Selection of Customer Zoom Camera Reviews

Canon PowerShot SX10 IS Digital Camera Reviews

Good things come in small packages, 11 Nov 2008
By N. Butt "Nick Butt" (UK)

I am not a camera expert, more of an enthusiastic amateur, and I am sure that much more qualified people will, given time, publish reviews for Canon's latest UltraZoom. However, reviews are pretty scarce at the moment, so I will share with you my first thoughts on the SX10.
The zoom camera is neat, and sits comfortably in the hand. It is not as light as some, but exudes the impression of quality with a solid look and feel. For those who are familiar with Canon, the immediate impression is of familiar controls and menu options. For those new to the brand then I don't think that you will feel 'at sea'. I had read some comments that the instructions with the camera are not very good, but I would disagree. The quick start guide is mimimal but adequate, and the accompanying CD does include a manual that runs through all of the features, how to use them, and when you might want to use them. It is not a teach-in to photography, but certainly acts as a useful reminder.
And what a set of features this camera has. It has the very latest DIGIC 4 processor that is only just coming in for Canon's top end cameras, and this gives the SX10 a very comprehensive set of functions. For example, face detection is an absolute gem. If there is a face in your picture then the exposure and focus lock to it. The little focus square just follows the face around the picture. Even better, you can set the autotimer so that the cameras takes the shot when a face, or even an additional face, comes into frame. That is powerful processing.
Of course, all is lost if the optics and sensor are not up to the job. After a bit of experimenting, I am satisfied that Canon are onto a good thing with this camera. At full optical zoom, and heavily into the digital zone, you can take image stabilised shots that are crisp and without a trace of the chromatic aberrations that plague this type of picture. With a 28mm equivalent wide angle capability. this camera offers both ends of the spectrum.
So who wants this camera? I am sure that SLR enthusiasts will continue to state that the optics are compromised compared to interchangeable lenses. The point and shoot brigade will continue to buy tiny pocket cameras. However, for those who want to explore their photography then the SX10 might just be the right camera for you. And remember, it's a Canon so it is never going to be a bad choice.

Outstanding and excellent value, 4 Nov 2008
By C. R. Hickman "Canonicus" (East Sussex)

I purchased this for my wife to replace her classic Nikon Coolpix 5400 which has been a wonderful camera over the years with a great 28-116mm zoom. I wanted a zoom camera with a 28mm at the wide end and with more at the telephoto and having recently converted to a Canon SLR (40d) myself considered a Powershot as the Nikon equivalent does not have a real Nikon lense and the reviews have been patchy. We have taken a few shots with the SX10 and it more than meets expectations. The reach of the zoom is incredible. The colours are as accurate as my 40d and they are sharp--even the edges at the wide setting. No visible signs of chromatic aberrations and very little distortion. The camera is BIG compared with a typical point and shoot but this one has an incredibly good 20X zoom, a swivelling 230k pixel screen and the ability to shoot high quality movies. The built in image stabilizer allows you to take sharp pictures even at the 500mm setting which is crucial. I do not care for the Electronic Viewfinder and much prefer the view through a mirror reflex SLR but for the value you are getting for less than the price of a single decent SLR lens the fuzzy electronic viewfinder is no big deal. If you don't like it you can always use live view on the swivelling 230k pixel screen. Build quality is very good--not a tank like my metal 40d but again, value for money is outstanding. I give this camera my highest recommendation.

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Canon PowerShot SX110 IS Digital Camera Reviews

A pro camera AND a beginners camera in one box, very clever, 29 Oct 2008
By L. R. C. Camm "Ross" (UK)

The camera has a very wide range of settings which can be used by the experienced or semi pro photographer in situations where a DSLR is unrealistic due to bulk and weight etc.

It also has a range of semi and fully automatic settings which the beginner can use constantly and still get top class results. Remember, the camera features the IS (image stabilisation) system, and Canon's is widely acclaimed to be the best. (Helps to prevent blur in shots where a slower shutter speed, and/or telephoto is being used). This will buy you approx two stops when handholding the camera - in other words, if you are using 1/125th second to shoot, the system will produce an image equating to use of 1/500th (125 - 250 - 500, two stops).

I do a lot of macro and landscape work, often tripod mounted, so the Aperture priority mode is my usual favourite - I can control depth of field (what is in focus, and what is not, along a line drawn from the lens to the very background of the photograph - the smaller the aperture, the more that is in sharp focus, but sometimes you want to isolate a subject from it's background by using a large aperture, throwing everything out of focus, apart from the subject).

This camera is my first serious digital camera, and as a pre existing user of a Canon A1 35mm camera for many years, this one does everything my A1 could, and also has a wonderful ten times optical zoom, nine megapixels, and a large bright 3" LCD monitor, coupled with a very easy menu system (takes a little learning, like all such cameras).

I can't wait to see what the next new model features are - but this one produces great photographs, and is definitely as professional as you are - good job Canon, thank you!


Quality camera with simple options, 6 Jan 2009
By R. Cross (Brussels, Belgium)


Have been using the SX110 IS for a couple of weeks now. My first impression was that it was strange to use without a viewfinder. But the large screen on the back is easy to look at and has sufficient detail to accurately judge focus. It also makes it great for quickly showing pictures to people around you. The camera is particularly easy to switch between camera and viewing mode.

The zoom is very powerful and fast, with the image stabilizer helping to make sure the photos do not have too much camera shake in them. Start up is quick enough not to be irritating although it does sometimes seem a little slow to power up the flash. This is always a trade off for battery lifespan I guess.

The built-in flash does not automatically pop up when lighting conditions require it. Some have suggested this is a problem but I personally prefer this. Many shots with flash can become very washed out or contrasty on small digital cameras. A flick of the thumb pushes up the flash and it is ready to use. On other digicams, preventing the flash from firing has required a couple of little button presses and you have to watch on screen icons to make sure that the correct setting has been used. With the SX110, it's no problem at all. Flash up=ON, flash down=OFF.

Anyone familiar with Canon cameras will recognise the sensible controls. All the manual shooting options are present for the more serious photographer. And there is the fully automatic mode for the quick and simple picture takers too. It fits nicely in the hand, is big enough to not feel like a toy camera, but small enough to be discreet and to fit in a pocket. All in all, I'm very happy with the camera and it is exactly what I expected from Canon.


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Canon PowerShot S5 IS Digital Camera Reviews

Excellent camera, 14 Aug 2007
By Lyn (UK)

I originally had the S3 IS but had to return it due to problems with the zoom motor. I am always wary of buying such items online but amazons customer services were better than any shops I have ever used!

The S5 IS was a natural replacement as I loved the S3 and I was not disappointed. The camera itself feels good to hold, is a nice weight and has an unusual screen that can be twisted around to suit your needs and be closed to protect it when not in use. The zoom is fantastic and I have taken some cracking close up shots.

If there is one thing I didn't like, it would be that the SD card is in the same compartment as the batteries and its a little clumsy to open and close. I would definately recommend this camera for the quality of pictures and the fact that it looks like a much more expensive camera than it is.


Good Camera - Just Don't Expect Too Much, 8 Dec 2007
By Kenny M "Kenny" (UK)

I previously owned and used a Canon G5, which is a great camera. The PowerShot S5IS has some more up-to-date features, such as face recognition and a bigger viewing screen plus more pixels. The biggest plus for me is the larger screen, which makes composing a shot much easier. However, while its construction is perfectly OK, it does not 'feel' as well-built as my old G5 and nor does it seem as robust. Picture quality is also good but it does struggle a more in poorer light conditions where "noise" is more apparent. I have found battery life quite acceptable provided you buy and use the higher capacity rechargeable batteries. I also miss not having a printed manual or handbook, though the one provided by Canon with the camera on a CD is clear and well-written. All-in-all, for the general user, a good camera for the money with all of today's popular-camera features.


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Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ28 Digital Camera Reviews

Super-versatile, excellent camera!, 20 Oct 2008
By C. Sheppard (UK)

I wanted an upgrade from my excellent Panasonic TZ3 compact, which would take better low light pictures and allow me more creativity into the bargain.

After a lot of thought, looking at various reviews of various bridge-type cameras, including whether I could afford a DSLR and appropriate lenses, I kept coming back to the FZ28. Having already had experience of the excellent 10x Leica lens in the TZ3 and being impressed with that camera's abilities I decided that the FZ was the camera for me due to it's 27-486mm equivalent lens and the generally good reviews.

So far I've only taken pictures in extremely difficult indoor conditions. My partner is a mobile DJ and part of the reason for getting a better camera was to try to get better pictures of his events. Now I know a DSLR would get better -noise free images (depending on the size of the sensor) but I have been pretty impressed with the FZ so far. Of course shooting in very low light with people moving (dancing) is always going to be very difficult. At ISO800 there is visible noise but the camera's processing keeps in under control enough to allow a decent image for upload to an online gallery or printing at 6x4. I have not yet tried boosting the ISO even more but expect that the image will be pretty noisy - the limitation of a more compact sensor.... and a tradeoff for price and portability!

At wide angle the camera has a relatively large aperture (for a compact type) of F2.8 and I have noticed how much better the camera is than the TZ3 indoors - the lens allows a lot more light in and the pictures are clearer and brighter than the TZ3 in low light. A test shot at ISO400 with shutter speed 1/8 in lowlight on both cameras proved that the FZ was far superior, as should be expected, producing a much brighter picture with much less noticible noise.

I have yet to really test out the zoom capability as I haven't really done any outdoor shooting, but certainly I have got some great candid indoor shots of people, with the long zoom. The low light ability in the less difficult situation of a normally lit room (rather than a dark disco) is great meaning that the flash is not necessary even at a relatively long zoom (the aperture reduces from F2.8- F4.4 as the zoom is extended) so candid shots are easier without the flash alerting the subject to the camera's presence.

I have tried taking some macro shot's as the reviews suggested that the camera was excellent as such. I took some shots of a penny, taken in low indoor lighting with the lens a distance of 1-2cm from the penny, used manual focus and got truely excellent detail on the penny. You can get an additional macro lens to add, but the in built macro facility is excellent. The only problem coming from the ability to focus so close to the lens being that unless the subject is lit from the correct angle the lens barrel throws a shadow, but this is inevitable and not a fault of the camera.

On occasion the auto focus hunts a little but I've not had a problem and it's still quicker than I would be using manual focus! Mostly the AF is spot on, and the powerful AF assist lamp helps it to find it's subject. Using AF single area HIGH speed gives quick focussing results. The AF tracking and face detection function on my camera works extremely well. Once the Face detection has located a face, it can be turned side on to the camera and it will still recognise it.

I've shot some video both at HD and normal widescreen format. The videos, especially on HD are very clear. The sound quality is acceptable but not great, but then it's not a video camera and I'm not expecting miracles. The file sizes on HD mode are HUGE though. A 10 second clip on HD took up 20MB space!

The manual focus method is tricky and I don't use it unless doing macro where the subject is still, or perhaps if I was anticipating some sporting action to happen in a certain spot I might use it.

I find the software on the camera very easy to use, partly as it's similar to the TZ3 though with more functions, but mostly because it just is easy to navigate. The buttons on the camera seem well placed and ergonomic. I normally don't have to look to select various features and the Q-menu joystick is very easy to use, meaning that you don't have to move your eye from the eyepiece (if used) to change settings.

One thing is that if I'm hand holding the camera, I'd like to rest the lens barrel on my left hand but my fingers then naturally fall in the way of the AF-lamp, so I have to adopt a slightly more uncomfortable two-handed hold. Mostly though the excellent shake-reduction features mean that this is perfectly ok, even at long zooms you can still hand hold, though keeping something small in the focus spot may be difficult!

Overall I'm pleased with my purchase having tested it in some extremely difficult situations for a compact type camera to cope with. A fuji might have been better in low light but I think the Panasonic -Leica Lens has it beat in most other areas, and I'm looking forward to finding out what it can do outdoors and on well lit days!

Getting the FZ instead of a DSLR means I got an excellent and versatile camera with a lens that would mean I would have to get at least 2 and possibly 3 DSLR lenses to cover it's capability. I've sacrificed some picture quality as a result but I'm perfectly happy with the quality of the pictures I'm getting and the price tag is also a big bonus compared to even an entry level DSLR and 3 lenses. Maybe oneday I will get that DSLR, but the FZ will be a great introduction to the photographic world and suits me fine just now


Execellent buy, 16 Oct 2008
By Stephen Johnson "sj_edinburgh" (UK)

I agree with virtually everything mentioned by the other reviewers. An excellent carera, better than either of my previous superzooms (Fuji S5600 and Dimage A200). Very well thought out menu system, very intuitive and easy to see on the large display. I particularly like the feature that allows you to increase the zoom past 18x, when using lower resolutions (up to 32x for 3MP). Obviously you could just take the shots at 10MP (at 18x) and then crop the photos down - but this feature saves you cropping and more importantly allows you to take more photos using burst, without filling up your card.

The only downside, not enough to reduce it's rating to 4 stars, is that the EVF is pretty hopeless, even compared to my S5600. So I'll probably stick to the screen.

Great price bought directly from Amazon, much lower than a certain highstreet shop, who didn't seem very interested in selling me one at anything less than full price! I also bought a Hama 46mm filter which will screw onto the end of the lens, protecting it from dust (I go to some pretty dust locations). This allows you to still use the supplied lens cap, which attaches to the camera housing (not the lens). An alternative to this is to buy an adaptor (LA3) for the additional zoom/macro and screw a filter onto the end of this (instead of the zoom/macro). Although this would completely seal the lens and lense mechanism from dust, to me it seemed a bit over the top, since you also have to buy a new lens cap in addition to the adaptor and a larger filter (the end of the adaptor is 55mm).


More Panasonic FZ28 zoom camera reviews here >>>

Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ5 Digital Camera Reviews

Excellent all rounder - with latest firmware, 9 Jul 2008
By D. Ward (UK)

We bought this a couple of weeks ago to provide a smaller alternative to our Nikon D40X DLSR. Our criteria were fast response time, SDHC and small size. Looking around, we found the DMC-TZ5 and the 10x zoom and HD video sealed it for us.

We took it home and the pictures were OK, but the auto zoom didn't lock at times. A quick google search later and we found v1.2 of the firmware from Panasonic, after a quick flash the camera is transformed.

It records decent video (With sound being recorded at 5m away!) and will suffice for 85-90% of your needs. My main gripe is the tendency to switch red-eye on and/or change the picture setting in iA mode which sometimes means that you will sometimes miss pictures of the kids running. This can be resolved by switching to Normal mode and having a play (I recommend setting ISO Max400 and auto flash without redeye for best results) but this is a great camera which will do most of what you will want/need for family pics and outside.

In short, there are better cameras for image better, but few better for having everything in one package - the Nikon is not the normal camera we use anymore and that should say something! :)

An excellent camera, 17 Jul 2008
By R. Di Napoli "Rob" (London)

This is perhaps the best compact camera I have owned (and I am familiar with the Sony, Nikon, Olympus and Pentax types). While there are more compact cameras on the market, this is a very elegant and functional one. Pictures tend to be of a very high quality indeed and the power of the zoom is just incredible. It feels good in your hands and its commands are very simple and intuitive. The range of shooting possibilities is really great (that is if you are one of those who prefer setting the camera themselves rather than relying on the automatic controls that, in this camera, are just very simple and effective). Excellent screen. Among other things, the camera allows you to zoom as you film (though the noise of the zoom can be heard, as you consequently watch the film but it is not a problem for me). My only reservation is about the position of the microphone, which is placed on the top left hand corner of the camera - you have to be careful not to put hand/fingers on it, lest you block the sound recording. Highly recommended!!!

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