Canon PowerShot SX230 HS review
Impeccable image quality and quick, comprehensive controls more than make up for the relatively modest zoom range
Specifications
1/2.3in 12.0-megapixel sensor, 14.0x zoom (28-392mm equivalent), 223g
There’s the full complement of priority and manual exposure modes and manual focus. Their implementation is first rate, with the navigation pad doubling as a wheel for quickly adjusting settings. Standard shot-to-shot times were a little slow at 2.2 seconds apart but the 0.9fps continuous mode with updating autofocus makes up for it for those who like to fire off a string of shots. Continuous shooting with static focus was at 2.1fps until the card was full.
The 3in screen’s wide aspect ratio means photos appear smaller than on squarer screens, but it comes into its own for video capture. Video quality was superb, with a sharp 1080p picture, crisp stereo sound and smooth autofocus. The zoom and focus motors where picked up by the microphone but only in very quiet scenes. The 16-minute maximum clip length is more disappointing but we could live with it.
There’s a GPS radio for geotagging photos so you can plot them on a map in Google Picasa and various other photo managers. If this doesn’t appeal, go for the SX220 HS, which lacks this feature, is otherwise identical and costs £178 at Amazon. That’s a stunningly good deal, but both models are fantastic value for such capable, high quality cameras.
Basic Specifications | |
---|---|
Rating | ***** |
CCD effective megapixels | 12.0 megapixels |
CCD size | 1/2.3in |
Viewfinder | none |
Viewfinder magnification, coverage | N/A |
LCD screen size | 3.0in |
LCD screen resolution | 461,000 pixels |
Articulated screen | No |
Live view | Yes |
Optical zoom | 14.0x |
Zoom 35mm equivalent | 28-392mm |
Image stabilisation | optical, lens based |
Maximum image resolution | 4,000×3,000 |
Maximum movie resolution | 1920×1080 |
Movie frame rate at max quality | 24fps |
File formats | JPEG; QuickTime (AVC) |
Physical | |
Memory slot | SDXC |
Mermory supplied | none |
Battery type | Li-ion |
Battery Life (tested) | 210 shots |
Connectivity | USB, AV, mini HDMI |
HDMI output resolution | 1080i |
Body material | aluminium |
Lens mount | N/A |
Focal length multiplier | N/A |
Kit lens model name | N/A |
Accessories | USB cable |
Weight | 223g |
Size | 62x106x32mm |
Buying Information | |
Warranty | one-year RTB |
Price | £210 |
Supplier | http://www.currys.co.uk |
Details | www.canon.co.uk |
Camera Controls | |
Exposure modes | program, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual |
Shutter speed | 15 to 1/3,200 seconds |
Aperture range | f/3.1-8 (wide), f/5.9-8 (tele) |
ISO range (at full resolution) | 100 to 3200 |
Exposure compensation | +/-2 EV |
White balance | auto, 6 presets, manual |
Additional image controls | contrast, saturation, sharpness, red, green, blue, skin tone, i-Contrast |
Manual focus | Yes |
Closest macro focus | 5cm |
Auto-focus modes | centre, face detect/multi, tracking |
Metering modes | multi, centre-weighted, centre, face detect |
Flash | auto, forced, suppressed, slow synchro, red-eye reduction |
Drive modes | single, continuous, self-timer |