Canon PowerShot SX110IS Digital; A Powerful Little Workhorse!! Great Shots!!

In recent times my wife found out that digital cameras don't swim well in salt water. She then went for an upgrade of zoom with the Canon PowerShot SX110IS Digital Camera. First thing, that zoom IS fantastic!! The clarity of the shots taken with the camera at great distance is astounding! My wife and I are VERY happy with this one feature alone but wait! It does so much more.

Why This Camera?
 
My wife and I have become quite comfortable with digital cameras in the past couple of years. Fact is we now own about four of them. The first, though quite good by our beginner standards, are no longer suitable for our needs. It's a funny thing. We got into and up to SLR cameras years ago. Then digital came in and we were happy with the convenience of the cameras and lowered our photo quality standards because we could more easily capture the images we liked by shooting more and having instant access to those shots. Things have started to change. We do appreciate the better quality photos and though we haven't made the big step to the best quality Digitals, we are getting there one small step at a time.  The Canon PowerShot SX110IS Digital Camera is our next small step and we are glad we went that way.

The Right Size and Easy To Find and Charge Batteries

The camera fits neatly into both our hands. Using only two AA batteries it's not bulky. We use a four battery charging system with four additional NiMH  batteries that are always on hand. The system has worked well for us and we are never stuck without power. It's also good to know we can easily pick up AA batteries anywhere and never be caught short powered. Having only two AA batteries does cause more delay between flash pictures.  It's particularly upsetting when having a group picture and wanting to take an extra shot or two when all are gathered. The extra 7-10 seconds does make a difference and we are possibly going to upgrade to a Canon SX 10 IS. We will give this more use and I will update with our final decision.

Easy To Use

We have also owned a few other Canon Products over the past four years and we seem to come back to them after trying other brands. We find their system easy to use. My wife edits pictures constantly so easy access to the delete function without possibility of erasing everything too easily is important to her. Ha, she also keeps many of her favorite images on the card so when she is on the road, she is constantly editing the newer shots and finally does give up her old favorites at times. (Not that they aren't already long printed and also stored on out PC and Photobucket) Please don't ask about this obsession of hers. Again though, we take tens upon a hundred or two images and the same batteries still keep going. It's rare we ever have to change the batteries during a day on the road taking photos.

Great Images from Afar and Close-Up

Another reason we went for this camera is because of the 9.0 Megapixel resolution. Good stuff it is! The pictures we take are often enlarged and the quality with this camera is as said earlier astounding.

Another reason we liked this camera is because of the face detection feature. Face detection works as you squeeze the shutter release button. The camera recognizes a face and zooms it into the screen so it focuses well automatically. It's really quite good and I know the camera is going to take a sharp picture.

My wife is also enamored with close-up shots of flowers and such. The Macro quality of this camera is also terrific. I played with it too and found it just a fine as she does.

Bright LCD Screen

Another thing while I'm on a roll. The 3" LCD screen is an excellent size and is very easy to see, even in the most brightest of days. We were in beach situations and sunny days in Florida recently and the cameras screen was wonderful to work with. Ha, I was using another camera also and when we would go back and forth between the two, there was a huge difference in the brightness of the image on the screen. There were some situations where I could hardly see anything on the one but the Canon PowerShot SX110IS Digital Camera was bright and clear. WOW when that face recognition kicks in.

More Stuff

A favorite feature of mine is the quick shot where the camera can be set so three images can be taken in rapid succession by setting up Ccontinuous.  That's really cool! I squeeze and click click click. I just took three shots.

I also like that the camera stores into SD/SDHC memory cards that we have many of and are easily interchangeable with most of our cameras. It's a popular and easy to find size.

To date we haven't seen a red eye yet. The camera does a good job eliminating that problem. I also haven't used the self timer that has a ten second delay or can be customized.

I always liked the Canon EZ start foldout that gives the basics in easy to read and understand formula. We have gotten beyond having to study that in close detail but do use it to learn more about the new camera. Inside the box is a tough little strap (be sure to use it when on a catamaran). It also has a CD and the wiring that hooks up easily to a PC. It is also compatible with our Pictbridge set up.

But Alas!

One feature I don't like is the fact that every time any photo is to be taken the flash must be flipped up manually. Now that we have had the camera for a little while it comes naturally but still, it took a bit of learning. I am happy with the quality of the flash shots it takes. The camera didn't come with a case but we had something to help protect it. 

Closing Thoughts

In closing I like this camera because of the great images it takes even when at far distances. The face detection feature works great and the camera is easy to use on automatic or gives the used full freedom of speed and aperture openings so I can get back to my using it as I did my old SLR camera. I will update as we learn more about this camera. For now though, it's a great buy and very highly recommended.