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8.5 out of 10

Canon PowerShot SX200 IS

12.0 megapixels

Information found in: from 146 sources in 29 countries

Great Deal: $271.00

  • User Score (1143)
    8.8 8.8 from 1143 reviewers
  • Expert Score (34)
    7.9 7.9 from 34 reviewers
  • Design (6)
    8.0 8.0 from 6 reviewers
  • Value for money (50)
    8.4 8.4 from 50 reviewers
  • Features (62)
    8.7 8.7 from 62 reviewers
  • Ease of use (74)
    8.8 8.8 from 74 reviewers
  • Performance (33)
    8.5 8.5 from 33 reviewers
  • Picture quality (76)
    8.7 8.7 from 76 reviewers
  • Durability (3)
    7.9 7.9 from 3 reviewers
  • Reliability (6)
    9.6 9.6 from 6 reviewers
  • Overall quality (9)
    8.5 8.5 from 9 reviewers
  • Battery performance (11)
    8.1 8.1 from 11 reviewers
  • Display (31)
    8.4 8.4 from 31 reviewers
  • Video quality (16)
    8.8 8.8 from 16 reviewers
  • Ergonomics (31)
    7.4 7.4 from 31 reviewers
  • Equipment (10)
    8.5 8.5 from 10 reviewers
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  • Score Distribution

Experts:
9-10
(9)
7-8
(21)
5-6
(4)
3-4
(0)
1-2
(0)
Users:
9-10
(602)
7-8
(246)
5-6
(55)
3-4
(26)
1-2
(38)

  • Expert Reviews

  1. Camera Labs

    Camera Labs
    8.5/10
    1 April 2009

    That’s the dream of the pocket super-zoom camera: small enough to take anywhere, but sporting an impressive zoom range that covers almost every conceivable situation, from wide-angle panoramas to serious telephoto Read more

    • 12x zoom in a pocket camera., HD movies in the 720p format., Full manual control over exposure., Good auto mode and helpful hints.
    • No optical zoom while filming video., Flash always raises at power-up., Pointlessly slow 0.8fps ‘burst’ rate., Some coloured fringing in corners.

  2. Digitaltrends

    Digitaltrends
    8.0/10
    24 March 2009

    It can't match DSLRs on speed, but many other features make the SX200 a fine traveling substitute. Traveling photographers are a picky bunch. Read more

    • 12MP; 12x wide-angle zoom; optical image stabilization; HD vids
    • Relatively slow; noise at ISO 400 and above

  3. Imaging Resource

    Imaging Resource
    16 September 2009

    The Canon PowerShot SX200 is a versatile photo companion, packing a 12x zoom that gets to 336mm, an image processor that can track faces in motion, a wide selection of recording modes including Manual, HD video with an HDMI Read more

    • Great features for the price, 12x optical zoom is smooth and sharp, Long zoom range for a relatively small camera, Excellent image quality, Low distortion, Good LCD accuracy, Well-controlled color rendition, High resolutio...
    • Flash pops up when camera is on, Somewhat soft at closest macro setting, Moderately high chromatic aberration at wide angle; not a big factor in printed images, Softer corners at telephoto, Lens doesn't go as wide as some ...

  4. What Digital Camera

    What Digital Camera
    8.7/10
    25 May 2009

    Features The SX200 IS features a 12 x optical zoom with an equivalent focal range of 28-336mm. It has optical image stabilisation, with a 1/2.33in CCD sensor at 12.1MP. It has a 3in LCD with a resolution of 230K. Read more

    • PASM control, wedge shape design, control layout
    • Permanently popped-up flash, unnatural colours, high-ISO detail mush

  5. neocamera.com

    review.neocamera.com
    6.0/10
    29 September 2011

    The compact ultra-zoom category is now populated with numerous models from several manufacturers. Among these the SX200 distinguishes itself as one of three current models to feature full-manual controls and the only one to... Read more

    • 12X Wide-angle optical zoom in compact body, Good lens sharpness, Excellent white-balance, Reliable exposure, Generally low noise, Low optical distortion, Accurate but slow focus, Good LCD visibility, Generally responsive,...
    • High image softness above ISO 100, Oversaturated colors, Chromatic aberrations, Narrow lens aperture, Weak flash, Flash recycles slowly, Flash always pops up, Short battery-life, Slow shot-to-shot speed, Slow continuous drive

  • User Reviews

  1. Lens Error, Restart Camera

    Amazon
    2.0/10
    Reviewer: A. Cantu, Amazon
    4 March 2010 See Product at Amazon ($306.49)

    After only 5 months my this camera has quit working for me. I'm getting the now infamous "Lens Error, Restart Camera" message and apparently there is nothing Canon will do about it. Read more or see product

  2. Canon PowerShot SX200 IS

    10/10
    Reviewer: crabbydude, pcworld.com
    3 weeks ago

    Incredible value for a point-and-shoot. A ton of manual and creative options, and the lens breadth (very wide at wide angle) allows this to meet virtually all of my photo (and video) needs Read more

    • awesome feature set, great zoom capability, video works better than many camcorders
    • flash always pops up

  3. Awesome Camera

    J&R
    10/10
    Reviewer: Ike, J&R
    28 January 2010

    This Camera is the best of its kind. Large zoom for size with easy to use controls. Great quality pics. It's a little heavier and bulkier than other smaller cameras but this is obviously due to all of the features it... Read more

    • Easy To Use, Good Image Quality, Good Image Stabilization, Good in Low Light, Great Zoom, Large Clear LCD, Nice Body Color, Short Lag Time
    • Large

  4. "Love it!! High-quality pics and an amazing mega zoom."

    CNET
    9.0/10
    Reviewer: deedisanto, CNET
    14 November 2010

    I've had this camera for a year and have taken it to a ton of concerts, vacations, and have used it around the city. It always produces quality pictures and videos and I can't stress enough how amazing the 12x optical zoom... Read more

    • Great for everything! Landscapes, concerts, close-ups, people shots. The zoom is unreal and it always produces high quality pictures. HD video is amazing and works great with the zoom. Battery life is excellent. Makes you ...
    • Being bulky can sometimes be an inconvenience but for me I think it just adds to the feel that it isn't your average camera. Pop up flash gives it an old school feel which I love but others may not.

  5. Nice Camera

    Newegg
    8.0/10
    Reviewer: MrRuckus, Newegg
    14 April 2010

    It takes great pics once the settings are right. HD video looks nice and is in MOV format, but once you zoom in via HD video, the quality goes out the window. Read more

    • Nice Camera. Build Quality to me seems solid. Buttons give off a loud and stirdy click. The viewing screen is nice and large. Image Stabilizer works awesome for HD video as well as stills. Even the flash is motorized, heh.
    • Getting the right Shutter Speed and picture quality/angle can be rough. They should just make it where it will set the picture to the highest avail res at the shutter speed you choose, instead of it just giving you a red s...

  • WikiFreak Description

Canon PowerShot SX200 IS

The Canon PowerShot SX200 IS is a mid-level compact point-n-shoot that has built-in flash, 12x Optical/4x Digital/48x Combined Zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer System. It is a 12.0 Mega pixel, 1/2.3-inch type CMOS sensor camera with a focal length of 5.0-100.0mm f/2.8-5.7 (35mm film equivalent: 28-560mm), with a focusing range of 1.6 ft./50cm-infinity (W) and 3.3 ft./1m-infinity (T) for normal mode, 3.9 in.-1.6 ft./10-50cm (W) for macro and 0-3.9 in./0-10cm (W) for super m…

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Canon PowerShot SX200 IS

The Canon PowerShot SX200 IS is a mid-level compact point-n-shoot that has built-in flash, 12x Optical/4x Digital/48x Combined Zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer System. It is a 12.0 Mega pixel, 1/2.3-inch type CMOS sensor camera with a focal length of 5.0-100.0mm f/2.8-5.7 (35mm film equivalent: 28-560mm), with a focusing range of 1.6 ft./50cm-infinity (W) and 3.3 ft./1m-infinity (T) for normal mode, 3.9 in.-1.6 ft./10-50cm (W) for macro and 0-3.9 in./0-10cm (W) for super macro. It has a 2.8-inch TFT color LCD widescreen with wide viewing angle 230k LCD display, with f/2.8 (W) - f/5.7 (T) aperture and 15-1/3200 sec. shutter speed. The camera is compatible with various external storage device and supports DPOF Version 1.1 file format, JPEG, MOV (image: H.624; audio: linear PCM (Stereo)) video format for up to 3648 x 2736 (stills) and 1920 x 1080 (30 frames per second) movie recording. The camera has USB 2.0 hi-speed mini-B jack interface, is HDMI compatible, measures 5.02 x 3.48 x 3.45 in./127.5 x 88.3 x 87.7mm and weighs approximately 20.6 oz. / 585 g (camera body only).

Features

The PowerShot SX1 IS allows users to create full HD movies (1920 x 1080 pixels at 30 fps) and has an HDMI output for playback of video and photos on HDTV. It also features Canon’s 28 mm wide-angle lens that allows users to shoot any scene from wide-angle to telephoto. A 20x optical zoom (35 mm film equivalent 28-560 mm) minimizes camera shake and maximizes the brilliance in detail. The camera uses a USM (Ultrasonic Motor) for high-speed, quiet, energy-efficient lens movement. Focal length is indicated on the lens barrel. The camera’s 2.8 inch LCD widescreen is a high-resolution screen for composing shots and playback. It also features Night Display for viewing in low light, an electronic viewfinder for close-up shots with the Super Macro shooting mode, capability to shoot images without JPEG compression i.e., in RAW. The images are transferred directly to the computer where they can then be edited using image adjustment software or a processing application to adjust the images. The camera can also be set to allow the simultaneous recording of both RAW and JPEG images while shooting. This camera also features DIGIC 4 Image Processor that delivers Face Detection Technology that finds and tracks the faces of moving subjects, focuses and automatically adjusts exposure, flash and white balance for natural skin tones and properly exposed backgrounds.

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  • Manufacturer's Description

Impressive New Features Bring on the Fun.Creating gorgeous images is more fun than ever with the sleek, impressively equipped PowerShot SX200 IS, elegantly designed in three new colors. Capture close-up, wide-angle shots with stunning 12x optical zoom. Experience the unprecedented image quality and point-and-shoot convenience of Smart AUTO, along with enhanced operability and an intuitive new menu. HD shooting at 1280 x 720 pixels with HDMI output lets you see all the…

Specifications

  • Alternative names
    SX200IS
  • Format
    Compact SLR-like
  • Max resolution
    4000 x 3000
  • Low resolution
    4000 x 2248, 3264 x 2448, 2592 x 1944, 1600 x 1200, 640 x 480, 320 x 140
  • Image ratio w:h
    4:3,16:9
  • Effective pixels
    12.1 million
  • Sensor size
    1/2.3 " (6.16 x 4.62 mm, 0.28 cm²)
  • Pixel density
    43 MP/cm²
  • Sensor type
    CCD
  • ISO rating
    Auto, 80 ,100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
  • Zoom wide (W)
    28 mm

Release Date

  • First seen
    8 February 2009

Ask the community

Need more advice? Ask the community a question.

Questions asked: 5 Answers: 3

Previous questions about this product

  • Delay after pressing button

    I bought the Canon SX200 IS last year. I love so much about it except for one thing. If I'm indoors and taking a picture with a flash, there is a HUGE delay from the time I press the button until the picture actually takes. In auto mode, if I hold down the button, it takes 2 to 3 seconds (I timed it!) until it takes the picture. I've tried holding the button halfway to focus first, and I've tried just skipping that and just immediately holding the button. I've tried some other settings and just don't know what I'm doing wrong. It's so bad that I avoid taking posed shots because everybody just kind of sits there with their smiles wilting waiting for the picture to be taken. I know this isn't normal, so I must be doing something wrong. Any suggestions?

    (No answers yet. Write an answer!) 2010-07-23

  • Does this camera have a sports mode or burst mode

    (No answers yet. Write an answer!) 2009-10-15

  • user review

    Answered by harlequinn1 2010-05-03:

    Sorry - thought I was in FAQs and typed this in what I thought was the search bar. Don't know how to delete. So never mind.

  • Burst Mode

    Does this camera have a sports mode or burst mode

    Answered by DiAnneWood 2010-07-23:

    Yes, it has a sports "scene" and also can take multiple shots rapidly by using the burst

  • Canon PowerShot SX200

    Am a novice photographer... is this camera okay to take pics from bleachers at a high school football game?

    Answered by Bobby 2009-09-14:

    Yes, you can take pictures form bleachers at your high school football game with the camera. It has a reasonable ISO speeds and 12X optical zoom lens, which reaches from 28mm on the wide-angle end to 336mm on the telephoto end.

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