Description

-12.1 megapixels-720p high-definition video- 20x wide-angle optical zoom with optical image stabilizer-2.5 wide vari-angled LCD- DIGIC(R) 4 Image processor-Requires AA batteries

Customer Reviews

 Great Second or third Camera for travel - Aug 31, 2010

I must first say that except for a Fuji point and shoot, all my cameras are Canon so I may sound a bit like a Canon commercial but I really like this camera. I purchased this camera as an upgrade to my S5IS. I am planning a cruise and am always afraid to take my DSLR cameras and lenses with me for fear of loss or theft and because of weight restrictions on the plane. I used the S5IS on a trip to Bermuda and was thrilled with the results. I created a DVD slide presentation and even on a 50 in HDTV, the shots were fantastic. This camera produces even better pictures, 12 megapixels as apposed to 8 for the S5IS and a 20 times optical zoom as compared with 12 for S5IS. The SX20IS has better video, more features, and a much better zoom. I was amazed with the first shots I took and even when using the digital zoom, the noise was very tolerable and easily fixed with a good photo program. Using the digital zoom, I printed great 4 X 6 prints that were clear and sharp. I also have a Canon G10, a Canon T1i with an 18 -270 Tamaron lens, and a Canon XTI with a Sigma 18 - 200 lens. When I compared the quality of photos between the these cameras and the SX20IS the DSLR did win but not by that much. For the price, the SX20IS will be a great camera to take on a trip where space and weight are of a concern. I recommend this camera to anyone who wants an upper end quality point and shoot camera.

 Bad Camera - Aug 30, 2010

I bought this camera in November of 2009 and 8 months later, the thing was eating my batteries like crazy. I would place a new set of batteries in and the camera immediately tells me they are bad and needs to be changed when the batteries are brand new! Would not recommend buying this camera!

 Canon SX20 IS - Aug 28, 2010

I am very pleased with its features and my results thus far. Two things to be aware of however. There are no actual filter threads (Canon says the lens construction doesn't permit them) and the owner's manual is on a disc. I'd like to see a printed manual offered at least as an added purchase item. There's a lot to know to take full advantage of its potential. I have found that a 52mm filter thread will work, but it does not thread on smoothly nor all the way in. It is a secure fit however.

 Fantastic Camera - with a few quirks - Aug 26, 2010

Great Camera! But here's a word to the wise - DON'T FORMAT THE CARD after you've taken pictures! It deleted all of my pictures that I took for my 30th birthday party...I was SO upset. I did download a software that retrieved them, but still - the camera gave absolutely no warning before it deleted 130 pictures. I was in shock. It is also a heavy camera, be prepared for your arm to get sore while trying to shoot moving subjects.

Other than that - I've taken some incredible photos and I've had the camera less than a week. It's easy to use, and captures wildlife effortlessly. I've taken some gorgeous photos of hummingbirds, and they aren't easy to photograph.

You will love this camera! It's definitely worth the money.

 Love this Camera - Aug 25, 2010

I bought this camera about 2 weeks ago, and so far I absolutely love it. I had debated between getting a nikon and a canon. Consumer Reports listed the Powershot SX10 IS as its best super zoom camera and so I figured that the Powershot SX20 IS would not be that much different.

I am not a professional photographer by any means - I just enjoy taking pictures. I haven't been able to take a bad picuture yet - the sharpness and quality are excellent. I really enjoy just playing around with the different features - although there is no instruction manuel to go along with the camera - you don't really need one - I just read the basics to get started and occasionally refer to it for different things. If you just play around with settings you can't really mess anything up.

 Best among other brands - Aug 22, 2010

This camera was the winner for a class of Digital photography, but you have to be dealing to much with the camera to get a good picture so no everyone can take a great picture with this one. Anyways all the features are great, I hope the add some from Nikon and from Kodak in the next release.

 compared side by side with sx10 - Aug 21, 2010

I love this camera. I owned the sx10is, but recently sold it for this one, with its hd video capability. I feel it is important to immediately address the fine vs superfine imagery quality differance between the two cameras. The canon sx20 does not have a super fine mode, however, I have compared (with a tripod, and side by side) both cameras..set the the exact same settings...both 80 iso, no flash, outside in good lighting (and inside as well)..both on its regular auto mode, as well as its program mode, staying the same with the settings and focal lengths with each camera (vivid turned on for both its its program mode)

This is what I noticed: When simply taken in the normal auto mode, the canon sx20 seemed less vibrant in detail, as many others have complained about. It seemed a bit washed out. However when taken in the program mode, manual mode, scenic mode, apature priority mode, or any mode which will allow vivid color to be turned on, the sx20 pictures turned out in all my shots, with more contrast, greater color, and just all around better pictures..especially looking at the images at full image size. I was shocked. I looked at the file size to make sure I was looking at the right images, as the sx20 has more compression and is a smaller file. Sure enough though, the small file sizes of the sx20 looked extremly pleasing to the eye, and was more than comparable to the sx10. So I made my decision to sell my sx10 and keep the sx20 without regret. In addition to the excellent image quality, the camera has absolutly amazing hd video. This would be an amazing camera to have from the mountains of northern Spain, to the hillsides of France, to the rolling plains of Pennsylvania. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND PURCHSING THE SX20 OVER THE SX10, not only for its hd video, but for its stunning images displayed in vivid mode over the sx10. I hope to put it to good use in the days ahead.

 Great SLR Alternative - Aug 19, 2010

I love this camera as a cheaper alternative to a high quality SLR camera. The flip-out screen is quite large and very useful for angle shots. The zoom capabilities are amazing. the 20x zoom is great for far away shots. Whether close up or far away, the picture quality is quite good. 12.1 megapixels gives you the ability for very large picture sizes. The thing about this camera is that it's not as portable as a small point-and-shoot. That's something i don't mind, but it may hinder you, so it's something to think about. The HD video is GREAT. That's one of the things that sold me on the camera. I've used Canon's previous model of this camera, and the difference between the 640x480 and the 1280x720 video is amazing. One thing that's changed between models is the fact that you can't hear the zooming anymore while filming video. In the old model you could hear the mechanic of the camera zooming the lens in the sound of the video file. I haven't heard that yet on my camera. Over all it's a great camera of you're looking for a high-quality, SLR alternative camera and if you're not worried about lessened portability.

 Disappointed by the SX20IS! - Aug 15, 2010

I really wanted to like this camera as I was hoping it would be a good bridge camera when I didn't want to drag my DSLR around. But, autofocus was indecisive/slow and the quality of the pictures was simply not good. There is no super fine compression/quality setting, only fine and normal, which leaves much to be desired in clarity, sharpness and low noise prints - even 4x6! You must lift the flash even in auto mode, and I was not able to ever make the flash engage even with changing every setting under the sun! Just by pulling it up didn't work (per the manual). There was no simple way to engage fill flash or flash for low light settings - sure, I could have gone to manual mode and compensated with exposure settings... but, is the average person going to do this? This is a nearly $400 camera - it should take nice, clear pictures in auto! If you are a fan of burst mode or want it for action shots, this camera will not perform well under those circumstances (1 shot per second is not fast, nor considered burst mode). The articulating LCD screen though is very nice and one of the reasons I purchased it. The HD video is also great though watch your settings, because the highest setting has lower frame per second rates and could end up looking choppy with/without a tripod). Also, keep in mind, you cannot use a filter without first purchasing a converter (not from Canon, they don't make them) and then buy a filter - then if you want a hood you will need to purchase a different one as your original will no longer fit.
This could have been a great camera, as it has many great features, range and creative controls (no supported RAW though), but without good quality pictures it does not live up to the Canon name/quality for the price! (Maybe I got a bad one?) Anyway, as much as I wanted to keep it and continuing working with it (the majority of reviews are great), I decided instead to buy a new walk around lense for my Canon DSLR and just use that as I am almost always pleased with the outcome - great pictures! Disappointed though in the Canon SX20IS, as I have always been a big Canon fan! Well, I still am - but Canon needs to work out some of these problems with the SX20IS before I will look at it again.

 a great package for the money - Aug 15, 2010

I have been shooting pictures for about 10 years. I have gone through about that many digital cameras. I upgrade as often as once a year. I really want a Canon Rebel but had to settle for the Powershot SX20IS because of the money. I can't say that I am disappointed. This is an awesome camera! The ease of use is terrific and the end results are phenomenal. If you are looking for a great camera at a great price, this is the one. Canon has me forever! The Rebel is next!

 don't buy - Aug 14, 2010

Bought this camera after my Sony DSC was accidentally shattered (so upsetting). I wanted a 12mp and Sony didn't have the same model in 12mp so I went with the Canon after reading such amazing reviews. I had a bad feeling when, after opening the package, 4 AA batteries fell out. I kept an open mind and loaded the batteries and tried it out. 7 out of 10 pictures I shot were blurry. The color was horrible. The focus was all over the place. I knew this wasn't the camera for me. Back to the hunt for another Sony!

 One Sweet litte Camera - Aug 13, 2010

I usually don't get very pumped over cameras anymore. I've had so many over the years that I guess I've been jaded.

But this Canon changed all of that.

You can be shooting within minutes of installing the batteries and memory card and making some of the best pictures you've seen.

The 20X zoom is just fantastic and coupled with the vari-angle viewfinder, any angle is no challenge.

Even though just a JPG format, the pictures are incredibly sharp. The colors are saturated and deep. Control of parameters is simply vast, but not overwhelming. Start with 'auto' and then move up to other choices.

Wait until you try the video! Absolutely beautiful. Play it back on your TV in high definition and you'll be blown away.

The Canon software that comes with the camera is quite good. I usually just photoshop everything, but the Canon software stores and fixes most pix quite well.

I know that point-and-shoot you've been looking at is small and fits in your pocket nicely, but this is just a little bigger and will do so much more. Not many more bux than a good point-and-shoot, either.

If you can't tell, I love this sweet, little SX20IS camera.

Sorry, you can't have mine, you'll have to get your own! :)

 Canon is the best - Aug 10, 2010

This is my first Canon Camera,i always got a Sony or Nikon.

but this is a very good quality camera.

Mr Kwan

 Love this camera - Aug 08, 2010

This is a really good camera. The quality of the pictures is good. I haven't used it very long, but from the pictures taken so far, the zoom, is wonderful. The pictures are very clear. It is not your really small camera, which I was not wanting a tiny camera anyway. It is the closest thing to an SLR camera, without the higher cost that SLR cameras are. I am still learning about it, but I am glad I purchased it. Would recommend it to anyone.

 BEST POINT AND SHOOT !!! - Aug 07, 2010

I AM COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY BY THE FEATURES ON THIS CAMERA!!! IT, IN MY OPINION RIVALS SOME OF THE BEST DSLR'S ON THE MARKET FOR MOST PEOPLE. I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL, BUT HAVE SPENT MUCH OF MY LIFE TAKING PICTURES- AND LOVE THIS CAMERA!!

 Canon Powershot SX20IS - Aug 06, 2010

Wow, for the price of this camera, you would think they could have included the 180 page instruction manual. I had the Canon Powershot A94 I purchased from Amazon in 2004... EXCELLENT camera. I wish Canon would bring that one back. It was easy to hold, easy to shoot and took excellent photos with tons of features. This camera is excellent in the photo department and the features are all there... but, it is heavy, bulky and I do NOT like the lens cap at all... it needs to have a strap attached from cap to the camera. Anyway, very disappointed the instruction manual is not included and I am disappointed that the only options out there are either the really small palm size digitals or this bulky size... BRING BACK THE A95 Series!

 very thrilled with purchase - Aug 05, 2010

I'm very thrilled and pleased with this camera. It takes good pictures and I love the 20x zoom, and it's a perfect size for a better performing Digital camera with wide angle.

 Chyea!! - Aug 03, 2010

This camera is friggin amazing! Its defiantly my favorite out of all the cameras iv ever had!
The only thing i didn't like, was of course the lens "CAP". The cap isn't attached or tied to the actual camera. Iv lost the cap a bunch of times, then one day I accidentally dropped it off a dock & into the water & ain't gettin it back anytime soon. Now i have to buy another cap before my lens scratches..
Other than that one flaw, the camera is fantastical & completely worth buying!
-Hails.

 Looking for a "bridge" camera? here you go... - Aug 02, 2010

I got this camera about a week ago and have been satisfied with it so far. I bought it for a trip to Australia later this year. am new to photography and wanted to get my feet wet with something more than a pocket point & shoot, but less bluky and cheaper than a DSLR or even a mini DSLR like the Rebel. aside from the bulk of carrying lenses, i wasnt quite ready to make the jump to a $700-$1000 camera.

As far as bridge cameras go, this seems to be a great way to go. the picture quality is quite good and photos come in nice and sharp when properly exposed. having said that, this camera is not a point and shoot. it is also not a DSLR. if you are expecting a substitute for a $2000 camera, you will be left wanting. I also find it the make some questionable exposure settings when i leave it on AUTO. it is fairly good size, not something that i would be able to put in my pocket. but it could fit into a midsized purse or a day pack fairly easily for a trip when you know you will be taking pics.

back to the point that this is not a DSLR. this camera cost $360! it is not a replacement for a full size, interchangeable lense camera with a full image sensor. having said that, the lense is quite amazing. at the wide angel, you get the full 28mm (35mm film equiv) and at full zoom, you get the equivilent of 560mm. and that lense offers surpirsing image quality over the whole spectrum. it does slow down (allow less light to reach the sensor) to F5.7 at 560mm, but it offers a steller F2.8 at full wideview. the image stableization also workes wonders on this lense.

the sensor chip on this is not the full size offered in DSLRs, this camera does have some low light noise. i found that on AUTO or P, the ISO would go up to 800 on a well lite indoor subject. i manually brought that down to 200, and still ended up with well lit photos without the noise. i cannot speak for the low light performance compared to other cameras in this class, but i have found little fault so long as you are prepared to dabble in the manual settings. just dont expect it to be as clear in low light as your D5.

The manual modes all seem straigh forward. you can switch between apature and shutter speed with a flick of the thumb, and both are readily controled by the central wheel. ISO is also easily accessable on the main wheel and the majority of the buttons are laid out with at least some amount of common sense. the menu is also easily navigated and offers a number of settings from flash strenght to power settings.

the flip screen is nice, although it seems like more of a novelty than anyhting else, i usually just flip it back to "normal" against the back of the camera view. the resolution of the image is quite good. which is fortunate because the smaller eye viewfinder is of relativly poor resolution. this is one of my gripes with this camera. if you are going to include a viewfinder, at least give it as good of resolution as the main screen. it is pretty much worthless for determining focus or fine picture taking.

I strongly recommend that you spend the $12 on the aluminum 58mm lense thread adapter. this camera does not come with one and while i do little in the way of filters, i do like having a clear UV filter to protect my lense.

This camera also has a hot shoe for those of you who will be doing anything that requires a finner tuch than the built in flash. i would by one if i were to do pictures for anything like a wedding where the built in would be to direct.

The 4 AA batteries were one of the buying points for me. It is good to always be able to get batteries and since i currently live in italy, and i travel alot, being able to carry or buy spares is important. on that note, i have taken about 200 pics, many with flash and about 8 min of HD Video (looks and sounds great BTW) and the batteries are still going strong.

over all i am happy with my purchas and think that this camera is going to end up being a good camera at a good price. I will provide more of a review after i get to use it more on my trip.

 Review by amateur - Aug 02, 2010

I bought this camera because I wanted the terrific zoom lens, a variable angle LCD, jpeg photos, and a viewfinder. I previously had a Canon so I figured the learning curve would not be too steep. The camera is more than I expected, actually, and now I'm interested in learning about it. It's a shame that Canon is too cheap to include a Users' Manual. Someone has written a book for the Canon Powershot SX20 with good ratings on amazon (but for $30), so I'm going to buy that, although it irritates me to have to do so.

I do wish the lens cap was attached. I've already lost mine and will have to get another.

 Canon PowerShot SX20IS delivers great pictures - Jul 30, 2010

I have a PowerShot S5 and so was already familiar with the Canon features and workings. The PowerShot SX20IS delivers great pictures, great DVD quality video, great audio, and does it all in about the same size and weight as the PowerShot S5. The 20X zoom is really great. The wide-angle zoom provides a very wide fiedl of view with very little edge distortion. In most cases, I was able to stitch together panoramas using the wide-angle lens photos without a problem. Coupled with the anti-vibration feature, you can take great telephoto shots. The only thing I wished it would do that it doesn't is to allow longer than 15 second exposures. Otherwise, it does everything I want and much more.

 3rd Canon of this type - Jul 29, 2010

Just a brief review of the 3rd Canon I have purchased. I started w/ the S5IS, then the S10IS and now the S20IS. I bought this one because it recorded video in High Def. The extra zoom and extra pixels are nice for cropping and the pop up help captions reviewing the manual functions were very useful. I am not an expert photographer, however based on the comments of many who review the pictures I keep they are amazed. I kept with the canon's because all of the accessories are compatible, very little learning curve. I never run out of fresh batteries, and the other family members love when I upgrade. It is an awesome point and shoot camera. I made the decision that we will look allot more at stills than sitting down to watch videos. So I concentrated on the picture taking and I am glad that at any second I can push the video record button and almost as much control of the video, zoom etc., as a real video camcorder. The video is more than good enough for family movies and fun caught on the spot. So if you like taking allot of pictures and your family isn't interested in learning all of the manual controls associated with this camera, this would be a great buy. I have tinkered with many of the manual settings and have caught many awesome pictures. My only beef is that the lens cap isn't connected. I fixed that myself.

 best for money - Jul 24, 2010

Returned fz35 and got the sx20 instead..The zoom is great,.,pictures are great!I use a 8gb class 10 card..I put on screen protect...need to p/u a bag...Oh yeah! Don't squeeze on lens cap...SNAP ON...Lots of people have had a problem..

 Extremely happy - Jul 23, 2010

I had previously owned the SX10IS and when I saw they came out with a newer version I had to have it. I'm not a professional or even an amateur photographer; I simply take a lot of pictures of my family and I wanted a camera that was easy to use and would do the work for me so that my pictures turned out great. That is how I ended up with the SX 10IS as it did exactly this. The biggest improvement in this camera in my opinion is that it now automatically adjusts from face recognition to object recognition. So when I'm trying to get a picture of my baby's toes I don't have to manually adjust it, it does it for me now! I'm so pleased that I decided to make the investment to upgrade, it really is a great camera!

 Powershot SX 20 IS - Jul 23, 2010

I am very pleased with my camera. It is easy to use and very portable. The only thing is that I wish the manual told you more about the settings but the manual that you can download on to your computer tells you more.