Canon PowerShot SX220 HS Review

Value for money: 8 out of 10 points

Cameras.co.uk considered the Canon Powershot SX220 HS to be a decent all rounder. It is a very versatile camera thanks to having a good selection of features and a good lens length. This would make the perfect next step up the ladder from a more basic model, and it has few weaknesses and nothing serious to complain about. Picture quality is extremely good too.

Value for money: 4 out of 5 points

GadgetSpeak found the Powershot SX220 HS to be a very well-specced camera which offers a useful set of features and great video quality. It's also easy to use thanks to its Auto mode and quick start guide, but unfortunately it doesn't come with a hard copy of the manual, so if you plan on experimenting while you're away from your computer you'll have to print it out yourself.

With a flash that pops up whenever the camera is switched on, and a dull plasticky appearance, some aspects of the design failed to impress MacWorld, but overall, they still thought Canon's PowerShot SX220 HS was a solid choice of mid-range compact. Image quality was good, even at full zoom and high ISOs, and manual controls and creative effects were welcome features.

"Best: In low light"

The Canon PowerShot SX220 HS has a rather dull styling, but T3 approved of the selection of manual controls and say that shots taken using maximum zoom were crisp, thanks to the in-built optical image stabilisation. It also generated impressive results when shooting in low light, and shots were detailed even up to ISO 3200. Another nice feature was the 24fps 1080p video.

Value for money: 4 out of 5 stars

Very few compact cameras offer the features and quality of the Powershot SX220 HS. From its impressive 14x zoom to its full manual control option or full HD video recording, there's little that it can't do. Digicambuyer were particularly impressed by its auto mode, and praised Canon's IS and HS systems for helping users to achieve great results while keeping shooting simple.

Value for money: 3.5 out of 5 stars

PC Pro were glad to see that Canon's update to the PowershotSX210 is now capable of better performance in low-light conditions thanks to some sensitivity features borrowed from the Ixus 300 HS. The quality of images on offer from the PowerShot SX220 HS was consistently impressive, and overall it's a good, dependable mid-range compact, but they say it's not the most stylish.

Canon's versatile, affordable and enjoyable PowerShot SX220 HS really impressed Pocket-lint. Its great feature set, manual control options and long zoom are all packed into a good looking, compact little body. Details and colours are not as sharp at the far end of the zoom, but Pocket-lint don't mind a couple of compromises from what they think is a great camera at a good price.

Value for money: 17 out of 20 points, "Recommended"

According to What Digital Camera, Canon's PowerShot SX220 HS is a rather nice travel compact all-rounder. There's plenty of nice, easy point-and-shoot functionality, as well as HD video and full manual controls for those wanting a bit more. Unfortunately though, they did find some issues with image quality and handling, which they felt took away from the overall experience.

Info: This product received the same score in this test most recent reviews in T3.

Value for money: 8 out of 10 points, "Recommended"

With the PowerShot SX220 HS, Canon have produced a very good compact digital camera at a fair price, which ePHOTOzine felt is an important step forward from the previous model, the SX210. Boasting Full HD video recording, generally great image quality and some snazzy features, including a 14x optical zoom lens and 12MP CMOS sensor, the SX220 HS is well worth considering.

CNet were relieved to find that the Canon PowerShot SX220 HS was more than just an improvement on the SX210 IS. They found several great features making it fun and simple to use. They were also surprised by how powerful it was for its compact size, with 14x optical zoom and HD video recording. CNet think the SX220 HS is one of the best compact super-zooms around, but it is fairly expensive.