Canon PowerShot SX20 IS Silver Digital Camera Get Canon PowerShot SX20 IS Price / Buy Online

Shop With Confidence! Video Direct® is an Authorized U.S. Retailer for Canon and Many Other Fine Brands!

Bristling with style and technology, the 12.1 Megapixel CanonPowerShot SX20 IS digital camera captures amazing photos, puts 720p HD movie-making in the palm of your hand, and injects you with excitement. The wide-angle, high-powered 20x Optical Zoom lens sweeps you off the sidelines and into the game, as if you were in the middle of the action. And because you can't always be at the perfect vantage point, the large, 2.5-inch Vari-Angle PureColor System LCD can be viewed diagonally so the perfect image is still easy to capture.

Making each image radiantly blur-free are Canon's Optical Image Stabilizer and DIGIC 4 Image Processor, so whether it's movies or pictures, everything is in true-life detail. The finishing touch? Canon's Advanced Smart AUTO mode automatically recognizes the perfect shot using Scene, Motion, and Face Detection Technologies. And by taking AA batteries, Canon's PowerShot SX20 IS is ready when you are.

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS Key Features

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS Digital Camera Supplied Accessories:

• Four AA-Type Alkaline Batteries
• Lens Hood LH-DC50
• Neck Strap NS-DC4
• USB Interface Cable IFC-400PCU
• Stereo Video Cable STV-250N
• Lens Cap
• Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM

Genuine Canon Lens with 20x Optical Zoom, VCM (Voice Coil Motor)

The PowerShot SX20 IS digital camera's precision lens allows you to shoot any scene from wide-angle to telephoto. Its 28mm wide-angle lens (35mm film equivalent) lets you capture more in every frame, so everyone fits in a family gathering shot. This 20x zoom lens has an equivalent 35mm film focal length of 28-560mm (f/2.8 at wide angle and f/5.7 at telephoto). Focal length is conveniently indicated on the lens barrel. The camera uses a VCM (Voice Coil Motor) for high-speed, quiet, energy-efficient lens movement with precise control. The optical zoom can be augmented by the camera's 4x digital zoom raising the maximum (35mm equivalent) focal length to that of a 2240mm lens.

The lens is optimized to fully exploit its zoom length and wide shooting angle in concert with the camera's high 10.0-megapixel resolution. UD glass effectively suppresses chromatic aberration, while enhanced negative refractive power ensures that distortion at the wide-angle is also corrected. Further aberration is controlled with the inclusion of a double-sided aspherical glass-molded lens and ultra-high refraction index lens.

Canon's heritage as an imaging company dates back over 70 years to the company's founding in 1934. Since then, Canon has worked hard to perfect the process of creating extremely high-quality optics for its line of imaging products and is now the world's largest manufacturer of cameras and lenses. Canon is a global leader in optical design, with many advanced and original technologies that allow Canon users to achieve the sharpest images possible.

DIGIC 4 Image Processor

Developed to speed up all operations between shooting and recording images, the DIGIC 4 Image Processor ensures that the PowerShot SX20 IS operates as quickly and intuitively as possible. Thanks to the DIGIC 4 Image Processor, the implementation of new technologies like Face Detection Self-Timer and Intelligent Contrast Correction do not slow down the camera's performance, or drain excessive battery power, ensuring that no matter the shot, you're always ready to go.

DIGIC 4 is Canon's most advanced image processor ever, and builds on the superb performance of its DIGIC II and DIGIC III predecessors. As the "nerve center" of the camera, DIGIC 4 brings excellence to many areas. Images have brilliant color and smoother gradations, and performance is fast and responsive. DIGIC 4 also empowers some of Canon's newest and most advanced features including Blink Detection, Face Detection, Face Detection Self-Timer and ISO 3200 for images in low light with improved noise reduction. DIGIC 4 not only allows higher ISO settings for beautiful images in low light or fast action shots, but also reduces the resulting 'noise' to keep image quality at its best.

Canon Optical Image Stabilizer (IS) Technology

Unlike electronic image stabilizer systems that typically cause degradation of image quality, Canon's Lens Shift Optical IS system is based on the advancements made in the development and refinement of Canon's EF and video lenses. Reduced in size to fit ELPH scale, this Image Stabilizer provides up to three stops of camera shake correction in shutter speed equivalent.

The Canon Image Stabilizer uses gyroscopic sensors to detect motion and generate a corrective signal to reduce blur caused by camera movement. An image-stabilizing lens group along the optical axis is shifted in response to the detected motion, providing effective cancellation of unwanted lens movement and vibration. Result-photos taken while zoomed in and at slower shutter speeds are not blurry, even without a tripod.

12.1 Megapixel CCD

12.1 megapixels of resolution give your photography incomparable depth and ensure that any section of any shot can be enlarged and cropped with no loss in quality when you edit the image and even in large printout. It creates crisp, clear 13" x 19" posters.

Full HD (1920 x 1080 Pixels at 30 fps) Movie Mode

The Canon PowerShot SX20 IS with Full HD movie gives you the ultimate convenience of owning an advanced still camera that also creates superb movies. Full HD with 1920 x 1080 pixels at 30 fps captures your memories with dazzling clarity, realism and brilliance.

High-Quality Stereo Sound

The PowerShot SX20 IS' stereo sound capabilities include 16-bit audio recording at sampling rates adjustable up to 44 kHz. Microphone recording levels are adjustable in 5 steps, as well as built-in wind filter to minimize extraneous sound. Now Mom will not miss baby's first words while she is at work or running an errand. Additionally, the camera can be used for recording lectures, dictation.

HDMI Output

The PowerShot SX20 IS also makes it easy to enjoy HD movies and photos on your HDTV with a mini-HDMI cable for direct connection to a high-definition monitor. This allows you to enjoy the full quality of HD with no degradation of image or audio in the signal, but also improves playback functionality, letting you view up to 130 still images at once.

ISO 1600 Sensitivity and Auto ISO Shift

Canon's advanced DIGIC Image Processor enables a range of ISO equivalent settings from 80 to 1600, achieving excellent image quality under darker conditions without a flash. With camera shake greatly reduced, you can shoot high quality images in many more situations. With Canon's latest Motion Detection Technology, it's even more advanced -- it also factors in camera or subjectmovement when setting ISO automatically. ISO can be expanded to 3200 when you select ISO 3200 Special Scene mode.

While sensitivity should in general be kept as low as possible for maximum image quality, too low a setting can cause camera shake and blurry photos. Auto ISO Shift instantly maximizes sensitivity for the given light, either automatically or at the push of a button. It minimizes camera shake, without the need to change the setting manually. The feature keeps you in creative control, allowing you to specify parameters for an ISO shift, or be notified when sensitivity is adjusted automatically.

Large 2.5-inch Vari-Angle LCD Monitor, Plus an Electronic Viewfinder

The SX20 IS digital camera's 2.5-inch LCD screen gives you the big picture, whether you're shooting, reviewing or showing off your images. This high-resolution screen offers a crisp, clear picture to make shooting, playback and using the camera's menu functions especially convenient. Clear and bright, it also features Night Display for easy viewing in low light. The Vari-Angle LCD screen swings out, permitting the user to compose shots from virtually any position, such as over-the-head or under the knees. It also has an electronic viewfinder that provides sharp images when you shoot close-up with the Super Macro shooting mode.

Servo AF

One of the most important new features made possible by the DIGIC 4 image processor is Servo AF, which is a form of continuous focus tracking for moving subjects. By pressing the shutter button halfway, the camera can track subject movement up to the instant of exposure, resulting in sharper photographs.

Advanced Face Detection AF/AE/FE/WB Technology With Face Detection Self-Timer

Your most cherished image often feature faces, and Canon's advanced Face Detection Technology gives every face its best chance to shine. With Canon's Advanced Face Detection AF/AE/FE/WB function, the SX20 IS can detect, lock on, and track up to 35 human faces in a scene. It can even detect profiles. The face detection algorithm automatically prioritizes and selects faces (based on Canon's Intelligent Scene Analysis/iSAPS technology). It will then optimize the focus, exposure, white balance and flash to help ensure the best possible results for even easier picture taking moments. The result is flattering portraits and group shots where all of the subjects are in clearer focus and accurately exposed.

Face Detection Self-Timer waits for the photographer to get on-camera before it takes the shot. For instance, to include photographer's face in a group shot, there's no need to rush in. Just put the camera on a stand or tripod, and specify Face Self-Timer, and the camera will wait for the photographer's face to get on-camera before it takes the shot. Face Detection AF finds faces, tracks them as you frame your shot, then delivers perfect focus. Face Detection AE makes all your group shots better by concentrating exposure on your subjects' faces, not their clothes or the background. Face Detection FE adjusts the flash exposure based on the location of the faces in the frame. Face Detection WB detects the faces in the shot and concentrates auto white balance on them, for the best possible skin tones.

Intelligent Contrast Correction

DIGIC 4 also makes possible the new i-Contrast (Intelligent Contrast Correction) system, which controls the compensation level in pixel units to brighten dark areas while leaving bright areas unchanged for better images where the main subject is dark, and more natural transition.

Motion Detection Technology

Canon's Motion Detection Technology makes it easier than ever to capture a clear, sharp image every time. As you compose your photos and snap away, it automatically optimizes ISO settings based on change of brightness and frame interval information, and motion detected by Optical Image Stabilizer, Face Detection, AE function and AF technology. All you need is to set High ISO Auto mode and the result is stunning photos with every shot.

Canon iSAPS Technology

Over the past 68 years, Canon has accumulated a vast amount of photographic data and know-how and used it to create some of the most innovative camera products in the marketplace. Now, using that same data and know-how, Canon has developed an exclusive technology called iSAPS (Intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) that can predict certain camera settings such as focusing distance, exposure and optimum white balance based on zoom focal length, overall light level and tonal distribution data. Canon refers to this collective data as "Photographic Space." By incorporating iSAPS technology into its PowerShot line, the cameras can analyze a scene just before the image is made and in doing so, increase the speed and precision of the camera's autofocus, auto exposure and auto white balance.

Advanced Red-eye Correction

Red-eye Correction provides three options for removing red-eye from subjects in flash pictures. The Red-eye Correction during shooting actually identifies and corrects red-eye in human subjects as pictures are taken. The SX20 IS can be set to automatically detect and correct red-eye during image playback. You can manually locate any red eyes in a scene during image playback on the LCD screen, and command the camera to remove them.

25 Shooting Modes, Including Aperture and Shutter Priority

The Canon SX20 IS offers a wide variety of shooting modes to optimize the camera's performance based on user preferences or shooting conditions. These modes include:

• Auto - The camera chooses all the settings so you can concentrate on your subject.
• Program - Access advanced exposure compensation features while shooting mostly automatically.
• Shutter Speed Priority - Select from a range of shutter speeds while the camera sets an appropriate aperture.
• Aperture Priority - Set the aperture to control depth-of-field while the camera selects shutter speed.
• Manual - The ultimate in creative control, you set aperture and shutter speed.
• Custom - Define and store your own settings to achieve the effects you prefer.
• Portrait - The camera sets a large aperture, focuses the subject and artistically blurs the background to make your subject "pop".
• Landscape - The camera uses smaller apertures when possible for increased depth-of-field on sweeping vistas.
• Sports - Ensures highly accurate autofocusing when shooting fast-moving subjects for capturing beautiful action shots.
• Night Snapshot - Capture people against a softly glowing night background without a tripod.
• Super Macro - Lets you focus less than an inch from the subject and discover a world of fascinating textures.
• Stitch Assist - Build inspiring panoramas by neatly aligning sequential images.
• Movie - Shoot in HD (1,280 x 720 at 30 fps) for up to 29 min. 59 sec. or 4GB, VGA (640 x 480 at 30 fps) and QVGA (320 x 240 at 30 fps) for up to 1 hour or 4GB per clip
• 13 Special Scene Modes

13 Special Scene Modes

The Special Scene modes allow users to achieve optimum results in popular picture-taking situations including:

1. Foliage - Capture brilliant shots of autumn foliage, greenery and flowers.
2. Snow - Shoot clear snow scenes without darkened subjects and bluish tint.
3. Beach - Get clear shots of people at a sunny beach without darkened faces.
4. Fireworks - Grab brilliant images of skyrocketing fireworks.
5. Sunset - Retain all the vivid colors of a sunset along with optimum white balance.
6. Night Scene - The camera automatically and intelligently selects the aperture/shutter speed combination based on the shooting conditions.
7. Aquarium - Permits low light, no-flash photography in situations where using a flash would ruin a picture by bouncing back off aquarium glass or other reflective surfaces.
8. ISO 3200 - Expands your ability to shoot in even darker settings without using the flash, and helps capture well-exposed images.
9. Indoor - Improves natural color and reduces camera shake while shooting under artificial light.
10. Color Accent - Choose to retain a single color in your image while other colors turn monochrome.
11. Color Swap - Enables users to alter specific colors in an image by sampling another color from the same image or any other image on the camera's memory card.
12. Long Shutter - Uses a long exposure for an artistic effect. Great for urban photography.

Direct Printing

You've taken the picture, reviewed it, like it and can not wait to print it out. What next? Direct Printing significantly expands the appeal of the PowerShot SX20 IS digital camera by making it simple, quick and convenient to produce high-quality photos without the need for a personal computer. Simply connect the SX20 IS directly to a Canon Compact or Canon Direct Photo Printer, as well as PictBridge compatible printer and press the blue lighted Print/Share button on the back of the SX20 IS and you are printing. Beyond its Direct Print capability with Canon's Compact Photo Printers and acclaimed Canon Direct Photo Printers, the camera is also PictBridge compatible, an industry standard that offers the flexibility of direct printing to other brands of PictBridge compatible printers.

The PowerShot SX20 IS digital camera supports Exif Print, a worldwide standard that transfers important camera settings and data from the camera to the printer ensuring the photos you print will look true to life. Moreover, DPOF 1.1 (Digital Print Order Format) lets users specify the images to be printed or execute batch printing of selected images.

SDHC/SD Memory Card, MultiMediaCard, MMC Plus Card, HC MMC Plus Card Compatibility

The PowerShot SX20 IS is compatible with the newest SDHC memory cards, which are available in sizes of more than 4GB, and can transfer files at a minimum of 6MB per second with a Class 6 Card.

Noise Reduction

Experienced photographers know that high ISO speeds can coincide with increased levels of noise: aberrant or stray signals that degrade image quality. With Canon's exclusive DIGIC 4 Image Processor, there is no need for compromise. DIGIC 4 offers a major boost in noise reduction signal processing to compensate for the higher ISO settings it enables.

Safety Zoom

Set a minimum acceptable megapixel count for images taken when using the digital zoom, and Safety Zoom will let you make optimal use of the digital zoom range. The zoom pauses at the end of your preset safety range, rather than at the end of the optical zoom range.

Fast and Responsive Shutter

The Canon PowerShot SX20 IS has a maximum shutter speed of 1/3200 second and can capture still photos continuously at rates up to 1.4 fps.

White Balance Control

A choice of preset White Balance settings gives you natural-looking images under almost any lighting condition. There's Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H and Flash. Select the one that fits your environment. You can also create and store a custom setting by focusing on a piece of white paper under your light source.

My Colors Function

My Colors lets you customize color before shooting and correct individual colors on the LCD screen as you shoot! Whether the desired effect is to make the color more real or surreal, these digital dynamos are capable of capturing and saving both the original still image and the enhanced color versions as separate files on the camera's SD memory card. Where previously, users could only enable "My Colors" while shooting, the current iteration permits captured images to be retouched as well, without the need for special software applications or tools.

Twelve modes offer many options:

• Vivid Green - Add vivid dimension to greens for extraordinary nature shots.
• Vivid Red - Charge up red objects in your images for extra impact.
• Vivid Blue - Emphasize the sea, sky, or other blue areas.
• Lighter Skin Tone - Lighten your subjects' skin tones paler.
• Darker Skin Tone - Darken skin tones a shade.
• Color Accent - Choose to retain a single color in your image while other colors turn monochrome.
• Color Swap - Enables users to alter specific colors in an image by sampling another color from the same image or any other image on the camera's memory card.
• Positive Film - Combines Vivid Red, Vivid Green and Vivid Blue to achieve a positive film effect.
• Neutral Color - Produces images of subtle, elegant tonality.
• Sepia - Recreates the look of vintage photographs.
• Black & White - Delivers enhanced clarity -- especially useful when shooting text.
• Custom Color - Set balance of red, green, blue and skin colors; finely adjust brightness and vividness.

Evaluative Metering, Center-Weighted Average Metering and Spot Metering

Three light-metering modes are available for precise exposure. Canon's sophisticated Evaluative metering is the ideal metering choice for most situations. There's also Center-weighted metering, which is perfect for shooters who prefer to dial in their own exposure compensation. Finally, for the utmost precision, there's Spot metering -- which can measure a tiny area at the center of the image.

Real Time Histogram

Real time histogram while shooting to check exposure levels.

High-Speed USB 2.0

The pace of image transfer is accelerated (when used with a USB 2.0 compatible computer, printer or other peripheral) thanks to the inclusion of a High-Speed USB 2.0 port. The USB 2.0 port is backwards compatible (at no increased speed) with computers featuring standard USB 1.1 connections.

Built-in Pop-up Flash

Shooting with flash never slows down the action. The Built-in Pop-up Flash retracts when not in use, and you can opt to allow the flash to pop up and fire automatically whenever the camera detects a low ambient light situation. The camera's 3-mode built-in flash includes Red-Eye Reduction.

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS Specifications

Type of Camera:

Compact digital still camera with built-in flash and Optical image stabilizer (OIS) system, 20x optical zoom/ 4x digital zoom/ 80x combined zoom

Image Capture Device:

12.4 million pixel gross, 1/2.3-inch type Charge Coupled Device (CCD), Approx. 12.1 Million Effective Pixels

Lens:

5.0-100.0mm, f/2.8-f/5.7 zoom lens (equivalent to 28-560mm in 35mm format)

Digital Zoom

4x

Focus Range:

Normal AF: 1.6 ft./50cm-Infinity (WIDE), 3.3 ft./1m-Infinity (TELE);
Macro: 3.9 in.-1.6 ft./10-50cm (WIDE)
Super Macro: 0-3.9 in./0-10cm (WIDE)

Autofocus System

TTL Autofocus

Maximum Aperture

f/2.8 (W), f/5.7 (T)

Shutter Speed:

15-1/3200 sec. (settable in Tv and M)

ISO Sensitivity:

Auto or User Set ISO 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 equivalent (Standard Output Sensitivity. Recommended Exposure Index)

Exposure Control:

Program AE, Manual, i-Contrast; Program Shift, Safety Shift, Auto ISO Shift, AE Lock

Light Metering Method:

Evaluative (Control to incorporate facial brightness in Face Detection AF), Center-weighted average or Spot metering (Metering frame when spot is center fixed)

Exposure Compensation:

+/- 2.0 EV in 1/3 step increments

White Balance Control:

Auto*, Pre-set (Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash) and Custom White Balance

* Control to incorporate facial color in Face Detection WB

Built-in Flash Modes:

Auto, Auto with Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On with Red-eye Reduction, Flash Off; FE lock, Safety FE, Slow Synchro

Flash Range (when sensitivity is set to ISO Auto):

1.6-22.0 ft./50cm - 6.8m (W), 3.3-12 ft./1.0m-3.7m (T)

Flash Recycling Time:

7 sec. or less (battery voltage=6.0V)

Flash Exposure Compensation:

+/-2 stops in 1/3-stop increments

Shooting Modes:

Auto, P, Av, Tv, M, C, Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Special Scene (Foliage, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Fireworks, Aquarium, Night Scene, Indoor, ISO 3200, Color Accent, Color Swap), Super Macro, Night Snapshot, Stitch Assist, Movie

Photo Effect:

My Colors: Off, Vivid, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Custom Color

Self-Timer:

Activates shutter after an approx. 2-sec./10-sec. delay, Face Detection Self-timer, Custom

Wireless Control

N/A

Continuous Shooting Speed:

Normal: approx. 1.0 fps; AF: approx. 0.7 fps; LV: approx. 0.7 fps (Large/Fine)

Viewfinder:

TFT color EVF

LCD Monitor:

2.5-inch TFT color LCD (vari-angle) with wide viewing angle, Approx. 230,000 pixels, LCD Coverage 100%

Resolution (Recording Pixels):

Still Image: 4000 x 3000 (Large), 3264 x 2448 (Medium 1), 2592 x 1944 (Medium 2), 1600 x 1200 (Medium 3), 640 x 480 (Small), 3840 x 2160 (Widescreen)
Movie: High Definition: 1280 x 720 (30 fps); Standard Definition: 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) Available up to 4GB or 29 min. 59 sec. (HD)/60 min. (SD) per clip

File Size: (average)

• Small/Normal - 84 KB
• Small/Fine - 150 KB
• Med. 3/Normal - 278 KB
• Med. 3/Fine - 558 KB
• Med. 2/Normal - 695 KB
• Med. 2/Fine - 1395 KB
• Med. 1/Normal - 980 KB
• Med. 1/Fine - 2060 KB
• Large/Normal - 1474 KB
• Large/Fine - 3084 KB
• Widescreen/Normal - 1109 KB
• Widescreen/Fine - 2132 KB
• Movie High Definition 1280 x 720, 30 fps - 3041 KB/sec.
• Movie 640 x 480, 30 fps - 1402 KB/sec.
• Movie 320 x 240, 30 fps - 480 KB/sec.

Image Storage Capacity:

Storage capacity varies depending on the scene or the subjects. This data is estimated from Canon's standard shooting conditions. Figures for Movie Mode represent total capacity of SD Card.

JPEG Compression Modes:

Normal, Fine, SuperFine

File Format:

Design rule for Camera File system, DPOF Version 1.1 (Digital Print Order Format)

Image Recording Format:

Still Image: JPEG (Exif 2.2 compliant); Movie: MOV (Image: H.264; Audio: Linear PCM, Stereo)

Recording Media:

SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card, MultiMediaCard, MMC Plus Card, HC MMC Plus Card

Playback Modes:

Still Image: Single, Magnification (approx. 2x-10x), Jump, Auto Rotate, Rotate, Resume, My Colors, My Category, Transition Effects, Over Exposure Warning, Slide Show, Histogram, Index (9 thumbnails), Red-eye Correction, Trimming, Resize, Image Inspection Tool, i-Contrast
Movie: Normal Playback, Special Playback, Auto Rotate, Editing, Resume

Erase Modes:

Still Image: single image, all images
Movie: part of movie, all of movie

Interfaces:

Computer Interface: USB 2.0 Hi-Speed (mini-B jack)
Video Output: NTSC or PAL selectable
Audio Out: Stereo
Other: Memory card slot; Direct connection to Canon CP, SELPHY, PIXMA Photo Printers and PictBridge compatible printers via camera's USB 2.0 Hi-Speed cable.

Power Sources:

Size AA Alkaline battery (x4)
Size AA NiMH battery (NB4-300, optional - 4 included, 4 required)
Compact Power Adapter CA-PS700 (optional)

Shooting Capacity:

Still Image*: approx. 340 shots (AA-size Alkaline Battery); approx. 600 shots (AA-size NiMH Battery)
Playback Time: Approx. 12 hours (AA-size Alkaline Battery); approx. 14 hours (AA-size NiMH Battery)

* LCD screen on. The above figures comply with CIPA testing standards and apply when a fully-charged battery is used.

Operating Range:

Operating Temperature: 32 - 104º F (0 - 40º C); Operating Humidity 10 - 90%

Dimensions (W x H x D):

4.88 x 3.48 x 3.42 in. (124.0 x 88.3 x 86.9mm)

Weight (Camera body only):

Approx. 19.8 oz. (560g)

All data are based on Canon's Standard Test Method. Subject to change without notice.

Canon High-End PowerShot Digital Cameras Feature Comparison Chart