Development objectives
The PowerShot SX series couples high-power zoom lenses with excellent picture quality and superb functionality to produce versatile digital cameras covering all shooting scenarios from wide angle to telephoto.
The PowerShot SX1 IS (Photo 1) is equipped with a DIGIC 4 image processor, a 10.0-megapixel CMOS sensor, and a newly developed 20x zoom lens with a 28 - 560mm (35mm-film equivalent) zoom range. The development aim of this new model is as follows.
Craft a highly satisfying digital camera that takes full advantage of the stunning image quality, rich functionality, and wide zoom range of the PowerShot SX series
Feature 1: Advanced image quality
CMOS sensor with 10.0 effective megapixels
The PowerShot SX1 IS is Canon’s first compact digital to feature a CMOS sensor, a proven technology developed in our EOS Digital SLRs.
The SX1 IS can render 4:3 images as large as 3648 x 2736 pixels and 16:9 images as large as 3840 x 2160 pixels by virtue of the combination of a 10.0 megapixel (effective) sensor and an RGB filter (Figure 1). This is enough detail to make crisp enlargements as large as A2.
High-quality optical 20x zoom lensMany customers have been asking for a high-ratio zoom lens with a 28mm focal length at the wide-angle end. In answer to these requests, we developed this new f/2.8 - f/5.7 20x zoom lens with a lens-shift image stabilizer and a 35mm-film equivalent zoom range of 28 - 560mm for the PowerShot SX1 IS. The lens is constructed of 13 elements in 11 groups, including one UD lens element and one aspherical element (one aspherical surface). This construction, plus using ultra-high refractive glass, achieves superb aberration correction and is optimized to virtually eliminate aberration fluctuations when using the image stabilizer.
An ultrasonic motor (USM) powers the zoom mechanism and a voice coil motor (VCM, Figure 2) provides fast, silent focusing.
VCMs offer exceptional start-up performance and are capable of high-speed movement because of their lightweight drive mechanisms. Furthermore, they do not generate noise because they have no moving components, such as gears or cams, and their energy efficiency is superior because there is no need to convert rotational motion to linear motion.
The lens’s position is controlled by Canon’s unique highly sensitive, low-noise super resolution (SR) sensor and a micro roofmirror array (MRA) scale, which together deliver precise control while conserving battery power.
Because the lens is a high-ratio zoom, we marked the 35mm film equivalent focal lengths on the lens barrel to give the photographer an indication of the current focal length as the lens extends (Photo 2).
Lens-shift image stabilizerThe PowerShot SX1 IS has a lens-shift image stabilizer to minimize the effects of camera shake on image quality.
And with a redesigned gyrosensor and control circuitry, the SX1 IS’s image stabilizer gives the photographer stability equivalent to a four-stop faster shutter speed.
DIGIC 4 provides high-quality image processingThe newly developed DIGIC 4 image processor offers remarkably better image quality thanks to more precise signal processing and revamped algorithms. The DIGIC 4’s signal processing has also been optimized for the CMOS sensor.
Full HD videoThe SX1 IS is the first Canon compact digital camera able to record full 1920 x 1080 HD video at 30fps.
It can record up to about 49 minutes* of full HD video on a 16GB SDHC card.
*It can record about 12 minutes at one time.
Lossless digital tele-converterTaking advantage of the newly developed CMOS sensor’s pixel-reading characteristics, the PowerShot SX1 IS features a lossless digital tele-converter for movie recording without image degradation.
Because of their construction, CCD image sensors, to emulate a tele-converter, must read the entire length of vertical lines in the middle of the frame and then process each line to reduce the number of horizontal pixels. But because of the time this processing takes, CCD image sensors cannot read enough lines to achieve lossless digital tele-conversion while recording a movie. A CMOS sensor, on the other hand, can read individual pixels; therefore, it can read the exact number of pixels needed from the center of the frame while keeping up with the movie’s frame rate (Figure 3). For this reason, the SX1 IS can offer a lossless digital tele-converter.
*Similarly, the LCD monitor’s image quality is not degraded by the lossless digital tele-conversion.
HDMI supportThe PowerShot SX1 IS is equipped with a mini HDMI jack so that the superlative quality of 16:9 still images and full HD movies can be enjoyed in high-definition.
High-precision AE and AWB using iSAPS technologyi-ContrastFeature 2: Outstanding functionality
Fast 4 fps continuous shootingThe PowerShot SX1 IS can shoot continuously at 4 fps, which is on par with our SLR cameras, even when recording Large/Fine images because of the CMOS sensor’s high-speed data transfer function.
Servo AF that continually tracks the subjectAlong with continuous AF, which focuses before the shutter button is pressed, the camera features servo AF, which after first focusing on the subject with a half-press of the shutter button will continue to focus on the subject as it moves as long as the shutter button is held halfway down.
Maximum shutter speed of 1/3200 sec.The maximum shutter speed is 1/3200 sec. At this speed, photographers can freeze fast-moving subjects better than before.
Cropping and resizingWith the cropping function, the photographer can crop any part of an image to a fixed size on the camera monitor. The PowerShot SX1 IS extends the cropping function to include widescreen images, which was not possible on previous models.
Specifically, a 1920 x 1080 pixel image can be cropped from a Large widescreen (3840 x 2160 pixels) image and saved as a Small widescreen (1920 x 1080 pixels) image (Figure 4).
In-camera resizing now also works with widescreen images. The resize function downscales images taken at high resolutions to smaller images with fewer pixels to make more effective use of the memory card.
Specifically, the resize function will convert and resave a Large widescreen image as a Small widescreen image.
MOV formatThe PowerShot SX1 IS, like the PowerShot G10, uses the MOV movie data format. MOV offers nearly the same image quality as the previous AVI format but the files are about 60 percent the size, which means photographers can record longer movies on the same memory card.
Face Self-timerISO 3200 - elevated ISO modeImage Inspection ToolRed-eye correctionAF continuous shooting mode and LV continuous shooting modeMy Colors customizationSelectable first/second-curtain flash synchronizationFocus bracketing/AE bracketingFeature 3: Comfortable operation
Seamless shooting of still images and moviesPhotographers can switch seamlessly between shooting still images or movies anytime. Even when the Mode dial is set to a still-image shooting mode, movies can be recorded by pressing the Movie button. Conversely, with the Mode dial set to movie mode, still images can be taken by pressing the shutter button. Furthermore, the Photo-in-Movie function will capture a still image while a movie is being shot with the press of the shutter button.
My MenuAs on the PowerShot G10, the My Menu function allows the photographer to customize and save a menu screen with up to five frequently accessed shooting menu options. The photographer can also change the order of the menu options.
Wireless controllerThe SX1 IS includes the WC-DC3000 wireless controller. Using the wireless controller, the photographer can control the camera’s primary shooting and playback functions from a distance.
230,000 pixel 2.8-inch wide-viewing-angle LCD monitor The SX1 IS’s 2.8-inch 16:9 widescreen Vari-Angle LCD (Photo 3) has a resolution of about 230,000 pixels, a wide viewing angle, and excellent color reproduction.
Aspect Ratio buttonThe camera’s Aspect Ratio button instantly switches the recording aspect ratio between 16:9 and 4:3 for both still images and movies (Table 1).
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Able to customize and save shooting parametersRange-specified bulk printing and deletingShutter sounds are linked to the actual shutter speedControl dialPlayback buttonCustom info displayFeature 4: Enhanced printing functions and digital communications
Supports PictBridgeMovie printAble to enjoy the Canon iMAGE GATEWAY Web site Feature 5: Extensive line of camera accessories
Accepts alkaline batteriesThe PowerShot SX1 IS can run on four AA alkaline cells, making it easy to deal with unexpected battery problems.
The NB4-300 rechargeable NiMH battery can also be used for economical shooting.
Accepts EX-series Speedlites and accessoriesThe camera’s hot shoe accepts EX Speedlite flash units (Photo 4), including the 580EX II, 430EX II, and 220EX, just like EOS Digital cameras. The SX1 IS is also designed to accept the ST-E2 Speedlite transmitter.*
*The SB-E2 and OC-E3 can also be used.
Supports HC MMCplus cards
This concludes our look at the PowerShot SX1 IS this month. Table 2 lists the main specifications of the PowerShot SX1 IS. Photo 5 illustrates the kit components that come with the camera. There is no suggested retail price for the PowerShot SX1 IS.
The PowerShot SX1 IS’s sister model, the PowerShot SX10 IS, with a 10.0-megapixel CCD sensor is also on sale.
