My Canon PowerShot SX130 IS Review

[will1384]

My Canon PowerShot SX130 IS Review

I was looking for a good all around point and shoot camera,
that was around $200, and this was what I wanted in a camera:

(1) Good all around images
(2) Images with as little noise as possible, for a cheap camera
(3) Images with good color
(4) Uses AA-size Batteries
(5) Something that might fit in a glove box or a big pocket
(6) Something with a good and reliable Auto mode, I should be able
to just grab the camera and start taking pictures without worry
(7) Needs a Movie Mode, with at least 640x480 @ 30fps, with sound,
and the videos look good
(8) It needs a Macro Mode, and it needs to work "acceptably"

I decided on the Canon PowerShot SX130.

Some issues first:

(1) Battery Life: If you use Alkaline batteries, you will be going threw
them fast, so use rechargeable batteries, I am using Sanyo Eneloop
rechargeable batteries.

(2) Flash: When I use the Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batteries the flash
recycle time is 3 to 5 seconds.

(3) The feel and handling: The camera feels kinda bad, feels like its going
to fall out of my hands at any second, the zoom lever seems to small, the
mode dial feels cheap and flimsy.

(4) Battery Door: Why is it that I have to worry about the batteries falling
out when removing the memory card. - Seems like it could be designed better.

(5) Low Light / Indoor Pictures: Its not to good, but most Point and Shoot
cameras do bad in low light - Seams to be a limitation of small image
sensors found in most Point and Shoot cameras.

(6) Large LCD, I would have liked a slightly smaller LCD like say 2.5 inch
but with the same resolution, the LCD just seams to large and slightly low
resolution.

(7) The "Dial" around the "Function Select" button seams to sensitive, I
sometimes have a trouble using it.

(8) Build Quality: My "Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35" and "Kodak EasyShare Z1085 IS"
feel better made.

Testing:

When I got the Canon PowerShot SX130 IS, I tested it against some of the
cameras I already have.

I just wanted to test the Auto Mode, and see how the camera handled different
environments - and compare that to cameras I have used.

Cameras tested:

Canon PowerShot A480
Canon PowerShot SX130
Kodak EasyShare Z1085 IS
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35

How I tested:

I set the camera to "Auto Mode" with ether flash on or off as noted,
for the indoor shots, I placed the camera close enough to the table to
fill the image with the table inplace of using zoom, outdoor was the
same except I forgot to move the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 closer
to the table, the image "outdoor_camera_test_1" used a crop of the
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 image.

The test images were made using IrfanView and Paint.net,

Camera images were opened with IrfanView and resized for the images:

"indoor_camera_test_2" Download to get Full Size image


"indoor_camera_test_3" Download to get Full Size image



"outdoor_camera_test_1" Download to get Full Size image



Camera images were viewed at "Original Size" and a selection was copied
with IrfanView and pasted into Paint.net and then saved without
re-compressed for the images:

"indoor_camera_test" - Download to get Full Size image



"Outdoor camera test 2" - Download to get Full Size image



Indoor Test - White Background - Auto Mode - Flash Off - Download to get Full Size image



Indoor Test - Black Background - Auto Mode - Flash On - Download to get Full Size image



Outdoor Test - Auto Mode - Download to get Full Size image



Likes:

Acceptable Image quality
Good HD video with good sound.
Manual Mode
Scene modes are fun

I will add more later - images from a Holiday trip

I am still testing the camera, I want time to use the camera before I
make up my mind


Notes:

The "Canon PowerShot SX130" acts like a "slightly" upgraded "Canon PowerShot A480"

* For indoor tests, light was provided by a fluorescent 48" shop light, without
diffuser, using two "T8" 32 watt lamps, rated at 2700 Lumens, 6500k, 75CRI, the
lamp was located 5 foot above and directly over the table.

** Outdoor images were taken around 1:30PM, December 7th 2010, Arkansas U.S.A,
facing North.

*** Auto Mode was selected on each camera, no other settings were changed, unless
noted.

**** The Canon PowerShot A480, Canon PowerShot SX130 IS, and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35
all have the same image sensor size at 1/2.3 inch, the Kodak EasyShare Z1085 IS has
a larger sensor at 1/1.63 inch

***** ISO was selected by the cameras Auto Mode.