Review: Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

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Bridge cameras make for excellent travelling companions, offering the flexibility of a zoom range far larger than any D-SLR's lens but in a relatively small body.

This segment of the market seems to be defying the general downturn in compact camera sales, probably because of the extended flexibility that they offer, especially when compared to a smartphone.

While in terms of physical size, the SX60 isn't far off that of an entry-level DSLR, it features a much smaller sensor. It houses a 16.1 million-pixel 1/2.3 inch CMOS sensor (the same physical size as most compact cameras on the market). It does at least bring a jump in four million pixels from its predecessor the SX50HS.

You can see the size of the SX60 (centre) compared to the SX520 (left) and SX400 (right).

At the moment, the SX60 represents the market leading position in terms of the zoom range, offering a huge 65x optical zoom. It provides a 21mm equivalent focal length at the wide angle end of the range and 1365mm equivalent at the telephoto end. At its widest point, the maximum aperture available is f/3.4, falling to f/6.5 at the zoom end.

Canon also has ZoomPlus technology, a type of digital zoom that boosts that range to 130x, or an incredible equivalent of 2730mm. ZoomPlus retains the resolution of an image shot using the optical zoom by interpolating pixels. A standard digital zoom is available to push that even further to 5460mm, but there will be a loss in image quality.

The S60's 65x zoom is boosted still further by ZoomPlus and a digital zoom option.

Full manual control is available, and like the SX50 before it, so is the ability to shoot in raw format - a clear indication that the company expects the SX60 to be used by advanced enthusiasts. There's also a range of automatic modes, semi-automatic and scene modes.

For those who like to get creative, there are a couple of options with the SX60. First of all there's the Creative Shot mode – this will take one shot, plus 5 more with different random effects and crops applied. There's a variety of different subsets you can choose from, but you don't get absolute control over the digital filters which are applied. Secondly, there is a dedicated filters mode which allows you to choose a specific filter.

The SX60 IS offers full manual control and can shoot raw files.

It's starting to become more common now, but the SX60 is equipped with inbuilt Wi-Fi and NFC. This allows you to use your smartphone or tablet to remotely control the camera, as well as giving you the option of transferring images taken on it quickly to your device for sharing online, via email and so on.

On the back of the camera is fully-articulated, 922,000-dot, 3-inch screen. It's not touch-sensitive though. It is joined by a 922,000-dot, 0.17-inch electronic viewfinder on the top of the camera.

There's an inbuilt flash and there's also a hotshoe which enables you to add your own accessories, such as a flashgun.

The SX60 is a replacement for the SX50 which has been on the market for some time now. The SX50 boasted a 50x optical zoom, but it also had the ZoomPlus technology to boost that up to 100x. It also didn't have inbuilt Wi-Fi and NFC, so there's been quite a few improvements made to the camera.

In terms of competition, the SX60 goes up against the previous market leaders (in terms of zoom range at least), the Sony H400 and the Panasonic FZ72, which offer a 63x and 60x optical zoom, respectively.

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Canon PowerShot Elph 140 IS

Pros Inexpensive. 8x zoom range. Compact.

Cons Images on the noisy side. Wide-angle coverage limited to 28mm. Low-resolution rear display. Video limited to 720p. Lacks Wi-Fi and other advanced features. Bottom Line The Canon PowerShot Elph 140 IS doesn't have the features of more expensive cameras, but is a decent option for budget-minded photographers.

By Jim Fisher

The Canon PowerShot Elph 140 IS ($129.99) is the least expensive Canon compact that you can get with image stabilization, and despite not offering all of the bells and whistles of more expensive cameras, it delivers sharp images throughout its zoom range. There are some sacrifices made to hit its price point, including a CCD sensor that doesn't record 1080p video and a lens that doesn't cover as wide of an angle as other modern compacts, but it's a solid option for the budget-minded shooter. If you can spend a bit more the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX80 is worth its extra cost. Our Editors' Choice compact is another Canon, the PowerShot N100, but it's on the pricey side.

Design and Features
The Elph 140 IS measures just 2.1 by 3.7 by 0.9 inches (HWD) and weighs a mere 4.6 ounces. It retains the attractive exterior that you expect from an Elph camera, and is available in a two-tone gray and silver or red and silver design. It's slim, but it's not quite as compact as the Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1 (2.1 by 3.7 by 0.7 inches, 3.1 ounces).

The lens is an 8x design, but unlike the Elph 150 IS and most recent compact cameras, it only covers a 28mm (full-frame equivalent) field of view at the wide end. That's a moderate wide angle, and it will likely serve you well in most situations, but not quite as wide as the 24mm and 25mm lenses in other models. The 8x zoom ratio covers 28-224mm with an aperture that starts at f/3.2 at the wide angle and drops to f/6.9 when zoomed all the way in.

Physical controls are scarce. The top plate houses the power button, zoom rocker, and shutter release. The rear buttons are all large and easy to press—they include image playback and delete controls, a movie record button, the Menu button, and a help button that launches an in-camera shooting guide. There's a four-way directional pad with a center Func./Set button and directional presses that adjust the shooting mode, toggle the flash, change the amount of information displayed on the LCD, and toggle Canon's power-saving ECO mode.

There's an overlay menu that's launched by pressing the Func./Set button. If you're shooting in Auto mode its functionality is limited—it only gives you control over the self-timer, drive mode, and image and video quality settings. If you opt to use the camera in Program mode you get more control over image capture settings. Additional settings include the metering pattern, white balance, ISO, exposure compensation, and macro focus mode. There are also a number of preset scene modes, including ones to shoot in snowy conditions, low light, and to photograph fireworks.

The rear display is 2.7 inches in size and features a 230k-dot resolution. That's on the low side, even when you consider the screen's small size. Images that look great on a computer screen tend to look a bit soft when viewed on the back of the camera. Most budget cameras utilize a display of this type, but there are exceptions. The Olympus VR-340 is one; its display is 3 inches in size and features a 460k-dot resolution.

There aren't any advanced features built into the 140 IS. It lacks the Creative Shot mode that Canon puts in its higher-end cameras, including the Elph 340 HS, and Wi-Fi functionality. You can add an Eyefi Mobi memory card for on-the-go image sharing, but if you're willing to invest in a pricey card, you might as well just move up to a nicer compact camera with integrated Wi-Fi. The Sony WX80, which is a bit older, but is now selling just a bit more than the Elph 140 IS, is worth consideration if you want Wi-Fi.

Performance and Conclusions
The Elph 140 IS starts and shoots in about 1.4 seconds, focuses in about 0.2-second, and fires off a photo every 1.3 seconds in continuous shooting mode. That's not out of the ordinary for an inexpensive compact. If you're looking for a bit more speed, consider upgrading to the Canon PowerShot SX600 HS; it's a little slower to start at 1.6 seconds, but it focuses in 0.1-second and can fire continuously at 1.6fps.

I used Imatest to check the sharpness of the 16-megaixel images captured by the Elph 140 IS. It does well on the test, bettering the 1,800 lines per picture height required to call an image sharp. It delivers a center-weighted score of 1,948 lines; there's some softness at the edges of the frame, which is typical for a compact, but the middle third of the image is a little softer than we like to see at 1,730 lines. You could do a lot worse in the budget arena in terms of sharpness; the Panasonic XS1 only scored 1,585 on same test.

Imatest also checks images for noise, which can detract from image quality and introduce an unwanted graininess when shooting at higher ISOs. The 16-megapixel CCD sensor is on the noisy side, showing 1.8 percent at its lowest ISO 100 setting. That's a bit high, but close examination of photos on a calibrated NEC MultiSync PA271W shows that the shimmering effect that often plagues CCD image sensors doesn't rear its ugly head. Detail is excellent at ISO 100, and while there's a drop off in quality at ISO 200, it still holds up well there. At ISO 400 there's a noticeable loss of detail, but fine lines from our test scene are still separate. They start to smudge together at ISO 800 and images become blurry at the top ISO 1600 sensitivity. Image quality holds up better than the 20-megapixel Elph 150 IS. Its images show more noise (2.4 percent at ISO 100) and lose detail more quickly when compared with the 140 IS. Cameras that utilize CMOS image sensors will do a better job at higher ISOs. The Sony WX80 is one; it keeps noise under 1.5 percent through ISO 400 and shows just 1.6 percent at ISO 800.

Video is recorded at up to 720p25 quality in QuickTime format. The footage is on the grainy side, and the low frame rate doesn't deliver as smooth motion as cameras that record in 30p or 60p. The lens zooms in and out while recording, although there's audible noise on the soundtrack as it moves. There's s a mini USB port located on the right side, but that's it for connectors. The battery compartment houses the SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot, and an external battery charger is included.

The Canon PowerShot Elph 140 IS is a compact camera that's devoid of fancy features, but it does a fine job capturing detailed photos in bright light. Image noise is an issue, and a narrow aperture lens and so-so detail when the ISO is pushed too far limit your ability to capture flash-free images in dim lighting, but that's par for the course with inexpensive compact cameras. It's a better option than the pricier Elph 150 IS if you're working on a tight budget, but if you can spend just a bit more on the Sony Cyber-shot WX80, currently selling for around $140, you'll get a camera that does somewhat better at higher ISOs and includes Wi-Fi. There's also the Canon SX600 HS, priced at $250, which includes Wi-Fi, a much longer zoom lens, better low light performance, and Canon's Creative Shot mode. Our Editors' Choice compact is another Canon, the N100. It carries a hefty $350 price tag, but with that you get a wide aperture lens and a larger image sensor, both of which give it a big low-light advantage, and the same set of premium features included with the SX600.

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Canon PowerShot Elph 150 IS

Pros Inexpensive. 10x zoom range. Sharp images. 24mm wide-angle lens. Compact.

Cons Very noisy images. Low-resolution rear display. Video limited to 720p. Bottom Line The Canon PowerShot Elph 150 IS packs a long zoom lens into a small body, but its images have way too much noise.

By Jim Fisher

The Canon PowerShot Elph 150 IS ($149.99) is a compact camera with a 10x zoom lens and an attractive price tag, but its 20-megapixel CCD image sensor captures images that are very noisy, and it lacks Wi-Fi and other features that are now commonplace in new models. If you're shopping on a budget the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX80 is a better choice, as it adds Wi-Fi and does a better job controlling image noise. Our Editors' Choice for compact cameras, the Canon PowerShot N100 is more expensive, but its wide-aperture lens and larger image sensor make it a much more versatile compact.

Design and Features
The Elph 150 IS measures just 2.2 by 3.7 by 0.9 inches (HWD) and is light at 5 ounces. It's just a little taller, but sleeker, than the Elph 140 IS (2.1 by 3.1 by 0.9 inches, 4.6 ounces). The 150's face has the cool feel of metal, but the remainder of its exterior is hard composite. It's available in four colors, including the deep blue that we received for review, dark red, silver, and black.

The 10x zoom lens captures a 24mm field of view at its wide end, and zooms in to 240mm to get you close to the action. The f-stop is a reasonable f/3 at the wide end, but it narrows to f/6.9 when zoomed all the way in—that means that it only captures less than one-fifth of the light when zoomed in as it does as the wide end of its range. That's typical for a zoom lens, but pricier cameras can capture more light at the wide end. The PowerShot N100 opens up to f/1.8 at its wide end, which captures nearly three times the light as an f/3 lens.

Canon doesn't try and squeeze a lot of controls into the Elph's compact body. The power button, zoom rocker, and shutter release are on the top, with the remainder of buttons on the rear to the right of the LCD. There's an in-camera help button, the Menu and play controls, and a movie record button, as well as a four-way joypad with a center Func./Set button. The directional presses of the joypad adjust the shooting mode, toggle the flash, change the amount of information displayed on the LCD, and toggle Canon's power-saving ECO mode.

There's an overlay menu that's launched by pressing the Func./Set button. If you're shooting in Auto mode its functionality is limited—it only gives you control over the self-timer, drive mode, and image and video quality settings. If you opt to use the camera in Program mode, you get more control over image capture settings. Additional settings include the metering pattern, white balance, ISO, exposure compensation, and macro focus mode. There are also a number of preset scene modes, including ones to shoot in snowy conditions, low light, and to photograph fireworks.

The 2.7-inch rear display is on the small size, and its 230k-dot resolution is equally disappointing. Images will look a bit blurry when you review them on the display, but appear much sharper when viewed on a computer screen or printed. Most budget cameras utilize a low-resolution LCD, but there are exceptions, like the Olympus VR-340, which uses a sharper 460k-dot display.

The Elph 150 IS isn't loaded with advanced features. It lacks Wi-Fi, and the Creative Shot mode that Canon includes in more expensive cameras like the SX600 HS. You can add Wi-Fi using an Eyefi Mobi memory card, but you're better off moving up to the Sony WX80, which has that functionality built in.

Performance and Conclusions
The Elph starts and shoots in a reasonable 1.4 seconds, but it's a little slow to focus, requiring 0.2-second to do so, and can only shoot a frame every 1.5 seconds in continuous drive mode. The Sony WX80 is a little slower to start (2 seconds), but it focuses faster (0.1-second) and it can capture a 10-shot burst at a brisk 6.7 frames per second.

I used Imatest to check the sharpness that the Elph 150's lens and 20-megapixel image sensor capture. It scored extremely well, bettering the 1,800 lines per picture height we use to mark an image as acceptably sharp. It scored 2,582 lines on our center-weighted test, and even though the edges are noticeably softer than the center of the frame, they are still quite good at 1,924 lines. The inexpensive Olympus VR-340 only managed 1,733 lines on the same test—less than the outer edge score mustered by the Elph 150 IS.

Imatest also checks for noise, which is a major issue with the high-resolution CCD sensor that Canon uses in this camera. We consider an image to have an acceptable amount of noise at a particular ISO if it scores 1.5 percent or less our standard test. The Elph 150 IS shows 2.4 percent at ISO 100, and hovers around 2.6 percent at ISO 200 and 400, before jumping to 3.1 percent at ISO 800 and 3.8 percent at its top ISO 1600 sensitivity. I took a close look at images shot at each ISO on a calibrated NEC MultiSync PA271W display and saw that images at ISO 100 look a little grainy, and that image detail at that setting falls behind the 16-megapixel Elph 140 IS. Details start to smudge together at ISO 200 and ISO 400, and it gets worse at ISO 800. At ISO 1600 the fine lines in our ISO test scene have blurred together. The Sony WX80, which uses a 16-megapixel image CMOS image sensor, does a better job in low light, as cameras with CMOS sensors often do. It keeps noise under 1.5 percent through ISO 400 and shows just 1.6 percent at ISO 800.

Video is recorded in QuickTime format at up to 720p25 quality. The footage is detailed, but a little grainy even under bright studio lights. The footage isn't as smooth as you'd get with a camera that records at a faster frame rate, like the WX80 which records AVCHD video at 1080i60. The noise of the lens zooming in and out is audible, but not overwhelming, on the soundtrack. The only port to speak of is a micro USB connector to connect to a PC. The battery compartment houses the SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot, and Canon does include an dedicated external battery charger.

Despite its budget price tag, we can't recommend the Canon PowerShot Elph 150 IS for purchase. It does pack a 10x zoom lens into a small body and its images at low ISOs are quite detailed, but even at its base sensitivity image noise is a serious issue. Despite boasting a 20-megapixel resolution, its images show less fine detail than the 16-megapixel Elph 140 IS at ISO 100. If you're on a budget, you're better off buying the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX80, as its CMOS image sensor handles low light situations better, and it adds support for Wi-Fi image transfer. If you can afford it, you should also consider the Canon PowerShot SX600 HS for its longer zoom ratio, or our Editors' Choice compact Canon PowerShot N100 for its larger image sensor and brighter lens.

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