Canon Powershot Zoom Review

[@reg171reg]

You can also avoid going into the menus by not buying it.

[@petedraper5185]

Shane Doyle. LOL - literally.

[@llamabearduck]

Nice. Reminds me of what I say when I see some ad suggesting I can save 50% or so off on something. I say to myself, “ I can save 100% if I don’t buy it at all.”

[@bleuebloom]

@@llamabearduck lol parents need to hear that when they see those ads and wanna get something they don’t need at all

[@KandiKlover]

Best life hack so far! I think I’ll do that thanks. DSLR ftw

[@Baracudus]

This might be the hack to save real battery life. 😎

[@BrendanEvan]

This feels like something that would have been really cool 12 years ago

[@KandiKlover]

I wonder if CHDK will make a hack firmware for it so that it can shoot RAW.

[@akhyarrayhka4048]

it probably made for Japanese Olympics

[@Sabundy]

12 years ago.....sounds about right. Roughly about where Canons headspace seems to be

[@FreakyChumy]

Greatly agree, it's best for watching sexy neighbors on the other apartment... And recording them?

[@fluffybison4655]

@@FreakyChumy perfect for spying on the sorority girls having pillow fights

[@KleversonRoyther]

I've lived most of my life with a monocular because I have low vision and seeing Canon's ad for the first time I thought I had found what I needed. Thanks to this review I found out it's quite the opposite.

[@crowrequiem3934]

feels like a product that's been delayed for 10 years before production...

[@videosuperhighway7655]

They found a large warehouse during an corporate audit filled with obsolete New old stock parts for a project that never took of years ago so they decided to build a product around the components.

[@KandiKlover]

@@videosuperhighway7655 a Jalopy if you will.

[@marcp.1752]

10+ Years ago, we've had much better Image Quality...via Compact Cameras, and 5 to 10 MP.

[@Sabundy]

Sounds about right for Canon

[@suzannekusick1075]

I have the powershoot and I love it. I take it birding and it’s perfect to carry around with me as I sometimes hike up to around 8 miles while I’m out. Yeah, you’re not going to be able to get professional level photos but I just want to document the birds I see and it’s been great for that.

[@louloop9137]

Is this good to record live concerts? Can this record video while charging?

[@ScottsReviews]

I was looking at the calendar and making sure it wasn’t April 1

[@jochenkraus7016]

I was wondering whether this was a retro tech review until he showed the USB-C port ;-)

[@rerewewrwrwrw]

Why? This is completely relevant for dpreview to review. Do grow up abit!

[@CALISUPERSPORT]

You mean April 1st, 2010? Because that’s the year this camera appears to have been developed.

[@KandiKlover]

@@jochenkraus7016 usb-c is stupid outdated fad, trash connector.

[@ales_krejci]

lol same, I am still not sure whether this is a real product, is it?:-)

[@kylelambert6045]

I own this camera and I generally agree with the video. I will just add that it works well for the reason I bought it - that is, as a wildlife photographer, I want to always be ready to get a picture of a cool bird that I come across in my day-to-day, and this camera is much much smaller and lighter than my dslr and telephoto lens. The image quality is admittedly mediocre, but it's a really convenient device to carry with me in my backpack if it's not feasible to bring along my full gear setup. It's a neat little device that allows me to get better zoom photos in a pinch than I will get out of my phone, so I'm happy with it.

[@neolexiousneolexian6079]

I think the ZS60 is both cheaper and technically superior in basically every measurable way.

[@zakiradi450]

What’s the sensor size?

[@DustinBKerensky97]

When I first saw this I thought the same thing; it's not a camera, it shouldn't be compare it to cameras. It's a stabilized monocular that can take pics, which which is an interesting idea. Especially given that smart phone cameras are garbage at zoom, if you want to take some casual pics without the 10lb of gear you need something else and this fits that niche (as small as that niche is).

[@jochenkraus7016]

@@zakiradi450 ZX60: 1/2,3" 18MP Powershot Zoom: 1/3" 12MP If I calculated correctly the megapixels are roughly proportional to the sensor size.

[@luc7976]

Or the Canon SX720 also with 1/2.3" 20MP and 24-960mm. And those 2 also have 4K video. Price isn't really that different so not sure why Canon released this unless it's really much more compact.

[@LaveaFirmis]

I love how professionally you are able to say: The focal lengths are too limited The battery life is lousy The side door falls off The menu is horrible It fundamentally doesn't have enough buttons It shouldn't be used outside because its not outside proofed where its target audience is going to use it The auto focus is clueless Etc.

[@kylosalvesen]

Did canon have some point-and-shoot sensors left over from 2010 they had to find a use for?

[@xmeda]

My 2006 camera has better image output :D

[@LuigiVN]

xmeda yeah my Rebel XTi with a shitty 75-300 would do better. However, my Rebel does not do video. Or 10 fps.

[@bitspacemusic]

This was first on a Japanese crowd funding site and sold out in six hours. It got some press and I guess Canon decided to launch it. Sort of, I had to order directly from Canon.

[@KandiKlover]

@@LuigiVN DSLR video is a dead fad that no one except boomers have done after 2014. You can get a nice 1D Mark 3 or 4 that does 10 FPS and can get from around 400$. Still really great photo cams. Just use you iPhone for video or get a real camcorder.

[@ruolov1]

I want to know if there's no Canon shutter button delay or that Canon sound??? I don't even own a Canon.

[@QawiemJamil]

Oooo GH5 instead of the S1H? Interesting. When was the last time an episode was shot exclusively on the GH5? Long live M43

[@dhananjayringe]

For a second i thought this is an old video. And then he mentioned the type c port. And i was like okay maybe not so old

[@jochenkraus7016]

@@dhananjayringe Same here :-D

[@projectgoatse]

Don’t be a micro 4/3s loser.

[@QawiemJamil]

@@projectgoatse im just a hobo living in my mom’s basement. Should I start a gofundme to move from m43 to full frame?

[@cyrfung]

@@QawiemJamil Why stop at that tiny 35mm frame? Go straight to Hasselblad medium format or at least Fuji GFX! /s

[@kyle_medina]

Being in a birding group in my area. I find this being very practical with the older generations that don't want anything heavy.

[@kalisti2323]

If you reviewed fridges I wasnt interested in I'd still be here :D

[@Sabundy]

Canon just baffles me in terms of what the hell are they doing? I'm glad they are trying to develop new products, and they need to as the camera market is changing. But when they come out with such half assed products It's difficult to understand where their head is at 🤷🤷🤷🤷🤷

[@AlohaBiatch]

Considering the price of stabilized monoculars and binoculars, I think this isn't such a bad deal. Especially since it gives you the option to take photos and videos with it compared to the former. It's clear that this is intended for a market of people who just want a camera that adds a little bit extra to their smartphone capabilities. For Instagram pictures etc having this little pocketable telephoto may be more than enough.

[@tedwingate]

My New Year's resolution was to be more positive. This isn't helping.

[@YoungBlaze]

Time to go back! Into time

[@nikoolix]

Your new year's resolution is probably higher than the sensor resolution of that device.

[@YoungBlaze]

@@nikoolix lol nice 1

[@Sabundy]

@@nikoolix 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂....you sir....win the internet

[@anatolyivanov890]

Looks like something that got lost in mail since 2005 and just now arrived.

[@davidfrisken1617]

Canon, why does this product exist?

[@KleversonRoyther]

It has good reasons to exist, it just doesn't exist very well

[@MrCaerbannog]

Yep. What we really need is for Sony to notice this, then come up with a version that completely blows Canon's out of the water.

[@Life_Is_A...]

Why do smart watches exist?

[@davidfrisken1617]

@@Life_Is_A... Because they are useful and practical tools.

[@leonardodosvinci4130]

@@MrCaerbannog Yeah but only problem will be the second mortgage you need to get it.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Thanks for the review guys! This seems *almost* perfect for people like my in-laws, who are surrounded by nature and spend their time watching birds at the feeder, bobcats, coyotes, deer, turkeys, etc. They always try to take smartphone pictures to support, say, "Look how big this bobcat is!" but they're frustrated with the telephoto quality. However, those photos will mean nothing if they can't share them, and they wouldn't be able to. They might even playback the images on-screen, which is what they always did with their old Canon, but they would never use the menu interface. I already know the Canon smartphone app would be impossible for them (they're ~70) and importing pictures from a micro SD card is a no-go. BUT, if the Mk II version has a playback button, built-in memory, and EASY linking to a smartphone (like pairing AirPods), they (and millions of others like them) would love it.

[@maxwiltshire6159]

I really feel Chris' pain in this video; he can't show it but he's dying inside having to review this absurd gizmo. Great job, Chris; you even managed to make a review of this POS entertaining!

[@MichaelSeneschal]

If you’ve ever been a soccer mom on the sideline trying to get a video of your kid on the field far away in bright daylight, I think this camera would be great.

[@SamTaylors]

This just screams “designed for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020”. And perhaps for post-COVID sports events it might still be quite good?

[@andrewjones-productions]

Oh you mean the international event where the Japanese Government are intending to force non-Japanese to download an app (failure to do will result in entry to the country being barred) so that they can keep tabs on them on the premise of Covid-19 track and tracing? At this juncture, Japanese and residents like myself (possibly) will not be required to use the app. Seriously - this isn't a daft conspiracy theory.

[@ericssmith2014]

@@andrewjones-productionsThe “daft conspiracy theory” is imagining that this is something more than a desperate gesture to make holding the Olympics in 2021 seem anything less than totally negligent. “Ah, coronavirus. At last, we can track tourists for a week each.”

[@Sabundy]

@@ericssmith2014 so what do you propose? That they just flush billions down the toilet and cancel it altogether?

[@DustinBKerensky97]

It's an interesting product to fit a very small niche market. Monocular viewing and photography when you don't want to haul a DSLR with 400mm f/4. Sometimes I don't want to haul a full size camera around but I still like being able to take casual pictures. Previously I had a decent pocket camera to do that job but now I find a smartphone fits the bill as long as lighting is good; but the telephoto of a smartphone is garbage. Having a casual zoom to go with my casual phone is an interesting idea. Hard to say if it beats just carrying a pocket camera though. But monocular viewing wildlife is better than staring at the back of a zoomed pocket camera. Like I said, a small niche but I see a reason for it (now give it more than a 1hr battery life).

[@steveschnetzler5471]

My ideal bird watching tool would be a good binocular, with great autofocus, stereo photos, high MP, fast shutter speed, low light, and stabilized (two synchronized A73s maybe). or an invisible & silent drone I could just chase them with. Nice review, thanks.

[@mattslaboratory5996]

Wow, for everyone who was disappointed in the Sony A7Siii this is very exciting -- exactly what we're waiting for! Thanks for calling it to our attention. I imagine Jordan will be using for all of your vids from now on.

[@TazawaTanks]

This is great tech...for 2009! I wonder how this would compare against a modern smartphone with a Moment tele lens attached?

[@focuspulling]

Just another reminder that "vloggers" won't dare bite the hands that feed them, when reviewing horrifyingly bad products like this.

[@antrumkfpsalatschleuder8768]

I use this as a biologist when I’m out on the field I usually have only a smartphone with me but I sometimes see a interesting bird or a mammal in the distance and just get a casual shot of the animal to share the pictures with a college and have a little conversation with colleges. Also I have prove if I see a rarer species per change even I don’t research this species in particular.

[@Potatisem]

I like that you cover these odd gadgets as well!

[@Halbmond]

2:39 So this is a digital monocular with a giant zoom for getting facial expressions or kids doing stuff … got it 🤨🤨🤨 This is the weirdest camera in years, and the only noteworthy thing about it is its creep factor

[@onegrapefruitlover]

Exactly. Telephoto, small, stealthy, daylight-only? Sounds like it was designed with the beach creep in mind....

[@K1989L]

Yup. One handed action leaves your other hand free to do one handed action.

[@23Scadu]

What I don't understand is, if you're only gonna have two fixed focal lengths available, why not just use two prime lenses and a moving sensor instead of a zoom? Maybe it's cheaper this way, but the optical design must be way more complex (and compromised).

[@Halbmond]

The sensor is going to be tiny and cheap, so instead of moving it, I think they could have also just gone the smartphone route and implemented one sensor for each prime lens.

[@KandiKlover]

CHDK could end up making a firmware that lets you cycle through the zoom range and shoot raw. Nearly every powershot camera has a CHDK for it.

[@RomainSandt]

Me: -Hey that's an awesome idea ! Also me after watching : -Ok that's crap.

[@Illuminationsfromtheattic]

I'm kind of tempted to get this as a gift for someone with no interest in photography, but who would probably get some use out of it for wildlife viewing. Thing is, I could just buy them binoculars, and when you compare this camera to binoculars I kind of think the binoculars are the better buy.

[@GeekyAndroidTipsOfficial]

"Can't zoom with your smartphone" *laughs in Galaxy S20 Ultra"

[@truthseeker6804]

well your phone likely cant zoom as far as this. the samsung phones are usually 10x optical and the rest is digital.

[@masklayer_garbage]

I gave my parents a coolpix a900 a couple years ago so they could get more usable pictures of birds and wildlife on walks to identify and look at later - this MIGHT be interesting for them as a tool like that. The camera is more complicated than they need most of the time, and they don't use it as much as I use mine for that stuff. But they do bring binoculars. If this could be more like binoculars that can save a frame than the camera is, it might be useful. But the battery life and usability problems (navigating those menus looks horrible) probably outweigh any simplicity benefits, at least with this version.

[@bertplus]

Welcome back DPTPDT viewers

[@MM-zm9lh]

Lol I was expecting for Jordan to thoroughly dissect the video features somehow.

[@jochenkraus7016]

It has 24p so it's clearly made for cinematic stuff ;-)

[@juanquispe3494]

Perfect birthday gift for your local gynecologist.

[@joeframo3347]

Hey Chris I've been watching you and Jordan for the last 12 years it's amazing man I'm actually watching you guys grow older I remember watching you too you look really young 12-15 years ago it's amazing how time flies thank you for sharing this video I definitely will not buy that 👍

[@glsracer]

I only watched because Chris was presenting... The GH5 footage was great as usual. I remember thinking this device might be interesting if the price was really low, then I saw that the zoom was fixed 100 or 400 and the sensor was a 1/3 instead of a 1/2.3. I guess there's a market somewhere but most of the photos look like something out of a P&S cam from 2004 to 2008 so I'm wondering who will actually be happy with these photos.

[@zacredacted2137]

Chris just sounds upset that he had to make this video. lol

[@ayayoutuber]

Should have move the budget to make more eos m lenses or a better m50 or put a better heat solution for r5. Now the r&d budget is wasted and canon will never make it back

[@zacredacted2137]

@@ayayoutuber idk the r5 has been sold out since launch

[@perilthecat]

GAH! KZbin just recommended me the promo video for TCS that you guys did right at the inception of TCSTV. I watched it and now I feel super weird (old)! You both were baby face! Ev looks about 20 and even Dave didn’t have much grey hair.... 2009 wasn’t that long ago was it 😭

[@drobin333]

I think it is a great recreational tool. Something this small is not going to have the best tech specs. It is handy to use when a camera is not available. I had mine for about a year and a half and it just stopped working, essentially wouldn't power on. Fortunately, I had purchased the care package so it was quickly replaced. Oh, its nice to be able to transfer the images to a smart phone via the Connect App.

[@danieldougan269]

What a great idea for us birders. I would take it everywhere! And I love that it shoots 24 fps video.

[@bogrunberger]

In 2007 I bought a Panasonic FZ50. It wasn't an amazing camera even at the time, but it was a super zoom camera with up to 420mm zoom. And the image quality looked better than on this!

[@tomcruz3774]

So you're telling me I can vlog with this, right?

[@joshuacasabuena]

Waiting for Canon PowerShot SX750 HS to release. 😅

[@B9scrambler]

A camera hand-crafted by Canon's Cripple Hammer. Interesting.

[@ZaberAnsaryOfficial]

Great birding monocular

[@snowwalker9999]

Canon, recycling left over sensors again. But thanks for the review. It’s actually a neat little device to carry when you go to a bird sanctuary or a zoo.

[@mantrax314]

A very Curious device. I think would be very practical for some bird watching person

[@markyteo]

We are just here for Chris and Jordan

[@g0ral]

canon as always. they could made good product with smooth zoom, but no. they are canon and they need to grab as much money as they can and give back to customers as little as they can.

[@lord7739]

I think it will be better if it's linked to your smartphone and do all the menu and VF on the phone.

[@AndrewWorkshop]

What is the use case for this?

[@Azergoth]

Hi! I really love your channel, I think it’s one of the best out there and I don’t miss a single episode. You should be careful with equivalent aperture, however. This could lead to misconceptions of the product: this is not a 400 mm f/6.3 equivalent, but a (real) 55 mm f/6.3 or 400 mm f/25 FF equivalent. The crop factor is roughly of 7 😉

[@junxia8119]

That’s exactly what I would like to give my ex girlfriend as a Christmas gift! Why didn’t it come out earlier?

[@markwallace1063]

Great review! I think you missed the best use of the Powershot Zoom though. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology offers a free app called "Merlin" that uses deep learning AI software to identify birds in a picture. If you can take a picture of a bird with this camera, send it to your smart phone and use Merlin to id the bird on the spot, that would be a great learning tool for birders. If you still have it, it would be great to try that and tell us how easy or hard it is to send the picture to an iphone or android phone. It would be perfect if you can set it up to send every picture you take to your phone.

[@cmacd8879]

Good point, come to think of it, what if they built in Merlin into the firmware, and it would ID the bird in real time? That might find some takers - I know lots of people who enjoy birding with traditional binocs, but they struggle with ID sometimes because they have only their memories of the bird, no record. Most birders don't really want to become photographers, especially with the size of tele gear.

[@danielcastrillon7643]

Sounds very fun. I'll try it. 😃

[@insel71]

Thanks for the honest review. My 80 year old mother would love and then hate this.

[@lenneavy]

This feels like it could grow into an interesting niche if it was released in 2012 maybe. Now, for the similar price I can get Panasonic TZ90 which reaches up to 720mm ff equivalent with optical zoom alone and shoots raw.

[@K1989L]

I can't think of any other use for this than neighbour watching while he or she showers. Taking occasional pictures for ”later use”.

[@colintoews7458]

Must be an old throwback review from 2002. Neat.

[@alessandrosparapan1081]

Wouldn't make more sense to buy a Canon Powershot G7x to snap quick photos?

[@Janggut40]

Thank you for the honest review

[@louloop9137]

Is this good to record live concerts? Can this record video while charging?

[@mack_solo]

Imagine the boardroom meeting for this (Kasey?) CEO: Alright fellas, I just watched this incredible movie from 1977 called STAR WARS. There was a bino-monocular thing for scanning the surroundings for an escaped robot. We have Olympics coming up. I want people to be able to look for robots from a minimum of 4 meters. Also show two suns setting at the horizon... COO: Boss, we can lower the resolution in our Vixia and ditch the stabilisation - it'll make people see double. CEO: Stacey - that's brilliant!

[@SonnyBCreative]

how does it compare to other mono/binoculars with built in cameras?

[@villemononen5303]

Few years ago i got this idea, that a monocular would be nice with a good stabilizer. So i threw that idea to Olympus then. Anyways, the idea was that monocular could have the good stabilization, maybe activated on a push of a button (half-shutter like). That it could take pictures and maybe even video would be a nice bonus. Well, here's maybe a first modern take on that. Maybe there's something to it. It could surely be bigger than this, if it would allow better battery and sensor.

[@bitspacemusic]

It has a lot of cons, but I love mine. I haven't seen it in any stores on the web, I had to order directly from Canon. It's fantastic and weird. I do hope Canon continues and gives us a Mk2 with better sensor and 4k video. I don't care if it grows a little in size if the specs improve.

[@ratman89000]

Was actually looking at this so I’m glad they are reviewing it

[@MichaelSeneschal]

Casually gets a video of a COYOTE!!! Canada...

[@cmacd8879]

Ummm, he was at the Calgary zoo... in the middle of the city. Although, it is not that uncommon to see coyotes in more open parts of western Canadian cities.

[@vidthreenorth4007]

Actually, it would have been good to compare this to a Sony Handycam HDR-CX405. The Sony on paper is a lot larger, but when you have it in your hand, it would probably be less of a difference. The CX-405 zoom reaches around 800-900mm equivalent optically (O P T I C A L L Y) and pushes out further digitally. It has 50 mbps XAVC-S FullHD video at up to 30 fps. It has IBIS that works really well. It has replaceable batteries. It does NOT have an optical viewfinder, but it does have a fully articulated screen. And it probably costs around $200 US (I haven't checked lately). And Sony has a couple of better camcorders almost about as small for more money. The sensor is 9.2 MP and the still photos are, bigger. Roughly 4K size I think? Panasonic has camcorders in that size range too with even longer zooms.

[@mikebaginy8731]

An interesting device for quite special uses.

[@snovimgodom2009]

Maybe the only one monocular which records in 1080?

[@mandithompson8415]

I am going on an Alaskan cruise and a train trip to Canada in the mountains. Can you recommend a binocular that takes pictures of the zoomed in image?

[@Kazeoku]

Thank you for doing this review.

[@fadlya.rahman4113]

This is a great camera for airshow if they can improve the autofocus.

[@Spazza42]

This feels like a camera that's great for an older audience who just want to get a good snapshot as a keepsake. The vast majority of us get good shots using our phones, this little telephoto is the same but just has the reach for the subjects that are further away. This isn't for people with DLSR or Mirrorless systems.

[@pauluk2109]

Great review. Is there anything else like this on the market? Had a look but can’t find anything so will probably buy it for taking pictures of birds in the garden and stuff like that. I don’t really need a top of the range camera.

[@sabymondal]

Great review! Is there any competitor of this device?

[@PaulGPixelBike]

Canon Powershot Zoom be like "kill...me..."

[@toddysurcharge771]

This reminds me...can you do your retro gear reviews thingy that you used to? I loved that segment.

[@rogernuffer]

I have a feeling we will see this camera/monocular/thing again at the 2021 DP Review awards.

[@frank26080115]

I almost think that you'll have a better time buying a smartphone adapter for binoculars, would you do a comparison in a video for us?

[@JusticeFreedomDestin]

I was really interested in this but perhaps I'll have to wait for a V2

[@Nubrigtube]

Took me a good 7 minutes to realize this was DPReview TV, I was like "where's the familiar intro?"

[@youknowwho9247]

Seems like a glorified, overpriced spy cam for perverts to me...

[@KandiKlover]

Nothing wrong with enjoying booty.

[@toddysurcharge771]

Good call dude

[@joeframo3347]

Hello Chris hello Jordan hope you guys are doing good watching another great video of yours you two are inseparable 💖🇺🇸👍🖐️

[@blsof8bc]

Great, quick review. Thanks.

[@mikeward1701]

Would this be good for a partially sighted person instead of a regular optical monocular?

[@The_Essential_Light]

Not being weather sealed is a deal breaker.

[@thebitterfig9903]

With weather sealing and maybe better battery life, this would have served a purpose. Someone who likes to hike, doesn't really care about cameras, but would like reach to shoot a bird or animal or two.

[@robertobetta9602]

Very informative review, thanks!

[@VulcanSpock]

Wonder what kind of a product is this, what problem is solves or what convenience it brings to photography, what goes through the minds of Canon designers.

[@AdamAllen]

Cool concept ..built on a mountain of dealbreakers.

[@IFrancyISantosI]

This would need a proper pro model with better sensor, pdaf, better processor and some buttons more

[@GAZZADVENTURESVLOGS]

Thanks, for the review.

[@SGAndyAng]

Because it's light, it will be perfect for viewing archery targets when you are practicing alone. ;-)

[@swray2112]

Sad, I didn't expect it to be great, but was it was a good step better. I hoping to grab one to supplement my iPhone 12 Pro Max to have a telephoto while cycling.

[@christophmunch4796]

I didn't know that Canon licenses products by Fisher Price.

[@OccultDemonCassette]

They seriously only have 100, 400 and 800 equivalent modes in this? I just want a quick and easy 28-200 equivalent 35mm frame pocket viewfinder thing so I can just pull that out and look around instead of always getting my camera out and then not have the best framing.

[@Phoeliz]

Was wait for video mode review, looks like a no go