The Canon Powershot SX200 IS is a 12 megapixel digital camera with a 12x wide angle lens. Considering the length of lens Canon has given the Powershot SX200 IS the camera is a relatively compact size. It has a wide range of features including manual exposure modes, High Definition movies, a 3 inch LCD screen, manual focus and image stabilisation.

I like the range of features this camera has as well as the picture quality it produces. The camera is also a handy size.

Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
The sharpness of this photo is excellent. With other cameras areas such as the trees may begin to look increasingly soft as you move up from snapshot sized prints. The Powershot SX200 IS produces an image that remains sharp. There is very little fall off in quality as you move away from the centre.

Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
As with other cameras with a long zoom lens there is a hint of purple fringing around the tree tops in this picture if you make extra large prints. Otherwise sharpness is again above average, especially for a camera with a wide angle lens.

Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
With the lens fully zoomed in there is also a suggestion of purple fringing in large prints where the sun catches the edge of the boats. Even so the levels are lower than many other super zoom cameras manage and in most cases this will only show in larger prints.

Outdoor 4 (Building)
This picture confirms my findings in the previous outdoor shots. Sharpness is above average. This is probably helped by the larger size of lens you find on this type of camera. There is little fall off in sharpness as you move out towards the edges.

Outdoor Portrait
I found the Powershot SX200 IS was capable of producing pleasing portrait shots. My outdoor portrait is bright and the colours have a natural look to them. There are no problems with sharpness and you should be able to take great, regular portrait shots.

Indoor Portrait with Flash
Perhaps this picture could be a touch brighter, but overall I am happy with the photo. Colours are good and once again the Powershot SX200 IS is able to produce a sharply focused shot.

Indoor Portrait without Flash
As with the indoor shot taken using flash this picture could be a little brighter. With any camera if there are situations you are aware of where a touch more brightness would help, try adjusting the exposure compensation. In most indoor or lowlight situations you will need to use flash to get the best possible shot.

Colours
I like the colours produced by the Powershot SX200 IS. They help the camera to produce vibrant pictures in most situations.

Macro
This is an area where Canon digital cameras routinely outperform other brands in my opinion. The Powershot SX200 IS is able to focus from more or less in front of the lens and this camera is a good choice if you are planning to take close up shots with a compact digital camera.

ISO 400 and ISO 1600
You are unlikely to want to use ISO 1600 unless there is no other way to get a photo. Overall though I found this camera was able to control noise levels pretty well.

Overall
I am impressed by the Powershot SX200 IS. You are unlikely to achieve much better picture quality unless you are prepared to pay a lot more for your camera.

Shutter lag times for photos taken without flash are about standard, but the Powershot SX200 IS slows down noticeably when you turn the flash on. Times without flash were: 0.35 seconds for one shot, 12.74 seconds for five shots. Times with flash were: 1.1 seconds for one shot, 20.17 seconds for five.

To turn the camera on and take the first photo took 2.47 seconds. This is a fast time.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

I like the design and picture quality of this camera. The front of the camera has a slight curve. The body is aluminium based. Red, blue and black versions are available.

103 x 60.5 x 37.6mm

220g

Rechargeable Li-ion Battery (NB-5L). Canon estimates you should be able to take up to 280 shots in between charges.

The Powershot SX200 IS is compatible with SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCplus, HC MMCplus memory cards. Canon does NOT supply a card with the camera or build in any memory.

Click here to save money on SD cards..

Good. There is a special easy mode if all you are looking for is a simple camera with some extra zoom. As you would expect if you wish to take advantage of all the features this camera offers it will take time to fully master the Powershot SX200 IS.

Picture quality - features - build quality

Shutter delay with flash

Another camera in a more compact body with extra zoom is the Samsung WB500.

The Canon Powershot SX200 IS ticks most boxes. If you are looking for a smaller camera that offers extra zoom you are unlikely to find much better quality elsewhere.

Front View

Back View

Top View

Sample Menu

Description:	12 megapixels and a 12x optical zoom lens
Ease of Use:	8
Features:	9
Colour:	9
Macro:	9
Indoors:	8
Value for Money:	8
Style:	8
Movie Mode:	9
Image Quality:	9
Build Quality:	8
Total:	85
Verdict:	This is a very good all round camera. The lens offers great flexibility and the features offer a great deal of scope. I like the picture quality it produces and it appears to have been well made. There are plenty of features to get your teeth into and it is hard to beat in its class.
Review Date:	May 2009
Related Pages:	Canon Powershot SX200 IS Specification Canon Powershot SX200 IS Sample Images Canon Powershot SX200 IS Features
Comparisons:	Canon Powershot SX200 IS vs Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ7

	GBP 189.99
	GBP 217.00
	GBP 237.99
	GBP 254.36
	GBP 254.98
	GBP 259
Click a flag for prices from other countries:

Camera	Rating
Fuji Finepix F70EXR	85
Canon Powershot SX120 IS	85
Panasonic DMC TZ7	85
Canon Powershot SX200 IS	85
Samsung WB500	84
Sony DSC H20	81
Fuji Finepix S1500	81
Olympus MJU 9000	79

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, please make sure you double check the feature set and specification at the point of purchase.

Canon Powershot SX200 IS