Customer Reviews

Canon PowerShot SX150 IS 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide-Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with 3.0-Inch LCD (Black)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

First, let me say that while I am not a professinal photographer, I do earn some money from photographing weddings and other events for friends and acquaintences, and consider myself to be an advanced user and photography enthusiast. I shoot primarily with Canon DSLRs and was looking for a compact camera to supplement my current photography equipment. The Canon PowerShot XS150 IS is a very nice compliment to my gear and overall, I am pleased with it.

Canon has produced a very good alternative for the compact camera market in its PowerShot XS150 IS platform. The camera boasts a 14MP picture size with 12x optical zoom capability and the camera delivers. The XS150 IS is a little larger and heavier than most compact cameras but is of quality construction and durable. The case is molded plastic and has a very ergonomic design with specific places to rest your fingers and thumb for one-hand operation. All the controls can be operated with the right hand while holding the camera.

The picture quality is very good. Canon's processor provides vivid colors and impressive clarity for a compact design. The large viewing screen is impressive and easy to see, even in bright sunlight. The controls are easy to use and placed such that they won't be accidentally changed. The controls in the on-screen menu are easy to use and, if you're familiar with Canon's menu system, you'll be able to start shooting right away. Those that aren't familiar with Canon should read the manual, but even then, the menu selections and control layout are very intuitive and easy to use.

The camera provides a lot of special shooting features that can be used not only for still photography, but also for the video recording. There's an "easy shooting" mode for those that want to pick up the camera and start shooting right away, allowing the camera to make all the decisions about ISO, white balance, focus, etc. There are scene and filter shooting modes that allow the photographer to select a style for their photos (monochrome, color accent, color replacement, miniature mode, macro, smile and face detection, beach and snow scenes, fireworks, etc.). For those that want more control over their photography, the camera does offer shooting modes in Manual, Program, Aperture and Shutter Priority.

The movie feature works well and provides decent HD video that can be copied directly from the SD card to your computer. The movie feature is a nice function, but keep in mind that this camera is not a movie camera, so don't expect Hollywood quality from it, but it's nice enough to document short events for display on HD TVs and the web. The stereo sound for the movie function is quite good as well, but the microphones will pick up the sound of the zoom lens motor whirring if you use the zoom feature while shooting video. The lens motor sound can probably be minimized or eliminated in some video or sound editing programs such as Adobe Premier, DVD Studio Pro, or Soundbooth, etc.

The flash is a little different for this camera. It's centered over the telescoping lens but is manually activated (you have to lift the flash open with your finger) to turn on the auto-flash feature. While this may seem like an annoyance at first, it's actually not a bad feature, just different; and it prevents that annoying "pop-up" of the flash when you really don't want flash but the camera's sensors require it.

The XS150 IS is a little larger and heavier than most other compact cameras but is still very portable. The weight and size are detemined mostly by the fact that the camera uses two AA batteries, and the size of the lens for this camera. Still it's a small camera for what it can do and will easily fit into a cargo pocket or purse, or in a case that can be worn on a belt or attached to a backpack.

The only real complaint I have about the camera is the battery life with alkaline AA batteries (this is why I rated it 4 stars instead of 5). While it's nice to have a camera that accepts a common battery type (AA) that can be purchased almost anywhere in the world, I would recommend getting the rechargeable NiMH AA batteries because the battery life for alkiline AA batteries seems to be a little short, especially if you're going to shoot video.

Overall, this is a great compact camera and it will meet most user's needs especially if they are looking for a camera that provides a lot of shooting features in a small package with HD video and is easy to learn to use. I highly recommend it.

PROS: Great control over the flash. If you don't want it then leave it down. If you do want it then just lift the flash with your finger. Quality is good (but not great).

Speed - camera is fast between pictures, fast to start up, etc. I like snappy "real time" menus and zooming etc.

Focus - very very clear. I used macro mode to take pictures of business cards and I can zoom in and see the hairs of the paper. Very impressive, very important to me. Took a picture of a letter on the wall 5 feet away with zoom. I could review and zoom in and and read very fine print ~ 5pt type font!

Low light - very good even without the flash.

Screen: large, good quality - it is NOT a touch screen but I think it is much more durable than a touch and you don't need the touch as the controls are easy to use.

Manual options: good manual options.

Video: very good quality, you CAN zoom while filming. File size was too big for my taste in HD so I reduced the quality to normal. Sound is so-so / average but perfectly acceptable.

CONS: By far the lens is bulky even when closed. The overall camera is kind of large to be a "pocket camera". However, the lens is good quality and good in low light and has lots of zoom so this is a trade-off. I would like it if the body was rubberized. The hard plastic is slippery.

What to buy: buy this camera or the Nikon ??? model that costs about $200. The nikon is smaller and fits much better in your pocket and the lens is excellent and so is the whit balance inside. Buy the Cannon for the more powerful lens.

Kill the Paper Monster! - This camera has sharp focus, and good in low light (and many other camera brands are good too).

I have all sorts of little notes, business cards etc. I use this camera in macro (close up) mode with a table lamp and no flash to take a picture and then throw the paper out - get rid of clutter!! Then I transfer to the computer and label and organize the pictures - Business cards, Letters etc so I can search for it later. Manuals - watch, tool, instructions for a windshield for my scooter - will probably never need them but if I do it is in the computer in the "manuals" folder. Serial numbers - same deal.

I bought this camera to replace the Canon Powershot SX130 that my daughter took to school with her. The only thing I was initially disappointed in with the purchase was that a memory card did not come with it (note to self; read the fine print! Other than that, I like that this camera gives you options/settings to use for different types of photo opportunities. I have taken some very nice quality photos of pets (horses, dogs, cats) as well as trip photos and am pleased with the clarity of the photos and the fact that, if the settings are right, the photos can be printed in large sizes. I took a photo up close of a feathered tulip; the photo was even more striking when I had it printed in an 11 x 14 size - it won first place in its division at state fair).

I'm not as pleased with the video quality on this camera as I was on a previous Sony point and shoot camera I had. The pro is that you can zoom in and out while videotaping (I couldn't do that on other camera). The con is that the image is not as clear as I would like.

It takes a while to learn all the settings on the camera, especially for a novice like myself; but I like the options and the fact that it is small enough to take anywhere.

I bought this camera to replace my Canon powershot A710IS. The SX150IS is a nice step up. It does a wonderful job in low light situations. The HD video is superb in low light situations as well. I'm especially happy with the recording mics on this camera. I use the video record option while at very loud karaoke bars. The sound is great, never over modulated.

There are too many features to list here about this camera. Included is the owner's manual on cd. I wish there was a printed copy so that I can read it in a more comfortable position. Don't care to sit at the computer or waste ink printing out the whole thing. For those of you who already own it, I found a neat little extra. while the camera is in picture taking mode, hold the function button in for about a minute. The whole display becomes a digital clock. By rotating the wheel around the func button you can change the colors of the clock. Found that to be pretty neat. Not sure if it's in the owner's manual or not, but thought it was pretty neat to come across.

The battery life is great. Be sure to use high MAH rated batteries. At least 2000 or more. If you want some long lasting superb battery performance, look into getting some eneloop rechargeables. They're put out by Sanyo and they're a very, very good battery. Check the reviews on them.

If I had to choose anything negative about this camera it would probably be the flash operation. Most cameras in this class have a flash that will pop up automatically in the auto mode when required. This one does not do it automatically. It will let you know to pop the flash up manually yourself if needed but it doesn't do it automatically. That can be a good thing though too. This way you can override the flash option. It will still take the picture but just without the flash.

I've been a Canon user for 5 years now. My first digital camera was a Canon A430, then a couple of years later I upgraded to a Canon A480. Now I moved away from the A series to this SX because I was looking for a camera that featured a great zoom.
I did look elsewhere, but ended up with Canon again. The features on this camera are unbelievable considering its price tag. And the zoom itself is awesome! The optical zoom is flawless and the digital zoom (48X) is pretty good as well. There's nothing quite like it on the market with this price. Price's bound to climb up soon!
The only thing people seem to complain about on this camera is battery life. Well, I was aware of that when I bought it so I invested $20 more dollars on the Eneloop rechargeable batteries (with sanyo charger included) and I've had no problems at all. Batteries last just as much as they had lasted with my old Canon cameras.
I'm very happy with the camera!

This camera was exactly as advertised and the seller shipped it quickly in a safe and secure manner. Use Strong (German) AA batteries to get longer life while in Video Mode and you will think you are Steven Spielberg! (Note: Duracell's and other American Batteries simply dont pack the gear. Use Strong Long Lasting German Batteries like VARTA and this Camera will rock! Dont listen to that phony advertising by Duracell and energizer and the rest, they have good advertising but lousy batteries.) HD video and image stabilization perfect! Stereo Sound Awesome! Takes Great Pictures as well but I mostly use it for the Video. Can be set many ways and go full Auto or Full MAnual and many settings in between! Buy from this seller!

This is a perfect camera for an alternative to lugging around a bulky DSLR. It has some options that a DSRL has and still has easy mode and auto mode. I think this camera is perfect for anyone. The only reason it didn't get all 5 stars because like others have said the battery life is pretty bad with regular batteries and you really do need lithium or a good rechargeable set, But i love that it takes AA batteries because your battery can die and AAs are available everywhere. also the flash sometimes does take what feels like forever sometimes to charge (its a few seconds). other than that, its a great buy.

I took a risk buying this camera because no reviews had been written yet. My Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS broke and I needed a replacement very quickly for Photography class. I knew that I wanted a Canon camera because of the Color Accent feature which I really enjoy. I also wanted better zoom because my previous camera only had 4X optical zoom. I didn't want to spend over $250 either. I found this camera very fast and instantly took a liking to it. I ordered it from Amazon with one day shipping and recieved it the day after. I was very pleased with the model and loved having a better lens and zoom. You can control the Aperture Priotity and Shutter Priority too. It has a lot of great features my old camera did not. The only problem I have is the battery life. I have never tested how long the AA batteries last, but I have noticed it's a relatively short time. Maybe an hour or so? My suggestion for that it getting a rechargeable battery package so you always have fully juiced batteries in the camera and several charging at the same time. I have not done this yet but plan on it because I am going through batteries way to quickly. Luckily it is an easy problem that can be solved. All in all, I am very happy with this camera and love it to pieces! It can take very high quality photos!

I used to own the Canon SX120is.
I now have the 150is and LOVE it!!!!

Manual mode is awesome for those of us that demand control!
Auto mode is great for those that just "want the camera to take good pictures".

Great all around camera, and TOTALLY worth the price tag! :D

Received the camera about 2 weeks ago. I have tried most features on the camera. This is a super camera, one that takes wonderful memories. The photos are rich and clear and the HD movies sharp and colorful. Another great camera from Canon and it takes AA batteries. How could it get better than that? Super fast shipping and secure packaging.

Thanks Amazon!