Canon PowerShot SX200IS 12 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-inch LCD (Black)
Review by S. Beverly : Great first impression- really a 5 star camera!

I purchased the Canon Powershot SX200IS after much research on the web. I have been looking for a small camera that I can carry with me everyday: I'm doing the Project 365. I would still like my shots to be better than ones I take with my smaller point and shoot or my cell phone. I discovered these wide angle/ultra zoom small cameras and have been debating back and forth about a few of them. My choices boiled down to this one and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5. While the Panisonic has some great features, like the optical zoom in video mode with stereo sound, I decided that I was mainly buying the camera to take still shots and the Canon seems like a camera I can grow with as my photographic abilities increase. The Panisonic has no Manual settings, but the Canon has everything from Easy mode that just lets you take shots and chose whether you want the flash or not, to full manual. I first ordered the Canon from the lowest price website online and they gave me a run around including trying to sell me more stuff that I didn't need and extended warranty. As long as I was willing to buy one of their package deals, they had one in stock, but when I declined all the extra stuff they put me on backorder. I finally canceled the order and went to another discount site that looked like it had it in stock. After I ordered it my order showed up as backorder and that went on for a month. I called twice and was told two different dates, both not acceptable to me so I canceled that order too. I ordered it from Amazon yesterday and had it in my hot little hands today, less than 24 hrs later. Great service! It all boils down to you get what you pay for.

As far as the quality of the camera is concerned, it is a little larger than my old iPod, but I like the heft of it; It feels substantial. It's going to take a little getting used to the power on button being on the left side of the camera; it feels better to me to turn it on with my left hand. I'm used to a camera with a grip area on the right side so I am going to make sure I use the strap as I am afraid I will drop it. The door for the battery and media card feels substantial as does the flash. The door where you hook up the cables feels a little flimsy though.

I started playing with it the moment it arrived and, I have to admit that I had to check manual to get the hang of some of the features, like turning on the IS feature. (My husband was shocked! lol) It's not visible in all modes. I am pretty savvy when it comes to figuring out techy stuff, but this has allot of different features to delve into. I will read the manual all the way through though so I don't miss any of the cool features like doing some actual editing (cropping, red eye removal (not on pets!) and rotation). It even rotates the photos in playback mode when you turn the camera from horizontal to vertical.

Overall I am very satisfied with the camera and look forward to many years of learning how to take better and better shots with this baby. I'm very impressed with the results I've gotten and, in the automatic mode, the camera senses what your subject is and chooses the appropriate mode to shoot in and it is very good at that. (See a shot of some glasses I have in a garden window. The room was pretty dark, but the camera compensated for all the light coming from the window. I was very impressed.) It's small enough to carry with me in my purse so I don't miss those important shots and it will be a great little camera to take on vacation with me. I love the 28-336mm lens and the fact that there's no lens cap to fiddle with or lose. I have taken some super macro shots (0-.79in) and they are amazing. I will post some soon.

The camera fires up very fast so you won't miss your shots; seemed like less than a second from pushing the power button to ready to shoot.

I thought I might be bothered by only having the display screen but it is very easy to see in bright light. It automatically adjusts for night viewing. I also understand that the screen is scratch-protected.

One fun little thing I discovered is that you can display the time alone on the screen by holding down the FuncSet button and pressing the power button. This might be good if I need to check out what time it is; us retired folk don't have to wear watches anymore! =)

One other thing I did was to get the 1300mAh battery and a 16 gig SDHD card which gives me about 5000 shots. It does not come with any media card.

All in all, this is a great camera to learn on. It even has a hints and tips mode that you can turn on and off and, if your shot is overexposed, the whiter areas of your photo "flash" during playback so you could retake the shot if you want. I plan to update this review as I learn more and add more photos. I think this camera is a great value for the money. Good hunting and best wishes.

7-4-09 - after having this camera for awhile, I tried to upgrade my star rating to 5 stars but the Amazon edit mode won't let me do this. I love this camera. And it's small enough to have with me all the time so I don't miss photo opportunities. The more I use it the more impressed I am. You can't go wrong!

Canon PowerShot SX200IS 12 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-inch LCD (Black)
Review by Firelock1776 : Bought a Panasonic ZS3, returned it for a Canon SX200

I have been a Canon shooter for many years, both DSLRs and point and shoots. I own a Canon G7 for personal use and have been extremely happy with it, but I am tired of having to add attachments for wide angle and telephoto photography. I also wanted a camera that is small enough to put in a jacket or shirt pocket easily. I decided that of the cameras currently on the market, either the Panasonic Lumix ZS3 or Canon SX200 seemed to be what I was looking for. I researched the product thoroughly and chose the Lumix ZS3 based on multiple reviews that gave that camera the nod over the SX200. (Specifications-wise, these cameras are near twins.)

After several days of testing the ZS3 I was unhappy with it. The camera had poor low-light performance, a weak flash, and bad color balance and contrast. (See my review of that camera on its Amazon product page.) I returned it and bought an SX200. This camera is a gem. The quality of the photos are what I was expecting from a camera in this price range (better given how much cheaper it is than a ZS3). The zoom is very fast which allows you to focus on the action quickly and get the shot you are looking for. (The zoom on the ZS3 is slow in comparison.)

The camera performs well in low light--much better than the ZS3. There is very little noise and Canon's optical stabilization allows for lower ISO and shutter speeds. The SX200 has a powerful flash that illuminates the subject very well and at a good distance. I am sure part of the reason for this is the much maligned pop-flash, as this helps the flash clear the large lens barrel. Also, the fact the flash pops up when not in use is something that I barely notice. (Sure, it would be nice if it didn't.) The overall quality in low light will not compare to a DSLR, but that is to be expected.

I will say that, like my G7, this camera seems to struggle a little in very bright outdoor conditions. Specifically, highlights have a tendency to get blown out if you are not careful. Even when using the exposure compensation this can still be problematic. However, the day has to be VERY bright for this to be a problem. Also, this is where Canon's variety of shooting modes helps, as using the Shutter Priority mode has helped me in this situation to get good results.

The build quality of this camera is excellent. The physical controls are very well-done, and the on-camera software is first rate and much better than the ZS3. The Canon software is not only easier to use and has more controls, but it just looks better with excellent fonts and translucent menus.

The color saturation and white balance are excellent, and the different shooting modes (program mode, aperture mode, manual, etc.) give the photographer a wide range of options that are not available on the ZS3. I use these modes probably more than half the time.

I almost gave the camera four stars on the account of it not having optical zoom in video, but at this price point and given all the other excellent features of the camera (wide angle, 12x zoom, excellent software, etc.) I don't think that would be fair. The HD video is of excellent quality, though I have to give the nod to the ZS3 on the video overall.

The only other negatives are the door to access the data ports, which has a flimsy plastic hinge, and the lack of a "super fine" quality mode for the jpegs like they had on my G7. (I really wish they would include RAW, but I know they reserve that for their high-end cameras.)

Summary:

Pros:
Excellent physical quality
Excellent on-camera software
Good low light performance
Powerful flash
Good HD video
Excellent color balance and contrast
Variety of shooting modes and manual controls

Cons:
No optical zoom in video
Flimsy hinge on the data ports door
Lack of super fine quality mode
Tendency for overexposure in highlights on very bright days

Overall, an excellent buy especially for the price.

Canon PowerShot SX200IS 12 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-inch LCD (Black)
Review by Jonathan High "jonhigh4" : Mixed Bag: Not for beginning point and shoot users

UPDATE
A lot of people are comparing this to the Panasonic DMC-ZS3; I just bought one so I have both. After spending some time with each I've come to the conclusion that, despite the similarities, they are different camera for different audiences. Here's where each excels:

PANASONIC

* For a very powerful point-and-click / don't think about it camera, it can't be beat. The Intelligent Auto almost always takes great pictures under almost all conditions. The Canon Auto doesn't even come close and esp for indoor pictures you have to select specific scenes - or use manual controls - to get a good picture.

* Video: True optical zoom + AVCHD video format support. IMHO the Canon's video really is toy-like without optical zoom.

* Features: Here again the Panasonic runs circles around the Canon:
- Much faster burst mode
- Takes 3 aspect ratios at once (e.g Normal + Wide Angle)
- Twice as many scene modes
- Focus locking (e.g. a moving animal)


CANON

* Manual Camera Controls: (e.g. ISO settings) I honestly have never used these before, but I'm disappointed the Panasonic doesn't include any, as I'd like to start to learn more about them. I can see how this is a big omission if you're a semi-professional photographer.


PICTURE QUALITY

* Auto Point-and-Shoot: Panasonic. I've taken pictures with high motion, low-light conditions, etc. I never thought possible (for me). If you know very little about ISO, etc. This is the camera for you.

* Manual and Best Possible Pictures: Looking at a LOT of samples, it's clear the Canon has a slight edge over the Panasonic here. I'm sure this is because Auto still can't quite take a picture the way a professional photographer would. I've always always been very partial to Canon cameras (until now) because they do seem to have the best picture quality, and the samples I've seen seem to show this is still true.

Realistically though, most of use won't take the time to adjust manual controls for every picture - in which case I'm confident the Panasonic will often take better pictures than the Canon (esp indoors or low-light conditions).

So overall, even after owning maybe 5 canons over the years, I'd recommend the Panasonc hands-down, with one exception:

If you're looking to learn more about professional photography and manual camera setting - but not ready for a real professional camera yet, the Canon might be a really good place to start, as the Panasonic doesn't have these.

I'm keeping both - but thee Panasonic will be the one I use 95% of the time.

*** INITIAL REVIEW ***
I've owned a half-dozen Cannon digital cameras over the years, this is the first one I'm not entirely impressed with.

PROS
* The 12x optical zoom
* Wide angle pictures
* HD video recording (digital zoom only)
* New features: Blink detection, etc.

CONS
* Auto Mode: Maybe I have a faulty camera; if not Auto mode is useless for indoor photos. Auto mode seems VERY aggressive with setting the shutter speed, etc. The problem with this is its settings usually mean you have to hold the camera rock-steady or you'll get very blurry pictures.

Also (with Auto Mode) indoor pictures are soft, include lots of noise, and the colors are off.

Doing some experimenting, you can get around these problems by switching to another picture mode, like Indoor. But, IMHO that defeats the entire purpose of Auto Mode. Yes, it's a simple turn of a dial to get the right mode - but I think even that disqualifies this as a true "point and shoot" camera.

I think this would be a good camera for people who want more control over their photos - without having to be a professional photographer. But I can't recommend it for someone who just wants to push a button to take a picture.

Canon PowerShot SX200IS 12 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-inch LCD (Black)
Review by M. Chesner "Nomad of Mod-Blog" : Excellent SLR replacement/backup

The Short Version: I love this camera. While it has a few clear weaknesses, it more than makes up for them in quality, ability, and manual controls.

Background: I am a photography enthusiast. Not the kind who stalks around taking random pictures of strangers, or who wanders the forest looking for interesting plants. The kind who enjoys taking pictures at events: quiz meets, softball games, weddings, etc. to share with friends. I own a Canon EOS 50D (digital SLR) but also like to have a smaller point-and-shoot for travel or situations where the "snap-click" noise of an SLR is unacceptable. My last point-and-shoot had proved bad for the lower-light situations where I tend to shoot, and a wedding was coming up that I wanted to cover. In the past, I had always gone for ultra-compacts but this time around I wanted something that could handle both low-light and long zooms while still being pocketable. I tried an Olympus Stylus 9000 (returned due to impossibility of focusing reliably and blur indoors) and researched the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. But in the end, I chose the Canon Powershot SX200 IS and purchased it from Amazon.Com.

The Good: This camera is a joy to use. It has an automatic mode, a "super-easy" mode, 5 scene modes, a dedicated "special scenes" mode with less-used options, video, full manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, and Program mode, like an SLR. Unlike the competition, the camera has nearly as much customizability as an SLR and the controls are fairly easy to use due to a new menu structure for Canon camera. The pictures are clear, crisp, and has relatively low noise even down to 1600 and 3200, when compared to other point-and-shoot models. The SDHC card slot will accommodate even the largest 32 GB models of memory card (yes, I tested with one those those) and saving to card is quick. The 3.0" LCD on the back is also clear and crisp. And I love the "selective desaturization" mode in the camera. And how do you beat 12x zoom (28 to 300mm equivalent lens) in this size package?!

The Bad: The camera is not perfect. First, while very pocketable, it is not an ultra-compact - it is about as long as an iPhone but 4 to 5 times as thick and it is has definite heft in your hand and pocket. Second, time from shot to shot is not quick, even in "burst" mode, sometimes taking a full second or 2 to recycle between shots. Third, battery is life is only moderate - over the course of a wedding and reception (about 8 hours) I went through 3 fully-charged batteries, and the batteries themselves take over 2 hours to recharge. Finally, when zoomed to the extreme, the camera often finds it hard to find a focal point and may vacillate between two of them, forcing you to let go of the shutter and recompose the shot. This lead me to lose a few really critical photographs.

The Bottom Line: This camera is a keeper, but you'll want to keep your SLR for the most important or challenging occasions. The 12x zoom is great for getting in close or finding a good wide-angle option. It is pocketable, has a plethora of manual options to allow you to get the best shot, has several really fun auto options, and comes in at under $400 even at the expensive shops. How much did I like this camera? Let's just say that I am now one of 3 friends who all own the Canon PowerShot SX200 IS.

Canon PowerShot SX200IS 12 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-inch LCD (Black)
Review by T. Panek "tpanek" : This thing is awesome...

I read all the reviews of this camera here on Amazon, as well as seeking out photography websites looking for recommendations for the best small point and shoot camera. Despite a few bad reviews here, everything else I saw was pretty positive, so I decided to go for it. I am SOOOOO glad I did.

From the moment it came out of the box, it was love at first site.

The display is large and clear and crisp.

The photos is takes are wonderful. I have seen low reviews talking about "noise" and "blurriness" and the only thing I can guess is that these people never took 5 minutes to figure out how to USE the camera. Set to the indoor setting, pictures taken inside are clear, crisp and brilliant. No noise. If you use the Kids&Pets mode, motion shots are almost always perfect and without blurriness. If you try and take every picture on "Auto" you are going to get a mixed bag of shots on ANY camera, that is why the camera comes with different settings.

I've also seen complaints about where the flash is and how hard the camera is to hold. It is true that when turning the camera on, the flash has bumped my finger a few times. But this is hardly a deal breaker. So it bumps you - it isn't as though it is causing injury to the camera or to you, for goodness sake!!!! So it bumps you and you move your finger - big deal! I cannot fathom why anyone would care about this. As far as being hard to hold, maybe if you had the hands of a 7 ft NBA player or a 350lb lineman, it might be a bit small in your hands and hard to handle - but so would ANY small camera. But both my husband and myself have had no issues holding on to it. If you are worried for some reason, that is what the camera strap is there for. Personally, I love the fact that it EASILY slips into a pocket so I don't walk around looking like a tourist, or have my hands full of camera while I want to be site-seeing.

The function section of this camera (SCN) is SUPER fun. You can take pictures where you turn everything in the photo black & white except selected color(s). This yields some AWESOME artsy shots with no effort (seriously, take pictures in candlight, where the color of the candle light is the only color - AMAZING!!!!). You can also swap colors to take wacky, fun photos. People will think you are a photography genius, and all you did was point and click. There is also a straight B&W mode, and sepia mode, like most cameras.

All in all, I CANNOT imagine having chosen any other camera.