Sx1/sx10

[ImageVerification]

I am considering getting an SX10IS since somebody stole my S3 - grrrr. If anybody has one of these, I would be interested to hear your thoughts.

I am holding off on a purchase to see if Lensmate can at least come up with a filter adapter. Their website (lensmateonline.com) says they will look into the possibility of making one. Go to their site and e-mail them if you are interested in that...

[Beowulff]

I'm not sure about the US, but in Australia the SX10 hasn't yet been released for sale as far as I know. Maybe early November downunder? I can't find any reviews anywhere either, so I'm guessing it hasn't been released in Europe yet?

My only comments at this stage — from its specs — would be that Canon should've put a much larger sensor than the the relatively (by today's standards) tiny 1/2.3" in this model — especially considering it now has more than 10MP packed on to it.

And 20x zoom? How silly is this? Or is it simply a cynical marketing exercise by Canon in the ongoing "battle of the big numbers"?

Cheers :)

[Steve McDonald]

Yesterday, a series of pictures was the first posted on another major camera forum by a user of the SX10. Almost everyone who commented there, was struck by how flawed they were. There was high noise and low resolution and the purple-fringing was the worst I've ever seen from any camera. Two other people tried it, one in a store and the other at a trade show, yesterday. One said that indoors, the autofocus was almost unusable, except at a wide angle or with a high ISO setting. The other said that the lens made mechanical noises and he could feel things really moving around inside, when it tried to focus. Its lack of any means to mount filters and add-on lenses and no HD video, adds to its deficiencies. As a very happy user of an S5, this is an unpleasant development. I hope that participants here will do some careful evaluation, before they assume that this new model will be an improvement over previous models in the S-series. It would seem that Canon tried to squeeze too much out of a small lens and a very small CCD. If they'd kept it to 8-MP and 15X, much of this might have been avoided. Hang on to those S3 and S5 cameras.

Steve McDonald

[MaDMaXX]

This doesn't sound good, but the lens isn't the same, it's 20x to match/beat other manufacturers, so they've not tried to squeeze more from it.
The CCD is bigger (i think) than the S5, does the S5 not have a 2.5 CCD? Also, it doesn't make any sense that the zoom/focus motors are very noisy as it's using VCM etc, it's incredibly unlikely that this model would fail so badly against the camera it replaces.
Looks like we're going to have to wait it out until we see the first reviews showing up.

PS, remember this is the cut down upgrade, the lens mount and HD vid are on the SX1.

[ImageVerification]

I wish this would have been a "no brainer" decision. I can pick up a new S3IS for $300. I wonder if I should just do that... sigh. Eh, might as well wait for more reviews.

[bascom]

Yesterday, a series of pictures was the first posted on another major camera forum by a user of the SX10.
Link please.

[MaDMaXX]

I went on the other forum and found the pics, they're actually good and not the ones referred to by Steve.

[Keleka Kaimana]

I have an SX10IS in hand. Love it so far. I also have had S2,S3 and S5. All great cameras with pluses and minuses.

Same with the SX10, not perfect, but it has impressed me.

The lens if very good.

I've only had it 2 days now, and its been raining a lot, so not many testing ops.

I feel at the same intro price as the S5, its a step up.

No need for adapter lens on SX10, in my opinion, although i would like a filter adapter system.

The problem is likely the filter size will have to be large to work with the 28 wide.

Anyone looking to get a S5, should be able to get a good used one under 250US.

[Steve McDonald]

A couple of people on DPR have reported that they got Hoya 55mm filters to fit on to the SX10 lens. Others have tried the same thing without success. They say that the grooves are not angled, but just straight. Possibly, these filters may be able to pop over the grooves, as snap-on lens caps do. It might be that Canon didn't intend for this to occur, but that by coincidence, this size filter will do it. I'd be careful that a filter didn't pop off, as easily as it went on. More later, if this mystery gets solved.

Steve McDonald

[bascom]

So you aren't able to give a link for these alleged bad SX10 photos and their discussion?

[MaDMaXX]

If it's the pics i believe he's referring to, they're heresay on another forum.

The SX10 was never intended to allow other lens, that was set to be on the SX1 only, the SX10 is the cut down version.

[Steve McDonald]

The SX1 is no different, regarding the absence of filter and adaptor mountings. Another person has reported that the SX10 lens has no angled threads and he thinks the filters were just popped over the grooves in the lens barrel by a couple of people, but he wasn't able to do it with his own SX10. It has been suggested that Canon left off filter threads, because they figured that some people would try to mount extra lenses on them and damage the mechanism, which isn't sturdy enough. This was not good thinking, as many people consider the use of filters to be necessary. Surely, some after-market company will make a filter adaptor that will attach to the hood-mounting grooves.

I'm not going to post a link to another discussion forum website here, but if you can't find that group of controversial SX10 photos, go to DPR and the Canon Talk Forum and look on page 4 (currently) for a thread titled, "SX10 IS---My First Shots". Incidentally, there have been a couple of other people who have said they really like the results with their SX10s. I haven't seen any photos from them yet, other than high ISO test shots.

Steve McDonald

[MaDMaXX]

Canon's own press announcement mentioned the SX1 having the ability to use the teleadpater so i don't know how you can say it's no different, it's not even out yet...

[stvkrenim]

I just bought one. :)

I've only had it a day, but here are a few things I've noticed:

1. The closest camera I can compare its noise profile to is the SD790 IS...which I also own. Images can get a little too "processed" at high ISO, but are otherwise acceptable for a high-res camera with a tiny sensor. SLR-like? Hardly. But do you expect that in a camera like this? :rolleyes:

2. Unusually sharp across the frame for such a broad focal range, more so than the S2's lens was. But there's noticeable barrel distortion at full wide angle.

3. Chromatic aberration is noticed, but it isn't really intrusive except at wide angle and F2.8 (wide open). At smaller apertures, CA is virtually eliminated.

4. The ultrasonic motor is fast, smooth and quiet. When the camera focuses, you hear some minor noise from the lens but it's nothing serious.

5. AF speed is speedy at wide angle, a bit slower at telephoto, but either way...it's an improvement over the S2 IS I once owned.

I haven't had it long enough to really get used to it, but I thought I'd share those tidbits. :D

[Steve McDonald]

Canon's own press announcement mentioned the SX1 having the ability to use the teladapter, so I don't know how you can say it's no different, it's not even out yet...

It's easy to say it, because Canon's website has corrected the mistake about teleconverter compatibility, that was in the specifications section of the press release. Also, an SX1 pre-production model was examined by a couple of people at the Photokina Show last month and they found that it had neither filter threads nor any lens adaptor mounting features. The ommission of such capability in the SX1/SX10 is a blunder by Canon and apparently they have no idea how important filters for image-correction or lens-protection are for many customers.

However, as I've said before, you can count on an aftermarket company, such as Lensmate, to make a filter adaptor that mounts into the grooves for the hood attachment. And, if I ever had an SX1 or SX10, which isn't likely now that I've seen sample photos from the SX10, I would make a telextender lens adaptor for myself and put directions for its construction online.

Steve McDonald

[Keleka Kaimana]

I agree with stvkrenim on all his assessments. Well done!

I have noticed that the minimum focus distance is longer then the S-Series. It takes some time to get used to it, but not a major issue.

[Turn]

I agree with stvkrenim on all his assessments. Well done!

I have noticed that the minimum focus distance is longer then the S-Series. It takes some time to get used to it, but not a major issue.

post iso shots!!!