Canon PowerShot SX100 IS user reviews
Should I buy it?
Ask your Facebook friends and Twitter followers if you should buy the Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
iPhone App 
Newsletters 
RSS Feeds 
Send Us Tips
User reviews4
The Digiman 21 October 2008
Good: Overall picture quality is very good indeed
Bad: Flash recycling time overly long
Comment: Picture quality for me must be the over-riding factor when buying a camera. Handling issues can be irritating, but are usually adaptable.
This Canon's pictures are, in the main, spot on. Excellent sharpness, lovely colour rendition and decent exposures. Other aspects, such as noise and noise suppression appear to have been compromised somewhere near the centre of each - that is to say that at 400 ISO for example, images are noisy, but they do contain much more detail than the Panasonic TZ3/5, one of the main rivals.
In quite low light, shadowy interiors at a recent Dr. Who exhibition, I shot dozens of pictures, all at either 200 or 400 ISO, with handheld shutter speeds as low as 1/8th of a second, and my success rate was very high at some 85% - not a mean feat. Proof indeed that the optical stabiliser works a real treat. The images were sharp and surprisingly detailed, whilst the colour rendition was quite accurate and richly saturated.
My chief gripes are the lower than average LCD resolution, poor flash recycling times and lack of a 28mm wide angle. But you can't have everything, I suppose.
The only other trait is the textured skies - whether they be bright blue or dark grey - even at base ISO. Pity that, but it's not unique to Canon, and isn't that noticable.
Otherwise, a splendid camera at a reasonable price - now that it's discontinued in favour of the SX110 IS. Grab yourself a little gem.
Quan Pham 31 August 2008
Good: Compact, good image quality, price
Bad: Poor at 10x zoom mode, LCD has nothing but 3 inches size
Comment: If you wanna take a shot outdoor, you definitely get a very suitable camera with good image quality and considerably low price. But you should be desperate with image quality when you take a shot indoor or in poor light condition, it really makes me down! They said that it has image stabilizer, but in 10x zoom mode, you can sense that such a thing doesn't exist!!! Image quality in 10x zoom dramatically decreases, unbelievable bad!!! It's just like you have to take a shot sitting on a wash machine and under heavy mist!!!
NP 21 November 2007
Good: Excellent digital zoom and micro focus; great color outdoors
Bad: Outrageously long flash recharge time
Comment: This is a great camera for natural good light photography. The problems start in poor light or indoors. Despite all the manual settings and the ability to force a low ASA, pictures without the flash in poor light or indoors are very grainy. It takes the camera about 1.5 seconds to take focus and take a picture with the flash on and about 10-12 to recharge afterwards. This means it is pretty useless for anything other than posed shots. It just takes too long to recharge for anything else.
samshot 3 November 2007
Good: great macro
Bad: short battery life
Comment: I first saw this camera in October in the USA.
I have been searching for a compact camera with a good Macro ability, able to focus down on small electronic components to produce photos for an on-line technical publication. I did not want a DSLR with expensive close up lens.
The SX100 will focus down to 1cm and seems to be able to go even closer. Whilst I'm sure there are other cameras with similar macro facilities, I haven't found a worthwhile competitor yet.
None of the reviews I've read even bothers to mention this much neglected but well implemented feature.
In general use, the camera performs well and the anti-shake works well. It's nice to have a x10 optical zoom that works so well.
Based on a few hundred shots, so far, battery life could be better.
A nice camera, Canon.