Canon PowerShot TX1 digital camera
Canon PowerShot TX1 digital camera
Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
Canon PowerShot TX1 digital camera
Price: $700
Curious hybrid
The low-down: This is a 7 megapixel still camera with movie and sound recording functions. The lens is a 10x optical zoom (39-390 mm film equivalent). The camera is held vertically with the narrow edge facing forward and the very small control buttons are placed on the back edge. The LCD viewfinder swivels and can be used at waist level, overhead or facing forward for self-portraits. The stereo microphones are located on the front of the LCD. There are dedicated buttons for shutter release and for movie mode, which are reasonably well placed. However, the control buttons and joystick are tiny. Manual controls are limited but the camera uses Canon’s excellent ubiquitous Function button to access manual overrides. It is small and easily fits in a pocket.
Like: The movie function is good. The camera boasts that it is “high definition”, and it does take widescreen movies at 720 vertical lines, so it is higher definition than our standard TV. However, at its highest setting only about four minutes of movie will fit on a 1 GB memory card. The sound quality is good, the zoom is smooth and autofocus tracking is excellent.
Dislike: The quality of still images is not high. The output from this model is best suited to standard postcard-size prints or for sharing on the internet. The high ISO setting is unusable.
Verdict: Given the high price of this camera compared with other compact digitals, it must be said that if you do not intend to shoot video, you get better picture quality and ease of use from Canon’s excellent Ixus range. But this has its charms, not least of all its amazing ability as a video camera. We shot widescreen and displayed on a quality 16:9 TV and the results astonished us. It is a lot of fun and the danger is that in the camera shop the heart might rule the head. You have been warned!
Add comment September 14th, 2007