A discussion of the photo quality of the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS with sample images.
Lori Grunin
I've been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I'm currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I've also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats.
The SX1's noise supression profile is pretty typical: sharpness remains OK through ISO 200 followed by some detail degradation at ISO 400 and general mushiness at ISO 800 and above. However, like most Canons, color noise remains very low across the range.
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Color: SX1 vs. SX10
We rarely get the chance to do an apples-to-apples comparison of different sensors in the same camera as we do with the SX1 and SX10. And it came as quite a surprise that the SX10's color is actually slightly better than the SX1's: the differences in the oranges, yellows, and purples are especially striking.
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Color
Though it's not quite as accurate at the SX10's the SX1's colors are still very good and nicely saturated.
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Sharpness
Like most fixed-lens cameras, the SX1 is sharpest in its supermacro mode. In general, however, even its telephoto shots are pretty sharp, at least in the center.
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Distortion
At its widest angle, 28mm equivalent, the SX1 displays some asymmetrical barrel distortion, most noticeably on the left side. This is pretty typical of fixed-lens cameras, though.
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Fringing
This type of shot is where we typically see fringing, and the SX1 holds up pretty well everywhere but near the edges of the frame, where lens distortion is worst.
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Fringing
Fringing was more of a problem on color borders like these where there seems to be some blooming in the blue channel.
