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Canon SX260 HS

 
Canon PowerShot SX260 HS front
 
Portability
91
Imaging
36
Features
44
Overall
39

Canon SX260 HS summary

Canon SX260 HS is Canon's Small Sensor Superzoom digital camera initially introduced on June of 2012. The camera uses a 12MP, BSI-CMOS 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a full resolution of 4000 x 3000.

Canon launched this model to replace the older Canon SX240 HS (Read Full Comparison) & afterwards launched the updated Canon SX270 HS (Read Full Comparison) to update this model.

The SX260 HS comes in at #140 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras & overall #724 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our list. Please try our Smart camera search to get camera listings based on your customized criteria.

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The following is a diagram of specific factors used in the rating system.

Canon SX260 HS history

The Canon SX260 HS has a history of related digital cameras. Down below, you can check out all earlier and most recent models as well as key specs.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Canon-PowerShot-SX70-HS front thumbnailCanon SX70 HS
SX260 HS vs SX70 HS
21-1365mm
F3.4-6.5
20MP1/2.3"2018
Canon-PowerShot-SX740-HS front thumbnailCanon SX740 HS
SX260 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
SX260 HS vs SX730 HS
24-960mm
F3.3-6.9
20.3MP1/2.3"2017
Canon-PowerShot-SX620-HS front thumbnailCanon SX620 HS
SX260 HS vs SX620 HS
25-625mm
F3.2-6.6
20MP1/2.3"2016
Canon-PowerShot-SX720-HS front thumbnailCanon SX720 HS
SX260 HS vs SX720 HS
24-960mm
F3.3-6.9
20.3MP1/2.3"2016
Canon-PowerShot-SX420-IS front thumbnailCanon SX420 IS
SX260 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
SX260 HS vs SX540 HS
24-1200mm
F3.4-6.5
20MP1/2.3"2016
Canon-PowerShot-SX410-IS front thumbnailCanon SX410 IS
SX260 HS vs SX410 IS
24-960mm
F3.5-5.6
20MP1/2.3"2015
Canon-PowerShot-SX710-HS front thumbnailCanon SX710 HS
SX260 HS vs SX710 HS
25-750mm
F3.2-6.9
20MP1/2.3"2015
Canon-PowerShot-SX610-HS front thumbnailCanon SX610 HS
SX260 HS vs SX610 HS
25-450mm
F3.8-6.9
20MP1/2.3"2015
Canon-PowerShot-SX530-HS front thumbnailCanon SX530 HS
SX260 HS vs SX530 HS
24-1200mm
F3.4-6.5
16MP1/2.3"2015
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Canon-PowerShot-SX60-HS front thumbnailCanon SX60 HS
SX260 HS vs SX60 HS
21-1365mm
F3.4-6.5
16MP1/2.3"2014
Canon-PowerShot-SX400-IS front thumbnailCanon SX400 IS
SX260 HS vs SX400 IS
24-720mm
F3.4-5.8
16MP1/2.3"2014
Canon-PowerShot-SX520-HS front thumbnailCanon SX520 HS
SX260 HS vs SX520 HS
24-1008mm
F3.4-6.0
16MP1/2.3"2014
Canon-PowerShot-SX700-HS front thumbnailCanon SX700 HS
SX260 HS vs SX700 HS
25-750mm
F3.2-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2014
Canon-PowerShot-SX600-HS front thumbnailCanon SX600 HS
SX260 HS vs SX600 HS
25-450mm
F3.8-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2014
Canon-PowerShot-SX170-IS front thumbnailCanon SX170 IS
SX260 HS vs SX170 IS
28-448mm
F3.5-5.9
16MP1/2.3"2013
Canon-PowerShot-SX510-HS front thumbnailCanon SX510 HS
SX260 HS vs SX510 HS
24-720mm
F3.4-5.8
12MP1/2.3"2013
Canon-PowerShot-SX160-IS front thumbnailCanon SX160 IS
SX260 HS vs SX160 IS
28-448mm
F3.5-5.9
16MP1/2.3"2013
Photography Glossary
Canon-PowerShot-SX270-HS front thumbnailCanon SX270 HS
SX260 HS vs SX270 HS
25-500mm
F3.5-6.8
12MP1/2.3"2013
Canon-PowerShot-SX280-HS front thumbnailCanon SX280 HS
SX260 HS vs SX280 HS
25-500mm
F3.5-6.8
12MP1/2.3"2013
Canon-PowerShot-SX50-HS front thumbnailCanon SX50 HS
SX260 HS vs SX50 HS
24-1200mm
F3.4-6.5
12MP1/2.3"2013
Canon-PowerShot-SX500-IS front thumbnailCanon SX500 IS
SX260 HS vs SX500 IS
24-720mm
F3.4-5.8
16MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-SX260-HS front thumbnailCanon SX260 HS25-500mm
F3.5-6.8
12MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-SX150-IS front thumbnailCanon SX150 IS
SX260 HS vs SX150 IS
28-336mm
F3.4-5.6
14MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-SX240-HS front thumbnailCanon SX240 HS
SX260 HS vs SX240 HS
25-500mm
F3.5-6.8
12MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-SX40-HS front thumbnailCanon SX40 HS
SX260 HS vs SX40 HS
24-840mm
F2.7-5.8
12MP1/2.3"2011
Canon-PowerShot-SX230-HS front thumbnailCanon SX230 HS
SX260 HS vs SX230 HS
28-392mm
F3.1-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2011
Canon-PowerShot-SD4500-IS front thumbnailCanon SD4500 IS
SX260 HS vs SD4500 IS
36-360mm
F3.4-5.6
10MP1/2.3"2011
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Canon-SX220-HS front thumbnailCanon SX220 HS
SX260 HS vs SX220 HS
28-392mm
F3.1-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2011
Canon-PowerShot-SX30-IS front thumbnailCanon SX30 IS
SX260 HS vs SX30 IS
24-840mm
F2.7-5.8
14MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SX130-IS front thumbnailCanon SX130 IS
SX260 HS vs SX130 IS
28-336mm
F3.4-5.6
12MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SD4000-IS front thumbnailCanon SD4000 IS
SX260 HS vs SD4000 IS
28-105mm
F2.0-5.3
10MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SX20-IS front thumbnailCanon SX20 IS
SX260 HS vs SX20 IS
28-560mm
F2.8-5.7
12MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SX210-IS front thumbnailCanon SX210 IS
SX260 HS vs SX210 IS
28-392mm
F3.1-5.9
14MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SD3500-IS front thumbnailCanon SD3500 IS
SX260 HS vs SD3500 IS
24-120mm
F2.8-5.9
14MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SD1300-IS front thumbnailCanon SD1300 IS
SX260 HS vs SD1300 IS
28-112mm
F2.8-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-SD980-IS front thumbnailCanon SD980 IS
SX260 HS vs SD980 IS
24-120mm
F2.8-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2009
Canon-PowerShot-SX200-IS front thumbnailCanon SX200 IS
SX260 HS vs SX200 IS
28-336mm
F3.4-5.3
12MP1/2.3"2009
Canon-PowerShot-SX1-IS front thumbnailCanon SX1 IS
SX260 HS vs SX1 IS
28-560mm
F2.8-5.7
10MP1/2.3"2009
Canon-PowerShot-SD970-IS front thumbnailCanon SD970 IS
SX260 HS vs SD970 IS
37-185mm
F3.2-5.7
12MP1/2.3"2009
Canon-PowerShot-SD960-IS front thumbnailCanon SD960 IS
SX260 HS vs SD960 IS
28-112mm
F2.8-5.8
12MP1/2.3"2009
Canon-PowerShot-SD1200-IS front thumbnailCanon SD1200 IS
SX260 HS vs SD1200 IS
35-105mm
F2.8-4.9
10MP1/2.3"2009
Canon-PowerShot-SX10-IS front thumbnailCanon SX10 IS
SX260 HS vs SX10 IS
28-560mm
F2.8-5.7
10MP1/2.3"2009

Canon SX260 HS Pros and Cons

Below is a shortlist of pros and cons of the Canon SX260 HS based on factors which are often regarded as crucial in a digital camera.

built in image stabilization (Optical)
does have HDMI out
excellent zoom range (25-500mm 20.0 x zoom)
features face detection autofocus
features tracking autofocus
focusing manually
great minimum ISO (100)
great zoom (500mm)
has built in flash
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
lighter than competition in class (231 grams)
reasonably wide (25mm)
screen size is decent (3 inches)
doesn't have external mic support
doesn't have headphone support
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
has no phase detect autofocus
has no RAW format
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
low megapixels (12MP)
max fps very slow (2.0 fps)
max zoom aperture not good (f6.8)
not so great battery life (230 shots)
screen does not articulate
screen has low resolution (461 k dots)
screen isn't selfie friendly
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
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Canon SX260 HS Sensor info

The Canon SX260 HS features the Digic 5 chip. The sensor specification on the Canon SX260 HS is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor can capture 4000 x 3000 pixels at aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera comes with Image Stabilization (Optical). Optical stabilization is superior than digital stabilization since the latter might lead to cropping.

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The BSI-CMOS sensor has 12MP and supports a standard ISO range of 100 to 3200. Unfortunately, RAW format is not supported which means that you have less margin for error.

The image underneath displays the SX260 HS's sensor dimensions when compared to other popular sizes. The SX260 HS sensor has a crop factor of 5.8 and is showcased in green.

Canon PowerShot SX260 HS sensor size President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

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

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Canon SX260 HS dimensions

Canon SX260 HS weighs in at 0.51 lbs (231 gr or 8.15 ounces) & has external proportions of 106mm x 61mm x 33mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.3"). The weight of average Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387 gr and the Canon SX260 HS is less heavy when compared with its competitors.

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Down below is a image of the Canon SX260 HS with a softdrink to help you to get a feel for its scale.

Canon PowerShot SX260 HS dimensions scale

The top view just below will illustrate the button arrangement on the SX260 HS.

Canon PowerShot SX260 HS topview buttons dials

Canon SX260 HS Lens info

The SX260 HS offers an inbuilt lens providing a focal range of 25-500mm giving it a 20.0 x zoom which is ideal and does allow you to zoom all the way in.

At the widest 25mm, it comes with an aperture of f3.5 and that's somewhat slow and not good for low light events and you will probably find it hard to get a shallow depth of field. You could also need to up the ISO which causes noisy shots. With the tele end, 500mm is terrific zoom and comes at f6.8 making it quite sluggish and you would need to choose slower shutter speeds.

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Canon SX260 HS Connectivity

The SX260 HS has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • HDMI Yes
  • GPS Yes

Digital cameras that contain NFC and / or Bluetooth support can easily be controlled wirelessly with smartphones. You are able to send files and sometimes change camera settings without connecting physically to the camera.

Many applications even give a Liveview and release the shutter if you are not close to the camera. If the camera includes a HDMI port, it could be hooked up to an external monitor. Almost all cameras enable you to charge the battery pack through the USB port.

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Canon SX260 HS Video info

The highest possible video quality on the Canon SX260 HS is 1920 x 1080 and you can capture in H.264 file format. 1080p quality gives a great balance for video quality vs file sizes but 1080p won't give you any room to crop. The camera does not offer a microphone and / or headphone socket which means you have got no control over the audio. It is probably best to shop for an alternative model if you need good audio for your videos.

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Canon SX260 HS Weather Sealing

There is no environment proofing in the Canon SX260 HS so you need to be careful in wet and dusty conditions.

Canon SX260 HS Screen and Viewfinder

The Canon SX260 HS houses a 3" fixed screen boasting a resolution of 461k dots.

Unfortunately the screen isn't a touch screen.

Canon PowerShot SX260 HS screen and viewfinder Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The ViewFinder specs for Canon SX260 HS are the following:

  • ViewFinder None

Viewfinders can be really helpful for sunny outdoor conditions which may make the camera screen washed out and hard to see.

Canon SX260 HS Shutter info

Canon SX260 HS continuous shooting rate is 2.0 fps. The maximum shutter speed is 1/3200s.

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Canon SX260 HS Flash and Hot shoe info

Canon SX260 HS comes with both inbuilt flash along with external flash support.

Canon SX260 HS Autofocusing info

Canon SX260 HS comes with just Contrast Detect Auto Focus & is missing Phase Detect Auto Focus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot snappier and precise when compared with Contrast Detect autofocusing. The camera boasts Face detection which can be helpful for taking portraits of people.

It boasts 9 focus points to pick from. It also boasts Tracking Auto Focus for objects that move. Canon SX260 HS has manual focus if needed for low light conditions or you need to have more exact focus control.

Photography Glossary

Canon SX260 HS Battery life

The battery life (NB-6L) in the Canon SX260 HS is fashioned to last for 230 photographs with respect to the CIPA specifications making it lesser compared to it's rivals. The average Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR comes with the best (600) battery life for this group of cameras.

Following is a number of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras which have the highest battery life:

Canon SX260 HS for varying categories of photography

The following diagram displays a outline of the Canon SX260 HS for varying categories of photography. To check out more, go to the specific paragraph underneath.

Canon SX260 HS Portrait photography features

The Canon SX260 HS gets a rating of 37 which is bad, meaning that it is simply not appropriate for portraits. Taking portrait images favors heavily to sensor size, support for RAW files plus the flexibility to use off-camera lighting.

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manual focus
offers face detection focusing
MP count low (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format

Canon SX260 HS Street photography factors

Getting a very good points tally of 61, the Canon SX260 HS is a very decent option for street photography. A decent street photography camera offers a perfect balance of picture quality plus portability.

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built in image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than average in class (231 grams)
no articulating screen
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files

Canon SX260 HS Sports photography factors

A bad sports photography points total of 36 means the Canon SX260 HS is simply not appropriate for taking pictures of sports. A camera really should have very good tracking and fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

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great zoom range (25-500mm 20.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Optical)
comes with tracking autofocus
continuous shooting slow (2.0 frames per second)
MP count low (12 megapixels)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
not so great battery life (230 CIPA)
lacks phase detect AF

Canon SX260 HS Travel photography details

Size is very crucial in choosing a camera for travel. In general, the Canon SX260 HS gets a nice 61 for a travelling camera which makes it a respectable choice to buy for your trips.

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lighter than competitors (231g)
flash built-in
really wide (25mm)
great reach (500mm)
does not have Timelapse mode
bad battery life (230 per charge)
megapixel count low (12MP)
screen is not selfie friendly
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)

Canon SX260 HS Landscape photography information

For anyone who is planning to buy a digital camera for landscape pictures, the most critical factor is going to be image quality. The Canon SX260 HS with it's bad score of 41 as a landscape camera is simply not appropriate amongst its competition.

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you can focus manually
reasonably wide (25mm)
decent sized screen (3")
built in image stabilization (Optical)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
MP count low (12 megapixels)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
no RAW files
not so great battery power (230 shots)
no Time Lapse recording

Canon SX260 HS Vlogging information

A camera for vlogging should really have a articulating display, microphone port and ideally IBIS. Considering all things, the Canon SX260 HS is simply not appropriate for vlogging as it receives a bad score of 34.

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decently wide (25mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
offers face detection focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
lighter than competition in class (231 grams)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
doesn't have selfie friendly display
no external mic port

Canon SX260 HS Alternatives

If you are searching for alternatives to the SX260 HS, here is a range of the highest placed cameras that fall into the family of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The chart followed below will give you an overview of the SX260 HS vs it's top scored rivals suggested earlier.

There are more cameras you may have a look at as alternate options. To go through a full comparison, just click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Make
Canon
Model
Canon PowerShot SX260 HS
Type
Small Sensor Superzoom
Launched
2012-06-04
Physical type
Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
BSI-CMOS
Powered by
Digic 5
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions
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 support
Max native ISO
3200
Min native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Number of focus points
9
Lens
Lens mounting type
fixed lens
Lens focal range
25-500mm (20.0x)
Maximum aperture
f/3.5-6.8
Macro focus range
5cm
Focal length multiplier
5.8
Screen
Screen type
Fixed Type
Screen diagonal
3 inches
Resolution of screen
461k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Screen technology
PureColor II 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
15 secs
Fastest shutter speed
1/3200 secs
Continuous shutter rate
2.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation
Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range
3.50 m
Flash options
Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (24 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30, 120 fps), 320 x 240 (240 fps)
Max video resolution
1920x1080
Video file format
H.264
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
BuiltIn
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
231 grams (0.51 pounds)
Physical dimensions
106 x 61 x 33mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.3")
Other
Battery life
230 pictures
Battery style
Battery Pack
Battery model
NB-6L
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom)
Time lapse recording
Storage type
SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots
Single
Launch cost
$349