Canon PowerShot SX50 HS Digital Camera Review

Noise Reduction

The noise reduction algorithm is aggressive, so artifacting rates are low. Total image noise averages only 0.55% at minimum ISO, and this value stays below 1.00% until ISO 1600, which is a great result. Noise then continues its straight upward climb to 1.24% at ISO 3200, which is still manageable, before topping out at 1.60% at ISO 6400. Chroma and luminance noise are evenly distributed. More on how we test noise.

ISO Options

Default ISO sensitivity ranges from 80 - 6400, with no reduced resolution extended options available. Out of the most competitive cameras, only Sony's HX200V is capable of ISO 12800 in full resolution.

Focus Performance

Video: Low Light Sensitivity

Videos shot in low light must be done with care, because the sensor requires 20 lux of ambient illumination in order to gather a usable amount (50 IRE) of video image data. This is fairly average for a fixed lens camera, but the result lags behind Panasonic's FZ200.