Description

- 10.0 Megapixels- 10x optical zoom with optical image stabilizer-3.0 LCD- DIGIC(R) 4 image processor-Smart auto intelligently selects the proper setting for the camera based on 22 predefined shooting situations-Easy mode takes the guess work out of the equation by determining the right shooting mode for the situation- Requires AA batteries

Customer Reviews

 Disappointing. - Sep 03, 2010

The problem with this camera is that the lens got stuck. Twice! First time the lens wouldn't come out when the camera was turned on, causing the camera to beep and show a "lens error, restart camera" message, but each time I turned it off and on I got the same message. So I turned it into Canon to get fixed. Second time about 5 months later same thing happened, except the lens got stuck outside and will not go back in. I am extremely disappointed in this.

 Great camera, awesome honeymoon photos from Hawaii - Sep 02, 2010

I got the older model of this camera (SX110) for my bridal shower, and after having it for a month I got "lens error" and it just would not work. So I went to the store and tried to exchange, but SX110 was no longer there. They did have the new SX120, so we got that! So far have not had any problems with the dreaded "lens error"!!!
So I've had this camera since October 2009 and really like it. The zoom is amazing. I can't wait to use it at the Lady Gaga concert I'm going to in a couple of weeks, haha. Have used it at baseball games and gotten great shots of the players.
Husband and I used it in Hawaii and we have amazing pictures. I was told by friends that some of our shots look "professional quality." We plan on getting large prints of some of the scenic shots and framing them in our bedroom. The different settings are great, sunset is especially awesome. We used that a lot on our trip. We bought a tripod and used the self timer to take pictures of the two of us together on the beach (it was a secluded beach). Self timer is great. I actually have not read the manual, so I'm sure this camera does a bunch of things that I am not even aware of. I love taking pictures, and would like to learn more about photography in the future. I think this camera will be a lot of fun to learn on.
I wanted a camera that was more durable and better quality than standard point and shoots. I've had cameras in the past that are so little and fragile that they get busted easily. I never had luck with HP or Sony, my mom has Canons and her cameras last and last, so that is why I went with a Canon this time and I think Canon is the best.
One thing...I wish I had had a waterproof digital before going to Hawaii. We had to leave this camera in the room a lot if we were going snorkeling or surfing. We bought a couple of disposable underwater cameras but the pictures got ruined in processing. Tons of awesome photos that we lost, and who knows if we will ever get back to Hawaii again. IF you are going on any kind of tropical or beach vacation, I suggest looking into getting a waterproof digital. I will be buying one (probably the new Canon one) for my next vacation for sure.

 No zoom in video mode - Aug 31, 2010

No zoom in video mode
If I bought it from Best Buy I will return it and buy Sony Camera
Bad quality at 400 ISO and above

 Canon SX120IS - Aug 24, 2010

This camera is incredible for the price. I bought the SX110IS last year and get complements on my pictures/camera whenever people see it. I just bought two SX120IS for family members and they rave about this camera also. As point and shoot that fits in your purse/pocket, this camera has the best of everything. I am an amateur photographer who appreciates a good camera/great picture quality and this is hands down the camera for me.
The picture quality from Canon is the same if not better than some DSLR models out there. The colors are so vivid and the picture looks like you are actually there. The 10x zoom with 40x digital zoom makes this camera so much better than the base DSLR models. A friend bought the Canon S5 and I could get better pictures because of my ability to zoom that much further. The detail in micro focus photos is very very good and you can see things that you don't even really notice with your eye.
The SD card is wonderful because it is becoming so universal as well as the AA batteries. I bought a 8gig SD card and can get 3,000+ pictures at full resolution on it. I bought a set of 4 rechargeable batteries and am yet to have problems with not having them when I need them, which is what makes the AA more appealing than a battery pack. I get between 200-250 shots with the eneloop batteries I have from Amazon.Sanyo Eneloop 4 Pack AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargable Batteries w/ Charger
For the price, picture quality, size, zoom, and universal components this camera has to offer, you cannot beat it.

 Decent Camera - Aug 23, 2010

After several months of looking at cameras, reviews, and specs, I decided on this camera. What sold me was the simplicity of the controls, the larger size of the camera (closest thing to a 35mm), large LCD, and some pretty darn good pictures. I do notice some purple fringing on contrast items with lighted backdrops, and the indoor mode can produce some dark pictures at times, but I think I need to play around with the settings more to produce optimal pictures for the conditions. Action photos can also be a little tricky with this camera due to slow camera focus adjustment and shutter speed. Downloading pictures to the computer is a snap with the included software. I sure wish it had an optical viewfinder so stabilizing the camera would be easier and faster.

 Great Purchas - Aug 20, 2010

Camera fits the everyday photographer. Easy to use and took vivid pictures of my trip to Japan. Would recommend to anyone who wants to point and shoot

 S-L-O-W!! - Aug 18, 2010

This camera is extremely slow. I bought it for my wife and she's completely frustrated with it. The picture quality is terrific as is the zoom but the subject matter is .......gone..... by the time the image is captured.

 Excellent camera - Aug 18, 2010

It is an excellent camera. I bought 2 of them. Picture quality is very good compare to other point shot camera's, easy to use and good looking body.

 sx120 ix - Aug 18, 2010

Simply an excellent value for the money. It may not be the smallest, prettiest or have the best video or the longest battery life, but it is easy to have close by and if you do run out of charge, find a cheap AA powersource. I use AA rechargeables but I can get lithiums or alkalines almost anywhere if I run out of spares. In other words not only does it take excellent pictures for it's price, it is available for use. The only grinch I have is, I would easily trade for a 10x zoom starting at 28mm and going to 280mm or 300 mm max equivalent instead. But that is my personal preference. I think that is the ideal range for a travel camera. Give me great optics and anti shake stability with a moderatel fast lens (F 2.8) and I'm a happy traveler.

 Powerful Point & Shoot Camera for it's class. - Aug 18, 2010

Ammendment; Announcement from Canon: New version out any day now. It's on their site.
**** Canon SX130is has 720p HD video with VARIABLE ZOOM ****


This is my secondary camera and I am very pleased with how it performs. My primary camera is the Canon SX20is which shares a few features that this one has as well as some that are just better. The menu layout is nearly the same so the learning curve between the two is easy. The decision to get this as a secondary unit was based on these similarities as well as my familiarity with Canon.

This is not really a pocket camera. At least for a pant pocket for most users, but it will fit easily into a jacket pocket or purse just fine. It's not in the same class as a full size DSLR either, so comparisons with such really isn't a fair game. But it can take some really nice pictures for the camera it is. I've posted some pictures to illustrate differences in zoom power, macro focus and picture detail. Just look for the the alligator pond, cluster of blooms and the standing helicopter. Further over in the samples is shots of a bird house in my back yard taken just as the sun was setting to illustrate a lower amount of light. And there's a picture of the pool at night with the flash to illustrate how powerful it is. They were all taken in hand held standing positions, in auto mode and no cropping was used. Some zoom comparisons are true to full frame.

I really like the performance of the camera and have had very little disappointment in it. It does so well in fact, when using it, I've yet to wish that I had my primary camera instead. It seems the most common disappointment in other reviews is the lack of a view finder. This is true, but I believe that having an electronic one would have not only raised the price but the size of the camera itself. And personally, I've never taken a better aligned shot with a cheap optical "pass thru" view finder than that with a rear screen.

I've had some great results with auto mode shots. All the samples I've posted were taken in auto. But the camera also has manual control settings as well to take even better shots and be creative as well. In a sense, you have the best of both worlds in picture taking. Several pocket cameras don't have this option.

The large lens opening makes this camera appealing too. It allows for a greater amount of light to come into the camera for a better pictures. Several pocket cameras have much smaller lens openings.

The zoom ring surrounds the shutter button so composing the shot and taking the picture are right there together in very little motion.

If you want a camera to take rapid shots, you'll have to pay somewhat more for such a unit, but this unit won't be determining the winner of any horse races so to speak.

But this is a pretty smart camera. It can determine what kind of shot you are taking and set itself for the best effect needed. And you always have the option to program the effect you want as well. The menu is very easy to follow in it's layout, especially due to the control wheel on the back. This also makes for great control for viewing pictures you've taken already.

Having the combination of 10x power optical zoom and 10MP resolution is somewhat rare in this class of camera. Several other units usually have one or the other, but rarely both in the same unit. There are some out there though but they usually cost more.

One of the appealing aspects of this camera is the fact that it uses standard AA batteries. Several critics disagree for various reasons. It's true that regular alkaline cells might be disappointing in this camera. That's because this unit has a large screen, 3 inches in fact. But this makes for a great view of what your are taking photos of. But I've discovered some large capacity batteries that last a long time in both of my cameras. Nickle Metal Hydride rechargeable batteries will do very well in digital cameras. High capacity ones do even better. Flashes recharge a bit faster with them as well. And buying an extra set for back up won't break the bank. Plus I don't see AA's being discontinued anytime soon, so as long as your camera is in working order, you'll be able to get replacements to continue using it. And if by chance you've taken so many pictures and run out, your fail safe alkaline cells can be found nearly everywhere in the world in common stores at good prices. You'll never miss a picture of life time due to a dead battery.

The batteries I spoke of are Ansmann 2850 mAh capacity cells. The higher this number is the longer it will last. In the review sites for such batteries, these and Eneloop brand rate very high in how well they hold their charge. Several commonly found cells don't truly hold up to their labeled ratings. But these two brands do.

The full manual does not come in the box, but it is down loadable on Canon's site and it can be found on the included CD. So you can read the manual before deciding to buy the camera if need be. I printed mine out in booklet form, double sided of course, and took it to a local office supply store to have it spiral bound with plastic covers front and back. Now I have the full book in hand. It only cost me $4.

The camera does have video capability but only in VGA resolution. And the zoom is not adjustable while video is in operation, only the digital zoom. But you can pre-zoom your image before starting the video. But IMHO, having HD and variable zoom would have added to the cost.

I recommend getting the batteries I mentioned, a class 4 (speed) 8GB SD card or better/higher and you'll get a little faster flash recharge rate and quicker times between shots. The "busy" indicator after taking a shot with mine lasts only about a second. Also format the SD card on initial (first time) use.

Please check out the photo samples I mentioned above and let those speak for themselves on what the camera can do. There are several video test shots on Youtube posted by several users, so check those out to see the quality. I think you'll be pleased even though it's VGA. (But if you use the digital zoom, it'll become grainy.) And there are some camera review videos as well that tell lots about the camera.

Read the manual and you'll discover that you have a pretty powerful and flexible camera.

 How much are you willing to pay for a good camera - Aug 11, 2010

I was expecting more from this camera as its Canon's more expensive point and shoot. Not bad with simple features. Appearance is very good. The ease to which you can look at pretaken pictures is excellent as all you have to do is spin a wheel in back and this scrolls through all your photos with no wait time.

The zoom is quite good but as you zoom in (I am comparing this camera to a Samsung HZ35W retail 350.00) though you will notice some difficulty in getting the picture to focus. As mentioned I was playing around with an HZ35W Samsung and that camera is awsome. It really is. If you have the extra couple hundred the HZ35w wins in all catagories. Back to the Canon. The indoor shooting is a little difficult to get a good photo. And for some reason the LCD shows a poorer picture than the actual picture taken.

If your into cameras want a good one and the photos are important to you check out the HZ35W. If price is important this is not a bad camera and has many features (outdoor photo quality, zoom range, portability, appearance, Big LCD screen, The Bad: Takes time to get a good photo in comparison to the samsung. Tough to get a good photo indoors, Zoom not as good as the Samsung,

You get what you pay for in this camera but if you can afford it I'd look upwards in price just a bit.

 Works great - Aug 09, 2010

Everything works as expected. I am not sure about the problem reviews I read from others. I am Very happy with the Camera. The only problem I had was not formatting the furnished memory card before using it. I am working thru that problem now, but that has nothing to do with the performance or features of the camera.

 Five Star except - Aug 05, 2010

This is a great camera except like most of its contemporaires these days, it doesn't have a view finder. That's okay on cloudy days but on sunny days it's difficult to frame a picture and nearly impossible to frame a moving object. If you plan on taking action pictures on sunny days you may want to reconsider buying this camera and look for one with a view finder. If that's not an issue, the SX120 is definitely 5 star.

 An almost-perfect Camera for many users - Aug 03, 2010

I bought this camera mainly for its manual capabilities... aperture and shutter control. I'm happy to say it performs very well in that regard. It's a very good photo tool. It's loaded with features but still very easy to use on automatic. The Canon menus are still the best. They're very user-friendly and intuitive. The items in the menu stay where you left them so you can easily get back to them... like white balance and flash compensation, they're just one button-push away. And on the camera's back side, the main go-to buttons are right there too... like exposure compensation and ISO. Most point and shoots don't give you both of those buttons on the body. Of course the macro and timer buttons are on-deck too. With all of those features right under your thumb, this camera rises to a higher level than the average clicker. Some SLRs don't even give you that much quick access to your shooting controls. Awesome little tool.

Speaking of the flash, it's one of the neatest features on the camera. I don't like flash photography... but this one's neat. It sits directly above the lens, exactly where it belongs. It tucks into the camera body until you flip it open, like a switch. I like that because I don't want a flash to pop-up unless I want it to. It's a great design. It has several power settings to tune your light just the way you want it. Or you can shoot in "Slow Flash Synch" and use it like a fill flash.

The SX120's CMOS sensor and superior lens quality produce excellent images indoors and outdoors... and in low light situations too. This camera delivers very good results both zoomed in for macro detail and zoomed back. It gives very sharp images with good depth of field stopped-down to f/8, especially using it on a tripod. For some reason depth of field is sort of a forgotten feature on cameras anymore. Very few pro reviews talk about how small a camera's aperture will stop-down to. But it's a major factor for many advanced shooters when choosing a camera... even a point and shoot like the SX120.

Canon always delivers accurate colors and clear pixels, and the SX120 is certainly no exception. It does a great job with nighttime neons. It records the light and colors perfectly. The long focal range is incredible, and the image stabilization works very well even fully extended. But shooting full zoom, at 360mm: use a tripod. A tripod is still the best way to shoot at 360mm with any camera. The SX120 lens has a moderate wide angle (36mm) but it's quite adequate for most of my photographic needs. I'm very impressed and satisfied, with the focal range of this camera.

I really don't shoot much video but this camera does a very adequate job with movies: Good colors and smooth action.

Only one flaw to mention, and it's common to almost all P&S cameras, is the zoom control. It's too fast and can even be a little jerky at times. It's almost impossible to compose a photo with such sporadic speeds. I think just slowing down the zoom function a little bit would help a lot. Again, it's a minor glitch that's common to many small cameras.

On the whole, this camera is very well thought-out in its design and construction. Canon has provided us with a fine tool to work with... at a reasonable price. And please make more cameras that use AA batteries, like the SX120. With the new AA Lithiums (with 8x the life of alkalines) one can shoot all week... and more. AA Lithiums have a shelf life of about 15 years. So they're always ready. You can forget your charger and rechargeable NiMhs. AA batteries are a huge PLUS.

Absolutely, buy this camera.

 Fantastic Camera for all Users - Jul 26, 2010

A wonderful camera, despite the user's skill level.
Because of the size and weight, the portability isn't exactly optimized, but it's far better than carrying around a full size professional SLR.
Pictures are of amazing quality- don't bother spending an extra $50-$75 for two more mega pixels! The zoom is wonderful- it's a great camera. I'm very happy with it, and recently bought it to take it with me to a 5 week study abroad trip in London. It never let me down!
Another great feature is that the camera has a setting where the front display tells you how many pictures it has left on the memory card based on what setting you're using.
IMAGE STABILIZATION is a life saver- especially for a traveller- and nearly guarantees a great picture every time. Easy to use camera- you turn it on and within seconds you know how to use it.

 I LOVE THIS CAMERA!!!!! - Jul 24, 2010

I just received this yesterday. Was out yesterday and today testing it out. Replaced it with an old canon s400 which was great so I figured Canon was the way to go. The Zoom works great and the pictures in high resolution are lifelike. Can't comment on battery life yet but I have taken a couple hundred pictures at least on the original batteries that came with camera. Went and bought the Sanyo Eneloop 4 Pack AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargable Batteries w/ Charger from amazon since battery life seemed to be lacking from previous reviews. All I can really say is this is the best camera I have ever used and I thank God that I was born at a time of such great technological advances.

 Very pleased with picture quality - until it broke! - Jul 23, 2010

This camera produced some beautiful pictures for me...but then it broke after less than two weeks of heavy use. So it gets three stars.

Despite it's early demise, this camera and I took about 600 pictures at different settings and got to know each other quite well.

Dislikes:
- Bulky and heavy. There is no way to comfortable carry this camera around and still have it readily available, unless you hang a case around your neck or on you belt. Compared to other digital cameras, this puppy is huge!
- No decent dynamic range compensation. If you're background is very bright, don't try to take pictures of dark subjects. Also, I found it impossible to take good pictures of people wearing baseball-style hats in bright sunlight, because the camera either the face was too shadowed to recognize or the highlights were completely blown out.
- In program mode, the camera always defaults back to the 'center averaged' exposure control setting, which sucked when taking high-contrast photos. Using 'spot metering' was the only way I could get acceptable shots of people and bright backgrounds.
- No zoom during video. I've owned other a-series before, and this has always been an annoyance. I was able to take some good video of a helicopter as it landed, but it took about six tries. Also, camera shake is pretty bad during the video without having some kind of object to stabalize your hand on.
- No wide angle lens. Really missed this during group shots.
- Durability. After less than a month of ownership, the camera simply froze. I couldn't get the screen to turn on or the lens to retract. This is the second time a canon has done this to me, and the last time I will be buying one for the foreseeable future. To be fair, it did experience some hot and dusty conditions, but my Panasonic has been through similar conditions and three years later still works just fine.

Likes:
- At its best, this camera took pictures to rival a DSLR. Seriously, I took pictures alongside another person with a Canon Rebel, and our pictures came out very similar. We even switched cameras for a bit and the only real improvement I noticed was the almost instantaneous focusing speed of the rebel. Reviewing the images, I also noticed that the rebel produced a very nice background blur for portrait shots, while the background remained sharp for the A120IS. But at a $800 price difference, I was very happy with my camera. Also, its smaller size meant that I caught more spontaneous shots than her because I could carry my camera with me everywhere.
- AA batteries. I spent two weeks with no electricity and never had to worry. This camera ate a set of batteries every day and a half, but I brought about a million AA's so it wasn't a problem. It also accounts for most of the bulk of the camera, but it was worth it to be able to take as many pictures as I wanted.
- Fast. From sitting in my helmet on the ground, to taking a very nice picture of a fire truck speeding by was just a few seconds. I never missed a shot because the camera wasn't fast enough.
- Long zoom. With the lens fully extended, this camera picked up on slightly more details than I could see with my naked eye. There was also no distortion at all.
- Decent low-light photography. This camera had a hard time with multiple fast-moving subjects under florescent lights, but that is very forgivable. Otherwise, it performed relatively well in dim lighting conditions.

Overall, I was very happy with this camera. For a very low price, it took some gorgeous pictures. It's definitely fighting above it's weight class. Yes, you make some trade offs, but if you're looking for something cheap, AA battery powered that still takes good pictures, I would highly recommend this camera to you.

I would say this camera's ideal use is as a back-up camera or as a vacation camera. Just don't expect it to last.

 Canon PowerShot SX120IS 10MP Digital Camera - Jul 23, 2010

DEMASIADO BUENA LA CALIDAD DE LAS FOTOGRAFÍAS Y LUEGO QUE LEES EL MANUAL ES DEMASIADO FACIL DE USAR, DE VERDAD QUE FUE LA OPCIÓN MÁS ACERTADA EN CUANTO A CALIDAD Y COSTO. LA RECOMIENDO AL 100%

 Doesn't replace Powershot S2 IS - Jul 22, 2010

I purchased this PowerShoot SX120IS to replace my Powershot S2 IS, which functioned very well for me but started using batteries at a prodigious rate. The "upgrade" was less than satisfactory.

1) Shape & size: The shape and smaller size of the SX120 do not allow me to get a firm and comfortable grasp of the camera with my left hand.

2) Weight: I prefer the additional weight of the S2, suspecting that I had less camera shake.

3) Viewfinder: I have never had a camera until now without a viewfinder. I thought I could adjust to its lack in the SX120, but this is like waking up in the morning with my right arm missing. Well, perhaps a touch of hyperbole.

4) LCD monitor. The larger LCD monitor on the SX120 is fun, and makes messages easy to read. The monitor on the S2, however, could swing out and swivel up or down, making it ideal for shots in a crowd with the camera above the head or a horizontal shot in the wetlands at ground level.

5) Neck strap: The S2 had two eyelets for a neckstrap, which was ideal for the way I used the camera--hands free until I needed the camera, but the camara immediately accessible. The SX120 has only one eyelet for a small hand strap, requiring one hand to hold the camera, or requiring the camera to be tucked into a case.

6) User manual: I referred to the substantial user manual for the S2 often enough that I packed it in the camera case. The user manual for the SX120 is only online.

The functions for the two cameras are similar but not identical, and the ways of accessing them are sufficiently alike that the transition from the S2 to the SX120 was smooth. The Easy mode of the SX120 is a handy way for another family member to use the camera without giving detailed instructions.

I'll get along with this camera, but for things that are important to me, this is a downgrade. I wish that I had researched this purchase more thoroughly.

 Battery Eater - Fuzzy Pictures - Jul 20, 2010

Battery life was dissappointing. Was only able to get 50 pictures on akaline batteries. Swithed to rechargable batteries and had the same results. Using fully charged batteries the camera would turn off and give the replace batteries message. The picture quality was worse than my old 4mp camera. I expected more sharpness and detail. When shooting outdoors while the sun is shining the screen is impossilble to see for framing your shot. This camera was a step down rather than a step up which is why I purchased it.

 I'd buy it again - Jul 19, 2010

I'm not a pro by any means; I just needed an easy to use point and shoot, and this one works great. Picture quality is very good. Takes a bit of getting used to for having to manually lift the flash. (Usually means I take one picture without it, and then raise it.)

I saw something that said the movies could only be accessed through the Canon software, but that isn't true. I take the card out, and then place it in a card reader, and it takes the movies and pics off, no problems. Haven't even installed the Canon software, so no comments on it at all.

 esta camara es buena - Jul 16, 2010

para el precio/marca. esta camara es super tira unas fotos muy buena. mas si sabe usarla en manual.

 Awesome camera - more than worth the price! - Jul 16, 2010

I bought this camera for my 17 year old son to take on a three week trip to South Africa for FIFA World Cup soccer. He didn't want one too big or heavy, it had to fit in his pocket (big pants). I couldn't believe the pictures he took with it; he has pictures of players on the field at the games just like I saw on ESPN.com they were so close up. And one of the coach that was on the opposite side of the field from him, unbelievable.

The zoom is a 10x, but it can go up to 40x and the pictures are still great. He took some pictures of a giraffe from a safari that he said was a football field and a half away and it looks as though it's right outside the vehicle.

The screen is very clear and good size. When you change the settings it tells you what you have changed it to on the screen, no looking back at the manual each time. I would recommend this camera to everyone, oh wait I already have.

 My First Time - Jul 14, 2010

Great pictures. I also experienced after 150-180 pictures before batteries were low. That's not bad.

 Best affodable camera out there! - Jul 12, 2010

Great camera! great pictues! easy to use, light weight, big screen, the zoom is incredible! its also under 200 bucks! Best affodable camera!