Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

Resolution (9.66)

We test three component parts of overall resolution performance: distortion, chromatic aberration and sharpness. The SX1 rolled up a reasonable competitive score among these ultrazooms, though as a group this is not the strong suit of the product category.

Shown below are same-size crops taken from test images shot at three focal lengths; the widest setting, the highest telephoto and a mid-range length. The sharpness in the center of each image is quite good, though the edges are somewhat problematic, especially at the extreme settings. As for chromatic aberration, it’s apparent along the edges across the board, though clearly most pronounced at the extremes of the zoom range.

Overall, the Canon score was competitive with the others cameras tested, with exceptional distortion performance helping the Sony to receive the highest score in this section. More on how we test resolution.

Distortion (7.77)

The SX1 suffers from significant barreling at the wide end of the zoom range, with nearly 3% distortion (the effect can be seen in the foreground of the Landscape Sample in our Sample Images section). At the mid-range and maximum telephoto settings, though, there is only a trace of pincushioning that wouldn’t be noticeable without lab testing. Overall, the Canon outperformed the Nikon and Olympus here, trailing only the extraordinarily distortion-free Sony HX1.

Sharpness (12.76)

The SX1 suffers here in comparison to less aggressively zoomable cameras, though at normal viewing sizes the results are still acceptable, especially when you consider that achieving the same framing with a standard-zoom camera would require major enlargement after the fact, or a whole lot of running around while shooting. The best sharpness results in our SX1 testing were found at the center of images taken at the widest-angle setting, where we measured 1895 lw/ph horizontally and 1963 lw/ph vertically. In a head-to-head comparison, the best sharpness results were turned in by the Olympus SP-590UZ, the lowest by the Nikon P90, and the Canon and Sony were roughly equal in the middle ground.

Chromatic Aberration (4.77)

Here again, we found higher chromatic aberration among the ultrazooms than for cameras with less extensive ranges. The Canon scored lowest among our test cameras, with color fringing particularly noticeable when shooting at the full telephoto distance.

Quality & Size Options (9.08)

The SX1 supports two aspect ratios, 4:3 and widescreen 16:9, with a dedicated button to make the switch. There are six available image size settings for JPEGs in 4:3 mode, two when shooting 16:9.

There are three JPEG compression settings, Superfine, Fine and Normal. RAW file shooting is also available at 3648×2736.

Image Stabilization (18.73)

If you’re going to shoot handheld with a megazoom camera you’re going to need some help combatting shaky hands, even with plenty of available light. For the four tested cameras, our image stabilization testing produced interesting results: the Canon SX1 and Sony HX1 produced significantly sharper results with the image stabilization system engaged, while the Nikon and Olympus systems proved ineffective. Our testing scenario involves shooting a 1/30 second, about the slowest speed you’re likely to shoot handheld, with the IS system turned off and on, and comparing the resolution differences as measured using Imatest software.

The SX1 image stabilization system has three settings, in addition to Off. Continuous stabilization, as the name implies, remains active at all times, and you can see the effect on the LCD or in the viewfinder while shooting. Shoot Only mode works only when the shutter button is pressed. Finally, Panning mode attempts to counteract vertical movement only, for use when following a subject moving horizontally. More on how we test image stabilization.

Stabilization Comparisons
Canon SX1 IS	Nikon P90	Olympus SP-590UZ	Sony DSC-HX1
Stabilization Off
Stabilization On