Canon's 10 megapixel SX1 IS shoots Full HD too
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Sep 17th 2008 6:38AM
posted Sep 17th 2008 6:38AM
[Thanks, Meema S.]
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hd, hd, hd.. hd everywhere
bring back vga
wtf!
Full HD at M-JPEG compression. Holy crap. Thats huge amounts of data. Shame they didnt implement H.264 compression.
In the article, it says they did. . . . .
As to pricing, I'm hoping it's one of those things that works out to be £520/$550, cause ain't no way I'd pay $900 for a non DSLR. Sorry, brits.
Canon specs say M-JPEG. I wonder where Engadget got the H.264 spec from.
Canon's site says :
Movies: MOV [H.264 + Linear PCM (stereo)]
That's one seriously cheap looking camera - reminds me of one of those "pretend" SLRs from the late 90's. Shame on you, Canon, I know you can do better than this..
Actually, it's the same design they've used for this series of cameras for years. Definitely a cheap multi-function consumer camera that doesn't hold a candle to the quality of an SLR (and I love my three-year-old version, it makes great stereo SD movies and has an amazing zoom -- just don't ask it to perform in low light, unless you love noise).
@ Rob:
Wow, crazy! This ISN'T an SLR???
With the potentially large file size and long processing/editing on less than bleeding edge computers, it would make sense to support 720p as well (which seems to be missing from the spec)!
The press shots seems to show both SX10 and SX1 sharing pretty much everything in the hardware. Could the difference be firmware only? Shall we wait for the hackers to retro fit SX1 firmware to the cheaper SX10?
SX1 has CMOS and SX10 has a CCD sensor.
HUGE difference
The Canon UK website shows both the SX1 and SX10 use H.264 Video. Actually "MOV [H.264 + Linear PCM (stereo)]". These are exactly what I've been looking for as a replacement for my Panasonic FZ5.
http://www.canon.co.uk/For_Home/Product_Finder/Cameras/Digital_Camera/PowerShot/PowerShot_SX10_IS/index.asp?specs=1
http://www.canon.co.uk/For_Home/Product_Finder/Cameras/Digital_Camera/PowerShot/PowerShot_SX1_IS/index.asp?specs=1
Great news if it's true. M-JPEG would have been just too much data!
Is this the newest iteration of the S3IS,S5IS...?
Stereo audio is a rare and welcome feature for sure, my S2IS was amazing. Too bad it broke in 18 months.
I won't be buying Canon again.
In this article
http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/20036/canon-powershot-sx1-is/
It says the it will include a 2x teleconverted and a wireless remote. Woohoo! It did say "include" and I do hope it means "included" in the package when you buy it.
Wow! First time my name is Engadget. I don't mind whatever my last name is. Still happy!
I'm a Canon person (40D+XTi) but I have to point out when their product is just so so. Look at the aperture on this thing 2.8-5.7 low light killer for sure. You can only go so far with ISO sensitivity and having large aperture (2.8 or lower constant) is key.
I wish Canon took a book from Panasonic and their recently announced Lumix DMC-LX3 has a f2-f2.8 aperture (24-60mm).
While it only does 720p in 24p (bonus for that film look.....especially now that you have a cam that hasa f2.0-2.8 AP which can give you a quite a reasonable shallow DOF), it can do 16:9 Aspect Ratio: 848 x 480 pixels 30 fps, and the focal length is not quite a match for the SX1 (both on the wide an long end) the faster lens will allow more light, and help the LX3 have lower noise and focus better.
All in all the 24mm (355mm film camera equivalent) is quite pretty much a stellar indoor length (think about how many photogs use a full frame 5D with a 24L lens for their tight indoor work).
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0807/08072102panasoniclx3.asp
The Lumix as has this SX1 beat in size (much smaller and can fit in a shirt pocket).
we must be thinking of different cameras because the Lumix DMC-LX3 I just sent back, was shocking...noise, noise and yet more noise. The lowest ISO setting was acceptable, but I found that above that, especailly at 400 - 800 was terrible and the over all image quality produced by any current Ixus range canon was much better on IQ, saturation and clarity. Also the HD video is a gimmick on the Lumix - the quality is awful, as is the sound.
The lens was great though, and I loved the design and features. But as I said, I was very disappointed with image quality.
Rod, Canon cameras are marginally better with noise, but not to the degree you imply. I've seen plenty of LX3 test shots, and "shocking" never once entered my mind. You can also fiddle with the NR settings on Panasonics like the LX3.
re: comparison with Panasonic DMC-LX3 aperture ranges
with all due respect, you're comparing a long-zoom cam with a short-zoom compact, aimed at completely different users.
The optics on this thing have to suck something fierce. There's no way you can create a 20x zoom lens without making some optical compromises, even with dealing with that tiny sensor.
I note, yet again, that Canon proudly boast "Canon CMOS sensor", without actually saying how big it is... and engadget (shame on you) didn't pluck out the most important features and highlight the ones that are missing so we can presume the worst. Whenever the marque don't tell us a specific number, it always seems its because it'd be disappointing, so I will assume that this camera's sensor is maybe just 1/4". It'll probably get, like many others, great reviews where they say "great camera, let down by low-light noise due to the small sensor".
I hope to be proved wrong in my cynicism.
ah, just found it, sadly I'm right: 1/2.3" sensor in both. at least they could have used the larger 1/1.7" sensor from G10? sigh.
@paul-engadget
Paul, it is not realistic to think about a 1/1.7" sensor on a 28-560 mm lens. The camera will be too big (it has 600 grams anyway with batteries). The old sensor of the series was even smaller, S1, S2, S3 and S5 IS having a 1/2.5" sensor. So the 1/2.3" is an upgrade.
@Alex
Panasonix LX3 is a 24-60 mm camera, not in the same target with this one. This is a ultra-zoom, ultra-versatile camera (greatest video on a foto camera, 0 cm macro, vari-angle screen, etc) Of course f/2.0 sounds great, but LX3 is the only compact I know which has that. f/5.7 for Canon is the brightest at the full tele, 560 mm and that is quite normal for this zoom range. I dont think many will make photos at 20x when the light is low ... so maybe it is not such a problem. I just hope that at 10-12x they can keep a f/3.5 diafragm as Canon S3-S5 IS has.
Also, those complaining about the price, check first the price of any Full HD camera with a good optical stabilizer and a wireless remote control. If you dont need the Full HD you can buy the SX10 IS, which is basically the same camera as this but without Full HD and is less than half the price of this. So I guess Canon was smart to came with two cameras with very different prices. Also maybe the CMOS sensor will have less noise than the CCD version, so some might find the SX1 IS interesting even at $900. Please do not compare this with an entry level SLR, even if they are at the same price. Only a 6000$+ SLR can do that kind of zoom range optical stabilized and full HD movies. So I guess some will find this interesting if they need decent quality photos and great video without the complications of a SLR.
@D.Fens
I don't care about how big it ends up being, since to me, image quality is far more important than a large size or heavy weight. I also wanted to see the 1/1.7 from the G10 appear in the SX1, but maybe the fact that the SX1 uses CMOS will help to compensate in some small way for the smaller 1/2.3 size.
Really, I just hope it doesn't take until December (as indicated on the Japanese Canon website) for it to be released...
I can see some evidence of chromatic aberration (color separation at high zoom) and noise in the sample images on the Japanese website, but the CA problems aren't nearly as bad as that 15x Fujifilm superzoom, and the noise (pure blue sky that displays unnatural pixelation when it should be smooth) could just be JPEG compression artifacts. But really, I doubt people will be shooting a majority of their shots at the full 20x zoom level, so the CA shouldn't be bad at all, and the first release of CHDK to support the SX1 (and all other Digic 4-based models) will likely provide RAW support, so we'll see whether the noise there is the fault of the sensor or the JPEG compression.
Either way, 1080p video will rock the boat quite a lot. I'm glad Canon got off their asses and has embraced HD video mode in a big way (totally skipping over 720p with current models, the TX1 doesn't count). Now the D90 has less (if any) advantage over the 5D Mark II.
@Brian
If you care that much about image quality than ultra-zoom cameras are not for you. Just buy a SLR and then some good big lens. There is no other way for the moment. You can't have it all. My opinion is that the typical Canon Powershot S series buyer prefers decent image quality and decent size camera at decent price than high image quality, big camera, big priced one. Of course I would like a low noise high iso feature on Canon Powershot S series, but I wont settle for a +50% weight/size increase and pay 50% more. I think the SX10 IS will sell very well at $400, not sure about the SX1 IS if that $900 price is real. On some websites I have seen a 15th October release date ... I will probably upgrade my S3 IS to a SX10 IS especially because of the 28 mm feature and higher resolution screen/EVF. I am concerned a little about the aperture at tele (f/5.7) ... I just hope that at 10x will still have a f/3.5 or so. Also, not having a more than 640x480 video resolution on the SX10 IS is a bit disapointing, but I wont pay $500 more just for a Full HD video mode. As far as I checked the samples, it didn't seem that the CMOS sensor is better than the CCD one, but the photos were all at ISO 80 where is hard to make a difference.
I was a bit confused. I received a newsletter from canon announcing the new generation of the powershot S5 IS- the SX10. Then when I did a google search the SX1 appeared. I guessed canon can't hide anymore their marketing schemes. I was by now wondering when they were going to bring the uppgrade. I find it very appealing to have a video recording and picture taking abilities. I don't take pictures by profession so I can settle for a regular consumer camera. I have been taking vga video and I think vga is good to watch on a laptop, a small tv, upload to the web, or even an ipod. This and nothing more. Todays tv's demand hdtv so if your looking for video of this kind- look away from the SX10 and into the SX1. But then at $900 it is a steep price. I can't direct anyone to a high def camcorder because they are still bulky and I can't stand carrying a large bag. I guess the total solution is still some time away.
listen if the camera were to cost $900 it wouldn't be worth it for canon to put out. The D90 slr with hd recording is only a 1000 so i can't even conceive than canon would be stupid enough to put it on the market for that much. Also i think that its not fair to compare this camera to an slr because they are in different classes (however if the camera goes for 900 they will inevitability be compared). Again this camera is aimed for at a certain group of people and is not expected to fit the requriments of a camera to replace a dslr. This camera is going to be one of the top of the high end point and shoot cameras with out a doubt. So im expecting this camera to go for 500-600. This is my expectation/hope. But if it goes for higher than that im buying a dslr.
I am using a S3 IS with 12 x zoom,6 MP,but this is a 20x zoom lens and full HD camera.I have worked with S5 IS also,but when thinking about its wide range zoom 28-560 mm say that this model is another wonderful powershot camera,best wishes for Canon people and Canon lovers!
i have been searching DC for many years. G7, G9, good, but LCD so cheap. G10 great upgraded, but no HD video capturing, even 1024X768 (G7, G9). Now Sx1 seems good for me, but i heard Canon is not going to sell SX1 in North America.
On the UK website the price for the SX1 is 399.00 which would be like 645.00. I don't think Canon will go over 500 for this camera. We will all have a SX10 and be glad we bought it when we did and then Canon will probably sell it for the same price as the SX1 in December and we'll all say....bummer!
excuse me.......sell it for the same price as the SX10.
The price for Canon PowerShot SX1 IS is 499€ and the
Canon PowerShot SX10 IS is 343€
I have waited for Canon camera in this price range with similar features for a very long time.
Just a few months after release the prices are getting smaller on Swiss website http://www.microspot.ch/microspot/product/Digitalkameras/0000281475/Camera_Powershot_SX1_IS_black/detail.jsf :
SX10 418 CHF and SX1 is 663CHF. Shipping is free.
Hope prices will drop down in UK soon.
Now it is much easier to decide.
I am ordering SX1...
Thanks