Canon PowerShot SX700 HS Digital Camera (Black)..
Grab Now Canon PowerShot SX700 HS Digital Camera (Black) By Canon
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61 of 63 people found the following review helpful.
By Photo-Am
For the recent few years Canon has made great efforts to improve their travel-zoom compact cameras, and the new SX700 is their next remarkable achievement on that way. It's a little bit bigger than its predecessor (SX280) but it is very well built and has an attractive look and feel (I like the black one). It also got a new front grip which makes one-hand shooting more convenient, even when shooting video, since the Video button was moved from the back to the top and you can now use your thumb solely for holding the camera.
Here is a brief list of the new camera pros & cons:
PROS:
* A very good design and build quality with the attractive finish.
* A new powerful 30x optical zoom lens in just a pocket-size body.
* Incredible range from 25mm wide to 750mm telephoto for stills and video.
* Zoom Framing Assist - very useful new feature to compose your pictures at long telephoto.
* Very effective optical Intelligent Image Stabilization for stills.
* 5-axis Dynamic Image Stabilization and continuous AF for movies.
* New 16MP high-resolution, high-speed CMOS Sensor.
* The recent DIGIC6 processor with a new advanced Noise Reduction algorithm.
* Intelligent Contrast system to retain shadow detail in high contrast scenes.
* Full HD 1920 x 1080, 60 fps progressinve movie recording in a popular MP4 format.
* Good-quality stereo microphones facing the subject being recorded.
* A dedicated Movie-button for instant recording, now on the top of the camera.
* A new high-resolution 922K, 3" display.
* WiFi and NFC (Near Field Communication) features for transferring files to your smartphone or tablet.
* Short startup time (just about 1 sec) and no any noticeable shutter Lag.
* Almost the same battery (NB-6LH) as for SX280 (NB-6L) - old one works fine .
CONS:
* Slightly bigger and heavier than its predecessor SX280.
* A new Noise Reduction algorithm is more aggressive on low-contrast areas.
I'm basically a photo-amateur, but sometimes I do big prints and so my first priority is the image quality, and in particular its clarity at the pixel level. That's why my recent travel-zoom cameras consequently were SX230, SX260, and SX280, since Canon is doing all their best to preserve the fine details of the picture even at higher ISO's. With my recent SX280 I took many good pictures - sharp and clean, with nice colors, however while doing some research regarding the new SX700 camera features and characteristics I got a number of reasons for upgrade which I would like to share with you. Actually there are 3 main reasons: 30x Zoom Lens, 16-Megapixel CMOS sensor, and the advanced DIGIC 6 processor with the new Noise Reduction Algorithm.
LENS: A new powerful 30x optical zoom lens with an Optical Image Stabilization, which spans an incredible 25-750mm equivalent range in a pocket-sized body, is a significant improvement over the SX280's 20x range. The real achievement is that the aperture of the new lens at its maximum 30x telephoto end drops to almost the same (F/6.9) value as of its predecessor at only 20x (F/6.8), what means the additional zoom will not cost you the increased ISO and therefore will not bring more noise to your pictures.
On the other hand, when wide-open, the new lens provides slightly better aperture - F/3.2 than the older one - F/3.5, what gives you some advantage for shooting in low light conditions. The new SX700 also introduces an interesting feature - Zoom Framing Assist, which should help with composing shots of far distant subjects. I have to play with it for a while to find out how it actually works.
SENSOR: The newly designed 1/2.3" CMOS sensor can produce 16 Megapixel images while having actually 17 MP - it seems extra pixels are needed to provide additional digital image stabilization along with the existing optical one, what would be very helpful for shooting with such a long zoom. From the prospective of the image resolution, it is nice to step up from the prior 12 MP to the new 16 MP especially for landscape photos, what allows to present more fine details and to make your pictures to look more natural than before. Of course, packing more megapixels into the same sensor size causes less light to be collected by each pixel, but on the other hand, Canon stated this new one is a "High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor" and also a new noise-reduction algorithm works more effectively, so such a resolution leap should not cause any noticeable deterioration in IQ.
I'm really thankful to Canon especially for the two design decisions: for years they were not following that crazy mega-pixels race; and they were not afraid to generate large (up to 10MB) jpeg files in "Large" mode to preserve as much fine details as possible. Having got such detailed jpeg files you can have much less regret of not having the RAW output, than if your camera always packed your pictures into just 2-3 MB with a lot of smearing and smudging in low contrast areas. On the other hand if you don't need so detailed pictures you can always select either "Medium" or "Small" file size.
NOISE REDUCTION: The Canon SX700 uses the recent Canon's DIGIC 6 processor, which was first introduced in the SX280 model and provided the improved noise reduction technique especially at higher ISO's. It's a kind of luxury for such a small camera to have such an advanced processor, and at the moment of writing this review only a few enthusiast's Canon cameras like G1X II, G16, S120 was equipped with that powerful picture processing engine.
Although both cameras SX280 and SX700 use the same processor, the latest model has more advanced Noise Reduction Algorithm which provides more smooth rendering of the low-contrast areas with significantly less visible noise. People say one picture is worth a thousand words, but the Amazon rules do not allow to include external links to pictures in the text of the review itself, however they do not mind them in the comments. So I put those links with the respective explanations into my own comments and so you can treat them as a part of this review. Actually you will find there the links to the two 100%-crop fragments of green leaves taken by the old and new camera respectively. While the most bright areas on both fragments look pretty much the same, the areas with less light on the older camera's shots show the noticeable noise, while the SX700's counterparts look almost clear, however a bit softer.
LOW_LIGHT: Both cameras have pretty similar and one of best on the market High Sensitivity (HS) system for taking pictures in low-light conditions with minimal noise. In many cases if you shoot even at the highest ISO and then browse those pictures on you monitor without additional cropping, you hardly can see any noise at all (since even Full HD monitors have resolution just about 2MP, and the most advanced - not more than 3-4MP). So from that prospective the difference between two cameras is not that big: the new SX700 provides slightly less visible noise (if any at all) but at the price of somewhat softer images, however all those imperfections of both cameras for most of the ISO range from 100 to about 800 in reality are visible only on the really big prints, and only above ISO-800 the smearing of the fine details becomes visible. So both cameras can be considered as good players in the low-light league. I took the 2 series of shots at high ISO with both cameras, and for the viewers convenience I put them as the 2nd part into my most first comment for this review.
SHARPNESS: The sharpness of the output jpeg pictures pretty much depends on the "Compression" settings: to get the maximum details you have to select the "Super Fine" mode, which will produce the jpeg files with the size up to 10MB. If you don't need big prints you can choose "Fine" compression which will result in jpeg files about 5MB or less for the full 16MP resolution. Be aware that with the "Fine" setting the pictures at 100%-crop will look significantly softer at any ISO, however if you browse them on your monitor in the full-screen mode they will look almost the same. Also if you're only going to upload them on Internet or make small prints, you can even choose instead of "Large" resolution the "Medium" one (actually there two of them - "M1" with 8MP and "M2" with 3MP) what will produce even smaller files and will give you more room on your flash memory card and hard disk.
So I took some comparative test shots with my both cameras SX280 and SX700 at the ISO-100, max resolution, and the Super-Fine compression in the range of the equivalent focal lengths from 25mm to 500mm. Since the both cameras have a pretty good noise reduction mechanisms, the noise is not visible on all those shots, and the only difference is in the effective sharpness, which can vary in the zoom range. I put the links to those shots into my comment on 04/10/14 with the respective explanations.
SAMPLE_PICTURES: I've uploaded some real-world pictures and you can get a link to them in my comment posted on 04/13/2014 with the respective title.
VIDEO: As the same as its predecessor, this camera can capture stunning 1080p 60p/30p Full HD video using a dedicated movie button which now resides on the top of the camera. And to provide sharp results the new SX700 is equipped with an Intelligent Image Stabilization system plus 5-axis Dynamic IS for steady movies.
So this new Canon camera is a very good compact device for taking nice still pictures and advanced video recording.
In the next few days I'm going to update this review with the new results of using my new SX700 camera.
30 of 30 people found the following review helpful.
By J. Morris
I was looking to replace my old Canon Powershot that's an ultracompact. While the size made it super portable, I needed something with more zoom capability and a better lens for low light conditions. I was willing to sacrifice some additional weight and size to get that. Don't get me wrong--this is no high end DSLR camera. I have a Nikon D90 for taking exceptional photos and that will be the camera I always go to for professional results. I wanted something far more portable that did not require a camera bag when traveling, biking and hiking.
I've had this camera for about a week now (purchased in Hong Kong while traveling). I was introduced to this while looking for a Lumix, but since they were out of stock they introduced me to this one. Since there were no reviews yet I tried a variety of shots within the store and was amazed how far the zoom worked and focus was very quick in situations. Low light photos look really good so far, but I need to experiment more.
The camera has a solid feel to it. Definitely weighs more than my ultracompact, but I knew that going into this class of camera. There are numerous features and the menu system can be a little daunting, but I tend not to get carried away with all of those special scene features. Although the ability for the camera to take a picture based on the introduction of a face, a face smiling or winking is pretty slick. LCD screen is beautiful and high resolution. I've even linked it to my iPhone5 over Wi-Fi and like the ability to transfer pictures so that I can post some immediately on Flickr or Facebook.
I have not taken many videos yet, but it looks nice so far. I do like the ability of having a separate button for videos in addition to the normal shutter release. Very handy when you just want to take a quick video without having to switch modes on the camera. However, the manual says you cannot change the zoom while taking video, so I want to verify that and make sure the focus keeps up. There is also a special mode where the camera will take short videos a few seconds long leading up to pressing the shutter release resulting in all of the clips being stitched together in one video. Again, another feature I have not tried much yet.
Also keep these few things in mind based on the questions I've seen here on Amazon so far. No memory card is provided. Most digital cameras for years do not include one as the options are huge and each person has their own needs on how much storage they need (and they're cheap). If you're looking for a good case, the Case Logic QBP-202 is a perfect fit (still allows you to store a small cable and some SD cards if needed).
22 of 25 people found the following review helpful.
By Frederick W. McManus
First, a confession. I do own this camera, but purchased it elsewhere because it was available prior to Amazon's availability date. I won't repeat much of what's already been said, but hopefully amplify a little. There's much to like about this camera: long 30x zoom, quick and accurate focus, true HD video, relatively good build quality. I concur with the majority of the pros I've seen in other reviews, but would offer a couple of cons that may be important to some potential buyers:
- TOKEN GRIP: While I'm sure the grip on this camera is better than the one on its predecessors, it's still hardly a grip. I've come close to dropping the camera a couple of times and always keep the strap around my wrist. In efforts to make the camera as small as possible, Canon has offered not much more than a token bump in the case. My old A650's grip is much better and, frankly, while it's physically larger, I don't find it unwieldy at all.
- STIFF MODE SELECTION DIAL: Don't think for a minute that you can change the mode without getting a good grip on the camera first and using both your thumb and forefinger to rotate the dial. It's stiffer than all get-out, small, and feels plasticky compared to every other Canon I've owned, and I've owned several.
- SUPER FINE RESOLUTION: Not available in Auto. What??!?! Not that going to Program mode in order to select it is the end of the world, but why, Canon, why? I see a significant difference in quality in many shots between the fine resolution provided in Auto mode and the Super Fine resolution that can be chosen in Program mode.
- FLASH RECOVERY TIMES: Still a wait-and-see, but they were pretty long on first powering up the camera, occasionally 3 seconds of seeing "Busy" on the screen between shots. Flash is not this camera's strong suit in any case. I have noticed fewer problems after shooting with the camera for several days, but remain leery.
- MANUAL FLASH SELECTION: Not only must you pop up the flash manually, but it's a tiny, inconvenient switch on the side where your hand will never naturally land. I have lost more than a few shots fumbling to get the darn thing open!
- BATTERY LIFE: It's relatively, well, miserable. I have yet to swap in the 1700 mAh spares I purchased, but hope they add a few exposures to what the supplied battery can provide. With an extra set of lithium AAs, my A650 will get about 1,300 shots at high (12 mp), super fine resolution, and I can shoot nearly that in a day away from stores where batteries can be purchased or recharged. I predict I'm looking at perhaps no more than 60% of that with the Canon battery and two fully-charged, higher capacity spares.
- OVERLY AGRESSIVE NOISE REDUCTION: I'd much rather do the retouching on my computer and be selective about how much to apply, and where. Sometimes detail with noise is more palatable than loss of detail and less noise.
None of these is a show-stopper for me, and there is indeed a lot to like, but I can't call this the best camera ever made. My A650 takes better pictures a significant percentage of the time and will continue to be in my camera bag until it eventually gives up the ghost. I had a 40D for a while with an L glass lens and it took significantly better pictures than either this camera or the A650, but lugging around a $3,000 brick didn't match my lifestyle. Choosing the SX700 HS is, I think, more about matching your lifestyle than it is about getting the best images for the buck.
UPDATE April 17, 2014: On first unpacking this camera and inserting the charged Canon battery, I immediately began to take flash photos. To my dismay, it took about 3 seconds before the "Busy" message disappeared from the screen and I was able to shoot the next shot. In an extended conversation with a very pleasant and helpful support tech at Canon, she ultimately found a new SX700 HS in the box, inserted a freshly charged battery, took a flash picture and sure enough, reported that it took nearly 5 seconds for the "Busy" message to disappear and the camera to be ready to take the next shot. Something inside the camera's flash mechanism needs an initial shot of juice before the flash works as expected. Perhaps if one takes just available light shots for several hours before using the flash this'll happen quietly and they'll never notice it. But if you take flash pictures straight out of the box, at least, be prepared for, but not alarmed by, this disconcerting behavior. Good news is, the problem does go away fairly quickly, and my camera no longer exhibits this problem.
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