Canon PowerShot SX60 HS Review

October 23, 2014 | Jack Baker | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Half rating star

Introduction

The SX60 HS is Canon’s latest and greatest addition to its PowerShot bridge camera line-up. It boasts a huge 65x optical zoom with a 35mm-equivalent focal range of 21-1365mm. It’s currently the biggest zoom range you can get from any bridge camera and trumps ultrazoom rivals like the 63x Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H400, 60x Nikon Coolpix P600 and 60x Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72. But the SX60 HS packs more than just a big lens. Its 16.1MP high-sensitivity CMOS sensor promises excellent image quality, especially as it’s paired with Canon’s high-end DIGIC 6 processor. This also enables up to 6.4fps continuous shooting and Full HD video capture with stereo sound. The camera isn’t short on features either, with a 922k-dot electronic viewfinder, flip-out LCD display and clever Zoom Framing Assist function. You also get built-in Wi-Fi with NFC pairing for easy image sharing and remote camera control, plus plenty of creative effects and filters, and all for an RRP of £449/$549.99.

Ease of Use

Externally the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS looks like most other high-end ultrazoom bridge cameras, which is to say it resembles a small DSLR. But considering it packs what’s currently the biggest zoom range in the business, the camera isn’t particularly large at 127.6 x 92.6 x 114.3mm, although its 650g ready-to-shoot weight is on the chubby side. This beefiness does translate into solid build quality though, with a rugged plastic casing that’s free from flex or squeaks, to the tactile rubber coating on the finger and thumb grips.

Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
Front of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

Considering the SX60 HS is a feature-packed camera, its control layout is fairly simple and logical. Some buttons are more unusual though, like those positioned on the lens barrel. The upper button activates Canon’s Zoom Framing Assist function. When you’re zoomed in to the max, it only takes a tiny twitch of the camera to send a distant subject flying out of frame. Finding it again can be frustrating, but by pressing and holding the Zoom Framing Assist button, the camera automatically zooms out but leaves an outline of the original frame size on screen. Position the outline around your subject, release the button and the camera automatically zooms back in. The lower button on the lens barrel then helps prevent you losing track of your subject again, as pressing it enhances the camera’s image stabilisation to further iron out camera shake. The effect is minimal though, however the Zoom Framing Assist feature is handy and effective.

Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
Rear of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

Move to the back panel and we find a couple more non-standard controls. Beneath the video record button is a control for selecting and locking the focus point, and further down sits the camera’s Wi-Fi link button. Initial set-up can be a faff, requiring you to manually connect to the camera’s wireless hotspot, but if you’ve got an NFC-equipped mobile device, you can make the connection by simply tapping it against the camera. However you connect though, Canon’s CameraWindow mobile device app lets you wirelessly transfer images to a smartphone, tablet or computer, as well as print to a PictBridge-compatible printer. The app also allows you to remotely control the camera, which although initially impresses with minimal lag, soon loses much appeal as you can’t remotely view or set an autofocus point.

Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
Tilting LCD Screen

Above the Wi-Fi button sits the usual directional dial pad that doubles as controls for burst shooting, flash, macro focus and display options. The latter allows you to show histograms and other information overlays in playback mode, but it also switches between the LCD and electronic viewfinder when shooting. Alternatively you can activate the EVF by flipping the movable LCD screen into its closed position.  It’s a pity the camera doesn’t have an automatic eye-detection system to switch between the two though.

Thankfully the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS's LCD and EVF themselves are both good quality and easy to use. Unfortunately the 922k-dot LCD screen isn’t touch-sensitive, but it does have great viewing angles which translate to accurate colour and contrast reproduction, regardless of your angle of view. The screen also benefits from being a fold-out unit, making it easy to compose high and low angle shots, as well as a good old selfie. Screen brightness is also high enough to be usable under direct sunlight, but if things get too bright, the electronic viewfinder is a useful alternative. Its 922k-dot resolution is crisp, but be prepared to squint at the small physical size of the EFF, which isn’t helped by a seemingly pointless black border around the image preview area.

Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
Top of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

On top of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS sits a proper hotshoe mount, should you wish to connect a separate flashgun or remote flash triggering device. The camera’s built-in flash has to be manually opened by pulling it upward, rather than using a typical button release. Next to the flash there’s a useful customisable shortcut button which can be configured to operate one of various shooting options like white balance or exposure metering. It’s a shame this control is located directly alongside the power button though, as the two can be easily confused until you’re familiar with the camera.

You also get two dials on top of the SX60 HS. One is a control dial just like you’d find on a Canon DSLR, which makes it far easier to adjust common settings like exposure compensation than fiddling with buttons. The main mode dial sits behind this and provides instant selection of the camera’s auto, program auto, aperture and shutter priority modes, as well as a fully manual option.

Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
Front of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

Another mode worth mentioning is Hybrid Auto, which automatically captures a couple of seconds of video with each still and compiles everything into a video digest of your day. The fun continues in Creative shot mode, where six separate images are captured with one press of the shutter release, each being automatically given a funky crop and filter according to one of five different styles. Then if you switch to the Creative Filters mode, a further eight individual filter effects can be applied as you shoot. With so many shooting options to choose from, remembering your preferred settings can be tricky, but thankfully the C1 and C2 modes allow you to save two custom setups for quick recall. The only mode that’s missing from the SX60 HS is an automatic panorama setting.

When it comes to shooting the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS, the camera will turn on and fire a shot in a spritely 1.8 seconds. Focussing in good light is almost instantaneous, but dimmer conditions slow things to a slightly sluggish 1.5 - 2 seconds. Zooming in to long focal lengths can also cause some focus hunting, and the system is sometimes unreliable in these situations, too. Exposure metering is absolutely dependable though and isn’t fazed by high-contrast scenes.

Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
Side of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

Navigating the SX60 HS’ menu system is a doddle thanks to Canon’s tried and tested design and layout. Pressing the FUNC. SET button in the middle of the rear directional pad displays a menu overlay of commonly used shooting settings, though these do change according to which mode you’re in. There are also plenty of display preferences available during image playback, including RGB histograms.

Finally, the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS’s 340 shot battery life from its 920mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery is relatively good, narrowly beating the Nikon Coolpix P600 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H400. It’s not enough to pull ahead of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72’s impressive 400-shot lifespan, but by activating the SX60 HS’ Eco mode, the battery life can be eked out to around 450 shots through subtle power-saving measures.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 16 megapixel SuperFine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 5Mb.

Images taken with the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS immediately impress with vibrant yet natural colour reproduction and high levels of detail from the 16.1 megapixel CMOS sensor. A small amount of grain noise is visible at even the lowest sensor sensitivity, but this is typical of small 1/2.3” sensors.

As ISO sensitivities increase, the high-end DIGIC 6 processor does a good job of restraining image noise without sacrificing much detail. At ISO400 grain is slightly more prevalent and some colour speckling can be seen in neutral tones, but the camera’s unobtrusive noise reduction processing means images still appear natural and reasonably detailed. Even at ISO1600 image quality remains impressively high, with little more noise than at ISO400. Although the SX60 HS’ sensitivity scale tops out at an unusually low ISO3200, this setting is entirely useable thanks to low image noise levels, even if shots do look slightly soft.

The Canon PowerShot SX60 HS’s lens also performs very well, with excellent corner sharpness and minimal distortion. Chromatic aberration (purple fringing) can be spotted in high-contrast areas when viewing images at 100% size, but it’s nothing distracting. Macro performance is also impressive as the camera can focus whilst touching your subject.

However, image quality can be prone to some deterioration when shooting at extreme telephoto zoom lengths. Unless you’re in very bright conditions, the image stabilisation system alone isn’t enough to compensate for camera shake and the relatively narrow f/6.5 maximum telephoto aperture doesn’t let enough light through for fast shutter speeds. Consequently higher ISO sensitivities are required, which in turn can make images taken at long focal lengths look a bit soft.

Noise

The Canon PowerShot SX60 HS has sixteen sensitivity settings available at full resolution, ranging between ISO100 and ISO3200 in 1/3 EV steps. That’s a relatively low maximum sensitivity and many similar cameras will go higher, but the SX60 HS makes good use of the sensitivity scale it has by resolving plenty of detail with low levels of image noise.

Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting, with the JPEG version on the left and the RAW on the right.

JPEG RAW

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

iso100.jpg iso100raw.jpg
   

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

iso200.jpg iso200raw.jpg
   

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

iso400.jpg iso400raw.jpg
   

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

iso800.jpg iso800raw.jpg
   

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

iso1600.jpg iso1600raw.jpg
   

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

iso3200.jpg iso3200raw.jpg

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 sharp enough at the default sharpening setting. You can change the in-camera sharpening level if you don't like the default look.

Original (100% Crop)

Sharpened (100% Crop)

sharpen1.jpg sharpen1a.jpg
   
sharpen2.jpg sharpen2a.jpg

Focal Range

The Canon PowerShot SX60 HS’s 65x optical zoom lens gives you a focal range of 21-1365mm (in 35mm-camera terms). Canon’s ZoomPlus feature can double this to 130x with a minimal reduction in image quality, whilst an additional 2x conventional digital zoom will give a combined maximum 260x zoom, albeit at the expense of image quality.

21mm

1365mm

focal_range1.jpg focal_range2.jpg

Chromatic Aberrations

The Canon PowerShot SX60 HS suffered from chromatic aberrations, with purple fringing present around the edges of objects in high-contrast situations, particularly at the edges of the frame, as shown in the examples below.

Chromatic Aberrations 1 (100% Crop)

Chromatic Aberrations 2 (100% Crop)

chromatic1.jpg chromatic2.jpg

File Quality

The Canon PowerShot SX60 HS has two file quality options: Fine and Super Fine. File sizes average around 4-5MB and 7-8MB respectively.

SuperFine (4.68Mb) (100% Crop)

Fine (3.15Mb) (100% Crop)

quality_superfine.jpg quality_fine.jpg
   

RAW (13.3Mb) (100% Crop)

 
quality_raw.jpg  

Macro

With a 0cm macro focussing distance, you can literally touch the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS to your subject and it’ll still focus. This is only the case at maximum wide angle; zoom in and you’ll need to start backing the camera away from your subject.

Macro

Macro (100% Crop)

macro1.jpg macro1a.jpg

Flash

The Canon PowerShot SX60 HS’s built-in flash includes four modes: Auto, On, Slow Synchro and Off. Red-eye reduction needs to be activated via the camera’s main menu. In our testing the SX60 HS successfully avoided red-eye with and without red-eye reduction, but did produce some noticeable wide-angle vignetting from a distance of 1.5m.

Flash Off - Wide Angle (21mm)

Flash On - Wide Angle (21mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64
   

Flash Off - Telephoto (1365mm)

Flash On - Telephoto (1365mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64

And here are some portrait shots. As you can see, neither the Flash On or the Red-eye-Reduction settings caused any red-eye.

Flash On

Flash On (100% Crop)
flash_on.jpg flash_on1.jpg
   

Red-eye Reduction

Red-eye Reduction (100% Crop)

flash_redeye.jpg flash_redeye1.jpg

Handheld NightScene

Use this mode to shoot a night-time scene without the need for a tripod. The Canon PowerShot SX60 HS shoots multiple frames and combines them into a single image that minimises camera shake and image noise.

Night

Night (100% Crop)

night1.jpg night1a.jpg

Anti-Shake

Canon’s Intelligent IS optical image stabilisation system does a great job at ironing out the effects of camera shake and is essential when using the majority of the SX60 HS’ focal length range.

Shutter Speed / Focal Length Anti-Shake Off (100% Crop) Anti-Shake On (100% Crop)
1/5th sec / 24mm antishake1.jpg antishake1a.jpg

Creative Filters

In addition to the Creative Shot effects, the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS also packs various conventional filters, with many also having their own customisation options. These include: HDR (Natural, Art Standard, Art Vivid, Art Bold, Art Embossed), Fish-eye Effect (three levels of distortion), Miniature Effect (selectable horizontal and vertical blur position), Toy Camera Effect (Cool, Standard, Warm), Soft Focus (three levels of blur), Monochome (Blue, B/W, Sepia), Super Vivid, and Poster Effect.

Off

HDR Natural

Canon_PowerShot_SX60_HS-Creative_Filter_1a-HDR_off.JPG Canon_PowerShot_SX60_HS-Creative_Filter_1b-HDR-Natural.JPG
   

HDR Art Standard

HDR Art Vivid

Canon_PowerShot_SX60_HS-Creative_Filter_1c-HDR-Art_Standard.JPG Canon_PowerShot_SX60_HS-Creative_Filter_1d-HDR-Art_Vivid.JPG
   

HDR Art Bold

HDR Art Embossed

Canon_PowerShot_SX60_HS-Creative_Filter_1e-HDR-Art_Bold.JPG Canon_PowerShot_SX60_HS-Creative_Filter_1f-HDR-Art_Embossed.JPG
   

Fisheye

Miniature

Canon_PowerShot_SX60_HS-Creative_Filter_2-Fish-eye_Effect.JPG Canon_PowerShot_SX60_HS-Creative_Filter_3-Miniature_Effect.JPG
   

Toy Camera Cool

Toy Camera Standard

Canon_PowerShot_SX60_HS-Creative_Filter_4a-Toy_Camera_Effect-Cool.JPG Canon_PowerShot_SX60_HS-Creative_Filter_4b-Toy_Camera_Effect-Standard.JPG
   

Toy Camera Warm

Soft Focus

Canon_PowerShot_SX60_HS-Creative_Filter_4c-Toy_Camera_Effect-Warm.JPG Canon_PowerShot_SX60_HS-Creative_Filter_5-Soft_Focus.JPG
   

Monochrome Blue

Monochrome B&W

Canon_PowerShot_SX60_HS-Creative_Filter_6a-Monochome-Blue.JPG Canon_PowerShot_SX60_HS-Creative_Filter_6b-Monochome-B_W.JPG
   

Monochrome Sepia

Poster Effect

Canon_PowerShot_SX60_HS-Creative_Filter_6c-Monochome-Sepia.JPG Canon_PowerShot_SX60_HS-Creative_Filter_7-Poster_Effect.JPG
   

Super Vivid

 
Canon_PowerShot_SX60_HS-Creative_Filter_8-Super_Vivid.JPG  

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS camera, which were all taken using the 16 megapixel Superfine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Canon PowerShot SX60 HS enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Canon RAW (CR2) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

This is a sample movie at the highest quality setting of 1920x1080 pixels at 60 frames per second. Please note that this 22 second movie is 92.1Mb in size.

Product Images

Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

Front of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

 
Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

Front of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS / Turned On

 
Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

Side of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

 
Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

Side of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

 
Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

Rear of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

 
Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

Rear of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

 
Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

Rear of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS / Image Displayed

 
Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

Rear of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS / Main Menu

 
Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

Rear of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS / Tilting LCD Screen

 

Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

Top of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

 
Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
Bottom of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
 
Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
Side of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
 
Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
Side of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
 
Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
Front of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
 
Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
Front of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
 
Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
Memory Card Slot / Battery Compartment

Conclusion

The Canon PowerShot SX60 HS is a very impressive camera that’s sure to please novice and enthusiast photographers alike. Its fusion of comprehensive control with numerous creative effects helps this, as do features like its fold-out LCD screen and good quality electronic viewfinder.

But where the camera really scores is image quality. Considering the inherent limitations of its small sensor, the SX60 HS manages to produce images with impressively low noise levels at all of its ISO sensitivity settings. Colour, dynamic range and exposure metering are superb too.

Downsides? It’s a pity there isn’t an automatic panorama mode, but given that many cameras with such a feature only turn out low resolution results anyway, you’re usually better off snapping multiple overlapping stills and using computer software to stitch them together. More annoying is a lack of automatic LCD/EVF switching, as well as the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS’s occasional reluctance to focus quickly or accurately when zoomed in.

The zoom capabilities of the SX60 HS are also not quite what the stats suggest. Sure, it’s got a class-leading 65x optical zoom lens, but thanks to a wider-than-average 21mm-equivalent wide-angle starting point, its maximum 1365mm-equivalent telephoto reach is beaten by both the Nikon P600’s 60x optic and Sony DSC-H400’s 63x lens. Even so, we’d wager you’ll prefer to take this telephoto trade-off in exchange for the extra wide-angle room when shooting group shots and cityscapes.

Ultimately the SX60 HS is still a large camera that won’t give you better image quality than a well-sorted travelzoom compact camera costing similar money. However, if you need the biggest lens in the business and prefer the ergonomic advantages of a DSLR-like design, the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS is a very good all-round buy.

4.5 stars

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

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS.

Fujifilm FinePix HS50EXR

The Fujifilm FinePix HS50EXR is a bridge compact camera with a massive 42x, 24-1000mm zoom lens. The HS50 also offers an autofocus lag of just 0.05 seconds, full 1080p movies at 60fps with stereo sound, a 3 inch vari-angle LCD screen, 11ps burst shooting and a 16 megapixel back-illuminated EXR sensor with RAW support. Is this the only camera you'll ever need? Read our Fujifilm FinePix HS50EXR review to find out...

Kodak PixPro AZ521

The new Kodak PixPro AZ521 super-zoom camera features a massive 52x zoom lens with a focal range of 24-1248mm. Other highlights of the affordable Kodak AZ521 include a 3 inch LCD screen, full 1080p HD movies, and a 16 megapixel CMOS sensor. Read our in-depth Kodak PixPro AZ521 review now...

Nikon Coolpix P530

The Nikon Coolpix P530 is a new super-zoom camera with a massive 42x zoom lens. The 16 megapixel Nikon P530 also features a 3-inch 921K-dot LCD screen, full 1080p high-definition movies with stereo sound, an electronic viewfinder and PASM shooting modes. Priced at £329.99 / $449.95, read our Nikon Coolpix P530 review to find out if it's the right super-zoom camera for you...

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200

The Lumix DMC-FZ200 is Panasonic's premium super-zoom compact camera. Stand-out features of the FZ200 include a 24x zoom lens with a constant aperture of f/2.8 throughout the 25-600mm range, 1080p HD movies, a high-resolution LCD and EVF, fast auto-focusing, 12fps burst shooting and a 12 megapixel MOS image sensor. Read our expert Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 review now...

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H400

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H400 is a new superzoom compact camera with a incredible 63x zoom lens. The Sony H400 also features a 20 megapixel CCD sensor, 720p HD video with stereo sound, 3-inch screen, electronic viewfinder and a range of manual shooting modes. Read our Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H400 review to find out if it's the right super-zoom camera for you...

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V is a new premium super-zoom compact camera. A 50x zoom lens, 20.4 megapixel CMOS sensor, 1920x1080 50p Full HD video with stereo sound, tilting 3-inch screen, 10fps continuous shooting, built-in Wi-Fi/NFC/GPS, and a full range of creative shooting modes are all offered by the Sony HX400V. Read our in-depth Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V review complete with sample photos, test shots, videos and more...

Specifications

IMAGE SENSOR

Type 1/2.3 type back-illuminated CMOS
Effective Pixels Approx. 16.1M¹
Effective / Total Pixels Approx. 16.8M
Colour Filter Type Primary Colour

IMAGE PROCESSOR

Type DIGIC 6 with iSAPS technology

LENS

Focal Length 3.8 – 247.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 21 – 1365 mm)
Zoom Optical 65x
ZoomPlus 130x
Digital Approx. 4x (with Digital Tele-Converter approx. 1.6x or 2.0x¹).
Combined approx. 260x
Maximum f/number f/3.4-f/6.5
Construction 15 elements in 11 groups (1 double sided aspherical lens and 3 UD lenses)
Image Stabilisation Yes (lens shift-type), approx. 3.5-stop¹. Intelligent IS with 5-axis Enhanced Dynamic IS
Ultrasonic Motor (USM) Yes

FOCUSING

Type TTL
AF System / Points Face Detect, 1-point AF (any position, fixed to centre or Face Select and Track)
AF Modes Single, Continuous, Servo AF/AE¹, Tracking AF
AF Point Selection Manual selection using FlexiZone AF/AE, Size (Normal, Small)
AF Lock Yes, via customisable buttons
AF Assist Beam Yes
Manual Focus Yes, plus MF Peaking
Focus Bracketing Yes
Closest Focusing Distance 0 cm (W) from front of lens in Macro

EXPOSURE CONTROL

Metering modes Evaluative (linked to Face Detection AF frame), Centre-weighted average, Spot (centre or linked to Face Detection AF or FlexiZone AF frame)
AE Lock Yes, via customisable buttons
Exposure Compensation +/- 3 EV in 1/3 stop increments
Manual and automatic dynamic range correction
Automatic shadow correction
AEB 1/3 – 2 EV in 1/3 stop increments
ISO sensitivity 100, 125, 160, 200, 250, 320, 400, 500, 640, 800, 1000, 1250, 1600, 2000, 2500, 3200
AUTO ISO: 100 - 3200 (possible to set Max. ISO speed and rate of change)

SHUTTER

Speed 1 – 1/2000 sec. (factory default)
15 – 1/2000 sec. (total range – varies by shooting mode)

WHITE BALANCE

Type TTL
Settings Auto (including Face Detection WB), Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash, Custom 1, Custom 2
Multi-area WB correction available in Smart Auto
White Balance Compensation
Type sRGB

VIEWFINDER

Viewfinder EVF (0.17 type), 4:3 aspect ratio, approx. 922,000 dots
Viewfinder / Coverage Approx. 100%
Dioptre Correction Yes

LCD MONITOR

Monitor Vari-angle 7.5 cm (3.0”) PureColor II VA (TFT), Approx. 922,000 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. (built-in flash)
1/250 sec. (external flash)
1/2000 sec. (external flash using high-speed synchro)
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, via customisable buttons
Manual Power Adjustment 3 levels with internal flash (up to 19 levels with external EX Speedlite 270EX II, 320EX and 430EX II. 22 levels with 580EX II, 600EX and 600EX-RT¹)
Second Curtain Synchronisation Yes
Built-in Flash Range 50 cm – 5.5 m (W) / 1.8 m – 3.0 m (T)
External Flash E-TTL with EX Speedlite range¹

SHOOTING

Modes Smart Auto (58 scenes detected), Program AE, Shutter priority AE, Aperture priority AE, Manual, Custom 1, Custom 2, Hybrid Auto, Creative Shot, Sports, SCN (Portrait, Smart Shutter (Smile, Wink Self-Timer, FaceSelf-Timer), Handheld Night Scene, Low Light (4.0MP), Snow, Fireworks), Creative Filters (High Dynamic Range, Fish-eye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Soft Focus, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect), Movie
Modes in Movie Smart Auto (21 scenes detected), Standard, Program AE, Manual, Portrait, Miniature Effect, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, 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. 6.4 shots/sec until memory card becomes full¹
with AF: Approx. 3.8 shots/sec²³
with Live View: Approx. 4.6 shots/sec²³

RECORDING PIXELS / COMPRESSION

Image Size 4:3 - (RAW, L) 4608 x 3456, (M1) 3264 x 2448, (M2) 2048 x 1536, (S) 640 x 480
16:9 - (RAW, L) 4608 x 2592, (M1) 3264 x 1832, (M2) 1920 x 1080, (S) 640 x 360
3:2 - (RAW, L) 4608 x 3072, (M1) 3264 x 2176, (M2) 2048 x 1368, (S) 640 x 424
1:1 - (RAW, L) 3456 x 3456, (M1) 2448 x 2448, (M2) 1536 x 1536, (S) 480 x 480
4:5 - (RAW, L) 2768 x 3456, (M1) 1952 x 2448, (M2) 1232 x 1536, (S) 384 x 480
Resize in playback (M2, S)
Compression RAW, Superfine, Fine
Movies (Full HD) 1920 x 1080, 60 fps / 30 fps
(HD) 1280 x 720, 30 fps
(L) 640 x 480, 30 fps
Super Slow Motion Movie (L) 640 x 480, 120 fps, (M) 320 x 240, 240 fps
Miniature Effect (HD, L) 6 fps, 3 fps, 1.5 fps
Hybrid Auto (HD) 30 fps
iFrame Movie (Full HD) 30 fps
Movie Length (Full HD & HD) Up to 4 GB or 29 min. 59 sec.¹
(L and M) Up to 4 GB or 1 hour²
(Super Slow Motion Movie) Approx. 30 sec.

FILE TYPES

Still Image Type JPEG compression (Exif 2.3 [Exif Print] compliant) / Design rule for Camera File system and DPOF ver. 1.1 compliant), RAW, RAW+JPEG
Movies MP4 [Video: MPEG-4 AVC / H.264, Audio: MPEG-4 AAC-LC (stereo) recording level can be manually adjusted by user]
iFrame

DIRECT PRINT

Canon Printers Canon SELPHY Compact Photo Printers and Canon Inkjet Printers supporting PictBridge
PictBridge Yes (via USB or Wireless LAN)

OTHER FEATURES

GPS GPS via mobile (linked to a compatible smartphone)
Red-Eye Correction Yes, during shooting and playback
My Camera / My Menu My Menu customisation available
My Category Image tagging feature
Intelligent Orientation Sensor Yes
Histogram Yes, live histogram
Playback zoom Approx. 2x – 10x
Self Timer Approx. 2 or 10 sec., Custom
Menu Languages English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Italian, Greek, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Spanish, Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Simplified Chinese, Chinese (traditional), Japanese, Korean, Thai, Arabic, Romanian, Farsi, Hindi, Malay, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Hebrew

INTERFACE

Computer Hi-Speed USB (MTP, PTP) DIGITAL connector
Other HDMI Mini Connector
A/V output (PAL/NTSC)
External microphone (3.5 mm Stereo mini jack)
Computer/Other Wireless LAN (IEEE802.11b/g/n), (2.4 GHz only), with NFC support¹

MEMORY CARD

Type SD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS Speed Class 1 compatible)

SUPPORTED OPERATING SYSTEM

PC & Macintosh Windows 8 / 8.1 / 7 SP1
Mac OS X 10.8 / 10.9
For Wi-Fi connection to a PC:
Windows 8 / 8.1 / 7 SP1
Mac OS X 10.8.2 or later / 10.9

SOFTWARE

Browsing & Printing ImageBrowser EX
Other CameraWindow
PhotoStitch
Map Utility
Image Manipulation Digital Photo Professional for RAW development

POWER SOURCE

Batteries Rechargeable Li-ion Battery NB-10L (battery and charger supplied)
Battery life Approx. 340 shots
Eco mode approx. 450 shots
Approx. 360 min. playback
A/C Power Supply Optional, AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC80

ACCESSORIES

Cases / Straps Soft Case DCC-850
PowerShot Neck Strap NS-100
PowerShot Accessory Organizer
Lenses Lens Hood LH-DC90
Filter Adapter FA-DC67A (Compatible with Canon 67mm Filters: Circular Polarizing PL-C B, Protect Filter)
Flash Canon Speedlite (including 270EX, 270EX II, 320EX, 430EX II, 580EX II, 600EX, 600EX-RT¹)
Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2, Speedlite bracket SB-E2, Off-Camera Shoe Cord OC-E3
Remote Controller / Switch Remote Switch RS-60E3
Power Supply & Battery Chargers AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC80, Battery Charger CB-2LCE
Other Interface cable IFC-400PCU
Canon AV cable AVC-DC400ST
Canon HDMI Cable HTC-100

PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Operating Environment 0 – 40 °C, 10 – 90% humidity
Dimensions (WxHxD) 127.6 x 92.6 x 114.3 mm
Weight Approx. 650 g (including battery and memory card)
   
Effective Pixels ¹ Image processing may cause a decrease in the number of pixels.
Zoom ¹ Depending on the image size selected.
Image Stabilisation ¹ Values at maximum optical focal length. Cameras whose focal length exceeds 350 mm (35 mm equivalent) are measured at 350 mm.
AF Modes ¹ Some settings limit availability.
Manual Power Adjustment ¹ Not all functions of the flash are supported.
External Flash ¹ Not all functions of the flash are supported.
Continuous Shooting ¹ Sustained continuous shooting function requires compatible SDHC/SDXC UHS Speed Class 1 memory card, total number of frames captured varies depending on shooting subject.
² Under conditions where the flash does not fire.
³ Depending on memory card speed / capacity / compression setting.
Movie Length ¹ The following Speed Class memory cards are required for maximum record time: (HD) 1280 x 720 Speed Class 4 or above. (Full HD) 1920 x 1080 Speed Class 6 or above. (iFrame) 1280 x 720 Speed Class 6 or above.
² Depending on memory card speed / capacity / compression setting.
Computer/Other ¹ Wi-Fi use may be restricted in certain countries or regions. Wi-Fi support varies by device and region. For more information visit www.canon-europe.com/wirelesscompacts
Flash ¹ Not all functions of the flash are supported.
  • All data is based on Canon standard testing methods (according to CIPA Standards) except where indicated.
  • Subject to change without notice.

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