Canon PowerShot TX1 7.1MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
by Canon
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Category: Digital Camera
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: CanonModel: 1265B001
Color: SILVER
Product features:
- 7.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 15 x 20-inch prints and can also take 720p HD Video
- Ultra-compact 10x optical zoom lens; image stabilization
- Digic III image processor With Face Detection Technology; auto red-eye correction
- Vivid, high-resolution 2.5-inch PureColor LCD
- Compatible with SD/SDHC, MultiMediaCard, MMC Plus cards (not included)
- Adobe Photoshop CS5 Upgrade [Old Version]
- Serif PhotoPlus X3
- Adobe Photoshop CS4 Upgrade [OLD VERSION]
- Aperture 3
- Pixelmator [Old Version]
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon PowerShot TX1 7.1MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
Customer Review: Great little 7.1 MP digital camera & 720p camcorder combo
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought the Canon Powershot TX1 in September 2007 to replace both a 3.2 MP Canon S30 still camera and a Sony DV camcorder. I selected the 720p/7 MP TX1 over the 720p/7 MP Sanyo HD700 and 1080i/4 MP Sanyo HD1000 because the TX1 (1) is a digital camera first (with Canon's reputation for photo quality) and a camcorder second, (2) has the smallest form factor (slightly thicker than Digital Elph), and (3) has excellent build quality.
Having used the TX1 now for 7 months--photographing/videoing my new baby daughter on a daily basis, on weekend trips, and on our 2-week Mexico beach vacation--I rate the TX1 a solid four stars and give Canon a thumbs up for a strong first effort.
Here's how I break things down:
Video:
The TX1 records its 720p video using the same inefficent Motion JPEG (MJPEG) codec that Canon uses in the rest of its cameras (in the AVI container/file format), as opposed to the modern H.264/AVC or AVCHD codec. The result are huge file sizes: an 8 GB SDHC flash card only hold 28 min of 720p video in the TX1 (though each file itself can be no bigger than 4 GB; this is a limitation of the FAT32 file system of SDHC and not the fault of the TX1), while an H.264/AVC or AVCHD camcorder can compress some 80 min of *1080i* video in the same 8 GB card (it's bitrate-dependent, of course). There is, however, the option of setting the 720p recording to 'LP' mode, which doubles the recording time, giving 56 min of 720p video on an 8 GB card--but I haven't tested how noticeable the degradation in quality is.
Still, huge file sizes are not a deal breaker--just buy a couple of extra 8 or 16 GB flash cards or, better yet, an external travel hard drive with a built in flash card reader such as the Digital Foci Photo Safe (which worked great on our Mexico trip!). A tip: buy fast SHDC Class 6 cards (not Class 2 or 4)--you'll need it for smooth video recording. What the MJPEG codec does have going for it versus H.264/AVC or AVCHD is that virtually any Pentium4-class PC can play it using virtually any media player (Windows Media Player, Real Player, or Quicktime). And MJPEG can be edited by most video editors. This isn't true of H.264/AVC or AVCHD files, which, while efficient, requires significantly more computing power special software to decode/play back and, in particular, to edit.
What kind of video quality do you get in these huge files? In well-lighted environments (daytime outdoors, mainly), the quality is quite good--definitely better than 720x480 DV. Having been stuck in standard-def camcorder land up until now, I found myself smiling with satisfaction at the new-found clarity and detail in the TX1's 720p video and marvelling at how Canon managed to pack HD resolution into a pocket cam. Still, I have to confess that the resolution, despite being nominally 720p, looks softer on my 50-inch 720p Panasonic plasma than what I expect true 720p video to be. It's certainly not as good as a dedicated 1080i HD camcorder (video from my friend's JVC 1080i Everio camcorder of the same beach shots looks crisper and has more detail). And in low-light (evening indoor situations without good lighting), forget about it--the TX1's video becomes grainy, and much detail is lost. Because of its small lens and CCD, low light performance is even worse than my old Sony DV camcorder.
Nevertheless, with the TX1, these days, I no longer lug around both a camera and camcorder (plus all the requisite extra batteries, chargers, and big DV tapes) when I travel. I know full well the TX1's video limitations, so I accept the trade-off for portability.
Photos:
I'm no photography expert so I won't go in depth. Suffice it to say that the TX1 photo feature set and photo quality appear equivalent to current-generation canon Digital Elph cameras with Image Stabilization and Face Detection, but with the added bonus of a 10x optical zoom somehow shoe-horned in. Once the camera is turned on, the lens extends out of the body about 3/4 inch, and regardless of zoom, it doesn't extend any further. This 10x zoom lets you boldly go where few other pocket cams dare go and IMHO is almost enough to justify the TX1 price premium over a Digital Elph even if you don't use the HD video.
The manual controls are limited to basic exposure and a white balance calibration mode; there are, of course, various canned shooting modes like 'night,' 'portrait,' 'beach,' 'snow,' etc., and various useless canned color schemes like 'sepia,' 'B&W,' etc.
It's worth noting that the TX1 allows you to take photos while recording video without switching modes, though with a brief 1.5-sec pause in the video for each photo taken. This is a killer feature that regular cameras (that I know of) don't have. No more 'mommy takes photos with the camera while daddy holds the camcorder' or figuring out whether to grab the camera or camcorder when the baby decides to try out a new trick she's been learning. This is one place where the TX1 shines.
There is one quirk that should be known: the TX1 lets you select different resolutons for digital photos and for videos, of course. Max photo resolution is 3072x2304 in 4x3 mode (which is 7.1 MP) and 3072x1728 in 16x9 mode (which is only 5.3 MP; that is, it simply lops off the top and bottom of the 7.1 MP photo to make the 16x9). 720p video is 1280x720, and there is the run-of-the-mill 640x480 video. Ideally, I'd want to set photos to 4x3 7.1 MP and, simultaneosuly, video to 16x9 720p, but the TX1 does not allow this. If I want to shoot 720p video, then I have to set the camera global mode to 16x9, which forces the photos taken to also be in 16x9 (5.3 MP) mode. If I want full 7.1 MP photos, then I have to set the camera global mode to 4x3, which forces the video to be in 4x3 640x480 standard-def. In effect, because I want my video to always be in 720p, I'm forced to accept 16x9 5.3 MP photos. Otherwise, if I want both 4x3 7.1 MP photos and 16x9 720p video, I have to constantly switch back and forth between 16x9 and 4x3 modes. Again, it's not deal-breaker, but it is an annoying limitation.
Finally, even with the anti red-eye function turned on, the TX1 produces terrible red eye in flash photos, worse than any camera I've seen and worse than other Digital Elph cameras. The reason lies with how close the flash bulb is to the lens (directly over it). Considering how small the camera is, I'm not sure whether is a way around it. Perhaps a pop-up flash would help. It does have a built-in post-processing feature that lets you manually attempt to fix red eye in photos one incident at a time, but it's time-consuming and mostly ineffective. The only thing I've found I can do about it is to Photoshop the red eye out of photos I want to share or print.
Form Factor and Ergonomics
Several reviews have disparaged the ergonomics of the TX1 because of the difficulty of one-handed operation of its small boxy shape and controls. But with my medium-sized hands, I got used it in a matter of a few days, particularly using two hands (one-handed operation is just too shaky anyway with my caffeinated hands). To all those complaining about the ergonomics, I say it's a fine trade-off for the small size.
The camera body is metal and has a solid, luxurious feel--definitely a cut above many plastic-bodied digicams these days. I woukd fault only the flimsy thin strip of a battery compartment cover, which requires a delicate touch each time you change the battery. Speaking of which, filming 28 min worth pf video (one full 8 GB card) will drain the battery, so you'll need to pick a couple of spares.
The buttons (all are multi-function, depending on the mode the camera is in) are responsive, and the directional joy stick has a precise, positive feel. The on/off button is slightly recessed into the body to prevent accidental turn-on (and glows green when on), but it nakes it slightly difficult to use.
Wish List for the next version of the TX1 (TX2?):
- 1080i or 1080p using H.264/AVC or AVCHD.
- The TX1 comes with component cables, plenty good enough to display 720p video on your HD TV. But it would have been nice to have HDMI, like the Sanyo HD700/1000.
- Longer battery life and less-flimsy battery cover.
- Reduced red-eye.
More Canon PowerShot TX1 7.1MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom reviews:
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Description of Canon PowerShot TX1 7.1MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
CL) U) CANON POWERSHOT TX1 DIG CAMCamcorders
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