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| Category: | Compact Cameras |
| Product: | Canon PowerShot SX150 IS |
| Price: | £69.99 |
| Rating: |    
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Canon PowerShot SX150 IS Digital Camera Review - Daniel Bell reviews the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS, a low cost digital compact camera with a 12x optical zoom lens.
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Jargon Buster: OffHandling
Performance
Verdict
Specification
Canon PowerShot SX150 IS Lens Extended
The Canon PowerShot SX150 IS was released in August 2011 and has a 12x optical zoom lens. It is available in red, black and silver for £179.00, although there is currently £20 cash back available (as of 9th November 2011).
Canon PowerShot SX150 IS Front
Canon PowerShot SX150 IS Features
The SX150 has a 14.1 megapixel sensor, enough to produce A3 sized prints, there is also a 12x optical zoom lens which is a 35mm equivalent of 28 - 336mm. To reduce the amount of blur in images the camera has Intelligent IS which automatically adjusts the Optical Image Stabilisation.Picture taking is made easy in Smart Auto mode, which detects the scene and selects the perfect settings from 32 variables (21 in movie). There is also Easy mode as well as full manual controls so you can set the camera's shutter speed and aperture. Other modes include Smart Shutter with Wink Self-Timer and creative filters, which include Fish-eye Effect, Super Vivid, Poster, Toy Camera, Miniature and Monochrome.
Movies are recorded in 720p HD with stereo sound and optical zoom. There is Dynamic and Powered Image Stabilisation to help keep movies sharp and blur free. Videos can also be optimized for Apple's iFrame format.
Canon PowerShot SX150 IS Top
Key Features
- 12x optical zoom lens (35mm equiv: 28 - 336mm)
- Intelligent Image Stabilisation (IS)
- 14.1 megapixel CCD sensor
- Smart Auto and Easy modes detect 32 scenes
- 3.0 inch LCD screen
- HD movies with stereo sound
- Full Manual control
- Creative Filters including Miniature Effect
- Smart Shutter with Wink Self-Timer
- iFrame movie
- Hints & Tips
Canon PowerShot SX150 IS Screen
Canon PowerShot SX150 IS Handling
The SX150 is large and bulky for a compact camera as well as being heavy when loaded with its two AA batteries. The body is made of plastic and on the rear of the camera is a 3 inch LCD screen, which is easy to see in most lighting conditions, although images don't look as colourful as when viewed on your computer. The buttons are large and easy to press, with a mode dial placed on the top of the camera. The d-pad also rotates to cycle through menu options and you can press the playback button when the camera is switched off to view your images. There is also hints and tips to help you understand the camera.With standard alkaline AA batteries the camera is capable of around 110 shots. This isn't a lot so it's likely you're going to need at least one set of spares. Alternatively you could purchase the Canon NB-3AH rechargeable batteries which are capable of around 320 shots on one charge. The camera is ready to take photos within two to three seconds of switching on and focusing speed is good. In continuous shooting mode it is capable of shooting full sized images at 0.8fps.
Canon PowerShot SX150 IS Batteries
Canon PowerShot SX150 IS Performance
Images produced by the camera are generally well exposed with good colour reproduction. Detail is decent throughout the images whether shooting wide or with the full optical zoom. When shooting with the lens at its longest you can see the camera working hard to reduce image shake. The lens has a minimum focusing distance of 1cm and allows you to get really close and take very pleasing macro images.Canon PowerShot SX150 IS Lens test images
 Wide-angle | 1/320 sec | f/3.4 | 5.0 mm | ISO 100 |  Full optical zoom | 1/125 sec | f/5.6 | 60.0 mm | ISO 100 |
 Digital zoom | 1/60 sec | f/5.6 | 60.0 mm | ISO 100 |  Macro | 1/5 sec | f/3.4 | 5.0 mm | ISO 80 |
Images at ISO 80 and ISO 100 show little signs of noise, but there is some evident at ISO 200. Noise increases further at ISO 400 with images losing a touch of sharpness. Noise really starts to kick in at ISO 800 and even more so at ISO 1600. Although there is plenty of noise at these higher ISO settings, the colour reproductions is barely effected, so you can still get a good images, even though they will be best used for the web rather than large prints.
Canon PowerShot SX150 IS ISO test images
 ISO 80 | 1/6 sec | f/4.5 | 18.8 mm |  ISO 100 | 1/8 sec | f/4.5 | 18.8 mm |  ISO 200 | 1/15 sec | f/4.5 | 18.8 mm |
 ISO 400 | 1/30 sec | f/4.5 | 18.8 mm |  ISO 800 | 1/60 sec | f/4.5 | 18.8 mm |  ISO 1600 | 1/125 sec | f/4.5 | 18.8 mm |
The images below are examples taken using some of the various modes available. The landscape mode really makes your scenes stand out with good blues in the sky. Portraits have good skin tones and no red-eye. The final image was taken using shutter priority mode at 1/1000 sec to capture the water droplets.
Canon PowerShot SX150 IS Sample Photos
 Landscape | 1/400 sec | f/3.4 | 5.0 mm | ISO 80 |  Landscape with building | 1/640 sec | f/3.5 | 6.0 mm | ISO 80 |
 Portrait | 1/60 sec | f/4.0 | 10.4 mm | ISO 80 |  Shutter priority mode | 1/1000 sec | f/4.5 | 20.8 mm | ISO 400 |
Under our incandescent studio lights the auto white-balance (AWB) preset has a strong orange cast in the image with the incandescent preset giving a much better result. Under the fluorescent lights there is very little difference to tell between the AWB and fluorescent preset images.
Canon PowerShot SX150 IS White-balance test images
 AWB preset - incandescent lighting | 1/13 sec | f/4.0 | 9.2 mm | ISO 100 |  Incandescent preset - incandescent lighting | 1/10 sec | f/4.0 | 9.2 mm | ISO 100 |
 AWB preset - fluorescent lighting | 1/4 sec | f/4.0 | 9.2 mm | ISO 100 |  Fluorescent preset - fluorescent lighting | 1/4 sec | f/4.0 | 9.2 mm | ISO 100 |
Below are examples using some of the creative modes available.
Canon PowerShot SX150 IS Digital filters
 Colour accent | 1/15 sec | f/4.5 | 14.3 mm | ISO 400 |  Colour swap | 1/15 sec | f/4.5 | 14.3 mm | ISO 400 |  Fisheye | 1/40 sec | f/4.5 | 14.3 mm | ISO 800 |
 Monochrome | 1/40 sec | f/4.5 | 14.3 mm | ISO 800 |  Super vivid | 1/20 sec | f/4.5 | 14.3 mm | ISO 400 |  Toy camera effect | 1/20 sec | f/4.5 | 14.3 mm | ISO 400 |
Video Mode
Below is a video shot at 720p HD. Videos can also be recorded using the optical zoom lens, an example of which can be seen on the ePHOTOzine Youtube page.Value For Money
The Canon PowerShot SX150 IS is available for £179.00. Other cameras with a similar specification are the Pentax Optio RZ10 at £84.99, Olympus VR-310 at £87.00, Fujifilm FinePix T200 at £96.00, Samsung PL210 at £99.00. None of these cameras offer the advantage of manual controls. Other compact cameras with manual controls and plenty of zoom are the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ20, Sony Cybershot HX9 and Canon Powershot SX230.Canon PowerShot SX150 IS Verdict
When picking up the SX150, the first thing that strikes you is how heavy and bulky it is for a compact camera. There are many cameras on the market that offer a similar amount of zoom in much smaller lighter bodies, but these cameras are likely to be more expensive or lack features such as manual controls. For a very reasonable price you get a good zoom range and decent image quality making it an ideal camera for travelling.Canon PowerShot SX150 IS Pros
Keenly pricedDecent image qualityMinimum focus distance of 1cm allows for good macro shotsVideo quality is goodManual controlsCanon PowerShot SX150 IS Cons
Requires AA batteriesCamera is heavy and bulky for a compact| FEATURES |  |
| HANDLING |  |
| PERFORMANCE |  |
| VALUE FOR MONEY | |
| OVERALL | |
Canon PowerShot SX150 IS Specifications
| Manufacturer | Canon | |
| Lens | ||
| Max Aperture | f/3.4 - f/5.6 | |
| 35mm equivalent | 28mm - 336mm | |
| Optical Zoom | 12x | |
| Image Sensor | ||
| CCD pixels | 14.1Mp (Megapixels) | |
| Pixels (W) | 4320 | |
| Pixels (H) | 3240 | |
| Sensor Type | CCD | |
| Sensor Size | 1/2.3 inch | |
| Sensor Size (width) | 6.16mm | |
| Sensor Size (height) | 4.62mm | |
| Aspect Ratio |
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| LCD Monitor | ||
| LCD Monitor | 3in | |
| Screen resolution | 230,000 dots | |
| Touch Screen | No | |
| Focusing | ||
| Min Focus | 1cm | |
| Focusing modes |
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| Exposure Control | ||
| Shutter speeds shortest | 1/2500sec | |
| Shutter speeds longest | 15sec | |
| Exp modes |
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| Metering |
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| ISO sensitivity | 80 - 1600 | |
| White balance |
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| Exposure Comp | +/-2 | |
| Shooting Options | ||
| Continuous shooting | No Data | |
| Video | ||
| Movie mode | Yes | |
| Video Resolution |
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| Video FPS | 30 | |
| Stereo Sound | No | |
| Optical Zoom with Video | Yes | |
| Other Features | ||
| Image Stabilisation | Yes | |
| Interface | ||
| HDMI | Yes | |
| USB | USB 2 | |
| Wi-Fi | No | |
| Storage | ||
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| Power Source | ||
| Battery Type | 2x Size-AA Alkaline or Ni-MH Batteries (NB-3AH) (Alkalines supplied) | |
| CIPA Rating | 110 | |
| Box Contents | ||
| Box Contents | Getting started guide, 2x AA batteries, wrist strap, interface cable, digital camera solution disk, warranty | |
| Dimensions | ||
| Weight | 306g | |
| Width | 113.3mm | |
| Height | 73.2mm | |
| Depth | 45.8mm | |
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Comments
AA battery power and a bit of heft are virtues, in my opinion. I wouldn't carry a camera in my shirt pocket no matter how small and slender. In a pinch, one can buy AA's almost anywhere.
I looked at the SX-150's hi-res results just after reviewing the Fuji X-10's. The SX-150's image quality is extremely good, IMO. It's all the more impressive when compared to results from a camera that costs several times more. Not equal, true, but remarkably close.
Perception of the value of features included or not included and some elements of handling and image results are subjective and personal, fair enough. Still, I think your value-for-money rating is one star shy of what the SX-150 deserves.
(Disclaimer: I have no relationship with Canon except as a sometimes consumer of the company's products.)
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