Canon SX30 IS

Canon SX30 IS is Canon's Small Sensor Superzoom digital camera initially released on September of 2010. The camera includes a 14MP, CCD 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a peak resolution of 4320 x 3240.

Canon launched this model in an effort to upgrade the earlier Canon SX20 IS (Read Full Comparison) & afterwards launched the updated Canon SX40 HS (Read Full Comparison) to upgrade this model.

The SX30 IS comes in at #147 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras & all around #741 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. You can check out our Smart camera finder to see camera listings based on your personal criteria.

The following is a diagram of specific criteria used in the scoring system.

The Canon SX30 IS has a history of related cameras. Listed below, you can find all earlier and most recent models alongside main specs.

You can see the SX30 IS from various angles in the gallery here.

Below is a checklist of positives and negatives of the Canon SX30 IS based on features which are usually seen as important in a digital camera.

The Canon SX30 IS houses the Digic 4 chip. The sensor spec in the Canon SX30 IS is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the capability to resolve 4320 x 3240 pixels at aspect ratios of 4:3 and 16:9. The camera features Image Stabilization (Optical). Optical stabilization is better than digital stabilization as the latter can cause cropping.

Photography Glossary

The CCD sensor has 14MP and features a standard ISO range of 80 - 1600. Sadly, RAW format is not supported which means that you have less room to maneuver in post.

The image underneath displays the SX30 IS's sensor dimensions compared to other popular sizes. The SX30 IS sensor has a crop factor of 5.8 and is displayed in green.

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To get an idea of various aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.

Canon SX30 IS has a weight of 1.32 lbs (601 gr or 21.20 ounces) & the over all size of the camera is 123mm x 92mm x 108mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 4.3"). The weight of general Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387 gr so the Canon SX30 IS is more heavy compared with other competitors.

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Down below is a image of the Canon SX30 IS besides a softdrink so you're able to get a feel for its scale.

The top view just below will provide the button arrangement on the SX30 IS.

The SX30 IS is equipped with a built in lens and a focal range of 24-840mm giving it a 35.0 x zoom which is very good and would let you zoom all the way in.

At the widest 24mm, the lens features an aperture of f2.7 which is somewhat slow and not good for low light occasions and you will struggle to get a shallow depth of field. You might also have to up the ISO setting which results in noisy photos. For the tele end, 840mm is terrific zoom and comes to f5.8 making it very sluggish and you might need to set slower shutter speeds.

The SX30 IS has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• Wireless Yes
• HDMI Yes

Cameras that come with NFC and Bluetooth support can be controlled wirelessly by smartphones. You are able to send files and in some cases change settings with no need to connect physically to the camera.

Certain applications even enable a Liveview and press the shutter in case you aren't close to the camera. If the camera provides a HDMI port, it can be attached to an external display. Nearly all cameras enable you to charge the battery using the USB port.

The highest video quality in the Canon SX30 IS is 1280 x 720 and you can capture in Motion JPEG file format. 720p is terrible for today's requirements. You should target a minimum 1080p quality for video recording. The camera doesn't include a microphone and headphone jack which means you have got no control over the audio. It is probably a better idea to purchase a different model if you need good audio for your videos.

There is no weather proofing for the Canon SX30 IS so you need to be cautious in wet or dusty conditions.

The Canon SX30 IS includes a 2.7" fully articulated display boasting a resolution of 230k dots.

It has got a selfie friendly screen to take self portraits and even group shots when needed. Please be aware that the display screen has no touch support.

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The ViewFinder specs for Canon SX30 IS are as follows:

• ViewFinder Electronic

Viewfinders can be very helpful during sunny outdoor conditions which can make the camera screen washed out and very difficult to see.

Canon SX30 IS has the capability to shoot continuously at 1.0 frames/s. The max shutter speed is 1/3200s.

Canon SX30 IS features both inbuilt flash together with external flash ability.

Canon SX30 IS features just Contrast Detect Autofocus & is missing Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection autofocusing is more snappier and accurate compared with Contrast Detect autofocusing.

The Sensor includes 9 focus points to select from. Canon SX30 IS includes manual focus if needed during low light or you want to have more precise focus control.

The typical Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR has got the highest (600) battery life within this class of cameras.

Listed below is a number of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras that come with the strongest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm HS35EXR
SX30 IS vs Fujifilm HS35EXR600 yesnono

Nikon B500
SX30 IS vs B500600 nonoyes

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Nikon L840
SX30 IS vs L840590 noyesno

Panasonic FZ200
SX30 IS vs FZ200540 yesnono

Leica V-Lux 4
SX30 IS vs V-Lux 4540 yesnono

The following bar chart displays a overview of the Canon SX30 IS for varying types of photography. To read more, visit the specific paragraph underneath.

The Canon SX30 IS has a points total of 42 which is bad, and means the camera is just not very good for portrait photography. Shooting portrait photos leans greatly towards sensor dimensions, RAW support & ability to use external flash.

With a modest points total of 49, the Canon SX30 IS is fairly suited to use in street photography. A very good street photography camera provides a fine balance of image quality and portability.

A bad sports photography points total of 43 indicates the Canon SX30 IS is just not very good for taking pictures of sports. A camera needs to have good tracking plus fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

Portability is pretty critical in buying a camera for travel. In general, the Canon SX30 IS gets a reasonable 58 for a travel camera which makes it somewhat suitable to take on your vacations.

For anybody who is planning to choose a digital camera for landscape photography, the most important factor is going to be image quality. The Canon SX30 IS at it's bad score of 41 as a landscape camera is just not very good within the current marketplace.

A camera for vlogging really should offer a articulating display screen, microphone input and preferably IBIS. Taking all things in to account, the Canon SX30 IS is reasonably suited as a vlog camera as it gets a reasonable score of 50.

If you are shopping for replacements to the SX30 IS, below is a collection of the top ranked cameras that fall in to the category of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The line chart down below gives you a bird's eye view of the SX30 IS versus it's top ranked rivals listed above.

These are various other cameras you may view as alternate options. To look at a comprehensive comparison, just click on the "compare" link.