Canon PowerShot SX10 Digital Camera Review

Canon PowerShot SX10

Digital Camera Review

Sep 23, 2008 - By Alfredo Padilla
The Canon PowerShot SX10 IS is a sophisticated 10-megapixel point-and-shoot with a huge optical zoom range (out to 20x) that would be an arm-breaking burden on a digital SLR or 35mm camera, but in this size is a portable pleasure for grabbing far away close-ups. Combine that telephoto power with extensive manual control options and you have a camera that should appeal to outdoor photographers, paparazzi wannabes and even current SLR owners looking for long-range shooting possibilities without the size and weight of an SLR properly outfitted for the task. The SX10 is scheduled to ship in October for $499.99. Here's our first impression of the camera based on hands-on experience at the Photokina show in Cologne, Germany.
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Canon PowerShot SX10

Model Design / Appearance
The Canon PowerShot SX10 IS is a consumer-oriented camera, and the relatively curved lines of the device reflect that orientation. Styled in a matte black the SX10 IS is most definitely not for those looking to slip a small point-and-shoot into a pocket. Instead, the large lens and hand grip are more reminiscent of an SLR.

Size and Handling
The Canon PowerShot SX10 IS is a substantial camera. Measuring 4.88 x 3.48 x 3.42 inches (124.0 x 88.3 x 86.9mm) this is definitely one of the larger non-SLR cameras you'll find. Still, the all-plastic construction does help hold down the weight a bit at 19.8 ounces (560g); given how bulky the camera is you'd expect it to weigh more. Speaking of expectations, you should expect to be carrying this camera around in a bag or on a shoulder strap.


The Canon PowerShot SX10 IS is large for a point-and-shoot,
but not quite up to SLR dimensions.


When held in the hand the surprisingly light SX10 IS fits comfortably in your right hand. This is aided by the nicely curved hand grip, although we would have liked to see some more texturing or padding on the grip rather than a slick plastic surface. In this position the thumb of your right hand will sit right above the Play, Exposure Compensation and AF Frame Selector buttons. You will need to shift a little to get to the 4-way control further down, especially those with smaller hands.

Menu
As with other Canon cameras the SX10 IS has two menu modes. The Function Set menu can be accessed by pressing the center select button of the 4-way. From here you can make quick adjustments to a familiar array of options including white balance, My Colors, Bracketing, Flash, Video Quality and Photo Size. Interestingly there's no option here for photo quality.


The main menu offers a tabbed interface with
a customizable Favorites tab.

The main menu can be accessed by pressing the Menu button below the 4-way, which brings up a tabbed interface that will also be familiar to Canon users. The plethora of options available here are somewhat alleviated by the customizable fourth tab that allows you to add our own commonly used options.

Ease of Use
The Canon PowerShot SX10 IS is a mixed bag in terms of ease of use. It's definitely a camera aimed at the high-end amateur photographer, with a variety of manual controls and options. That said it's easy enough to throw the camera into Automatic mode and just shoot to your hearts content without worrying yourself over things like ISO, aperture and shutter speed.

For more advanced photographers we found the SX10 IS is not as easy to use as a camera like the Canon G10, which has more dials and buttons for one-click access to important features like ISO and Exposure Compensation. Sophisticated photographers might find navigating a menu to change the metering mode, for example, an annoyance.

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