Canon PowerShot Zoom Review

PhotographyBlog has taken out the Canon Powershot Zoom for a review. They were not terribly impressed with it.

Their chief complaints were image quality and autofocus, which they felt was subpar.

However, when I look through their sample images, I see images that no smartphone will be able to get. Isn't that the point of it? Personally, 'm still getting one of these for the times I really want the reach. No phone is going to have a good 400mm or 800mm zoom capability, not even Samsung's next-generation Universe Zoom ;)

You can purchase the PowerShot Zoom through the following retailers. Now is a good time to start thinking of stocking stuffers, and I really think this is a great one.

B&H PhotoVideo

They gave it a below-average rating with the following break down in their categories

Design	3 stars out of 5
Features	2.5 stars out of 5
Ease-of-use	3 stars out of 5
Image quality	2 stars out of 5
Value for money	3 stars out of 5

They conclude;

The 0.39-inch EVF with 2.36-million-dot resolution and 60fps refresh rate provides a clear and smooth viewing experience, being paired with the decent optical stabilisation. This is fundamentally the single and most important reason to consider the PowerShot Zoom.

Is the smooth and stable handheld viewing experience alone enough to merit the significant higher price over an optical monocular? Well, maybe, but the PowerShot Zoom can take photos and videos, too.

Sadly, we cannot recommend the Canon PowerShot Zoom as a photographic tool. Image quality is poor, while autofocus performance and limitation is frustrating when closer to subjects. This is some old tech in a new monocular shell.

Shift your stance on the PowerShot Zoom a little, considering its photo and video capability purely as a bonus to its versatility as a digital monocular, and it fares better.

Read the full review here