Overview
Canon traditionally updates its SX budget compact superzoom line every August/September, and 2011 sees the release of the £199 Canon PowerShot SX150 IS. The SX130 IS replacement is a case of evolution over revolution – not a bad thing, considering the great features and value the SX130 offered.
The Canon PowerShot SX150 IS features a 14.1MP CCD (a 2MP increase on the SX130's 12.1MP) and an image stabilised 5-60mm 12x wide-angle zoom that offers the same 28-336mm equivalent reach as its predecessor. The bright, but relatively low-res, 3-inch LCD from last year's model is also retained.
There's been a slight tweak to the layout of the controls – specifically, the welcome introduction of a direct movie record button and a rejig of the mode dial. The optical image stabilisation gets an upgrade, too. The Canon PowerShot SX150's new Intelligent IS system is designed to identify the shooting situation and apply the most appropriate form of stabilisation from a range of seven different settings, including Tripod IS, Panning IS and Macro IS.
However, the key appeal of the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS, apart from the incredible zoom range, is the level of manual control it offers. This super easy PowerShot is aimed at families and features all of the automatic features a casual snapper could want. These include Smart Auto and Easy modes that detect 32 scene types and optimise settings accordingly.
However, for those who want to take their photography further, the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS includes the full complement of PASM semi-auto and manual shooting options. The camera doesn't enable you to record images in raw format - it's strictly JPEGs here - but otherwise there's enough DSLR-like functionality to consider this a serious alternative when you don't want to lug a 'grown up' camera around.
Build quality and handling
The Canon PowerShot SX150 IS is a compact but substantial unit. Think mini bridge camera - it's too bulky to carry around in a trouser pocket, but will slip comfortably into a coat pocket or bag.
To keep the price down, there's an abundance of plastic in the build – although it feels solid and well constructed – and the pop-up flash has to be manually flipped up.
More significantly, the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS is powered by two AA batteries. You'll either see this as an advantage or disadvantage.
On the upside, you can lay your hands on a set of AA's almost anywhere, so whether you're shooting in Acrington or Addis Ababa, you shouldn't be caught short of juice. The downside is that the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS chews through a pair of Alkaline cells faster than Monsieur Mangetout.
Canon reports an Alkaline battery life of approximately 110 shots, but in our real-world testing it came in much shorter than this. That's not surprising, once you factor in the work the lens motor and image stabiliser put in. You'll need NiMH rechargeables to hit the more acceptable measure of 320 pictures.
A brace of batteries adds a little to the weight of the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS, but it's the monster zoom that gives the camera its heft. At 28mm at its widest setting and 336mm at the telephoto end, it offers a great deal of versatility in a relatively small package – a great option for travel photography.
We clocked the Canon camera at a little under three seconds to push through its full range, but this slowed to over 10 seconds when shooting a movie. This, presumably, reduces any potential nausea from overzealous zooming, as well as reducing the volume of the motor.
In terms of handling, the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS offers a comfortable experience. A slightly deeper handgrip might have been beneficial. As with the SX130, there's only really room for two fingertips under the polished chrome insert on the front, although the slightly raised thumbrest on the rear of the body adds stability.
The Canon PowerShot SX150 IS controls are large and well placed, with the now-familiar Canon combined command wheel/four-way control pad providing quick access to the majority of camera functions.
If anything, it's a little too slick. Each of the four points around the wheel/pad features a frequently used function, such as ISO and flash: tap the point to bring up the menu and spin the wheel to adjust the setting. However, it can be too easy to inadvertently press one of the adjacent points as you're rotating the wheel with your thumb and start adjusting that instead.
There are some very well-implemented controls, though. Exposure compensation falls easily within thumb reach, and the compensation meter remains on the screen until you cancel it – a useful touch.
As with the Canon PowerShot SX130 IS, the mode dial on the top of the SX150 IS remains ridged and stiff, and you're unlikely to knock it out of position.
The new move recording button – above the control dial, next to the exposure compensation button – means you no longer have to select the dedicated movie mode on the dial before you start filming.
Performance
When it comes to picture quality, the images produced by the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS are perfectly acceptable throughout the ISO 80-1600 sensitivity range.
Predictably though, you'll get the best results by keeping under ISO 400. Pictures taken at ISO 800 exhibit noise and lack bite, and there's a distinct drop off in detail at 1600.
ISO80
ISO100
ISO200
ISO400
ISO800
ISO1600
The Canon PowerShot SX150 IS's lens is capable of holding sharpness across the frame, though. Barrel distortion is well handled at wide-angle, and fringing is kept to a minimum. There's a subtle hint of green haloing around some high-contrast subjects, but you really have to go looking for it.
A camera with such an extensive zoom requires careful handling if you're to avoid blurred pictures. The maximum aperture of f/3.4 narrows to f/5.6 at the long end and consequently, as shutter speeds drop, the risk of camera shake increases.
Canon's integrated Image Stabiliser offers up to four stops of compensation for this – a one-stop improvement over the SX130 IS that could conceivably make the difference between a sharp shot and a soft one.
It's fairly tricky to measure the performance of the Intelligent IS system on the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS, because the camera switches between the options automatically – you can't override the selection, only switch IS on or off. However, it proved reliably effective during our tests.
Unsurprisingly, the IS isn't a complete miracle-worker at the long end of the lens as light levels drop off, and you'll still need to support the camera well.
Image quality and resolution
The Canon PowerShot SX150 IS produced good results in the labs tests, showing that its signal to noise ratio is on par with the Panasonic Lumix TZ-20 and Samsung WB700.
For a compact camera, the amount of noise that actually appears in your images across the sensitivity range is average. Dynamic range results from the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS also show a good performance with consistant values across the sensitivity range.
A highlight of this camera is the above average performance, with less of a drop in dynamic range than you'd expect from a compact model, showing that this camera is capable of good low light photography and in normal shooting conditions will capture a good amount of both shadow and highlight detail.
Resolution charts
As part of our image quality testing for theCanon PowerShot SX150 IS, we've shot our resolution chart.
If you view our crops of the resolution chart's central section at 100% (or Actual Pixels) you will see that, for example, at ISO 100 theCanon PowerShot SX150 IS is capable of resolving up to around 22 (line widths per picture height x100) in its highest quality JPEG files.
Examining images of the chart taken at each sensitivity setting reveals the following resolution scores in line widths per picture height x100:
ISO 80, score: 22 (see full image)
ISO 100, score: 22 (see full image)
ISO 200, score: 22 (see full image)
ISO 400, score: 22 (see full image)
ISO 800, score: 20 (see full image)
ISO 1600, score: 18 (see full image)
Noise and dynamic range
Noise and dynamic range
These graphs were produced using data generated by DXO Analyzer.
We shoot a specially designed chart in carefully controlled conditions and the resulting images are analysed using the DXO software.
Signal to noise ratio
A high signal to noise ratio (SNR) indicates a cleaner and better quality image.
JPEG images from the Canon PowerShot are on a par with those from the Samsung WB700 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ20 .
For a full explanation of what our resolution charts mean, and how to read them please click here to read the full article.
Dynamic range
This chart indicates that the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS's JPEGs just have the edge over the Nikon Coolpix S6200 and Samsung WB700.
For a full explanation of our noise and dynamic range tests, please click here to read the full article.
Sample images
At full telephoto setting and widest maximum aperture (f/5.6), there was a noticeable degree of vignetting (darkening of the corners of the frame) when shooting brighter scenes. Stopping down the aperture to f/7.1 reduced this significantly.
The Canon PowerShot SX150 IS comes with a selection of Creative Filters to apply while you're shooting. The adjustable Miniature Effect can be used when you're taking video footage as well as JPEGs.
Colours are bright, holding up well at even ISO 1600, as here (although it is starting to break up in the shadows). The Canon PowerShot SX150 IS's Auto White Balance errs on the slightly warm side, although not unpleasantly so.
In our Canon PowerShot SX150 IS bench test, the camera's dynamic range proved above average throughout the sensitivity range. Its real-world performance bears that out.
The darker tone of the background has led to the slight overexposure of the white dress and glasses, and close-up inspection shows some posterisation in the pink areas. There are plenty of manual controls to override the camera's exposure, including exposure compensation of +/- 2EV in 1/3 stop increments.
When viewed at 100%, the high contrast areas at the edges of this scene show some green and purple shadowing, but for the most part fringing is well controlled by the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS.
The four-stop advantage that the Canon PowerShot SX150's Intelligent Stabilisation offers means you can get useable results at longer focal lengths or lower light levels than you might expect. However, for the sharpest pictures it's still wise to support the camera with two hands, even though all its controls can be adjusted with one.
Wide and telephoto shots
Panasonic FS22 at 5mm (28mm equivalent)
Panasonic FS22 at 20mm (112mm equivalent)
Verdict
Canon has a compact camera with wide appeal in the shape of its PowerShot SX150 IS. It's a camera that anyone can tailor to their shooting ability, offering as it does an impressive blend of automatic and manual features, supplemented by a set of fun Creative Filters.
Handling is excellent, and although performance isn't class-leading in some areas, the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS produces sharp, natural (but vivid) pictures that are very pleasing.
The 720p HD videos from the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS are equally as good, with excellent sharpness, smoothness and a good level of noise control.
The built-in stereo microphones do pick up some motor noise, though. However, the addition of a dedicated movie record button enables you to react faster to shooting opportunities, and puts paid to one of the common criticisms of its predecessor, too.
We liked
The Canon PowerShot SX150 IS is easy to use, with enough manual control to keep discerning photographers happy. You get a lot of genuinely useful picture-taking technology for your money, rather than an abundance of marketing-driven gimmicks.
We disliked
The occasionally fiddly command wheel/control pad isn't a deal-breaker by any means, but it can be irksome. Despite the sprightly autofocus pick-up, shot-to-shot times are disappointingly sluggish.
Final verdict
Although the new features the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS offers aren't substantial enough to tempt the majority of SX130 users to upgrade, those photographers looking for DSLR-like controls in a compact body that costs under £200 should seriously consider this PowerShot. Its size, versatile zoom and reliance on AA battery power makes the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS a serious contender as one of the best travel compact cameras available today.
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