Create Full HD movies with your camera
If you long for the convenience of an advanced still camera that also creates superb movies, the new PowerShot SX1 IS was developed with you in mind. Movies shot in Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) capture your memories with clarity, realism and brilliance. The PowerShot SX1 IS also makes it easy to enjoy HD movies and photos on your HDTV with a mini-HDMI cable for direct connection to a high-definition monitor. This allows you to enjoy the full quality of HD with no degradation of image or audio in the signal, but also improves playback functionality, letting you view up to 130 still images at once.
The first PowerShot to feature a 10.0-megapixel Canon CMOS sensor
Canon’s proprietary CMOS sensors were formerly reserved for its storied EOS line. The PowerShot SX1 IS is the first PowerShot that gives you access to the astonishing imaging power of this technology. Unlike the CCD sensors on most digital cameras, CMOS sensors convert and amplify signals before they are transferred to the image processor. This enables the CMOS sensor to produce exceptionally clean image data, free of the stray signals that can mar images. The resulting images show a notable brilliance and clarity.
Wide-angle 20x optical zoom lens with Optical Image Stabilizer
The PowerShot SX1 IS features Canon’s precision 28mm wide-angle lens that allows you to shoot any scene from wide-angle to telephoto. It lets you capture more in every frame, so everyone fits in a family gathering shot. When it’s time to take a closer look, a 20x optical zoom (35mm film equivalent 28-560mm) greatly minimizes camera shake and maximizes the brilliance of every detail. The camera uses a USM (Ultrasonic Motor) for high-speed, quiet, energy-efficient lens movement with precise control. Focal length is conveniently indicated on the lens barrel.
The SX1 IS is equipped with Canon’s acclaimed Optical Image Stabilizer Technology that automatically detects and corrects camera shake--one of the leading causes of fuzzy or blurred shots. Even when zoomed in, you can get steady, crisp, brilliant images you’ll be proud to shoot and share. And Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer Technology is convenient to use. It functions perfectly with or without a flash.
2.8-inch Vari-angle LCD widescreen plus viewfinder
The camera’s 2.8-inch LCD widescreen gives you the big picture, whether you’re shooting, reviewing or showing off your images. This high-resolution screen offers a crisp, clear picture to make shooting, playback and using the camera’s menu functions especially convenient. Clear and bright, it also features Night Display for easy viewing in low light. It also has an electronic viewfinder that provides sharp images when you shoot close-up with the Super Macro shooting mode.
Full range of shooting and recording modes including RAW + JPEG
The PowerShot SX1 IS’s RAW mode lets you shoot images without JPEG compression. It gives you clearer images and complete creative control in editing. RAW images are transferred directly to the computer where they can then be edited using image adjustment software or a processing application to adjust your images as you please. The camera can also be set to allow the simultaneous recording of both RAW and JPEG images while shooting.
A World of Advantages with Canon’s Technology
Canon's DIGIC 4 image processor has evolved Face Detection Technology that tracks the faces of moving subjects and lets the shooter enter the frame seamlessly with the Face Detection Self-Timer.
DIGIC 4 image processor Canon’s most advanced image processor, DIGIC 4, delivers evolved Face Detection Technology that keeps every face in every photo looking its very best. The technology finds and tracks the faces of moving subjects until you’re ready to shoot, then delivers perfect focus. In addition, exposure, flash and white balance are compensated, so that faces exhibit natural skin tones and backgrounds are properly exposed.
iSAPS Technology is an entirely original scene-recognition technology developed for digital cameras by Canon. Using an internal database of thousands of different photos, iSAPS works with the advanced DIGIC 4 Image Processor to improve focus speed and accuracy, as well as exposure and white balance.
A Face Detection Self-Timer automatically detects an increase in the number of faces and makes the appropriate adjustments. For instance, to include the photographer’s face in a group shot, there’s no need to rush in. Just put the camera on a stand or tripod, specify Face Detection Self-Timer, and the camera will wait for the photographer’s face to get on-camera before it takes the shot. Motion Detection tracks moving subjects in a much larger range, and the Servo AF retains focus on a moving subject after the shutter button is pressed halfway--allowing you to wait for the perfect shot without refocusing.
Intelligent Contrast Correction
DIGIC 4 also makes possible the i-Contrast (Intelligent Contrast Correction) system, which controls the compensation level in pixel units to brighten dark areas while leaving bright areas unchanged for better images for more natural transitions when the main subject is dark. The PowerShot SX1 IS can even use i-Contrast in playback mode to adjust images that were shot without the setting activated.
Red-eye Correction provides three options for removing red-eye from subjects in flash pictures:
1) Red-eye Correction during shooting actually identifies and corrects red-eye in human subjects as pictures are taken.
2) The PowerShot SX1 IS can be set to automatically detect and correct red-eye during image playback.
3) You can manually locate any red eyes in a scene during image playback on the LCD screen, and command the camera to remove them.
Life doesn’t give you second chances to capture special times. That’s why the PowerShot SX1 IS features ISO 1600 and High ISO Auto settings that reduce the effects of camera shake and sharpen subjects in low-light situations, giving you greater shooting flexibility. ISO can be expanded to 3200 when you select the ISO 3200 Special Scene mode.
25 Shooting Modes including 12 Special Scene Modes
When you’re taking pictures, the only thing you want to think about is your subject. With the PowerShot SX1 IS, you can count on exact focus no matter where your subject is in the frame. You’ve got Shooting Modes including Special Scene Modes that give you breathtaking, exhilarating pictures even when shooting conditions are tough.
The Complete Print Solution
Print/Share Button for easy direct printing and downloading, plus ID Photo Print and Movie Print with select PIXMA Inkjet Photo Printers and SELPHY Compact Photo Printers.
The PowerShot SX1 IS’s Print/Share button makes direct printing easier than ever. Simply connect the PowerShot SX1 IS to a Canon PIXMA Inkjet Photo Printer or SELPHY Compact Photo Printer or any PictBridge compatible photo printer, press the lighted Print/Share button and print! Also use the Print/Share button to transfer images to a computer (Windows® and Macintosh®).
Print your own ID photos in up to 28 different sizes or use the Movie Print function to output multiple stills from a recorded movie on a single sheet with a Canon SELPHY Compact Photo Printer.
What's in the Box
PowerShot SX1 IS body
AA-size alkaline battery (x4)
Neck strap (NS-DC7)
Wireless controller (WC-DC300)
Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM
USB interface cable (IFC-400PCU)
Stereo video cable (STV-250N)
Lens hood (LH-DC50)
Lens cap
Product Description
Put your hand around the perfectly shaped grip of Canon's sporty new PowerShot SX1 IS and you're ready for a shooting experience that's advanced in every way. The 10.0-megapixel SX1 IS is the very first PowerShot equipped with a CMOS sensor, a hallmark of Canon's lauded EOS line. Unlike the CCD sensors on most digital cameras, CMOS sensors convert and amplify signals before they are transferred to the image processor. This enables the CMOS sensor to produce exceptionally clean image data, free of the stray signals that can mar images. You can also create Full HD movies and see every detail on your HDTV thanks to HDMI output for easy playback of video (1920 x 1080 pixels) at 30fps. Plus, you've got an advanced DIGIC 4 Image Processor with evolved Face Detection Technology and the Face Detection Self-timer for extraordinary control and performance. This technology finds and tracks the faces of moving subjects until you're ready to shoot, then delivers perfect focus. In addition, exposure, flash and white balance are compensated, so that faces exhibit natural skin tones and backgrounds are properly exposed. Zoom - 20x Optical, 4x Digital LCD Monitor - Swivel 2.8-inch TFT color LCD widescreen with wide viewing angle, Approx. 230,000 pixels ISO Sensitivity - Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 equivalent Continuous Shooting - Normal - approx. 4.0 fps; AF - approx. 1.1 fps; LV - approx. 1.2 fps Compression Mode - Still Image - Exif 2.2 (JPEG), RAW; Movie - MOV (H.264) Storage Media - SD/SDHC Memory Card, Multimedia Card, MMC Plus Card, HC MMC Plus Card Number of Recording Pixels - Still Image - up to 3648 x 2736 (Large); Movie - High Definition - up to 1920 x 1080 (30 fps) Video Output - NTSC/PAL Dimensions - 5.02 (W) x 3.48 (H) x 3.45 (D) Weight - 20.6 ounces (camera body)
Title: Canon PowerShot SX1IS 10 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.8-inch LCD
UPC: 013803101218
First PowerShot to feature a 10.0-megapixel Canon CMOS sensor
Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels at 30 fps) movie mode plus HDMI output
28mm wide-angle 20x optical zoom lens with Optical Image Stabilizer
2.8-inch Vari-angle LCD widescreen; DIGIC 4 Image Processor with Face Detection Technology
Compatible with SD/SDHC, MMC/MMC Plus/HC MMC Plus (not included)
Worthy upgrade from a S3IS [Mark P. Deroller]
3 years ago I purchased a Canon S3IS. It was the first camera I found that could shoot both quality digital photos and 30fps VGA quality video. I loved that camera. I have 3 years of family memories captured thanks to it. A month ago I sold my S3IS and purchased the SX1IS. What does it have over the S3IS? 10MP versus 6MP. DIGIC-4 image processing versus DIGIC-2. 20x optical zoom versus 12x. Full HD 30fps video versus VGA. The LCD display is 16:9 and higher resolution. It has a hot shoe to attach an external flash.
My old 4GB SD card I used in the S3IS works in the SX1IS, but is woefully inadequate. So I purchased a Transcend 16GB SDHC card. I recommend a 8GB card or larger. Why? Of course 10MP digital photos are going to be large if you choose the highest quality compression, or raw. The real pig is HD video. Full HD video is about 4x larger in file size than VGA video. If I shoot 3 minutes of Full HD I'm looking at a 1.5 GB file! I realized that if I archived all my HD videos in this format I would quickly fill my hard drive. By the way, the SX1IS lets you shoot video in both formats, in case you don't want to always shoot HD.
So what I do with the HD videos is convert them to MP4 using a neat tool called Handbrake on Windows: http://handbrake.fr/ I choose the PS3 format, adjust the video bit rate to 8000, and select 2nd pass encoding. It takes about 5 minutes to process a 3 minute video, running on a Core 2 Duo 2.4GHZ laptop with 4GB ram. The mp4 file size is about one quarter that of the original quicktime, with little or no noticable loss in quality. Handbrake lets me queue up videos to be processed so I can take a day of shooting, queue it up, and within an hour have them converted to MP4 and ready to enjoy or archive.
I took it to my daughter's dance recital, where the parents were told they couldn't approach the stage to film there child. I assume this was to make us purchase the $30 DVD of the show. This wasn't a problem for me. I was able to hold the camera up, angle the LCD display down so I could see what I was shooting, and zoom in on my daughter, in full HD. Awesome! The built-in stereo microphones also work very well.
Just a couple negatives. The camera is bigger than the S3IS, especially the lens. It's also heavier than the S3IS.
I recommend this camera to anyone looking for a digital camera/video camera that does both quite well. I look forward to capturing family memories with SX1IS.
Great Upgrade from a Canon S3 IS! Zoom, Zoom, Zoom! [Xenos]
I have loved my Canon S3 IS for the past few years and my wife will continue to enjoy it for years to come. The new Canon SX1 IS continues the tradition of taking an extended zoom high end point and shoot to a new level. Its best points so far are: 1) Great picture quality from the CMOS sensor. 2) Converting from Cinema 16:9 size to standard size 4:3 from a separate button 3) Standard AA batteries - Get rechargeables as this camera seems to chew through batteries 4) The large swivel LCD monitor allows you to shoot holding the camera over your head or putting the camera close to or even on the ground. To get a stable camera position, I like to use the LCD monitor facing upwards with the camera body held against my body. Great feature! 5) The full HD videos are impressive and can be used on a Mac Mini Core2 Duo 2.0 GHz computer with 2 GB Memory 6) And finally, the zoom! On my S3, the digital zoom gave noticeable deterioration after the 12X optical was surpassed. I took my first SX1 pictures with the digital zoom disabled. Turn it on and test it out! I took a series of pictures in 16:9 at 1X, 20X, 40X and 80X, with a distant house and a couple of geese as targets. Surprisingly good photos at 80X even hand held! This camera is a small telescope! That goes for the full HD video too. I took some rowing competition video and was surprised at the detail at high zoom levels on a 23" Dell HD monitor.
I have not been disappointed in this recent purchase! Canon PowerShot SX1IS 10 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.8-inch LCD
Best do-everything camera, but not totally intuitive [B. Lim]
Quick summary:
1. I really like this camera, especially being able to take HD video and optically zoom while recording. I also really like taking 4 fps of continuous shooting.
2. You really need to read (at least skim) through the instructions. Some of the ease of use benefits of a point-and-shoot were compromised to give you some of the versatility of a digital SLR. I'm not too crazy about the "Control Dial" to select menu options. Over all, the software seems a bit less intuitive than other Powershots I've used in the past.
3. Using Quicktime on Windows to view the HD video might result in jerky motion. HD video is smooth in Quicktime on a Mac. This is a Quicktime/Windows issue, not a camera problem.
4. The camera is solidly built, but it's a bit heavy. It's not ergonomically designed for extended video recording.
5. Consider reading and viewing a video demo by a professional at www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_PowerShot_SX1_IS/
Long version:
I was very eagerly anticipating this camera. The key feature in the Canon SX1IS is the CMOS sensor used in the SLR product lines. I got really excited about a single camera with HD video, 20x optical zoom, 4 frames per second of continuous shooting, articulated screen, and standard AA batteries. I've owned several Canon Powershot models, and I've been very satisfied with them. I'm also an experienced 35mm SLR person. I thought that the SX1IS was going to be my perfect camera... or actually the perfect gift for my wife.
I am an amateur photographer whose primary subjects are my children playing sports. Since I work a lot, my wife actually ends up taking a majority of the photos. I was planning to get a digital SLR for her when I came upon the specs for the SX1IS. It seems as if Canon product managers have listened to everything I wanted in a digital camera. The biggest deals for me were
1. HD video with optical zoom enabled while you're filming 2. 4 frames per second of continuous shooting 3. 20x optical zoom 4. Ease of use of a point-and-shoot
Here are my series of reactions:
1. After the first set of photos and videos, I couldn't help but feel as if Canon has under-delivered on the promise of a nearly perfect camera for amateurs or perhaps my camera was defective. This was my review of the first batch of photos and videos: (please read on to the next section since my initial disappointment resulted more from ignorance and unfair expectations)
a. I wasn't getting anywhere near 4 frames per second.
b. In the AUTO mode, the photos seem to come out at a lower quality than my much cheaper Powershot A710 in AUTO mode. By lower quality, I mean that the color, contrast, and details appear not as good.
c. It is very cool to be able to zoom in and out while you are taking video, but the HD video footages came out jerky enough to be really annoying.
2. This didn't seem right, so I actually read the instructions and spent a few minutes googling for info. It quickly became clear that you really have to read the manual to use this camera effectively. The manual is not written especially well, but it contains the info you need. (FYI, I've NEVER read instructions on any of my other digital point-and-shoot cameras before, and I have been very happy with the thousands of photos I've taken.)
a. Getting 4 frames per second: I learned that you cannot shoot 4 frames per second in AUTO mode or SPORTS mode. SPORTS mode can only take continuous AutoFocus photos which is about 1 frame per second. Most of the other modes support fast 4 frames per second continuous shooting. In the 4 fps continuous shooting, only the first shoot will be in focus, the others will be out of focus if the subject moves towards or away from your camera.
b. Comparing photos from SX1IS with A710: I realized that I was taking photos at high zoom that the Powershot A710 was not even able to get, so this was not a fair comparison. For apples-to-apples outdoor photos, SX1IS does take superior photos, but indoor photos does seem grainier at similar zoom levels. However, the difference is really minor, and there are many many adjustments on the SX1IS that can more than compensate.
c. Jerky HD video playback: This is a really a problem with Quicktime on my Windows Vista (on 2.5GHz Quadcore CPU with 4GB of RAM & ATI Radeon 512MB graphics card, so not a hardware issue). I saw similar jerky playback with Quicktime on Windows XP. However, the videos play smooth and perfectly in Quicktime on a Mac OS X. By reading this review, I hope you don't get upset when your first HD video looks really bad because of the jerky motion. I'm sure that this is a temporary problem: either Apple will improve Quicktime playback on Windows, a better MOV player will be available, or software will be available to convert the MOV to another format that works better on Windows.
d. Further note: To make changes to a bunch of settings via the menu options, you have to use this ring on the function button (called the "Control Dial"). It's the knurled outermost concentric ring surrounding the FUNC. SET button. You rotate this to select the menu options you want. Well, maybe I'll get used to it, but right now, this ring sucks. It's easy to miss the your menu item because you rotate this ring with just enough force, but if you press a bit too much, you end up with different options. This will probably suck to another plateau when I'm in bright sunlight looking through the viewfinder.
Here are 3 other things you might want to consider before purchasing this camera:
1. The camera feels very solid, but this also means that it is a bit heavy.
2. The form factor is for taking photographs, so if you plan to use this primarily for the HD video, your hands/arms will tire out. It is a bit awkward to keep the camera steady for extended video. HD camcorder will probably be better for you if your primary motivation is to take HD videos.
3. See a professional review with a video demo at www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_PowerShot_SX1_IS/
I'm now having a great time taking lots of photos and videos with this camera. The 20x zoom, HD video, and 4 fps is worth the cost premium.
4 stars for features but not so sure about quality [onestopnyc]
Have been playing with this camera for a while, trying different settings, taking pictures of different subjects, shooting HD movies, etc. and here are what I can say;
- you really need to know what settings to use, even if you use the AUTO mode you have to make some changes in settings for face detection for example. - you will see noise on certain pictures, I am still trying to figure out that part. - I recommend purchasing a separate flash, the quality is really good with the Speedlite 270 - yes the 20x zoom is really good and totally silent (unlike a Lumix camera I tried) so when shooting in HD you won't hear anything. - HD movie is really good as well and it is very convenient to only have one camera to carry. - transfer to mac or pc is effortless and there is no need to convert the movie files, HOWEVER, I am currently unable to read the RAW file on my mac. - the camera is fairly heavy which can be an advantage or disadvantage depending on how you look at it. - quality via HDMI on a high def TV is excellent - love the fact that you can use AA batteries, much easier to deal with if you travel and run out of power. - you can't take pictures in RAW format if shooting in 16x9 format - if recording a movie, 4x3 will be VGA, 16x9 HD, you can't change that. - buttons are well placed - one touch printing is really convenient - the rotating display is great if shooting above a crowd or something close to the ground. - yes you can take pictures while shooting a movie but when I played the movie you can hear the shutter "sound" and the picture would freeze briefly (the sound continued).
I hope this can help you make a decision, if you are looking for something less expensive, with a great zoom but without HD movie mode, get the Lumix FZ28, it's an awesome camera.
The exact hybrid camera/camcorder I have been waiting for [Ed R.]
I have wanted for a long time a camera that could do true HD (1080i or 1080p) video. The Powershot SX1 IS is that camera.
PROS: excellent pics, and excellent HD video (as presented on our Sony 47" 1080p LCD). Very fast reads/writes using a Ultra II 16 GB card.
CONS: a bit heavy (factor if you take in on a hike); I keep pushing the buttons on the top left side when I hold it; and I keep forgetting to turn the screen around when I turn it off (should beep at me before it shuts off so I don't scratch the lcd screen).
Overall, the perfect hybrid camera I have been waiting for. Cameralabs.com has an excellent review of this camera. If you want great amateur pics and super HD video, this is it.
Please note a subtle finding though with the HD video size. A 5 minute 1080p video produced a 2.2 GB video file. When editing it on my MacBook Pro using iMovie, the rendering to an HD QT file would take about 5 to 11 hours. So great that I can capture HD content, but I did not realize that I need a good backup strategy (e.g. many external drives for redundant copies) and possibly a Mac Pro (e.g. quad Xeons). I am still experimenting with different rendering options (e.g. output to iPod) but if I want to make a 1 hour HD movie, I need a lot of storage and a lot of time.
Great Hybrid Camera/VidCam [M. Wallace]
There is a lot to love about the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS. Being able to take photographs or shoot 1080p video (get a big memory card for video!) is the main attraction for this camera, and this camera delivers. The 20x zoom lens is FANTASTIC. Zooming in and out is painless, quick, and silent. You'll love the freedom this gives you. I love that this camera takes 4 AA batteries. These kind of batteries are available everywhere so you don't have to worry about running out of power like you do in cameras with a proprietary battery pack. The video screen on this camera is relatively big, bright, and clear.
But the camera is not without a few problems. Coming from a Canon D-SLR, the image quality leaves a little to be desired. At 100% magnification, the images are a little noisy. However, most people don't look at pictures at this zoom-level, and at normal print sizes, the images are sharp and noise is not really noticeable in real-world shooting. I personally don't like the neck strap. Maybe I just need to wear it in, but at its current stiffness, it sometimes gets in the way of the camera controls. The video looks a little wobbly sometimes due to the design of CMOS sensors (Google "rolling shutter effect"). However, I only notice it when moving the camera quickly (such as panning). The battery compartment doesn't open the way you might expect (look in the manual before attempting it). The on-screen menu is a pretty good but could be better. The viewfinder is electronic and the colors on it appear washed out, but it gets the job done. Finally, there are no threads on the front of the lens to mount filters on, but there are third-party adapters that will let you do this (Lensmate makes one).
However, I'm still very satisfied with my purchase and would not hesitate to recommend the camera to others looking for this kind of hybrid camera. I'm going on a trip in June and it'll be the only camera I take.
Canon PowerShot SX1IS Hybrid Camera [NPDigital]
Great camera for pictures, nice zoom lens, pictures are not as sharp as a DSLR, HD Video is not great, I used Tripod at daylight and still Video is to jerky, was not impressed with the Video, low light is to grainy, was looking for a Hybrid where pictures and Videos are great. I had more than 20 Canon Cameras, most of them I was very happy with, Canon PowerShot SX1IS Hybrid Camera not yet what I was looking for, maybe next model
