Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

When going backpacking, it is important to have the best camera possible. The camera should not be too heavy, and should be durable and able to perform basic functions for recreational photography. The Canon powershot SX 530 HS is perfect for backpacking as it is small and inexpensive.

Canon Powershot SX 530 HS has a great zoom at 24-1200mm, 16 megapixels and a sensor of 28square mm. this is ideal, with its good image stabilization ability and canons reputation of easy to use gadgets.

Description

I like lightweight stuff whenever I travel, however, this camera is not so light, compared to others that could be used for backpacking. However, this is one of the cheapest with great features and one that is easy to operate. It does not work well in bad conditions or for producing large prints, so if that is what you need, then this is not the camera for you. On the brighter side, it is an ultra-zoom camera, which means that its optical zoom is up to 50x.

I have an issue with accidentally changing the settings, and I hate it when a gadget cannot be firmly held. This camera though, has an almost perfect shape which allows for a good grip and a hard to rotate dial top so I cannot accidentally change the settings. The buttons at the back have a small distance travel so it might affect the quality a little, but they are big so it is quite simple to use. Which is a good thing because a backpacker is always on the move and has no time for minor details. It is covered with rubber so it is not slippery. No need to worry about sweaty palms too.

Like I said, I prefer this camera because it is affordable. The plastic use seems to be on the cheaper side, so if you have a thing for expensive material this camera will not do the trick; and although it is a step below top model 60, it is better than essex 410 entry level.

It has an optical stabilization that is built in. This means that you can shoot a moving object which is as far as 25m away. This camera is an ideal one for shooting interior shots as well as landscapes and people. Which is what is needed for backpacking, and not necessarily professional photography.

Features

• A wide angle, with 50x 200m ultra shot.
• ​Takes good low light shots, with its 16.0 mega pixel CMOS, and high sensitivity.
• ​It has processing which is very powerful with DIGIC, so it can take upto 6 images which are all unique, using one shot.
• ​It can share and back up images wirelessly, since it has certified Wi-Fi capability.
• ​For movie summary, it has easy to use hybrid auto.
• ​Effective control front dial and a 32 scene detection automatic mode for high speed shooting.
• ​Movie button for instant movie capture, with aperture and shutter speed control.
• NFC which enables sharing and lets you control the camera using a smart phone.
• Lets you move to canon connect with one tap.

Dimensions

• Zoom- 24-1200mm
• ​Mega pixels- 16.0
• Sensor size- 28 square mm
• LCD screen- 3 inches diagonal and 460,000 shots.

Basic Functions

• Apart from the obvious functions, there are some impressive functions on this camera, even though they are pretty basic. I find these useful and fitting for a person who is almost always on the move.
• ​Runs 200 shots out of a single charge. This makes it a strong camera.
• ​It uses a memory card which is standard SDHC and shares a compartment with the battery.
• ​On the right side, are the connectors. It accepts USB and HDMI for connecting with an LCD television.
• ​Once it is zoomed, all the fine images are preserved and the saturation is almost natural.
• It has a good HD image quality. Therefore it can shoot a full HD video and every second has 30 frames. This camera can shoot just about anything.

Pros

• It is suitable to shoot anything. I am especially impressed with its image stabilization and zooming ability which retains fine images.
• ​Wi-Fi is very essential in everyday life for me and so, it is important that it has this feature that allows me to share easily with my smart devices.
• ​I like that I can connect this camera with an LCD television, using its USB and HDMI ports.
• ​The video quality which is HD at 1080p is also really good considering its size and other features.
• My favorite part is the price which is under $250 and the fact that this is a canon brand ensures me that I will not have any difficulties using it.

Cons

• It is not articulated and it does not have touch control. This is okay though since when backpacking, I do not necessarily need to take professional photos.
• ​The batteries cannot be charged while they are still inside the camera. This might be a problem when I need to use the camera even after it dies. However, this method of charging is prohibited by most devices because it destroys the batteries, so I guess it is okay since it will make me preserve my batteries.
• Viewing angles might not be that good but the quality is fine.

Customer Reviews

• I always check customer reviews whenever I decide to buy a gadget so as usual I checked out the customer reviews and comments on this camera on different sites.
• ​There are a few things that kept recurring, some of them being, its mobility, price, and good quality of shots for nonprofessional photos.
• ​It was preferred by photographers who were on the go and did not want to take their heavy duty cameras.
• Some did not like that it has no blurred backgrounds, so if that is a feature you absolutely cannot do without, I will not recommend that you buy this camera.

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