Canon SX10 IS - Time To Go Shopping!!

Topics: Reviews

I have been waiting like mad for this camera since March. The only reason why I missed its announcement is because I was searching for Canon S6 IS as the replacement for S5 IS. Apparently the new replacements are: SX10 IS and SX1 IS.

Just when I thought I was 100% sure which camera I’ll get, they make the choice difficult by giving two options.

SX10 IS vs SX1 IS

The main differences between the two are as follows:

SX1 IS uses CMOS while SX10 IS is CCD based.
SX1 IS offers HD videos
SX1 IS has a 2.8 “articulating LCD while the SX10 IS has a 2.5″ one.
SX1 IS is not available in North America.
SX10 IS ships out in October while SX1 IS will be shipping around November - December.

Which one to get?

I had a hard time with this question as I have access to both versions via relatives who will be visiting. However, the price differential is huge! The SX10 is $399 for pre-order on Amazon.com

The SX1 available in the UK is costing 519 pounds which approximates to $970.

So it is around $500 higher for HD video and CMOS so I have decided to pass for now.

Accessories

I do end up shopping a lot at Amazon and manged to add a few accessories for my SX10 ISl. I came up with these after a lot of research so hopefully it will save you some.

Kingston 8GB SDHC Class 6 Flash Card SD6/8GB
Turns out this camera can take SD HC cards. HC in SDHC stands for high capacity. SD cards work up to 2GB. So in order to get more GB you need to get an SD HC card. I prefer the Kingston brand as my previous Kingston card has been working great for ages.

Please note the higher the class, the faster the card. Class 6 is currently the highest one I could find.

Mobilelite USB 2.0 9-IN-1 Read
You might want to get a card reader which reads SDHC cards. Your old SD card reader will not read the Higher Capacity SD cards. While you are at it why not get one which reads 8 other cards and is small enough to carry around?

They have also thought of adding small lanyard with a metal ring to the cap so you don’t lose it. Talk about thoughtful! You can also hang it on a key chain because of the metal ring.

So this goes into my shopping bag as well.

SANYO eneloop 4 Pack AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries
The one thing I have always hated about AA NiMh batteries is they discharge too quickly. It really is a pain to charge them every few days when you are not using them. However, this can become a problem when you need to take that unexpected photo and your batteries are all drained.

The Sanyo Eneloop batteries claim to drain out much more slowly hence giving you the opportunity to not miss any precious moments.

I’ll be trying these out although I plan on getting the 8-pack as soon as it is back in stock.

Joby GP2-E1EN Gorillapod Flexible Tripod for Digital SLR Cameras
I am not much of a tripod person. I cannot dream of lugging one around all the time. Since I don’t do pro photography, it isn’t much of a concern either. However, there are times when I have felt the need. For example when I want to be in a photo and want to place the camera on a stand. Or if I want a bit more stability in low light conditions.

What I need is a mini tripod which won’t take up a lot of space nor weigh a lot. I almost bought the regular Tripods until I found this one. A flexible mini tripod. Now what can be better for casual use?

Love the fact that you can wrap this one around just about anything making it even easier to use.