Canon PowerShot SX260 HS Review

There are a lot of things to say about the Canon PowerShot SX260 HS Best Buy (original MSRP $ 349). It is an intermediate-level point-and-shoot camera that has several amazing features including a 20X optical zoom in a camera that measures only about 1.29 inches in thickness.Interesting learning more about  PowerShot SX260 the visit http://pricezhall.com/camera-photo-video/digital-cameras/canon-powershot-sx260-hs-best-buy/

The main disadvantage of PowerShot SX260 is its battles with shutter speed and shot-to-shot delays. For a camera with a pretty high price point, I would expect better response times. Because of the shutter speed, you may experience problems with a few pictures with soft focus, which in turn should not be done with a camera in this price range.

Having said all that, the PowerShot SX260 HS deserves a better star rating than what I’ve given it here.

With that in mind, if you can find this camera for a lot less than the reduced MSRP it would be easier for me to give it a higher star rating. If you shop around a little too SX260 HS, you can find it at a good price, which would make it a good value. At the time, I recommend it a little stronger for someone looking for a thin zoom camera.

Image Quality

As you would expect with a camera with an intermediate price range, overall image quality is really good with SX260 HS. There are a few photos problems from time to time, usually associated with slight softness in focus, but you will not be disappointed in photography results with this model.

The “HS” in this camera’s name is an acronym for Canon’s High Sensitivity technology that is designed to provide outstanding image quality in low light. Along with the pop-up flash unit and the camera’s CMOS image sensor, the SX260′s low light performance is pretty good with realistic colors. The biggest problem I found in low-light images tended to slightly softness in some pictures. However, most problems with softness have been more associated with the camera’s autofocus system that works too slowly at times to obtain a sharp image versus poor performance in low light the camera’s HS System.

HS system also gives very good results when you choose to bump up the ISO setting on the camera manually. You should be able to end up with usable images even at ISO settings up to 3200, although you will notice a bit of noise at the maximum ISO setting.

If you like to shoot in a variety of image resolution options, you will be happy with what Canon offers in the SX260 HS. There are 16 different solutions, divided between four different aspect ratios.

You can shoot video in full HD resolution and Canon included an HDMI slot with the PowerShot SX260 HS, making it quick and easy to download your movies or watch them on an HDTV. However, no HDMI cable included with this camera, so you’ll have to buy it separately.

Performance

20X optical zoom is a great feature for a camera of this size, and it moves through its zoom range pretty quickly. To help avoid camera shake with the big zoom lens, Canon has included optical image stabilization features.

Beginning and intermediate photographers will appreciate the variety of options that are available with the SX260 HS. This camera works very well in fully automatic mode, which is great for beginners, and there are quite a few manual functions that are available in the Program mode. This range of possibilities is nice to help a novice photographer to learn more about photography as his or her skills improve.

The response times of the SX260 HS are the most disappointing aspect of this device. The autofocus is a little slow for a camera in this price range, resulting in some blurry images, which may cause you to miss some fast-moving subjects. In addition, the delay between shots with this camera for too long, especially when using the flash. You can make use of the SX260 has burst to deal with shot-to-shot delay, but the LCD screen goes blank during burst mode, making it impossible to frame pictures. A camera that costs so much should not have these problems.

Battery life could be better with this camera. If you are someone who plans to use the GPS quite a bit, you’re going to find that the dough will drain pretty quickly. Moving large zoom lens through its range will continuously cause the battery to drain, too. I would recommend buying a spare battery with this camera. Canon did include a separate battery charger with SX260 HS, which is helpful in making sure you always have a spare battery on hand.

Design

The appearance of the SX260 HS is pretty good. It has rounded edges and is relatively thin, considering it has a 20X optical zoom. It will fit in a pocket – barely – by 1.29 inches in thickness, and is available in black, pink, or blue camera bodies.

I do not mind having a little extra size in a camera like SX260 HS, because it allowed Canon to make use of large buttons on the control panel, which makes this camera more comfortable to use. Mode switch is very handy, too, and I want more point-and-shoot cameras include a feature button.

A popup flash unit gives this device a good performance in low light photos.

The 3.0-inch LCD screen is a really nice design feature on the PowerShot SX260. It has a bright screen with sharp images. You really will not notice many problems with screen glare when shooting pictures outdoors in bright sunlight.

Finally, there is a built-in GPS system with this camera, which is great for geotagging your photos.