Canon PowerShot SX130 IS Review and Report

Full Review: Canon PowerShot SX130 IS

The SX130 offers some reasonable updates towards the SX120 such as Hd video, as well as despite weak life of the battery along with a slower lens, it is a worthy competitor within the small ultrazoom class. The brand new camera turns into a bump in resolution from 10 to Twelve mega pixels on the somewhat larger physically-sized sensing unit, and also the lens focal variety goes broader and shorter: 28 in order to 336mm versus 36 to 360mm in 35mm counterparts. Some tips about what the brand new range appears like.

Both models share a close-but-not-quite-identical external look, with the SX130 being slightly larger and about a half-ounce heavier. The new camera is primarily an evolutionary step, sharing many features with the departing SX120 such as a Digic 4 processor, smart auto, intelligent contrast correction, face and motion detection technologies. The SX130 adds 720p HD video with stereo recording, blink technology, a few new shooting modes such as miniature and fisheye, and a narrower 80 to 1600 ISO sensitivity range. It can utilize SD/SDHC, SDXC, MultiMediaCard, MMCplus and HC memory media. Canon provides two AA alkaline batteries, a wrist strap, printed "getting started" guide, USB and AV cables, and CD-ROM software.

Let's see what a modest makeover has produced in the new low-price leader of Canon's SX line.

BUILD AND DESIGN

The actual amalgamated body is a bit longer and wider compared to some thing I would think about easily shirt-pocket transportable. You can get this right into a shirt pocket, however you will also understand it's presently there. Entire body construction, fit and finish all come in collection with the camera's price point.

Ergonomics and Controls

The actual rectangle-shaped body functions plenty of curved edges as well as combined surfaces, providing the camera the somewhat more streamlined look than sharper-edged designs. There is a modest ridge incorporated into the best front from the entire body in order to help a better grip. Two-handed shooters will have to make use of treatment in placing fingertips about the remaining best front part from the body so as to not block the focus aid lamp or one of these two microphones. Overall, the actual handgrip/thumb relaxation region give a solid really feel for one-handed photographers using the catalog finger falling properly onto the shutter switch.

ontrol design as well as design is going to be acquainted to Canon compact users as well as fairly intuitive for everybody else. The mode call, shutter button/zoom lever and on/off button sit down on top of the actual camera body; play, encounter select, exposure compensation, Canon's traditional directional buttons/control dial/function and hang control, as well as menus and display buttons occupy the right back.

Menus and Modes

There are shooting and setup menus available with the camera set to any recording (shooting) mode; setting up the camera for playback provides access to playback and print menus along with the setup menu. Menu usage is pretty much intuitive.

The SX130 IS offers both automatic and manual exposure controls, which expands camera flexibility and should appeal to a wider target market. Here's a list of the SX130's exposure modes:

• Auto: Smart auto, camera handles virtually all settings; user can select image size.
• Easy: Another fully auto mode with even less user input.
• Portrait: Camera selects settings to establish a soft effect; minimal user input.
• Landscape: Camera chooses settings for "majestic landscapes with a real sense of depth," minimal user input.
• Children/Pets: Camera makes settings for subjects that move around (including increasing ISO sensitivity); minimal user input.
• Scene: Offers 12 specific shooting conditions such as beach, fireworks, fisheye; minimal user input.
• Program auto: Camera sets aperture and shutter speed; user has wide variety of inputs.
• Aperture priority: User sets aperture, camera sets shutter and user has wide variety of inputs.
• Shutter priority: User sets shutter, camera sets aperture and user has wide variety of inputs.
• Manual: User sets aperture and shutter; wide variety of inputs.
• Movie: Captures video in 1280x720, 640x480 or 320x240 resolution, all at 30 frames per second (fps); 1280x720 or 640x480 "miniature effect" with playback at 6, 3 or 1.5 fps.

Display

The 3.0-inch monitor on the SX130 IS has a 230,000 dot composition and is adjustable for 5 levels of illumination. Coverage is not specified but appears to be about 100%. The monitor can be difficult to use in some bright outdoor conditions.

Shooting Performance

The SX130 powers up promptly, presenting a focus point in about 1.75 seconds, and I was able to get off a first shot in about 2.75 seconds. Single shot-to-shot times ran about 3 seconds with a class 10 SDHC memory card - you can get it down to about 2.5 seconds if you disable the review feature, take a half push on the shutter button as the camera writes, and then fire the next shot as soon the focus point comes back up and acquires focus. The 3 second figure was made with the review enabled and all else the same. Continuous shooting rates came up at about 0.9 fps, but there's a 1 second blackout after the first shot and then images lag one behind on the monitor so tracking moving subjects can be a difficult exercise.

CONCLUSIONS

Canon's SX130 IS is a worthy new competitor in the superzoom ranks, offering good still image and 720p HD video quality along with automatic or manual shooting options, packaged in a fairly compact and light body at an attractive price. Shutter lag is good and autofocus acquisition time in good light is competitive.