Canon SX1 Good Reviews

I'm getting excited about the new Canon SX1, as I record video as much as taking pictures, does anyone have this camera yet ?

Reviews:

http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/index.php/taxid ;2136212589;pid;7079;pt;1
http://www.cnet.com.au/digitalcameras/cameras/0,239036184,339292119,00.htm

Amazon-Europe-Germany reviews, a couple of days ago.

SX1…HAS 2.6 AVERAGE STARS FROM 5, with 7 reviews.

0 5 stars
3 4 stars
1 3 stars
0 2 stars
1 1 star

FZ28: 4.5 AVERAGE STARS, with 15 reviews.

10 5 stars
3 4 stars
1 3 stars
1 2 stars
0 1 star

LX3: 4.4 AVERAGE STARS, with 11 reviews.

5 5 stars
5 4 stars
1 3 stars
0 2 stars
0 1 star

But, what does Germans know about optics or precision machines anyway?

SX1…HAS A NEW "2.7" AVERAGE STARS FROM 5, with 9 reviews.
0 5 stars
3 4 stars
33 stars (TWO MORE 3 STARS IN THE LAST DAYS)
0 2 stars
3 1 star

FZ28: 4.5 AVERAGE STARS, with 15 reviews. (Stay the same)
10 5 stars
3 4 stars
1 3 stars
1 2 stars
0 1 star

LX3: 4.4 AVERAGE STARS, with 11 reviews. (Stay the same)
5 5 stars
5 4 stars
1 3 stars
0 2 stars
0 1 star

we're all the same except for our priorities.

... and for the myths that we want or need to keep alive.

Condor said:

But, what does Germans know about optics or precision machines anyway?

Click to expand...

--Nearly as much as the Japs

believe me, i'm no purveyor of myths. i readily acknowledge that the sx1 isn't an optimal solution. yet, the camera's strengths outweigh its shortcomings...FOR ME (and others). it won't for others. and from your other posts, it's clear it isn't for you. as i said...priorities. c'est la vie.

The Canon SX10 has a 4.5 of 5 rating with 77 reviews on Amazon US. I can't imagine that the SX1 isn't very similar in quality with the kicker of HD video. As for the Germans being smarter than we are,.........well, I don't buy that. I think the bad review problem is due to a low sample by a bunch of nit pickers.

However, I confess I have never seen the SX1 but I'd have one if they were in the US.

Jack

Condor said:

... and for the myths that we want or need to keep alive.

Click to expand...

Like the one that because the Germans make precision instruments, 9 members of Josef Public must be better qualified than anyone else to review a camera they only just bought ;-)

If you think that the overall score on Amazon Germany is important, why didn't you also mention that the reviewers who provide the most detailed, in depth reviews each give it 4 stars?

Tospringboy said:

Condor said:

But, what does Germans know about optics or precision machines anyway?

Click to expand...

--Nearly as much as the Japs

Click to expand...

Amazon-Japan

SX1…HAS A 4.0, with 1reviews
0 5 stars
1 4 stars
0 3 stars
0 2 stars
0 1 star

FZ28: 5.0, with 1 review.
1 5 stars
0 4 stars
0 3 stars
0 2 stars
0 1 star

LX3: 5.0, with 2 review.
2 5 stars
0 4 stars
0 3 stars
0 2 stars
0 1 star

As far I understand and believe, these forums should allow thousands of unbiased and normal people looking for improving their digital-cameras knowledge and decisions.

Wii said:

Condor said:

I'm getting excited about the new Canon SX1, as I record video as
much as taking pictures, does anyone have this camera yet ?

Reviews:

http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/index.php/taxid ;2136212589;pid;7079;pt;1
http://www.cnet.com.au/digitalcameras/cameras/0,239036184,339292119,00.htm

Click to expand...

Wii…You are me 3 weeks ago.

I’m going to explain:

I’m a Canonist, since what I have is an S45, G7, SD700IS and S5, and I was really happy with all of them and in my opinion each one was the best option at each moment, particularly in the IQ department, which is the one I care more, but in my normal-family-enthusiast-person case and even tough I have the money, I will not buy DSLR sets, unless my photos would be published at National Geographic or exposed in an Art Gallery, which they won’t, so my Universe is the P&S Universe.

I was totally decided to buy the $700 (estimated US price) SX1 as soon as I could.

A couple of weeks ago, and thanks to Canon that for 3rd, 4th or 5th time slap my face diminishing previous models features (RAW from S45 to S80, High video resolution 1024x768 mode from G7 to G10, Tele-Conversion-adapter option from S5 to SX1, remote capture (not any more at P&S), etc., etc.), or just giving us limited “similar-to-what-they-could-really-give-us” features; G7 high resolution 1024x768 video mode… but just 15fps, SX1 just face auto tracking and not any moving object auto tracking, etc…So, all these slaps finally waked me up, and I realized that I wasn’t just a Canonist (somebody who only owns Canon cameras) but a religious-Canonist, a not open-mind person who needs to defend its religious over all. Nothing is better than Canon; I used to say, before even objectively comparing the alternative that somebody was mentioning, and I had no consciousness of how poor, weak or biased were my arguments.

Let’s use some posts in this same thread to see what I mean.

I. - Springboy said:

Condor said:

Condor said:

But, what does Germans know about optics or precision machines anyway?

Click to expand...

--Nearly as much as the Japs

Click to expand...

Springboy, you didn’t even check Amazon-Japan before answer. I’ve already posted Amazon-Japan ratings (SX1=4, FZ28=5 and LX3=5). Yes, SX1 have a GOOD 4… but the point is that FZ28 and LX3 HAVE ONLY 5s.

II. - Stephenbw said:

Condor said:

Condor said:

... and for the myths that we want or need to keep alive.

Click to expand...

Like the one that because the Germans make precision instruments, 9
members of Josef Public must be better qualified than anyone else to
review a camera they only just bought ;-)

If you think that the overall score on Amazon Germany is important,
why didn't you also mention that the reviewers who provide the most
detailed, in depth reviews each give it 4 stars?

Click to expand...

But the point is not the SOLID TWO 4s that SX1 has. The point is that SX1 HAS NO 5s AT ALL and that FZ28 HAVE TEN 5s in 15 reviews and LX3 HAVE FIVE 5s in 11 reviews.

III. - Setter Dog said:

Condor said:

The Canon SX10 has a 4.5 of 5 rating with 77 reviews on Amazon US. I
can't imagine that the SX1 isn't very similar in quality with the
kicker of HD video. As for the Germans being smarter than we
are,.........well, I don't buy that. I think the bad review problem
is due to a low sample by a bunch of nit pickers.

However, I confess I have never seen the SX1 but I'd have one if they
were in the US.

Jack

Click to expand...

Well, let’s check Amazon-US as today:

SX10: 4.41 with 79 reviews.
51 5 stars (64.6%)
18 4 stars
4 3 stars
3 2 stars
3 1 star (3.8%)

FZ28: 4.79 with 108 reviews.
90 5 stars (83.3%)
15 3 4 stars
1 3 stars
2 2 stars
0 1 star (0%)

LX3: 4.58 with 31 reviews.
21 5 stars (67.7%)
8 4 stars
1 3 stars
1 2 stars
0 1 star (0%)

So, again “Setter Dog”, you didn’t even check all 3 Amazon-US rankings before answering. And the point is that GERMAN ARE NOT SMARTER THAN WE, since they have the same average opinion about these 3 cameras…FZ28 IS BETTER THAN SX10, AND ALSO IS LX3

Even tough, you finished with.

Condor said:

However, I confess I have never seen the SX1 but I'd have one if they
were in the US.

Click to expand...

Isn’t that more a religious statement than an objective digital-camera-related one?

In summary, all objective real-owners sites conclude that FZ28 and LX3 are better than SX1 or SX10. But SX1 will cost the same as the other 2 better cameras together, almost $700, LX3 costs $400 and FZ28 costs $260 at Adorama. And if we compare just the 2 super zoom cameras, FZ28, the better one, costs almost 1/3 than SX1.

In cases like this is when I remember the finger-prostatic-checking recommendation… If the proctologist is behind you making the finger-prostatic-checking and then you realized that he have both hands in your shoulders…BEWARE.

But, as I said, I was there 3 weeks ago. Now, in my new BEWARED, WAKED-UP OPENED-MIND status I started collecting objective information and the first one were my real preferences and needs. If you want to know my personal analysis, read the next post, otherwise, just skip it.

I’m a normal family person with a birding-photography hobby for identification purposes. So, what I really do is CAPTURE MOMENTS AND IMAGES in photos and videos; of my family, friends, kids, birthdays, events, barbecues, weekend trips, travel, etc. …and birds.

From our family database of 40,000 videos and photos taken by my wife and I in the past 6 years (20,000 of them in our last year 31 days Europe tour…yes we like photography a lot), we concluded that.

• 95% were photos and 5% videos (which is a lot of videos compared to an average person, check your own real databases)
• 85% of our photos and videos were non-high-zoom photos (family, friends, groups, events, landscapes, buildings, cathedrals, streets, parks, rivers, crowds, city-icons, etc.); below 80mm.
• 1/3 of the remaining 15% high-zoom kind were objectively unnecessary or irrelevant, maybe just taken because I wanted to use or play with the high-zoom.
• 20% (estimation) of the potential non-zoom images or moments were NEVER OR POORLY TAKEN due to our limited wide-angles cameras, or due to our slow apertures, or our low max-high useful ISO.
• 40% (estimation) of my high-zoom flying-birds photos were also NEVER OR POORLY TAKEN due to the fact that I couldn’t focus them on time (couldn’t tracking them in focus).
• We watch and enjoy our photos a lot; alone, together, with our family and friends, but watching them in our 2 LCD TV sets (720p both of them), in our Desktop, Notebook or Netbook (none of them set with a higher resolution than 1280x800) or sending or posting them through Internet.
• We almost do not print photos any more, and from the few exceptions (less than 0.5%), the majority are little format and the biggest are letter size photos.

So, if I wanted to replace my SD700IS, G7 and S5, in a rational way I had to satisfy these conditions in this order:

Primary:

1. - Spending more in the camera for the majority of the photos and videos I will take, the non-high-zoom 85% group, and less in the high-zoom 15% ones.

2. - Being able to capture the most MOMENTS AND IMAGES possible, which means diminish NEVER OR POORLY TAKEN ones, in the non-high-zoom and in the high-zoom segments.

3. - Capturing the majority of them with the higher IQ possible (more beautiful and amazing photos).

Secondary:
4. - Getting a smaller volume solution than the one we already have
5. - Getting a lighter solution than the one we already have.
6. - Getting a more stylish solution than the one we already have.

Following my rational priorities (and this analysis is for US only when we talk about prices):

1. - I couldn’t spend $700 (SX1) in the less-used, high-zoom and lower-IQ solution and just almost $400 in the more-used, non-high-zoom and higher-IQ solution (G10 or LX3).

2. - Comparing G10 and LX3, objectively I would be able to get less NEVER OR POORLY TAKEN photos with the LX3 due its wider-angle and best high-ISO response, than with the bigger, heavier and definitely non trousers-pocket G10. What about 60-80mm range? Since we just watch photos and videos in almost 720p max resolution devices and we had never printed bigger than letter size photos, we can crop, or even better, we can IN-CAMERA-TRIM any LX3 photo to obtain 108mm equivalents (3Mp photos) in those minority cases we need them.

With LX3 I will obtain 720p HD videos (1280x720), with G10 just 640x480.

In the high-zoom segment, I will obtain also less NEVER OR POORLY TAKEN photos of flying-birds or any moving-object with the FZ28 auto tracking feature than with SX1. I can also add a Teleconverter using the appropriate DMW-LA3 Converter Adapter. Some guys are already destroying their SX1 lenses systems wrongly using home made adapters.

3. - Making LX3 my main camera, and not SX1, I will get better IQ images 85% of the time (non-high-zoom ones), and getting the $260 FZ28 and not the $700 SX1 as the second one, I’ll get maybe not better IQ ones in the rest 15% of high-zoom ones, but definitely more possible ones and by consequence more keepers, since I’m going to have a faster zoom, faster aperture (4.4 vs 5.7), auto tracking, smarter, smaller, lighter and more stylish super-zoom camera.

With LX3 + FZ28 I’m going to fully accomplish my 3 Secondary Priorities. I will also carry only LX3 265g in my hands 85% of the time and FZ28 417g the other 15%, but not SX1 615g all the time.

Condor,

your analysis made my head spin, although I enjoyed it.Thanks for sharing it with us. Your camera choices made sense to me with one exception. Your primary LX3 has no viewfinder. For that reason, some of us would never consider it. It would just not be effective for my uses,....though it obviously works great for you.

My choices, for the photography that I do, are a Canon 710 for the hunting field, and a Canon SX10 for kids sports and events, Christmas etc.

I guess that's why there are a lot of choices out there. Theres a workable combo for all of us.

Jack

Jack,

Thanks. I just wanted to share my conclusions with people with similar realities.

About the viewfinder, even tough I wear reading-glasses; I have never used it in any of my digital cameras, neither my wife, probably because we never used a DSLR before, so I did not acquire that custom.

Ed

Price issue. For those people who don't come here to understand the camera, they may think SX1 (with CMOS sensor) will be better than SX10. When they find out that the major good thing is HD video, and there is problem of only 1s shutter speed (unless you use scene mode), no RAW (at this stage) then it is reasonable for such person to give it a low score (they can't justify it on price vs value).

SX10 also has some of the issues above but it is much cheaper.

Setter Dog said:

The Canon SX10 has a 4.5 of 5 rating with 77 reviews on Amazon US. I
can't imagine that the SX1 isn't very similar in quality with the
kicker of HD video. As for the Germans being smarter than we
are,.........well, I don't buy that. I think the bad review problem
is due to a low sample by a bunch of nit pickers.

However, I confess I have never seen the SX1 but I'd have one if they
were in the US.

Jack

Click to expand...

Condor said:

But the point is not the SOLID TWO 4s that SX1 has. The point is
that SX1 HAS NO 5s AT ALL and that FZ28 HAVE TEN 5s in 15 reviews and
LX3 HAVE FIVE 5s in 11 reviews.

Click to expand...

This could of course mean that the Panasonic owners are more easily pleased than the more exacting Canon owners.

Maybe we should wait until more owners have posted reviews of the SX1 before jumping to conclusions, as the Pannys have had 17 weeks worth of reviews and the SX1 only 2 weeks.

Condor said:

About the viewfinder, even tough I wear reading-glasses; I have never used it in any > of my digital cameras, neither my wife, probably because we never used a DSLR > before, so I did not acquire that custom.

Click to expand...

I was accustomed to using a viewfinder on my old SLR cameras but gradually found it more difficult as my eyesight deteriorated with age.

Now that I wear reading glasses constantly I find a viewfinder almost impossible to use, and having to hold a camera at arms length to use a standard LCD feels awkward and clumsy, which is why, since I bought an A620 a few years ago I have been a Canon devotee; they are the only cameras with a fully articulating LCD.

Even if a competitors camera has a higher IQ or a faster lens, it is of little use to me if I can't even frame the shot in the first place.

Rockchan said:

Price issue. For those people who don't come here to understand the
camera, they may think SX1 (with CMOS sensor) will be better than
SX10. When they find out that the major good thing is HD video, and
there is problem of only 1s shutter speed (unless you use scene
mode), no RAW (at this stage) then it is reasonable for such person
to give it a low score (they can't justify it on price vs value).

SX10 also has some of the issues above but it is much cheaper.

Click to expand...

Which is why I have yet to decide between the HD video, 4.2 FPS continuous shooting, and 2.8" LCD of SX1, and the slower shutter speed advantage, but a slower burst speed (1.4fps) than my S5 of the SX10 for £100 less.

Stephenbw said:

Condor said:

But the point is not the SOLID TWO 4s that SX1 has. The point is
that SX1 HAS NO 5s AT ALL and that FZ28 HAVE TEN 5s in 15 reviews and
LX3 HAVE FIVE 5s in 11 reviews.

Click to expand...

This could of course mean that the Panasonic owners are more easily
pleased than the more exacting Canon owners.

Click to expand...

Are you really conscious of what you already said? In fact you are, since you were pretty honest to in the same post say… “I have been a Canon devotee”, which should be the same to what I was, a “religious-Canonist” which I defined in this same thread as…

"…a religious-Canonist, a not open-mind person who needs to defend its religious over all. Nothing is better than Canon; I used to say, before even objectively comparing the alternative that somebody was mentioning, and I HAD NO CONSCIOUSNESS OF HOW POOR, WEAK OR BIASED WERE MY ARGUMENTS."

I don't get it .. I have an all in one camera that boasts VERY fine quality stills, VERY fine quality (FHD) video, with great stereo sound ... 20x zoom, but also 28mm wide lens.. excellent IS, I have a place to put an external flash to make the camera work excellently indoors... a.s.o....

Which Panasonic can compete with that ? there are NO Panasonic that I'm aware of that CAN, are there ? if I wanted slightly better IQ I would have paid my SX1 money for an SLR... D450 f.i? that would -crush- any pana compact.. But then I would need a bag'o extras to carry when I went "shooting"... (and that I want to avoid) LX3 or the 28 would not remotely meet my needs, and they should not be compared to the sx1 at all..

The SX1 is the best "middle ground" we have as of 30.12.08

i.m.h.o.

Norwegian Canon Powershot SX1 user

Pstraums said:

I don't get it .. I have an all in one camera that boasts VERY fine
quality stills, VERY fine quality (FHD) video, with great stereo
sound ... 20x zoom, but also 28mm wide lens.. excellent IS, I have a
place to put an external flash to make the camera work excellently
indoors... a.s.o....

Which Panasonic can compete with that ? there are NO Panasonic that
I'm aware of that CAN, are there ? if I wanted slightly better IQ I
would have paid my SX1 money for an SLR... D450 f.i? that would
-crush- any pana compact.. But then I would need a bag'o extras to
carry when I went "shooting"... (and that I want to avoid) LX3 or
the 28 would not remotely meet my needs, and they should not be
compared to the sx1 at all..

The SX1 is the best "middle ground" we have as of 30.12.08

i.m.h.o.

Norwegian Canon Powershot SX1 user

Click to expand...

So, where do we start?

Pstraums said:

I don't get it ..

Click to expand...

No comment…

Pstraums said:

I have an all in one camera that boasts VERY fine quality stills,

Click to expand...

Yes, but LX3 gives by far better IQ.

Pstraums said:

VERY fine quality (FHD) video, with great stereo sound

Click to expand...

I totally agree. The best that a present P&S has. Now check all your past photos and videos and honestly tell us how many photos have you taken in relationship with the videos.

Pstraums said:

... 20x zoom, but also 28mm wide lens

Click to expand...

Which in this case means 560mm (5.7 aperture)
FZ28 starts with 27mm and ends in 486mm (with a faster 4.4 aperture)

But, what’s the real difference between the SX1 or SX10 560mm and the FZ28 486mm? Camerlabs(dot)com already answered that with a real same photo comparison between SX10 and FZ28. Conclusion:

“Above are examples taken with each camera fully zoomed-into their maximum focal lengths. The 560mm equivalent of the Canon SX10 IS is clearly capturing a tighter field of view than the 486mm of the Panasonic FZ28, BUT IN PRACTICE IT MAY NOT LOOK AS MUCH AS THE 74MM DIFFERENCE IMPLIES WHEN WRITTEN DOWN.”

“So while the SX10 IS beats the Panasonic in terms of overall coverage, the examples above illustrate there’s not a great deal in it – CERTAINLY WE WOULDN’T CHOOSE THE SX10 IS OVER THE FZ28 BASED ON RANGE ALONE.”

“If the extra reach of the Canon sounds tempting, but you prefer the Panasonic, then you may be interested in the optional DMW-LT55 lens converter which multiplies the range by 1.7 times to deliver a maximum equivalent focal length of 826mm. Alternatively the optional DMW-LC55 improves the camera’s close-up capabilities”

SX1 has no Teleconverter or Wideconverter option.

Pstraums said:

.. excellent IS,

Click to expand...

LX3 and FZ28 have excellent MEGA O.I.S.

Pstraums said:

I have a place to put an external flash to make the camera work excellently
indoors... a.s.o....

Click to expand...

LX3 too. I suppose you do not use super-zoom indoors.

Pstraums said:

Which Panasonic can compete with that ? there are NO Panasonic that
I'm aware of that CAN, are there ?

Click to expand...

Well, LX3 and FZ28 do not only compete but they win.

Pstraums said:

if I wanted slightly better IQ I would have paid my SX1 money for an SLR... D450

f.i? that would -crush- any pana compact.. But then I would need a bag'o extras to
carry when I went "shooting"... (and that I want to avoid)

Click to expand...

At least in US, for the estimated $700 of the SX1 you can get Panasonic micro 4/3 G1

Pstraums said:

LX3 or the 28 would not remotely meet my needs,

Click to expand...

Definitely not. They beat them.

Pstraums said:

and they should not be compared to the sx1 at all.

Click to expand...

You are scaring me. Is this some sort of religious statement.

Pstraums said:

The SX1 is the best "middle ground" we have as of 30.12.08
i.m.h.o.

Click to expand...

What a humble opinion.

Pstraums said:

Norwegian Canon Powershot SX1 user

Click to expand...

So, you mean that the proctologist already have both hands in your shoulder.