• Canon SX110 IS [Review]

    Canon SX110 IS [Review]

    Sudeep Naik, Feb 20, 2009 1659 hrs IST

    A 9 MP camera with 10x optical zoom lens, Will the Canon SX110 IS better its older sibling?

    Compact, 10x zoom lens, optical image stabilization, PASM modes, good sharpness, well-implemented face detection, good battery life.

    Expensive, too large for a pocket, LCD display washing out in bright light, long flash cycles

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Performance Analysis

The pictures we shot had good sharpness, contrast, exposure and skin tone. The macro performance is just above average though. Chromatic aberration was nonexistent till ISO 400.

Focusing is fast and accurate; we got very few out-of-focus images. Manual focusing is great too, and with the assistance of the Face Detection AF system, the camera locates up to nine faces in an image, automatically prioritizes the dominant subject, and sets the focus and exposure of the image. (In case the camera cannot detect a face in the scene, it focuses at the center by default.)
Face Recognition capability of the SX110 IS is at par with the best in the business. The SX110 IS performs well in low-light conditions, largely due to the powerful AF assist lamp.

The SX110 has a start-up time of about two to three seconds, which could have been much better considering it was almost same for its predecessor. The shot-to-shot times, though, are pretty high, about 2.5 to three seconds on an average. When using the flash, the shot-to-shot times go as high as five seconds.

It's sad to see that Canon has only come up more with cosmetic improvements rather than improving on the overall quality and ironing the shortcomings of the SX100 IS.

The SX110 suffers from the same problems that its predecessor did, like failing Red-eye reduction systems, long flash cycles and sluggish operation.

Battery Life

Just like its predecessor, the SX110 IS uses two AA batteries for power. This enables you to get about 400 shots from a single charge when using 1800mAh rechargeable batteries.

I suggest you buy at least two pairs of such batteries and invest in a fast charger as well.

Verdict

The Canon PowerShot SX110 IS comes for a street price of Rs. 16,000 and a two-year warranty. Given the performance and features, the price is a little on the higher side. Also, even though this is a newer version, I see no significant improvement in the quality nor have the problems been taken care of.

Had Canon actually solved some of the pressing issues that marred its predecessor, this would have been a great buy, a must buy even.


Test unit sourced from 20.20 Media

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Tag keywords
Canon SX110 IS Review 9MP CCD Canon s SX100 IS PASM modes Optical image stabilization 10x zoom lens



Discussion Board
(9) Comments
Kanwar Brara
,Chennai, on Apr 08, 2009 04:04 PM
I am an an amateur photographer, and wanted to buy a good digi-cam with manual mode since quite some time now. I originally had a pentax P1. Since this purchase, i am extremely glad about the investment i made! The images on lower ISOs comes a little grainy but can be manupalated with the Manual over-ride. Just Amazing!
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ravi
,bangalore, on Feb 23, 2009 04:59 PM
The ISO tests you guys do is so unprofessional, you guys shoot pics of different ISOs in the same lighting condition, every lighting is different, diff ISOs are meant to be used in different lighting conditions, apart from the fact that there is noise in higher ISOs , the ISO test does not prove anything else
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sam
,mumbai, on Mar 03, 2009 07:32 AM
The ISO tests here are an indication of how well Noise can be suppressed by the camera.
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satish nair
,Delhi, on Feb 27, 2009 10:45 PM
SX110.Pl advise if Powershot A1100 or A2000 models is better. rgds satish
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montylee
,delhi (currently California , US), on Feb 23, 2009 10:21 AM
i have this camera and it rocks! got it for $200 only from amazon.com, so the biggest -ve is not vaid for me :)
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Angad Singh
,Los Angeles, on Feb 23, 2009 06:19 AM
"too large for a pocket?" Is the reviewer a complete retard? It's not MEANT to go into a pocket, for GOD's sake!
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SUDHIR JAIN
,SAHARANPUR U.P. INDIA, on Feb 22, 2009 10:51 PM
SEND US THE PRICE
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sachin
,goa, on Feb 20, 2009 11:02 PM
How come TT is getting only cannons along with flop kodaks for reviews? where are the panasonics and sony cameras?
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Yaster
,Mumbai, on Feb 21, 2009 01:48 AM
the last two camera reviews were of Samsung
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