Canon's affordable 10x optical zoom camera packs in a big LCD screen and oodles of features. Will its image quality match its well-stocked toolbelt? Read our Canon PowerShot SX110 IS review to find out.
Review summary of the Canon PowerShot SX110 IS:
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 At the close of our journey with the Canon PowerShot SX110 IS, we have only a few complaints. The camera is more affordable than the Canon PowerShot SX10 IS and SD990 IS, yet still manages to stock a bevy of manual controls and other shooting features. We love the spinning Control wheel, oversized Mode dial and large LCD screen. For the most part, image quality exceeded our expectations in most lighting conditions except low light. That's the PowerShot SX110 IS's Achilles heel. We struggled through unforgiving, wintry Maine nights, attempting to obtain a decent exposure without having to skyrocket the ISO. If you really want a 20x optical zoom and swivel LCD screen, then go for the monstrous PowerShot SX10 IS. Otherwise, you'll save a decent chunk of change with the PowerShot SX110 IS. Just don't expect any magic when the lights go down. Release: August 2008. Price: $200.
Pros: Great interface. Solid image quality in bright light. Packed with shooting features.
Cons: Poor low light performance. Larger than most compacts.
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Full Canon PowerShot SX110 IS Review:
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Design - Good
The Canon PowerShot SX110 IS is a peculiar size for a compact camera, reminding us of larger film cameras of the 90's. Bulkier than Canon's PowerShot SD990 IS, yet smaller than the Canon PowerShot SX10 IS, the PowerShot SX110 IS is too voluminous to stuff into a pocket, but not large enough to justify the purchase of an over-the-shoulder camera bag. We dig the PowerShot SX110 IS's matte black body and chrome accents, and we found that the pop-up flash offered a more efficient spread of light compared to an embedded flash. Canon tacked a bountiful Mode dial on top of the PowerShot SX110 IS, offering 13 different shooting modes, which is something we rarely see on a camera in this price range.
In back, the Canon PowerShot SX110 IS has an ample 3" LCD screen that is viewable at significantly sharp angles. We were able to tilt the PowerShot SX110 IS almost completely horizontal and still obtain a decent view of the LCD display. On the downside, the PowerShot SX110 IS is not equipped with a viewfinder, which is bizarre given that nearly all of Canon's compact Digital Elph cameras feature one. The PowerShot SX110 IS has a shutter button zoom toggle, which is what we want to see on a compact. Buttons are large and condensed on the PowerShot SX110 IS, surrounding a spinning Control wheel, a design we love for its rapid and intuitive navigation. Ports are well concealed on the PowerShot SX110 IS, however, we found that the Card/Battery door is difficult to slide open because it requires you to shift a tab down, push down and pull the door out simultaneously, kind of like patting your head and rubbing your belly.
Interface - Good
Just like the SX10 IS, the Canon PowerShot SX110 IS has a revolving Control wheel that governs most menu navigation and manual controls. We love the rapid action of the wheel, and it makes adjusting the Shutter Speed and Aperture much easier than a clunky 4-way directional pad. The 3" LCD screen provides plenty of viewing real estate. The LCD display is also sharp, even when using the Manual Focus with Point-Zoom, which magnifies a small portion of the screen. Buttons are large and easy to press without mashing into neighboring controls. This is one of the better control setups we've seen.
Canon's menu system is one of our favorites for its top-notch speed and organization. We were able to rifle through menu options at a roadrunner's pace and locate options without even blinking thanks to the fully stocked Mode dial. The Function menu contains a few manual controls, but the Control wheel is equipped with a handful of quick options including ISO and Focus, which are great for expedited adjustment. The Canon PowerShot SX110 IS will welcome a broad spectrum of shooters thanks to its intuitive interface, and we had a blast shooting in Manual mode.
Features - Good
The Canon PowerShot SX110 IS offers Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Program AE modes, in addition to Auto and Manual modes. The wealth of shooting modes really came to our rescue in the field. We rarely experienced any issues with Canon's auto exposure and were taken aback by how easy the spinning Control wheel makes manual adjustment. The camera even has Manual Focus, but we had great success with Canon's Auto Focus modes. We found the White Balance modes to perform adequately, especially Canon's manual, or "Custom" mode. The ISO reaches as low as 80 and extends to 1600. A special ISO 3200 Scene mode is available for extreme low light, but we captured images that were noisier than a drunken brass band in this setting.
Like nearly all compact cameras, the Canon PowerShot SX110 IS offers 640x480 30fps standard-definition video recording that looks, well, like pixilated standard-definition video taken from an entry-level camcorder. If you don't plan on doing any intense Photoshopping, the camera offers Black and White and Sepia filters, but nothing too snazzy like the highly popular Color Accent and Color Swap modes found on other Canon PowerShot cameras.
Hardware - Good
The Canon PowerShot SX110 IS is equipped with a 9-megapixel 1/2.3" sensor, a common sensor size amongst compact cameras. The PowerShot SX110 features Canon's Digic III processing while the PowerShot SX10 has the latest generation Digic 4 processing and packs in 10 megapixels rather than 9. The camera has a 10x optical zoom lens, which is a robust range for a camera of its size. Unfortunately the Canon PowerShot SX110 IS has a 36mm wide lens, which means we had to back farther up in order to fit more content in the frame.
The time from Powering on to the first shot is about 3.5 seconds, which is long enough for the Loch Ness monster to duck its head back into the water, never to be seen again. We recommend keeping the camera on in situations where action is instant and fleeting. Two AA batteries power the Canon PowerShot SX110 IS and the camera captures images to SD and SDHC cards, which are widely popular.
Image Quality - Good
Overall, the Canon PowerShot SX110 IS cranked out a solid performance, though most of our top images were captured under ideal lighting. We struggled in low light, as the camera could not provide an adequate exposure unless the flash was deployed. Then the flash only covered a limited range and images looked highly unnatural, with obvious flash effects. We also came across some minor issues with contrast and dynamic range, though the PowerShot SX110 IS did not have a tendency to blow out whites to the preposterous degree the PowerShot SX10 IS did. All in all, we loved Canon's colors, as usual, detail was spot on.
Scene Test – Weld House Wonderland
This is an intimidating scene for most cameras, and the Canon PowerShot SX110 IS impressed us with its ability to retain a large amount of detail while staving off much of the impending glare from the sun. Colors look true and natural and noise is barely noticeable. The only issues we came across have to do with the blown out sky and purple fringing along the tree branches. Otherwise, the camera handles the sun peeking through the trees like a champ and pulls through with a great image.
Mike & Ikes
Not only is the detail fantastic in this image, but the colors are vibrant and enticing. The true test in this image is the differentiation between the maroon and bright red Mike & Ike's, which most cameras will bleed together. We can make out distinct lines between both red hues and the image still retains a natural quality. Canon is no slouch when it comes to color.
Detail Test – Lovely Lucy
We captured this image of lovely Lucy in the Kids and Pets Scene mode, which dialed the ISO down to 80 for unprecedented detail. Each hair can be distinguished and noise is almost nonexistent. The Canon PowerShot SX110 IS will churn spectacular portraits when the lighting is just right.
Macro Test – Pine Needles
Macro Test – Christmas Lights
We were also highly impressed with the camera's Macro capabilities. In daylight and at night the detail is fantastic and we were able to capture both images from a fairly close range. The Canon PowerShot SX110 IS shines up close.
Contrast Test – Window and Tree
A bright window coupled with a subdued indoor scene is curtains for most cameras, and the Canon PowerShot SX110 IS struggles with this image. We tried focusing on the window itself in order to reduce the overall exposure and closed the aperture down to f/8, but this was the best image we could snag. Dynamic Range is not one of the SX110's strong suits, which is similar to what we found with the PowerShot SX10 IS. However, this image could have been a lot worse.
ISO 200 – Lucy
ISO 400 – Lucy
ISO 3200 Scene Mode – Lucy
In low light we found that ISO was the way to go with the Canon PowerShot SX110 IS since the camera couldn't handle most low light scenarios. At 200 ISO, the image is underexposed but detail is boosted as part of the compromise. Detail really starts to tank at 400 ISO, and the PowerShot SX110 IS's ISO 3200 Scene mode makes it seem like it's snowing inside due to all the added noise. For reduced lighting like this, we prefer an ISO level of 200 to 400, but wouldn't recommend surpassing the 400 mark.
Snow Scene Mode – Newbury Street
The PowerShot SX110 IS's Snow Scene mode automatically configures the White Balance to a warmer setting to accommodate frigid shooting environments like this one. Snow mode also keeps the ISO low to retain detail and we're very pleased with this image, given the treacherous conditions it was captured in.
Dim Light Test – Christmas Tree
We attempted to shoot this image in Auto, Manual, Shutter Priority and Program AE with nearly identical results. This image was captured in Program AE mode while the camera was stabilized on a hard surface. When we boosted the ISO, the noise ate away all of the Christmas Cheer within the tree and ornaments. This is when we discovered the Canon PowerShot SX110 IS's weakness: low light.
Low Light Test – Maine Cabin
Low Light Test With Flash – Maine Cabin
We expected a much better exposure in the first image with Night Scene mode without the flash. However, that was not the case. When we deployed the flash, the light spread only reached halfway up the path. In nearly all of our tests, we battled with poor exposure levels in low light.
Price and availability
The Canon PowerShot SX110 IS will start selling for $200 () in August 2008.
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