Pixiq

Recently, I managed to lay my grubby mitts on a Canon SX30 IS, and you know what, I was really impressed. Its 35x zoom is rather impressive. If you’re looking for a family-friendly camera that comes automated to the hilt, has dedicated buttons, a bright LCD screen, and does video too, this one is worth considering. You get a bit of manual handling as well. I suppose you just have to be aware that you’d be shelling out almost as much for a dSLR as you would for this. Is it worth it then? Let’s see what the reviewers say.

Camera Labs says ‘Like its predecessor, the PowerShot SX30 IS can shoot 1280 x 720 HD video at 30 frames per second and has two standard resolution video modes – 640 x 480 and 320 x 240 also at 30fps. You can use the optical zoom while recording and you’ll only hear the quiet USM motor when there’s no ambient noise – you can just hear it during zooming in our test clips. You can also take still pictures while recording video, images are recorded in the W (3733 x 2105) size and appear in the movie along with shutter visual and audio effects as well as being saved separately.’ – Read the full review at Camera Labs

Digital Camera Review says ‘The new PowerShot SX30 IS, which replaces last year’s very popular SX20 IS as the top dog in Canon’s super-zoom digicam market niche is aimed squarely at this very broad demographic. The SX30 IS seeks to be to be the ultimate bridge camera – an all-in-one photographic tool that can do almost anything, nearly anytime, virtually anyplace, for just about anyone.’ – Read the full review at Digital Camera Review

DPReview says ‘The camera’s 14.1 megapixel sensor allows photographers to generate A2+ size prints, offering detailed images that users can crop creatively with no compromise on quality. The enormous focal range of the 35x optical zoom lens offers users a unique realm of creative possibilities, extending from 24mm to 840mm (35mm equiv.), capturing everything from ultra wide-angle images to extreme telephoto shots.’ – Read the full review at DPReview

ePHOTOzine says ‘Despite Canon’s best efforts, you don’t get this kind of range without some compromise. Clearly, there’s some with colour fringing, but also, at the wide angle end, the centre is sharp but the edges were pretty soft. There’s obvious barrel distortion on verticals but only what you would expect from a 24mm wide angle. An f/2.7 aperture is good news for low light conditions. Shooting with the sun in the frame produces streaks of light and also spotting.’ - Read the full review at ePHOTOzine

Imaging Resource says ‘The all-black Canon SX30 IS is one of the better-looking mega-zooms with an attractive, muted finish. It’s not festooned with decals galore, but elegant in its way. As you’d imagine, the 35x lens takes up the front, and like most cameras of this type, you attach the lens cover with a string to the strap. This looks a bit low-tech to me, and I like putting the cap in my pocket.’ – Read the full review at Imaging Resource

Lets Go Digital says ‘For those who want to take great shots instantly, without worrying about manually changing settings, the Canon PowerShot SX30 IS features Smart Auto, which uses Scene Detection Technology to identify shooting conditions and select the optimum settings from 28 variables. A series of new scenes have been added, including subjects with strong facial shadows under harsh lighting and subjects in spotlight. Smart Flash Exposure also controls the power of the camera’s flash to ensure perfectly-exposed subjects both in macro shots and when backlit.’ – Read the full review at Lets Go Digital

PhotographyBLOG says ‘At four points around this pad are, at 12 o’clock, a means of bringing up an exposure compensation slider (+/- 2EV), at three o’clock is a setting for adjusting ISO – here a range that moves from ISO 80 through ISO 1600 – while at six o’clock is a means of switching from single to continuous shooting or choosing one of the available self timer options. Moving around to nine o’clock we find the Focus mode, with either Macro, Normal or Manual settings possible.’ - Read the full review at PhotographyBLOG

PhotoRadar says ‘It’s a shame that images cannot be recorded as raw files to allow experienced photographers more control over the noise reduction that is applied to their high-sensitivity images. Canon has added raw capability to its bridge cameras with a firmware update in the past, and I wonder if it will do so this time?’ – Read the full review on PhotoRadar

Trusted Reviews says ‘The negatives are that it costs as much as an entry level DSLR equipped with a standard kit lens, has a slight plastic-y feel that even Canon starter DSLRs have, and images tend to lack contrast and necessary visual ‘oomph’ straight out of the camera, so require a couple of minutes of tweaking to get them looking their best. If you can live with that and really do need a ‘big one’, then the SX30 IS could prove to be a solid choice for any number of applications.’ – Read the full review at Trusted Reviews

What Digital Camera says ‘Creatively it would be unfair to compare the SX30 directly with a budget DSLR, as there are many areas where it cannot compete; in focus speed, viewfinder and burst mode especially. This camera does have plenty of strengths, offering not only one of the longest zooms on the market but also with the most impressive stabilisation.’ – Read the full review at What Digital Camera