Canon PIXMA Printing Solutions MG7120 Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One Printer, Cloud Enabled, Black

Canon PIXMA Printing Solutions MG7120 Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One Printer, Cloud Enabled, Black..

Grab Now Canon PIXMA Printing Solutions MG7120 Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One Printer, Cloud Enabled, Black By Canon

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347 of 347 people found the following review helpful.
Review: Canon PIXMA MG7120 Color Photo Printer, Scanner, Copier
By Neil E. Isenberg
Canon PIXMA MG7120 Black/White/Red/Brown Wireless Color Photo Printer with Scanner and Copier

OVERVIEW:
-----------

This is a new sweet spot for the Canon PIXMA line with a lot of bang for the buck. This is the replacement for the still produced MG6320. The MG7120 has only been available since August 2013.

PROS:
------

- One more color than the MG5420/MG5320 models, GRAY, just like its MG6320/MG6220 predecessors. GRAY is for improved black and white results and to better darken colors. I haven't seen the difference gray makes with color pages, but some reviewers can.

- Has an ETHERNET connection, allowing a solid, simple shared/network wired connection that stays up even when computers are down. Its predecessors MG6320/MG6220 have it too, the MG5420/MG5320 models do not.

- One of the few models that comes in WHITE (as well as BLACK, RED, and BROWN). The MG6320 before it started the white model option and it was a hit.

- Has a handy separate 4"x6" and 5"x7" PHOTO PAPER DRAWER at the front. The year old MG6320/MG5420 models have this too, the older MG6220/MG5320 models before that did not.

- Like the MG6320 before it, the MG7120 is a bit shorter/squatter than the earlier MG6220, which for some is a nicer form factor if on a desk and certainly if on a deep shelf, for example. The new design ditches the rear paper feed to help achieve its new shelf friendly size and form factor. Listed in a section below are some alternatives with rear/straight feed.

- The 250/251 ink tanks, a little over a year old now, for the MG7120/MG6320/MG5420 also come in an XL SIZE now which reduces the page cost significantly. The ink in the 250/251 tanks are the same formula as in the earlier 225/226 ink tanks according to Canon support.

- The touch screen content-sensitive interface of the MG7120 and MG6320 gets rave reviews, however, I find the old interface of the MG6220 just as easy, but the unanimity of positive reviews for it suggests it really is much better for many.

- For copying/scanning the top comes easily off just like the MG6320 (unlike the previous generation MG6220).

- The MG7120 (and MG6320 and MG5420 models) have 2x the number of black ink nozzles as their predecessors the MG6220/MG5320 models. This allows more efficient use of black ink and greater dot accuracy.

- See "vs. MG6320" section below for details on printing directly from mobile.

- With 10+ years of having a number of their products I have always found Canon to have great customer service, which for U.S. customers appears to be based out of Maryland and Virgina.

LESSER PROS:
-------------

- 5-15% faster printing for the MG7120/MG6320 than the older MG6220 depending on b&w vs. color, quality, etc.

- Can print directly from CF memory cards on the MG7120/MG6320 models, unlike the older MG6220, if that is important to you. In addition can print from most SD/MMC/Memory Stick/xD-Picture card types, as always.

- I am leaving out a laundry list of features and specifications you can read on the Canon site to keep the review focused on the big defining features/differences of this model.

CONS/WARNINGS:
-----------------

- This is new (Aug 2013) and as such can be expected to have more issues than after some time passes. On the other hand, this may just be an incremental modification to the MG6320 and so may not have this issue as much.

- These 250/251 ink tanks are different for these newer MG7120/MG6320/MG5420 models than for the previous generation and thus are at this time (late 2013), a little harder to find available at stores, especially in XL sizes.

- For copying/scanning, the lid telescopes up for books only to the thickness of around a cellphone, whereas the MG6220 telescoped up to around twice that. On the other hand the top COMES OFF easily now with the MG7120/MG6320.

- NO BUILT-IN FAX, if this is important to you in an all-in-one. Perhaps you want to get a dedicated fax machine of your choosing near a phone line anyways, however if you are looking for a built-in fax the MX922/MX892 printers have one.

- NO ADF (Automatic Document Feeder), if this is important to you in an all-in-one. The MX922/MX892 printers have an ADF.

- No straight paper path. If this is important to you, consider the rear-feeding models like the MX892 listed in a section below. Keep in mind that the certified paper weight for non-Canon paper is still 17#-30# for MX892 and 17#-28# for MG7120, so not that much difference. Even the old MG6220 rear feed recommendation maxed out at 28#. For Canon Genuine Paper the MG7120 is certified up to 78#.

vs. MG6320 (Its Predecessor):
-----------------------------

- NEW: The MG7120 will automatically turn on if it is off when a print request is sent.

- NEW: The grinding noise of the MG6320 a minute or so after startup appears to have been greatly lessened in the MG7120, it is much quieter during that process whether or not you are in quiet mode. It may have been resolved in newer MG6320's, too, I haven't heard.

- NEW: The MG6320 required a wireless router to print from a mobile device. The MG7120 has an Access Point Mode which allows direct printing to the printer without need for a wireless router.

- NEW: The MG6320 allowed you to print directly (no computer needed) from Picasa, Canon Image Gateway, and Google Cloud Print. The MG7120 now allows you to also download apps to the printer itself that allow printing directly also from Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, DropBox, Evernote, and more.

- There is a specification error online suggesting some changes in the photo paper drawer and MMC card compatibility, but these are misprints, they are the same. The MG7120 and MG6320 are very similar feature-wise.

NEW MODEL NUMBERS CONFUSION
(as of late 2013):
---------------------------------

- The MG5520 you would think replaces the MG5420, however the MG5520 4x6 photo printing can be 110% slower, the copying can be 30% slower, has lower max color resolution, has lower max scanning resolution, and can't print on CDs/DVDs. Thus for 5 ink MG series solutions, MG5420 may still be the sweet spot.

- The MG6420 you would think replaces the MG6320, however the MG6420 is missing the gray tank, has no Ethernet, 4x6 photo printing can be 110% slower, copying can be 30% slower, has lower max color resolution, has lower max scanning resolution, and can't print on CDs/DVDs. Thus it is really the MG7120 that is replacing the MG6320 in my opinion.

SUGGESTIONS TO CONSIDER:
----------------------------

- See below consideration to select it not to automatically shut-off to reduce ink wastage.

- Consider choosing to print "Grayscale" when color isn't necessary, this can lessen the amount of color layering to get black (though the use of grey and colors is not necessarily eliminated). Canon feels the black is better with more color layering, you decide :).

- If the GRAY and ETHERNET (MG7120/MG6320/MG6220) is for sure useless to you and you'd like a SMALLER FORM FACTOR, you might consider looking into the MG5420/MG5320, which are otherwise somewhat similar.

- Use Canon paper when you need optimal results with their ink, and test matte vs. glossy. Matte is much less expensive and may meet most of your needs. Let me know in comments if anyone finds a comparable quality and yet significantly less costly photo paper for this printer, I'd like to test it out.

- When doing black & white, for example text, consider choosing the HIGH QUALITY setting (and perhaps set it as the default) in the printer page set-up, it really makes a difference (though it is slower and uses more ink).

- The Canon site has lots of easy to find product comparison information for these inkjets, you might consider reviewing it before committing on a model. There are errors of omission suggesting differences that are not there, if important you may want to double-check with Canon.

- In case of POWER OUTAGE, it is sometimes necessary to unplug it for A FEW MINUTES and then plug it back in. This allows capacitor discharge. Thanks to Karen for the heads up on this in a comment.

- As soon as you can after getting your printer, print samples of full color, b&w, borderless photos, print on a DVD if that's important to you, etc. Determine if you have a lemon before you get too busy with other things so you can exchange for a good one while it is easy to do. These are complicated machines with lots of parts.

INK USAGE:
-----------

Anyone researching Ink Jet Printers will likely be concerned about ink costs. Here are 6 things you can do to mitigate this with the MG7120:

- Buy the XL versions of the ink, this is supposed to reduce the cost per color page to a very competitive 13-14 cents per page (vs. 16-19 cents).

- As noted above, choose to print black and white or grey scale when that will do just fine. For some documents this can avoid black made from layers of colors. Canon says, for example, MS Word may print in black only with default text color but an Adobe graphics document not saved in a grey scale only format will likely use colors to try to faithfully reproduce the graphics.

- Turn off the automatic shut-off. Standby mode uses 1.0W, so on standby even all year uses around 9kWh/yr., so around $1/yr depending on where you live. This can help lessen the number of minute or so long cleaning routines as it runs around a minute after start-up and sometimes at shutdown. It runs the cleaning other times, too, which is good as it keeps ink from clogging.

- Avoid printing pages with solid or heavily colored background in color when possible.

- Some fonts use 20-40% less ink than others. According to a leading consumer magazine, Times uses much less than Arial which uses much less than Calibri, for example.

- Draft quality mode uses less ink than Standard (and is faster), and of course both use less ink than High quality mode. Note that text is much sharper at high quality.

NOTE #1: If there is no printing or cleaning routine at least once a month or so, select it to run a cleaning routine (easy to do) or turn it off and on to force it to once a month or so to keep the nozzles unclogged. If they clog talk to Canon support for what is often an easy solution.

NOTE #2: The MG6220, 2 quick generations back from the MG7120, had a low ink early warning bug. For example, when I take ink from a MG5320 and put it in a MG6220, the low ink warning bars show the ink as vastly lower. This helps exaggerate the appearance of high ink usage. Actual ink usage is high enough that this bug is pretty unwelcome. If it wasn't for a leading consumer magazine's highest photo quality rating for all-in-ones and their estimated page cost that wasn't crazy, and lots of other favorable reviews, I think this bug could have been much worse for MG6220 sales. This might make you feel better about MG7120's past lineage ink usage wise.

NOTE #3: Gray is supposed to go much faster than the rest, thus you wouldn't want to measure average speed of ink usage based on gray. I haven't tracked it in comparison to the other inks myself.

NOTE #4: Just an informative, probably not very useful factoid :). This model range of Canon inkjet doesn't do a big cleaning/purging after it prints, you are usually hearing head realignment. However, it does quietly "prime the head" to keep the heat from ink clogging the print head and this uses a little ink (even for B&W). This is much less ink than with the big cleaning/purging routine that is much rarer if you set the printer not to auto shut-off.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INK USAGE CANON DATASHEET:
------------------------------

As it is pretty difficult to find, here below is Canon's published Page Yield per Document numbers (I rounded a little) for MG7120. It is the same as for the MG6320.

I'm not sure how much of the difference between these numbers and users experience is due to the minute or so cleaning routine, difference between test and real world usage, etc.

Here at least you can see real world expected usage ratio between standard and XL cartridges and compare to costs to determine the better value.

----------

Mixed Text/Graphics, A4/Letter, Plain Paper, Adobe Reader 10
ISO/IEC24711 Test Method, ISO/IEC24712 Test Pattern:

PGI-250 __ 300 pages
CLI-251 BK 1100
CLI-251 GY 780
CLI-251 C_ 300
CLI-251 M_ 300
CLI-251 Y_ 300

PGI-250 XL __ 500 pages
CLI-251 XL BK 4,400
CLI-251 XL GY 3,300
CLI-251 XL C_ 650
CLI-251 XL M_ 650
CLI-251 XL Y_ 650

----------

Color Photos, 4"x6":

PGI-250 __ 3000 pages
CLI-251 BK 490
CLI-251 GY 120
CLI-251 C_ 160
CLI-251 M_ 160
CLI-251 Y_ 160

PGI-250 XL __ 3900 pages
CLI-251 XL BK 1120
CLI-251 XL GY 270
CLI-251 XL C_ 360
CLI-251 XL M_ 360
CLI-251 XL Y_ 360

----------

HOW MANY SHEETS DOES IT HOLD?:
-----------------------------------

- 80 sheets of standard 24# ink jet paper comfortably (tested).

- Supposed to hold 125 sheets of 20# (not tested). This is what most copier paper is. Some cheaper 20# has LOOSER FIBERS which is NOT AS INKJET FRIENDLY, I'd stick to paper with a surface designed for ink jets, which is usually also 24#. Of course, specialty Canon papers for photos or line art for inkjets are heavier (45#-93#).

- If using 28# paper, expect less than 80 sheets to fit, of course. Sheets whose surface is designed for laser writers are usually also 28#.

OTHER PRINTERS:
-----------------

For folks not as familiar with printers, I created this section to help delineate when you CLEARLY DON'T want a Canon ink jet printer in the popular 5320/5420/6210/6220/6320/7120/82XX model range at all. Perhaps it may help you find a good starting point to meet your needs.

YOU ARE ALL ABOUT PHOTOS, CAN
SPEND HUNDREDS MORE, AND DON'T
CARE ABOUT COPY, SCAN, ETC:

Consider checking these:
(per a leading consumer magazine and reviews)

- Canon Pixma Pro9500 Mark II
- Canon Pixma Pro1
- Canon Pixma Pro10
- Canon Pixma Pro100
- Epson Stylus R2000

YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT PHOTO QUALITY,
YOU WANT ETHERNET, SHARP B&W TEXT,
GREAT SPEED, AND LOWER PRINT COSTS

Consider checking out these lasers
as a starting point:
(per a leading consumer magazine or reviews)
Printers:
- Samsung Xpress M2825DW
- Brother HL-2270DW
- HP LaserJet Pro 400 M401n/M401dne
Multifunctions:
- Samsung Multifunction Xpress SL-M2875FW
- Canon imageCLASS MF4770n/4890dw

YOU CARE ABOUT PHOTO QUALITY, DON'T
CARE ABOUT GRAY, WANT ETHERNET, AND
MUST HAVE FAX BUILT-IN

Consider checking these:
- Canon MX922
- Canon MX892

YOU CARE ABOUT PHOTO QUALITY AND
CARE GREATLY ABOUT STRAIGHT/REAR
PAPER FEED BUT DON'T NEED TO
SPEND FOR A PRO-100/10/1

- Canon MX892 (released 2012)
- Canon MG6220/MG5320 (released 2011)
- Canon IP8720 (released 2014)
- Canon IX6820 (released 2014)

Hope that helps someone :).

141 of 143 people found the following review helpful.
Better than expected
By Alligator Jack
Had a Canon 4600 5 cartridge photo printer that printed beautiful photos exactly matching what I saw on my monitor. Also had a separate scanner that set on edge and was difficult to use. Decided to see if canon had an all-in-one that would take up less space on my desk and be able to scan easier. Checked Amazon as usual and found this wireless printer had just been released by Canon and was being carried by Amazon at a $35 promotion discount under their Prime free priority shipping program. Ordered one, put it on my desk in our bedroom, printed beautiful pictures and crisp email messages from my cell phone in the living room. Has one tray for 5x7 and 4x6 photo papers and another for letter, legal & envelopes. Tried everything. Everything works as well or better than advertised. Quality of photos and text exceptional. This may be due to the additional grey cartridge. Duplex printing quicker than my old printer. Also the printer has a quiet mode that I use. In fact, everything about this printer is better than any printer I have ever used. The installation instructions are precise, clear, easy to understand, and should be followed exactly. Do not try to wing it.
I liked this all-in-one printer so well I ordered and had one shipped free directly to each of 4 grandchildren as early Christmas presents. They love them too.
Just used printer for making a Hallmark birthday card for my wife. you only have to configure the printer once and it retains the configuration for future cards. Used Hallmark Program and Avery Card stock. Card printed beautifully. Colors accurate in colors and shading.

214 of 223 people found the following review helpful.
The Whole Truth on ink cost (please read & save lots of money). Ideal versatile printer. Does everything, installs itself.
By Mad Max
We have tested a LOT of printers - and at one point or another, we have owned every brand of printer.

I really wanted the MG7120 because I loved the last Canon PIXMA I owned. A fantastic versatile machine, great output, slim profile, and super cheap operating cost. But alas, but kids dropped the printer...TWICE! And it still worked!!!...but that second fall broke off the paper tray, so I ended up giving it away.

So the bottom line is, I love the MG7120 even more. This is the first printer that works exactly the way it should. It basically installs itself, maintains itself, does *everything*, beautiful print quality, extremely low operating cost, and versatile enough for home or office.

Yes it has some drawbacks but that doesn't prevent me from giving it 5 stars.

I could talk all day about this printer but here are some highlights:

CLOUD PRINT
If you haven't discovered the world of cloud printing, I strongly suggest downloading Google Cloud Print. You can cloud print with any printer, but this model comes cloud-ready (easier to install/use).

Basically, you can print from anywhere in the world (as long as your printer is turned on). You can also print from just about any modern phone (with the cloud print app). This makes life easier, and it takes about 30 seconds to install Google Cloud Print on your PC, phone, or tablet.

INK
The cartridges that came with the printer have got to be starter cartridges. This was annoying, they only lasted a few days. I recommend ordering ink right away.

The 6th ink cartridge (gray) seems to be a fairly new thing. I can only find this ink in 5-packs (not 6-packs - they are missing the gray), so the gray has to be purchased separately. Not a huge deal since ink is so cheap. This will probably change soon, but just be prepared.

And here's the cost-saving tip for ink:

Modern generics are high-tech. Often, they use the exact same pigments (come off the same assembly line) & use the same chipsets, so the printer recognizes them (well, maybe 95% of the time).

Here's the catch: As I write this (November 2013) this is a fairly new Canon model, so there aren't that many generic inks available. Basically, right now there is one dependable company - Printronic (links below). But give just 2 months, and there will be LOTS more companies making these inks, and the cost will come down even more.

So today, these are the average prices I'm finding for ink replacement: $18.50 per 5-pack ($3.70 per cartridge) and/or $4.66 each per black cartridge (which are twice the capacity of the colors).

Here are two good deals for ink replacement: ASIN # B00DMGF2Z2 & B00EA55G1E. Again, just keep in mind, these prices will be dropping dramatically at the first of the year. And also keep in mind, prices on Amazon fluctuate almost daily.

Biggest Con:

This printer seems to take forever to do just about anything. It set itself up completely on its own...but it said it would take 6-7 minutes, and really took about 25 mins. Booting up takes several minutes. It self-cleans every so often, which interrupts printing & takes several minutes. Powering down takes almost a minute. I still think this is worth 5 stars, but be prepared for this minor annoyance.

Some other notes:

* Sheet capacity is only about 50 sheets, and since we're using in an office setting we're refilling frequently. But the paper tray is super easy to pull out & restock.

* Touch screen controls is super easy. We've never had to connect the printer to the computer via USB, and we've never had to tinker with drivers or settings - everything is on-board through the touch-screen control.

* Scans are quick & easy, scanner works exactly as it should.

* Copy mode is super easy. Just select "Copy" on the touch screen, then press the black/white or color button. One-touch copying for simple jobs, but it also has

* The "special" paper tray handles envelopes, photo paper, and a variety of other unique print jobs.

* With minor tinkering, you can get it to print legal size and also special jobs like CD/DVD printing (though I haven't tried this - you need a printable disc to do this).

* This is almost twice as heavy as the previous PIXMA, and the footprint is bigger. But the unit is still light enough to move around if needed, and the footprint isn't anything to complain about.

* A final note - I believe this unit is worth every penny, at around $150. But if you're not quite certain you need all the bells & whistles (like the cloud print, & the gray ink for quality black/white photos), there are some less expensive PIXMA printers that work just as well for most people. For a small step down, check out the MX922 (around $120). For a starter model, try the MG5420 (under $90).

Hope this helped you save some time & money. Good luck!

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Canon VIXIA HF G20 HD Camcorder with HD CMOS Pro and 32GB Internal Flash Memory

Canon VIXIA HF G20 HD Camcorder with HD CMOS Pro and 32GB Internal Flash Memory..

Special Price Canon VIXIA HF G20 HD Camcorder with HD CMOS Pro and 32GB Internal Flash Memory By Canon

Most helpful customer reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful.
Well built, good camcorder
By M. Montana
I record a LOT of live performances, where its typically very dark, with fog and flashing lights/lasers. I think this is the most extreme that anyone could ever hope to record on a budget of under 20k. The G10/G20 are the ONLY non-pro camcorders that are usable for this. I have 4 camcorders total, so I will compare/contrast them in the context of how I use them.

1) Canon g20. G20 is essentially a g10 that has been fixed. Audio is MUCH better, Digital zoom has been removed (it was useless on the g10), Telemacro has been added. Powered IS has been moved to the touch screen and replaced with a 'Pre-Record' button (but this is changeable in manual mode), the low light seems a tiny bit better, side by side the g20 looks a tiny bit brighter than the g10, but where it REALLY makes a difference is the noise in the video. Shadows are cleaner/crisper.

2) Canon G10. This was the prime camcorder before I got the G20, I would try to hand record the entire concert on just this. With the other 2 camcorders as 'emergency backups' to clip to if I absolutely could not save a section of video (like someone walking in front of me, or a band member jumping off stage without me catching it). The Audio was beyond piss poor though, despite my best efforts it would always sound tinney, and lack on vocals.

3) Canon M30. I used this as the backup, Usually very dark and nearly unwatchable. Colors usually off. However, prior to the g20, this was the best source for audio, when connected to a shotgun mic. Audio is FAR better than the G10, but close to the G20.

4) JVC Everio 440US. Not even sure why I would bring this or set it up. Unless the lights were very bright, it just picked up noisy black, and the audio was tolerable, but far from good. It really was useless unless it was less than 2' from a person. During daylight its actually a GREAT camcorder, but has basically no low light ability.

I LOVE the new hood design, its nice having a cap built into the hood. Eye piece looks nicer.

Overall the g20 truly is a g10, specs are identical. I suspect there was a firmware update and very minor hardware changes to make the new model. I was actually trying to buy a second G10 when this hit the market. I was pleasantly surprised at the minor changes, but if you are buying this as an upgrade from a G10.... Maybe hold off till you can grab the g25 (pro model) or g30 (which supports 60p), otherwise you will likely be disappointed. It IS better than the g10, but not by enough to justify spending a grand to upgrade.

Some Misc info for people to consider buying with this:
58 mm uv filter (evena cheapo will be fine... just protects your lens from scratches/dirt/etc)
3000 mah wasabi extended battery pack, (works perfectly in this, shows time remaining, etc)
2x32 gig SDHC cards. Comes with 32gig built in, but its nice to know you have 3 separate places to record to. Plus the usb interface is slow for dumping video to a computer.

58 of 66 people found the following review helpful.
Fantastic camera! You won't be disappointed!
By Oscar Wilde
Right out of the box, it seemed very solid and high quality which one should expect for the price. The new lens hood not only works better, but also looks a lot cooler. The touch tracking focus works great and is extremely useful. In low light this camera really is just amazing. It's much better for that than any dslr I've used. The image stabilizer is very helpful. I have compared it to my dslr footage and it is MUCH more stable meaning you probably don't need a shoulder rig. I just wish that the focus ring was not so hard to turn because some times i mess up the video when trying to turn it really far. The only advantage for me when shooting with a dslr is that you get manual zoom. But it's still fine with this camera. Also, the battery that it comes with is very small, so I would recommend buying some extras. The off brand batteries will work great and it's super cheap. But other than those two things, this camera is just perfect. If you aren't super picky about audio than this is fine. But if your in a production business and need really good sound quality, you should look at the xa10.

I was a little hesitant to buy this because I thought it was going to have a deeper depth of field according to what I have read about camcorders in general. Someone also told me that camcorders don't have a shallow depth of field. When I first took it for the test, i was quite surprised. The performance was really pretty good, so don't be too worried about that if you like a shallow depth of field. Using manual focus is great and I can get a lot out of focus.

I don't think that it's weather proofed, but i have never had a problem and am never afraid to take it out in some snow which I do quite often. Like I said at the top, it is quite solid meaning it's pretty heavy compared to the other camcorders i was looking at below $1500. So if you want to go skiing with it and put it in your pocket, it will weigh down your jacket. So bringing a backpack if your going skiing or for a hike is a good idea.

I love using dslr's and were used to them. But now I can never come back to dslr's. Using this camera is just so easy and simple. You can start shooting so quick. The start up time is pretty good, especially compared to dslr's I've used. I know that some nikon's have auto focus for video, but there is no comparison. The auto focus on this camcorder is lightning, and i never worry about it in low light. Also, most dslr's that do auto focus during video is loud enough to ruin audio. And obviously, This is completely silent. And this makes the camera just that more simple and easy.

I am very happy with the camera so far. I have tried to upload some test video but it said that it wouldn't except the format. So if you already have a g10, than it probably isn't worth upgrading. But highly recommended and you will most likely be satisfied.

49 of 56 people found the following review helpful.
Great camcorder for the DSLR fan
By mkgraham
I thought I would never get a camcorder with all the high tech HD video modes of capture out there these days. I found using video on my Canon 5d mark II superb in quality but lacked real layman control. I missed being able to focus instantaneous in a shot and the form factor of a DSLR as a video camera definitely is not there for run and gun situations I am finding my self into chasing a 2 year old around. Sure you can spend money on an elaborate setup that can turn the DSLR into something like a camcorder but I like the compactness the likes of the G20 offered.

So enter the Canon Vixia HF G20. I was interested in a sub $1200 HD camcorder and I am always a first to want a new thing so in return, and you, get an early review having 2 weeks with it so far. From what I know the camcorder is exactly the same as the G10 predecessor except for the new HD Pro sensor that allows more light capture. So I preordered and at the same time ordered this great book (I know its for the G10 and XA10, but all the G20 has is the better sensor) - Professional Results with Canon Vixia Camcorders: A Field Guide to Canon G10 and XA10 Now with the camcorder, I am happy I have read the book and use little of the huge manual that came with the G20.

So far it has shocked me how well the camcorder takes video and although the controls do take a little time to master, the touch screen works well. Maybe they did improve on it from the complaints I read on the G10.

I did drop one star for two reasons. The battery that comes with it is terrible so you best splurge on the max capacity one Canon BP-827 Lithium Ion Battery Pack for Vixia HG, HF S & HF M Camcorders (Retail Packaging). Also I wish they included a shoulder strap to carry the camcorder around easily.

So I will promise to update in 6 months, but so far so good!

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Canon CLI-226 3 Color Value Pack Ink, Genuine Ink

Canon CLI-226 3 Color Value Pack Ink, Genuine Ink..

GET Canon CLI-226 3 Color Value Pack Ink, Genuine Ink By Canon

Most helpful customer reviews

115 of 124 people found the following review helpful.
...But I Have Black, Right?
By JAime
I learned the hard way that my Canon printer needs TWO black ink cartridges -- 226 BK and 225 PGBK. Apparently, one black (226) is used exclusively for images, and one (225) exclusively for text. When my PGBK cartridge ran dry, I thought the BK cartridge would take over, since it was still 75% full. Nope.

Now that I've purchased this combo pack, convenient as it is, the BK cartridge is gathering dust next to my printer, unused.

68 of 74 people found the following review helpful.
What the heck is Canon thinking!
By kitties1
I agree with most of the people that have written reviews. Believe it or not.....it costs less at times to purchase a new printer that comes with in than buying the ink alone. Our stores have this model on sale all the time. Actually ran into a guy the other day who had like 6 of them in his shopping cart and said.....yeah buying the printer for the ink.

So, what do you do with all the printers? I guess they all go to land fill, just what we need. Canon we like your product, so give us a break on the ink.......

107 of 121 people found the following review helpful.
Quality ink, but another dumb combo from Canon
By JB
I have always stuck with OEM ink, because the results and reliability are worth the extra cost to me (plus printer manufacturers are making it increasingly difficult to use non-OEM solutions).

However, it is beyond dumb to see the combos that Canon is offering for the new line of ink jet cartridges. In this case Canon gives you four color cartridges, but all of their current PIXMA printers take five or six - to get the Pigment Black or Gray cartridges you'll have to buy them separately and at a higher price. Plus this combo includes 50 sheets of paper that not everyone needs (I have plenty already). Perhaps Canon should ditch the paper and lower the list price of this combo by eight dollars - the amount this CLI-226 combo was increased over the CLI-221 combo it replaced.

BTW, the other package deal offered by Canon (PGI-225 BK/ CLI-226 C,M,Y 4 Pack Value Pack (4530B008)) is another strange combo that includes Pigment Black and three colors, but does not include Black or Gray.

Sorry, but it makes no sense whatsoever to not offer at least a 5-cartridge refill kit for a printers that needs 5 or 6 different inks - except that it lines Canon's pockets a bit more than it should. A kit that substituted Pigment Black for the paper would make more sense than this - or as I said earlier just get rid of the paper and lower the price significantly.

I also have to knock off a star because the new cartridges are opaque, which may have been done to thwart refillers but also prevents users from checking the ink level themselves.

Edit July 2011: When my Pixma MX860 printer recently failed I was looking at upgrading to the Canon PIXMA MG8120 Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One Printer (4504B002). But in large part due my dissatisfaction with the ink cartridges of the new Pixmas I went with a refurbished Canon PIXMA MP990 Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One Printer (3749B002) which uses the previous generation CLI-221 cartridges.

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Yongnuo YN-560 II Speedlight Flash for Canon and Nikon. GN58.

Yongnuo YN-560 II Speedlight Flash for Canon and Nikon. GN58...

GET Yongnuo YN-560 II Speedlight Flash for Canon and Nikon. GN58. By Yongnuo

Most helpful customer reviews

319 of 328 people found the following review helpful.
Hands down, a GREAT Investment!
By J. Patterson
This flash is excellent for SO MANY REASONS! If you are just beginning in photography, you should check out this flash. If you are a pro and you need either a back-up, a slave, something to experiment with, and/or if you love to work in manual, you should check out this flash. Yes, it doesn't have any automatic functions, but for the price to feature ratio, you get more than enough to up your game with flash photography.

I have been shooting as a pro for about 2 years now. Before that, when photography was just a hobby, my first flash was the Canon Speedlite 270EX Flash for Canon Digital SLR Cameras. Even though it helped, it was not by much however, my knowledge of strobist photography was non-existent at the time. After a while, I graduated to the Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras. When I got the 580EX II, I realized that I missed out on sooooo much just shooting with the 270EX. In addition, I ended up getting a Canon 430EX II Flash and the Speedliter's Handbook: Learning to Craft Light with Canon Speedlites. After studying this book, my photography has not been the same since.

Even though I love my 580 & 430, I could not afford to buy 2 or 3 more of those flashes and even if a miracle happened, how much harder would it be for me to replace those flashes if one or more is lost or damaged. So I did my research and came upon the original YN560. For a cheap flash, it had the best reviews I came across, especially for a flash under $100. I was skeptical at first because I was so used to Canon equipment, however, I thought $70 couldn't hurt me tooo bad. When I finally got one I was COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY!!!!! This is EXACTLY what I needed as a slave only flash! The build quality is similar to the 580, they take the same accessories, and it is just as powerful as the 580. I bought a second one that same day.

2 years after using the original YN560s, I saw that Yongnuo came out with the YN560III, which has a built-it receiver for the YN602/603 triggers! At one time, this flash wasn't in stock for almost 2 months because they were selling out SO FAST! As soon as they were available, I purchased as many as I could since demand was and still is crazy for this flash.

If you are a pro looking for a cheap flash, here are my reasons why I would recommend this flash to you:

1. YN560III has a built in radio trigger, which adds a crazy amount of convenience to your workflow!
2. YN560III has also 2 built in optical slaves modes, 580 has one but is limited to work with canon flashes only.
3. Cheaper to replace & add additional flashes.
4. Provides a sound when the flash has charged to fire again.
5. Similar build quality as the 580.
6. Accepts the same accessories as the 580.
7. Just as powerful as the 580.

If you are a beginner, and/or someone who is considering the cheap route when it comes to buying your first flash:

1. Built-In Radio Receiver.
2. The YN560III can be triggered by ANY on-camera flash, whether you have a professional camera or a simple point-and-shoot camera. Unless you have a Canon 7D or newer with a pop-up flash, triggering most of Canon's flashes have complex limitations.
3. Price to feature ratio.
4. Pretty much the same reasons why a pro would buy this flash!

If you are a beginner and are not aware of the 580EX II, it is a very good old school Canon flash. Take away the automatic functions and the weather sealing, you pretty much have the YN560III. If you are a pro, yet again, the YN560III is just a cheaper and manual-only version of the 580 (With a Built-In radio receiver!).

Also, as a comparison to Canon's new flagship model flash, the Canon 600EX-RT Speedlite Flash (Black), you can purchase 5 YN560IIIs plus a set of Yongnuo RF-603 C3 2.4GHz Wireless Flash Trigger/Wireless Shutter Release Transceiver Kit for Canon 1D/5D/7D/50D/40D/30D/20D/10D Series for the price of only ONE of Canon's own built-in radio flashes! Having an automatic flash with a built-in radio triggering system is AWESOME I must say however, you WILL PAY a large sum for Canon's system. Pretty much, five 560IIIs and one set of RF-603s is less than $500 total. 3 Canon 600EX-RTs and one ST-E3 transmitter is about $1,800 total! If you have the money and Canon equipment, go for the Canon system however, most people are like myself and cannot afford Canon's top notch system as of yet.

If you are a beginner, the reason why you want radio triggers is so your flashes can be triggered with fewer limitations. Triggering your flashes by radio waves is MUCH MORE RELIABLE than triggering them by a flash of light from a camera or another flash in general. The science and math behind how this works can get very technical and is much easier to understand if the system is seen in action. Check out YouTube for several examples of 'off-camera lighting.'

Also, for most photographers using off-camera flashes, you had to at one time, have a receiver for every flash you have; (You still do in some cases.) If you have 4 flashes, you would have to buy 4 receivers and also have a trigger on your camera. With the YN560III, you now only need one RF-603 Transceiver (a receiver & transmitter built into one device), which is awesome since you are saving money and also, you don't have to buy extra batteries for those receivers you would have needed before! NOTE: RF-602 and RF-603 triggers from Yongnuo are the only triggers compatible with the built-in receiver inside this flash. I hear that the RF-604 X2-C Wireless Flash Trigger for Canon EOS 1D series, 5D series, 7D, 6D 60D, 50D, 40D, 30D, 20D, 10D, 650D 600D 550D, 500D, 450D, 400D, 350D, 1000D Powershoe G10, G11, G12, G15 G1X SX50 may be compatible as well. NOTE: If you decide to purchase the Meyin 604, I hear that it only works on channel 16 with this flash, which might be a deal breaker to some ;-).

For a lot of situations, I only need to shoot with the YN560s. If I needed to have an automatic flash, my Canon flashes will do just fine. Also, I like the challenge and consistency of shooting in manual.

The YN560s work really well at weddings & events when you need multiple off-camera flashes to bounce light off of the ceiling to illuminate dark venues. Because they are relatively in expensive, being able to purchase multiple YN560s take the stress out of shooting in poorly lit conditions. Also, I've found that the more flashes I have, the more creative options I have like overpowering the sun, applying color gels, etc! Make sure you look up tutorials and books on strobist photography to learn this stuff! :-)

Truly, these flashes are one of THE BEST INVESTMENTS I'VE MADE TOWARDS PHOTOGRAPHY! I'm very grateful to God for being able to share some knowledge with you! I hope it helps. Take care and happy shooting!

473 of 490 people found the following review helpful.
Comparison to YN560 (mk I), Canon 580EX II
By MiRSD
EDIT: A problem that I didn't experience at first - while the LCD screen is bright and easy to read in most situations (looking straight at it), I found out that it's not so easy to read from other angles. For example, if you put it on an umbrella swivel (for an umbrella, beauty dish, softbox, etc..) and have it angled it can be impossible to read. If tilted 90 degrees forward, it appears as if everything lights up on it (the LCD screen uses something similar to a digital alarm clock - so it looks like "1/188" which allows the "88" to light up certain parts to form different numbers. So it could be 1/1, 1/2.. 1/16, 1/32, 1/64, 1/128) Again, the problem is that at odd angles (like 90 degrees forward) it appears as "1/188" instead of what the actual power is. On the other hand, tilting it 90 degrees backwards it will look blank.. so the viewing angle isn't great and creates some readability issues. Another example is if it's sitting lower to the ground and you're looking at it from a standing height it will appear blank. You need to bend down and look at a better angle to see the actual power. This could be considered a big downfall for some and does show that there is an advantage to the original YN560's LED system.
For comparison, the Canon 580EXII does have a similar issue but not nearly as bad. Tilting it 90 degrees forward it is still easily readable.

Over the last couple years, YONGNUO has made a name for themselves in the photography world. They've released some very nice, high quality alternatives to the "name brand" products out there as VERY nice prices. One of their better lines of items are their Speedlites (portable flashes).

I own and use many of their Speedlites - the YN460, YN460-II, YN465, YN560 and now the YN560II. I've used them for years and they all still work perfectly (the only issue was with a YN560 (original) that arrived with a broken zoom). For the prices they sell for, I find them to be very reliable. I have dropped them onto concrete from small heights (2-3 feet) and they continued to work fine.

Owning several of these, I'd like to compare them for anyone who was in the same situation as I was when looking for a flash. For the record, these units were purchased for:
YN560 - 70 bucks
YN560II - 100 bucks (NOTE: That was the price from a US Seller. From China they can be found for about 70 bucks, the same as the YN560)
580EXII - 500 bucks
Design:
Right off the bat, all 3 pretty much look the exact same. YONGNUO basically made a copy of the 580EXII mold (right down to including fake buttons on the sides which are REAL buttons on the 580EXII). The nice thing about this is that it means all accessories designed to fit the Canon 580EXII will work just fine with the Yongnuo YN560 (and 560II).
The obvious difference is the back of the flash. The original YN560 uses a LED system to indicate the power and zoom range - this means if 1 LED is lit, it's 1/128 power.. if 2 are lit, it's 1/64.. 1/32.. 1/16.. 1/8.. 1/4.. 1/2.. 1/1. This makes it easy to glance at from a distance and see "All the lights are lit, it's full power" opposed to an LCD screen which can be tough to read in the dark or from a distance.

LCD/Back display:
The YN560II and 580EXII use an LCD screen which tells you the actual power: 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, etc..
The better option for back display (LCD vs. LED Lights) comes down to preference - I have no issues with either. Both LCD screens (YN560II and 580EXII) have a backlight option - the Canon 580EXII has a specific "light" button which will turn the backlight (green) on for a few seconds. The YN560II will automatically turn the backlight (red/orange) on whenever any button is pressed. I like the YN560II's method as you can easily see the information no matter wherever you are when adjusting power - lit or dark areas (with the 580EXII you need to press the light button to see the light - so if you're in a dark area and changing power, you need to press the LIGHT then change the power (or vice versa) to see what level it's at - the YN560II will light up as soon as you start adjusting the power). The YN560II does not, however, have a dedicated LIGHT button but you can press any button (even the "enter" button which won't have any effect on the settings) to turn on the light for a few seconds.

The LCD screen on the YN560II is much more basic. You get the MODE you're in (M/S1/S2/MULTI (more on these later), the power (1/1, 1/2, 1/4...), the zoom level (24mm, 28mm, 35mm, etc..), the AUDIO indicator (more on this later..) and some others which will come on from time to time. One of the most helpful is the LOW BATTERY icon - unfortunately it doesn't give a constant indicator of battery life, only when it's "low". The 580EXII, on the other hand, has the same information but it's laid out in a much nicer presentation.
I will say that I prefer the YN560II LCD somewhat as everything is VERY BIG ON THE SCREEN. The power level is about 3 times as big as that on the 580EXII (so you can easily see the power level from a distance).. same for the zoom level. Doesn't look as fancy, but the information is easier to read on the YN560II. Again, the YN560 does not use an LCD, only light up LED lights - you can even say that the YN560 is easiest to get an idea of the power level from a distance since you can see how many LED's are lit from almost any angle.

Modes:
The CANON 580EXII includes: MANUAL, ETTL (automatic flash exposure), MULTI (a strobelight-like effect where you can control how many times it flashes and how frequently), a MASTER mode (to control other CANON flashes) and a SLAVE mode (to be controlled by a camera like the 7D, a transmitter like the ST-E2 or another 580EXII flash).
The YN560 and YN560-II include: MANUAL, SLAVE1, SLAVE2 (and the YN560II includes MULTI). SLAVE1 and SLAVE2 on the Yongnuo are nice as they let you trigger these flashes using any other flash (SLAVE1 is for other manual flashes (or flashes without an ETTL metering), SLAVE2 is for cameras that use ETTL metering). These are great modes to have and are not on the CANON 580EXII. On the same hand, the 580EXII includes the ETTL ("automatic") and High-Speed sync mode for the flash while the YONGNUO models are all automatic and do not include high-speed sync (YONGNUO makes the YN565 flash which does include ETTL, but not high-speed sync)

Power:
All 3 have roughly the same amount of power output. They can be adjusted anywhere from 1/1 (full power) down to 1/128. I believe some of the earlier Yongnuo flashes only went down to 1/64 power. You can also fine-tune the power, so if you want something between 1/2 and 1/1 power, you can set it to 1/2 and then add +0.3, +0.5 or +0.7 compensation - this is done with the up/down buttons on the YN560 and YN560II. It is MUCH easier to read on the YN560II since it will say: "1/2 +0.3" while the YN560 only has 1 set of LED lights (which display flash power output, zoom level and flash exposure compensation, depending which one you're looking at. The YN560II will display all at once).

FUNCTIONS:
All 3 flashes have a zoom function on the flash - the YONGNUO are the easiest to operate as they have dedicated +/- buttons (canon requires you to press a button first and then change the zoom).
The YONGNUO flashes also allow easier control of the power (also a +/- button while the 580EXII requires you to press the SET button and then turn a wheel). This is a toss-up on who wins - the YONGNUO ones are easier to adjust, but that also makes them easier to hit by accident and change the power levels when you didn't want to.

BUTTONS:
The YN560II and YN560 have similar looking buttons (rubber-like), but the YN560 buttons are somewhat mushy/soft while the YN560II has firm buttons which feel a bit nicer. Both are usable.
The YN560II uses similar buttons to the 580EXII, except the 580EXII uses a wheel instead of the left/right/up/down/SET button on the YN560II. I actually prefer the buttons on the YN560II as they're easier to pick up and use, but all 3 work fine.

CONNECTIONS:
The YN560 and YN560II have a metal hotshoe (the YN560 originally released with a plastic hotshoe, but was quickly replaced). They also use the turn-to-lock clamp for the hotshoe while the Canon 580EXII uses a rubber gasket with a switch you flip to lock it down (this also keeps it somewhat water-sealed on the hotshoe). I prefer the 580EXII style lock for sure, but the others do work fine.
All 3 have a PC-Sync input and a high-voltage battery socket to connect an external battery pack to (such as the CP-E4). I use the Pixel TD-381 battery Power Pack for for Canon Speedlites 580EX II, EX580, EX550, MR-14EX,MT-24EX, extremely stable fast recycle time 1.24S and highly recommend it! These greatly speed up recycle times and give you a longer battery life.

RECYCLE TIMES:
I loaded fresh rechargable batteries (same brand, all bought at the same time and freshly charged) into all 3 flashes, connected them to a radio trigger to set all 3 off at the same time. The YN560 recycled the faster (barely beating out the YN560II), and the 580EXII slightly slower than all 3. The difference was about 1/2 to 3/4 seconds difference between all 3. With the external battery pack (above) connected, all were fully recycled and ready for the next shot within about 1-2 seconds from full power (and all ready about the same time).

OTHER:
The YN560 and 580EXII both go from lowest power (all the way left) to highest power (all the way right) and stop at each. If you go to full power (1/1) and press right, nothing happens. If you go to lowest power (1/128) and press left, nothing happens. The YN560II changes this - if you go to full power and press Right, it goes back to 1/128 (and if on 1/128 and pressing left, it goes to 1/1). I'm not sure how much I like this, since you can easily change the flash power greatly without noticing it if you press a button.
All 3 flashes have a Pilot light which indicates Charging (green) and Ready (red). When ready, you can press the light in to trigger the flash -- this is very easy to do on the 580EXII and YN560II, but with the older button types on the YN560, it's a bit tougher.

EXTRAS:
The YN560 and YN560II have an optional sound function - this means you hear a "beep beep" when the flash fires and a long "BEEEEEEEP" when it's ready again. This is helpful to know if a flash fired (sometimes looking through the viewfinder you can't tell) and to tell when it's ready to go again (so you don't take a shot before it's charged). The 580EXII does not have this feature.
The YN560II seems noticeably louder than the YN560, making it somewhat hard to hear the YN560 (if using one of each flash) - it can also be quite loud if used in quieter areas (to the point you wish it had a volume control -- I never had this issue with the YN560).

The YN560II and Canon 580EXII include a nice nylon carrying pouch to hold the flash and the coldshoe (more on that later..), the YN560 just comes in a thin carrying bag.

All 3 include a coldshoe (so you can set the flash on the ground, standing up). The YN560 included a nice one with metal around certain areas (like the tripod threading) while the 580EXII and even the YN560II included an all-plastic cold-shoe.

All 3 include a wide-angle diffuser panel and a popout bounce card.

The 580EXII can swivel 360 degrees (180 degrees left, 180 degrees right), the YN560 and YN560 are limited to 180 degrees left or 90 degrees right.

So overall, what do I recommend?
The 580EXII is obviously in a different class (and a much different price range!). I didn't want to compare it against the Yn560II directly to determine which is better, but I owned it and wanted to throw in some comparisons - I'm not expecting the YN560 and YN560II to be the 580EXII, but they both held up very well against it (and even exceeded in some areas)!
Some of the features in the YN560 and YN560II are great, and not even part of the much more expensive 580EXII (such as the sound indicator, low battery indicator and slave-modes).
With both YN560 and YN560II being very close in price, it's up to you whether you find the few new features on the YN560II (the LCD screen and MULTI option) to be worth the extra money. I own 2 YN560's, a handful of YN460's, YN460II's and YN465's and am considering getting another YN560II due to the low price and great features. Highly recommended - either the Yn560 or YN560II.

EDIT: Just bought another YN560II. Love this thing!

226 of 233 people found the following review helpful.
Great value in a manual flash
By Kian O'Connell
I haven't shot enough with it to determine consistency, but I'm pleased so far. Flash is a bit large for the output, but it is still decent. I did some test shots and was getting f8 at 18 ft. This tells me that the GN is just about 144. The specs put it at just 58. (Maybe that was supposed to be meters and not feet). This is almost as good as I got from the Sunpak PZ42XC at full on manual.
Build is similar to the Sunpak flashes. Swivel and bounce feel no less solid and click into place just fine without shifting. The built in diffuser AND mini bounce card are nice although small. My sunpak PZ42XC doesn't have that. There is a PC sync and a power supply connection on the side which my sunpak doesn't have either. Then there is the optical slave which works well with two levels of sensitivity and of course my sunpak lacks that as well.
With all of that said, this flash isn't for just anybody. This is just a plain dumb manual flash without TTL or even a thyristor. THERE IS NO AUTO FUNCTION. If your intent is to use this as a camera mounted flash for candids, forget it unless you know how to manually setup for every shot by adjusting your aperture as needed. It is not intended for that purpose.

The flash came with a base that has a threaded hole in the bottom so it can be mounted to a stand. It would do a terrific job providing fill or backlight capability. It swivels 180 degrees and straight up so bouncing into an umbrella or through a diffuser while the slave sensor faces forward for a stationary photo shoot are ideal uses of this flash. So is placing it behind a subject for a backlight. My Lumiquest gel holder fits very tight due to the large flash head, but it fits.

The controls and lights on the back seem a bit confusing and the manual isn't a lot of help since the translation from Chinese to English is about the same quality as you get from Google translate..... I was able to figure it out but it took some time experimenting with the unit.

Recharge is quick - even at full power. I was very impressed. Of course it has less output than the Sunpak and uses the same number of batteries but still, I was pleased.

One other note. When i first tried to turn it on it wouldn't do anything and I was immediately afraid it was DOA. I found that to turn it on, you must hold the on-off button for a couple seconds. When you press it down, the lights on the bar progress from left to right and if you don't hold it down till the lights get to the far right, it just shuts off. Awkward, but easy to deal with if you are aware of it.

Altogether, I'm quite pleased with what I have assuming it lasts a a while. The build seems solid so I'll just have to wait and see. I'm confident enough in the product that I'm going to buy a second one so I can have one for fill and the other for a backlight for impromptu studio shots.

If you need a slave flash with some power and manual controls I really think this is the best thing out there. Almost everything else in this price range is a single power or auto-flash without the ability to make manual output adjustments. You can get this output with no slave, the slave with no manual,or you can spend twice as much. But if you need a speedlight with auto functions for camera mounted shots, get something with auto functions.

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Canon CLI-8 4-Color Ink Tanks

Canon CLI-8 4-Color Ink Tanks..

Special Price Canon CLI-8 4-Color Ink Tanks By Canon

Most helpful customer reviews

144 of 149 people found the following review helpful.
This set works with the Canon PIXMA MP530 as well
By Ralph Fontcuberta
Just an FYI; the ink set shown here (CLI-8BK, CLI-8M, CLI-8C, and CLI-8Y) also match what's needed in the Canon PIXMA MP530, save for the Canon PGI-5BK 2PK (sold separately). (As of this writing, the MP530 is not listed in the compatible printer list, though the MP500 is. Considering how confusing all this typically gets, I thought I'd mention it.)

Price is great; even better if you're with Amazon Prime (free 2-day shipping and inexpensive overnight shipping).

123 of 129 people found the following review helpful.
Good price
By Book Brain
To correct an earlier reviewer, the bundling of these inks IS APPROPRIATE. I have a Canon Pixma MP830 and it uses the 4 CLI-8 cartridges along with the 5PGBK. You do not have to buy the bundle if your particular printer does not use the 5PGBK. Anyway, I checked all the major suppliers for genuine Canon cartridges (versus compatibles) and Amazon's price beats them all, especially with free shipping and no sales tax.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful.
This is second most used color. Comparison of usage of different colors by Canon printer
By Ali Julia
I have a Canon Photo Printer which takes six CLI-8 Canon Ink Cartridges. The cost of each individual ink cartridge ranges from around $12.50-15 (on Amazon) to 18.99 in Staples. So no matter how you buy the genuine Canon Ink Cartridges keeping yourself ready to print photos is expensive.

You can get a better per cartridge of you buy them in Canon CLI-8 4-Color Multipack Ink Tanks. In that case each individual cartridge is a little less expensive. Canon package CL-8C (Cyan), CL-8M (Magenta), CL-8Y (Yellow), and CL-8BK (Black) as a pack ($40-44 on Amazon). When cartridges are sold in packs you might think those colors are used at similar rates... but that is not so.

I have kept track of the usage of the cartridges over a long period of time and would like to share these results with you.

Number of cartridges used

CL-8M Magenta = 5

CL-8Y Yellow = 8

CL-8B Black = 6

CL-8PC Photo Cyan = 6

CL-8PM Photo Magenta = 8

CL-8C Cyan = 4

My usage shows that yellow is used the most, followed closely by Photo Magenta, followed next by Black and Photo Cyan, and trailed by Cyan and Magenta. Note that I have a laser printer that I used for text otherwise the usage of the Black Cartridge would have been a lot higher.

I buy most of my color photo ink on-line from Amazon. However now that Staples began (again) accepting CL-8 cartridges for Staples Rewards in their recycling empty cartridges program, I wanted to analyze my usage to see which cartridges I should buy at Staples using my Staples Rewards.

My original thought was to buy Canon CLI-8PC Photo Cyan Ink Tank and Canon CLI-8PM Photo Magenta Ink Tank since they don't come in a pack. But given the usage chart above, it is clear that I should buy extra Yellow and Photo Magenta.

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Canon PowerShot SX280 12MP Digital Camera with 20x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with 3-Inch LCD (Red)

Canon PowerShot SX280 12MP Digital Camera with 20x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with 3-Inch LCD (Red)..

GET Canon PowerShot SX280 12MP Digital Camera with 20x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with 3-Inch LCD (Red) By Canon

Most helpful customer reviews

297 of 305 people found the following review helpful.
Great Camera! Love the Wireless!
By Telemachus
I've had a number of PowerShot cameras. Really impressed with the picture quality of the camera and the overall speed. Colors and picture quality are quite good and the low-light performance is superior. The previous review focuses nicely on the picture quality, so I wil stick with the human factors.

Manual control and adjustment are simple to master, so you won't need to rely on the automatic settings. My only concern with the camera is hat the wifi settings are difficult to set up. I'm pretty good with wireless technologies and it took me quite awhile to figure it out. Make sure you run the set up disk. Unlike many other consumer wireless gadgets, this one requires that you run the setup software. Couldn't just turn on the camera and connect it to the router. As much as it pains me to say this, I should've read the directions prior to jumping in to try to set it up! :-)

Once it's setup, it works great. I've been transferring files to iphone, ipad, and laptop; and transferring to the Canon Image site. All directly from the camera. Even emailed my wife a link to a photo directly from the camera. Camera IS a bit of a battery hog, but I was expecting it.

Update: Since I concentrated on human factors in my review, I thought I would weigh in on flash location interfering with handhold
position. Personally, I didn't notice it until I read the other reviews. I've had other cameras with pop up flashes, so I think I just automatically adjusted to it. That said, I can see how it would annoy some people. The flash is located in the front left-hand corner of the camera, but there IS sufficient space behind the flash to place your finger. Could be a problem if you have large hands, I suppose.. Motor is also strong enough to remind me to move it when it pops up.

----------------------------
Update 20 May:: There is a glitch that's been widely reported that shows that the battery is drained when in video mode. This is a glitch in the indicator, not the actual battery life. Cannon has acknowledged the problem and is working on a fix. Expect the next firmware update to address the issue.
-----------------------------
Update 5 June: New Firmware Released Today!! Details Firmware Version 1.0.2.0 incorporates the following fixes and improvements:

1. Increases the duration of movie shooting by 20% in cases where the optical zoom is used compared to cameras running Firmware Version 1.0.0.0 or Firmware Version 1.0.1.0 through a reduction in the power consumption of the optical zoom.

*Time under default camera settings, when normal operations are performed, such as shooting, pausing, turning the camera on and off, and zooming. (based on conditions established by Canon).
-Under some shooting conditions, the recording time may be shorter than mentioned above.
-Recording time with a fully charged battery.

2. Fixes a phenomenon with cameras running firmware version 1.0.0.0, in which the low battery level warning is prematurely displayed while shooting in movie mode.

Firmware Version 1.0.2.0 is for cameras with firmware Version 1.0.1.0 or Version 1.0.0.0. If the camera's firmware is already Version 1.0.2.0, it is not necessary to update the firmware. Please note that, once the camera is updated to the latest version, it cannot be restored to a previous

I installed it with no problems.

443 of 462 people found the following review helpful.
A Great Campact Camera
By Just Another Reviewer
Enough said about how good this compact camera is in the other reviews. Only two quick comments: It is an excellent compact zoom camera complimentary to my SLR camera/lens collection on the road for quick shots (photo & video) without lens changing. Case Logic DCB-302 Compact Case provides good protection and a perfect fit with room for extra battery and SD card.

Update 5/8/2013: Per Canon technical support, the battery inside the camera cannot be charged via USB port like your cell phone when connecting to PC or outside USB power source.

Update 5/13/2013: When using "AUTO" on the dial as well as ""AUTO" ISO" in "P", "Tv" and "Av", the ISO is automatically selected from 80 to 1600, not to 3200 or 6400. To manually select ISO 3200 or 6400 in "P", "Tv" and "Av", you need to select "FUNC. SET" and then choose the 3200 or 6400 under the"ISO" list.

Update 5/19/2013 The flashing "low battery" warning in the video mode is indeed a design fault of the battery indicator not the battery itself. With a freshly charged battery, I can take either around 200 photos or about 30 minutes video (1080p 30fps). The low battery warning comes in about 2 minutes into the video shooting after some zooming.

Update 5/20/2013 Per Canon technical support, Canon is trying to resolve this "low battery" warning issue in the video mode. Decided to return this wonderful camera. Will buy it when the issue is resolved.

Update 6/5/2013 Canon just published a firmware update for SX280 to fix the low battery warning issue in the video mode at this web link: ([...] Click on "Drivers & Software". Select your computer's Operating System and OS Version. Click on "Firmware". Download the firmware zip file and unzip the file. Follow the instruction in the PDF file to update the firmware.

Update 6/7/2013 I repurchased a new SX280 with the hope that the low battery warning issue has been fixed by this firmware update. I updated the new camera to the new firmware 1.0.2.0 from 1.0.1.0 following the procedure in the PDF file. The premature low battery warning in the video mode for the updated SX280 has improved but not fixed.

260 of 274 people found the following review helpful.
Terrific Camera Overall
By J. Malinsky
Hi there

I've replied to a few reviews of this product before choosing to write my own, while keeping in mind everyone's opinions (especially about the battery) thus far.

Out of the way, I too noticed "problems" when shooting video on a not-fully charged battery. I put the word in quotes, because in my experience/view, it's really a software problem that can be fixed with an upcoming firmware update. It just flashes red prematurely, and you can certainly repeat steps to have that happen consistently. Also, you'll only get about 30 minutes or so of 1920/60fps HD video per charge (keep in mind the battery will likely be flashing red most of the time). But keep in mind, its really just a bug. When you power up your camera, the true charge is shown on the indicator.

I took the camera with me today to shoot a typical days worth of exciting things with my kids. I took about 35 photos, and a combined 7 minutes of full HD/1920/60fps video. I also transferred a few images wirelessly to my Android phone. After all that, my battery is still showing as fully charged and does not do the 'premature red battery' even if i take it to video. So that seems like a decent day for me, and it doesn't show a dent (and rightly so). I'll just have to remember to charge the battery fully before I take it out.

In the end, I do recommend the camera because of what I bought it for: excellent, truly best-in-class images from a camera under $400. This camera is my '2nd' camera, for times when I don't feel like dragging my DSLR around. The images aren't as good as a DSLR (no surprise) but they are by far the best images I've taken with a point-and-shoot. The 20x optical zoom is truly incredible, and the true/natural Image Stabilization (*not* digital) is fantastic: you can actually take a 20x zoomed picture without it being blurry! Not only that, the IS during video shooting makes it smooth-as-silk on playback, especially in truly stunning 60fps mode. Shutter-lag isn't as good as a DSLR (because the concept doesnt exist with mirrors), but it's miles ahead of my last 2011 P&S and also faster than my 2013 smartphone camera.

I can see why the video/battery issue is so frustrating: the video from this thing is truly amazing (stereo, Image Stabilization, and did I mention 1920 and 60fps yet??!) and you *want* to shoot a ton with it. It's also in ultra-convenient mp4 format right out-of-the-camera. And it does a superb job of focusing as you zoom on video (my older p&s wouldn't let me zoom in video mode at all). But if video is really your mojo, get a camcorder for the same price and be happy. If you're after stills, or shooting video "shorts", this is your bet. And hopefully the short-ish battery on video will make better videographers out of people by forcing them to cut down on the extra crap they shoot that nobody watches anyways :)

Touching on a few remaining things: I love that the camera has a metal body, love its hefty weight (remember when cameras felt like cameras and not TV remotes?) and dig the wireless. I'm not a GPS guy because the privacy issue freaks me out, so I don't run the GPS. As mentioned by other reviewers, the wireless is a bit tricky to set up if you want to go camera->computer wirelessly - you'll have to run the software on the CD (it retrieves the latest version from the net automatically). The easiest set-up is camera->smartphone; as long as they're on the same network, transfers are easy. If there's no wireless where you're shooting, you can actually use the camera as an access point itself and connect your smartphone/tablet to the *camera's* network. Keep in mind that the wireless transfer is *not* eye-fi: you have to *select* the images you want to send, after they've been shot (photos aren't automatically transferred wirelessly as you shoot). Believe it or not, you can actually tweet from the camera itself. That being said, I think the omission of Flickr is a drag, but perhaps that's because they are pushing their own "Canon Image Gateway" service for photo sharing/storage.

Also, I appreciate the restraint in megapixels... the filesizes and document sizes are realistic and appropriate for people who aren't blowing photos up to large dimensions. Focusing on image quality instead of megapixel count is a much welcomed approach in my opinion, and I hope the ridiculous megapixel race slows down in order to focus on the sensor quality/lenses that can be crammed into a P&S size camera.

Also, coming from DSLR world, I'm actually pretty happy with the amount of customization offered. The manual (on the CD only) is chock full of information, including how to use the self-timer in "wink" mode (wink to take the shot!!). All modes I shoot on (M/AV/TV/P) offer *center only* focus. I haven't seen that mentioned too often, but that is *exactly* what I like - in fact the first thing I do on my DSLRs/new cameras is turn off the 'smart autofocus' to use center-point only). It means you might have to take a moment to frame the shot you want (focus then frame), but to me it cuts down on silly camera "intelligent" errors when it focuses on things with contrast instead of the content that matters.

I don't find the position of the pop-up flash an issue; my finger fits behind it. Also, consider that the pop-up flash reduces red-eye quite significantly by being further away from the lens. Not only that, but this camera is *great* in low-light for a point-and-shoot - ease up on the flash and enjoy the great new processor!

This camera does exactly what I want it to do, and does it *really well*, but if I was planning on a day of really heavy shooting with video, I'd buy a spare battery. And I'm looking forward to a firmware update!

See all 497 customer reviews...More...

Canon PowerShot SX170 IS 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 16x Optical Zoom and 720p HD Video (Red)

Canon PowerShot SX170 IS 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 16x Optical Zoom and 720p HD Video (Red)..

Special Price Canon PowerShot SX170 IS 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 16x Optical Zoom and 720p HD Video (Red) By Canon

Most helpful customer reviews

397 of 420 people found the following review helpful.
Great Compact point & shoot for the money, battery is a non- issue
By Amazon Customer
Technology marches on. I am an avid amateur photographer with 50+ years of experience with every film and focal plane technology ever created. This camera is my latest "pocket camera" to have with me 24/7, it's for those unique unplanned shots that always pop up when you least expect them and when your DSLR is just not an option to lug around with you all day.

Some have criticized the change from AA sized batteries to a Canon propriety battery pack. Hogwash. Technology is going to move forward and the use of a battery pack simply does not mean this camera is any less useful. When you travel into the great whatever with an older camera you thought ahead and took extra batteries with you. Now you think ahead and make sure your battery is charged and yes if you will be away from an outlet you take as many extra battery packs as you need. I am guilty of not thinking ahead plenty of times with the AA technology with no means of stopping into a store to buy more, this camera is no different.

The feel and user friendliness of this camera is outstanding. The controls are simple, the instructions (PDF on-line only) are clear and easy to follow, and the image quality is great. You are not going to shoot that perfect close-up shot of a running back diving across the goal line with this camera, but for every day snapshots it offers a nice, cost effective solution to carry in your pocket every day.

It's not a DLSR. If you want a full featured high performance camera you'll need to spend a lot more money!

9/30/2013 addition- the more I use thus camera the more I like it. The autofocus feature is very fast, and images shot at max optical zoom are beyond my expectations, far superior to earlier Canon point and shoot products.

48 of 56 people found the following review helpful.
Great!
By begoodorbegoodatit
I was sketical about buying this camera. It should be stated that I am not an owner of a DSLR or Nikon, although I've used those before so I know how some who may own those and buy a camera like this may be disappointed or find it less than great. I don't really think it's fair to rate this compared to those kinds of cameras so I am comparing it to my previous "point and shoot" camera.

We had some traveling coming up and wanted a new camera since my current camera looks in really bad quality at night time or dim lighting (like concerts). So I opted for this camera with the Black Friday sale. I've taken multiple shots with this camera and my old one to see what the difference really is and I will say that this camera shoots way better. My old camera in natural light in my home would be dark, this one is naturally very bright. If I took a photo of a carrot peel with my old camera it would just look like some orange thing, whereas with this camera the carrot peel looks way brighter, the image is sharper, you can see the details such as texture or drops of water on the carrot unlike the old camera. I did go outside and try to take photos and while this does shoot better at night than my other camera, there isn't even a night time option so I'm still having that issue of the photo comes out with the bright lights looking hazy, but it's an improvement from the other camera we owned.

Overall, if you just need to update your "point and shoot" then I recommend this camera. My old camera only had a 10x zoom and it was 8 MP so this was a really nice upgrade. I take photos of animals, food, and landscapes and have been really pleased with the outcome. If you own a fancy camera, you probably won't be impressed with this camera.

326 of 413 people found the following review helpful.
The Day the Last 2-AA Battery, Travel & Field Camera - Died
By John Sturgeon
As some of you know, the Canon SX100 series are my favorite cameras. I always carry the latest model with me in a video-camera-shoulder-bag (i.e. - "purse" for dudes,) everyday, wherever I go. I have owned and used all of them from the SX100 to the SX160. I have long-considered the Canon SX100 line of cameras to be "The Best 2-AA-Battery All-Purpose Travel and Field Cameras Ever Made." I have posted 5-star reviews of both the SX150 and SX160 here on Amazon during the last two years, and I have made it abundantly clear why I feel so strongly favorable of them.

Accordingly, I bought a new Canon SX170. I tested it out to compare it. For sentimental reasons, I intend to keep it. But for the most obvious of reasons, which I just indicated in the above statement, I'm not pleased with it. To the contrary, I am deeply saddened about what has now been completely lost to all consumers, worldwide - The day the last full-featured, full-manual-control, compact, 2-AA battery, travel & field camera left on the entire worldwide market - Died.

Here is a summary of my comparative conclusions.

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SX160 IS vs. the SX170 IS - A CAMERA COMPARISON - THE BOTTOM LINE

The Canon SX160 runs on 2-AA rechargeable batteries.
The Canon SX170 runs on a Canon NB-6LH proprietary battery.

Other than the battery, the two cameras are virtually identical.

I will start with the conclusion first - There is no serious reason even to consider buying the new Canon SX170 instead of the previous model Canon SX160 ... unless you absolutely HATE using 2-AA rechargeable batteries in a camera.

Both cameras have exactly the same features, the same functions, and the same specs - except for the batteries. Cosmetically they are virtually identical cameras in almost all respects except for a small change in the shape of the grip on the right side of the SX170 camera. Functionally they both work exactly the same, and they both produce identical quality pictures. No changes were made to either the sensor or to the DIGIC 4 image processor to bring any improvement to the final images produced.

The initial Amazon release price of the SX170 is $179. (Sept. 2013)
The current Amazon price for the SX160 is $144, about $35 less. (Sept. 2013)

Literally, you have to HATE using 2-AA rechargeable batteries in a camera to want to pay $35 more for the same camera with a mini-sized proprietary battery that will only take about half as many shots with each charge, when the quality of the pictures you get will be absolutely identical with both cameras.

SPARE BATTERIES. Amazon is currently selling official Canon brand NB-6LH spare batteries for about $38 apiece. (Remember, people, your camera warranty is now VOID if you use a "cheap Hong Kong knockoff" proprietary battery in it. You do so at your own risk.) A spare pair of top-quality Sanyo brand "eneloop" rechargeable AA batteries can be bought on Amazon for about $4, but even "cheap" AA batteries won't void your warranty for the SX160.

CAVEAT EMPTOR.

That is the bottom line.

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SX160 & SX170 - BACKGROUND INFO & THE "2-AA" BATTERY CAMERA.

The SX170 is the seventh model of the Canon SX100 line of cameras. This series began with the SX100 in the year 2007. From the beginning these cameras have always run on 2-AA rechargeable batteries. That has always been their strongest selling point - the fact that they use 2-AA batteries. If you happened to run out of rechargeable AA batteries, you could always buy spare AA batteries for them to keep taking pictures.

That is the main feature which made them ideal travel & field use cameras literally anywhere in the world.

The cameras of this SX100 series were all full-featured, with full manual control, and a good megazoom. They were also very affordable. Spare batteries for them could be purchased easily and economically. So these cameras were also inexpensive to use, too. And if you bought a new camera, you just transferred the rechargeable AA batteries to the new camera. You never had to buy any new (and much more expensive) proprietary batteries each time you bought a new camera. So in the long term, the AA battery cameras were always much less expensive for people to own and operate.

The new model SX170 no longer uses AA batteries. Instead it uses a mini-sized NB-6LH proprietary battery. These batteries are not readily available except by mail order unless you happen to live near a very large city. If you are traveling, the situation gets much worse. In many places the NB-6LH batteries will not be locally available at all. So the usefulness of the SX170 as a travel & field camera worldwide has been negated. If you are stuck in the middle of nowhere with dead batteries, then you are just stuck with no more pictures!

During the last couple of years, these Canon SX100 series cameras were the only full-featured, 2-AA battery, travel & field cameras still left on the world market. The SX160 was the last one. Now the consumer can no longer buy a full-featured 2-AA battery camera at ANY price, except for a few leftover models from previous years. And soon enough they will be gone too.

Some of you may realize the gravity of this loss, others may not. Most people don't miss things until they suddenly realize they can no longer buy them, because "they" don't make them anymore. And that is exactly what has just happened here. The day the SX170 was introduced was the day the last full-featured, full-manual-control, compact, 2-AA battery, travel & field camera left on the entire worldwide market - Died.

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ERGONOMICALLY - THE "NEW" GRIP

There is a "not-so-new" larger grip on the right side of the SX170 camera. Canon claims it has "introduced" a design change with a larger grip on the right side of the camera for better one-handed shooting. Ergonomically. This will indeed be a fine feature for many people. I agree. But Canon's P.R. department says this was only made possible by using the new smaller proprietary battery. No. That is not true.

The original camera of this line, the SX100, had that same style, larger right hand grip on it, and it used 2-AA batteries. Canon removed that feature from the next model, the SX110, and made the overall camera flatter. Some of us would have preferred that Canon not make that design change, but that was Canon's decision.

Now Canon is "reintroducing" that larger right hand grip feature with the SX170, but it has nothing to do with having to drop the 2-AA batteries. I measured the two cameras with a set of calipers. The dimensions of the larger grip on the right side are very similar on both cameras - the grip on the original SX100 (using 2-AA batteries) and the grip on the new SX170 (using the new proprietary battery.) Canon could have "reintroduced" this same design change all along on any of the other SX100 series cameras, and still kept the 2-AA batteries in the camera just fine. So the justification Canon is giving for being able to make this design change is completely bogus.

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RATING THE SX170

I'm giving the new Canon SX170 IS a 3-star rating only for sentimental reasons - it's still a Canon. It is still an excellent camera in many ways. It still has all of the same excellent features. ... But I won't recommend the SX170 to anyone.

Since it now runs on a proprietary battery, then it has to be compared to all of the other similar cameras today that run on proprietary batteries. And in that comparison, it does not measure up very well.

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WHAT THE SX170 IS NOT

The Canon SX170 is not a fast-action camera, and it never will be. It still has all the same problems of the previous models. It has a noticeable shutter lag, a slower focus, a slow image processor, a slow maximum shooting speed of 0.8 fps (less than one picture per second,) a very slow flash recovery time, it doesn't work very well indoors or in low light, and it does not shoot full 1920x1080 HD video, either, only the older 1280x720 quasi-HD video.

The SX170 is not a good camera for taking pictures of fast-moving children or pets, fast-action sports moments, or fast-focus views of flying birds. The SX170 simply won't work for that kind of photography.

There are literally dozens of other more modern proprietary battery cameras out there today that can run circles around the slow-performing, antiquated design and performance of the older-design SX170. So if you really want a modern, fast-action camera that works well in low light and that also shoots full 1920x1080 HD video, then why would you even consider buying the SX170?

Canon designed the original electronics for the SX100 line of cameras way back in 2007.* These cameras were originally designed as, "Stand here while I take your picture" cameras. And basically that is what they still do best. Changing the battery isn't going to change the primary use for which these cameras were originally intended. No more than injecting "energy steroids" into an old dog is going to teach it to do new tricks.

If you want a modern, fast-action, full-HD video camera, then the SX170 will simply not work for you.**

* Actually it was released in 2007. Design precedes release by about 2 to 3 years, so essentially these cameras were designed almost ten years ago. Remember what that world was like? Digital cameras were low quality and high priced. Most people did not have PCs, and fewer still knew how to use Photoshop. Computer hard drives were 30 gigabytes - smaller than a standard 32 GB SDHC camera memory card of today. Photo paper for printers was terrible and would begin to fade out within months, gone altogether in a few years. .... Most people were using 35 mm film cameras with 36 shots for each roll of film, paying $27 or more at 75 cents per print each time for all the photos, both good and bad. (There was no "preview" feature before they were developed and printed. Besides, you could not "preview" photos very well by squinting at a tiny, color-reversed film negative.) ... Most people could not AFFORD to take more than a few pictures each month. Taking pictures was expensive! Every single picture had to count, so yes - literally - using a camera back in those days meant, "Stand here while I take your picture!" It didn't MATTER if they were slow. Getting your "36 prints" back from the developers at Long's Drug Store took two to three days anyway. That is the world in which the electronic circuitry for these SX100 series cameras was originally designed.

** (If you do want that however, which obviously many people do, then for a short list of modern, fast-action, full-HD-video cameras in a similar price range of the SX170, please see my post of suggestions in the Comments Section, page 1. For a comparative list of (almost all) current Canon point-and-shoot and bridge cameras, please see my post in the Comments Section, at the bottom of page 4.)

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FOR A CLASSIC CAMERA WITH FULL FEATURES, USING "2-AA" BATTERIES, CONSIDER THE CANON SX160.

If, on the other hand, you do like the classic Canon SX100 series camera line - as I do very much - you have to like it for what it is. It is an older style, classic design, point-and-shoot camera. As such you simply have to accept the fact that it has some very real limitations. And those limitations are not going to be "fixed" simply by putting a different battery inside the same camera.

It makes no sense to buy a camera first, expecting it to meet your wants and needs, and then end up being disappointed when it doesn't. It works the other way around. You find the camera that actually does fit your personal wants and needs first, and then you buy that camera for yourself and enjoy it.

If you do prefer the convenience of owning a classic design, 2-AA battery, travel & field compact camera, then I suggest you consider buying the Canon SX160, on sale now, while the supplies still last. That is what I chose to do. I bought two more SX160 cameras, and tucked them away safely in a storage box for my future use and enjoyment for the time when my current SX160 either wears out or breaks down. If you are interested in the SX160, please see my own previous Amazon review of it - 5 stars and more, if I could.

The Canon SX160 is still my number one favorite camera I have ever owned, and I still plan to keep right on using it for many pleasant years yet to come.

Sincerely, and with best wishes to everyone, John AKA SLOphoto1

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POST MORTEM - USING "AA" BATTERIES AS A RELIABLE POWER SOURCE.

Energy independence. That is one of the main reasons why some people - like me - have been fighting so hard for so long trying to keep the last remaining full-featured AA cameras on the market - If you can choose your own AA batteries in a competitive market, then you have total control over your own power source. And there is no future time limit for being able to still use your camera, either. ("They" don't make that battery any more.)

I still have my original digital camera, an Epson PhotoPC 600, from 1997. It runs on 4-AA batteries. It still works well, and it still takes some interesting pictures. They are particularly interesting because the pictures have an "older" look to them, because of the older camera technology. I don't have to fake this "older" look with special effects in a modern camera or with Photoshop manipulation. They genuinely look older because they really are "older," due to the older technology actually producing them inside the original camera right now.

Imagine trying to locate a proprietary battery for a fifteen to twenty year old camera? The only reason I can even still use that camera at all is precisely due to the fact that the camera was originally designed to run on 4-AA standardized batteries. The same thing will be true of the SX160 cameras of today. Fifteen or twenty years from now, they will still work just fine, because they were designed to run on AA batteries.

AA batteries were standardized way back in 1954. Almost 60 years later, in 2013, they are still the most widely used standardized battery in the world. And especially now that they make rechargeable AA batteries (as in "green" - reusable and even "renewable" if you use a solar-powered AA battery recharger,) there is virtually no doubt they will still continue to be very popular for at least another 60 years into the future, too. They are and will continue to be a very reliable source of power - for millions of different items. This will still be true long after the proprietary - and non-standardized - batteries of today will only vaguely be remembered as a passing fad (and expensive folly) of the early 21st century.

Non-standardized products have no long-term future in an increasingly globalized world.

That's my personal opinion about it, but speaking as a retired history teacher I am also asserting that based on actual and repeated long-term historical patterns and precedents.

Again, best wishes to everyone - John AKA SLOphoto1

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UPDATE: A FEW WORDS ABOUT BATTERY USAGE - HOW MANY PICTURES PER CHARGE?

I've been asked to comment on battery usage. How many pictures should a person expect to take with each charge? Here is some data on that. This includes an actual field test I did myself of the earlier model SX150.

The proprietary battery in the SX170 - the Canon brand NB-6LH - is rated at about a 1060 mAh (milliamp hours) charge. The preferred, high-quality Sanyo brand "eneloop" rechargeable AA batteries are rated at about a 2000 mAh change (or about twice as much.) There is no great mystery to it. 2000 mAh of power will take about twice as many pictures as will 1060 mAh of power.

The SX160 and SX170 each require about 2.1 to 3.7 volts to operate the cameras. That requires either one NB-6LH proprietary battery (at about 3.7 volts) or two "eneloop" AA batteries at 1.5 volts each, (two for a total of about 3.0 volts.) The NB-6LH costs about $38 on Amazon. A pair of "eneloop" AA batteries costs about $4. Either system requires less than one cent of electricity to recharge each time. However, the NB-6LH will probably recharge only about 700 times, based on typical lithium-ion battery life spans, which have a pretty high burn out rate, whereas the "eneloop" brand AA batteries are advertised as being able to take at least 1500 recharges.

I haven't tested the SX160 and SX170 cameras yet for the number of shots they will take per charge in actual field use (where you are actually using the camera under field use conditions,) but I did do just such a test earlier for the SX150, and here are the results. (Reprinted from my earlier review of the SX150.)

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"On a recent field trip to the local mountains near Monterey, CA, I set out with a fully-charged pair of eneloop AA batteries in the SX150, and I carried a backup pair of eneloop AAs just in case. I did a full day of shooting with 425 full-sized JPEGs and 8 minutes of HD video, and I used a lot of zoom and frequently turned the camera off and on too. That is a LOT of battery use for one set of AA batteries. The batteries finally ran out early the next day as I was testing some of the features on the camera."
&&&&&&&&&

Based on previous experience, when I actually get around to doing an actual, full-day field test of the SX170, I anticipate the results to be about half the amount of the results I obtained for the SX150 (or would similarly expect with the SX160, since the electronic circuitry is basically unchanged in all these SX100 series cameras.)

&&&&&&&& PLEASE NOTE: These cameras all show a "low battery" indicator based on a sensor which looks for a voltage drop. In the SX160 and in previous models, these cameras were designed to use regular Alkaline AA batteries which start out at about 1.5 volts (3.0 volts for two of them.) When they begin to drop too low, the low battery indicator appears on the LCD screen. Rechargeable AA batteries like the Sanyo brand "eneloop" type only recharge to about 1.2 or 1.3 volts (or 2.4 to 2.6 volts for two of them.) The internal sensor will "think" that they are running "low" long before they actually run out, once they begin to drop below the "warning point" for the internal sensor in terms of "low" voltage. They are not actually anywhere near "out." My advice is just to keep right on using them until the LCD on the camera finally tells you to "change the batteries," as it shuts down on you.

I hope that gives everyone a fairly good idea of what to anticipate with both the SX160 and the SX170 cameras in general terms of the number of pictures to expect per charge.

Again, best wishes to everyone, John AKA SLOphoto1

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UPDATE: Sept. 30, 2013 - DESIGN FLAW DISCOVERED IN THE SX170. POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO THE CAMERA.

Recently while testing the Canon SX170 camera in the field I discovered a serious design flaw. This flaw became apparent entirely by accident through normal use of the camera. It seems that the camera suddenly and unexpectedly turns on or off simply while handling it in a routine manner. This is especially true when trying to pull the camera out of a coat pocket, purse or camera carry bag.

Apparently in one of the few design changes, Canon has now relocated the On/Off power button almost to the very end of the right-rear-top of the SX170 camera (literally, only about 1/4" from the right rear corner of the top of the camera.) This is the side where the new larger right-hand grip is also located. It is the natural hand position to reach into your coat pocket or carry bag and grab the camera by the main grip in order to pull it out. When you do, if your thumb happens to be on the top of the camera, you can very easily activate the camera and possibly jam or even break the lens-extension mechanism.

When the lens pushes out against a resistance (like still being confined partially inside a coat pocket,) then the lens stops and retracts, and there is a series of several quick "beeps," similar to those of the time-delay shutter release. The more serious aspect of this is that each time this happens it puts stress on the delicate gears inside the lens-extension mechanism. Eventually this type of stress can cause the lens-extension mechanism to fail, and the camera will no longer work. (You see them on eBay, "Lens won't extend outward.")

Back in 2008, Canon faced a similar problem - and a number of lawsuits - over this very same problem with one if its "G" series cameras. If the extending lens hit an obstacle, the extending lens would sometimes jam and the camera would become altogether inoperable until it was factory repaired. (And the warranty only lasts one year.)

The SX160 did not have this design flaw, nor did any of the other previous SX100 series cameras before it. All six of the previous models of the SX100 series cameras had the On/Off power button located safely inward toward the center of the camera by at least 3/4" to 7/8" from the right end of the camera.

I've taken a total of 58 shots with the SX170 camera so far, and this "accident" has already happened to me three times. This same easy activation has also suddenly turned the camera off twice while I was simply standing there holding it. This design flaw is an accident waiting to happen.

I don't know how much of this type of stress the lens-extension mechanism on the SX170 can take. I have never encountered this problem before with any of the other six models of the SX100 series that I have owned and used previously. They all had the On/Off power button located well inward at a safe distance from the right end of the camera. So I have never previously encountered this sort of "activation by accident" with the SX160 or any of the other previous cameras of this line. But this flaw does have the very real potential to cause serious damage to the camera, and even render it completely inoperable, just by the ease with which the SX170 can be so readily activated just by complete accident.

Earlier I said that I would not recommend the SX170 over the SX160 to anyone. Now I must say that I specifically recommend against it.

Once again, best wishes to everyone, John AKA SLOphoto1

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