Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I was looking for a camera to replace my Canon A3100 that I've been using for over 10 years. After considering the SX30IS and the S95 as well as the SX130IS I decided on this because of the price that I'd give the SX130IS a try. It's half the price of the S95IS. I'm very pleased with the shooting and detection of the SX130. The controls, setting, and everything is very much the same as my old A series so there isn't much of a learning curve for me. I like the automatic lens cover and the 3" screen. It seems to me that the super zoom capabilities of this lens doesn't capture motion as well as my A series and it doesn't have the Sport setting (the little guy running). But the low light cababilities is a huge improvement over my old A series point and shoot. Also, the color capture is a lot more vibrant. I'm guessing it is due to the super zoom lens. You have plenty of manual setting options where I can increase the ISO from 400 to 800 and the shutter speed from 1/30 to 1/60 to capture those fast motion images.
When using Zoom with these settings there is a graininess that gets progressively worse over 2X which is pretty much expected with all camera's with that kind of lens. Here is what I was looking for when I decided on this one.
Canon point and shoot A3100 replacement
AA batteries
good Zoom
good low light capture
HD video.
I found that the video frame rate is so much better then my old canon at 30 fps. It's better than my new Kodak and Olympus which are both shooting at 20 fps. I wish that I could get a better fps when shooting 480, I don't completely understand why Canon can't do that.
I was most excited to use the fish eye mode, but after shooting it, I don't for see me using it that much in the future. I'm really having a fun time shooting poster effect and color accent and see myself shooting in those modes more and more.
The reviews that I read mostly stated the same thing "For a person that want's a good point and shoot with a little more control" and this is exatcly true. In fact it is forcing me to increase my knowledge and skills in understanding photograpy.
PROS: I set the settings to display the Detailed information image properties to see the f, ISO, and shutter speed then maunal adjust from there. I like the color accent. I like the HD video. The Zoom lens is pretty useful in bright light/Full sun. And the low light to near darkness is pretty cool with a tripod and shutter speeds as low as 15 seconds. The continous shooting modes are super cool. Other reviews complain about the speed of the continous shooting, but for me half the price of the S95 and a fraction of the price for a T2 is not that much of a sacrafice over a second or to in speed.
CONS: I miss the Sports mode for easily capturing high speed action and motion. For $200 more I would get that with the SX30IS.
This kit that came with it was a good buy to me because of the 16GB card, the case, and the rechargeable batteries. I thought the flash would be more useful, but I'm only using it for movies. With regular pictures the Canon flash is just a good as the remote flash. And in low light, the color capture is better by manually setting the shutter speed and ISO then using both flash. There is too much color wash with both flashes firing at any distance in my opnion. The case is only just big enough to slip the camera in and I'll be getting a camera bag to shove all my other junk in. I'd pay even more if it came with a full camera bag cause the case is a little useless. The rest of the accessories are things I already own and are mostly the nickle and dime junk that I tend to waste my money on as I get more into photography as a hobby. But otherwise I think most people will never use. So, unless you are getting into photography and this is your bridge camera, don't get the kit. Just get the camera. You can always pick up memory cards and rechargable batteries latter.
Battery life. I read a lot a reviews that complain about the battery life. Yes, using rechargables give's you more life, so does setting the lcd brightness down or off. It really is the flash and lcd that is burning that battery. Turning both off gives me better battery life that my Kodak and Olympus with the flash and lcd on. But doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose? The trade off is that when the batteries die and I'm at the beach or Disneyland, it is easier to run into the store and pick up a few AA's then looking for an electrical plug and sitting there for 2 hours to charge or carting around a bunch of lithium back up batteries.
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Canon PowerShot SX130 IS Digital Camera (Black) with 16GB Card + Flash + (4) AA Batteries & Charger + Accessory KitKit includes:♦ 1) Canon PowerShot SX130 IS Digital Camera (Black)♦ 2) Transcend 16GB HC SecureDigital Class 4 (SDHC) Card♦ 3) Sunpak FL-VL Combination Camera Slave Flash / Camcorder Video Light with Bracket♦ 4) Precision Design USB 2.0 SecureDigital (SDHC) High-Speed Memory Card Reader♦ 5) Precision Design Memory Card Storage Wallet♦ 6) Precision Design (4) 2900mAh AA NiMH Batteries & 110/220V Multi-Voltage Rapid Charger♦ 7) Precision Design C190D Digital Camera Case♦ 8) Precision Design Flexible Tabletop Mini Tripod♦ 9) ImageRecall Digital Image Recovery Software♦ 10) Microfiber Cleaning Cloth
The PowerShot SX130 IS features stunning 720p HD while using the 12x Wide-Angle Optical Zoom with Stereo sound and modes like Miniature Effect, and Fisheye Effect.
Take more high-resolution pictures with this 16GB High-Capacity SecureDigital (SDHC) memory card.
The Sunpak FL-VL's powerful wireless slave flash and integrated video light can greatly improve the overall quality of images and videos in low lighting conditions.
Transfer files quickly with this convenient USB 2.0 SecureDigital (SD) Card Reader.
Keep multiple memory cards protected and organized with this durable storage wallet.
Provide your camera with plenty of power with 4 ultra-high capacity 2900mAh Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries and amulti-voltage rapid charger.
Protect your digital camera with this high-quality, padded carrying case.
Take sharp, blur-free photos and great macro shots with this flexible tabletop mini tripod.
Retrieve lost or deleted images from your memory card with Image Recall Digital Image Recovery Software.
Keep your camera and lenses smudge-free with this handy microfiber cleaning cloth.
Click here for more information about Canon PowerShot SX130 IS Digital Camera (Black) with 16GB Card + Flash + (4) AA Batteries & Charger + Accessory Kit
