Canon PowerShot SX160 IS Review

Picture Quality It Underwhelms

The point of a camera is, obviously, to take pictures. While the SX160 is fairly capable in capturing various scenes and the wide-ranging zoom is useful, it’s the pictures themselves that are underwhelming.

Canon SX160 IS — ISO 400 sample image

Nothing is bitingly sharp, while at full scale shots reveal plenty of processing artefacts throughout. Image edges also suffer from purple fringing, technically known as chromatic aberrations, and softness further prevails. It’s a fairly long list of disappointments.

Canon SX160 IS — ISO 800 sample image

One way to deal with dim lighting conditions is to increase what’s known as the ISO sensitivity. However, this boosts the signal received by the image sensor which then generates more artificial «noise» than at lower sensitivities. In turn, this creates digital noise in an image — take a look at the gallery’s 100 per cent images where white/black flecks are visible. The SX160’s ISO 100-1600 range is best kept to its lowest setting, as higher up the ISO range softness becomes more of an issue, although, at least to some degree, all the available options have practical use.

Overall the images aren’t going to excite photo fanatics, but the SX160 IS gets the job done.

Verdict

The Canon PowerShot SX160 IS has a decent spec considering its slender price tag, and it performs reasonably well for the money too.

But don’t expect too much: the LCD screen’s viewing angle is poor, we’re not fans of the AA batteries, and the pictures are soft and underwhelming.

But if money is the dominant factor and you’re seeking a wide-ranging zoom compact camera then the SX160 IS has enough points for it to be a serious consideration. It’s an average camera that’s helped along considerably by the low price, as any more cash outlay and the score wouldn’t stretch as high up the scale as it has.

Восьмикратное оптическое увеличение в IXUS 160 и IXUS 165

   Модели
Canon IXUS 160 и IXUS 165 отличаются возможностью 8-кратного оптического приближения объектов. При этом фокусное расстояние линз изменяется от 28 до 224 мм экв. Отметим традиционно невысокий показатель светосилы для моделей такого класса — f/3,2 — 6,9.

   
Как и все фотоаппараты серии, рассматриваемые модели могут фокусироваться на близкорасположенном объекте в режиме макросъёмки всего с расстояния всего 1 сантиметр.

   Видеосъёмка доступна с разрешением 1280х720 точек и частотой 25 к/с. Продолжительность съёмки с такими параметрами составляет максимум 29 минут 59 секунд.

   
Что касается используемой матрицы, то в Canon IXUS 160 и IXUS 165 применена 1/2,3 дюймовая ПЗС матрица с достаточно высоким разрешением 20 мегапикселей.
   Как и во всех моделях серии, здесь используется процессор Digic 4+.
   Жидкокристаллический экран фотоаппаратов характеризуется 2,7 дюймовым размером с разрешением 230 тыс. пикселей.

   
Между собой модели отличаются параметрами стабилизатора изображения. Canon IXUS 160 имеет электронный стабилизатор (всю работу совершает процессор фотоаппарата), IXUS 165 «обладает» оптическим стабилизатором (основанным на сдвиге линз).

Больше зума, больше света — в Canon IXUS 170

   Обладая практически схожими характеристиками с IXUS 165, фотоаппарат Canon IXUS 170 предлагает своим пользователям более мощный — 12-кратный зум. При этом модель более широкоугольна — фокусное расстояние составляет 25-300 мм экв., что позволяет вместить большее количество объектов в кадр.

   
Ещё более низкое значение светосилы — f3,6-7,0 несколько «компенсируется» более мощной вспышкой, способной осветить объекты на расстояние до 4-х метров (в вышерассмотренных моделях — до 3-х метров).

   
Достаточно разнообразна и цветовая гамма модели.

КМОП-матрица и беспроводные возможности IXUS 275 HS

   Модель Canon IXUS 275 HS отличается
применённой в ней КМОП-матрицей, обладающей более высокой чувствительностью и быстродействием.

   
Более высокая скорость серийной съёмки (до 2,5 кадров в секунду), поддержка записи видео с разрешением 1920х1080 точек (30 к/с) — важные преимущества для выбора данного фотоаппарата.

   
Canon IXUS 275 HS имеет ЖК-дисплей размером 3 дюйма с разрешением 461 тысяча точек.

   
Поддержка беспроводных возможностей Wi-Fi и NFC позволяет быстро обмениваться снимками с планшетами или смартфонами, а также использовать последние в качестве пульта дистанционного управления самим фотоаппаратом.

Образцы фотографий

Сравнение фотоаппаратов

   Некоторые отличия между фотоаппаратами Сanon IXUS 160, 165, 170 и 275 HS покажем в виде таблицы

Performance Pips The Price

Fire up the SX160 IS and it’s ready to use in little time. There’s a main mode dial on top which can be used to flick between the auto «point-and-shoot» mode, as well as scene modes and a variety of manual options.

Canon SX160 IS — ISO 500 sample image

The manual modes — comprised of manual, aperture priority, shutter priority and programme auto — offer a good footing into the concept of exposure control, and can be useful for better exposing low-light shots at night, for example. However, as the lens has a restricted f/3.5-5.9 maximum aperture range, with f/8.0 as its smallest aperture at any given zoom extension, there are limits to what can be achieved. If the very mention of apertures, shutter speeds and the like are throwing more questions than answers into your mind then, as a starting point, the SX160 is a successful budget way to explore what it is to shoot with manual control, but without the expense.

The Canon SX160’s autofocus system is capable given the price point, though there aren’t mountains of options. In general it’s either the automated focus system with optional face detection, or a centre-only single focus point which is outlined on the screen. There is also Tracking AF, which can be beneficial in following moving subjects, so long as they don’t move too quickly.

Rather than a rechargeable battery you’ll also need to keep two AA batteries close at hand as that’s what the SX160 uses. We’re not big fans of AA-powered compacts as they tend to eat through the power, and the Canon SX160 IS is no stranger to this concept. If you rarely use a camera than this may not be a bother, but more avid snappers will be munching through batteries like hotcakes.

But our one biggest qualm with the SX160 is the LCD screen’s quality. Yes, it’s 3-inches in size and 230k-dots in resolution which is manageable. But the viewing angle is horrid.

Spec Savvy

The SX160 IS sure does sound good from its spec sheet. It’s the zoom that’s the biggest selling point as it ranges from a 28mm equivalent through to 450mm. But as it’s packing so much in, the camera body isn’t the teeniest out there, which may make it a tad too chunky for some. That’s one of the things about cameras though: it’s either a case of small with a similarly small zoom range, or larger with a more substantial zoom range.

The «IS» element of the SX160’s name also describes another useful feature: image stabilisation. And on paper this isn’t any naff, electronic-based stabilisation system as would often be the case for budget compact cameras. Nope, the SX160’s lens can move its elements by microscopic amounts to help keep a shot steadier in preview. It’s also meant to keep captured shots that bit sharper, which is a big help when zooming right in. However — as we’ll come to later — we haven’t found the SX160’s lens to be particularly sharp at all. Which is an obvious disappointment, but perhaps an expected one given the slender price tag.

That’s the bulk of what the SX160 amounts to really. Despite lots off attractive specs for the price point, none of it ever really takes off to the same degree that some higher quality — and inevitably pricier — Canon compacts can.

Locating and Installing Your Download

When your download is complete please use the instructions below to begin the installation of your download or locate your downloaded files on your computer.

Firefox

1. Click the down arrow  in the top right of the browser
2. Windows Users — Click the small image of the folder  next to your download
   Mac Users — Click the small image of the magnifying glass  next to your download
3. The folder that contains your download will now be open

Safari

1. Mac Users — Click the down arrow  in the top right of the browser
   Windows Users — Click the gear wheel  in the top right of the browser
2. Click the small image of the magnifying glass  next to your download
3. The folder that contains your download will now be open

Internet Explorer

1. Click the gear wheel
    in the top right of the browser
2. Select ‘View downloads’ from the menu
3. Select ‘Location’ next to your download
4. The folder that contains your download will now be open

Edge

1. A white bar will appear at the bottom of your browser window which will contain
   your download. Once the download is complete click ‘Run’ to begin the installation or
   click ‘View downloads…’ to view the list of all recently downloaded files.
    
2. If the white bar is not visible you can also access the list of recently downloaded files by
   clicking the 3 small horizontal lines  located in the top right of the browser
3. Click the down arrow icon  to access the Downloads menu, from this list you can install
   the download by clicking on the file name
4. Alternatively, click ‘Open folder’ to open the folder on your computer that contains
   your downloaded files
5. You can then begin the installation of your download by double clicking your downloaded file

Chrome

1. A grey bar will appear at the bottom of your browser window which will contain your download. To install your download click on the name of the downloaded file. Alternatively you can click ‘Show all downloads…’ to view the list of all recently downloaded files
2. If the grey bar is not visible you can also access the list of recently downloaded files by clicking the 3 small horizontal lines
    located on the right of the address bar
3. Select ‘Downloads’ from the menu and the list of recently downloaded files will open
4. From this list you can also install the download by clicking on the file name
5. To open the folder on your computer that contains your downloaded files please select the ‘Open downloads folder’ link on the right of the page
6. The folder that contains your download will now be open

Introduction

Recently introduced alongside the new IXUS 165 and 170 models, the IXUS 160/PowerShot Digital ELPH 160 sits in the middle of Canon’s super-slim and stylish IXUS line-up. It boasts a 20MP 1/2.3” CCD sensor and an 8x optical zoom lens with a 35mm-equivalent focal range of 28-224mm, however you don’t get proper image stabilisation. The camera will record HD 720p video though, and it includes six creative effect filters to help spice up a bland shot. Other nifty features like blink detection and an automatic self-timer help capture great snaps of friends and family. Available in silver, black, white and red finishes, the Canon IXUS 160 will set you back around £100/$120.