THE CANON SX20 IS | Advanced Digital Camera
This camera was designed around its very well labeled Super-Zoom description. The SX20 boasts a 20 X zoom ability that is similar to the focal length of a 28mm – 560mm DSLR lens. This is ideal for shooting the soccer players on the field below you when you are shooting from all the way at the top of the stadium seating. The quality of the images are incredible and it’s honestly mind blowing to see the power of the zoom.
The top image is the SX20's wideangle shot and the bottom image is taken standing in exactly the same spot, zoomed in.
Image Stabilization helps to ensure that your photos stay sharp and clear during those incredible zoom shots. 12 Megapixels produces high quality images for you to print and share with friends. This camera goes from off to ready-to-shoot in close to a second, great for ensuring that you don’t miss any action while your camera crawls out of bed and has a cup of coffee.
Two motor systems, USM and VCM, allow the zoom and focus functions to run smoothly, accurately, super fast and silently so that you can quickly move from snapping your friend in the stadium next to you to a zoomed in shot of your soccer team scoring a goal. Your pictures are also stored really quickly once captured to avoid delay in thinking time between shots. I was impressed with the speed of function all round.
An electronic viewfinder gives you a clear view of your scene and a 2.5inch LCD with a varied-angle ability allows you to photograph those otherwise hard to reach scenarios. Your LCD can fold out (like opening the cover of a book) and then spin on its access to face up or down. Particularly good when the guy in front of you jumps up every time something exciting happens – you can lift your camera above his head and still get the shot.
The Canon SX20 is powered by 4 AA batteries which makes it super easy to keep powered up as you can purchase AA batteries almost anywhere, as apposed to DSLRs that require very specific and sometimes costly batteries.
Canon has rated the battery life at around 340 shots for alkaline batteries and around 600 for NiMH batteries, so the choice is a logical one. If you take 2 sets of new NiMH batteries with you to a soccer match you will have power for 1,200 shots! Plenty!
For your creative side you are given the freedom to fully control both your aperture and your shutter speed, should you wish to do so. This kind of feature makes the Advanced Digital Camera a great deal more sought after than your average point and shoot. The ISO ranges from 80 – 1600.
To be honest – looking at the Canon SX20 you’d be forgiven for thinking it IS a DSLR!
In size it related to some of the entry-level DSLRs and between the generous LCD, the built in flash sitting on top of the camera body, a scatter of easy access buttons and the hot-shoe just above the flash – well it shares a number of characteristics of your average DSLR.
The rugged, thick plastic body feels incredibly sturdy and was designed to last. The grip on the Canon SX20 caters for both little and large hands. I could hold the camera comfortably and there was still plenty room to spare for someone with larger hands than me. The camera grip also happens to be the housing for the batteries.
The easy access buttons on the body include a dial with thirteen user selectable shooting modes, zoom control (a rocking lever right next to your shutter button which is smooth and operates really fast), white balance, ISO, continuous shooting and exposure compensation. The easy access to continuous shooting is going to come in very hand when you know something exciting is about to happen, you can flip the camera to continuous and fire away, knowing that you will capture the right image!
The Canon SX20 IS can use Multi Media Cards, SD/SDHC, MMC plus and HC MMC plus memory cards.
Amongst your thirteen shooting modes there is one that I want to point out which I know will definitely come in handy when you are sitting in a massive stadium.
Stitch Assist
This feature will allow you to capture a stunning all round image of the stadium in one photo. You can take a vertical or horizontal version.
Simply hold the camera steady (it is preferable that you use a tripod, but not the end of the world if you don’t) and take a photo – panning the camera all the way from the left to the right. The Camera will take a number of images and then automatically “stitch” them together – all lines up and neat – into one really long or really tall image.
Obviously, when compared to a DSLR any Advanced Digital Camera is going to be lacking and the features are not going to boast quality that challenges a DSLR, but under no circumstance should the power of this Canon Advanced Digital Camera be sneered at. I only use DSLRs and when I was handed this camera I thought I was going to be in for some trouble due to being used to my DSLR, but I was honestly, pleasantly surprised! Sometimes I was so surprised you could actually call it shock (they really aren’t lying when they call it Super Zoom!)
So if you are in the market for a camera but you aren’t serious enough (yet) to look at a DSLR and the price tags that come with them - then the Canon SX20 IS is definitly the camera for you!
Up until now I haven’t even mentioned the Movie Option! You can record high quality HD movies in various formats. Of course…you aren’t allowed recording devices in the stadium at the soccer matches so lets just keep that feature quiet for now 
All of your thirteen modes are:
• Auto
• Portrait
• Landscape
• Night snapshot
• Sports
• Special Scene: night scene, sunset, snow, fireworks, ISO 3200, color swap, indoor, foliage, beach, aquarium and color accent options
• Stitch Assist
• Movie
• Program AE (P): camera sets aperture and shutter speed, user can select settings such as ISO sensitivity, exposure compensation and white balance
• Shutter Priority (Tv): user sets shutter speed, camera sets aperture and user can select from range of other settings
• Aperture Priority (Av): user sets aperture, camera sets shutter speed and user can select from range of other settings
• Manual (M): user sets aperture and shutter speeds, and can select from range of other settings
• Custom (C): can be used to save frequently used shooting modes (P, Av, Tv and M only) and various shooting settings, such as zoom or manual focus locations, menu settings, etc.
Canon SX20 is a superb camera just like the Canon SX10. Superzoom images are great and Also you should try the Super Macro option. I love this camera and I think this is the best camera for photography newbie like me !