Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

As of 12/31/2010, due to time constraints, I will be unable to actively participate in further discussion over the SX210. You can, of course, still post your questions in hopes that someone else more seasoned than myself will be able to offer an answer. Good luck in finding the camera that best suits your needs =). THE REVIEW: This camera takes decent photos with one MAJOR exception that I will discuss later. However, it teeters right along the outer boundaries of the point-and-shoot category as it definitely requires you to get to know about ISO, shutter speed, aperture, and various other advanced camera options if you want to take the best photos. I am also satisfied with the video quality, although I was expecting better for HD. It seems that the only thing high def about the video is the actual pixel dimensions. It certainly doesn't produce true high def quality. Instead, it is grainy and lacking in clarity. With digital cameras, unnecessarily high pixel dimensions in video should be sacrificed for better quality. Leave true high def for camcorders and other video devices that can actually take advantage of the technology and keep the digital camera res to 640x480 unless it's actually capable of true high def. If not, call it like it is and advertise it as "wide screen" since, in reality, that's really all it is. I'm just trying to help others avoid the same misconception I had when I saw "high def video" since, to me, high def means high def. And now for the nitty gritty! I've since purchased and returned two SX210s, both of which were notorious for producing the lens shadow phenomenon caused by the position of the flash and the length at which the lens barrel extends from the camera. This combination of poor design implementation creates the potential for the SX210's lens barrel to actually block the flash, resulting in a shadow of itself being cast in the lower right corner of your photo. You might be thinking that all you have to do to is either retract the lens barrel to keep it out of the way if you don't need the zoom or simply turn off the flash. Both are certainly ideal solutions, but, unfortunately, retracting the lens barrel is not an option and the SX210 does poorly in low-light environments without a flash. The net result is an uncompromising camera that greatly limits itself in the conditions in which it can be used effectively. In spite of the fierce opposition you see me faced with in discussions here, I think most of you will identify with the shooting positions I demonstrate in my video review. I am certain that everyone has had those moments when they wanted to pick up their camera on a whim and take a picture of a friend, pet, or whatever other subject happened to be photogenic at the time. With the SX210, however, something so simple as taking a picture of a friend next to you on your couch can result in a fudged photo. Summary: I initially chose the SX210 because I simply wanted an all-around good camera. It was a major disappointment to me when I realized that I had to be conscious of where I was standing in order to avoid the lens shadow. Having to retake a photo because I happened to be too close to a wall or couch cushion was largely irritating, especially since this is a point-and-shoot, not a professional-grade SLR. I wish Canon implemented smarter design with the SX210 rather than resorting to the numbers game. 14 megapixels with such a small image sensor? Boasting high def video when it doesn't produce true high def quality? 14x optical zoom with a lens barrel so big it that blocks the flash? Canon, let's do better next time, shall we?