Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

738 reviews

Nov, 2024

Positive
performance (229)
usability (117)
zoom (107)
image quality (79)
screen (74)

Negative
price (36)
viewfinder (14)
low-light (11)
focus (9)
shutter (6)

General overview
Price comparison

alaTest has collected and analyzed 738 reviews of Canon PowerShot SX1 IS. The average rating for this product is 3.9/5, compared to an average rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras for all reviews. People really like the portability and zoom. The image quality and usability are also mentioned favorably. The contrast and shutter get negative opinions. There are mixed views on the optics and flash.

performance, usability, image quality, zoom, portability

price, low-light, viewfinder, shutter, contrast

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Digital Compact Cameras the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 89/100 = Very good quality.

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Review analysis

(Based on 738 reviews)

Expert Reviews

User Reviews

Review Ratings

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Features

performance
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usability
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image quality
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zoom
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portability
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Showing 1 - 134 of 221 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (514)

Consumer review (amazon.com)

Amazon.com review summary for Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

alaTest has collected and analyzed 124 user reviews of Canon PowerShot SX1 IS from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 3.5/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.2/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.com. Reviewers really like the zoom and image quality. The portability and usability also get good opinions, but there are mixed opinions on the low light performance and price. Some have doubts about the exposure and viewfinder.

performance, usability, portability, image quality, zoom

focus, viewfinder, exposure

73% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Nov, 2024

Expert review by : David Elrich (digitaltrends.com)

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS Review

It's an excellent mega-zoom for the photographer willing to learn its idiosyncrasies and spend $600.

Jul, 2009

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Expert review by : Lori Grunin (cnet.com)

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS review

Would you pay as much for a megazoom as you would for a dSLR? That's the question you need to answer before plunking down the same amount of cash for the Canon PowerShot SX1 as you would for the EOS Rebel XS or the Nikon D60 with their 18-55mm lenses....

Relatively fast; good HD video; raw file support.

Big; quirky interface; some image artifacts.

A top megazoom option, the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS offers a 20x zoom lens and HD video, which you can't get in a similarly priced dSLR, and delivers more features and slightly better performance and photo quality than the cheaper SX10 IS.

Apr, 2009

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Expert review by (dpreview.com)

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

Canon's popular superzoom range of cameras began with the release of the PowerShot S1 IS back in 2004, and has been incrementally upgraded each year with more features and more pixels, with the last update being the PowerShot S5 IS announced in May of...

Good resolution, Good color; Generally accurate focus gives a high 'hit rate' even in auto mode; Huge photographic versatility with 28-560mm lens and super macro mode; Image stabilization works very well (and can be used in movie mode); Fast continuous...

Noise and noise reduction effects visible at anything over ISO 80; Noise reduction starts to destroy fine detail at anything over ISO 100; ISO 800 and 1600 very noisy and of limited use; Lens is prone to chromatic aberration and purple fringing; Movie...

Lets start with the good.

Mar, 2009

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Expert review by : Mike Flacy (steves-digicams.com)

Canon Powershot SX1 IS Review

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., February 17, 2009 - Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today introduced 10 new PowerShot cameras that offer an array of photographic options for the entry-level consumer right up to the photo enthusiast. Whether on a...

Apr, 2009

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Expert review by (electronicsme.com)

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

Canon has managed to squeeze in some extra functionality for the SX1 compact digital camera that helps it stand out as a worthy replacement for your existing unit. Given its HD video recording option as well as the increased ability to capture better...

CMOS sensorFull HD Video RecordingRAW mode image captureHDMI output

Selection dial somewhat troublesome

The major benefit of the Canon Powershot SX1 IS is that it can shoot...

Nov, 2009

Partner Source

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Expert review by : Gavin Stoker (photographyblog.com)

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS Review

Well, like Canon's EOS DSLR range, the PowerShot SX1 IS features a CMOS sensor as opposed to regular CCD at its heart, which is a first for any of its compacts, enabling, along with a Digic 4 processor, the camera to shoot full resolution JPEGS at up...

We're loathe to suggest that you pay the full manufacturer's asking price on this occasion though, due to the question mark hanging over value for money. And happily a quick Internet search revealed the SX1 IS could be had for just under 400 from a...

Jan, 2009

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Expert review by (imaging-resource.com)

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

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The big story of the Canon SX1 is its movie capability - significantly improved over the SX10 thanks to the higher-speed CMOS sensor. The SX10 is limited to VGA (640 x 480) movies at 30 frames per second, but the SX1 can capture 1080p (1,920 x 1080...

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Expert review by : A. Jitesh (brighthub.com)

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS Review

This digital camera review is for the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS. Find out if this compact digital camera will fit your photography needs. We'll look at how the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS performs, what features it has to offer, how user-friendly the camera...

As a bridge between the advanced compact digital cameras and beginner’s dSLRs, the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS occupies a unique spot. It's as close to an SLR as possible without actually being one. So for a person who needs a fantastic camera with high...

Jan, 2010

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Expert review by : InsideHW (insidehw.com)

Expert Review

In accordance with ASUS philosophy of presenting new devices in short periods of time, not long after the first Fonepad, new models, Fonepad Note 6 and Fonepad 7, have been announced. Unfortunately, f... Mechanical keyboard are conceptual way of going...

Nov, 2009

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Expert review by : Steve Morgenstern (washingtonpost.com)

Canon SX1 IS

The 10-megapixel Canon PowerShot SX1 IS is a reasonably small camera with an unreasonably powerful 20x zoom: it's the equivalent of a 28-560mm lens on a 35mm camera, and will take you quite effectively from a wide-angle landscape shot to a close-up of...

At a $599.99 list price, it's certainly not the cheapest ultrazoom you can buy (the Nikon P90 sells for $200 less), but the SX1 justifies the higher price tag with good-looking high-definition video and impressive lab-tested image quality. You also get...

Sep, 2009

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