Canon 14 Megapixels PowerShot SX30 IS 35x SuperZoom Review by DCRP

On September 14 2010, Canon announced the PowerShot G12 and the PowerShot SX30 IS. These cameras offer enthusiast-focused features like RAW shooting and manual exposure modes. The PowerShot SX30 IS is the world's first point-and-shoot model to feature a 35x Wide Angle Optical Zoom lens with Optical Image Stabilization, covering an equivalent zoom range of 24-840mm. This will definitely shake up the competition in the SuperZoom camera category. The SX30 features a 14 Megapixels sensor, a 2.7-inch vari-angle LCD, and HD video recording with stereo sound.

The Canon PowerShot SX30 IS is currently selling at around $378 (drop from $389 about 2 weeks ago). Here is the summary of review by DigitalCameraResourcePage:

"With their PowerShot SX30 IS, Canon has created a super zoom camera with a focal range that a few years ago seemed impossible. But somehow they managed to stuff a 35X, 24 - 840 mm lens into a midsize body, though not without some compromises in the image quality department. The SX30 is feature-packed, takes good (but not great) photos when the ISO is low, is quite customizable, and features an impressive HD movie mode. The weak spots mostly relate to image quality. Photos start off a bit soft and noisy, and things go downhill rapidly once you hit ISO 400. The camera also has strong purple fringing, highlight clipping, and vignetting at times. I can't say I'm a fan of the switch to a proprietary battery, either. All-in-all, the PowerShot SX30 is a capable camera whose over-the-top specs keep it from greatness. Camera performance is a mixed bag. The PowerShot SX30 IS starts up quickly, taking 1.2 seconds to prepare for shooting. Autofocus speeds are average, with focusing times ranging from 0.3 to 1.0 seconds depending on the focal length. Low light focusing took around a second, and was accurate on most occasions. Shutter lag was only really noticeable at very slow shutter speeds. Shot-to-shot delays were 2 to 3 seconds, depending on whether you're using the flash. The SX30's continuous shooting mode is about average as well, taking an unlimited number of photos at 1.4 frames/second. One change for the worse on the SX30 is the switch from AA to proprietary lithium-ion batteries. Where the old SX20 could take 600 shots per charge using $12 NiMH batteries, the SX30's $40 battery will last for only 370 shots before needing a charge. As a result, the SX30's numbers are just average for its class.

Probably the most disappointing thing about the SX30 is its photo quality. The good news is that exposure is accurate and colors were vibrant, even in the studio. The bad news is that the camera exhibits strong purple fringing, highlight clipping, and vignetting (the latter only at the telephoto end of the lens). Photos also get noisy quickly, with everything above ISO 400 looking pretty bad. I think the combination of the small 14 Megapixel sensor with the huge lens really compromises photo quality on this camera. Redeye was also an issue, and even the digital removal tools couldn't get rid of it, at least in my testing. Most of those things won't bother the 4 x 6 inch print crowd, but those making larger prints or viewing photos on their computer screens will surly notice. The PowerShot SX30 IS is a super zoom camera with a very ambitious spec sheet. Nobody's put a lens this big in a compact camera before, and as you've seen, bigger isn't always better (I know I just set myself up for a million jokes with that one). The SX30 is certainly a capable camera for travel and everyday shots (as long as you're keeping the ISO low), and for nice-looking HD movies. If you'll be taking a lot of low light photos or taking pictures of sporting events, I'd probably look at something else, as the camera is too noisy and too slow to focus for those situations (respectively). In conclusion, the SX30 is worth your consideration, though I'd take a close look at the competition before buying it."

Very good camera for its price!!, Vinay Kumar A Makam - May 06 2013
I have been using this camera for 2 years now; overall it is a very nice camera with good zooming facilities and good video quality....

Canon at it's finest, Felipe Bueno Barbosa - Mar 22 2013
I know that this is not the latest release from Canon but I could argue that this camera is, at some circunstances, better than the new ones, in fact, if you use the common websites to compare camera quality, the SX30IS is only losing in comparison for, let's say, the SX40 because of it being a higher price and bigger body. The lens, the sensor, the wide angle and speed...

Extraordinary product, juan - Mar 12 2013
I have been using the SX30 IS for almost 2 years. For me it has been a nice experience taking shots with this camera. I can see the difference with a previous canon I had (A620). The White balances is better and the definition improves as well. The Auto mode take great pictures even on dark places. It's only to know a little more on aperture and shutter speed settings to...

awsome, stacy kendall - Mar 12 2013
this camera is awsome i take it with me everywhere it is so easy to use and takes wonderful pictures...