Product Reviews

Maintaining the similar SLR-like styling and high ratio 20x zoom of its predecessor, the popular S5 IS model, Canon's new PowerShot SX1 IS adds several innovative features to the mix. Most notably, the SX1 IS is one of the first compacts to feature a new, proprietary 10-megapixel Cmos sensor. It's the same small 1/2.3in type (6.2 x 4.6mm) as that found in their other compacts, but the switch to Cmos may help reduce noise levels.

Also attractive is the promise of a fast 4fps burst rate and full HD (1080p) video clips for up to 30 minutes with stereo sound. That's not forgetting the 20x zoom, boasting a 28-560mm range in 35mm terms, all within a small and reasonably lightweight package.

As if that wasn't enough, the SX1 IS has a flip-out and rotating 2.8in widescreen-format TFT, and Canon has recently added a Raw file capture option, although early adopters can now download a firmware update bringing theirs up to the current spec.

Build quality is a different story, though. It's well made, and arguably better built than previous iterations, but the plastic shell isn't without the odd creak or two, especially around the bulbous handgrip. It's also a good deal larger and heavier than either Canon's G9 or the newer G10, a fact not helped by the inclusion of four AA

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batteries.

Like its rivals, the layout largely apes that of a DSLR, with a shooting dial on the top plate, but a handy Eos-style command dial placed to the rear means adjustments can be made easily while the camera is held to the eye. If we've a grumble with the controls at all, it's that you can't set a B&W option while capturing Raw or Raw and Jpeg together.

The 148,000-pixel, 16:9 widescreen electronic viewfinder falls behind that found in the Panasonic Lumix G1, in quality terms at least, but it's still usable when checking focus accuracy, thanks to an auto-zoom option.

The same system can be used with the main LCD. When focus is achieved using the FlexiZone AF option, a small section of the screen, correlating to the position of the AF bracket, switches briefly to a magnified view. It's not unlike the Live View systems of current DSLRs and is a useful feature that's aided by the generally fast and accurate focusing and zooming.

A face-detection option works equally quickly and it's quite something, bearing in mind the size and complexity of the lens. Tested against a G9 we had to hand with its nine-point AiAF option, though, and it's unsurprisingly slower. But given the huge range, it's impressive all the same.

The SX1 IS features image stabilisation. We got the equivalent of around one-and-a-half stops from it, but there's also a Hi Auto ISO option that detects subject movement and hikes sensitivity, and thus shutter speeds, to reduce blur.

Noise levels are well controlled and compare favourably with the G9, a camera boasting a 12-megapixel CCD sensor with a 50% increase in surface area. We were also suitably impressed with the quality of the HD video clips, but like the G-series cameras, the SX1 IS lacks the versatility of a Mic socket.

Minor gripes aside, this is a great camera that we can heartily recommend.