Used Canon PowerShot SX260 HS Digital Camera, 12.1 Megapixel, 25mm Wide-Angle Lens, 1/2.3" CMOS Sensor, 20x Optical Zoom, 3.0" LCD, Black

2018-07-26T20:00:00

I got this camera in November of 2013 and am just getting around to writing a review. This camera went on our Alaska Cruise and inland tour to Denali. The pictures for a camera of this size are amazing. I was able to zoom in to sheep on top of mountains from the Denali tour bus. The pictures are of very good quality in all my activities. I have been very happy with this camera.

Bob W.

Originally posted at

2017-10-12T20:00:00

I bought it and it is bad. The lense did not zoom and it was not very good in the dark. The power button took a minute to turn on so if I wanted to capture something quickly it was not possible.

Johnson d.

Originally posted at

2016-01-03T19:00:00

just getting back in the game & started with an SX 260 hs, aside from the known battery issue i'm very happy with it, good build and image quality

rich

Originally posted at

2015-03-13T20:00:00

As a professional shooter, I always have a back-up body to my 5DIII - just in case. That being said, I use this SX260 as a back-up to my S95. It was obtained well after later models were issued, so this is a bit late for a review. I feel I can only rate a camera for what it is expected to do and not what I want it do (i.e., I can't downgrade it because it doesn't shoot RAW, as it wasn't sold boasting RAW capabilities. It works well, but I find the noise using higher ISO numbers - 600 to 800 - to be intolerable. The distortion in small print sizes is not acceptable and to reduce the noise using high-end noise ware programs makes the end result unusable. Not a bad camera for daylight or low ISO shots, but anything "dark" requires a flash. The type of photography I do does not allow the use of a flash, hence the downgrade from a 5 to a 4. Other than the noise problem, the prints seem clear and crisp and, although the files are not RAW, the jpeg files shot Large, superfine, are representative of the original shot so working with them in post program is not as difficult as with some other point and shoots. Color rendering is quite on point and the image stabilization also works quite well, I don't shoot video so can't say much about that. As noted before, this camera was obtained well after subsequent models were issued, so this review might be a moot point.

SoCal R.

Originally posted at

2015-03-13T20:00:00

As a professional shooter, I always have a back-up body to my 5DIII - just in case. That being said, I use this SX260 as a back-up to my S95. It was obtained well after later models were issued, so this is a bit late for a review. I feel I can only rate a camera for what it is expected to do and not what I want it do (i.e., I can't downgrade it because it doesn't shoot RAW, as it wasn't sold boasting RAW capabilities. It works well, but I find the noise using higher ISO numbers - 600 to 800 - to be intolerable. The distortion in small print sizes is not acceptable and to reduce the noise using high-end noise ware programs makes the end result unusable. Not a bad camera for daylight or low ISO shots, but anything "dark" requires a flash. The type of photography I do does not allow the use of a flash, hence the downgrade from a 5 to a 4. Other than the noise problem, the prints seem clear and crisp and, although the files are not RAW, the jpeg files shot Large, superfine, are representative of the original shot so working with them in post program is not as difficult as with some other point and shoots. Color rendering is quite on point and the image stabilization also works quite well, I don't shoot video so can't say much about that. As noted before, this camera was obtained well after subsequent models were issued, so this review might be a moot point.

fluke f.

Originally posted at

2014-07-01T20:00:00

We bought the camera just before going on a trip. We aren't professional photographers but like to take a lot of pictures on vacation, with family, etc. The "getting started" guide is very basic and doesn't tell you much more than putting the battery and memory card in and taking a picture. When we got home and downloaded the images onto our computer, we discovered the images were around 2.5 MB to 3.0 MB. There isn't any guide in the getting started guide about setting the image size. Having images this large is not very easy to share. You have to do some digging to find out what the right image size is for you. We are a little disappointed that the factory setting is on the max size.

Ralphie123

Originally posted at

2014-06-13T20:00:00

I've had this camera for a year and a half. I loved it and used it all the time with spectacular results (amazing nature shots with the zoom!) until the LCD screen started going dark on me unpredictably. I spent a bunch of time trying to figure out what was wrong and finally googled around on "SX260 HS dark screen" and found that there were a bunch of other people that had that same problem. Now I am trying to figure out what to do about this.

Snapper95

Originally posted at

2014-06-10T20:00:00

I use this camera for events where I can not bring my large camera, i.e. concerts and some outdoor activities. With the 20X optical zoom it is easy to get close to the action. If the Megapixels were a little higher it would be more than 5 stars, but for something compact you can't beat it.

14thcvi

Originally posted at

2014-06-02T20:00:00

It is a great camera for anybody to use and doesn't have very many down sides great quality of pictures and portable.

Canon

Originally posted at

2014-01-07T19:00:00

I love this camera and all pictures I have taken with it. I have had other brands and hands down best camera. I am still learning how and what settings to use, the best one's for different times of light settings. I have wanted a canon for some time, I couldn't afford a DSLR but I am not regretting my choice. I would still like a DSLR, but will definately keep this one. I bought this for our trip to Disney World last year and I can not complain about any of the pictures taken. Night pictures, fireworks, day, indoor, outdoor. My only complaint and it irritates me everytime I use my camera is when changing my exposure compensation, turning the dial I hit the flash button. It is a pain in the butt. If they could figure out how to put it a different way this camera would be the best camera.

annieb1110

Originally posted at

2014-01-07T19:00:00

This was a refurbished camera. No idea of what was wrong if anything from the original owner if it was infact owned. Possibly it was reject at the factory. It has been a great camera. Light sensitivity is wonderful. I went outside at night and took a picture of a star constelation and it came out great. I used a tripod. I purchased it for my wife who was going on a Mediterranean cruise. She is totally technically challenged when it comes to these devices. She took over 1400 photos that were absouletly perfect and had no difficulty. She took photo's out of a tour bus window on many occasions and you simply can't tell.

franky

Originally posted at

2014-01-05T19:00:00

Had this camera for abt a year. This works better than the rest. I've has many different Powershot's including the SX230HS. This camera out shines them all. Great pic quality and easy to operate in all menu modes. If I did not have an EOS too. I would buy another SX260HS for just to have in the truck. I highly recommend this camera, But you need to understand its menu. I think it is easy.

RS

Originally posted at

2013-12-29T19:00:00

I have owned previous PowerShot camera's over the years and this is a definite improvement. It is worth is for the price. A lot of people are complaining about performance but I haven't seen many problems. With the correct settings and a tripod in certain instances it performs well. Low light is good if you don't move. No camera shoots well, or while zoomed, in low light without a tripod. I recommend the add on flash for the point and shoot cameras. Blown out, blurred, or bad pics are usually caused by incorrect settings. The burst works good for action shots. Just delete the bad ones. I haven't had any battery issues. I've shot 20+ min of HD video on the same battery. You must have an SDXC card to shoot a long video because of the file size. Video on full zoom is good without a tripod. The auto focus works well. Main problem that people have is they don't understand how their camera operates. Take the camera out and practice with it. No camera can do everything for you.

white336

Originally posted at

2013-12-28T19:00:00

My wife and I are retired and we travel in a little 4 WD pickup truck camper, with a kayak on the roof, visiting cities, attractions, parks, forests, deserts, coasts, swamps, caves. We are nurses and treat equipment gently but we are out in all kinds of weather, in sometimes harsh conditions, hiking, camping, exploring, paddling . I've taken thousands of wonderful everyday photos with this camera ranging from portraiture to around the campfire to museums and theaters to the grandchildren to the forests and deserts and caves to Mardi Gras at night to dis-assembly documentation to an engineers idea of art. For this type of photography I have found it excellent. It is durable, versatile, forgiving with a superior collection of features appropriate for this purpose. Brava! Bravo!

Pietro

Originally posted at

2013-12-16T19:00:00

I've had this camera for about two years and I'd buy it again and again. Great shots, even at zoom.

Gravestoner

Originally posted at

2013-12-08T19:00:00

Big performance in a small package. does everything the big cameras do but a lot smaller in size.

fast g.

Originally posted at

2013-11-23T19:00:00

I purchased this 1 year ago and already sent it back under warranty because the lighting of the image in the camera went dark. Now this replacement camera has broken with the same problem and needs to be replaced. I've been a Canon user for many years and rue the day that I purchased this particular model. When it does take photos, they are of good quality.

Scout

Originally posted at

2013-11-05T19:00:00

Great, well built p/s camera. Easy to use everyday digital camera. Outstanding zoom range and build quality. SOLID.

RONALD P.

2013-08-31T20:00:00

The considerable zoom is, obviously, very nice to have in a P&S. Although it "seems" to me that it is not truly equivalent to a 500mm lens, as they claim. I could be wrong. My primary big issue is that whites and other bright colours are easily blown out - especially hazy skies. I have not had this issue with previous Canon P&S cameras. My iPhone balances light way better than this camera does. Also, auto-focus is very temperamental. My other big issue is that it takes FOREVER for the GPS to lock in.

corpcon

Originally posted at

2013-08-30T20:00:00

This compact camera has many good features for easy non-commercial use. Easy to understand settings. Good zoom. Has the potential to be a good little aim and shoot, or small travel camera. However, the battery requires reseating many times with each use. Screen goes black, pics are black, and then it starts all over. Also, there is a significant shutter delay. I could do with the delay, but I can't deal with a camera that takes black pics and requires battery to be re-inserted over and over at each use. If the camera worked, I would give it a 4.5. But despite all its potential, the fact that it takes black pictures, I have to give it a zero. Do not recommend. Save your money and time and get something else.

Roobahsox

Originally posted at

2013-08-23T20:00:00

I've been purchasing Canon Powershots for probably 10 years. This is my favorite Powershot for vacations ever. 2 primary reasons: 1 The massive zoom It allows me to take shots that were impossible with my earlier Canons point and shoots. This, plus the size is still reasonably small enough. Smaller would always be better. #1 would have been enough. (#1 plus all the other features the powershots have always given me, including image stabilization with the newer ones) 2) The integrated GPS logging. What a kick this is. Looking at the visual logs with the integrated software helps us relive vacation and remember how we got where on which day. I prefer the way Canon geotags vs how gmail Locations does it via my Note 2 device with location services turned on. Other Pro's to me: Features that this camera does NOT have a) no touch screen I don't need a touch screen on my camera. I do NOT want the extra weight and extra battery drain that a touch screen creates. b) WiFi again, don't need it don't want the extra cost of the WiFi radio inside the camera. Taking out the card or plugging in the cable when I get back home is simple enough. I purchased 2 of these on Black Friday, November 2012, from a big box store at a great deal, and then 6 extra NB-6L batteries from a major online retailer. These performed great during our European Christmas market vacation in 2012. As of August 2013, this is still best of class. From reading the online retailer reviews of the newer 280hs, that newer model still has a battery drain problem that Canon has not corrected. Even if they had, i did a side by side compare at a photo store in New York City last week of the 260hs vs 280hs. The size of the 280 is almost the same. The only reason why I'd upgrade is if they shrunk the 260hs. However, the good news for new purchasers is maybe since a newer model came out, maybe big box stores and Canon will discount the 260hs further for Black Friday 2013.

PickyPicky

Originally posted at

2013-08-19T21:00:00

I am a wildlife/nature photographer. I got this for my wife to teach her basic photographic skills on. The SX260 HS has good resolution, excellent sharpness, and enough manual control to make it useful for those slightly beyond the beginner stage in photography. There are two negatives that keep it from being 5 star. It really needs a viewfinder for those times when sun glare makes it almost impossible to see the screen. It would also help with the second negative, the fact that it is too slow to focus and snap shots. This is mainly due to Canon's cutting corners by using a cheaper controller chip and their use of only a screen for viewing. Critical shots are sometimes missed when photographing butterflies and other nervous wildlife. So what do we have here? The SX260 HS takes photographs whose sharpness and lack of aberrations make it one of the best point and shoot cameras as far as image quality is concerned. It is a great camera for taking on vacations and for learning photographic basics. It is frustratingly slow in focusing and shooting when time is critical. You will also sometimes be shielding the screen and cursing the lack of a viewfinder. All in all, it is the best point and shoot camera under $300.

KENNETH A.

2013-08-03T20:00:00

Great functions...zoom features and long range focus outstanding.. Nice manual features!

Bruce076

Originally posted at

2013-07-30T20:00:00

I have used Canon cameras for many years, starting with film B&W and heaving my own lab. When my current Canon A630 lost its flash I looked for a replacement. I liked the viewfinder and swing out screen with great macro capability. However NLA. I looked at reviews and specs and chose the SX260. Its a small camera with great capabilities . It also has a program mode where I can customize its settings. The auto settings work well too. I tested the camera in multiple settings and it preformed well. The film mode was amazingly clear for such a little camera..I considered buying a larger camera such as the G12 along with this one but for now the SX 260 does everything I want a camera to do. Being able to take a camera with you in your pocket makes it available when a shoot is to be had. The camera is as good as you are. Photography is in the eye of the photographer, this camera will do the job. I would have liked a view finder for sunny days, and the POP up flash does not make sense since it uses more power and is where I like to hold the camera. The camera with its great long lens is power hungry so buy a spare battery. Screen protector is also a good addition.

RedRyder

Originally posted at

2013-07-08T21:00:00

All the things you would want and expect from a point and shoot, with a few extra surprises as well. The optical zoom allowed clear HD videos of my wife and I parasailing on a 600ft line! Decent low light pictures. Captures details even if the image still comes out a little dark. I was extremely glad that I purchased this at such a price instead of the sx280 for a hundred dollars more. Didn't even use the memory card that came with it, but great to have an 8gb back up. Battery: I was worried from other reviews that the battery wouldn't hold. Even in Movie Digest mode, I could snap photos the entire day and hardly lose a bar on the battery meter. I might shoot differently from most people, but as long as you turn the camera off whenever you stop shooting, you'll be fine. Pictures high res and close shots great for color accuracy. Graphic designers and hobbyists will get great usable pictures with this.

JUSTIN P.

2013-07-08T21:00:00

This Camera can do it all; wide-angle to 20x zoom. We love it and the package of an extra battery, case, memory and tripod makes it better.

Retiredguy

2013-06-28T20:00:00

Guess I'm not as fussy as other reviewers. Love the zoom, pictures are sharp and clear, I get an occasional blur during "low light" at zoom, but no biggie. Not sure how the 260 can be bulky, I walk around with it in my pants pocket as I would my cell. I've used it skiing, at the beach, at picnics, nice clear pictures. I have never depleted the battery using several vids and snap shots. A previous review reported it was heavy/bulking, sheesh, get to the gym fast. I just gave this camera to my wife and ordered the SX280SH..........we'll see.

Ritt

Originally posted at

2013-06-24T21:00:00

This camera is surprisingly good, with excellent image quality, terrific video and usable up to ISO 400.

art s.

2013-06-17T21:00:00

Easy to use, sharp pics, like more than pan zs20, Quick delivery.

Z

2013-06-13T20:00:00

Maybe I'm too used to my professional camera. But I didn't think the image quality was so great. On my computer, the images only look acceptable at 25%. I would opt for a point-and-shoot with a better sensor and lens.

Tooz

Originally posted at