shutter speed with a flick of the thumb, and both are readily controled by the central wheel. ISO is also easily accessable on the main wheel and the majority of the buttons are laid out with at least some amount of common sense. the menu is also easily navigated and offers a number of settings from flash strenght to power settings.
the flip screen is nice, although it seems like more of a novelty than anyhting else, i usually just flip it back to “normal” against the back of the camera view. the resolution of the image is quite good. which is fortunate because the smaller eye viewfinder is of relativly poor resolution. this is one of my gripes with this camera. if you are going to include a viewfinder, at least give it as good of resolution as the main screen. it is pretty much worthless for determining focus or fine picture taking.
I strongly recommend that you spend the $12 on the aluminum 58mm lense thread adapter. this camera does not come with one and while i do little in the way of filters, i do like having a clear UV filter to protect my lense.
This camera also has a hot shoe for those of you who will be doing anything that requires a finner tuch than the built in flash. i would by one if i were to do pictures for anything like a wedding where the built in would be to direct.
The 4 AA batteries were one of the buying points for me. It is good to always be able to get batteries and since i currently live in italy, and i travel alot, being able to carry or buy spares is important. on that note, i have taken about 200 pics, many with flash and about 8 min of HD Video (looks and sounds great BTW) and the batteries are still going strong.
over all i am happy with my purchas and think that this camera is going to end up being a good camera at a good price. I will provide more of a review after i get to use it more on my trip.
5 Stars Review by amateur
I bought this camera because I wanted the terrific zoom lens, a variable angle LCD, jpeg photos, and a viewfinder. I previously had a Canon so I figured the learning curve would not be too steep. The camera is more than I expected, actually, and now I’m interested in learning about it. It’s a shame that Canon is too cheap to include a Users’ Manual. Someone has written a book for the Canon Powershot SX20 with good ratings on amazon (but for $30), so I’m going to buy that, although it irritates me to have to do so.
I do wish the lens cap was attached. I’ve already lost mine and will have to get another.
5 Stars 3rd Canon of this type
Just a brief review of the 3rd Canon I have purchased. I started w/ the S5IS, then the S10IS and now the S20IS. I bought this one because it recorded video in High Def. The extra zoom and extra pixels are nice for cropping and the pop up help captions reviewing the manual functions were very useful. I am not an expert photographer, however based on the comments of many who review the pictures I keep they are amazed. I kept with the canon’s because all of the accessories are compatible, very little learning curve. I never run out of fresh batteries, and the other family members love when I upgrade. It is an awesome point and shoot camera. I made the decision that we will look allot more at stills than sitting down to watch videos. So I concentrated on the picture taking and I am glad that at any second I can push the video record button and almost as much control of the video, zoom etc., as a real video camcorder. The video is more than good enough for family movies and fun caught on the spot. So if you like taking allot of pictures and your family isn’t interested in learning all of the manual controls associated with this camera, this would be a great buy. I have tinkered with many of the manual settings and have caught many awesome pictures. My only beef is that the lens cap isn’t connected. I fixed that myself.
5 Stars Canon PowerShot SX20IS delivers great pictures
I have a PowerShot S5 and so was already familiar with the Canon features and workings. The PowerShot SX20IS delivers great pictures, great DVD quality video, great audio, and does it all in about the same size and weight as the PowerShot S5. The 20X zoom is really great. The wide-angle zoom provides a very wide fiedl of view with very little edge distortion. In most cases, I was able to stitch together panoramas using the wide-angle lens photos without a problem. Coupled with the anti-vibration feature, you can take great telephoto shots. The only thing I wished it would do that it doesn’t is to allow longer than 15 second exposures. Otherwise, it does everything I want and much more.
5 Stars only camera you’ll ever need
Got it a couple days ago…Made in Japan!! Bought the Adapter and a Extreme 3#10 SD card…8GB….So far I’m very happy with this camera….Hope to pu small bag on Sat….Had a good UV filter left over from SLR…Perfect with adapter….Had some eneloop Batt as well….Oh yeah….Bought lens cap holder…..My 58mm cap is much better fit…..Like I said….Made in Japan…..
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