Customer Reviews

Canon Powershot SX20IS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Imag...

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I started with an S1IS, graduated to the S3IS and now am settling in with the SX20IS.
All of the settings are familiar but some new features add flexibility (such as user setting in the menu.) Glad to see they've made the on/off a simple button not as likely to be turned off by a friend trying to zoom. 12 MPixel resolution allows true 1080P HD movies. The camera has an HDMI connector for viewing these. The long cycle time for the flash seems to have been cut substantially (the only real complaint I've ever had with my Canon cameras).
This kit came with a lot of extra stuff! It all appears to be good quality and is well worth the $20 added. I had a pocket tripod from my 35 mm gadget bag and planned on keeping it forever. With this new little light-weight pocket tripod, I may bid adieu to my old clunker.
There are still a few things for me to learn about my new toy, but this camera gives you the flexibility to point and shoot or to work every angle with shutter or aperture priorities. (BTW: I NEVER use auto mode - I always use P for point and shoot mode with great results and faster cycle time.) I use the sport mode if dealing with kids or people playing, walking, etc. and shoot maybe 50 frames to get 1 or 2 really good ones. I loved my S1IS, my S3IS, and I am already in love with this bad boy!

This camera is everything and more then expected. Considering my last SLR was an Olympus OM2 with various Vivatar lenses, filters etc.
I think it's all been packed away for 8 or 9 years and I have been using a 3.1 mp point and shoot.

So I'm chomping at the bit to get back to some creative picture taking.
The getting started instructions cover how to set the date and turn the camera on and not much else. If you want more, like I did, you'll have to print out the 180 page manual from the Canon web site.

The only fault I found was the packaging and items in the (Kit) from Beach Camera.
It appears the camera is new but the 4 AAA's were just thrown in the box loose.
The tripod will never be trusted enough to use and wasn't the one shown in picture as well as the card reader which is the size of a jump drive with a card slot on the edge also not the one shown.
The cleaning kit was fluid small cloth and q-tips not the one shown
The Bag was the one in picture but camera fits very snug if you remove lens shade.
No room for much else. One zippered pouch.
Sorry I ordered the KIT for the $20 more from Beach.

I should have gone with my first thought just the camera and Amazon...live and learn
But the camera was what I wanted and I don't think you will regret it should you decide to buy it.

This is a great buy from a reliable company. The camera, case, video card is great. The only criticism I have is the Tripod. The tripod is about 5 inches tall and probably worth about one dollar. If you set the camera on a book it may even be higher and just as stable. But overall this purchase was a very good buy.

Let me first say that I upgraded from a Canon Powershot A550, which I have loved for about 5 years now. (It still takes great pictures.) So, I am not a professional nor do I know anything about making custom settings, yet. But when I opened this camera, I was very pleased with all its functions and how easy it is to use! It has a description for each setting to help you choose the best one for what you are trying to capture. The image stabilizer, face recognition, and fast recovery between pictures is simply awesome. Straight out of the box, I was taking great pictures. I was joking that it makes real life look even prettier, but thats really not far from the truth!
I am a nature lover and an animal lover, and the pictures I have taken of my pets, just in the couple days that I have been playing with it, are good enough to be framed. I can't wait to take it on vacation this summer and enjoy the 20X zoom. I am so very pleased with this purchase and I would take this camera over an SLR any day. The picture quality and ease of use for this price is unbeatable, and I would recommend this camera to anyone.

I received the product thru Fedex fast&safe delivery (2days) with free shipping! Accessories are useful enough (fansy padded bag with enough room, small and strong tripod, 4gb SDcard(2class but good quality for picture&movie), USB converter(cheap plastic top but no problem to work) Cleaning kit(keep for future use). BeachCamera is $5 more than TigerDirect/Dell(cheapest) But they provide necessaries worth over $20. I am 100% Satisfied with the seller and the product!

Before I bought it, I compared Canon SX20IS with Nikon Coolpix L110(ggreat&$100 cheaper,Bigger3"LCD-TwiceBrighter)But I chose Canon b/c it has 20X optical zoom(not15X) & Various Manual functions(ManualSutterSpeed&AP+viewfinder,CloserMicro
&more)2.5"LCD-1/2Brightness & No internal 20Mb memory is fine(sometime internal memory makes me confused) Canon SX20IS has too many functions that I need to take a class to learn about it. I asked CanonCo. to send a printed manual(delivery promised in 4-6wks) Thanks to BeachCamera&Canon!!

I bought this product with this package 3 weeks back. Before going to reviewing the camera - a few words about the attachments. As a lot of reviewers have mentioned earlier - not all of the attachments are worth the additional buck according to me. The tripod is very small and isnt of much help to me. The camera bag is of moderate quality, I would prefer a better quality bag and is ready to pay the additional money for that. The memory card is good and useful, but I bought a separate 8gb Memory card - as I inted to use this camera for taking videos too. And if you are planning to take videos - you would need higher memory.

Now coming to the camera. This camera is worth the price. I have used it for a vacation I took to the Niagara falls and New York city. The results are splendid. Specially the HD videos of Niagara falls are amazing. I am still getting rave reviews for the video quality from my friends. And the photos are real good. The camera is a little heavy, but I do not mind that considering the super zoom capability it has. I have had a Powershot S1 IS earlier(which was the first camera of this range launched in 2005). The new camera is real good. The controls are easily accessible from the back panel. The LCD display size is big enough for me. The review of photos is good. I have taken some night pictures with this. While there is indeed a lot of noise in the pics at higher ISO levels, but the objects are looking OK(better than the camera I had earlier). I did not get a chance to play around with the settings a lot. But the results I got with Auto Settings is so good that I do not mind it right now - and will do it at my leisure.
This camera does not have a Users Guide. You have to download it from the Canon site. That is something I would have preferred getting in the box.
Overall I am highly satisfied with the camera. My suggestion would be - if you are bothered about the quality of the accessories - buy it separately rather than in this package.

I wanted a good all around camera that would give me close-up pictures of wildlife, action pictures of our dogs and great pictures of our grandchildren. I'm still working on all the features this camera has but for the short amount of time that I have had it, I am getting wonderful, sharp pictures of our lab diving off a dock, beautiful closeups of deer taken from inside our house, clear portraits and all are in sharp focus. The camera is a bit bigger to carry around so don't expect to put it in your pocket. This is also not a camera that you can remember all the features without some experience - I am still learning; the effort is well worth it.
Once again, Amazon has been an excellent engine for purchasing items. Customer Service goes a long way.

I absolutely love this camera, and I've been trying to figure out how to get indoor pictures to turn out as great as the outdoor ones. (I know it is operator error and I am still experimenting) I get a lot of compliments on how great the pictures look, especially the pictures I've taken and used the zoom. The best ones so far are of my son sledding - I'm standing at the bottom of a big hill and the pictures look like I'm standing right in front of him as he is coming down the hill. It was worth every penny!

The camera works as well as described if not better. The pictures, so far, have been great. I am still learning about the finer details of using all the features.

I like Canon camera's - and bought this new one to go to Africa. I experimented with night shots and was surprised how clear they came out. The images in daytime appear to be sharp - the camera is heavier that I wanted good it has a neck strap - it would be hard to carry it in my purse. I lost the lens cap first thing. And I didn't realize that the lens protector is a shade device when turned and screwed into the lens. Guess I have a lot to learn. One feature I can't do without is that it runs on regular batteries -