| The Canon PowerShot SX200 IS is remarkably equipped for what's ostensibly a point-and-shoot camera. Sure, the wide-angle lens with 12x zoom in a reasonably compact body is the big draw; but there's also the HD video recording abilities and the full manual control over shutter speed, aperture, and focus, in addition to a glut of other shooting controls. This is namely what separates it from its main competition, Panasonic's Lumix DMC-ZS3. Well, that, and the fact that the Canon's zoom lens is locked while shooting video. If you're after a more pure point-and-shoot experience and want to take full advantage of the zoom range whether you're shooting stills or video, the ZS3 is probably the compact 12x megazoom to go with. Want more control over exposures? The PowerShot SX200 IS is what you'll want in your pocket. The SX200 IS is attractive, if a little odd looking, because of the long, wide-angle lens in front. Available in three colors--black, blue, and red--its style is a definite improvement over Canon's previous pocket zooms, the SX100 IS and SX110 IS. Despite having a longer and wider lens than those models, the SX200 IS is more pocketable. It's not necessarily lightweight, though. Unfortunately, it's not without its design quirks. The biggest of these being the motorized flash, which automatically rises from the top left of the chassis and can't be retracted. This makes pinch-gripping the left side a little difficult and it's not helped by the overall slipperiness of ... |
