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The stylish PowerShot SX20IS wins another star for Panasonic,thanks to its pin-sharp 2.5-inch rear screen, impressive imaging power, build quality and outstanding 20x zoom lens. This streches from 25mm at its widest angle to whooping 300mm at the telephoto end this is a real testament to the effectiveness of Panasonic's optical image stabilizer. Video recording quality is excellent too, so you get a lot of compact camera for your money. With a 20x wide-angle zoom, the 12.1-megapixel PowerShot SX20 IS offers intelligent, versatile shooting power. Switch to Smart Auto mode for effortlessly great results, or shoot stunning HD movies.

The PowerShot SX20 IS is equipped with many of the same features as a higher-end camera: an ultra-powerful zoom, eye-popping resolution and advanced picture-improving technology. 12.1 megapixels of resolution gives your photography incomparable depth and ensures that any section of any shot can be enlarged and cropped with no loss in quality when you edit the image even if you choose to print the image. It can create crisp, clear 13 x 19-inch posters.

Technical Details
-High-powered 20x wide-angle optical zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer
-Capture 720p HD movies with stereo sound; HDMI output connector for easy playback on your HDTV
-2.5-inch Vari-Angle System LCD; improved Smart AUTO intelligently selects from 22 predefined shooting situations
-DIGIC 4 Image Processor; 12.1-megapixel resolution for poster-size, photo-quality prints
-Powered by AA batteries (included); capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)

Unbiased review, September 16, 2009
By Objective analysis

Pros:

1) features
2) Super macro worked up to 2 inches in average light
3) ISO 100-3200
4) Aquarium anti reflection mode...worth trying for glass cases in museums.
5) Decent movies and easy to use and work
6) Good long range telephoto...not great but usable without carrying extra lens.
7) image quality average
8) tricky menus until understood and then works well...in viewfinder is nice...fast menu display.
9) Many options but are laid out well, dont clutter each other up...rotate selection works fast and well for P mode. AEB works fine but is slow. ISO 3200 works really well but as one would expect has noise, but the images are usable if you like to Photoshop your images...marginally acceptable but better than nothing if you cant use a flash or carry a tripod to art museums or Cathedrals
10) Zoom and digital zoom....the ability to have that compact zoom range, is better than having to lug around a lot of gear for the casual person...this is a people camera, not a photographers camera...this is not an SLR,$600 dollar lens, raw image camera, so dont have that expectation.

Cons:
1) Canon tightwads do not include a detailed robust manual like previous cameras, what do they expect you to do, download and print it out...or carry a laptop.
This is fairly stupid on Canons part, they could have at least created a one page cheat sheet like there is for the SX10 from third parties.

2) Unless you have hard surfaces and a lot of light, this camera has some serious focus issues in Auto mode....SCN mode seems to be ok and so are movies, but auto mode is misrable.....this is not a low light camera unless you have rock stable hands, the image stabilize does not seem to be that good, unless there is light.
G10 was an easier camera to use, but did not have the focal length. No problems with Macro that worked well and so did super Macro. The indoor setting was average but worked.

3) Jpg vs raw....this is a jpg camera, and what you get is average jpg images, so lower your expectation if you are looking for a wonderful jpg or really need the detail and color or raw.

4) Camera is ok sizewise but has an awkward balance, kind of stubby in the width, it is accetable but the camera does not balance well, a little tight and cramped, this is not a showstopper the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Believe what you read in all the reviews, when it takes a good picture it is really nice, but when it is bad it is really bad, seems to be the usually Canon issue, Canons like bright light....if that isnt there, they get noise.

You will really need to experiment with the focus options, and since cheap Canon, not unlike AGI, Enron, and other companies out to stab the consumer does not

Most Helpful Favorable Review

SX20 IS Great Hybrid Camera For Video And Stills
By: B. Massey "massmanjr"

Let me start off by saying that I'm not a professional photographer. My decision to purchase the SX20 IS was based on a desire to get an excellent still shot camera, with high capacity zoom, that also had HD Video (720p) capabilities. So, I began my research and spent many hours scouring the web to make an informed decision. I had narrowed my choice to the Canon SX20 IS and the Panasonic DMC-FZ35.

Here are some of the key specs of each camera:

Optical Zoom (Canon: 20, Pana: 18)
Still image files (Canon: Not Raw, Pana: Raw)
Articulating LCD (Canon: Yes, Pana: No)
720p HD video per 2 GB (Canon: 10 min 33 sec, Pana: 15 min)
Video file format (Canon: .mov, Pana: AVCHD Lite)
Battery Type: (Canon: 4 AA, Pana: Li-ion rechargeable)
Stereo Audio (Both)
SD Card Storage (Both)

[...].

In the end I decided to go with Canon for a few key reasons:

1. The articulating LCD (pull out, tilt/move) was a key factor, as I wanted to be able to shoot from many different angles. It came in handy very soon--the second time I used the camera--I was able to whip out the LCD and get some decent shots at a football game when I had to raise the camera high over my head to shoot over the folks standing in front of me.

2. The ability to easily share video files. The .mov file format is a more widely accepted format, which can easily be shared (without processing/conversion). The files are accepted on sites such as You Tube. The files can be played with Quicktime and other media players (e.g. VLC). Although the Panasonic camera uses a format which is more compressed and allows more data to be stored on an SD card, the file format is not as wide spread and not as easy to share with others, without converting the file.

3. Consumer Reports rankings for last year's model: Canon 1, Pana 5 (SX10 IS & Pana DMC-FZ28). I suspect the SX20 IS will follow the same trend this year when Consumer Reports releases their test results for 2009.

4. Canon takes AA batteries. This makes the camera slightly heavier, but you'll always be able to get economical batteries in a pinch, without the need for buying a proprietary lithium ion battery. May I recommend Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batteries. I bought some new on Amazon. They are excellent. I haven't charged them yet and I've taken 120 pictures and 40 minutes plus of 720p video. I've also played back the pictures and movies on my TV/Projector and transferred all files to my computer, using the same batteries, without charging them. And they are "..still going..."

Here are some sample pictures taken with the SX20 IS. Keep in mind that Flickr doesn't display the full, original picture which was taken in maximum resolution (in auto mode). [...].

I've taken some great up-close family shots and macro shots. They look great and are very detailed. I took some night/action pics (with the flash) and adjusted the shutter speed and ISO settings and the pictures looked great, given the conditions.

[...].

I apologize for the camera jitter in advance as I didn't have a tri-pod and I was in a tight area in the Stadium when I took the shots.

I must admit that I am thoroughly impressed with the video quality/resolution. I shot sample video from my 1 year old camcorder (Panasonic SDR-H40, a standard definition hard drive camcorder) and shot the same footage with the SX20 IS. The difference in quality was amazing. Not only was the Canon much sharper, but the richness and vibrance of the colors was so much better. I sold my SDR-H40 on Ebay within two days. I now will have only one camera to shoot stills and 720p HD video--the Canon SX20 IS. The videos from the SX20 IS looked awesome--on both my 32 inch 720p LCD and my 100+ inch screen via a 720p DLP projector. I connected the camera with an HDMI cable and bam, I was ready to watch great video and view still shots "on the big screen." See the above referenced links for video footage yourself. If I were given the opportunity to watch a football game shot in standard definition by ESPN or an HD version of the same game, shot with the SX20 IS (on a tripod, without my hand jitter), I'd pick the latter in a heart beat.

No buyer's remorse here! If you are looking for an SLR type camera, that does awesome stills and great 720p HD video (both zoomable at 20x optical), you'd be hard pressed to get more bang for your buck then the SX20 IS on Amazon.

One minor issue I've noticed is that when zooming in/out while shooting video, you can here a slight "click" when you initiate the zoom and when you stop the zoom. There is NO noise heard while the lens is zooming/telescoping in/out; the "click" is only heard when the zoom is initiated and when the zoom is stopped. The "click" is not that noticeable. I had to shoot footage in silence, after the kids had gone to bed, in order to distinguish the "click." In most shooting environments I don't expect it to be much of an issue.

Best of luck with your purchase decision.

P.S. By the way, the owner manual states that you must use the Canon software to transfer images/movies from the camera to a PC, else movies will not transfer (frames will be dropped) correctly and images shot vertically may be transferred in the horizontal orientation. So, don't just do a copy/paste of the files them self from the SD card. Keep this in mind as you view sample video on the web.

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