Canon PowerShot SX1IS 10 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.8-inch LCD

Other products by Canon

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5 x 3.5 x 3.5 inches ; 1.3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B001SER44W
• Item model number: SX1IS
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #174 in Camera & Photo (See Bestsellers in Camera & Photo)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #98 in

  Camera & Photo > Point & Shoot Digital Cameras

• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 17, 2009

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Put your hand around the perfectly-shaped grip of Canon’s sporty new PowerShot SX1 IS and you’re ready for a shooting experience that’s advanced in every way. Superb still images powered by Canon’s DIGIC 4 image processor, evolved Face Detection Technology and a wide-angle 20x optical zoom are only the beginning. You can also create Full HD movies and see every detail on your HDTV thanks to the HDMI output. Plus, the 10.0-megapixel SX1 IS is the very first PowerShot equipped with a CMOS sensor, a hallmark of Canon’s lauded EOS line.

PowerShot SX1 IS Highlights

Create Full HD movies with your camera
If you long for the convenience of an advanced still camera that also creates superb movies, the new PowerShot SX1 IS was developed with you in mind. Movies shot in Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) capture your memories with clarity, realism and brilliance. The PowerShot SX1 IS also makes it easy to enjoy HD movies and photos on your HDTV with a mini-HDMI cable for direct connection to a high-definition monitor. This allows you to enjoy the full quality of HD with no degradation of image or audio in the signal, but also improves playback functionality, letting you view up to 130 still images at once.

The first PowerShot to feature a 10.0-megapixel Canon CMOS sensor
Canon’s proprietary CMOS sensors were formerly reserved for its storied EOS line. The PowerShot SX1 IS is the first PowerShot that gives you access to the astonishing imaging power of this technology. Unlike the CCD sensors on most digital cameras, CMOS sensors convert and amplify signals before they are transferred to the image processor. This enables the CMOS sensor to produce exceptionally clean image data, free of the stray signals that can mar images. The resulting images show a notable brilliance and clarity.

Wide-angle 20x optical zoom lens with Optical Image Stabilizer
The PowerShot SX1 IS features Canon’s precision 28mm wide-angle lens that allows you to shoot any scene from wide-angle to telephoto. It lets you capture more in every frame, so everyone fits in a family gathering shot. When it’s time to take a closer look, a 20x optical zoom (35mm film equivalent 28-560mm) greatly minimizes camera shake and maximizes the brilliance of every detail. The camera uses a USM (Ultrasonic Motor) for high-speed, quiet, energy-efficient lens movement with precise control. Focal length is conveniently indicated on the lens barrel.

The SX1 IS is equipped with Canon’s acclaimed Optical Image Stabilizer Technology that automatically detects and corrects camera shake--one of the leading causes of fuzzy or blurred shots. Even when zoomed in, you can get steady, crisp, brilliant images you’ll be proud to shoot and share. And Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer Technology is convenient to use. It functions perfectly with or without a flash.

2.8-inch Vari-angle LCD widescreen plus viewfinder
The camera’s 2.8-inch LCD widescreen gives you the big picture, whether you’re shooting, reviewing or showing off your images. This high-resolution screen offers a crisp, clear picture to make shooting, playback and using the camera’s menu functions especially convenient. Clear and bright, it also features Night Display for easy viewing in low light. It also has an electronic viewfinder that provides sharp images when you shoot close-up with the Super Macro shooting mode.

Full range of shooting and recording modes including RAW + JPEG
The PowerShot SX1 IS’s RAW mode lets you shoot images without JPEG compression. It gives you clearer images and complete creative control in editing. RAW images are transferred directly to the computer where they can then be edited using image adjustment software or a processing application to adjust your images as you please. The camera can also be set to allow the simultaneous recording of both RAW and JPEG images while shooting.

A World of Advantages with Canon’s Technology

Canon's DIGIC 4 image processor has evolved Face Detection Technology that tracks the faces of moving subjects and lets the shooter enter the frame seamlessly with the Face Detection Self-Timer.

DIGIC 4 image processor Canon’s most advanced image processor, DIGIC 4, delivers evolved Face Detection Technology that keeps every face in every photo looking its very best. The technology finds and tracks the faces of moving subjects until you’re ready to shoot, then delivers perfect focus. In addition, exposure, flash and white balance are compensated, so that faces exhibit natural skin tones and backgrounds are properly exposed.

iSAPS Technology is an entirely original scene-recognition technology developed for digital cameras by Canon. Using an internal database of thousands of different photos, iSAPS works with the advanced DIGIC 4 Image Processor to improve focus speed and accuracy, as well as exposure and white balance.

A Face Detection Self-Timer automatically detects an increase in the number of faces and makes the appropriate adjustments. For instance, to include the photographer’s face in a group shot, there’s no need to rush in. Just put the camera on a stand or tripod, specify Face Detection Self-Timer, and the camera will wait for the photographer’s face to get on-camera before it takes the shot. Motion Detection tracks moving subjects in a much larger range, and the Servo AF retains focus on a moving subject after the shutter button is pressed halfway--allowing you to wait for the perfect shot without refocusing.

Intelligent Contrast Correction
DIGIC 4 also makes possible the i-Contrast (Intelligent Contrast Correction) system, which controls the compensation level in pixel units to brighten dark areas while leaving bright areas unchanged for better images for more natural transitions when the main subject is dark. The PowerShot SX1 IS can even use i-Contrast in playback mode to adjust images that were shot without the setting activated.

Red-eye Correction provides three options for removing red-eye from subjects in flash pictures:
1) Red-eye Correction during shooting actually identifies and corrects red-eye in human subjects as pictures are taken.
2) The PowerShot SX1 IS can be set to automatically detect and correct red-eye during image playback.
3) You can manually locate any red eyes in a scene during image playback on the LCD screen, and command the camera to remove them.

Life doesn’t give you second chances to capture special times. That’s why the PowerShot SX1 IS features ISO 1600 and High ISO Auto settings that reduce the effects of camera shake and sharpen subjects in low-light situations, giving you greater shooting flexibility. ISO can be expanded to 3200 when you select the ISO 3200 Special Scene mode.

25 Shooting Modes including 12 Special Scene Modes
When you’re taking pictures, the only thing you want to think about is your subject. With the PowerShot SX1 IS, you can count on exact focus no matter where your subject is in the frame. You’ve got Shooting Modes including Special Scene Modes that give you breathtaking, exhilarating pictures even when shooting conditions are tough.

The Complete Print Solution

Print/Share Button for easy direct printing and downloading, plus ID Photo Print and Movie Print with select PIXMA Inkjet Photo Printers and SELPHY Compact Photo Printers.

The PowerShot SX1 IS’s Print/Share button makes direct printing easier than ever. Simply connect the PowerShot SX1 IS to a Canon PIXMA Inkjet Photo Printer or SELPHY Compact Photo Printer or any PictBridge compatible photo printer, press the lighted Print/Share button and print! Also use the Print/Share button to transfer images to a computer (Windows® and Macintosh®).

Print your own ID photos in up to 28 different sizes or use the Movie Print function to output multiple stills from a recorded movie on a single sheet with a Canon SELPHY Compact Photo Printer.

What's in the Box

• PowerShot SX1 IS body
• AA-size alkaline battery (x4)
• Neck strap (NS-DC7)
• Wireless controller (WC-DC300)
• Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM
• USB interface cable (IFC-400PCU)
• Stereo video cable (STV-250N)
• Lens hood (LH-DC50)
• Lens cap

Product Description

CMOS image sensor with 10-megapixel effective recording * 20X optical zoom * optical image stabilizer * 4X digital zoom/80X total zoom * 2-13/16" fold-out swiveling LCD screen * full 1080p movie mode (1920 x 1080 at 30 frames per second) with stereo sound * 16:9 widescreen photo mode (3840 x 2160) * image file formats: JPEG, RAW, RAW+JPEG *

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

103 of 103 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best do-everything camera, but not totally intuitive, April 30, 2009

By	B. Lim (Santa Barbara, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Quick summary:

1. I really like this camera, especially being able to take HD video and optically zoom while recording. I also really like taking 4 fps of continuous shooting.

2. You really need to read (at least skim) through the instructions. Some of the ease of use benefits of a point-and-shoot were compromised to give you some of the versatility of a digital SLR. I'm not too crazy about the "Control Dial" to select menu options. Over all, the software seems a bit less intuitive than other Powershots I've used in the past.

3. Using Quicktime on Windows to view the HD video might result in jerky motion. HD video is smooth in Quicktime on a Mac. This is a Quicktime/Windows issue, not a camera problem.

4. The camera is solidly built, but it's a bit heavy. It's not ergonomically designed for extended video recording.

5. Consider reading and viewing a video demo by a professional at www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_PowerShot_SX1_IS/

Long version:

I was very eagerly anticipating this camera. The key feature in the Canon SX1IS is the CMOS sensor used in the SLR product lines. I got really excited about a single camera with HD video, 20x optical zoom, 4 frames per second of continuous shooting, articulated screen, and standard AA batteries. I've owned several Canon Powershot models, and I've been very satisfied with them. I'm also an experienced 35mm SLR person. I thought that the SX1IS was going to be my perfect camera... or actually the perfect gift for my wife.

I am an amateur photographer whose primary subjects are my children playing sports. Since I work a lot, my wife actually ends up taking a majority of the photos. I was planning to get a digital SLR for her when I came upon the specs for the SX1IS. It seems as if Canon product managers have listened to everything I wanted in a digital camera. The biggest deals for me were

1. HD video with optical zoom enabled while you're filming
2. 4 frames per second of continuous shooting
3. 20x optical zoom
4. Ease of use of a point-and-shoot

Here are my series of reactions:

1. After the first set of photos and videos, I couldn't help but feel as if Canon has under-delivered on the promise of a nearly perfect camera for amateurs or perhaps my camera was defective. This was my review of the first batch of photos and videos: (please read on to the next section since my initial disappointment resulted more from ignorance and unfair expectations)

a. I wasn't getting anywhere near 4 frames per second.

b. In the AUTO mode, the photos seem to come out at a lower quality than my much cheaper Powershot A710 in AUTO mode. By lower quality, I mean that the color, contrast, and details appear not as good.

c. It is very cool to be able to zoom in and out while you are taking video, but the HD video footages came out jerky enough to be really annoying.

2. This didn't seem right, so I actually read the instructions and spent a few minutes googling for info. It quickly became clear that you really have to read the manual to use this camera effectively. The manual is not written especially well, but it contains the info you need. (FYI, I've NEVER read instructions on any of my other digital point-and-shoot cameras before, and I have been very happy with the thousands of photos I've taken.)

a. Getting 4 frames per second: I learned that you cannot shoot 4 frames per second in AUTO mode or SPORTS mode. SPORTS mode can only take continuous AutoFocus photos which is about 1 frame per second. Most of the other modes support fast 4 frames per second continuous shooting. In the 4 fps continuous shooting, only the first shoot will be in focus, the others will be out of focus if the subject moves towards or away from your camera.

b. Comparing photos from SX1IS with A710: I realized that I was taking photos at high zoom that the Powershot A710 was not even able to get, so this was not a fair comparison. For apples-to-apples outdoor photos, SX1IS does take superior photos, but indoor photos does seem grainier at similar zoom levels. However, the difference is really minor, and there are many many adjustments on the SX1IS that can more than compensate.

c. Jerky HD video playback: This is a really a problem with Quicktime on my Windows Vista (on 2.5GHz Quadcore CPU with 4GB of RAM & ATI Radeon 512MB graphics card, so not a hardware issue). I saw similar jerky playback with Quicktime on Windows XP. However, the videos play smooth and perfectly in Quicktime on a Mac OS X. By reading this review, I hope you don't get upset when your first HD video looks really bad because of the jerky motion. I'm sure that this is a temporary problem: either Apple will improve Quicktime playback on Windows, a better MOV player will be available, or software will be available to convert the MOV to another format that works better on Windows.

d. Further note: To make changes to a bunch of settings via the menu options, you have to use this ring on the function button (called the "Control Dial"). It's the knurled outermost concentric ring surrounding the FUNC. SET button. You rotate this to select the menu options you want. Well, maybe I'll get used to it, but right now, this ring sucks. It's easy to miss the your menu item because you rotate this ring with just enough force, but if you press a bit too much, you end up with different options. This will probably suck to another plateau when I'm in bright sunlight looking through the viewfinder.

Here are 3 other things you might want to consider before purchasing this camera:

1. The camera feels very solid, but this also means that it is a bit heavy.

2. The form factor is for taking photographs, so if you plan to use this primarily for the HD video, your hands/arms will tire out. It is a bit awkward to keep the camera steady for extended video. HD camcorder will probably be better for you if your primary motivation is to take HD videos.

3. See a professional review with a video demo at www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_PowerShot_SX1_IS/

I'm now having a great time taking lots of photos and videos with this camera. The 20x zoom, HD video, and 4 fps is worth the cost premium.

85 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Hybrid Camera/VidCam, April 22, 2009

By	M. Wallace (Tulsa, OK USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There is a lot to love about the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS. Being able to take photographs or shoot 1080p video (get a big memory card for video!) is the main attraction for this camera, and this camera delivers. The 20x zoom lens is FANTASTIC. Zooming in and out is painless, quick, and silent. You'll love the freedom this gives you. I love that this camera takes 4 AA batteries. These kind of batteries are available everywhere so you don't have to worry about running out of power like you do in cameras with a proprietary battery pack. The video screen on this camera is relatively big, bright, and clear.

But the camera is not without a few problems. Coming from a Canon D-SLR, the image quality leaves a little to be desired. At 100% magnification, the images are a little noisy. However, most people don't look at pictures at this zoom-level, and at normal print sizes, the images are sharp and noise is not really noticeable in real-world shooting. I personally don't like the neck strap. Maybe I just need to wear it in, but at its current stiffness, it sometimes gets in the way of the camera controls. The video looks a little wobbly sometimes due to the design of CMOS sensors (Google "rolling shutter effect"). However, I only notice it when moving the camera quickly (such as panning). The battery compartment doesn't open the way you might expect (look in the manual before attempting it). The on-screen menu is a pretty good but could be better. The viewfinder is electronic and the colors on it appear washed out, but it gets the job done. Finally, there are no threads on the front of the lens to mount filters on, but there are third-party adapters that will let you do this (Lensmate makes one).

However, I'm still very satisfied with my purchase and would not hesitate to recommend the camera to others looking for this kind of hybrid camera. I'm going on a trip in June and it'll be the only camera I take.

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Right Tool in The Right Hands, June 16, 2009

By	BoogieNYC "BoogieNYC" (NY, NY) - See all my reviews

I've been waiting for the HD-video-capable replacement for the SX10IS for awhile, and I'm glad I waited. There is a lot of legitimate discussion whether this, the successor to the SX10IS, is a worthwhile replacement, and the answer is contingent on what you want to do with a camera and how experienced you are with photography.

First, this camera has an incredible zoom range. I stood from several blocks away and photographed an entire seven-story building in NYC using the SX1IS's widest zoom setting. From the distance I stood I could barely see that the top three floors featured terraces. I took another photo at maximum zoom and could not only see the terraces but see with reasonable detail that someone with a yellow short-sleeve shirt was having breakfast on their terrace. Needless to say, if you have a need for a fast, high-zoom-capable lens, the SX1IS has it.

In terms of speed, the camera feels very responsive. The lens itself zooms and retracts quickly with little noise (even while shooting video) and I was pleased with the overall responsiveness. The focus settings need to be played with somewhat, but overall the camera feels quick as opposed to sluggish or slow. Also, this (over the SX10IS) is rated at 4fps, which is mighty quick.

Picture quality, overall, is very good. There is definitely fringing on the edges of a shot where the barrel effect of a big, zoomed-out lens appears, but overall I'm happy with the results. There are some issues if you are taking a shot that will wind up on the side of a bus in an ad, but even 8x10 shots will come out wonderfully.

The camera is a bit heavy, but given the lens and the technology stuffed into this thing, I didn't feel like I needed a massage after working with it for a few hours. It's lots heavier than my snapshot go-to camera, the Canon 880IS, but that's like suggesting a Maybach is a lot heavier than a Kawasaki Ninja. Apples and oranges.

Overall, I think this is a good camera. It is a great tool for people who really know what they're doing -- which frankly isn't me. However, I have a general idea of what I want to accomplish and I'm willing -- and going to -- take the time to learn how to get more out of this camera. It's fine as an automatic point and shoot -- a bit complicated, perhaps -- but it will definitely save me the trouble and bother of going the dSLR route. Unless the lens on this camera is damaged, there should be no need to upgrade because the wide angle is great and the zoom is incredible. The lens could be a bit better at high zoom, but I'm satisfied with the results.

The main thing that this camera offers over the SX10IS is the capability to do RAW images and HD Video. The former is for serious users -- I haven't installed my packaged Canon software yet and haven't even explored taking RAW images or how to edit them with Photoshop on the PC -- but the HD video results are pretty amazing. I'm not sure how often I'll use this to do HD video but I can say without a doubt that I'd kick myself in six months' time if I wanted to use it to take some video and had to rely on 480p or 720p instead of full HD video. The quality is stunning and accurate, and with stereo mics the SX10IS does better at video than some fully-dedicated video cameras from several years ago.

A word to the wise: if you are willing to take the time to learn how to use this camera or are very experienced, you will enjoy using this camera. It's a bit pricey but I think it's a great piece of equipment. If however you are looking at this as an improvement on a little snapshot camera like the aforementioned 880IS and all you want to do is take portraits and the like, don't spend the extra money, get a snapshot digicam.

I'd recommend this to people who are either experienced or have a decent knowledge and understanding of photography, and also for people who would like to explore the mechanics of taking a photo beyond just hitting a button. It does produce some great photos, but it can really be frustrating. Bottom line: between the expense, the size of the cam itself and the tweaking necessary, if convenience is first and quality is second on your wishlist, this is not the right camera for you. You should go check out the Canon G10. If quality and the art of photography are the two highest items on your digicam wishlist, buy it and happy shooting.

Four stars and not five because of the lens fringe, the manual pop-up flash and the focus issues I originally experienced before I read through the manual. I'd have given this bad boy an extra star for RAW recording but I also deducted a star because you need to install proprietary Canon 'ware (both an app and a codec) before you can manipulate RAW images in Photoshop or elsewhere.

Overall, one hell of a camera.