Pixiq

I have always had a point-and-shoot (compact) camera to use when I’m not carrying my pro Canon gear. It’s great for family events, where the pro gear is over-kill, and for traveling and sudden photo-ops such as a bear in the back yard. I’ve been through a lot of these cameras, starting with the early Canon Elf film cameras and progressing to the digital Powershot G1, G5, G10, and recently the Powershot SX1 IS. With each successive camera, the compacts got more sophisticated and had more features. I love zooms that give me reach, so the G-series left me unsatisfied with only a 3X zoom. Then came the SX1 IS. This advanced compact camera had a 20X optical zoom (28-560mm), full HD video at 30fps (1080p) and a 10-megapixel sensor. I loved this camera and toted it a lot of places stashed out of view under the car seat. Now Canon has given us one better with the new SX30 IS.

The SX30 IS has a 35X optical zoom giving an astounding equivalent 24-840mm. That should cover most of what comes before me, from squirrel to bear. The quality and resolution has been improved over the SX1 IS with more megapixels at 14.1 (10 on the SX1 IS) and a Digic 4 processor. The video is still HD, but only 720p. This level of video is great for home projects, lectures, and for HD on YouTube. This may sound like the ultimate camera. Should I leave my EOS-1D MK IV, 7D, and 5D MK II at home? Heck, I can fit the SX30 IS in small bag that weighs a mere couple pounds, while the equivalent cameras and lens in my pro EOS gear weigh close to 75 pounds!

I wish it were that easy. My serious photography for Canon and stock images requires the quality of the larger sensors. Yes, I can make a pretty good 13x19 from the SX30 IS, but clients are looking for billboard sizes. Don’t get me wrong; if I got a fantastic shot on the SX30 IS, it could be the cover of a magazine. Even though I have photographed some wildlife with the SX30 IS, the shutter delay is a drawback; it’s still better than previous compacts, but not the best choice for action shots. The LCD on the back and in the viewfinder doesn’t work as well as the clear, bright, and sharp DSLR viewfinders. For serious photography, it would be hard to give up the speed and focusing crispness of the EOS-1D MK IV at 10 frames per second with very little shutter delay. But for family videos like holidays and birthdays, and following grandkids around, the SX30 IS is great, and pretty much replaces the need for a camcorder.

So the SX30 IS isn’t a pro camera, and at $429.99 retail (and considerably less from discounters), it doesn’t purport to be. But it can be a lot of fun, offer a lighter approach to photographic situations that would normally need a lot of gear, and it’s a great documentation camera. For the amateur photographer who travels, wants to take a lot of photographs for small prints and digital sharing, and who doesn’t want to schlep a lot of gear, this is the ticket. I could do a trip to Europe with this and a lightweight tripod, a bunch of 32 Gig SD cards, maybe an iPad or digital viewer/hard drive and come back with some killer digital slide shows that could be given professionally. All of it (except the tripod), including an extra battery and charger, would fit in a very small bag and weigh about 5 pounds.

Click on this link to see information about the Canon PowerShot SX30 IS     http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/digital_cameras/powershot_sx30_is