Canon PowerShot SX60 HS Digital Camera

I'm very happy with this purchase. I was sceptical about it since I have many other highend cameras (such as Nikon Df, Fuji XT1) and I was expecting to be disappointed from the image quality of this one. To the contrary ! I was pleasantly surprised. The lens is very sharp and the image quality is very decent with nice colors and WB. I'm not a pro, so I'm not looking for the perfect camera, but a superzoom was missing from my collection and I thought of buying this camera, instead of spending much more on a telephoto lens or a 1" bridge camera (such as the FZ1000). I used to own the RX10, but I sold it recently because it was more like a vacations camera. With this little beast (canon sx 60hs) you open new perspectives. The zoom range is amazing. you get to see details that you cannot see, not even slightly with the naked eye. Most importantly I loved the stablization, because it is very effective in video shooting. I also loved the 20mm wide angle, which does not show any visible distortion in video, at least not if the subject is around the center of the frame. I also liked the fact that it is very light and you can hold it with one hand, whereas the rx10 and fz1000 are much heavier. I also filmed a theater performance with it and the results were pretty decent. What I didn't like is that when I zoomed in and out, the lens moved abruptly for a fraction of a second, as if it were accelerating, which caused the picture to become unsteady. In this area the RX10 is much better, the zoom is slower and very smooth. I liked the fact that it has a mic port and I attached a rode videomic pro which works terrific. It even has in-camera settings for the sound level !As a bottom line, I would say, that this is a great vacation camera and a great camera for shooting action in good light. the broad zoom range gives you many possibilities and great flexibility and the body is light, but at the same time well made. The battery life is also good and the swivel screen very useful for video.If you are looking for a do-it-all camera, this is not it, because it has a relatively small sensor which does not do well in low light. for a do-it-all camera I would look for a used sony rx10 or panasonic fz1000, although they are much more expensive.If you use this camera in good light, it is terrific, especially for video due to the very good stabilization.

The image quality of this is sadly inferior to the SX50. A real shame, as Canon have made compelling changes to the design and build of this version. Notably, I found a lot of digital noise in just about everything I took. You can of course post process that out, but holding onto sharpness is a bit of a struggle.The bridge market is getting pretty crowded and is fast moving at the moment. I think sales of the SX60 will tail off pretty quickly unless Canon address some of its poor imaging issues with a firmware upgrade.On a positive note, its a Canon and build quality is excellent. I had no issues with battery life and Duracell do an excellent alternative to carry as a spare. The video quality is excellent(!) way better than stills. The mic port is powered so it will accept just about anything you chuck in there. I'm just not sold on the super zoom concept any more though. Once you examine your images, it quickly becomes apparent why this costs a few hundred quid compared to a DSLR and quality glass costing thousands. Very quickly, these cameras become a novelty if your photography is important to you. Its unlikely you'll be hanging anything on the wall shot with this, but then again that may not be your intended purpose.Great price for what it is, certainly a superb learning tool but I sent mine back. The image quality is just not there.

Great bridge camera. Fantastic x65 zoom yet not overly large and heavy. Sharp pictures. Easy to use straight away. As always you need to read the instructions to do the more clever stuff. My only criticism, and it might be operator error, is that I don't seem to be able to capture the full depths of the beautiful reds at sunset, and sometimes the greens are recorded far greener than they really are. It also has trouble with highly reflective materials, but as I rarely photograph workmen's yellow jackets it's not an issue for me.

Having already bought the earlier SX 50 model I was expecting this SX 60 to be another step up. It is not, OK the zoom is another 10x more but i was hoping for even more from this model. The zoom seems to have been gained at the cost of clarity and shutter speed. I use them for photographing cetaceans which are often distant and appear momentarily. I was disappointed with this and nearly gave three stars but on reflection 4 is pretty much right. Don't get me wrong, for the money its a lot of camera but it is just not as good as the SX50 which really is amazing. It is slower and not as sharp and interestingly can now be bought cheaper which shows Canon/Amazon seem to have come to the same conclusion!So I was a little disappointed initially but looking back I was wrong. I have used this camera for nearly two years now and it has become a good friend. The SX 50 remains as a back up, but as most of my work is long range the extra 15 X does make a difference. What is truly amazing is its robustness I use it out in the field on the coast or on boats on a daily basis. It has had all manner of knocks, gets damp, sometimes with salt spray and yet its still going strong. The image I have posted may not be impressive in terms of winning any prizes but the Risso's Dolphin was over half a mile away shot on sports setting and quite heavily cropped. The light was poor and yet I still have an excellent record shot. The second image is relatively close up taken from 5 yards away seconds after the first, again not a prize winner but really shows the exceptional versatility of this camera.Both images are hand held! I am not a professional photographer in fact always use either Auto or Sports mode. So I am upgrading my review to 5 Stars based on long term use and results!