Canon PowerShot SX700 HS Digital Camera

For the recent few years Canon has made great efforts to improve their travel-zoom compact cameras, and the new SX700 is their next remarkable achievement on that way. It's a little bit bigger than its predecessor (SX280) but it is very well built and has an attractive look and feel (I like the black one). It also got a new front grip which makes one-hand shooting more convenient, even when shooting video, since the Video button was moved from the back to the top and you can now use your thumb solely for holding the camera.

30X Zoom, 1080p 60 fps, Shutter, Aperture, or Auto Modes!

Unless you are absolutely convinced that you need interchangeable lenses, this a very fine Canon camera. Admittedly, it's six years old, and I just purchased mine used for a very good value. Many years ago, you had to decide if you wanted a shutter priority, or aperture priority SLR. The Canon PowerShot SX700 HS has both, and Auto, 1080p 60 fps video, and a 30X Zoom. Newer PowerShot models have a touch screen that flips up for selfie shots or vlogging videos, and a 40X Zoom. I decided that a 30X Zoom was adequate, and I would not be using it for selfies, or vlogging. The 30X Zoom on the 700 HS is optical, of course, and it doubles (digitally) up to the 35mm film equivalent of a 1500mm lens. My shot of the moon is my first attempt ever to shoot the moon, at max ... MoreUnless you are absolutely convinced that you need interchangeable lenses, this a very fine Canon camera. Admittedly, it's six years old, and I just purchased mine used for a very good value. Many years ago, you had to decide if you wanted a shutter priority, or aperture priority SLR. The Canon PowerShot SX700 HS has both, and Auto, 1080p 60 fps video, and a 30X Zoom. Newer PowerShot models have a touch screen that flips up for selfie shots or vlogging videos, and a 40X Zoom. I decided that a 30X Zoom was adequate, and I would not be using it for selfies, or vlogging. The 30X Zoom on the 700 HS is optical, of course, and it doubles (digitally) up to the 35mm film equivalent of a 1500mm lens. My shot of the moon is my first attempt ever to shoot the moon, at max optical/digital zoom (1500mm), and this was my third shot, on a very lightweight tripod, using the 10 sec. self-timer.

A little disappointed, but nice camera

I'd hoped this would replace my old trusty Powershot A650IS, which took (still takes) marvelous pictures, but has a somewhat limited 6x zoom and poor video capture capabilities by today's standards. Picture quality, especially dynamic range, is short of the A650's, with noise and a lot of processing evident, at least in my analysis of early flash photos. I'd prefer to correct to my own taste in Photoshop, and I imagine many folks willing to spend this kind of money on a camera feel the same, or have higher expectations for picture quality. It's nice to have the long zoom, but I'm no bird watcher, so it's not high on my list of priorities. My biggest disappointment is in the long flash recovery time. I do a fair amount of shooting indoors, and with the flash, it can ... MoreI'd hoped this would replace my old trusty Powershot A650IS, which took (still takes) marvelous pictures, but has a somewhat limited 6x zoom and poor video capture capabilities by today's standards. Picture quality, especially dynamic range, is short of the A650's, with noise and a lot of processing evident, at least in my analysis of early flash photos. I'd prefer to correct to my own taste in Photoshop, and I imagine many folks willing to spend this kind of money on a camera feel the same, or have higher expectations for picture quality. It's nice to have the long zoom, but I'm no bird watcher, so it's not high on my list of priorities. My biggest disappointment is in the long flash recovery time. I do a fair amount of shooting indoors, and with the flash, it can approach 3 seconds between shots. The old A650 cycled in less than half that time and had a more powerful flash. My first shots out of the box were with flash and I was so startled by seeing Busy for 3 seconds I thought there was something wrong with my UHS SD card. I even started to fill out an RMA! Then I shot without the flash and the picture saved instantly, so culprit isolated. To be fair, recovery times have varied, and it seems to take longer with each subsequent shot. In any case, I'll be hauling both cameras around for a while yet. On the plus side, it fits my hand nicely, and while small and light, it's still relatively solid feeling. The LCD is excellent and controls work intuitively, at least to me, although some are a little too stiff for my taste. I wish it had an articulated screen, but I get why a camera this size wouldn't. I'm OK with having to pop up the flash manually, but the switch is tiny and inconvenient. I also wish software and a manual came in the box, but at today's internet speeds, maybe I shouldn't complain about downloading 200M install packages that require I enter a serial number correctly first. Would I recommend this camera to a friend? Not with the same enthusiasm I repeatedly recommended my A650IS or EOS 30D, but yes. I waffled between 3 and 4 stars, but settled on 4 because I suspect I've already experienced the worst this camera has to offer.

Amazing Zoom and Great video too

I bought this camera as a gift to replace my wife's Canon Powershot I bought for her a couple years ago. That was a great camera in its own right but this one is image stabilized, does HD-quality video (1080P), and has a fantastic zoom almost on par with my DSLR 800mm Canon lens. The 700+ mm optical zoom is fantastic for wildlife photography, especially when conditions are too tight to or too quickly unfolding to maneuver the 800mm or her DSLR and 300mm f/2.8. The video is especially great quality especially for such a small camera and we've already made use of it during our Christmas family get togethers. The manual, aperture, and shutter priority controls work every bit as well as those of our Canon DSLRs and take only a short time to master. There are so many ... MoreI bought this camera as a gift to replace my wife's Canon Powershot I bought for her a couple years ago. That was a great camera in its own right but this one is image stabilized, does HD-quality video (1080P), and has a fantastic zoom almost on par with my DSLR 800mm Canon lens. The 700+ mm optical zoom is fantastic for wildlife photography, especially when conditions are too tight to or too quickly unfolding to maneuver the 800mm or her DSLR and 300mm f/2.8. The video is especially great quality especially for such a small camera and we've already made use of it during our Christmas family get togethers. The manual, aperture, and shutter priority controls work every bit as well as those of our Canon DSLRs and take only a short time to master. There are so many menu options it took a few days to become familiar with them, but, if you have some familiarity with using those controls to adapt to your shooting environment, you'll love all these features and their ease of use. My only issues are using all those capabilities in such a compact camera with my not-so-small fingers, and not borrowing her camera rather than lugging out my 800mm, 9.9-pound lens. Almost forgot the auto-focus capability in video mode (which my $5K DSLR doesn't do.)

Canon SX 700HS

purchased this camera for my wife after considerable research on compact zoom cameras. Previously, she owned a Fuji f500 which had a 15x zoom, but would intermittently freeze up requiring the removal and reinsertion of the battery. Last week, she used the Canon camera at an outdoor birthday party for our grandson in Irvine CA on a sunny afternoon. She put it in automatic mode to take photos of the many 8-year old kids running about the park and and playing games. I took along my T1i Canon DSLR with zoom lens. When I reviewed the photos on my mac, I was very impressed with the resolution and sharpness of the images. She took one 720P video that was every bit as good as my DSLR took. Overall, her photos and mine appear equal in quality on a 27-inch computer screen. ... Morepurchased this camera for my wife after considerable research on compact zoom cameras. Previously, she owned a Fuji f500 which had a 15x zoom, but would intermittently freeze up requiring the removal and reinsertion of the battery. Last week, she used the Canon camera at an outdoor birthday party for our grandson in Irvine CA on a sunny afternoon. She put it in automatic mode to take photos of the many 8-year old kids running about the park and and playing games. I took along my T1i Canon DSLR with zoom lens. When I reviewed the photos on my mac, I was very impressed with the resolution and sharpness of the images. She took one 720P video that was every bit as good as my DSLR took. Overall, her photos and mine appear equal in quality on a 27-inch computer screen. She's also taken indoor flash pictures and the photos look great. I like the fact that the flash's intensity can be adjusted in the menu for different situations if needed. The one con she has is that there is a useless (mobile device connection) button where her right thumb goes. If one could disable the button, it would help not having to turn the camera off & on to resume shooting. Also, finding a camera case that stores an extra battery for this size camera has been difficult. I have ordered a Case Logic QPB-202 EVA on the recommendation of another reviewer, We'll see how well the camera fits.

Great small camera (4.25x2.5x1.25in) that fits in your pocket

I love these little Canon SX700s as they fit in a pocket or a very small camera case and yet can do 30x and 16 MPixels. Most modern small cameras have the lenses protruding in the closed position so they don't fit in a normal pocket. My first round of testing show this camera to be in amazing condition. I have an older SX700 which has probably taken 10,000 photos in the US, Canada and Europe. Based on the serial numbers which differed by 200000, this camera was produced well after mine. My older camera is showing signs of wear. There is a small region of the image detector where pixels have gone dead and it is scratched up externally, but I still use it and post process the images. Now I have two cameras so I can keep one at home and take the other with me. Really ... MoreI love these little Canon SX700s as they fit in a pocket or a very small camera case and yet can do 30x and 16 MPixels. Most modern small cameras have the lenses protruding in the closed position so they don't fit in a normal pocket. My first round of testing show this camera to be in amazing condition. I have an older SX700 which has probably taken 10,000 photos in the US, Canada and Europe. Based on the serial numbers which differed by 200000, this camera was produced well after mine. My older camera is showing signs of wear. There is a small region of the image detector where pixels have gone dead and it is scratched up externally, but I still use it and post process the images. Now I have two cameras so I can keep one at home and take the other with me. Really great camera for the price.

More Camera Than I'll Ever Need...a Good Thing!

It's a very good feeling when, after buying something, you can't imagine a time when you'll need to upgrade. That's exactly the feeling I have after getting comfortable with this camera. The optics are great...going from a room-capturing wide-angle all the way to "reach out and touch" someone telephoto, and doing a fine job at "macro" focal lengths. The camera does well in low light also...something that many cameras have difficulty with. In use, the camera is large enough to hold on to, and still small enough to easily pack away. Battery life is good (you're going to have an extra battery on hand for serious shooting with any camera right?), and there's plenty of control there for those who want to dig in. If I had to criticize something, the WIFI setup simply ... MoreIt's a very good feeling when, after buying something, you can't imagine a time when you'll need to upgrade. That's exactly the feeling I have after getting comfortable with this camera. The optics are great...going from a room-capturing wide-angle all the way to "reach out and touch" someone telephoto, and doing a fine job at "macro" focal lengths. The camera does well in low light also...something that many cameras have difficulty with. In use, the camera is large enough to hold on to, and still small enough to easily pack away. Battery life is good (you're going to have an extra battery on hand for serious shooting with any camera right?), and there's plenty of control there for those who want to dig in. If I had to criticize something, the WIFI setup simply wouldn't work. It almost seems as though the certain disconnects I've experienced may be because of interference from other wireless devices...who knows. It would be nice to have the WIFI (as well as a touchscreen), but neither means a lot to me in the scheme of things. It's really all about the camera, and I couldn't be more pleased. Assuming you're in the market for a camera because you want more than your phone can deliver, you'd be hard-pressed to beat the SX700 HS in the same price category.

Outer Shutter Lens Didn't Close Properly

I bought this camera to replace the same model that I've had for years that was no longer working properly. The eBay camera looked new, but the outer shutter lens kept sticking. I don't know if it was shipped that way or if the problem occurred during the mail/delivery process (the wrapping could have been better). I had to bring the camera into a repair shop to fix the problem. Now the camera is working just fine.

The Canon PowerShot SX700 HS is a great camera for the money.

I bought this camera for an upcoming European trip later this year. I wanted something that is reliable and that has a great zoom. This camera has an amazingly powerful 30x zoom. It zooms in so close you have to have either a tripod or a monopod to keep it steady. The camera is a little heavy for a point and shoot, but it feels very sturdy in my hands. The pictures are very clear and it refreshes in less than two seconds for the next shot. My only negative comment is the flash. I would much rather have the flash as an integral part of the camera as opposed to a pop-up flash, and it's not automatic, i.e. you have to manually pop it up with a little toggle switch on the side. I tend to hold the camera with my right hand in the typical position in order to press the ... MoreI bought this camera for an upcoming European trip later this year. I wanted something that is reliable and that has a great zoom. This camera has an amazingly powerful 30x zoom. It zooms in so close you have to have either a tripod or a monopod to keep it steady. The camera is a little heavy for a point and shoot, but it feels very sturdy in my hands. The pictures are very clear and it refreshes in less than two seconds for the next shot. My only negative comment is the flash. I would much rather have the flash as an integral part of the camera as opposed to a pop-up flash, and it's not automatic, i.e. you have to manually pop it up with a little toggle switch on the side. I tend to hold the camera with my right hand in the typical position in order to press the shutter and I like to hold the top and bottom of the left side of the camera with my left hand to make it stationary, but the flash pops up on the left top of the camera. I have to hold it with the little bit of a ledge right behind the flash. When done, you have to push the flash back down until it snaps into position. But, all in all, this is a great camera for the money. I bought three extra batteries and an extra charger for my trip. You can't go wrong with Canon!

Very excited! The camera is in great condition along with both sd cards, extra batteries, and the battery charger. Worth what I paid.

Very excited! The camera is in great condition along with both sd cards, extra batteries, and the battery charger. Worth what I paid.