canon SX1 IS

[Jack Daw]

Do not know whether this is the right forum for this particular enquiry so apologies in advance - but my enquiry is about a Canon camera. As I do not have the finances to purchase a dslr with decent lens also the added weight of lenses especially when out walking and digiscoping is not producing the results I wanted despite a lot of trying - honest. I was looking at a compromise and came across this article about 'bridge' cameras and it mentioned the new Canon SX1 Is with a 20x zoom - 28 -580mm lens and HD video mode at 1920 1080p res. JPEG only no RAW and built in IS. Would this be suitable as an alternative for wildlife photography?? or is it better to invest in the dslr route.

Many thanks for your help Jack

[QuantumTiger]

Hi Jack

I think this is the right forum in that it is Canon. But I guess no-one has experience of the model you're asking about. Generally SLRs tend to be better than all in ones in terms of image quality and shooting speeds. Not really sure about the SX1 but it is worth comparing shot to shot speed, auto-focus speed and shutter lag figures with the SLRs as these are likely to be the aspects that will annoy you after a while. The lens range looks impressive for an all in one though so it's definately heading into wildlife shooting territory.

[glazzers]

i have just ordered one and should receive it next Friday, so I will let you know on quality or will post some shots in gallery

[Cristian Mihai]

I don't agree with you that a DSRL + lens are necessarily much more expensive. The price for a Canon PowerShot SX1 seems to be around 500 $ (or I'm wrong?). The price for Olympus E-520 + Zuiko Digital 70-300 mm (equivalent 140-600 mm) is around 700 $. I don't have a Canon PowerShot SX1, but I'm pretty sure that the IQ is better with Oly + ZD...

[Jack Daw]

I don't agree with you that a DSRL + lens are necessarily much more expensive. The price for a Canon PowerShot SX1 seems to be around 500 $ (or I'm wrong?). The price for Olympus E-520 + Zuiko Digital 70-300 mm (equivalent 140-600 mm) is around 700 $. I don't have a Canon PowerShot SX1, but I'm pretty sure that the IQ is better with Oly + ZD...

Hi Cristian thanks for your suggestion with the Olympus DSLR had a look on the net and got a price of
£355 / $ 537 for the Olympus body
£205 / $ 310 for the 70 - 300 lens
£560 /$ 848 for the whole set up as opposed to £369/ $ 558 for the Canon. These were the cheapest prices I could find. I agree with you about the IQ on a DSLR will probably be better but apparently this new Canon has got a CMOS sensor like they use in some of the Canon dslr's so image quality is not going to be that poor ; but not on a par with the big boys!!. I was interested for the portability /weight issue when travelling and the ability to grab video as well. Many thanks for your help
Regards Jack.
p.s Thanks to Glazzers and Quantum Tiger for your advice too - will look forward to your pics. Glazzers when you post them.

[canonman77]

i have the sx1 & although i havent tested it to the max, the overall first glances are fantastic. you wont get better quality than a dslr, but I will say you can still get excellent results. Theres a super macro setting for a start & yes It has a cmos sensor & a focal length 28mm-560mm (35mm equivalent), but dont think for one minute that you will get the same quality pictures as a 500mm prime lens on a dslr, because you wont otherwise people wouldnt buy the big lenses. It will still shoot wildlife, landscapes, close-ups as all the compacts, Its just the sx1 will be better quality. I will post a proper workout on a later date, as Im waiting for the weather to pick up before going out to test It...

regards.
sean.

[Cristian Mihai]

Hi Cristian thanks for your suggestion with the Olympus DSLR had a look on the net and got a price of
£355 / $ 537 for the Olympus body
£205 / $ 310 for the 70 - 300 lens
£560 /$ 848 for the whole set up as opposed to £369/ $ 558 for the Canon. These were the cheapest prices I could find. I agree with you about the IQ on a DSLR will probably be better but apparently this new Canon has got a CMOS sensor like they use in some of the Canon dslr's so image quality is not going to be that poor ; but not on a par with the big boys!!. I was interested for the portability /weight issue when travelling and the ability to grab video as well. Many thanks for your help
Regards Jack.
p.s Thanks to Glazzers and Quantum Tiger for your advice too - will look forward to your pics. Glazzers when you post them.

I'm sure that the CMOS sensor for Canon SX1 is great, maybe better that the one use by Olympus E-520, but I think that lens are very important too. Canon SX1 is probably the best superzoom on the market, but IMHO the price is to high for a superzoom camera. And I'm pretty sure that this camera will have the same problems with (auto)focus like all superzooms...
P.S. I have two superzooms: Canon PowerShot S3 IS and Olympus SP 560UZ.

[Jack Daw]

Many thanks Cristian and Canonman 77 for your help lots to think about - I fully appreciate that the quality of super zooms will never match a prime lens image but I cannot ever see myself affording a big 500mm unless my 6 numbers come up on the Saturday Lotto. On the other hand a super zoom is a little more viable - Cheers lads and thanks for your help.

[njlarsen]

I will say that not all superzooms are exactly the same: I have a FZ18 (Panasonic), but before i bought it i did test the Canon S3; I am happy I went with the Pana, even though that also has its problems.

As stated elsewhere, the main reason I went that way and not to dSLR is weight, I should be able to afford the expensive glass but not the person needed to carry it for me ;)

Niels

[RAH]

I have the Canon S5IS superzoom (model that came before the SX1), and also an Olympus E-520 DSLR with a 70-300mm lens one it (140-600 equivalent). While I really like the S5 and still use it, there is no way the image quality compares to the E-520. The DSLR delivers much sharper images.

As far as the sensor, the noise is much lower with the E-520 - 800 ISO is at least as good as 400 on the S5.

I am a long-time superzoom user and don't mean to disparage them. They are great at what they do and very handy because of the small size.

[David Smith]

Jack
As Rah will probably remember-I went throught the same quandry as you and eventually got the Oly 550. I soon moved onto DSLR but have kept the Oly for the reasons you say......mainly as I do a lot of walking and it is so handy.
As a 'for instance' I have just been on holiday (Fourtaventura) and it was so easy to carry the Oly. It allowed me to get the 2 photos attached.
So-a couple of points.

1. No-it's no where near as good as my DSLR
2. It drives me crazy with it's shutter lag etc.
3. I wouldn't have got these photos without it-plus lots of holiday photos.

It's a difficult decision-I wish you the best which-ever way you go. Most of all, enjoy it:t:

[glazzers]

Just got mine. Getting to know it at the moment.
Here is a shot I took on my first day out.

[macshark]

Whether it is CMOS or not, the sensor on the SX1 is much smaller than either an APS-C sensor (as in Canon 1.6x crop bodies) or a four-thirds sensor (as in Oly E 420). Given that the SX1 lens goes to f/5.7 on the far end of the zoom, except for conditions where the subject is brightly lit, you would see a lot more noise (or noise reduction) artifacts on the SX1 compared to a four-thirds or APS-C body. There should also be noticeable difference in the dynamic range. Here is a diagram that shows the size comparison for 1/2.3", four-thirds and APS-C sensors.

Canon could theoretically build a very nice compact superzoom digicam using the fast (better than f/4) 20x zoom lens coupled to slightly larger a 1/1.6" sensor that can achieve very decent image quality. A camera like this would probably be somewhat larger than a SX1 but still significantly smaller than a DSLR with a super tele zoom. However, the cost point may have to be over $1K, which may severely limit its target customer base.

[QuakerVille]

HI Jack. I was reading your question from January about the SX1. In case you haven't already purchased one and are working with it.... I just purchased one and it will be available for a trip next weekend. I'm semi-retiring my Rebel digital of 5 years, 1st generation. I've shot 45,000 pictures with it, mostly wildlife. When the SX3 came out, I got one for my daughter. It was nice. Shot clean pictures, the IS is great. When the SX5 came out I got one for my brother's wife and used it a couple weeks. It was better than the SX3, makes nice pictures. Several months ago I got an SX10 for another family member and was able to shoot a lot of birds with it in Central Florida during "season". The SC10 is a remarkable camera, not for everyone especially if you are used to SLR. I've been shooting with an SLR for over 4 decades so the feel of an SLR is near and dear to my heart but I fell in love with the SX10. When I found out that the SX1 was available I did my research and comparison shopping and looking at all the comments from others that have it.

Having shot using my Rebel 6 megpxl alongside the SX10 with 10 megpxl and comparing the results I expect to be pleased with the shots from the SX1 which is rated equal in picture quality.

Hope this helps if not a little late. I'll post pictures from it soon.

Jon-Mark

[andrew_s]

JPEG only no RAW

Canon have released a firmware update with RAW capture support.
http://web.canon.jp/imaging/dcp/firm-e/pssx1is/index.html

(or you could look at the CHDK (http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK) route for RAW and more)

[Essex Tern]

Now I have had my SX1 a while, I thought it might be useful to post a few pictures I took today to show what the SX1 is capable of in my amateur hands.

Might be of use to anyone considering an SX1, obviously not DSLR quality, but reasonable record shots, which is my main objective.

Malvin.