Canon PowerShot SX620 HS Digital Camera (Red)

This point and shoot is better than I expected. I bought it to take pictures for my resale shops and it takes excellent quality photos for that but takes even better shots of nature. The zoom doesn't cause too much distortion. It has a long battery life and is easy to connect to WiFi and my phone. I do wish that I could charge the camera itself or it would have come with two batteries because charging the battery takes too much time. Despite that, I think that it's worth the price and I would recommend it as a casual point and shoot camera.

Color is too "acid" - Overexposed?

I bought this camera in April 2021 and stalled on submitting this review to allow for sufficient testing. I bought the SX620 for travel photos -- mostly landscapes and people outdoors. I count on a camera that I can open quickly and use on automatic while I'm on the move, generally hiking or climbing. The SX620 has been deeply disappointing. Photos taken with my iPhone5 are far superior. There are a few positives, but the negatives - including the essential picture quality - outweigh them.Positives:Size: This is bigger ("thicker") than my last camera, but still slim enough to fit in a small space.The grip is decent; I can hold it and turn it one with one hand. Shooting one-handed is a bit harder, but possible.Shutter is fast in daylight.Battery life seems ... MoreI bought this camera in April 2021 and stalled on submitting this review to allow for sufficient testing. I bought the SX620 for travel photos -- mostly landscapes and people outdoors. I count on a camera that I can open quickly and use on automatic while I'm on the move, generally hiking or climbing. The SX620 has been deeply disappointing. Photos taken with my iPhone5 are far superior. There are a few positives, but the negatives - including the essential picture quality - outweigh them.Positives:Size: This is bigger ("thicker") than my last camera, but still slim enough to fit in a small space.The grip is decent; I can hold it and turn it one with one hand. Shooting one-handed is a bit harder, but possible.Shutter is fast in daylight.Battery life seems good, though I have not been on a major trip where I would be taking hundreds of photos in a day. This is important, since the battery cannot be charged from a portable power bank (see below).Negatives:Photo quality on automatic is poor. All photos have a sort of "acid" color to them. I don't know if it's a color issue or perhaps the automatic setting is mis-calibrated and is overexposing everything. Greens, in particular, seem off; no matter the season, they appear to be spring green.The battery must be removed for charging; the supplied charger must be plugged into the wall. A portable power bank cannot be used. The product description refers to a USB cable, but the cable is only for transferring photos to a computer, not for charging, and in any case is not included.The flash is slow to activate and recover.Instructions include pages on how to connect to a computer (for transferring photos), requiring a cable that's not included. Such a cable would be useful only if you don't have a device with a memory card slot.I shopped for at least a year and read a lot of review before making this purchase, but did not read of poor color quality. Maybe I got a defective camera? Whatever the case, the most expensive point-and-shoot camera I've ever bought is not the one I reach for when I want great photos.

Nice small size and takes good pictures

This camera is small and light enough to carry easily. It will fit in a typical pants pocket or in a small pouch with a belt loop.It takes very good photos which appear clear and lifelike even when enlarged to a reasonable level. Unlike some other small cameras, the photos do not have an excessively grainy or fuzzy look and the colors are good.It is probably not the best choice for action photography, although I was able to get some usable photos at a recent bike race. The 25x zoom is more than adequate.Note that you must take the battery out of the camera and put it in the separate battery charger (supplied with the camera) to charge the battery. The camera USB cable port only works for transferring photos.There is no USB cable included with the camera. The ... MoreThis camera is small and light enough to carry easily. It will fit in a typical pants pocket or in a small pouch with a belt loop.It takes very good photos which appear clear and lifelike even when enlarged to a reasonable level. Unlike some other small cameras, the photos do not have an excessively grainy or fuzzy look and the colors are good.It is probably not the best choice for action photography, although I was able to get some usable photos at a recent bike race. The 25x zoom is more than adequate.Note that you must take the battery out of the camera and put it in the separate battery charger (supplied with the camera) to charge the battery. The camera USB cable port only works for transferring photos.There is no USB cable included with the camera. The cable is available from Canon or online at other sources. For quick and easy photo transfer, the USB cable is almost a necessity and costs only a few dollars.The camera operates mostly automatically and generally does a good job. There are some additional settings featured in the "P" program mode, but full manual control is not an option. There is no function dial so the user must go into the camera menus to change most (but not all) settings. This is not a camera for someone who likes to adjust settings before taking each pictureWith the Canon app, I can transfer photos via wi-fi from the camera to my Apple i-phone. The Canon app also allows the camera to be operated via remote control.I could have spent a lot more. But for typical photography of people and places, the SX620HS suits my needs and is small and light enough to take almost anywhere.

Terrible and overexaggerated specs.

The response time, image focus, flash, image quality, zoom, and settings on this are all horrible. The specs made it seem like it was going to be a good camera; but it's worse than my old iPhone 6 on all accounts. The zoom, for instance, can be all the way out -and still not take a closeup of something less than 4ft away from me. Without the zoom on, images seem miles away than what they are in person. Using some of the night modes, the flash decides when it wants to pop up or not. The image focus also has a hard time adjusting. If you do take a photo with the higher image quality or low light settings, it may or may not take it -and then the camera renders itself useless for a solid 10 seconds before you're allowed to take another photo. The response time in ... MoreThe response time, image focus, flash, image quality, zoom, and settings on this are all horrible. The specs made it seem like it was going to be a good camera; but it's worse than my old iPhone 6 on all accounts. The zoom, for instance, can be all the way out -and still not take a closeup of something less than 4ft away from me. Without the zoom on, images seem miles away than what they are in person. Using some of the night modes, the flash decides when it wants to pop up or not. The image focus also has a hard time adjusting. If you do take a photo with the higher image quality or low light settings, it may or may not take it -and then the camera renders itself useless for a solid 10 seconds before you're allowed to take another photo. The response time in general is horrid. Couldn't even take a photo of my lounging cat in bright daylight. One small movement, and it blurred. Lowlight, super grainy. Returning.

Very Versatile Point and Shoot Digital Camera

It is an excellent camera for a either a beginner or an experienced photographer. There are many adjustments you can make, or just set everything on Auto and take crystal clear auto focused pics.Power zoom is up to x 25, but it will go out to x 50 or by x 100 if you keep holding the zoom lever at maximum extension.Will also shoot video in HD if you use a high speed Memory CardCONS - This camera is made for the social media generation. It is only equipped with Wi-Fi for uploading pics direct to your Smartyphone or direct to Fakebook.Disappointing in a camera at this price that it is not Bluetooth enabled for uploading to your PC (Desktop or Laptop).So your are reduced to using a USB cord (not supplied) ...... but I can live with that as it is a superb ... MoreIt is an excellent camera for a either a beginner or an experienced photographer. There are many adjustments you can make, or just set everything on Auto and take crystal clear auto focused pics.Power zoom is up to x 25, but it will go out to x 50 or by x 100 if you keep holding the zoom lever at maximum extension.Will also shoot video in HD if you use a high speed Memory CardCONS - This camera is made for the social media generation. It is only equipped with Wi-Fi for uploading pics direct to your Smartyphone or direct to Fakebook.Disappointing in a camera at this price that it is not Bluetooth enabled for uploading to your PC (Desktop or Laptop).So your are reduced to using a USB cord (not supplied) ...... but I can live with that as it is a superb compact camera.Also it does NOT come with a Memory Card. I then bought here at Officeworks a "SanDisk Extreme 64 GB" card rated at 150 MB/s (which allows you to shoot video in genuine HD).

Very fast response, good optical zoom, & easy to use.

Very quick response. I can turn it on and click to get a picture in very little time -- e.g. while my young kids are still doing whatever amusing thing I want a photo of. It is really good for quick point and shoot. I even took landscape photos out the window of a moving car, and got remarkably well focused images. But I also like to have some control -- selecting the focus point/distance and adjusting the light metering. In order to get it to focus in the center always, I put in in Program mode, and select center focus in the menu options. Then I can half-click to get it to light meter and focus at a certain point, and then reframe the photo as I like. I also sometimes had problems with it switching to macro mode (e.g. for a closeup of a flower) when in Auto, but ... MoreVery quick response. I can turn it on and click to get a picture in very little time -- e.g. while my young kids are still doing whatever amusing thing I want a photo of. It is really good for quick point and shoot. I even took landscape photos out the window of a moving car, and got remarkably well focused images. But I also like to have some control -- selecting the focus point/distance and adjusting the light metering. In order to get it to focus in the center always, I put in in Program mode, and select center focus in the menu options. Then I can half-click to get it to light meter and focus at a certain point, and then reframe the photo as I like. I also sometimes had problems with it switching to macro mode (e.g. for a closeup of a flower) when in Auto, but it seems to work better in Program mode. The large optical zoom is also an excellent feature, allowing me to get close-up images of little creatures that were many meters away.

[Rewarded Review] Good Small Camera

I've had this camera for about 2 years. It takes better pictures than any camera I've ever owned, including fancier and more expensive "bridge super zoom" style ones. It is also just small enough to fit inside a reasonably large coat pocket. I use a small belt pouch.It contains several menus with numerous adjustments. However, if you want full manual control, this is probably not the camera for you. And, it is probably not the best choice for taking rapid motion sports and action shots. But for general photography, it takes good clear and crisp photos with good color and depth. To me the photos look significantly better than those taken with my I-phone.The 25x zoom range is just right. You can zoom in to take the photo you want, without having to crop it later ... MoreI've had this camera for about 2 years. It takes better pictures than any camera I've ever owned, including fancier and more expensive "bridge super zoom" style ones. It is also just small enough to fit inside a reasonably large coat pocket. I use a small belt pouch.It contains several menus with numerous adjustments. However, if you want full manual control, this is probably not the camera for you. And, it is probably not the best choice for taking rapid motion sports and action shots. But for general photography, it takes good clear and crisp photos with good color and depth. To me the photos look significantly better than those taken with my I-phone.The 25x zoom range is just right. You can zoom in to take the photo you want, without having to crop it later using software. It also takes decent 1080P videos.There is no viewfinder. You must use the screen on the back of the camera to frame your shot. For me, this has not been a problem. Shots are reasonably quick without the lag of older cameras.The camera works reasonably well with my Apple I-phone. Pictures can be retrieved using the phone app and some remote control of the camera is also possible. Most of the time, I just use a USB cable to download the photos to my computer.The only disappointment is that you must take out the battery and put it in a separate charger. At least for my unit, the battery will not charge while installed in the camera.This is a nice alternative to superzoom cameras that are too big to carry around and tiny cameras that are too small and offer little or no improvement over using a cell phone.

[Rewarded Review] Great battery charge life.

Bought this camera over 4 years ago to replace a Canon point and shoot that I returned cause the battery charge did not last long. This camera is super. I have taken hundreds of photos on a single charge. It does not need to be charged very often. I think the quality of the photos are excellent for a point and shot. I use this camera as a carry along on my bicycle road rides. I am an amateur photography with 2 Nikon DSLRs. In some environments this camera is comparable to my Nikons!

[Rewarded Review] Great camera for the begginers

I would gladly pay $500 for this camera if I had to, it's just that good. I used to drag around my NIKON DX when inspecting homes, but after Hurricane Harvey hit my hometown, I decided I needed something a little more compact, durable, lighter yet good enough to provide me with HD quality photos in all conditions. I love the blue tooth capability considering I take on average about 250 photos a day while inspecting homes. The batter life is outstanding, and I have only noticed a drop in battery life since the temperature dropped to below 40 in the Houston area. Other than that, this camera is very easy to use, and feels very sturdy and well built for such a small camera. The camera is only 4" wide, which is great for carrying around, but if you have large hands or ... MoreI would gladly pay $500 for this camera if I had to, it's just that good. I used to drag around my NIKON DX when inspecting homes, but after Hurricane Harvey hit my hometown, I decided I needed something a little more compact, durable, lighter yet good enough to provide me with HD quality photos in all conditions. I love the blue tooth capability considering I take on average about 250 photos a day while inspecting homes. The batter life is outstanding, and I have only noticed a drop in battery life since the temperature dropped to below 40 in the Houston area. Other than that, this camera is very easy to use, and feels very sturdy and well built for such a small camera. The camera is only 4" wide, which is great for carrying around, but if you have large hands or you are used to larger camera's, like NIKON DX's, it will take some time to get use to. Think of it like going from an iphone 7 plus back to an original iphone. Highly recommend purchasing this camera.

[Rewarded Review] Takes good photos, nice small size.

I looked at much more expensive cameras but settled on this one because it generally had good reviews and was just small enough to fit into a pocket.I did not want to spend a lot of money on something that could get damaged, dropped or stolen.The picture quality is above average without a lot of graininess or artifacts. Even when zoomed-in to a reasonable level on a large screen monitor, most photos look very detailed. And, the colors are quite pleasing and natural looking.It is best at taking still photos. That being said, when I set the camera in burst mode, I was able to get some decent shots at a recent bike race. But there are better cameras with faster lenses if you plan on taking a lot of action shots.The "P" mode offers some controls for things like ... MoreI looked at much more expensive cameras but settled on this one because it generally had good reviews and was just small enough to fit into a pocket.I did not want to spend a lot of money on something that could get damaged, dropped or stolen.The picture quality is above average without a lot of graininess or artifacts. Even when zoomed-in to a reasonable level on a large screen monitor, most photos look very detailed. And, the colors are quite pleasing and natural looking.It is best at taking still photos. That being said, when I set the camera in burst mode, I was able to get some decent shots at a recent bike race. But there are better cameras with faster lenses if you plan on taking a lot of action shots.The "P" mode offers some controls for things like exposure level and white balance. But this is a camera designed primarily for automatic use. There is no function dial, so you must go into the menus to make changes to the settings.The camera does a better than average job of taking good photos using the auto mode. And, even in the program mode, it still operates mostly automatically.The 25X zoom range is certainly more than adequate for most users.This is not one of those cameras that amazes you with it's shot to shot speed. But for most people it is more than adequate.You will not feel like you have a "brick" in your pocket or purse with this camera. It is quite lightweight and not too long or wide. The next most expensive Cannon model offers better performance, but it is (in my opinion) simply too large and heavy to tuck in a pocket.I bought a small canvas case that I hook to my belt. This keeps the camera protected and it is always ready for use.This camera is a good value for someone who is not a "camera person" but wants pleasing, lifelike photos. You could spend additional money and get more features, but not necessarily better quality photos.