Canon PowerShot SX120IS 10MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Images Stabilized Zoom and 3-inch LCD
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- High-powered 10x wide-angle optical zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer
- 3.0-inch PureColor System LCD; Smart AUTO detects and analyzes faces, brightness, colors, distance, and movement
- Easy Mode takes all the guesswork out of the equation by determining the right shooting mode
- DIGIC 4 Image Processor; 10-megapixel resolution for poster-size, photo-quality prints
- Powered by AA batteries (included); capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
Product Description
Everything about the Canon PowerShot SX120 IS is easy. The Smart AUTO feature makes every shot picture-perfect. An impressive 10x Optical Zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer keeps you sharp and steady. There’s even an Easy Mode that makes shooting super simple. This AA battery powered camera enables you to easily power up Effective Pixels – Approx. 10.0 Megapixels Type – 1/2.5-inch type Charge Coupled Device (CCD) Lens – Canon 10x Optical Zoom Lens Focal Length – 6.0 (W) – 60.0mm (T) f/2.8 (W) – f/4.3 (T) (35mm equivalent – 36 (W) – 360 (T) mm) LCD Monitor – 3.0-inch low-temperature polycrystalline silicon TFT color LCD with wide viewing angle Shutter Speed – 15-1/2500 sec. ISO Sensitivity – Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 equivalent Exposure Control Method – Program AE, Manual; AE Lock, Program Shift, Safety Shift, Auto ISO Shift White Balance Control – Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom Built-in Flash – Auto, Auto w/Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On w/Red-eye Reduction, Flash Off; FE lock, Safety FE, Slow Synchro Shooting Modes – Auto, P, Av, Tv, M, Easy, Portrait, Landscape, Special Scene, Indoor, Kids & Pets, Night Snapshot, Movie, Night Scene Storage Media – SD/SDHC Memory Card, MultiMediaCard, MMCplus card, HC MMCplus card File Format – Still Image – Exif 2.2 (JPEG); Movie – AVI (Image data – Motion JPEG; Audio data – WAVE (Monaural)) Still Image – Up to 3,648 x 2,736 (Large), 3,648 x 2,048 (Widescreen); Movie – 640 x 480 (30 fps/30 fps LP), 320 x 240 (30 fps) available up to 4GB or 60 minutes per clip Power Source – Alkaline Battery AA x 2 Dimensions (WxHxD) – 4.35 x 2.77 x 1.76 in. Weight – Approx. 8.64 oz
Canon PowerShot SX120IS 10MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Images Stabilized Zoom and 3-inch LCD
I recently purchased this camera to take pictures of the indoor Children’s programs I do. The images were very grainy. Even when I changed the camera, to Program Mode, Manual, and Auto, all the images had a lot of noise in the colors. This camera is terrible for anything that moves. Even if you adjust the ISO to take faster pictures, the graininess becomes overwhelming. I tried every option and zoom possible before deciding it was too much work for 1 shot. Maybe someone out there has taken great pictures with this but, if you want something that you don’t have to adjust 20 different options to take pictures, then go with a Sony Cybershot.
Rating: 2 / 5
I am a beginner and I got suddenly interest in taking great pictures. So I was looking for a camera that has high zoom, manual controls as well as auto controls. When I started searching for good camera reviews I shortlisted 4- 5 cameras that included canon sd1100,sd770, Sony DSC H20 and canon sx100 is. The first two were point and shoot and had all functionality that I was looking for other then some manual, but less optical zoom. Sony and canon both were good but I chose to go for canon as it has lots of shooting options.
I was looking to buy sx110is (sx100is ‘s successor) and then I got a news that sx120is is released. I was not sure whether to take the older one or get the new one who has not been rated. But I bought this and I am happy with it. It is not that much heavier then other cameras with good optical zoom. though comparing to Panasonic’s lumix, it is heavier.
It has great functionality such as:
*Easy to use. if you just want to say with auto selection then that also gives you best pictures.
*face detection, that is very useful while taking self picture. Detects up to 9 face at a time.
* continuous shooting , like taking 3 pictures simultaneously at fast speed.
* iso 3200
* 10x optical zoom, 40x digital zoom.
* 15 shooting mode
* sunset,sun rise detection,
* Great functionality in video shooting like zoom out, zoom in.
* manual controls,you can set shutter speed, Av, Tv mode.
* Image stabilizer.
* Big LCD screen in which display picture rotates according to holders direction i.e while displaying pictures, if you are holding camera horizontal it sets picture automatically horizontal.
* We can focus picture first and then can take pictures.
the only thing is that it doesn’t have a viewfinder. some people might not like it but it doesn’t matter for me as far as I can see what I am taking , what is in focus through LCD. Also it requires AA battery that has its own plus and minus point, but it requires only 2 AA batteries and can take 200 to 300 snaps.That is good enough.The flash is not automatic. you have to fire it manually,it has its plus minus too.Too much auto pop of flash might frustrate some one, or some might want auto flash, but camera detects and let you know that this picture requires flash so you can raise the flash, not bad!!
It can fit in pocket so not bad then any other point and shoot.
I took some pictures from it while I was learning its functionality. I took some on low resolutions. That can not give justice to camera, later I got some great pictures by learning some mode. Here it is: [...]
The camera is working perfectly till now.
I will sure recommend this to any one. Good one for who wants to start exploring photography.
Rating: 5 / 5
My needs for a camera are as follows:
1) It needs to fit in my pocket
2) It needs to turn on quickly
3) It needs to shoot “decent enough” photos on auto mode
4) It needs to have enough options to tweak lighting settings.
5) It should have both good indoor and outdoor performance.
6) I’d like something that can do automatic exposure bracketing or otherwise support HDR photography.
I’ve gone through various cameras over the years, and have borrowed some others to mess around with, and until last week was using a Canon A620, which was a surprisingly good camera, capable of taking shots as good as a DSLR, especially when tweaked correctly. It also could do automatic exposure bracketing for HDR photography when using the CHDK firmware for it. Then I accidentally left my A620 on a bench on South Beach when visiting last week, and so I suddenly found myself in the market for a new camera.
I was seriously looking into the Fuji 200EXR and the Ricoh CX2 for the HDR photography mode, but they didn’t have the tweakability settings I liked… the 200EXR was great except it always blew out the ISO levels to compensate for its limited image stabilization capabilities, which made auto mode shots almost always unacceptably grainy. I ended up settling on the SX120IS because it matches all my needs except for HDR photography. That, I’ll hold off on until a new generation or two of HDR cameras has come and gone.
It has very good low-light performance, as long as you’re willing to put up with a certain amount of graininess Indoors, with the curtains drawn and just a couple normal lamps lighting the living room, it was able to take quite decent photos at ISO200. Without a flash. The IS was quite helpful in this regard, and the only downside was that the image had a noticeable level of noise in it. This will bother some people. Myself – I’m happy that it doesn’t do what most P&S cameras do, which is reduce the shutter speed to such a low level that everything blurs into nothingness. This is rather the opposite – quite crisp images with no blur, but you pay for it with a little bit of noise. I’m fine with that, really. I never carry a tripod, instead carrying it around in my pocket whenever I travel, and I like to be able to whip it out and photograph something on the spot, indoors or out.
The camera turns on quite quickly, and the auto mode does a generally decent job for taking those quick shots that would otherwise pass you by (the bird posing on the branch). The camera also has a the right amount of manual settings for tweaking your shots just the way you want them. (Another poster on here complained it was too complicated for him, and I suppose that could be a fair criticism, but for me it’s the right level of complexity.) Like with my other Canon, it allows you to tweak ISO, aperture priority, time priority, or all three, as well as something the A620 couldn’t do – a manual focus setting, which has been quite fun to play around with.
As far as all the vaunted features on this camera (auto face recognition, Digic 4, etc.), I didn’t really notice it taking photos noticeably different from my A620. Image quality was about the same with the experimentation I did replicating several shots around the neighborhood. However, since I had no complaints about the A620, this is not a criticism. The one thing I do miss, though, is the flip out viewfinder. I much prefer a viewfinder that can flip around for self-portraits, or flip backwards to protect itself over the always-out LCD viewfinders which always get scratched up very quickly. But all of them are that way nowadays, so I am not really complaining that much about it.
All in all, a great camera.
Rating: 5 / 5
I can’t write an in depth review of this camera because I simply don’t have the knowledge of either cameras or photography. But I can tell you what I, as a rank amateur, like about it and why I chose it.
I have grandkids. I needed a camera that would allow me to capture decent pictures of them – and in a digital format – so that I can, like all good grandparents, brag about my grandkids via email and attach photos to prove that they are the cutest kids on the face of the earth.
I had my “good” camera – an old Pentax K1000 that I’ve had for about 30 years – and a small, inexpensive digital camera that I got a few years ago and have never been happy with. Not only was the Pentax not digital, it also turns out that the grandkids can move much faster than I can focus. And that camera purchased as my first attempt at digital just wasn’t cutting it. It was overly complicated and with it I wasn’t getting pictures good enough to share.
I gave my needs some thought and made the following criteria list:
Easy to use.
Fast shutter speed.
Easy to use.
Small enough to fit into my purse easily.
Easy to use.
My needs were simple and I didn’t think it would be too hard to find a camera to fit the bill. Happily, I was right.
After my initial research had convinced me to go with a Canon, I borrowed my brother’s Rebel (don’t know the model number) and my son’s Canon PowerShot Pro Series S5 IS. I knew that neither fit my criteria (not to mention the $500-$700 price range was more than I wanted to spend), but using them for a few days gave me the opportunity to check out some of Canon’s features.
That’s how I discovered the Optical Image Stabilizer. I can see from reviews of other cameras that it’s been around for a few years, but I’d never used it before. It immediately went to the top of my list of desired features – even above “easy to use”!
I have a tremor condition that causes fine shaking in my hands. It doesn’t bother me and doesn’t always affect close work, but it can make holding something steady – say, for instance, a camera – almost impossible. As you can guess, the result of that shakiness when snapping photos is, most often, crappy photos.
Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer was like a miracle for me. With it, I could take close ups that were startlingly clear – not every time, of course, but MOST times. And, in combination with a fast shutter speed, the Image Stabilizer helped me to get some great shots – even action shots – of my test subject, my dog.
With my adjusted criteria list, I did some more research that led me to the Canon PowerShot SX120IS 10MP. One of Canon’s newer models, the PowerShot SX120IS puts ease of use in the forefront of its advertising. It fit all of my criteria and at a decent price.
I haven’t had this camera for very long, but I’m already thrilled with it. The Easy Mode is actually EASY! What a concept! The LCD screen is larger than what I’ve used previously and makes it easier for me to judge if the picture I just took is relatively clear. The Image Stabilizer continues to be my new best friend.
Good points:
IMAGE STABLIZER!!
Fast shutter speed
Genuinely easy to use
Small size
Decent price
Bad points:
I’m so happy with my choice that I can’t think of any right now!
If I was a serious photographer, I may well have chosen a more comprehensive camera (with all those features and symbols only serious photographers can decipher). But for my level of use and my personal needs, this one does a terrific job and didn’t overly strain the budget. Yeah!
Recommended.
Rating: 5 / 5
I have been debating whether to get a point-and-shoot that is ok, or an SLR that is fantastic. I couldn’t justify spending mega$$$ on an SLR because I’m not that sophisticated a photographer. But I have been unhappy with point-and-shoots that are so slow you miss the picture and that have only a “mini-zoom” feature. But the Canon SX120IS solved it all. First, it’s a lot less expensive than an SLR. And with the image stabilizer and a really fast shutter response time, I can catch the action before it’s over! It takes great close-ups, it has 10X optical zoom, and it has lots of other cool features I can’t wait to learn how to use. Plus the LCD screen is large and the controls are easy to use. My only disappointment is that it has no view finder and in some bright light conditions it is hard to see the screen. But overall, I give it thumbs up!
Rating: 4 / 5