We Review The Canon PowerShot SX200 IS

The Canon Powershot SX200 IS heads a category of compact zoom cameras that offer amazing versatility in small form factors. I like to think of it as a Swiss Army knife, able to do almost anything, but convenient enough to keep in your pocket (well, almost…). With the Canon SX200 IS you can take eye-catching snapshots, take wide angle landscapes, zoom in on far away subjects for greater detail, let the camera make all the decisions, or take over in full manual, and yes, even shoot high definition video at 720p with HDMI out to a high definition TV. Throw in a large 3 inch LCD, plentiful scene modes, an intuitive interface, and slick retro styling, and you’ve got a camera that does nearly everything. How does it all add up? Find out in our review of the Canon SX200 IS.

What’s In The Box?

• PowerShot SX200 IS Body
• Lithium-ion Battery Pack
• Battery Charger
• Wrist Strap
• Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM (includes ImageBrowser 6.3 and PhotoStitch 3.2)
• USB Interface Cable
• AV Cable
• Camera User Guide

It’s not included, but you’ll very likely want to get the HDMI cable (Canon HTC-100 Mini-HDMI Cable) for viewing movies and images on a high definition TV.

In Your Hands

Opening the box, I was immediately attracted to the design of the SX200 IS. Our review unit came in what Canon calls “Black”, but is actually more of a dark brown color. Regardless, it’s a handsome finish, and with the chrome accents and substantial lens bezel, it has a decidedly retro feel. The camera body has a mild curve to it, a subtle but effective attempt at a grip. Combined with the matte finish and textured thumb recess on the back the camera, it’s fairly easy to maintain a good handle on the camera body.

As we mentioned, the front of the SX200 IS is dominated by a large lens bezel, in a sort of brushed aluminum finish. Smartly the lens has a built in lens protector, so no need to worry about misplacing a lens cap. With the power turned on the lens extends a fair distance, doubling the depth of the camera. Fully extended the lens is pretty conspicuous, but what else would you expect from a 12x zoom camera? The exact focal range is 5.0-60mm, which is the 35mm equivalent of 28-336mm. At 5mm, the widest aperture available is f/3.4, and at the longest length, the widest you can get is f/8. It takes about 2 seconds to go from 5mm to 60mm, but the zoom lever is able to offer faster or more precise control of the lens determined by how far over the lever is turned one way or the other. In addition to the lens, you’ll find the AF assist beam, and a mysterious pin hole, that turns out to be the microphone (sorry audiophiles, mono only) of the SX200 IS.

On the left side of the camera is a small speaker for video playback. The right side of the SX200 IS houses the ports for the USB and HDMI cables. While the entire right side is capped with chromed plastic, the cover for the cable terminals is hollow feeling and opening it leaves you feeling like you might be breaking it. I’d much prefer a slide and open cover here, but I’ve had no problems with it, despite accessing both terminals quite frequently.

Situated on the top of the camera is the shutter release button which is surrounded by the zoom lever for manipulation of lens length and some other camera functions. The mode dial is left of it and includes the following modes:

• Auto: Canon’s Smart AUTO very effectively makes camera setting decisions for you
• Program
• Tv (Shutter Speed)
• Av (Aperture)
• M (Manual)
• Movie
• Scene: Includes sunset, night scene, fireworks, beach, aquarium, foliage, snow, and ISO 3200
• Indoor
• Kids and Pets
• Night Snapshot
• Landscape
• Portrait
• Easy: Simplifies “Auto” mode and adds instructional help

Next to the mode dial is the on/off button and next to it is probably the most controversial aspect to the SX200 IS design, and that is the flash unit. The problem is the flash pops upwards on power up and that’s the only state the flash will maintain. In other words, you simply have to live with the flash always in the raised position whether you’re using the flash or not. It might be a little surprising the first time you turn on the camera, since turning on the camera will likely be done with your left index finger which is then promptly lifted up by the rising flash unit. In principle it would be nice if the flash could be made to go away, or even better, simply included in the existing perimeter of the camera’s dimensions, ala the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3, but I’ve found in actual use the flash isn’t usually a problem at all, and it actually makes for a nice bed for the left index finger to rest. Still it is awkward to turn on and off the camera, thanks largely to this unusual design decision.

The backside of the camera is dominated by a large 3 inch, 230k resolution LCD display. Some of the competitors offer 460k displays which do provide more detail, but the display on the SX200 IS is quite sharp and offers ample brightness (with 5 levels of adjustability) for both image composition and playback. In very bright sunlight, the LCD can be overwhelmed by glare, but by far the vast majority of the time I had no troubles with this display, even when using extreme viewing angles (camera sharply overhead, etc.).

Right of the LCD is the 4 way control pad used for navigating most camera functions. It is inset with a “Function/Set” button and surrounded by a rotating control dial. Though small, the multi-controller works well as a navigating device, in addition to providing access to exposure compensation, macro/manual focus, flash, and image timer/erase functions. The “Function/Set” button when pressed pulls up the various camera function menus. In shooting mode, the options can include (depending on shooting mode):

• Light Metering: evaluative, center weighted average, and spot.
• My Colors: off, vivid, neutral, sepia, black and white, positive film, lighter skin tone, darker skin tone, vivid blue, vivid red, and custom.
• White Balance: auto, daylight, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent, fluorescent H, and custom.
• ISO Speed: 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
• Flash Output: 3 steps
• Drive Mode: single, continuous, continuous shooting AF.
• Recording Pixels: L (12m 4000×3000), M1 (8m 3264×2448), M2 (5m 2592×1944), M3 (2m 1600×1200), S (0.3m 640×480), W (4000×2248)
• Compression: Fine, Normal

During image playback the following options are available:

• Rotate
• Print List
• Protect
• Filtered Playback
• Slideshow
• My Category: allows you to put image in a category for filtered playback, slideshow, erasing, printing, and protecting.

The surrounding command dial is decidedly unsatisfying to the touch with a simple spinning dial and a texture depth to low for my liking. Still, it makes quick work of scrolling through menus and image playback, but more surface texture would have been preferred.

Above the control pad are the direct print button, and playback button. Below the control pad, a display button for optional information on shooting and playback screens, and the menu button for accessing various camera settings.

Finally on the bottom of the camera, you have the tripod socket and the battery/memory card cover. The SX200 IS accepts the following memory card types:

• SD
• SDHC
• MultiMediaCards
• MMCplus
• HC MMCplus

The battery is a lithium ion (NB-5L) type that Canon claims will take 280 shots or 5 hours of playback time. In heavy use, especially while using movie mode, battery life can deplete rather quickly, so if you are the travelling type, you’ll want to seriously consider an additional battery.

Overall, the SX200 IS is a well built camera, certainly equal to its price. It’s also a well thought out camera, even that awkward flash moves forward enough to be out the way during use. Camera controls are smart and logical, most settings are explained with hints (which can be turned off) and I’d suspect that most users would be able to start shooting with the SX200 IS without referring to the manual. When it comes to design and usability, I have very few complaints.

In Use

Turn the SX200 IS on and you’re ready to shoot pictures almost immediately. The time it takes from pressing the power button, to viewing the first image you’ve taken on the LCD, is under 3 seconds. Press the shutter half-way down and the SX200 IS quickly finds focus, usually in under a second, even in challenging (as in poorly lit) environments. When taking a portrait in “Auto”, the AF of the SX200 IS is adept enough to make a transition to “Face Detect” AF, where it’s equally nimble, picking out faces and locking on focus very quickly. It may not win first prize for performance numbers, but I find it unlikely that anybody will be complaining about the responsiveness of the SX200 IS.

The SX200 IS is quite user friendly. As we mentioned before, most photographers with any sort of experience with compact cameras will likely be able use the SX200 IS immediately and with little input from the thorough manual. The mode dial is in easy reach to change shooting modes, while on the LCD, big friendly icons (with text and descriptions too) let you know of the changes you’re making, no need to even look at the mode dial. You can choose to have a clear view of your composition, or hit the display button to show an overlay of relevant camera settings. Depending on the shooting mode chosen, additional camera settings like white balance, ISO, and metering are accessed by hitting the “Function Button” in the middle of the 4 way controller. The options are clearly indicated with clear, understandable icons, again with text descriptions for added clarity. Additional camera settings can be found with the menu button, where there are two tabs of settings, again all easy to understand.

Using the zoom lever, the lens can expand or retract in small, slower steps, or more quickly, in one smooth process. A full extension can be made in under 2 seconds, with a full retraction taking a similar amount of time. At full speed, the lens motor is fairly quiet, at slower speed, it’s nearly silent.

Shooting pictures is a straight forward affair. The LCD is bright enough in most settings to compose your picture. The excellent AF will throw boxes around areas where the camera has found focus in “Auto” mode, while the manual modes use a center focus point, which means focusing and then recomposing. If your subject is very close to you, the SX200 IS provides 2 additional focusing options, a “Macro” and “Super Macro”. According to Canon, “Macro” is for distances 2-50cm (.79 in – 1.6 ft), while “Super Macro” is for distances 2-50cm (0-.79 in). That’s right, you can focus nearly right on top of your subject, though “Super Macro” does come with the caveat of the lens having to be in its widest position (28mm). It can at times be difficult to acquire the desired focus, but both modes are quite effective for handling macro work.

For moving subjects, a “Servo AF” is provided, which works fine if you can manage to keep your subject inside the focusing box. Smartly, Canon has included a panning option for their image stabilization that helps make clear shots in “Servo AF” a bit easier. Neither the “Servo AF” nor the IS option are readily apparent though, both being relegated to the camera settings menu. There is a “Manual Focus” mode as well, but given how good the AF is, and the lower resolution LCD making critical focus hard to “see”, I rarely used it.

If you’re shooting movies with the SX200 IS, the LCD takes on a letterbox format to help with composition. AF still works by pressing the shutter half-way down, and to record, simply press the shutter all the way down. There is no optical zoom while filming, and while you can digitally zoom, it does result in a loss of movie quality.

Hit the playback button for viewing your images and movies. For images, the display button presents a number of useful viewing options, one simply displaying the image, another with the date and quality, a third with camera settings and histogram, and finally a fourth that allows for viewing the image in a magnified view. Once you have enough pictures, the SX200 IS has a built in slideshow, which when hooked up to a high definition TV via the HDMI out, can make for vivid and beautiful slideshows for the entire family to see.

The Canon SX200 IS has any number of little bells and whistles, but one of the more useful is the “FaceSelf-Timer”. Set the timer and the SX200 IS won’t take the picture until a new face (most likely the photographer) enters the composition. At that point the camera takes 3 pictures, leaving you to select the best one. It works very well, makes a lot of sense, and lets the family photographer be both behind and in front of the camera. Like many newer compacts, the SX200 IS also features blink detection, which notifies the user that the subject may have blinked during capture. Finally, the SX200 IS includes “i-Contrast” which helps detect and adjust subjects captured in dark or high contrast environments. If turned off, it can even be implemented during image playback, in-camera. Since it is effective, I’d recommend leaving it set to “Auto” for best results.

A couple more things. Though it’s unlikely to be used very much, the SX200 IS does offer a continuous shooting mode. Something about “point and shoot” doesn’t quite gel with “continuous shooting” for me, but if set to “Continuous”, the camera will happily capture images at a not so blazing speed of .8 fps. Honestly, that’s not too bad for a compact, and to its credit the SX200 IS can maintain this rate (or close to it) while using flash as well, thanks to better than average refresh times. Finally, as may be clear by the camera’s name, the SX200 IS does have image stabilization, and it’s no slouch either. Good for 2-3 stops of stabilization, if you’re not shooting on a tripod, you’ll want to make sure you have this very effective feature turned on.

All in all, the SX200 IS performs very well. Remarkably easy to use, it has enough hand holding for beginners, but still offers more knowledgeable photographers all the control they’ll likely need. Our only complaints would be that we’d love to have a live histogram, and at the very least, a simulated exposure displayed on the LCD, rather than having to continually press the shutter half-way for a visual indication. Still, the SX200 IS does nearly everything it can to help you capture the moment.

Image Quality

At its highest settings, the SX200 IS takes a 4000×3000 image averaging 3084KB in size. In optimal lighting, the camera takes richly colored and generally crisp images that have a classic “snapshot” look, right out of the camera. By default the colors are pleasing, if saturated, and make for plenty of oohs and ahhs. Auto white balance does a good job of maintaining accurate colors in different lighting conditions, but in the Canon tradition, pictures taken in indoor lighting are usually too warm. Camera metering is generally pretty good, but more experienced photographers will notice that like most compacts, the SX200 IS can struggle with blown highlights. Thankfully the camera includes exposure compensation, but even with it, you still might have difficulty maintaining your highlights.

The SX200 IS has an ISO range of 80 to 1600 (for a full size image anyway), but results begin to deteriorate starting at, and accelerating after, ISO 400. In “Auto” the camera generally keeps ISO at 400 and under, and I’d recommend you try to stay in that realm in manual as well. As you can see in our ISO samples, the SX200 starts to tackle the noise inherent in small image sensor compacts with some aggressive noise reduction, which begins to obliterate finer details even at ISO 400, and even courser details begin to fade at ISO 800. At full size, you won’t want to use ISO 800 or 1600, but either would be usable for screen use or smaller prints. To see for yourself, we’ve provide some ISO samples to examine. In the setup shot, there’s a good deal of texture, and in order to maintain most of the highlights it’s a tad underexposed, but you can see for smaller prints and email use, ISO 1600 is a viable option.

ISO 100 original size

ISO 200 original size

ISO 400 original size

ISO 800 original size

ISO 1600 original size

Even at ISO 100, I’d suspect that pixel-peepers will find some things to be unhappy with. At 100%, the files still can have some noise to them, and in general, have a very subtle “texture” to them. I suspect some of this is noise reduction combined with the inability to absolutely resolve the very fine details inherent in most scenes. We’ve included multiple image samples for you to pour over, and viewed at full size, you’ll see some fuzziness in the various subject textures. Not to make apologies, but most of these complaints are inherent with all compacts. Small sensors, such as that found in the SX200 IS, just don’t have the dynamic range or ability to resolve finer details. That said, in typical use the SX200 IS is more than adept at taking a pretty picture. (Image samples included at the end of this review.)

Lens performance from the 12x zoom is generally good. Results wide open (28mm equivalent) are generally nice and sharp with a normal amount of wide angle distortion. At 336mm (equivalent) the results are softer and fringing or chromatic aberration becomes much more apparent. Depth of field effects are difficult to obtain given that widest aperture at 28mm is f/3.4. Fully extended, this narrows to f/5.3. Naturally this makes lower light situations a bit tougher to shoot, since you’ll likely have to choose between using flash or contending with raised ISO. Still for a 12x zoom, the lens on the SX200 IS is a capable performer with acceptable compromises.

Video Quality

The Canon SX200 IS doesn’t just take pretty photos, but as is the current trend, it also shoots video, specifically:

• 1280×720 @ 30fps
• 640×480 @ 30fps
• 320×240 @30fps

Video is recorded in the h.264 format with mono sound (Linear PCM 16 bit/44.1 KHz). At the 720p setting you can film for up to 30 minutes. Video quality is quite good, given the camera’s size, though there are two obvious drawbacks. First, the mono sound isn’t all that great, and with no microphone input, there’s little that can be done other than accepting it or carrying a separate audio recording device. Second, there is no optical zoom during movie recording. You can access digital zoom, but it degrades image quality. On the plus side, image stabilization is active and effective during filming which helps improve stability somewhat. It’s a glaring omission to not offer stereo in a camera with high definition video (on the one hand high tech, on the other, low tech), but I can look past the lack of optical zoom given the likely noise that would be picked up via the microphone, and at the minimum, the SX200 IS is capable of capturing the moving moment in an attractive fashion. We’ve included a sample below of the high definition video quality. For best viewing, I’d recommend clicking through to Vimeo to see it at full size.

Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Video Sample from neutralday on Vimeo

Verdict

As we said in our introduction, the Canon PowerShot SX200 IS offers photographers of all skill levels a versatile camera, stylish design, and capable performance. The SX200 IS truly can meet multiple needs: macro, wide angle, telephoto, even high definition video. Overall performance may not win blue ribbons in any given category, but the SX200 IS does most things very well, with an approachable interface, enough controls for enthusiasts to be happy with, a competent lens, and yes, it even takes great pictures. There are some negatives, and in a camera that offers a bit of everything, you’d expect some compromises. A higher resolution LCD would be a nice addition, as would the ability to see exposure settings “live” on the LCD. A faster lens would also be nice, to help with depth of field effects (given the aperture priority and manual modes), and stereo sound during movie recording seems like painful omission. Of course we’d always like to see improvements in image quality, but given current sensor sizes, I fear added megapixels have reached the point of diminishing returns, offering very little added resolution, with added noise, and thus more extensive use of noise (and detail) reduction. That said, in typical use the SX200 IS can take very crisp and vivid images, and combined with a do everything lens, it’s been an eager performer in nearly every situation. If you’re in the market for a compact camera that can tackle nearly anything thrown its way and look good while doing it, I highly recommend the Canon PowerShot SX200 IS.
Build Quality: 8/10
Features: 8/10
Functionality: 9/10
Image Quality: 8/10
Overall Value: 9/10

Get the Canon PowerShot SX200 IS at Amazon, B&H Photo

Sample Images

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