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Introduction
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01.Product Tour
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02.Color
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03.Noise
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04.Resolution
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05.Video
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06.Sample Photos
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07.Playback
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08.Hardware
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09.Controls
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10.Design & Handling
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11.Nikon P90 Comparison
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12.Olympus SP-590UZ Comparison
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13.Sony HX1 Comparison
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14.Conclusion
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15.Photo Gallery
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16.Comments
Sample Photos
Sample Photos
In the following sample images, clicking on the larger image will download the full resolution original. Each photo is accompanied by four actual-size crops.
| Landscape Sample | ||||
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Focal length: 5mm Welcome to beautiful Davis Square, a short stroll from our offices in Somerville, MA. This was shot in program mode with the lens at its widest setting: notice the pair of bowed flagpoles in the middle of the image, demonstrating the barrel distortion revealed in our lab tests. There’s good detail across most of the image, though the edges give way to softness and chromatic aberration. |
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| Low Light Sample | ||||
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Focal length: 10mm These artificial flowers were dimly lit with only 40 lux of illumination and shot with the camera mounted on a tripod, with the ISO at the maximum standard setting, to check the effect of image noise on detail reproduction. The camera had some trouble coming up with a balanced exposure in evaluative mode, blowing out the white flowers, though a little exposure compensation would have ironed this out. All is not lost at ISO 1600, at least for modest-size reproductions, but pushing past ISO 800 with this camera should really be considered a last resort. |
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| Macro Sample | ||||
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Focal length: 5mm The SX1 macro capabilities are strikingly good, allowing exceptional close-up opportunities (in super macro mode, you can focus as close as you can physically get to the subject). In this case we taped a $20 bill to the wall, mounted the camera on a tripod about 2 inches from the currency and snapped away with a 2-second self-timer delay to prevent shaking. Yes, there are sharpness and color fringing problems at the extreme edges, but that’s why cropping was invented. Nearly the entire image is strikingly sharp. |
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| Color Sample | ||||
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Still Life Examples
| Still Life Comparisons | |||
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| Canon SX1 IS | Nikon P90 | Olympus SP-590UZ | Sony DSC-HX1 |
| ISO Low | |||
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ISO 80
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ISO 64
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ISO 80
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ISO 125
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| Canon SX1 IS | Nikon P90 | Olympus SP-590UZ | Sony DSC-HX1 |
| ISO 200 | |||
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| Canon SX1 IS | Nikon P90 | Olympus SP-590UZ | Sony DSC-HX1 |
| ISO 400 | |||
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| Canon SX1 IS | Nikon P90 | Olympus SP-590UZ | Sony DSC-HX1 |
| ISO 800 | |||
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| Canon SX1 IS | Nikon P90 | Olympus SP-590UZ | Sony DSC-HX1 |
| ISO 1600 | |||
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| Canon SX1 IS | Nikon P90 | Olympus SP-590UZ | Sony DSC-HX1 |
| ISO 3200 | |||
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| Canon SX1 IS | Nikon P90 | Olympus SP-590UZ | Sony DSC-HX1 |
| ISO 6400 | |||
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| Canon SX1 IS | Nikon P90 | Olympus SP-590UZ | Sony DSC-HX1 |
NOTE: The images above are not used in our testing or scoring, but are included here to show real-world examples of the differences between cameras at the various ISO settings.
Shop for the Canon SX1 IS
Latest News
& Reviews
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07-Feb-2012
Olympus OM-D E-M5 First Impressions Review
We’ve gotten our hands on Olympus’ latest bit of retro flavor, the E-M5. The camera will revive the famous OM line of interchangeable lens cameras with a digital spin. Read on for our full impressions after spending some time with this mix of old school and new. Read More...
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07-Feb-2012
Olympus reveals two new point-and-shoot models
Olympus has announced two new fixed lens models today, the long zoom SZ-31MR iHS and the durable TOUGH TG-820 iHS. This news arrives alongside the announcement of Olympus’ impressive new E-M5 which, conveniently, we’ve already had our hands on. Read More...
Top Rated Point & Shoots
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$462.251Panasonic Lumix FZ150
Excellent image quality, speedy performance, and a great design add up to the best superzoom that has ever graced our labs. That distinction seems to change hands every week, but trust us when we say that the FZ150 is a truly great camera. Read full 16-part review
$462.25TypesAny Zoom3,5.13.1x to 5x Zoom5.1,105.1x to 9.9x Zoom10,10x & Larger ZoomAny Megapixels0,8< 8 Megapixels8,108 to 10 Megapixels10,> 10 Megapixels -
$378.892Canon PowerShot SX40 HS
Canon's SX30 got a CMOS makeover that resulted in the SX40 HS, an impressive ultrazoom that captures beautiful shots in almost any scenario. Read full 16-part review
$378.89TypesAny Zoom3,5.13.1x to 5x Zoom5.1,105.1x to 9.9x Zoom10,10x & Larger ZoomAny Megapixels0,8< 8 Megapixels8,108 to 10 Megapixels10,> 10 Megapixels -
$428.003Sony Cyber-shot HX100V
This professionally-geared ultrazoom offers some of the best color accuracy we've ever seen. It's a shame the other scores weren't quite so strong. Read full 16-part review
$428.00TypesUltra-ZoomAny Zoom3,5.13.1x to 5x Zoom5.1,105.1x to 9.9x Zoom10,10x & Larger ZoomAny Megapixels0,8< 8 Megapixels8,108 to 10 Megapixels10,> 10 Megapixels16.8 MP -
$362.594Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47
Panasonic resists the urge to cram more megapixels and more focal length into their latest ultrazoom. The FZ47 instead focuses on image quality and features, resulting in an incredibly strong camera that we loved shooting with. Read full 16-part review
$362.59TypesAny Zoom3,5.13.1x to 5x Zoom5.1,105.1x to 9.9x Zoom10,10x & Larger ZoomAny Megapixels0,8< 8 Megapixels8,108 to 10 Megapixels10,> 10 Megapixels -
$429.005Canon PowerShot S100
Canon's PowerShot S100 improves on the popular S95 and takes its place at the top of the point-and-shoot food chain. Read full 16-part review
$429.00TypesAny Zoom3,5.13.1x to 5x Zoom5.1,105.1x to 9.9x Zoom10,10x & Larger ZoomAny Megapixels0,8< 8 Megapixels8,108 to 10 Megapixels10,> 10 Megapixels
Features
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DigitalCameraInfo New Year's Giveaway
Check back every day for the rest of 2011 to see what we’re adding to the grand prize package. It all starts with the Sony NEX-5N and ends with over $4000 in prizes! Read More...
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DigitalCameraInfo.com 2011 Select Awards
After a year of tireless testing and deliberation, we’ve made our selections for the very best cameras of 2011. Read More...
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