May 11
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February 7, 2011, Canon announced the release of new 14x long optical zoom compact digital camera PowerShot SX220 HS. the main difference between SX230 HS and SX220 HS is the employing of GPS module, the SX230 HS is equipped with GPS module, while the SX220 HS has not, other specifications are basically the same. the PowerShot SX220 HS comes equipped with the 12.1 effective megapixels 1/2.3 inch CMOS image sensor, 14x optical zoom 28mm wide-angle (28-392mm equivalent in 135 format) and 461,000 dots 3.0 inch LCD screen. the camera also supports 1080p full HD video recording and 8fps continuous shooting. Now it priced at $349.
Canon PowerShot SX220 HS Features.
Canon PowerShot SX220 HS Specifications.
At first glance the SX220 HS looks to be from exactly the same mould as its SX210 IS predecessor, but design-wise and operationally it’s not an exact match. the build quality is the usual marriage of plastic and metal, with the PowerShot SX220 HS feeling sturdy enough when gripped in the palm to withstand the odd drop or knock in its inactive state. Curved edges make it appear less boxy and rectangular than it actually is. Whilst the camera is bigger than your average compact, it still just about fits into your pocket and is reasonably light too at 215g even with the memory card and battery inserted. Plus the modest additional bulk feels a fair compromise for that built-in zoom power, the lens extending an ungainly 2-inches from the body when at maximum 392mm equivalent telephoto setting.
The shooting mode wheel on the top right of the back plate features a plethora of options – 13 in total – with the sort of set up found on an entry-level DSLR in relation to its mixture of creative manual options, plus point and shoot modes for common subjects. Canon has here thoughtfully included an ‘easy mode’ in addition to the scene and subject recognizing Smart Auto – the former denoted by a 
camera with a heart icon that more usually denotes a ‘favourites’ setting. this disables pretty much everything in terms of user selectable shooting options and so allows for fuss free point and shoot operation.
This shooting mode dial is also where you’ll find the camera’s scene modes, some of which again mirror the kind of selections you’ll find on the latest consumer DSLRs and Micro Four Thirds hybrids. as with the latest additions to the Olympus Pen series, here we get access to a diorama effect (which Canon has simplified on the function menu as ‘miniature effect’), fast becoming this year’s must have on-board feature, plus a perspective warping fisheye option. Further hand holding is provided by the Smart Shutter mode that as it sounds allows the shutter to be controlled with a smile or a wink – increasing the overall user-friendly feel and handy for when you want to include yourself in the picture.
Of course when you’re given fun new tools such as the above effects, the overwhelming temptation is to go crazy with them. Certainly the tilt and shift lens-like ‘miniature effect’ that transforms friends and colleagues into the equivalent of toy soldiers is hard to resist. Plus, with a press of the ‘display’ button on the Canon’s back plate followed by a toggle of the zoom switch on the top plate, users can go one further and precisely control the width of the portion of the image that is sharply in focus, leaving the rest artistically blurred.
Unfortunately such effects cannot also be used when recording movies – though users do have access to the ‘my Colors’ settings, including colour swap and colour accent for anyone wanting to experiment something visually different from the norm – even if the results do at times resemble an early 1990′s grunge rock video. Smart Auto is deployed in movie mode, though, the camera referencing 18 different presets to find the most appropriate.
The SX220 HS sports a built-in flash of the pop up variety. good, as this lessens the chance of red eye (with automatic 
red eye correction software further built-in as a belt and braces approach and selectable via the shooting menu folder). however, unlike competing models that present said flash when requested, the Canon’s flash automatically pops up when the camera is initially switched on, whether you like it or not. this is inevitably slightly irritating if you don’t actually intend to use it. Pressing it down and returning it to its dormant state naturally deactivates it, but at times it feels more like you’re fighting with the camera than engaging seamlessly with it.
The SX220 HS features an excellent 3-inch, 460k dot resolution widescreen format LCD at the rear that displays a 4:3 image ratio as its default setting. That’s unless one is shooting HD movies with stereo sound, whereby the picture is automatically relayed in 16:9 ratio to more closely ape how it would appear when viewed on a desktop PC, or a flat panel telly. the High-speed Burst mode shoots at up to 8.1 shots/sec. albeit only at 3.0 megapixel resolution, while the Super Slow Motion Movie mode offers a great way to dramatically slow down fast-moving subjects, shooting at either 240 fps at 320×240 resolution or 120 fps at 640×480 pixels.
With approximately four fifths of the Canon’s backplate taken up with the elongated widescreen format LCD, its operational controls are shunted over to the far right. Starting at the top, we have the circular on/off button and a penny-sized shooting mode wheel with ridged edge enabling a more definite purchase and nicely solid feel. this rigidity ensures it clicks into place for each setting in such a way that it is hard to accidentally slip from one option to another when fetching the camera out of a pocket or camera bag. the 13 strong options here comprise Smart Auto and Easy Auto modes as discussed, plus the creative quartet of Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual shooting settings.
In the Scene mode, users are presented with the Smart Shutter mode which as it sounds allows the shutter to be controlled with a smile or a wink – increasing the overall user-friendly feel and handy for when you want to include yourself in the picture. There’s also the High-speed Burst mode, Best Image Selection, Handheld NightScene, Low Light, Beach, Underwater, Foliage, Snow, Fireworks and Stitch Assist Panorama options. By moving up or down the same toolbar the likes of white balance can be manually adjusted, the Canon proprietary ‘my Colors’ effects turned on or off, and quality settings further adjusted for shooting both stills and video.
Below the shooting mode dial are the aforementioned one-touch video record button, 
and next to it the identically sized replay/playback button. These two self-explanatory controls sit above the command/dial scroll wheel, which, unusually, is free from external markings. yet give it a press and a virtual dial appears on screen with the formerly hidden settings now revealed. It’s here alterations can be made to flash settings, as well as those for self timer, auto, close up (to 5cm from a subject) or manual focus, plus exposure compensation (+/- 2EV). in manual focus mode a distance slider appears at the right of the screen, adjustable with a swivel of the scroll wheel (so it’s a bit fiddly), rather than more intuitively tabbing up or down. Any changes to the status quo are naturally effected with a press of the central function/set button as previously described.
PowerShot SX220 HS uses the high-sensitivity CMOS sensor and processor combination DIGIC4 HS system. with the auto scene function, you can identify up to 32 scenes, and operate it manually through the auto-tracking AF and shutter priority shooting modes. the compact body and colorful shells makes it be a new popularity.