Canon PowerShot SX230 HS (Black)
Manufacturer: Canon Part number: 5043B001AA
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- Bottom Line:
- If you want a compact megazoom with manual controls, GPS, and excellent photo quality, the Canon PowerShot SX230 HS is a good place to start.
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Dell Home and Home Office | ![]() | In stock Free Shipping! | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 05/21/2012 |
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CNET editors' review
Canon PowerShot SX230 HS (Black) price range: $279.99 - $299.00
- Reviewed by: Joshua Goldman
- Reviewed on: 03/17/2011
The good: The Canon PowerShot SX230 HS has good low-light photo quality for its class; excellent color; shooting options that encourage experimentation; and great-looking video quality.
The bad: Its shooting performance, though good, lags behind the competition as does its GPS functionality. The battery life is short and the overall design could use some help, too.
The bottom line: If you want a compact megazoom with manual controls, GPS, and excellent photo quality, the Canon PowerShot SX230 HS is a good place to start.
The PowerShot SX230 HS is Canon's top compact megazoom featuring a 28mm-equivalent wide-angle lens with a 14x zoom. It's the same lens used in 2010's SX210 IS and the body is for the most the same, too. The major change is to the camera's imaging sensor; the SX210 had a 14-megapixel CCD while SX230 has a 12-megapixel back-illuminated CMOS. Without getting into the technical differences, what you need to know is that the new sensor produces better low-light photos and has faster shooting performance than that of its predecessor. Canon also built in a GPS receiver for geotagging your photos while you're shooting--a first for a PowerShot.
However, while its photos--and movies--are pretty great for its class, the SX230's shooting performance is a bit behind the competition. Its lens isn't as wide or as long as similarly sized models and Canon doesn't do as much as others with the GPS capabilities, either. Plus, everything about the design that was off with the SX210 is still off with the SX230. You'll have to decide if my issues are deal breakers for you, though, because it's otherwise a very good compact megazoom.
| Key specs | Canon PowerShot SX230 HS |
|---|---|
| Price (MSRP) | $349.99 |
| Dimensions (WHD) | 4.2 x 2.4 x 1.3 inches |
| Weight (with battery and media) | 7.9 ounces |
| Megapixels, image sensor size, type | 12 megapixels, 1/2.3-inch backside-illuminated CMOS |
| LCD size, resolution/viewfinder | 3-inch LCD, 460K dots/None |
| Lens (zoom, aperture, focal length) | 14x, f3.1-5.9, 28-392mm (35mm equivalent) |
| File format (still/video) | JPEG/H.264 (.MOV) |
| Highest resolution size (still/video) | 4,000x3,000 pixels/ 1,920x1,080 at 24fps |
| Image stabilization type | Optical and digital |
| Battery type, CIPA rated life | Li ion rechargeable, 210 shots |
| Battery charged in camera | No; wall charger supplied |
| Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, Eye-Fi SD/SDHC cards |
| Bundled software | ZoomBrowser EX 6.7/PhotoStitch 3.1 (Windows); ImageBrowser 6.7/PhotoStitch 3.2 (Mac); Map Utility 1.0 (Windows/Mac) |
The SX230 HS has some of the best photo quality I've seen from a compact megazoom, particularly at higher ISOs. While photos do get softer and noisier above ISO 200--typical for point-and-shoots--ISO 400 and 800 are still very usable. The noise and noise reduction are well balanced so you still get very good color and detail at these higher sensitivities. Colors desaturate some at ISO 1600 and 3200, subjects look very soft, and detail is greatly diminished, but photos are still usable at small sizes for prints or on a computer screen. Basically, if you need to shoot in low light or want to freeze action, this camera is one of the best options in its class.
There is some asymmetrical distortion on the left side of lens visible at its widest position. When the lens is extended there is slight pincushion distortion, but it's barely discernible. Sharpness is very good and consistent from edge to edge and in the corners--pretty rare on a compact megazoom. The SX230 exhibits a high amount of fringing around high-contrast subjects. It's typical of compact cameras, but the amount is above average for its class, visible even when viewed at small sizes.
Color performance is a strong point with the SX230 HS. Everything turns out bright, well-saturated, and reasonably accurate. Exposure is generally good, though it really struggles with highlights, blowing them out every chance it gets. White balance is fairly accurate, too, but Auto goes warm indoors. You're better off selecting the appropriate preset for your lighting or using a custom setting.
Video quality is also excellent. It shoots in full HD, but it's at 24 frames per second. That's not ideal for shooting fast-moving subjects as you'll see some judder that's typical of the video from most compact cameras. The same goes for quickly panning the camera. Otherwise the results are impressive, even at its lower resolutions. The zoom lens does function while recording, but you will hear the movement in quiet scenes. There are stereo mics on front, but the left mic is too easily blocked if you're not paying attention to your hold on the camera.
| General shooting options | Canon PowerShot SX230 HS |
|---|---|
| ISO sensitivity (full resolution) | Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 |
| White balance | Auto, Day Light, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Underwater, Custom |
| Recording modes | Smart Auto, Easy, Movie Digest, Portrait, Landscape, Kids & Pets, Scene, Creative Filter, Movie, Manual, Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Program |
| Focus modes | Face Detection AF, Center AF, Tracking AF, Manual |
| Macro | 2 inches to 1.6 feet (Wide) |
| Metering modes | Multi, Center-weighted average, Spot |
| Color effects | Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Custom Color |
| Burst mode shot limit (full resolution) | Unlimited continuous |
Shooting options on the SX230 HS run the gamut from simple point-and-shoot options to full manual controls. The manual shooting options are better than most compact megazooms. You get semimanual and full manual control over shutter speed and apertures as well as manual focus with a safety for fine-tuning. Apertures include f3.1, f3.5, f4, f4.5, f5, f5.6, f6.3, f7.1, and f8. With the lens fully extended, you only get three settings, though: f5.9, f7.1, and f8. Shutter speeds can be set from 15 seconds to 1/3,200 second (1/2,500 is the fastest with the lens extended). There are options for setting color saturation, sharpness, and contrast, too, and the flash strength can be easily adjusted. A flash exposure lock, which adjusts flash output for what you're focused on, can quickly be activated as well; it functions well for keeping the flash from blowing out subjects.
If you just want to point and shoot, there's Canon's Smart Auto, which determines the appropriate settings based on the scene you're shooting. An Easy mode works similarly, but heavily limits settings. Frankly, the Smart Auto is easy enough and this spot should have gone to a custom mode. Canon also put on the mode dial three popular scene selections--Portrait, Landscape, and Kids & Pets--and a SCN choice for accessing other scene settings like Low Light, Beach, Foliage, Snow, Fireworks, and Panorama Stitch Assist. There's an Underwater option, but it's for use with an optional casing; the camera is not waterproof. Canon includes its Smart Shutter option to the Scene mode, too; this includes a smile-activated shutter release as well as Wink and Face Detection Self-timers. Wink allows you to set off the shutter simply by winking at the camera and the Face Detection option will wait till the camera detects a new face in front of the camera before it fires off a shot. Both work well.
Canon's Creative Filters are now all located under a spot on the mode dial. The filters include Canon's standard Color Accent and Color Swap options as well as Toy Camera Effect, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, Fish-eye Effect, and Miniature Effect. While some may find these to be a bit goofy, they can be a lot of fun to play with, if only to add some interest to what would otherwise be a boring shot. I particularly liked the results from the Toy Camera Effect, which has Standard, Warm, and Cool settings. All but the Toy Camera and Fish-eye are available for movies. Also available for movies is a high-speed option for capturing 30-second slow-motion clips at 120 or 240fps at resolutions of 640x480 and 320x240 pixels, respectively.
This model also has a new Movie Digest mode that records a few seconds of VGA-quality video before you take a picture. The camera then takes all of those clips for a day and strings them together into a single movie recapping your day. Since it's a separate mode you have to remember to use it regularly throughout the day. Also, because it automatically stitches the clips together, if there's something you don't want, you'll have to edit it out yourself. It would be nice to have the option to create the movie or just store the clips as well as have it create a movie with the photos you took inserted between the clips. Still, the result is actually cooler than I thought it would be; you just really have to pay attention to what you're doing before you shoot a picture for it to be good.
Though it doesn't focus as closely as others in its class, the SX230 HS is a capable macro shooter. You can get within 2 inches of your subject and come away with some nice fine detail as long as you keep your sensitivity below ISO 200.
One of the biggest benefits to CMOS sensors is their fast speed compared with CCD sensors. That's certainly true of the SX230 HS, getting a noticeable performance jump from the CCD-based SX210 IS. On the other hand, it is slightly slower than CMOS-based compact megazooms from other manufacturers. The camera goes from off to first shot in 1.6 seconds with shot-to-shot times averaging 2.4 seconds without flash and 3.6 seconds with flash. Its shutter lag--the time it takes from pressing the shutter release to capturing a photo--is 0.4 second in bright lighting and 0.8 second in low-light conditions. The SX230's burst mode is capable of capturing at 2.2 frames per second, with focus and exposure set with the first shot. It can shoot until your memory card fills up, though, which is nice; competing cameras have a burst limit and make you wait while images are stored before you can shoot again. The camera also has a continuous with AF, but it is really too slow to be useful for sports or other fast-moving subjects. The camera also has a high-speed burst mode that can shoot 3-megapixel photos at up to 8.1 frames per second. The results are very good compared with similar modes on other cameras I've tested, suitable for small prints and definitely for Web use.
The SX230's design doesn't change much from its predecessor; it basically looks like an extra large PowerShot Elph, and kind of a dull-looking one at that. The 14x zoom lens front and center is the only thing keeping this from being slipped easily into a tight pocket; there's no problem dropping it in a handbag or coat pocket, though. Still, you'll probably want to invest in a protective case or risk scratching the fine finish of the metal shell. Canon continues to make the flash pop up every time you start the camera, regardless of the camera's settings. (Simply putting a finger on it when powering on will keep it from coming up, too, hopefully not damaging the lift mechanism.) With the flash up, the camera is very awkward to hold because you don't really have anywhere to put your fingers. The LCD is decently bright, but I still had problems seeing it in direct sunlight. Also, despite being 3 inches on the diagonal, you'll only be using 2.5 inches for framing your shots unless you switch to one of the camera's 16:9 wide-screen resolutions.
The camera's controls are a mix of good and bad; they're also a bit small and cramped for larger hands. On top is the shutter release and zoom ring. When gripping the camera, your thumb sits on the sizable shooting mode dial. It clicks firmly into each selection, so there's little risk you'll inadvertently change modes. The power button is positioned above the right edge of the LCD and close to the mode dial. Depending on the size of your thumb, it can be a little difficult to press.
Directly under the dial are a dedicated record button for movies and a playback button. Below those is an unmarked Control Dial/directional pad. Touch the dial and a button description displays on screen so you know which direction to press to change flash, exposure, self timer, and focus settings. The dial allows for fast navigation and for quick changes to aperture and shutter speed in the manual and semimanual shooting modes. It moves freely, but you can feel individual stops when rotating it. In the center of the dial is Canon's standard Func. Set button for accessing shooting-mode-specific options and making selections. Under the dial are a Display button for changing the shooting or playback information that's shown on screen and a Menu button for basic operation settings. In all, operation is straightforward, but you'll certainly want to read the manual, which is in PDF format on the bundled software disc.
Including a built-in GPS receiver makes the SX230 HS competitive with the high-end compact megazooms from Sony, Panasonic, Fujifilm, and Casio. However, those manufacturers offer greater functionality; Canon uses it to geotag photos with elevation, longitude, and latitude data and updating the camera's clock. It can also keep a log file of your travel, e.g. the path you take while walking through a city. But that requires you to leave the GPS on all the time and make sure it's always able to connect to satellites. So if you go indoors and forget to shut off logging, your battery will continue to drain. Canon didn't make it easy to turn on and off either, burying it at the bottom of the camera settings menu. Plus, there's no mention in the manual as to what the camera does should you lose your connection. Does it automatically search again? Do you have to go into the menu and turn the GPS off and on again to get it to refresh? If it refreshes on its own, how often will it search until it gets a signal?
Should you want to connect to a computer, monitor, or HDTV, there are Mini-USB and Mini-HDMI ports on the body's right side. The battery and memory card compartment are on the bottom under a nonlocking door; however, the door closes firmly. The battery does not charge in camera and its life is fairly short, hastened by using the zoom, GPS, burst shooting, and capturing movies. You'll want to invest in a second battery.
Conclusion:
The Canon PowerShot SX230 IS might not be the fastest compact megazoom or have the longest lens. It's also Canon's first crack at putting GPS in a PowerShot and it shows. However, its photo quality is excellent for its class and with all of its shooting options, including semimanual and manual modes, it's a great choice for beginners and enthusiasts or as a family camera.
(Smaller bars indicate better performance)
| Time to first shot | Typical shot-to-shot time | Shutter lag (dim) | Shutter lag (typical) |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
Find out more about how we test digital cameras.
User reviews
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Excellent tourist camera - purchased for trip to Italy.
by HoldemRFoldem on October 14, 2011
Pros: I was looking for one camera that would do it all and the Canon SX230 has come a lot closer than I thought possible to doing it all. Video and audio were extraordinary for this size and type of camera. The audio response was outstanding. 24 fps video i
Cons: 1. Dust. Dust accumulated on the internal lens elements. It appeared first as a fine dust on the extension tubes of the zoom lens. I don't think it was from my pocket or camera pouch because the dust didn't appear anywhere else on the camera. In hind
Summary: 1. This camera surpassed my expectations as a traveling camera. I saw many people struggling with their giant SLRs and lens cases and was quite happy and content to be ...
Summary: 1. This camera surpassed my expectations as a traveling camera. I saw many people struggling with their giant SLRs and lens cases and was quite happy and content to be carrying this camera (I've been there with SLRs and I don't intend to ever carry one again.)
Dust. Dust accumulated on the internal lens elements. It appeared first as a fine dust on the extension tubes of the zoom lens. I don't think it was from my pocket or camera pouch because the dust didn't appear anywhere else on the camera. In hindsight, I think it might be aluminum filings. It is my opinion that the operation of the zoom lens generates dust internally and on the extension tubes. It may be just something that only happens during a break-in period, but the dust remains in the internal lens structure and the quality of pictures is affected . I am sending the camera back to Canon to have the internal lens components cleaned. Hopefully, this is only a break-in period problem as the dust seems to have stopped accumulating. I suggest that owners of this camera be careful to wipe-off or blow-off any dust accumulation on the lens tubes when the camera first being used.
2. All the talk about short battery life is apparently due to the GPS feature. If I were roving about a National Park or sailing the deep blue seas, I would turn the GPS on and use it. Otherwise, it is just a gadget to be left off. I took well over 1000 pictures in 10 days, including video, and never used even half the battery life in a day.
3. All the talk about the flash being troublesome is nonsense. It took about 10 pictures to get comfortable with holding the camera so the flash doesn't pop-up. If it does pop-up, the lightest touch closes it. It is actually a kind of clever implementation of the flash feature - and I didn't find myself "flashing" in a single cathedral or chapel.
Updated on Oct 14, 2011
Updated on Oct 22, 2011My faith in Canon is restored! I called Canon. They provided me with a pre-paid UPS shipping form and the camera was returned on the third day following. No charge for shipping or repairs. It appears that the entire lens was replaced, so my camera may have just been a manufacturing exception.
After dealing with other retailers and manufacturers in the US, I gotta say that I am amazed at the prompt and effective response by Canon. Even with the problem, I would buy this camera again, especially because I know that the manufacturer backs it up.
There has been no dust accumulation on the repaired camera.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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One awesome all purpose camera
by Pigwifi on June 22, 2011
Pros: Extremely good in low light condition (photos)
Video recording in HD
Easy to use interface
14X optical zoom
It comes in pink:)Cons: 1080P video isn't at 30fps
A bit bigger than compact point and shoot
Flash popup location is akwardSummary: I'm not sure what the editor was talking about. I bought an extra battery just in case. I didn't really need it. The battery life was perfectly fine ...
Summary: I'm not sure what the editor was talking about. I bought an extra battery just in case. I didn't really need it. The battery life was perfectly fine for every eventual day on my vacation. I did tons of stuff with the camera in those 7 days and I didn't even cover a fraction of the camera's capability.
Let's start with the image from the cmos sensor (if you discriminate against cmos sensor, there is no need to read further, but you are missing out) produces extremely sharp photos. Unless you are a top professional protographer, you aren't gonna do better with a DSLR. The camera handles low light condition extremely well. I can take a picture in candle light condition and it'd look like day light. Why was this good for me? Well, if I turn on the flash, I will get a good focus on the subject, but the background will be dark. Without the flash, I will get a full picture of the subject and the background as if it was under day light!
I have seen some complaints about 1080P not doing 30 fps. That included me. Frankly, it really didn't matter much. It could be that I wasn't taking any action videos (tennis games maybe?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST1rB1-pNJE There....check that out yourself. If that doesn't look good to you, get a real video camera:)
(make sure you view it in 1080p instead of the youtube default of 360p, and make sure you have the bandwidth)2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Perfect for travelling
by GeithElliot on February 23, 2011
Pros: wide angle screen, great lcd resolution with 460k pixels and 14 x zoom makes it all the easier for taking photos
Cons: the video recording is limited to 24fps, could be improved
Summary: This one was a gift from my best friend, so its all the more special to me. With a 12.1 MP and 14 x zoom it is perfect for ...
Summary: This one was a gift from my best friend, so its all the more special to me. With a 12.1 MP and 14 x zoom it is perfect for vacations. A very interesting feature of this camera is the movie digest mode which easily combines all the photos of a day into a video. Apart from this their is a pretty cool option of this GPS tracker thing that tells the place date and time when the picture was taken. This camera has definitely made travelling more fun. so instead of my huge dslr I just have to make space in my pockets for this compact cam.
2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Huge positive surprise! Perfect Pocket Camera!
by cdmikelis_2 on July 2, 2011
Pros: - Excelent in low-light: Camera avoids flash until it can
- Tons of effects, like HANHELD NIGHTSCENE, "tiltshift" effect, color effects
- Most of effect can be used with EXCELENT video. Rrealy great HD resolution (I have XHA1 and I'm saying that)
- QualitCons: - Zoom is jumpy, not so fast as I would like and it "ponders" for a second to start zooming
- DUST is enemy of this camera: I have it for a week and already have few dust particles INSIDE of lens! Lens rings are from harsh aluminium, and they collecting dSummary: This little Canon SX220HS (SX230HS with GPS) is neat little camera to have always in pocket. But be awarem that fron panel of lens can be bent realy easy, and ...
Summary: This little Canon SX220HS (SX230HS with GPS) is neat little camera to have always in pocket. But be awarem that fron panel of lens can be bent realy easy, and than shutter win not open. I just pulled plate out with nail (so thin aluminum). Perfect pisture in literally every situation you could imagine. For fist time with compact camera I did shots (almost) without flash in any situation. If my eyes saw it, camera capture it (resonably well). Night scenes, portraits, full 14x tooms; all without tripod and flash. There is for shure adequate mode for scene you want to capture. I bought non-gps model, investing in another battery. GPS is (probably) waste of effort for most of people. Reviewing and editing images in the camera is realy easy with a LOT of option, even for video. Video is something better I saw from any small cameras (even big ones like Fuji HS20EXR). It have absolutely NO visible jello effect even in full zoom handheld. Fucus stays firm even in lov light. Lowlight video is usable better than any action camera I tried (particularly from the most well know one!!). Zoom is rather bulky and jumpy, but in video is smooth like silk, not interfering focus. Image stabilisation is as great (or greater considering size), than my Canon XHA1 I have. I'm impressed. For PAL users 24p is almost good enough, but having 24p instead of 30p ensures no visible compression artefacts. Video resolution of full HD is (I dare to say) better than my HDV camcorder. VGA size 120fps video is still better than most of older cameras vhic VGA mode vas only video mode. It's usable. HIGH SPEED BURST is realy great. Most of people (like me) will actualy never need more than 3M pixel image. For printing it's optimum size. For large wall plots this is not camera to go with, for crooping - well It have moore than needed zoom, level marks (rulers) - for picture correcting - it's my first compact camera I do not need to correct pictures that I would be happy with them. They are just great like they are. I lived with Canon A400 for a long time, than with several FUJI cameras. This is far better. I need moore qulity and information at every pixel, not more pixels. So in next ten years I hope zoom and pixel count will not increase, but sensors and lens.
sorry for tons of misstyped letters and not perfect English.
Great camera recommended to all.
Updated on Jul 2, 20111 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great features in a small size, exceeds my expectations
by PhantomTeg on March 22, 2011
Pros: Small size for such a large zoom
Sharper image quality when compared to rivals
lots of features
GPS data logging
Great backup for the SLR loverCons: Where flash pops up gets in the way, need to adjust the way you would typically hold a point and shoot.
Littler thicker than most other point and shootsSummary: Has tons of features, takes great daylight and very good lower light shots, been the camera I've been waiting for to backup my SLR on trips has a large ...
Summary: Has tons of features, takes great daylight and very good lower light shots, been the camera I've been waiting for to backup my SLR on trips has a large zoom as well.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Just received my SX230 and so far I love it.
by turnbub on January 26, 2012
Pros: Sees almost like the naked eye and I assume it's the CMOS processor. The image stabilization is excellent. "AUTO" is INTELLIGENT in that if you shoot something very close it switches to close-up automatically, etc.
Cons: None so far - some say it's kinda thick for a point-and-shoot, but that is necessary for the LONG ZOOM. For myself, I find it kind small to hold .... or is that a "PRO?"
Summary: The SX230 will replace my old 6X zoom, and will be a very handy fit-in-my-pocket, go-on-trips camera when I don't want to take the big DSLR. I have found ...
Summary: The SX230 will replace my old 6X zoom, and will be a very handy fit-in-my-pocket, go-on-trips camera when I don't want to take the big DSLR. I have found CANON great to deal with and that was a big plus in choosing this unit.
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Easy, Fast, Durable, Feature-rich
by SamsungConvert on December 4, 2011
Pros: solid build, compact and smart design, feature-rich, great auto-focus, low light photos turn out great, battery life is actually really good, physical settings, manual mode is great for a compact, time between shots is quick
Cons: video shooting could be improved, i'm still getting used to the menu (formally used nikon cameras), color on camera was okay but i've seen better
Summary: great value (i paid around $200) for the number of features, especially the manual mode. also, if you don't like to mess with a lot of settings, the auto ...
Summary: great value (i paid around $200) for the number of features, especially the manual mode. also, if you don't like to mess with a lot of settings, the auto mode is the best i've personally used.
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Good camera.
by aristide555 on September 12, 2011
Pros: - Picture quality is not superlative, but good for most P&S occasions, if you are looking for real photography, you need to add more $$$. The camera is very decently fast between pictures.
- Flash does NOT pop up at every power up, you just need to keCons: - I would have like some more (simple) controls, like having an explicit macro mode.
- Battery is on the short.Summary: Good and very functional camera for simple (i.e. most likely) situations while traveling and for everyday occasions.
Good camera
Updated on Sep 12, 2011Summary: Good and very functional camera for simple (i.e. most likely) situations while traveling and for everyday occasions.
Good camera
Updated on Sep 12, 2011 -
I love this one
by chandanshetty01 on September 8, 2011
Pros: This is my first digital camera and i love the snaps taken from it the photos look natural, low light snaps are good. I just took the an snap of flower using auto mode by focusing and zooming that flower it just looks awesome that auto focus and zoom qual
Cons: But the flash pops up every time when i turned on they should have been managed that intelligently. As others told the lens are vulnerable to dust(I dont no much about other cams how it is)
Summary: If anybody going for ultrazoom camera... And want to take snaps creatively(There is manual mode support), low light photos .
Summary: If anybody going for ultrazoom camera... And want to take snaps creatively(There is manual mode support), low light photos .
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Performs quite well in the dark.
by flyspy on May 12, 2011
Pros: I did use the low light mode and it was still a bit grainy, however while using night mode out doors I really I got sharp clear images.
Cons: Low light mode was still a bit grainy. The flash is located in an inconvenient place and the battery drains quite rapidly.
Summary: Overall, I really have enjoyed these features and am getting used to the the placement of the flash. I have a full account of the powershot on: http://www.articlesbase....
Summary: Overall, I really have enjoyed these features and am getting used to the the placement of the flash. I have a full account of the powershot on: http://www.articlesbase.com/visual-art-articles/my-personal-account-and-review-of-the-cannon-powershot-sx230-hs-4756197.html
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Canon
- Part number: 5043B001AA
- Description: The PowerShot SX230 HS takes great images anywhere with HS System, a 28 mm wide-angle 14x optical zoom and Full HD movies. GPS tags your shots and logs your journey making it the ultimate travel compact.
General
- Product Type Digital camera - Compact
- Enclosure Color Black
- Resolution 12.1 megapixels
- Optical Sensor Type CMOS
- Total Pixels 12,800,000 pixels
- Effective Sensor Resolution 12,100,000 pixels
- Optical Sensor Size 1/2.3"
- Digital Zoom 4 x
- Image Processor DIGIC 4
- Image Stabilizer Optical
- Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
- Auto Focus Points (Zones) Qty 9
- Digital Video Format MOV,
iFrame,
H.264 - Image Recording Format JPEG
- Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080
- AV Interfaces HDMI,
Composite video/audio Exposure & White Balance
- Light Sensitivity ISO 3200,
ISO 1600,
ISO 800,
ISO 100,
ISO 200,
ISO 400,
ISO auto - Exposure Metering Evaluative,
Center-weighted,
Spot - Exposure Modes Program,
Automatic,
Shutter-priority,
Manual,
Aperture-priority - Shooting Programs Handheld night shot,
Snow,
Beach,
Underwater,
Stitch assist,
Foliage,
Kids & pets,
Low light,
Fireworks,
Portrait mode,
Landscape - Special Effects Miniature,
Vivid Blue,
Vivid Green,
Vivid Red,
Posterization,
Toy camera,
Vivid,
Fisheye,
Black & White,
Sepia,
Neutral,
Darker Skin Tone,
Lighter Skin Tone,
Monochrome,
Color Accent,
Color Swap,
Custom Effect - White Balance Automatic,
Presets,
Custom - White Balance Presets Daylight,
Tungsten light,
Fluorescent,
Cloudy - Max Shutter Speed 1/3200 sec
- Min Shutter Speed 15 sec
- Exposure Compensation ±2 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps
Lens System
- Type 14 x,
Zoom lens - 5.7 mm - 18.8 mm - F/3.1-5.9 - Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera 28 - 392 mm
- Focus Adjustment Automatic
- Macro Focus Range 2 in
- Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
- Lens Construction 10 groups / 12 elements
- Features UA lens,
Aspherical lens,
UD glass,
Built-in lens shield Camera Flash
- Camera Flash Built-in
- Flash Modes Fill-in mode,
Slow synchro,
Auto mode,
Flash OFF mode,
Red-eye reduction - Features AF illuminator
- Effective Flash Range 2.5 ft - 11.5 ft
Additional Features
- Continuous Shooting Speed 0.8 frames per second,
1 frame per second,
3.2 frames per second,
8.1 frames per second (3Mpix) - Self Timer Delay 2 sec,
10 sec - Additional Features HS System,
Display brightness control,
In-camera red-eye fix,
Scene Detection Technology,
Face Detection AF/AE/FE/WB,
Smart Flash Exposure,
Wink Self-timer,
I-Contrast (Intelligent Contrast Correction) system,
Face Detection Self-timer,
Smile Detection technology,
Exif Print support,
AF lock,
DPOF support,
Built-in GPS,
RGB primary color filter,
Safety zoom,
Digital tele-converter,
Smile Detection Auto Shutter,
AE lock,
Histogram display,
Camera orientation detection,
PictBridge support,
1080p Full HD movie recording,
USB 2.0 compatibility,
Direct print Display
- Type 3 in LCD display
- Display Features Built-in
Microphone
- Microphone Operation Mode Stereo
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Hi-Speed USB,
1 x Composite video/audio output,
1 x HDMI output - Memory Card Slot SD card
Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type None
System Requirements for PC Connection
- Operating System Support Apple Mac OS X 10.5 - 10.6,
MS Windows XP SP3,
MS Windows Vista SP1,
MS Windows 7,
MS Windows Vista SP2 - Peripheral Devices USB port,
CD-ROM drive Miscellaneous
- Microsoft Certifications Compatible with Windows 7
- Included Accessories Battery charger,
USB cable,
Wrist strap,
Audio / video cable - Body Material Metal
Software
- Software Canon ZoomBrowser EX,
Canon PhotoStitch,
Drivers & Utilities,
Canon ImageBrowser Battery
- Supported Battery Canon NB-5L
- Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery ( Included )
Memory / Storage
- Supported Memory Cards SDHC Memory Card,
MultiMediaCard,
SD Memory Card,
MultiMediaCardplus,
SDXC Memory Card - Image Storage Normal,
Fine JPEG 4000 x 3000,
JPEG 4000 x 2248,
JPEG 4000 x 2664,
JPEG 2816 x 2112,
JPEG 2816 x 1880,
JPEG 1920 x 1080,
JPEG 1600 x 1200,
JPEG 1600 x 1064,
JPEG 640 x 480,
JPEG 640 x 360,
JPEG 640 x 424,
JPEG 2992 x 2992,
JPEG 2112 x 2112,
JPEG 1200 x 1200,
JPEG 480 x 480 - Video Capture MOV - 1920 x 1080,
MOV - 1280 x 720,
MOV - 640 x 480,
MOV - 640 x 480,
MOV - 320 x 240,
MOV - 320 x 240 Dimensions & Weight
- Width 4.2 in
- Depth 1.3 in
- Height 2.4 in
- Weight 6.9 oz
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 32 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 104 °F
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year
Main Features
- Image stabilizer feature Optical stabilization helps prevent blurry pictures, especially for handheld cameras at slow shutter speeds or when using high optical zoom.
Product series
-

Canon PowerShot SX230 HS (Black)
Manufacturer: Canon
Specs: Compact,
12.1 megapixels,
28 - 392mm F/3.1,
14 x x,
Zoom lens - 5.7 mm - 18.8 mm - F/3.1-5.9,
1/2.3",
CMOS,
Optical -

Canon PowerShot SX230 HS (Red)
Manufacturer: Canon
Specs: Compact,
12.1 megapixels,
28 - 392mm F/3.1,
14 x x,
Zoom lens - 5.7 mm - 18.8 mm - F/3.1-5.9,
1/2.3",
CMOS,
Optical -

Canon PowerShot SX230 HS (Blue)
Manufacturer: Canon
Specs: Compact,
12.1 megapixels,
28 - 392mm F/3.1,
14 x x,
Zoom lens - 5.7 mm - 18.8 mm - F/3.1-5.9,
1/2.3",
CMOS,
Optical
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Canon products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Canon
- Address:
One Canon Plaza, Lake Success, NY 11042 - Phone: 516-328-5000
- Email: mediacontact@cusa.canon.com



