Canon PowerShot SX240 HS Pro Reviews

We felt very comfortable using the Canon SX260, confident that what we saw on the LCD viewfinder was what we were capturing on the memory card. Still pictures were very consistent: perfectly exposed, sharply focused, displaying great detail and good color. And by playing with the modes and settings, we were able to both create interesting special effects and tweak very good shots into excellent photographs.

The Canon PowerShot SX260 HS is perhaps a little on the slow side and the problems with the redesigned optics means it's also not as sharp as it could be yet it remains a very versatile all round compact camera. There's an awful lot a lot of optical zoom for your money and Full HD video is available with stereo sound and optical zoom as well as high speed video modes. Image quality is good with detail, colour and white balance all being very good indeed. So overall, the camera offers good value for money and its compact size and long zoom lens make it camera that should be on anyone's list thinking of traveling or needing a versatile snapper without any of the bulk associated with bigger camera offering such optical zoom ratios.

The Canon PowerShot SX260 HS's 25-500mm equivalent zoom range surpasses the Panasonic TZ30's 24-480mm reach at the top end, although the Canon SX260 HS's sensor, at 12.1MP, comes up short against the Panasonic's 14MP resolution. Not that that matters when it comes to overall picture quality. The Canon PowerShot SX260 HS's images can be a little soft straight out of the camera, but the camera is capable of resolving a good level of detail and pictures look a little cleaner than those from the Panasonic TZ30. In terms of street price, there's a wafer thin mint between the Canon SX260 HS and the Panasonic TZ30 (the Canon is currently a little cheaper). But the longer zoom range, versatile exposure modes, ease of use and picture quality make the Canon PowerShot SX260 HS a slightly more well-rounded and better value family camera.

The Canon Powershot SX240 HS offers a lot of optical zoom in a compact camera body and has a number of features that the traveller will find appealing, although if you're after GPS you'll need to look at the Canon Powershot SX260 HS. Full HD video is available with stereo sound and optical zoom as well as high speed video modes and the camera's movie digest mode is a good way to record both videos and photos. Image quality is good with pleasing colours and good levels of detail and the high speed shooting mode will also appeal, although it would be nice if it was available in all of the modes. The camera offers good value for money and its compact size and high zoom should make it high up on your shortlist if you're looking for a compact travel zoom.

The new Canon PowerShot SX260 HS travel-zoom narrows the gap to the market-leading Panasonic TZ series by offering a much longer zoom, more features and fixing some of the issues that afflicted its predecessor. Full 1080p HD movies make the SX260 HS a more than competent all-in-one camera for both photos and video, while the effective built-in GPS system differentiates it from the slightly cheaper but otherwise identical SX230 HS model. The new 25-500mm, 20x zoom lens offers a broad focal range that makes it possible to frame up subjects near or far in pretty much an instant, pretty amazing given the size of the SX260 HS which is only a little larger than most compacts. We're glad to see the back of the flash unit that always popped up whenever the camera SX230 was turned on, and also the inexplicable 6-step delete image process which slowed down operation. Fast 10.3fps burst shooting at full 12 megapixel resolution is another big improvement offered by the SX260 HS, although we'd have liked longer battery life when employing the GPS.

The new Canon PowerShot SX240 HS travel-zoom narrows the gap to the market-leading Panasonic TZ series by offering a much longer zoom, more features and fixing some of the issues that afflicted its predecessor. Full 1080p HD movies make the SX240 HS a more than competent all-in-one camera for both photos and video, although the built-in GPS system of the otherwise identical and slightly more expensive SX260 HS model is worth the extra cost. The new 25-500mm, 20x zoom lens offers a broad focal range that makes it possible to frame up subjects near or far in pretty much an instant, pretty amazing given the size of the SX240 HS which is only a little larger than most compacts. We're glad to see the back of the flash unit that always popped up whenever the camera SX230 was turned on, and also the inexplicable 6-step delete image process which slowed down operation. Fast 10.3fps burst shooting at full 12 megapixel resolution is another big improvement offered by the SX240 HS.

For a reviewer, it's always nice when the new version of a product you liked actually gets better. That's the case with the Canon PowerShot SX260 HS. The previous version was very good, but thanks to changes in design, performance, and features, the SX260 is an excellent compact megazoom.

The Canon PowerShot SX260 HS delivers an impressive 20x zoom ratio and very good image quality in a compact package. Integrated GPS is a boon for geotaggers, but the camera's video prowess and high ISO performance aren't best in class.

The SX260 HS fills a very small niche. Yes, it’s a point-and-shoot, but its $350 price tag means that the extras you’re paying for have to be specifically worth it to the buyer. It’s a great travel cam: It’s sturdy but (relatively) small, and the GPS feature is a great addition to travel photography. The 20x zoom is a pretty compelling sell as well, especially given the fact that it’s in such a small, convenient package compared to other superzooms out there. But if you don’t care about mapping your photos (we realize to some buyers this is just more useless metadata) or need a super-capable zoom, then you’re probably better off spending money on a camera that has higher image quality and fewer frills – the S100, for instance. If you do need these two relatively niche feature bundled together, then the SX260 HS is a great option. We would also recommend taking a look at the device if you’re in the market for a superzoom but don’t need something as professional as the $500+ models out there.

The Canon Powershot SX260 HS offers a lot of optical zoom in a compact camera body and has a number of features that the traveller will find appealing including GPS with GPS logging. Full HD video is available with stereo sound and optical zoom as well as high speed video modes and the camera's movie digest mode is a good way to record both videos and photos. Image quality is good with pleasing colours and good levels of detail and the high speed shooting mode will also appeal, although it would be nice if it was available in all of the modes. The camera offers good value for money and its compact size and high zoom should make it high up on your shortlist if you're looking for a compact travel zoom.

The SX260 HS is small, well designed and, for point and shoot snappers, performs a treat too. But in such a hotly contested market place it could do with that little bit more oomph to really take it to the next level: we’d like to see a touchscreen with edge-to-edge focus control in the future. But image quality is among the best you’ll find in such a camera. The decision to use a lower resolution 12.1-megapixel sensor pays in bucket loads: shots are sharp and the conservative ISO 100-3200 range is useable throughout. There’s some chromatic aberration in shots, but otherwise the punchy colours and decent exposures are tip top and are the camera's biggest attraction. Overall there’s very little to dislike. If image quality is your number one priority then you’re unlikely to need to look further than this Powershot.

The Canon PowerShot SX260 is a travel zoom camera that packs a 20X zoom lens into a compact and stylish package. The lens is probably the highlight of the camera, with an impressive range of 25 - 500 mm. As with other cameras in this class, the lens is on the slow side, especially at full telephoto. Naturally, the SX260 has an optical image stabilization system, complete with a dynamic mode for movies and powered mode for telephoto shots. The camera will pick the right IS mode for the situation, so you can focus on your subject instead of adjusting camera settings. On the back of the camera you'll find a standard-issue 3-inch LCD. The screen is plenty sharp, with 461,000 pixels, and it offers good outdoor and low light visibility. The SX260's built-in flash isn't terribly powerful, though Canon does offer an external slave flash if you don't mind carrying that around too. The only other accessory of note is an underwater housing.

You're probably familiar with the saying "Jack of all trades, master of none." The PowerShot SX260 HS blows that idea out of the water. This is a pocket megazoom that does a lot of things and masters quite a few of them, providing excellent overall image and video quality, easy-to-use controls for both experienced photographers and novices, and shooting modes that cover a whole lot of bases. It's hard to recommend a single camera for everybody, but in the realm of long-zoom point-and-shoots, this one offers as much universal appeal as I've seen.

You're probably familiar with the saying "Jack of all trades, master of none." The PowerShot SX260 HS blows that idea out of the water. This is a pocket megazoom that does a lot of things and masters quite a few of them, providing excellent overall image and video quality, easy-to-use controls for both experienced photographers and novices, and shooting modes that cover a whole lot of bases. It's hard to recommend a single camera for everybody, but in the realm of long-zoom point-and-shoots, this one offers as much universal appeal as I've seen.

The PowerShot SX240 HS is undoubtedly a much better camera than the SX230 HS that it replaces. People buy pocket super-zooms primarily for the extreme zoom range they offer and Canon has extended the 14x zoom of its predecessor to 20x taking it from the back of the pack to a position equal to the market leading ZS20 / TZ30 and Sony's latest rival. Canon has also addressed the other major shortcoming of its entire compact range - poor continuous shooting performance. It'll be interesting to see if this feature is rolled out in other Canon 2012 premium compacts. Other improvements include upgraded image stabilisation and face ID. We tend to take it for granted that each new generation of a model will be smaller and lighter than the previous one, but that makes it no less remarkable that the SX240 HS is the same size and only a little heavier than its predecessor and enjoys improved battery life too. It all adds up to a very compelling and capable pocket super-zoom that closes the gap still further on Panasonic's dominance of this market. I also like that Canon effectively offers two versions of the camera in most regions, one with GPS (the SX260 HS) and one without (the SX240 HS), allowing you to decide if you want to spend the extra on this feature.