Canon PowerShot SX200 IS

Canon's first proper travel-zoom, and a more serious camera than the digicam revival usually turns up. Announced in February 2009 to take on Panasonic's TZ series, the PowerShot SX200 IS folded a 12x, 28-336mm stabilised zoom into an aluminium body barely bigger than a standard compact — and then, unusually for the class, gave it full P, Av, Tv and Manual modes. Behind the lens sits a 12.1 megapixel CCD sensor driven by DIGIC 4, which is the specific combination people now hunt for: CCD colour rendering, but with real exposure control and a zoom range that actually reaches. It shoots 720p video with HDMI out, has a bright 3-inch screen, and Canon's four-stop optical stabiliser to hold the long end steady.

Specifications

• Sensor: 1/2.3-inch, 12.1 megapixel CCD
• Processor: Canon DIGIC 4
• Lens: 12x optical zoom, 28-336mm equivalent, f/3.4-5.3
• Stabilisation: Optical Image Stabilizer, rated around four stops
• Screen: 3.0-inch LCD, 230,000 dots — no optical viewfinder
• Exposure modes: Smart Auto, Program, Aperture priority, Shutter priority, full Manual
• ISO: 80 to 1600
• Video: 720p HD at 30fps, with HDMI output
• Storage: SD / SDHC / MMC
• Power: Canon NB-5L rechargeable lithium battery
• Released: March 2009

Condition

• Cosmetic: Excellent overall, with some minor signs of age and use.
• Functional: Working. The screen has some vertical lines running through it, as shown in the photos. These do not appear on the images the camera records.

Included

• Canon PowerShot SX200 IS body
• Battery
• Charger
• Memory card pouch
• Camera strap

The vertical lines on the LCD are the one thing to weigh. They affect composing and reviewing, not the files — what the sensor records is unaffected. If you can live with reading a slightly marked screen, this is a lot of camera: CCD colour, manual control and a 336mm reach in a jacket pocket. Battery, charger, strap and a card pouch are all included, so you only need to add an SD card.