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Canon SX230 HS

 
Canon PowerShot SX230 HS front
 
Portability
91
Imaging
35
Features
43
Overall
38

Canon SX230 HS summary

Canon SX230 HS is Canon's Small Sensor Superzoom digital camera first announced on July of 2011. It houses a 12 MegaPixel, BSI-CMOS 1/2.3" size sensor with a full resolution of 4000 x 3000.

Canon introduced this model in an effort to replace the earlier Canon SX210 IS (Read Full Comparison) & afterwards released the updated Canon SX240 HS (Read Full Comparison) as a way to update this model.

The SX230 HS is ranked #163 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras & over-all #786 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our database. Please look at our Advanced camera filter to see camera ratings based on your customized requirements.

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Below is a graph of multiple factors used in the rating system.

Canon SX230 HS history

The Canon SX230 HS has a history of related digital cameras. Below, you can identify all earlier and new models along with main specs.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Canon-PowerShot-SX70-HS front thumbnailCanon SX70 HS
SX230 HS vs SX70 HS
21-1365mm
F3.4-6.5
20MP1/2.3"2018
Canon-PowerShot-SX740-HS front thumbnailCanon SX740 HS
SX230 HS vs SX740 HS
24-960mm
F3.3-6.9
21MP1/2.3"2018
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Canon-PowerShot-SX730-HS front thumbnailCanon SX730 HS
SX230 HS vs SX730 HS
24-960mm
F3.3-6.9
20.3MP1/2.3"2017
Canon-PowerShot-SX620-HS front thumbnailCanon SX620 HS
SX230 HS vs SX620 HS
25-625mm
F3.2-6.6
20MP1/2.3"2016
Canon-PowerShot-SX720-HS front thumbnailCanon SX720 HS
SX230 HS vs SX720 HS
24-960mm
F3.3-6.9
20.3MP1/2.3"2016
Canon-PowerShot-SX420-IS front thumbnailCanon SX420 IS
SX230 HS vs SX420 IS
24-1008mm
F3.5-6.6
20MP1/2.3"2016
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Canon-PowerShot-SX540-HS front thumbnailCanon SX540 HS
SX230 HS vs SX540 HS
24-1200mm
F3.4-6.5
20MP1/2.3"2016
Canon-PowerShot-SX410-IS front thumbnailCanon SX410 IS
SX230 HS vs SX410 IS
24-960mm
F3.5-5.6
20MP1/2.3"2015
Canon-PowerShot-SX530-HS front thumbnailCanon SX530 HS
SX230 HS vs SX530 HS
24-1200mm
F3.4-6.5
16MP1/2.3"2015
Canon-PowerShot-SX610-HS front thumbnailCanon SX610 HS
SX230 HS vs SX610 HS
25-450mm
F3.8-6.9
20MP1/2.3"2015
Canon-PowerShot-SX710-HS front thumbnailCanon SX710 HS
SX230 HS vs SX710 HS
25-750mm
F3.2-6.9
20MP1/2.3"2015
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Canon-PowerShot-SX60-HS front thumbnailCanon SX60 HS
SX230 HS vs SX60 HS
21-1365mm
F3.4-6.5
16MP1/2.3"2014
Canon-PowerShot-SX520-HS front thumbnailCanon SX520 HS
SX230 HS vs SX520 HS
24-1008mm
F3.4-6.0
16MP1/2.3"2014
Canon-PowerShot-SX400-IS front thumbnailCanon SX400 IS
SX230 HS vs SX400 IS
24-720mm
F3.4-5.8
16MP1/2.3"2014
Canon-PowerShot-SX700-HS front thumbnailCanon SX700 HS
SX230 HS vs SX700 HS
25-750mm
F3.2-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2014
Canon-PowerShot-SX600-HS front thumbnailCanon SX600 HS
SX230 HS vs SX600 HS
25-450mm
F3.8-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2014
Canon-PowerShot-SX170-IS front thumbnailCanon SX170 IS
SX230 HS vs SX170 IS
28-448mm
F3.5-5.9
16MP1/2.3"2013
Canon-PowerShot-SX510-HS front thumbnailCanon SX510 HS
SX230 HS vs SX510 HS
24-720mm
F3.4-5.8
12MP1/2.3"2013
Canon-PowerShot-SX160-IS front thumbnailCanon SX160 IS
SX230 HS vs SX160 IS
28-448mm
F3.5-5.9
16MP1/2.3"2013
Photography Glossary
Canon-PowerShot-SX270-HS front thumbnailCanon SX270 HS
SX230 HS vs SX270 HS
25-500mm
F3.5-6.8
12MP1/2.3"2013
Canon-PowerShot-SX280-HS front thumbnailCanon SX280 HS
SX230 HS vs SX280 HS
25-500mm
F3.5-6.8
12MP1/2.3"2013
Canon-PowerShot-SX50-HS front thumbnailCanon SX50 HS
SX230 HS vs SX50 HS
24-1200mm
F3.4-6.5
12MP1/2.3"2013
Canon-PowerShot-SX500-IS front thumbnailCanon SX500 IS
SX230 HS vs SX500 IS
24-720mm
F3.4-5.8
16MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-SX260-HS front thumbnailCanon SX260 HS
SX230 HS vs SX260 HS
25-500mm
F3.5-6.8
12MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-SX150-IS front thumbnailCanon SX150 IS
SX230 HS vs SX150 IS
28-336mm
F3.4-5.6
14MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-SX240-HS front thumbnailCanon SX240 HS
SX230 HS vs SX240 HS
25-500mm
F3.5-6.8
12MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-SX40-HS front thumbnailCanon SX40 HS
SX230 HS vs SX40 HS
24-840mm
F2.7-5.8
12MP1/2.3"2011
Canon-PowerShot-SD4500-IS front thumbnailCanon SD4500 IS
SX230 HS vs SD4500 IS
36-360mm
F3.4-5.6
10MP1/2.3"2011
Canon-PowerShot-SX230-HS front thumbnailCanon SX230 HS28-392mm
F3.1-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2011
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Canon-SX220-HS front thumbnailCanon SX220 HS
SX230 HS vs SX220 HS
28-392mm
F3.1-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2011
Canon-PowerShot-SX30-IS front thumbnailCanon SX30 IS
SX230 HS vs SX30 IS
24-840mm
F2.7-5.8
14MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SX130-IS front thumbnailCanon SX130 IS
SX230 HS vs SX130 IS
28-336mm
F3.4-5.6
12MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SD4000-IS front thumbnailCanon SD4000 IS
SX230 HS vs SD4000 IS
28-105mm
F2.0-5.3
10MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SX20-IS front thumbnailCanon SX20 IS
SX230 HS vs SX20 IS
28-560mm
F2.8-5.7
12MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SX210-IS front thumbnailCanon SX210 IS
SX230 HS vs SX210 IS
28-392mm
F3.1-5.9
14MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SD3500-IS front thumbnailCanon SD3500 IS
SX230 HS vs SD3500 IS
24-120mm
F2.8-5.9
14MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SD1300-IS front thumbnailCanon SD1300 IS
SX230 HS vs SD1300 IS
28-112mm
F2.8-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SD980-IS front thumbnailCanon SD980 IS
SX230 HS vs SD980 IS
24-120mm
F2.8-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2009
Canon-PowerShot-SX200-IS front thumbnailCanon SX200 IS
SX230 HS vs SX200 IS
28-336mm
F3.4-5.3
12MP1/2.3"2009
Canon-PowerShot-SX1-IS front thumbnailCanon SX1 IS
SX230 HS vs SX1 IS
28-560mm
F2.8-5.7
10MP1/2.3"2009
Canon-PowerShot-SD970-IS front thumbnailCanon SD970 IS
SX230 HS vs SD970 IS
37-185mm
F3.2-5.7
12MP1/2.3"2009
Canon-PowerShot-SD960-IS front thumbnailCanon SD960 IS
SX230 HS vs SD960 IS
28-112mm
F2.8-5.8
12MP1/2.3"2009
Canon-PowerShot-SD1200-IS front thumbnailCanon SD1200 IS
SX230 HS vs SD1200 IS
35-105mm
F2.8-4.9
10MP1/2.3"2009
Canon-PowerShot-SX10-IS front thumbnailCanon SX10 IS
SX230 HS vs SX10 IS
28-560mm
F2.8-5.7
10MP1/2.3"2009

Canon SX230 HS Pros and Cons

Here is a checklist of pluses and minuses of the Canon SX230 HS based on criterias which are typically regarded as necessary in a digital camera.

built in image stabilization (Optical)
does have HDMI port
has built in flash
incredible zoom range (28-392mm 14.0 x zoom)
lighter than competition in class (223g)
manual focus
pretty wide (28mm)
provides face detect focus
provides tracking focus
screen is a decent size (3 inches)
very good minimum ISO (100)
very long zoom (392mm)
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
does not have phase detect auto focus
does not have RAW support
does not have selfie friendly screen
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
lack of headphone port
lack of microphone port
lack of Timelapse function
low resolution screen (461 thousand dot)
megapixel count low (12MP)
no external flash support
not so great battery life (210 per charge)
painfully slow continuous shooting (3.0 fps)
screen is fixed
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
sluggish at long end (f5.9)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.1)
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Canon SX230 HS Sensor information

The Canon SX230 HS is run by the DIGIC 4 with iSAPS technology chip. The sensor size in the Canon SX230 HS is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor is able to capture 4000 x 3000 pixels using aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera features Image Stabilization (Optical). Optical stabilization is more effective than digital stabilization as the latter might produce cropping.

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The BSI-CMOS sensor has 12MP and delivers a standard ISO range of 100 - 3200. Sadly, RAW photos are not saved so the user has less room to maneuver in post.

The graphic underneath shows the SX230 HS's sensor size in comparison to other popular sizes. The SX230 HS sensor has a crop factor of 5.8 and is pointed out in green.

Canon PowerShot SX230 HS sensor size Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

To get a sense of various aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Canon SX230 HS dimensions

Canon SX230 HS weighs 0.49 lb (223 grams / 7.87 ounces) & has outer measurements of 106mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.3"). The weight of average Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387 grams so the Canon SX230 HS is less heavy as compared with its competitors.

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Underneath is a picture of the Canon SX230 HS next to a soda so you can get a sense of its size.

Canon PowerShot SX230 HS dimensions scale

The top view underneath will show you the button design on the SX230 HS.

Canon PowerShot SX230 HS topview buttons dials

Canon SX230 HS Lens information

The SX230 HS includes a built-in lens having a focal range of 28-392mm giving it a 14.0 x zoom which is outstanding and could allow you to zoom all the way in.

At it's widest 28mm, the lens features an aperture of f3.1 and that is very sluggish and not very good for low light events and you might find it difficult to get good bokeh. You might also need to raise your ISO producing noisy images. For the long end, 392mm is outstanding zoom and comes to f5.9 which is pretty slow and you would have to set slower shutter speeds.

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Canon SX230 HS Connectivity

The SX230 HS has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • HDMI Yes
  • GPS Yes

Digital cameras that have NFC and / or Bluetooth support can be used wirelessly with smartphones. You can easily copy images and usually change camera settings with no need to connect straight with the camera.

A few apps also give a Liveview and release the shutter in case you are not near the camera. If the camera has a HDMI port, it can be hooked up to an external display. Many cameras enable you to recharge the battery pack using the USB port.

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Canon SX230 HS Video information

The highest possible video resolution in the Canon SX230 HS is 1920 x 1080 and you can record in H.264 file format. 1080p resolution will provide a decent balance in video quality versus file size but 1080p is not going to give you any room to downsample. The body does not offer a microphone and / or headphone port so you have absolutely no control over the audio. It is perhaps a better idea to look into an alternative model should you want good audio for your videos.

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Canon SX230 HS Weather Sealing

There is no environment sealing for the Canon SX230 HS so you have to be careful in wet or dusty situations.

Canon SX230 HS Screen and Viewfinder

The Canon SX230 HS is equipped with a 3 inch fixed screen having a resolution of 461 thousand dots.

Sadly the screen isn't a touch screen.

Canon PowerShot SX230 HS screen and viewfinder Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The View Finder specs for Canon SX230 HS are as follows:

  • ViewFinder None

For sunny outdoor situations that make the camera displays washed out and hard to see, viewfinders can be quite useful.

Canon SX230 HS Shutter information

Canon SX230 HS continuous shooting rate is 3.0 fps. The highest shutter speed is 1/3200 sec.

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Canon SX230 HS Flash and Hot shoe information

Canon SX230 HS features just in-built flash lacking external flash support.

Canon SX230 HS Autofocus information

Canon SX230 HS features only Contrast Detect Autofocus & is missing Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot more faster & accurate as compared with Contrast Detect focusing. The camera supports Face detection making it helpful for people photography.

It supports 9 focus points to select from. It also features Tracking Autofocus for subjects on the move. Canon SX230 HS has manual focus in case it is needed in low light conditions or you need to have more exact control on focus.

Photography Glossary

Canon SX230 HS Battery life

The battery life (NB-5L) for the Canon SX230 HS is built to last for 210 shutters with respect to the CIPA specifications which is lower when compared with it's competitors. The average Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR offers the best (600) battery life in this range of cameras.

Below is a list of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras that come with the strongest battery life:

Canon SX230 HS for specific types of photography

The following chart presents a rundown of the Canon SX230 HS for specific types of photography. To view more, check out the specific section underneath.

Canon SX230 HS Portrait photography info

The Canon SX230 HS receives a rating of 34 which is dreadful, meaning that it is simply not acceptable to use for portrait photos. Photographing portraits leans heavily to sensor dimensions, RAW support in addition to the option to work with off-camera flash.

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focusing manually
features face detect focusing
no external flash support
MP count low (12 megapixels)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
no RAW format

Canon SX230 HS Street photography info

With a moderate points tally of 60, the Canon SX230 HS is somewhat adequate to use in street photography. A good street photography camera gives a good balance of picture quality plus portability.

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built in image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competition in class (223g)
fixed screen
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support

Canon SX230 HS Sports photography information

A dreadful sports photography points tally of 36 indicates the Canon SX230 HS is simply not acceptable for taking pictures of sports. A camera needs to have very good tracking plus continuous shooting for sports photography.

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long zoom range (28-392mm 14.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Optical)
has tracking autofocus
low fps (3.0 frames/s)
MP count low (12 megapixels)
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
bad battery (210 per charge)
doesn't have phase detect autofocus

Canon SX230 HS Travel photography details

Size is super crucial in getting a camera for travel. In general, the Canon SX230 HS gets a nice 61 for a travelling camera which makes it a fine choice to take with you on your travels.

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lighter than competitors in class (223g)
flash built-in
reasonably wide (28mm)
great zoom (392mm)
lack of Timelapse recording
terrible battery life (210 shots)
low resolution sensor (12MP)
screen isn't selfie friendly
slow maximum aperture (f3.1)

Landscape photography with Canon SX230 HS

When you are planning to pick a digital camera for landscape photography, the biggest factor will be image quality. The Canon SX230 HS and it's dreadful score of 41 as a landscape camera is simply not acceptable in the current marketplace.

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manual focus
rather wide (28mm)
decent sized screen (3 inch)
image stabilization (Optical)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.1)
low MP (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
not so great battery power (210 CIPA)
no Time Lapse function

Canon SX230 HS as a Vlogging camera

A vlogging camera ought to offer a articulating screen, microphone input and ideally IBIS. Taking everything in to account, the Canon SX230 HS is simply not acceptable for vlogging as it gets a dreadful score of 34.

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fairly wide (28mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
includes face detect autofocus
video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than competition in class (223 grams)
slow maximum aperture (f3.1)
doesn't posses selfie friendly display
no mic socket

Canon SX230 HS Alternatives

If you are trying to find alternatives to the SX230 HS, below is a collection of the highest placed cameras that fall in to the category of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The diagram down below shows you a bird's eye view of the SX230 HS vs it's top scoring rivals listed previously.

These are various other cameras you may see as alternative options. To look at a complete comparison, visit the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Company
Canon
Model
Canon PowerShot SX230 HS
Class
Small Sensor Superzoom
Released
2011-07-19
Body design
Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
BSI-CMOS
Processor Chip
DIGIC 4 with iSAPS technology
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor measurements
6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area
28.1mm²
Sensor resolution
12 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio
1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution
4000 x 3000
RAW format
Max native ISO
3200
Lowest native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Number of focus points
9
Lens
Lens mounting type
fixed lens
Lens focal range
28-392mm (14.0x)
Max aperture
f/3.1-5.9
Macro focus distance
5cm
Focal length multiplier
5.8
Screen
Screen type
Fixed Type
Screen size
3 inches
Resolution of screen
461 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Screen tech
PureColor II TG TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
None
DXO scores
DXO Overall score
not tested
DXO Color Depth score
not tested
DXO Dynamic range score
not tested
DXO Low light score
not tested
Features
Minimum shutter speed
15s
Fastest shutter speed
1/3200s
Continuous shutter speed
3.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation
Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range
3.50 m
Flash modes
Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (24fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 120 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 240 fps)
Max video resolution
1920x1080
Video file format
H.264
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless
Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
BuiltIn
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
223 gr (0.49 pounds)
Physical dimensions
106 x 62 x 33mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.3")
Other
Battery life
210 pictures
Style of battery
Battery Pack
Battery model
NB-5L
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage
SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC/MMCplus/HC MMCplus
Storage slots
One
Launch pricing
$399