Canon PowerShot SX260 HS Review

April 16, 2012 | Mark Goldstein | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Half rating star

Introduction

The Canon PowerShot SX260 HS camera is a new travel-zoom camera that replaces the SX230 HS model. There's a longer 20x, 25-500mm optical zoom lens with a built-in 4-stop image stabilizer and Intelligent IS technology, 12.1 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor, 3 inch LCD screen with 460k-dot resolution, DIGIC 5 image processing engine, full 1080p HD Movie Mode with stereo sound and an HDMI output, and a Smart Auto mode with Scene Detection Technology and an Easy mode for beginners. The Canon SX260 HS also offers built-in GPS with included Map Utility software and GPS logger function (the only difference between the SX260 and cheaper SX240 model), a full range of manual exposure modes for more experienced photographers, fast 10.3fps burst shooting at full 12 megapixel resolution, Face Identification, a range of Creative Filters and a 240fps Super Slow Motion Movie mode. The Canon PowerShot SX260 is priced at £329 / $349.99 / €379.00 and is available in silver, black, red or green.

Ease of Use

At first glance the new Canon PowerShot SX260 HS looks almost exactly the same as its SX230 HS predecessor, but design-wise and operationally it's not quite a perfect match. The build quality of the SX260 HS is the usual solid mixture of plastic and metal, with the camera feeling sturdy enough to withstand the odd drop or knock. Slightly curved edges and corners make it appear less boxy and rectangular than it actually is, and while the SX260 HS is noticeably bigger and especially wider than your average compact, it still just about fits into your pocket and is reasonably light too at 231g with the memory card and battery inserted.

This modest additional bulk feels like a fair compromise given the amazing 20x built-in zoom power, although the lens does extend an ungainly 2-inches from the body when using the maximum 500mm equivalent telephoto setting. Still, having the equivalent of a 25-500mm zoom lens in such a relatively small body is no mean feat, although perhaps inevitably the maximum apertures at either end of the range are pretty slow (f/3.5 and f/6.8 respectively). We suspect that most users won't notice that detail, however, instead attracted by the ability to capture everything from ultra-wide-angle landscapes to up cloase and personal action shots. Helping to steady the camera is a new handgrip on the front, which was absent on the SX230 model. Used in conjunction with the effective image stabilisation system which automatically prevents blur by matching the optical Image Stabilizer to the scene from 7 different modes, this most vertical bar helps to ensure that most of your shots in good light are sharp, whatever the focal length. Completing the front of the SX260 HS is a small window for a self timer/AF assist lamp positioned to the top left of the lens.

On top of the camera next to the large shutter release button which has just the right amount of 'give' to enable users to determine a definite halfway point when pressed and encircling the shutter release button is a responsive rocker switch for operating the zoom - a nudge to the right zooming in, to the left zooming out. Alongside is the built-in GPS system, the main difference between the SX260 HS and the cheaper SX240 HS model. The GPS is set to off as a default and to enable it, you have to go into the main menu, go to Settings and scroll down to the GPS Settings sub menu. It's worth noting that GPS should't be used in every country, so if you're travelling abroad you should check with that country's regulations to make sure you're OK doing it. The improved GPS Logger function charts your journey for up to 48 hours on a single battery charge, and you can view your progress on the included Map Utility software. The GPS system does have trouble locking onto a sattelite indoors or in a built-up urban area, but we found that it worked reliably outside even with cloud cover.

The Map Utility software for uploading the pictures to Google Maps is included along with the manual disc in the box. You can easy install all items or custom install just the ones you want to. It's relatively easy to find out how to view your pictures on the map, the main problem we had was how to navigate away from the My Pictures folder that the software defaults to, so that we could get to our dedicated folder storing the Canon pictures. The ones that have GPS information have a small satellite icon in the top corner. The readings are extremely accurate - we would say to within a few metres.

Canon PowerShot SX260 HS Canon PowerShot SX260 HS
Front Rear

Also located on top of the SX260 HS are the small pop-up flash unit, holes for the stereo sound and microphone, and a relocated and recessed on/off button, which is a little unresponsive to use but at least ensures that the camera won't be turned on inadvertently.

Moving to the rear of the camera, the shooting mode wheel on the top right of the back plate features a plethora of options - 12 in total - with the sort of set-up found on an entry-level DSLR in relation to its mixture of creative manual options, plus point and shoot modes for common subjects. Canon has here thoughtfully included an 'easy mode' in addition to the scene and subject recognizing Smart Auto - the former denoted by a camera with a heart icon that more usually denotes a 'favourites' setting. This mode disables pretty much everything in terms of user selectable shooting options and so allows for fuss-free point and shoot operation suitable for complete beginners. The new Live mode takes things one step further in terms of complexity by allowing you to change the camera's key settings via three onscreen sliders - dark to light, neutral to vivid, and cool to warm.

The shooting mode dial is also where you'll find the camera's scene modes, some of which again mirror the kind of selections you'll find on the latest consumer DSLRs and Micro Four Thirds hybrids. Further hand holding is provided by the Smart Shutter scene mode which as it sounds allows the shutter to be controlled with a smile or a wink, increasing the overall user-friendly feel and handy for when you want to include yourself in the picture. The shooting mode dial also provides access access to the creative effects mode, which contains 9 different looks including the popular perspective warping fisheye, miniature and toy camera options, and the interesting Movie Digest mode, which captures up to 4 seconds of the action before a still shot is taken, then joins all the clips together from the same day into a single VGA movie, which creates a time-lapse movie overview.

Of course when you're given fun new tools such as the above effects, the overwhelming temptation is to go crazy with them. Certainly the tilt and shift lens-like 'miniature effect' that transforms friends and colleagues into the equivalent of toy soldiers is hard to resist. Plus, with a press of the 'display' button on the SX260 HS's back plate followed by a toggle of the zoom switch on the top plate, users can go one further and precisely control the width of the portion of the image that is sharply in focus, leaving the rest artistically blurred. A live preview of each one is handily shown on screen so you don't even have to take a picture to see what the results of each effect will be.

Canon PowerShot SX260 HS Canon PowerShot SX260 HS
Front Top

Unfortunately such effects cannot also be used when recording movies, though users do have access to the 'My Colors' settings, including colour swap and colour accent for anyone wanting to experiment something visually different from the norm, even if the results do at times resemble an early 1990's grunge rock video. Smart Auto is deployed in movie mode, though, with the camera referencing 21 different presets to find the most appropriate.

Perhaps most usefully, the full extent of the 20x optical zoom can also be deployed when shooting movies, its ultra quiet transition meaning that the built-in microphone doesn't pick up operational buzzes, the usual reason for manufacturers disabling the zoom. Focus is automatically adjusted as the user zooms in or out, which, with no alternative manual adjustment ring, means the footage can go soft for a moment or two before the camera locks on target. Canon states that Dynamic Image Stabilisation also kicks in when shooting video to ensure smooth tracking shots, of use when filming whilst walking for example. The SX260 HS records 1920x1080p Full HD movies at 24fps with stereo sound, making it one of the few compact cameras currently on the market to offer such good quality, while the new Intelligent IS system helps to keep footage steady.

Changing modes and features on the SX260 HS is a simple task thanks to a friendly user interface (UI) and straightforward menu system. Of the two menus, arguably the one you will use the most is the Function menu, activated by the Func/Set button in the middle of the four-way navigation pad. This gives you quick access to the most used functions of the camera, and everything is labelled clearly so you can understand what is what - the same goes for the Main menu system too.

Ensuring swiftness of operation, Canon has included a Digic V processor as found within its more grown up DSLRs. Otherwise the PowerShot SX260 HS incorporates technology very similar to its other current non-super zoom IXUS and PowerShot compacts. As previously touched on, it features Smart Auto with Scene Detection Technology whereby the camera compares subjects with no less than 58 on-board variables and selects the most appropriate for optimum results. Also making an appearance here are shadow detail enhancing i-Contrast, Smart Flash Exposure which adjusts flash levels according to prevailing conditions, plus Face Detection technology which can recognize up to a whopping 35 faces in a frame, whilst Face Self Timer allows you as photographer to join them before the shutter fires.

Canon PowerShot SX260 HS Canon PowerShot SX260 HS
Pop-up Flash Side

The SX260 HS sports a built-in flash of the pop up variety, positioned to one side of the lens which lessens the chance of red eye (with automatic red eye correction software further built-in as a belt and braces approach and selectable via the shooting menu folder). Thankfully Canon have seen the light and finally stopped the flash from automatically popping up when the camera is initially switched on, as on the SX260's predecessors. This was inevitably more than slightly irritating if you did't actually intend to use it, with the only option being to press it down to return it to its dormant state.

As expected, in the absence of any modest integral memory - something with which Canon has quietly stopped bothering with of late as resolutions have grown higher - captured pictures and movie clips are written to optional SD, SDHC or even higher capacity (up to 2TB) SDXC cards. As regards video, the ability is also provided for Eye-Fi transfer and the camcorder-like direct upload of videos to YouTube to keep the younger members of the family happy.

The SX260 HS powers up in just over a second, rear LCD bursting into life and zoom extending to maximum wideangle setting so the camera is ready for action. With a half press of the shutter release button the camera takes a further second to determine focus and exposure, AF point/s highlighted in green with the customary beep of confirmation that focus and exposure has been determined and the user is free to pursue the shot. Go on to fire the shutter and a full resolution 12 megapixel image is committed to memory in a couple of seconds, the screen briefly blanking out before returning to the real-time scene before the lens. The amount of time the captured image appears on screen as a means of review can be altered via the menu folders.

The SX260 HS features an excellent 3-inch, 460k dot resolution widescreen format LCD at the rear that displays a 4:3 image ratio as its default setting. That's unless one is shooting HD movies with stereo sound, whereby the picture is automatically relayed in 16:9 ratio to more closely ape how it would appear when viewed on a desktop PC, or a flat panel TV. The excellent High-speed Burst mode shoots at a fast rate of 10.3fps at full 12 megapixel resolution, one of the major benefits of the Digic 5 processor, while the Super Slow Motion Movie mode offers a great way to dramatically slow down fast-moving subjects, shooting at either 240fps at 320x240 pixel resolution or 120fps at 640x480 pixels.

Canon PowerShot SX260 HS Canon PowerShot SX260 HS
Memory Card Slot Battery Compartment

With approximately four fifths of the Canon's backplate taken up with the elongated widescreen format LCD, its operational controls are shunted over to the far right. Starting at the top, we have the penny-sized shooting mode dial with its ridged edge enabling a more definite purchase and nicely solid feel. This rigidity ensures it clicks into place for each setting in such a way that it is hard to accidentally slip from one option to another when fetching the camera out of a pocket or camera bag.

Below the shooting mode dial are the one-touch video record button, and next to it the identically sized replay/playback button. These two self-explanatory controls sit above the command/dial scroll wheel. It's here that alterations can be made to flash settings, as well as those for self timer, auto, close up (to 5cm from a subject) or manual focus, plus exposure compensation (+/- 2EV). In manual focus mode a distance slider appears at the right of the screen, adjustable with a swivel of the scroll wheel (so it's a bit fiddly), rather than more intuitively tabbing up or down. Any changes to the status quo are naturally effected with a press of the central function/set button as previously described. The Self-timer button doubles up as a Delete button when playing back your images, instantly fixing another of our major criticisms of the prexious SX230 model, which amazingly didn't have a dedicated Delete button and took no less than six button presses to bin an image.

The bottom pairing of buttons on the SX260 HS' back meanwhile are for the self explanatory 'display' and 'menu'; press the former and on-screen shooting information is either turned off or summoned up. Via the menu screens, users can also activate compositional grid lines or opt to present an image with grey bars cropping the default 4:3 presented ratio to a 3:2 ratio equivalent if so desired. Subsequently a press of the 'menu' button itself brings up two folders - the first containing the shooting menu - it's here users can activate the likes of the iContrast setting - the second the standard set up menu.

The right hand flank of the camera - if continuing to view it from the back - is where you'll find HDMI connectivity under a plastic port cover attached via a rather flimsy rubber catch. This is the port allowing the camera to be hooked up to a flat panel TV once you've purchased the relevant cable, and is presented adjacent to a second more traditional AV/USB out port. Under this compartment there's a plastic lug for attaching the wrist strap provided in the box. Underneath a side open catch and door at the base of the SX260 HS there's another dual compartment, with a slot for media card plus the provided rechargeable battery, good for a so-so 230 shots from a full charge, 20 more than its predecessor, but only if you don't use the GPS features which rather drastically reduces the battery life to between 100-150 shots.

That concludes our tour of the Canon PowerShot SX260 HS' features and controls - next we'll take a close look at its image quality.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 12 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 4.5Mb.

The Canon PowerShot SX260 HS produces images of very good quality. It recorded noise-free images at ISO 100, 200 and 400, with some noise and slight colour desaturation at ISO 800. ISO 1600 shows more obvious noise and loss of colour but still remains perfectly usable, and even the fastest setting of ISO 3200 doesn't suffer too badly.

The Canon PowerShot SX260 HS handled chromatic aberrations well, with limited purple fringing effects appearing only in high contrast situations and generally at the edges of the frame. The built-in flash worked well indoors, with no red-eye and good overall exposure. The night photograph was excellent, with the maximum shutter speed of 15 seconds being long enough for most after-dark shots.

Anti-shake works very well when hand-holding the camera in low-light conditions or when using the telephoto end of the zoom range. Macro performance is good, allowing you to focus as close as 5cms away from the subject. The images were a little soft straight out of the Canon PowerShot SX260 HS at the default sharpening setting and ideally require some further sharpening in an application like Adobe Photoshop, or you can change the in-camera setting.

Noise

There are 6 ISO settings available on the Canon Powershot SX260 HS. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting:

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

   

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

   

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

Sharpening

Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are a little soft at the default setting ideally and benefit from some further sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. You can also change the in-camera sharpening level to suit your tastes via the My Colors menu option.

Original (100% Crop)

Sharpened (100% Crop)

   

Focal Range

The Canon Powershot SX260 HS' 20x zoom lens provides a versatile focal length of 25-500mm in 35mm terms, as demonstrated below.

25mm

500mm

File Quality

The Canon Powershot SX260 HS has 2 different image quality settings available, with Fine being the highest quality option. Here are some 100% crops which show the quality of the various options, with the file size shown in brackets.

12M Fine (4.13Mb) (100% Crop) 12M Normal (2.65Mb) (100% Crop)

Chromatic Aberrations

The Canon Powershot SX260 HS handled chromatic aberrations excellently during the review, with limited purple fringing present around the edges of objects in certain high-contrast situations, as shown in the example below.

Example 1 (100% Crop)

Macro

The Canon Powershot SX260 HS offers a Macro setting that allows you to focus on a subject that is 5cms away from the camera when the lens is set to wide-angle. The first image shows how close you can get to the subject (in this case a compact flash card). The second image is a 100% crop.

Macro Shot

100% Crop

Flash

The flash settings on the Canon Powershot SX260 HS are Auto, Flash On, Slow Synchro, and Flash Off, with Red-eye Correction and Red-Eye Lamp settings available via the Flash Settings main menu option. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.

Flash Off - Wide Angle (25mm)

Auto Flash - Wide Angle (25mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64
   

Flash Off - Telephoto (500mm)

Auto Flash - Telephoto (500mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64

And here are some portrait shots. As you can see, neither the Flash On setting or the Red-Eye Correction option caused any red-eye.

Flash On

Flash On (100% Crop)
   

Red-eye Correction

Red-eye Correction (100% Crop)

Anti Shake

The Canon Powershot SX260 HS has an anti-shake mechanism, which allows you to take sharp photos at slower shutter speeds than other digital cameras. To test this, I took 2 handheld shots of the same subject with the same settings. The first shot was taken with anti shake turned off, the second with it turned on. Here are some 100% crops of the images to show the results. As you can see, with anti shake turned on, the images are much sharper than with anti shake turned off. This feature really does seem to make a difference and could mean capturing a successful, sharp shot or missing the opportunity altogether.

Shutter Speed / Focal Length

Anti Shake Off (100% Crop)

Anti Shake On (100% Crop)

1/6th sec / 25mm
     
1/3rd sec / 500mm

My Colors

The My Colors function menu option contains the now familiar range of colour options for tweaking the look of your images before shooting.

Off

Vivid

   

Neutral

Sepia

   

B/W

Positive Film

   

Lighter Skin Tone

Darker Skin Tone

   

Vivid Blue

Vivid Green

   

Vivid Red

 
 

Creative Filters

The Canon Powershot SX260 HS has 9 different creative filter options to help spice up your images.

Fish-eye Effect

Miniature Effect

   

Toy Camera Effect

Soft Focus

   

Monochrome

Super Vivid

   

Poster Effect

Color Accent

   

Color Swap

 
 

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Canon PowerShot SX260 HS camera, which were all taken using the 12 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample Movie & Video

This is a sample movie at the quality setting of 1920x1080 at 24 frames per second. Please note that this 20 second movie is 85.1Mb in size.

Product Images

Canon Powershot SX260 HS

Front of the Camera

 
Canon Powershot SX260 HS

Front of the Camera / Turned On

 
Canon Powershot SX260 HS

Isometric View

 
Canon Powershot SX260 HS

Isometric View

 
Canon Powershot SX260 HS

Rear of the Camera

 
Canon Powershot SX260 HS

Rear of the Camera / Image Displayed

 
Canon Powershot SX260 HS

Rear of the Camera / Turned On

 
Canon Powershot SX260 HS

Rear of the Camera / Main Menu

 
Canon Powershot SX260 HS

Rear of the Camera / Function Menu

 

Canon Powershot SX260 HS

Top of the Camera

 
Canon Powershot SX260 HS

Bottom of the Camera

 
Canon Powershot SX260 HS

Side of the Camera

 
Canon Powershot SX260 HS

Side of the Camera

 
Canon Powershot SX260 HS

Front of the Camera

 
Canon Powershot SX260 HS

Front of the Camera

 
Canon Powershot SX260 HS
Memory Card Slot
 
Canon Powershot SX260 HS
Battery Compartment

Conclusion

The new Canon PowerShot SX260 HS travel-zoom narrows the gap to the market-leading Panasonic TZ series by offering a much longer zoom, more features and fixing some of the issues that afflicted its predecessor. Full 1080p HD movies make the SX260 HS a more than competent all-in-one camera for both photos and video, while the effective built-in GPS system differentiates it from the slightly cheaper but otherwise identical SX230 HS model.

The new 25-500mm, 20x zoom lens offers a broad focal range that makes it possible to frame up subjects near or far in pretty much an instant, pretty amazing given the size of the SX260 HS which is only a little larger than most compacts. We're glad to see the back of the flash unit that always popped up whenever the camera SX230 was turned on, and also the inexplicable 6-step delete image process which slowed down operation. Fast 10.3fps burst shooting at full 12 megapixel resolution is another big improvement offered by the SX260 HS, although we'd have liked longer battery life when employing the GPS.

Image quality is on a par with the previous SX230, that is to say very good. The employment of a back-illuminated sensor helps the SX260 to perform well in low light, with a usable ISO range of 100-800 and even the higher settings proving adequate for web use and smaller prints. The inclusion of full manual controls makes the SX260 HS as well suited to more experienced users looking for a compact alternative to their DSLR as it is the beginner, although as you'd perhaps expect there is no raw format support to sweeten the deal further.

Despite looking outwardly similar to its predecessor, the PowerShot SX260 HS represents a big step forward for Canon's travel-zoom cameras and is a real challenger to Panasonic's TZ30 model. Anyone looking for a pocket camera that can shoot high quality stills and video both near and far should seriously consider the exciting new Canon PowerShot SX260 HS.

4.5 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 4.5
Features 5
Ease-of-use 4.5
Image quality 4
Value for money 4

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Canon PowerShot SX260 HS from around the web.

pcmag.com »

The Canon PowerShot SX260 HS delivers an impressive 20x zoom ratio and very good image quality in a compact package. Integrated GPS is a boon for geotaggers, but the camera's video prowess and high ISO performance aren't best in class.
Read the full review »

dcresource.com »

The PowerShot SX260 HS ($349) is the latest compact travel zoom from Canon. The SX260 replaces the SX230 (one of my favorite travel zooms from last year) and its biggest feature is its wider, more powerful zoom lens. Other things that have been improved include its image processor, image stabilization system, Smart Auto mode, and burst mode performance. The SX260 retains the same 12.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor, 3-inch LCD, GPS receiver, and Full HD movie mode of its predecessor.
Read the full review »

digitaltrends.com »

The Canon PowerShot SX260 HS wears many hats: it has built-in GPS, zooms all the way to 20x, shoots 1080p video, and it’s all crammed in a point-and-shoot body. That’s a lot of ground for one camera to cover, and it does a decent job in all areas. Unfortunately, it also suffers from what can happen when you spread yourself too thin – instead of excelling in one area, you find yourself doing OK at lots of things.
Read the full review »

Specifications

IMAGE SENSOR
Type 1/2.3 type back-illuminated CMOS
Effective Pixels Approx. 12.1M
Colour Filter Type Primary Colour
IMAGE PROCESSOR
Type DIGIC 5 with iSAPS technology
LENS
Focal Length 4.5 – 90.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 25 – 500 mm)
Zoom Optical 20x
ZoomPlus 39x
Digital Approx. 4.0x (with Digital Tele-Converter Approx. 1.5x or 2.0x and Safety Zoom¹). Combined Approx. 80x
Maximum f/number f/3.5 – f/6.8
Construction 12 elements in 10 groups (1 UA lens, 2 double-sided aspherical lens)
Image Stabilisation Yes (lens shift-type), 4-stop. Intelligent IS
FOCUSING
Type TTL
AF System/ Points Face Detection, 1-point AF (fixed to centre)
AF Modes Single, Continuous, Servo AF/AE¹, Tracking AF
AF Point Selection Size (Normal, Small)
AF Lock On/Off Selectable
AF Assist Beam Yes
Manual Focus Yes
Closest Focusing Distance 5 cm (W) from front of lens in macro
EXPOSURE CONTROL
Metering modes Evaluative (linked to Face Detection AF frame), Centre-weighted average, Spot (Centre)
AE Lock On/Off Selectable
Exposure Compensation +/- 2 EV in 1/3 stop increments.
i-Contrast for automatic dynamic range correction
ISO sensitivity* AUTO, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
SHUTTER
Speed 1 – 1/3200 sec. (factory default)
15 – 1/3200 sec. (total range – varies by shooting mode)
WHITE BALANCE
Type TTL
Settings Auto (including Face Detection WB), Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Underwater, Custom. Multi-area WB correction available in Smart Auto
LCD MONITOR
Monitor 7.5 cm (3.0”) PureColor II G (TFT). Approx. 461,000 dots
Coverage Approx. 100%
Brightness Adjustable to one of five levels. Quick-bright LCD
FLASH
Modes Auto, Manual Flash On / Off, Slow Synchro
Slow Sync Speed Yes. Fastest speed 1/2000 sec.
Red-Eye Reduction Yes
Flash Exposure Compensation +/- 2 EV in 1/3 stop increments. Face Detection FE, Safety FE, Smart Flash Exposure
Flash Exposure Lock Yes
Manual Power Adjustment 3 levels with internal flash
Second Curtain Synchronisation 50 cm – 3.5 m (W) / 1.0 m – 2.0 m (T)
External Flash Canon High Power Flash HF-DC2
SHOOTING
Modes Smart Auto (58 scenes detected), Program AE, Shutter priority AE, Aperture priority AE, Manual, Live View Control, Easy, Movie Digest, SCN (Portrait, Smooth Skin, Smart Shutter (Smile, Wink Self-Timer, FaceSelf-Timer), High-speed Burst HQ, Handheld Night Scene, Low Light (3.0MP), Underwater, Snow, Fireworks, Stitch Assist), Creative Filter (Fish-eye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Soft Focus, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, Color Accent, Color Swap), Discreet, Movie
Modes in Movie Smart Auto (21 scenes detected), Program AE, Portrait, Miniature Effect, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, Color Accent, Color Swap, Live View Control, Underwater, Snow, Fireworks, iFrame Movie, Super Slow Motion Movie
Photo Effects My Colors (My Colors Off, Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Custom Color)
Drive modes Single, Auto drive, Continuous, Continuous with AF, Self-Timer
Continuous Shooting Approx. 2.4 shots/sec., AF: Approx. 0.8 shots/sec., LV: Approx. 0.9 shots/sec., High-speed Burst HQ: Approx. 10.3 shots/sec., up to 10 shot¹²
RECORDING PIXELS / COMPRESSION
Image Size 4:3 - (L) 4000 x 3000, (M1) 2816 x 2112, (M2) 1600 x 1200, (S) 640 x 480
16:9 - (L) 4000 x 2248, (M1) 2816 x 1584, (M2) 1920 x 1080, (S) 640 x 360
3:2 - (L) 4000 x 2664, (M1) 2816 x 1880, (M2) 1600 x 1064, (S) 640 x 424
1:1 - (L) 2992 x 2992, (M1) 2112 x 2112, (M2) 1200 x 1200, (S) 480 x 480
Resize in playback (M2, S, XS)
*XS is half the length and width of S
Compression Superfine, Fine
Movies (Full HD) 1920 x 1080, 24 fps, (HD) 1280 x 720, 30 fps, (L) 640 x 480, 30 fps
Super Slow Motion Movie (L) 640 x 480, 120fps, (M) 320 x 240, 240fps
Miniature Effect (HD, L) 6fps, 3fps, 1.5 fps
iFrame Movie (HD)
Movie Length (Full HD & HD) Up to 4 GB or 29 min. 59 sec.¹
(L) Up to 4 GB or 1 hour²
(Super Slow Motion Movie) 30 sec.
FILE TYPES
Still Image Type JPEG compression, (Exif 2.3 [Exif Print] compliant) / Design rule for Camera File system, Digital Print Order Format [DPOF] Version 1.1 compliant
Movies MOV [H.264 + Linear PCM (stereo)]
iFrame
GPS Log LOG [NMEA 0183 message format compliant¹]
DIRECT PRINT
Canon Printers Canon SELPHY Compact Photo Printers and Canon Inkjet Printers supporting PictBridge (ID Photo Print, Fixed Size Print and Movie Print supported on SELPHY CP & ES printers only)
PictBridge Yes
OTHER FEATURES
GPS Yes¹, GPS tagging, GPS Logger, automatic time update
Red-Eye Correction Yes, during shooting and playback
My Camera / My Menu Start-up image and camera sounds customisation
My Category Image tagging feature
Intelligent Orientation Sensor Yes
Histogram Yes
Playback zoom Approx. 2x – 10x
Self Timer Approx. 2 or 10 sec. or Custom
Menu Languages English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Chinese (traditional), Japanese, Russian, Portuguese, Korean, Greek, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Thai, Arabic, Ukrainian, Romanian, Farsi, Malaysian,Indonesian, Vietnamese
INTERFACE
Computer Hi-Speed USB (MTP, PTP) dedicated connector (Mini-B compatible)
Other HDMI Mini Connector (HDMI-CEC compatible), A/V output (PAL/NTSC)
MEMORY CARD
Type SD, SDHC, SDXC
SUPPORTED OPERATING SYSTEM
PC & Macintosh Windows 7 SP1/ Vista SP2/ XP SP3
Mac OS X v10.6 – 10.7
SOFTWARE
Browsing & Printing ImageBrowser EX
Other PhotoStitch, Map Utility
POWER SOURCE
Batteries Rechargeable Li-ion Battery NB-6L (battery and charger supplied)
Battery life Approx. 230 shots¹ (Measured with GPS features off)
Approx. 300 min. playback
More than 48 hours using only GPS Logger
A/C Power Supply Optional, AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC40
ACCESSORIES
Cases / Straps Soft Case DCC-1500
Waterproof / Weatherproof Case Waterproof Case (40m) WP-DC46
Waterproof Case Weight WW-DC1
Flash High Power Flash HF-DC2
Power Supply & Battery Chargers AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC40, Battery Charger CB-2LYE
Other Canon HDMI Cable HTC-100
PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Operating Environment 0 – 40 °C, 10 – 90% humidity
Dimensions (WxHxD) 106.3 x 61.0 x 32.7 mm
Weight Approx. 231 g (including battery/batteries and memory card)

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