Canon SX50 as a Webcam

by Bonson
(India)

Hello,

I want to use the canon sx 50 as a webcam. How can I do that? What software do I need to load on my laptop?

Hi Bonson,

Thanks for the question about the Canon SX50HS. It's an interesting choice to use as a web cam because of its size. One of the accessories available to DSLR owners that is often overlooked is software to make their cameras more useful.

You're in luck!. Software to make you Canon DSLR awork as a webcam is available. Here is one good way to go: How to use Your DSLR as a Webcam

Please report back to CanonCameraGeek and let us know how it works for you!




Other DLSR Accessories

Good Luck!
Bruce

Single point focus in Canon SX 60 HS

by Kathryn
(Riverside, CA)

"Does the Canon SX60 HS have an actual setting for single point focus, or is the small box as close as it gets?"

Hi Kathryn,

Thanks for your question about the Canon SX60 HS! That's quite an interesting camera. I've never used the SX60, but I believe the SX60 has the same focusing options as the SX50. As you can see in the photo of the daisey above, the small box is the smallest "point" for focusing and it is movable about the screen.

I wanted to confirm that by reading the manual and I tried to download the manual for you at the USA Canon site, but the site was not cooperating at the time: SH60 HS Info at USA Canon. I've found the support people that answer the phone for Canon to be quite helpful with questions like this: Contact Support at 1-800-OK-CANON (1-800-652-2666). You can also email them from that page as well.

The good news is that the rectangular focusing area is a fairly small area to concentrate your focusing and that it should handle just about every situation you come across, except perhaps macro photography, where the focusing is so critical. These superzoom cameras are great for beginners and have a lot of technology jammed into a nice light camera body. The focusing on these canon models is not as spiffy as the pricer DSLRs and isn't as responsive in darker shooting conditions.

FACTS ABOUT THE CANON SX60 HS

The PowerShot SX60 HS has an impressive 65X optical zoom lens. That's the same range as a 21-1365mm full frame lens, making it great to shoot your kids soccer game from the parking lot.

The 16MP sensor data is processed by a DIGIC 6 image processor that can shoot over 6 frames per second, plenty of speed for shooting action photos. You can use the electronic viewfinder or the fully articulating screen to frame in your photos and video. The SX60 HS shoots 1080p/60p Full HD video in MP4 format and has a convenient dedicated movie button.

REVIEWS ON THE SX60 HS

Readers of the Canon Camera Geek site can read reviews from buyers of the SX60 HS on Amazon and decide whether it's a good purchase for them or not.You can read the reviews here: SX60 HS Reviews

Good luck, Kathryn.
Bruce

Best Canon Cameras

Filter for SX400IS

by Joaquín
(Madrid, Spain)

Hello!

I recently got a SX400IS camera. I bought a 40.5mm UV filter to protect the lens, but when it arrived it doesn´t fit, it´s a little smaller than the lens ring. I measured with a caliper an its 41mm wide, it´s right? i can´t find any filter on amazon of this diameter, where i can buy one?

Thanks!

Thanks for your question about filter size for the SX400 IS.

Interesting that no mention of filters is in the specs or accessories in the Canon Powershot SX400 IS manual or on the Canon web site.

This camera has only been around for a few months I think, but long enough for this to be discussed somewhere in the forums of one of the big digital camera review websites.

The SX400 IS has the creative-effect, digital filters built into the camera's software and for a camera at this price level, it is un-likely there will be much of a market for screw-on filters.

I also tried www.dpreview.com and that didn't help me either.

Did you call Canon directly?

Good Luck

Powershot SX430 IS

by Paudie Hehir
(Limerick Ireland)

Purchased this (Powershot SX430 IS) today but want to know how can I transfer photos to my laptop.

Hi Paudie,

Thanks for asking how to download photos from your Canon Powershot SX430 IS. Fortunately, it's no different than downloading from any other digital camera. You can just Google "How to download photos from my camera" or similar words and pick the result that best fits your situation.

Also, with any camera, including your Powershot SX430IS, it's not exciting, but use your camera's manual, whether you got it in printed form with your camera, or if you have to view it online as a PDF file.

Good Luck,
Bruce

Canon SX500 Lens-Adding A Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Fixed Focal Length Lens

by Jan
(WA)

Can any lens be attached to the Canon sx500 is? - Jan

Hi Jan,
Thanks for checking in to my site and for asking a question about the Canon Powershot SX500 lens and adding a lens like the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 prime (fixed focal length) lens to it.
The existing 24-720mm Canon SX500 Lens was intended to handle all your lens needs with this particular camera and is not interchangeable. The Powershot SX500 is a "bridge camera" designed to give you the look and feel of a traditional DSLR without the need to ever change the lens.

THE POWERFUL POWERSHOT SX500 LENS

When the SX500 was released in 2012 it got a lot of attention for its lens. Canon was able to engineer a 30x zoom range, making it capable of shooting both wide angle landscapes and zooming in on distant wildlife or sports as well. Canon fit the lens in a relatively light and small camera by using a small sensor and not including an optical viewfinder.

THE CANON EF 50MM F/1.8 LENS

Your interest in this lens shows you're looking for a fast lens. The EF 50 1.8 is a really affordable way to get low-light shooting and/or shallow depth of field photos. The SX500 lens has a maximum lens opening of F/3.4 at the wide angle end and f/5.8 at the telephoto end.

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 is intended for Canon DSLRs with a full frame sensor.

Have a blast with your Canon
Bruce

RELATED

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Accessories For Powershot Cameras

canon sx 510

by nico
(st hubert , qc, canada)

review please


Hi Nico, Thanks for your question about the Canon SX 510.
It is a very interesting digital camera because of it's zoom capabilities. One of the biggest mistakes people have with their photography is blurry pictures. Strong zoom lenses can cause blurriness. Use of a tripod, monopod or high shutter speed is highly recommended over using image stabilization.


Continue reading "Canon SX50HS Review"

LCD Display SX510

by Bill
(Scottsdale Arizona )

What does FHD and the distance 29'06" mean in the display?

Hi Bill, thanks for your question about the Canon SX510. It's an interesting camera, although I don't own it myself.

I believe that FHD is Full High Definition (video). I am not sure where you are seeing the 29'06.

How about the amount of recording time remaining at that Full HD setting?

You can find your answer most likely in the SX510 manual. Just copy and paste the address below into your web browser:

http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/1/0300012151/01/pssx510hs-cu-en.pdf

Good luck and feel free to let me know how you make out with your answer.

Warm Regards,
Bruce

Canon IXUS 255 or Canon SX510 which one is better ?

by Yankeetr
(Mumbai,Maharashtra,India)

Which camera is better for video recording canon IXUS255 or canon SX510...???

Canon IXUS 255 is newly launched in ixus line up where as SX510 is of the old line up of powershot.

Both are giving tuff competition in comparison.

WHICH ONE TO BUY ... ???

Hi Yankeetr, thanks for your question.

These two cameras are very different in their size and format which makes it tough to compare. I personally don't enjoy using Elph cameras like the Canon PowerShot ELPH 330 HS (IXUS 255 HS).

I also much prefer optical viewfinders over using an LCD screen.

That's perhaps my personal bias against how you hold these cameras when shooting. They don't feel like a camera. I've been using slr-type of cameras for 40 years, so change is not easy to come by.

I pretty much only like cameras that have a hot shoe flash as well. With that said, the ELPHs are popular. They are very easy to use, fit in any small pocket and image quality is decent.

The IXUS 255 calculates to a 79% 4-5 CanonGeek rating on amazon. One of the complaints with the "5-way" controller on the 330; the buttons are completely flush with the body, making it a little challenging to adjust.

The second complaint which is a little too common with buyers on amazon about the Canon IXUS 255 camera are with battery and power issues.

Good Luck with your choice of which Canon to buy!

Canon Geek

Canon SX540

"what do i need to connect my camera to a tablet to download photos?
thanks Paul

Hi Paul

Thanks for your question about the Canon SX-540. The cord you use has to have the right terminal for the particular tablet you are using on one end and the other end will have the hdmi terminal. See number 8 in the diagram above.

Here's the link to your camera's manual. SX-540 HS Manual. Be patient. It will take a while to load.

Let me know if that's what you were asking.

Thanks and good luck!
Bruce

How to Change The Password on My Canon SX540 Camera

by Martha
(Ontario, Canada)

"I just bought my camera and I am trying to get it set up so that the pictures will go to my computer. I got to the point of putting in the password and I must have made a mistake as when I am continuing the set up the camera keeps telling me that I am not using the correct password.

My camera is Power Shot SX540"

Hi Martha,

Thanks for your question. I have no knowledge of an SX540 having a password. I'd call Canon directly on this one.

Good Luck
Bruce

SX 700 HS

by Brian
(Melbourne Australia )

Thanks again for keeping us up to date with your articles and especially your advice.
Have just come back form our Canada and Alaska trip for which I took my S120.
The picture quality was outstanding, especially in low light situations.
Also being able to Wifi my daily shots to the iPad was just sensational.
As always there is a but?
Although the S120 was outstanding for quality of the shots, it seriously lacked the optical zoom in a lot of situations.
Zoom was something I thought I could overlook in my decision to purchase the S120.
My research indicated zoom was only used in very small doses during travels but maybe I misread what people said.
Now I am "forced" to make another purchase so I can get ZOOM included in the travel camera.
What would be your thoughts in a camera very similar to having a sensor size similar to the S120. I really want a camera with excellent low light performance.
From my perspective I am looking at the SX700HS but not sure of its sensor size for low
light compared to the S120.
Again thanks for your help and look forward to receiving your advice.
Brian.

Brian,

Glad to hear of you photography success with the Canon s120 and thanks for your kind words about the Canon Geek web site. I wish I had more time to update it more often.

I have no personal experience with the SX700 but here are a few of my thoughts anyway. It does have a smaller sensor 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) vs 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) for the Canon s120) and Canon squeezed more pixels onto that smaller chip.

All other things being equal, that usually translates into more noise at higher ISO settings. They both employ the same Digic 6 processor.


I always shoot "raw" format because of the flexibility in processing my images afterwards. The SX700 does not have that option. If you always shoot jpgs anyway, that feature has no meaning for you.

The extra zooming power would be a lot of fun for you to play around with, although it can lead to a loss in sharpness if you don't stabilize the camera properly.

The optical Image Stabilization is great to have but you may need to use very high shutter speeds, a monopod, or a tripod, at full magnification, depending on the lighting and situation you are shooting in.

Canon was likely able to compromise and combine the larger-range zooming lens design on the Canon SX700 within a small camera body by reducing the over all dimension of the sensor.

Here is a link to the specs as reported by dpreview: Canon SX700 Specifications

Good Luck
Canon Geek

Canon SX700 Camera on
Amazon Basics 60-Inch Tripod

by Cathy
(CT)

"Can I use the AmazonBasics 60-Inch Lightweight Tripod with Canon SX700 HS? Or can you tell me what tripod I could use?" - Cathy

Hi Cathy,

Thanks for asking about the Amazonbasics 60-Inch Tripod and suitability of the Canon SX700 camera. The quick answer is yes.

There are few important factors based on your personal shooting style that should be considered and the more detailed answer about the Canon SX700/Amazonbasics tripod combination follows below. I also included a link at the end of this post to an article on the best tripods for under 50, which should be helpful to you and other readers.

Amazonbasics 60-Inch Tripod

The Amazonbasics is perhaps one the very most popular tripods of all time and gets great buyer review numbers. It's also one of the most affordable full-size tripods you can get possibly get your hands on. It does have some limitations.

The manufacturer gives its weight capacity at over 6 pounds and your SX700 only weighs about 1/2 a pound, so you're easily within its load capacity.

Amazonbasics Tripod Limitations

It's made out of cheaper materials (a lot of plastic) so it will have issues with durability if you don't treat it gently and use it within its limitations. It won't be as stable as an aluminum or carbon fiber tripod. It's fairly tall at 60 inches, but having the center pole fully extended doesn't give you great stability. Check out these Stability Tips.

The AmazonBasics tripod has a minimum height which won't allow you to get down real low for ground level shots (macro photography) for a creative low shooting perspective. This may not be important to you at all, depending on what you like to photograph. The Amazonbasics tripod legs can't be set at different angles. This is a helpful feature when you are shooting on uneven terrain. Again, this may be a completely irrelevant feature for you.

Amazonbasics 60 Inch Tripod - Best Features

*You can't beat the price.
*It's very light and easy to carry.
*You can pan and tilt easily by using the long screwdriver type of handle. That's a necessity for shooting video.

You can also invest about twice as much money and get a much better tripod in the $50 range. If you're looking for an affordable tripod for occasional general use you can't beat this tripod at this price level. If you want more durability and a little more functionality I recommend you bite the bullet and invest in higher quality.

The Canon SX700

The SX700 has an amazing 30X optical zoom packed into a compact camera. This makes using a tripod important, as you can improve sharpness when shooting at your extreme telephoto zoom settings.

Remember to turn your image stabilization OFF when you're using a tripod. The 3.0 inch LCD screen is plenty big enough to compose and review your photos. The Canon SX700 also can record video at a 1080/p HD resolution, with a dedicated movie button to make it easy to shoot video in an instant.

The SX700 also has WiFi connectivity which is great for transferring and sharing images. It's so light that you'll never get any arm fatigue from holding it. The Canon digic 6 processor combined with the advanced autofocusing options (including face detection) make this a great camera for getting consistent quality results with your snapshots.

Cathy, please let me know how you make out. It really helps the other readers of the Canon Geek blog.

Good Luck!
Bruce

More Resources

Reviews on The Amazon Bascis 60 Inch Tripod
Best Tripods Under $50
Reviews on Other Canon Cameras