Canon SX230 HS

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 #167 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras & over-all #796 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.

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

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

You can look at the SX230 HS from various angles in the gallery below.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm HS35EXR
SX230 HS vs Fujifilm HS35EXR600 yesnono

Nikon B500
SX230 HS vs B500600 nonoyes

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Nikon L840
SX230 HS vs L840590 noyesno

Panasonic FZ200
SX230 HS vs FZ200540 yesnono

Leica V-Lux 4
SX230 HS vs V-Lux 4540 yesnono

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.

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.

With a above average points tally of 61, the Canon SX230 HS is a very decent choice to use in street photography. A good street photography camera gives a good balance of picture quality plus portability.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.