Sample shots
Click for full-size images
ISO 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 from left to right. Noise begins to creep in at ISO 400
Another nice example of the detail this PowerShot can produce
Macro shooting wasn’t that easy to perform and the SX110 took a while to focus on a close-up object. Low-light shooting was helped by the night snapshot function, but the higher ISO settings - 800 and above - produce too much noise to be useful in this situation.
The slow shutter speed settings offer an alternative solution but you’ll need a tripod – the image stabilisation system is no good for them.
The two AA alkaline batteries held up better than we expected and despite getting a low battery warning light after taking around 70 shots, we took more than a hundred (with and without flash) and still had some power to spare.
Verdict
We liked the Canon's long zoom, and picture quality is very good. But there are a few operational quirks, and unless you need a camera with a very long zoom and don’t want to go down the DSLR route, it’s hard to see who else the PowerShot SX110 IS will appeal to.
Canon PowerShot SX110 IS
COMMENTS
I like the longer zoom
Two of my sprog have different models of their powershots that have the 4X optical zoom and my only real complaint has been that it's only 4 instead of 10X. That's a good thing to add, though I agree that their chintzy little sd card is a waste. Why not at least 2gb? they aren't that expensive now and there's no reason to look cheap (as opposed to inexpensive).
Paris, 'cos I would take tele piccys of her for sure
Re: Digital Cameras Should be *Digital*
No, it's not artificial, and is a feature of the sensor.
High ISO capability is achieved by amplification of the analogue output from the sensor. All sensors have a certain amount of inherent "noise", and when in low light conditions the output of the sensor has to be amplified in order to render an image signal worth processing, that noise is amplified too, and in extreme cases may exceed the image signal.
As sensor technology improves (in terms of photosite area and efficiency), the inherent signal to noise ratio improves, allowing more amplification to be possible before the output image excessively degrades - which in turn equates to higher and higher ISO capability of the cameras involved.
Of course, now high ISO has become almost as much of a marketing gimmick as megapixels, camera manufacturers are now cranking up the maximum ISO (i.e. sensor amplification) without actually improving the underlying sensor efficiency. Anyone can claim their camera has ISO of a million, but it doesn't mean the images won't be total mush.
Great Camera
This camera is great! Very easy to use and with lots of features. The best price I found was on ikit.net's website, they have the hole range of Sanyo camcorders: http://www.ikit.net/canon-powershot-sx110-is-black-p-3260.html
@J
I agree with your comments about the viewfinder, my other reason for wanting one is that in certain light conditions the screens are very difficult to use accurately.
I will stick with my Pana FZ-18 for these reasons, oh and the 28-500 Leica zoom is nice :)
