Thursday, January 24, 2013

Canon Powershot SX 240 HS (New Camera...again?!)

Last chance for Canon.

In case you guys haven't noticed yet, I am really in love with and loyal to Canon cameras. I honestly think Canon is one of the best camera makers in the market. Their cameras are tried, tested and proven and used by many photographers, amateur and professional.

My first Canon digital camera was in college, some 8 years ago. That was when I got impressed with Canon camera. That very unit is still working properly up until now. But because I am blogging and uploading YouTube videos, I need to upload higher quality videos, so I was happy when my aunt gave ma an Ixus 115 HS. That camera, sadly, unknowingly broke after 1 month. So I then bought another camera in January 2012. I got an Ixus 230 HS. I was quite happy with the camera because it gives me both HD photos and videos in that compact body. And then I realized, I need to give readers higher quality photos so I bought a Canon 650D DSLR. I got it just when it came out in the market and I was really happy and satisfied when I got it.

But then the Canon Ixus 230 HS suddenly broke one night while I was in the middle of filming. I brought it to Canon to get it repaired...to make the LONG story short, the unit hasn't been fixed up until now. (been waiting for 2 months!) 

I was going to a concert so I really needed a good camera because you know guards won't allow you to enter the venue if bring a dslr, unless you're a ninja which I am not. lol!

So, I bought a Canon Powershot SX240 HS 2 weeks ago.

Here's what I think about the camera.

Since I was going to a concert, I needed a camera with really good zoom lens. Powershot sx240 hs got me because of its 20x zoom capability that extends up to 80x!

Here are sample photos of how good the zoom lens is.

This is what I see everyday in the office from my station. Can you see that red box? I will zoom that in and be prepared to be blown away!




20X ZOOM


59X ZOOOM


80X ZOOM!



(Please take note that I did not crop/edit the images on the computer.)

 
The camera really served it's purpose to me when I brought it to the concert last Saturday.

Here's how far I was from the stage:

Thanks to the camera's ultra zoom, I was able to capture the singers this close:

  
I was far from the stage that night, but thanks to the Canon Powershot SX240 HS, I was able to take decent photos of them.

The only downside of this camera is it's appearance. The camera is quite thick and bulky which makes it a little difficult to carry. I was actually scared how I would sneak it inside the concert when I heard a rumor cameras won't be allowed inside. With it's size, I'm sure I'm going to get caught. Good thing the rumor was not true. Here's the size of the camera when held.
   
It definitely is thicker than other compacts. So if you are looking for an everyday camera that you could always put in your purse, then you may want to try looking for another unit.

As the camera has amazing zoom lens, it's body is thicker than most point and shoots. The lens also amazingly extends so long, I wonder how it could fit in the camera.

The camera takes high-quality photos and videos. Perfect for on-the-go people because you are getting good lens and hd photos and videos.

 However, there are some things I didn't like about this camera:
  • It doesn't focus properly in dark places.  
  •  When shooting video under dark condition, the auto-focus is slow and could take up to 5 seconds to focus on the subject.
  • The colors also tend to change when there's no good lighting. 
  • Green color is really vibrant. I sometimes notice that when I take portrait shots, my skin looks green-ish.
  • Not fit for taking videos of macro objects. I do nail art so I need a good camera that could take small objects. I was disappointed when I found out it won't take good videos of my nails.
  • Bigger, bulkier, heavier than most point and shoot cameras.
  • Battery drains too fast. I had to buy a spare battery for the concert. Both batteries were drained even before the concert finished. :/

PRICE : P20,498 ~ $500

All in all, I was thankful I got this camera and brought it to the concert. Now I have some good videos that I can playback when I suddenly miss the singers. However, I hate that it doesn't take good videos of my nails because that's the main reason why I need a camera. This is a good camera if you need something to take when you travel and you don't want to bring a heavier DSLR. 

(After the disappointment I felt when my Canon Ixus 230 HS broke, my mom tried to convince me to try another brand of camera. But I didn't want to. I hope this time this Canon camera won't fail me so I can continue being a loyal Canon user.)

Thank you for reading!

Kristine