Canon Powershot SX110IS 9MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)

I've had this camera for several months now and it's been back for warranty repairs twice. First for the screen going dead, second for the lens retraction mechanism failing. Those were both fixed under warranty with little hassle aside from lost time. The frustrating thing about this camera is the unreliable file system that it uses. Multiple times the camera has taken it upon itself to completely erase the SD card when trying to take a picture or movie. Today it erased an entire day's worth of movies and photos (including my son's first bike ride) and only kept the last few movies recorded.
Also, unless the camera is set in completely manual mode it is too slow to auto-set while taking photos. It can take up to a couple seconds from button press to image capture.
The image quality is only so-so unless the photo is taken in bright light (outdoors in sunlight). Even normal indoor room lighting results in noisy images unless the flash is used.

This camera is absolutely the best camera I have ever owned and I have owned many. Only drawback is battery life but this camera is so versitle that it can be used by everyone from a novice to a professional. Love it, love it, love it.

I love my canon, however the zoom leave some to be desired. A fantastic point and shoot.

I have a professional Canon Camera (5D) and love it. I bought this camera to tote around in my purse when the other camera is too big. Many problems with this camera. First, it doesn't work with my Card Reader. I've NEVER had a problem with any camera I've used with it, but this camera "writes" the picture to the card differently, so it doesn't work. You have to use their software. The pictures are an odd size ( about a 6x8) so when you go to have them printed as a 4x6, the bottom is cut off along with the date stamp. The flash doesn't pop-up by itself... it's a manual process. This is not always a bad thing if you don't want the flash, but you may miss a few pictures when you forget to pop it up.

The f/stop is usually 2.8 for many settings whether it is for the "mountain setting" or the "portrait setting". If you don't know what this means, don't worry. In a nut shell, the focus area is too small and if someone is standing slightly behind someone else... they will be out of focus. Very crappy setting for snapshots. The shutter speed is usually too slow for indoors... translating to blurry pictures if someone is moving (when flash is not on). If the flash is on, it will "freeze" the motion but will be really bright.

The self timer doesn't work.

There's more, but I have to say, I'm really disappointed in this camera.

First when I bought this camera it was amazing. Amazing quality pictures, great zoom features, and so on. Then, something happened where my face finder stopped working. Then, after about a year I had this lens error. My friend has this same camera, the second time they used it it got the same lens error. Canon has no solution for this problem and I know a lot of people who are very rightly upset that this very expensive camera has a flaw that is not repairable. Be very careful when purchasing this product.

Amazing camera it has all the features I look for : AA battery, high power zoom, and a decent megapixel, easy to use, and every picture I take comes out perfect

I ordered this item to be used as our new company camera. It has only recently arrived so I have only used it on several occasions, however, I am already impressed. The camera is easy to use and takes great pictures. I especially love to 10X optical zoom. The only negative I see thus far is the battery life.

Good point and shoot camera. Better than the previous model year. Does drain batteries pretty quick though

Great Camera! Worth the $! Great auto features so you never miss that perfect moment. The zoom is amazing!

Takes decent photos for a pocket camera. Seems to over expose when left to its own devices. Claims that battery life is poor are exaggerated. I have lithium batteries in it and have taken over 880 photos and 5 videos with no change in batteries. Timed shutter functions make night photography a breeze.

I am pleased with the photos. Of course the quality isn't quite as good as with my Canon SLR, but still very good for a point and shoot. What really amazed me is the quality of the video. I was thinking about buying a new video camera, but I bought a 4 GB card and use this instead.

The camera has a great zoom lens. It does a pretty good job in low light. It basically doesn't come with any memory. It eats batteries but I think all cameras do. You need rechargeable ones. It takes great photos in good light. The Macro focus works well. The auto mode works well in good light but I like the manual mode for rain or fish tank photos. I paid $216.39 for it in may 2009. I don't know why they are charging $309 today.

I bought this camera for a trip to Yellowstone, and came home with a wonderful collection of prints that completely belie how excellent the camera is at getting "out there" and stopping the shaking blurring the images.
In the 1000-odd pictures I took, there were two where I forced it to take the picture before the focus had caught up, and a couple that were shot out of a moving car, and it focused on the apprently statioary distance rather than the nearer item.
Oh, yes, and one of my bear shots had a great shot of the rain that I was standing in, rather than the bear behind the rainfall.
The rest were great. In fact so great, it was hard to remember how difficult the picture actually was. About the only example of that was when I was head-on to a bison, and wanted a profile shot. I walked to the side about 50 yds, and when focussed again on the distant dot, realised that his head had turned, and he was still watching me. Not a panic, since he was a long way away, but I then took the shot (zoomed in and out) to show how far away their awareness runs. Still get the thrill of realising that the distant dot was watching me...

I kept wanting to stand next to people with cumbersome (D)SLRs, and say "Is this the photo you wanted?", before slipping the camera back into my pocket.

Away from the great outdoors, the flash combines well with the dynamic ISO seting, and allows good head shots across the dance floor at parties.
Oh, and the usual thing from Canon CCDs that have minimal cascade even in low light conditions; near-black photos still have little sparkle in the image, just as it should be.
And I have found good macro pictures, which I didn't expect. Probably only about 1:1 macro (in old 35mm terms) but able to get photo of half a paper staple, and the damage on the staple and the paper from the action of fitting.

So, recommend? You betcha. Buy again? You betcha.

I have had this camera for about 9 months now, and have almost no complaints. It takes clear photos, is easy to use, and the zoom is lovely. The only downside that I have noticed is that in some light conditions it can be hard to see what you're taking a photo of in the view screen. Otherwise - a good camera for an affordable price.

This camera is easy to use and takes great pictures.
I really need to read the book, but that's how easy the camera is to use. I figured out the basics without looking at the manual.

This is a really great camera. Canon is an excellent digital camera compared to all the others I have owned. This camera for the price is an excellent choice. We love the features and quality. I highly recommend this camera or other Canon products. They never disappoint.

THis replaces a Sony that my wife really didn't like and ended up losing. I compared this with a Nikon and another Sony and it seemed to have the best balance between features and cost and I wasn't disappointed. Picture quality is flawless, digital 'face finding' focusing is pretty cool.

Battery life seems good and the fact that it takes AA batteries is actually a good alternative to the Sony which has a proprietary battery pack.

The slightly larger than minimal form factor is actually a help in providing a solid grip on the camera while still allowing portability.

I've used this camera for about 4 months now. The only complaints I have are #1. that the ISO settings really affect the image quality. I have no idea why they elected to put the 800 and higher ISOs in there because they produce really grainy pictures. #2. The Flash takes a really long time to charge. If you thought you could use the flash to take a series of indoor party photos for instance, you will get the first shot off and then by the time the recharge completes (10+ seconds on new batteries) the event is usually over. #3. The flash is quite limited in range. #4. The camera seems to have a problem with light and dark areas in the same frame. For instance, if you like the sky and cloud texture and also want good detail of the mountains in the frame, chances are good that one or the other will be either over or under exposed.

This is my first digital camera, and the experience has been very pleasant. I have used 35mm cameras years before purchasing this digital camera. The quality of the photos is very good, in addition, I upgraded the memory and now can take some nice videos. This camera is a great value for the money, I highly recommend it.

It's every thing I could ask for, it will tacke me a will to learn all of its feathures. I've used it at several family functions, when I used it correctly the results were great. I moved from Canon F-1s in the 35mm world, this has a lot more features and so lite in comparason. And its nice to be able to sit down the next day and review my photos, deleting the bad ones.

I bought the previous model to this one, loved it, used it like crazy, dropped it on concrete (still took very good photos but with a new behavioral idiosyncrasy) and so bought this next generation model. I love this camera even more than my old one. You get great photos practically every time. I'm only willing to compromise when I can get everything I want! Unfair and impossible in most cases but not with this Canon model. At work, I used the previous Canon SX100IS and now this SX110IS in addition to a very expensive digital Nikon SLR model. You will not get the same quality as the Nikon SLR but more than good enough unless you're shooting product shots for a brochure. The Canon photos are more than good enough for use on websites. I've been very pleased. I want to mention that after I dropped the old SX100IS model on concrete while it was on and the lens was extended out, the lens had actually jammed back in toward the body. I thought it was a definite goner. I jiggered it a bit and the lens unstuck, retracted back in as usual and then came back out when I turned the camera back on. It seemed to realign itself after it went in and out a few times! The only other problem was when I turned the camera on, the first shot could not be seen through the LCD view panel (there is no viewfinder) so I had to take the first shot blind and then everything would go back to normal after that. The camera still seemed to take really good shots especially where there were contrasting colors. I couldn't believe it. It cemented my intention to buy the successor model when I replaced it. It's also still small enough (with a protective case) to get into my medium-sized handbag for those occasions when I want a camera that's better than my cellphone.

After much research, I settled on this camera because (1) I have owned 2 Canons that I have loved, and (2) I wanted a more powerful zoom than is available in most standard point-and-shoots. The zoom? Very cool. But I can't get past how grainy/noisy the photos are, especially when taken outdoors. I even had photos taken in ideal lighting conditions that had so much noise it was distracting (well, to me anyways). I finally took similar photos side by side with this camera and my 4+-year-old, 5MP Canon Powershot A95, figuring the side-by-side comparison would give me the answers I was looking for. I took photos with and without flash, in sunlight and shade, using auto, portrait, and landscape modes. The verdict was clear: "Old Reliable" was the winner. Sadly, I will be returning the SX110. Back to the drawing board in search of a new camera, once again. I am sorely disappointed.

I really am impressed with this little camera. It has some amazing features. Great for the amature photographer like myself.
I would highly recommend the seller because the product came exactly as described and within a shorter time than expected!
I am very happy with the deal!

I'm very satisfied with this camera. I do wish it came with a protective case. Takes pictures right out the box. Easy to use menus. Takes really good indoor pictures. I havn't tried outdoors yet. I suppose viewfinders are a thing of the past. I own a traditional canon camera so I love both. This is a perfect compliment for on the go not so important pictures. But I would use a traditional camera for all my special occasions. There is something about deleting a good photo by accident that really spooks me.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R34A0RJFYMI1B8 In this video, I give a brief tour of the Canon SX110's operation, show the range of the zoom, and include a few photos to demonstrate some of the features. Note that you cannot judge the actual photographic quality since the compression and natural degradation of video on the web may impact it, although you should be able to see the difference between optical and digital zoom. To help consumers judge the quality, I will also post a few images on the main product page. This camera has so many features and settings that it take owners a while to learn them; however, if you want to do more than take standard snapshots, you will appreciate the camera's versatility.

Note: This silver Canon SX100IS is the same as the black model, just with a different housing.

Recommended purchases: Toshiba 8GB High Speed SDHC Memory Card, 12 ENERGIZER RECHARGEABLE AA / AAA BATTERIES + CHARGER

-- Debbie Lee Wesselmann

We were impressed by the amount this camera can zoom in on objects and still maintain clarity. We zoomed in on a mailbox far down the road and were able to read the numbers. Print quality is still great, even zoomed in that much. There are a lot of features to "get-to-know", but an easy-mode as well so you can just grab the camera quick to catch the kids or creatures doing something funny (while they're still doing it!). Size and weight still allows you to slip it in a purse, tote or oversized pocket if you don't want to tote a camera case.
A VERY nice camera and good value.

The Canon SX 110 is well worth considering for anyone looking for a versatile camera that provides a lot of control without breaking the bank. It has a powerful zoom lens, good macro setting, good battery life, intuitive controls, and extensive manual settings - including focus, ISO, aperture, light balance, etc.

The large screen on the back is good for all but the brightest light. Canon's face recognition technology is useful: whatever it does I am not sure, but portraits come out great. The camera's real asset is the long lens combined with image stabilization. 10x optical and 4x digital zoom, for a combined 40x zoom make amateur wildlife photography a possibility, which really can't be done with a point and shoot and until a few years back could only be done with SLRs with huge lenses. I've been able to get acceptable images on full 40x zoom without using the tripod in good light - the image stabilizer is that good. Macro focus is also available and high quality.

Bottom line: you won't get this versatility anywhere else for the price.

pros:
-manual options for all settings
-good long lens and image stabilizer performance
-good screen
-intuitive button layout
-low price
-long battery life (with high capacity rechargables)

cons:
-slightly too large for most pockets
-built-in flash is not great
-grainy at higher ISO settings

Great product and a great dealer! I started buying referbished product off Amazon a few years ago and I have not been disappointed. This camera is just like if it had been bought new from the store. The camera works great and is very user friendly. Plus the 10x optical zoom is a very handy feature. If there are any downsides it is that the camera is still a bit heavy, a little larger than I would like, and the flash has to be raised manually. Other than these it is a great camera and I would definitely recommend it to anyone else.

i'm no expert at photography but this camera is amazing! it takes pictures with incredible detail; has up to a 40x zoom (which i've already used a lot); it takes super nice video!!! i wasn't sure how i'd like that but now that i'm using it i'm hooked! if you have never used a camera like this......at first it may be a little intimidating but i came to grips with everything in about 3 days.(take lots of practice photos and familiarize yourself with all the features) i've found that the more i mess with the menus, the more things i find this camera can do!!! really, you can't go wrong with the sx110is. and also....do yourself a favor and get a canon printer.....they match up perfectly with the camera and prints great photos.

Excellent quality of pictures - but be careful this camera has a high drop out rate esp with the zoom out and is quite slippery. The Optical zoom does not work with video recording. The Battery consumption is too much. The flash recharge time is frustrating. I am going for Sony DSC H 20 as it has better pixels, optical zoom works while taking videos, feels more sturdy.

My Powershot S2 IS 5MP w/12x Optical Image was fabulous. It was stolen and I was torn between compactness of SX110 IS or the power of the SX10 IS. The SX10 is even larger than the S2 IS and not something that could be slipped into a moderately sized purse. Face it, when traveling, you want the least amount of junk to lug around.

Every Canon I've owned produces superior photos with each generation. I prefer to point, shoot and produce Ansel Adams quality photos but I know that doesn't happen all that often. But the photos from my last trip were just astounding and I had had no time to experiment with the camera.

My only comment is that shooting in lower light conditions, the angle of the camera can really make a difference in the colors picked up by the sensors. Since it is a visual thing, you are in control of the outcome.

By far the most user friendly Canon I've owned.

Really like this camera. Suits my needs for keeping up with my children. Recommend for those who just want to "point and shoot."

I love this camera. It takes very good pics and very easy to use. Just what I wanted. Would recommend it. I also want to say that Amazon is a very good company to buy from. I did have to return the first camera I ordered. Amazon sent me out another one right away and was able to print out a return label online sent it back with no problems. I also recommend Amazon for your shopping pleasure.

This camera is great! It is easy to use and easy to figure out all of the special features it has. The only down fall is that it is a little bulky compared to other digital cameras. However, when you consider the exceptional zoom capabilities it really is not that big. I am just not use to having a camera that will not fit in my pocket, but this one fits nicely in my purse. I would DEFINITELY recommend this product to anyone looking for a somewhat compact digital camera that has a great zoom!

So far, I really like this one. I bought it to carry with me on business trips with the SLR was staying home. I am really impressed with the crisp shots I can take and the zoom is really good. The image stabilization works very well. The flash is decent for a compact camera.

I am really happy with my Purchase of this camera so far , The Pictures come out Good, The Zoom is great for what i intended it for, as I enjoy taking photos of bird and animals, I can do so with out scaring them.

The camera is very easy to use in the easy mode, for my tech challanged husband , and the other modes cover all I will need for more interesting pictures. Using the flash alot burns the batterys up pretty fast but just keep extra batteries on hand. Way out performs the Kodak C643 I had.

I purchased this camera to take on a vacation. I own an SLR camera which I felt would be to big to carry around on our vacation. However, I have gotten spoiled by the quality of pictures the SLR camera takes. This camera was okay. Many pictures came out blurry which was disappointing. I kept forgetting to turn the flash on when it was needed. I wish it had an automatic flash b/c some of my pictures came out dark. The camera was small and was easy to carry around. The zoom is nice however I noticed if you zoomed in to the maximum amount the camera had a hard time focusing.

Camera, although paid for in advance, was never delivered. Repeated efforts to determine status of my order with Amazon and the seller were never answered. I finally notified Amazon thru the so-called "help" link and received a refund. Have not received an apology or any other consideration from Amazon or the seller for their failure to deliver as promised. I have lost a great deal of respect and faith in Amazon because of this and will not purchase again.

I really got some nice pictures at the beach on a bright sunny day however camera takes
very fuzzy pictures in less than ideal lighting. All detail is completely gone when the clouds
come out. It is what it is. No amount of advanced processing can produce quality pictures in
less than ideal conditions given the very small sensor size of this camera.

That's just the laws of physics ... no amount of processing can compensate for it.

I'm very happy with this camera. The zoom is excellent, user interface is intuitive, and the pictures I've taken with it are great. It does better than I expected on macro shots. The biggest disappointment is the long delay between shots, especially with the flash. It hasn't been a real issue for me, but this is not the camera to pick if you need to take mostly action shots (kids or sports).

Does much of what our Canon 40D can do for less than the cost of most SLR lenses. My teenage daughter loves it (and probably knows it capabilities better than I do). My wife loves its light weight and versatility. Alas my teenage son was disappointed that it is not waterproof so he could use it while scuba diving.

Cons: This is a Great Camera.. Zoom is Excellent, Clear Great pictures...

Pros: Battery Latch is difficult... im scared it will eventually break.

After suffering with a Sony CyberShot and a short-lived Olympus, I read an enormous number of owner reviews of cameras before selecting this one. The pictures are superior, particularly in low light and taken by someone who relies on a good point-and-shoot camera. I must say that the battery life is just ridiculously short. Using freshly purchased (and I checked - no where near expiring) batteries, and trying two different brands (separately, not mixed), I find that the batteries last for maybe 30 shots before I start getting the flashing icon warning me that they are about to die. I put in fresh batteries as I arrived at my child's school function, and the warning light was flashing within two hours. Note the camera was not on for two hours. This is nuts! I love everything else about the camera, but can't imagine walking around with a backpack full of batteries to get through a five day vacation.

the aperture can be open up to 2.8!
the large aperture provides clear foreground and blurred background which distinguishes the shot subject from surroundings.
it performs well when picturing a portrait or detailed feature.
this might be the greatest advantage of sx110 over other 10x compact digital cameras whose aperture almost start from 4.x(smaller aperture).
it is however a little bit heavy and big sized. I still like it.

This camera is excellent. It was bought to photograph small items close up and it does this nicely. It also takes photos of all kinds exceptionally well. One problem: the memory card that comes with it is worthless it takes about 8 photos before it is full.Ordered a 16 card and it will now take many many photos.

so very dissapointed with the battery life on this camera. i have taken about 35 pictures and am on my fourth pair of batteries. the features of the camera are great...love thezoom and the size of the display but hate , hate , hate how the battery life is eaten up in no time.....
mary s

I bought this camera to take with me to a concert I went to back in february. I knew that I was in the 6th row, so I needed a good zoom, and I needed something with fairly low noise at high ISOs because of the indoor lighting. I also needed something that was fairly low in price.

After much searching I decided on this little gem of a camera, and boy am I glad I did!

Some of the things I love about this camera:

It's compact. I was looking at the sx10is which is a bit of an upgrade, but ultimately the compactness of the 110 won me over.

It's inexpensive. At least as far as cameras go. I make very little money with my part time job, so I was looking for something that wouldn't break the bank and for about $[...] you can't argue with this.

You can set most everything manually. This came in great handy at the concert when I needed a quicker shutter speed than the pre-set settings wanted to give me. I also like knowing that I can control the image instead of just pushing a button and hoping for the best.

Beautiful 3in screen. Very lovely to use and very clear.

Manual flash. I hate hate hate built in flash for anything other than when you're taking a quick snapshot of you and a friend at night, so this was very convenient for me. I could flip up the flash when I wanted it, and when I didn't it would stay down.

Pretty nice in low lighting. At the concert there was very little light on stage so I cranked the ISO up to 800 and was happy with the amount of noise. It was still there, but it wasn't distracting like on some other cameras. Here's a picture I took from the 6th row with no flash

[...]

This set was taken at a different concert with ISO and shutter speed set manually

[...]

Nice video quality. I wasn't sure of the video quality when I bought it and was hoping for the best at my concert where I know lots of videos get overwhelmed with the bass. Luckily, it didn't sound like a bomb was going off at every beat. The sound isn't as good (in my opinion) as the sx10, but it's still pretty good. The video is also pretty high quality.

If you're interested, you can find some videos I took here

[...]

10x optical zoom. I. Love. This. The whole trip I took while seeing the concert was filled with me playing around with the zoom from our 9th story hotel room. There was a group of police officers talking with a man directly across the street from our hotel and you could literally read their name badges from how close it could zoom in.

Now for some things that I don't like so much.

First of all, the screen has no protection so it's easily scratched if it's not in a case whenever it's not being used. This is a turn off for me only because I'm the kind of person who likes to throw stuff into my bag and be on my way without worrying about it getting scratched up, or having to worry about the bulkiness of a case. This is by no means a reason to not buy the camera as this problem is easily remedied by keeping the camera in a small case or using a screen protector.

Next is that you can't use the optical zoom while taking movies. This bothers me because I really like to take video at concerts and it's a pain if you set the zoom wrong at the beginning of a video and can't change it throughout.

On that note, it's also VERY easy to switch from "standard" video mode to "compact" mode. Compact mode is a considerably lower resolution than standard and is closer to the resolution on a camera phone than the much higher quality of the standard mode. This has happened to me on at least two occasions and I couldn't figure out how it was happening until too late. It can easily change if the wheel located near the right thumb is moved while the camera is in movie mode. This is the one flaw that is causing me to give the camera 4 stars instead of 5 (I'm still bitter about the footage I lost because of it). This, however, can become a non problem if you're aware of how it can happen and how to fix it if it does happen.

To wrap this up, the sx110is is an excellent camera if you want an awesome zoom, and good quality images on a budget. I will definitely continue to use this as a non DSLR concert/everyday camera far into the future!

I already own another Canon digital but I wanted something with a higher optical zoom. I have been using this for the last few weeks and I love this camera. I noticed that results are much better when you use in manual or program modes. It is not possible to reach the desired results with auto. May be I have not been able to figure that out yet.

I do not like that it is slow when you want to take continuous shots but it is so easy to use anyway. However, 2 AA Batteries do not last much, you always have to carry backups if you are on the road. Good part is that you can find those everywhere.

Overall, I am happy with my cool looking camara.

I ordered this Canon Powershot SX110IS camera for my daughter. I have not even seen it yet. But she took it on vacation to Colorado and loved it. We live 4 hrs. away from each other and I'll get to see the pictures of the trip this week-end -when we visit.I understand from her it is a quality camera.
Ordering and the delivery of the camera was super fast. I was very satisfied all around.
Rovene Hamner
Kahoka, MO 63445

I wanted a camera that was very easy to use yet very versatile. As intuitive as possible and this one fits perfectly. The oversized screen is terrific and the easy knob for selecting types of picture is quick and convenient. I use my camera for a variety of different situations ranging for travel and outdoor shots to closeup shots of small objects. It focuses quick and does a nice job.
I really like the tuck away flash. It stays tucked away and if the picture you are taking needs the flash a message will tell you to raise it.
Picture quality is excellent and the oversized viewing screen is really nice. glad I got this one over a less expensive model. Cost me a few dollars more but worth it.
This camera has a little bit more heft to it than many other smaller and less expensive cameras and I like that. It has a good feel in your hands.

Overall an excellent camera, easy to use, good price and very intuitive. Canon has a nice user friendly set of buttons and knobs that are standard across many of their cameras.

My camera gets a lot of heavy website use and its perfect for me. Connect the camera to a cable then drag and drop the pictures where I want them.
The drag and drop isn't the only way to transfer pics, just one of the ways and the easiest way for me.