Canon PowerShot SX500 IS hands-on

Posted on 17/09/2012 by Brian Heater

Canon PowerShot SX500 IS handson

Announced -- and subsequently unveiled -- alongside the PowerShot SX160 IS, Canon's PowerShot SX500 IS is the pricier of the two superzooms, clocking in at around $100 more than the lower-end point-and-shoot. And certainly the camera feels a bit sturdier than the more plastickey model, with a black body and protruding lens that resemble higher-end mirrorless models. Along the top you get the retractable flash, a large On / Off button, function wheel and access to that 16x optical zoom.

As with the SX160, the back features a three-inch LCD, to the left of Record, Display, Play and settings like Macro, Flash and ISO. Aside from simply feeling more solid that the cheaper model, the SX500 also offers up features like Zoom Framing Assist, which can be accessed via a devoted button on the front of the camera, letting you zoom out to help find your shooting subject -- a function it performs quite quickly. Like the SX160, the SX500 is hitting this month, though it'll carry a somewhat loftier $330 price tag.

Gallery: Canon PowerShot SX500 IS hands-on

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Canon PowerShot SX500 IS hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 11:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon PowerShot SX160 IS appears at Photokina, we go hands-on (video)

Posted on 17/09/2012 by Brian Heater

In amongst the deluge of new cameras at Canon's press event here in Cologne, Germany was this looker. It's the PowerShot SX160 IS, a nice-looking, if somewhat beefy mid-range superzoom point-and-shoot. The company was showing off three different colors -- the black, silver and red, and we spent the most time with the latter, the most eye-popping of the bunch. In spite of its large size -- the majority of the front taken up by the lens, plus a bit of a bump up top for the flash -- the camera's pretty light. It also doesn't feel particularly solid in the hand.

On top, to the left of the pop-up flash, you'll find a settings wheel, power button and the knob for that 16x optical zoom, all positioned atop a textured black backing. On the back of the SX160 is that three-inch LCD, with buttons for recording, playback, menu, display and settings like macro and flash, to pop up the big bulb on top. The camera's not particularly quick on the snaps -- roughly what we'd expect from a mid-range point-and-shoot. It'll be hitting stores this month for $230, so for more of our impressions, check the video after the break.

Gallery: Canon PowerShot SX160 IS hands-on

Continue reading Canon PowerShot SX160 IS appears at Photokina, we go hands-on (video)

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Canon PowerShot SX160 IS appears at Photokina, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 10:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon announces PowerShot SX500 IS, SX160 IS superzoom cameras ahead of Photokina

Posted on 21/08/2012 by Zach Honig

Digital imaging buffs are certain to experience a whirlwind autumn, but there's nothing on the books saying that manufacturers need wait for the biennial Photokina expo to roll out new models. Just in time for the back-to-school season, Canon is announcing two new superzoom cams -- the SX160 IS will serve as the successor to the SX150, while the SX500 IS is an entirely new camera, set to sit alongside the company's SX40 HS and SX260 HS point-and-shoots. Both new models include identical 16-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD sensors, intelligent image stabilization, a relatively modest ISO range of 100-800 and the ability to capture 720p video at 25 frames-per-second.

As you may have guessed the SX500 IS is the higher-end flavor, offering a 30x, 24-720mm lens with a maximum aperture range of f/3.4-5.8. That model boasts autofocus improvements of 32 percent and decreased shutter lag of 33 percent over the SX40 HS, Canon's former top model in this category. The SX160 IS, for its part, packs a 16x, 28-448mm f/3.5-5.9 lens and offers 22 percent faster autofocus and 46 percent less shutter lag than the SX150 it replaces. It's also powered by AA batteries, which some users may find to be an advantage, considering wide availability during trips abroad. Both cameras include 3-inch LCDs -- 461k-dot for the SX500 and 230k-dot with the SX160 -- and are set to ship in September, with the black SX500 IS priced at $330 and the SX160 IS available for $230, in both red and black.

Gallery: Canon PowerShot SX500 IS and SX160 IS