For most of my photography and video work I’ve used the Canon PowerShot series of cameras. I started with a SX3 then moved up to the SX20 and on to the SX40. Thursday I received the latest version of the PowerShot that being the SX50 HS.
I’ve been very satisfied with all my Canon equipment and only the old SX3 has issues with operating right. That SX3 camera was put through hell and high water in Texas and the brutal cold of our Michigan deer camp so it deserves the rest. The SX20 and SX40 have both taken thousands of photos and hours upon hours of video without much complaint nor need of special treatment or protection.
I use these Canon PowerShot cameras because for what I ask of them they can supply and at a very nice price point. Technology develops so fast that I paid about the same price for each of the cameras even though each new version is substantially better than it’s predecessor. All these cameras are in the $300.00 price range (give or take $50.00). I paid less than $300.00 for the SX50 from Amazon as a slightly used “open box” unit.
Always in the back of my mind I know the day is coming when I’ll roll the yak and dunk all of my gear or take a fall and land on the camera but so far that hasn’t happened. When the day comes and I totally wreck my gear (or myself along with it) at least the camera loss won’t break the bank.
The difference between the PowerShot series and a typical DSLR is the PowerShot is a “point and shoot” verses an true SLR. With most any SLR you look through the lens at what you shoot, but the PowerShot “point and shoot” cameras you are looking at the photo sensor only, even when looking through the viewfinder if it has one.
I have discovered that having a SLR-like viewfinder helps when shooting distant objects or things that are moving. My 54 year old eyes can’t focus like they use to and seeing the 2 inch LCD display up close is a problem but for some strange reason looking through the viewfinder isn’t.
The PowerShot cameras take better video than one might expect and the sound pickup/recording is second to none with dual stereo mics. If I had to pick one favorite feature above all the rest it would be the zoom abilities of this series. The SX50 HS has 50X optical zoom coupled with digital for a whopping 200X total. Image quality suffers with using the digital zoom but shooting video helps balance things out when what is important is just “getting the shot”! With digital cameras “A poor shot is better than no shot at all”
The technology in these digital cameras can compensate greatly and in so many ways but as with most cameras in this price range there are limitations. Knowing what those limits are goes a long way in finding ways to work around them.
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