This is the Big Daddy of all 35mm P&S cameras. It's massive size though comes not for show, but from neccessity. It even came with a cloth lined Eveready Case, though I usually take that off as soon as I start to use the camera, because it's not designed as a two piece item.
The large grip on the right side (as you hold it) hides the battery chamber for the 2XCR5 pack that powers this machine. The flash actually zooms with the lens and viewfinder, so that mechanism needed some extra room. Then there is the remote control unit, which is housed in the bottom of the camera. It has two settings for the shutter release, instant, and a two second delay (which gives you time to get your hand back in position for the shot). When you release the transmitter unit from the camera, it automatically turns on the remote control circuit.
With the room they allotted for all that, you'd think Canon could have stuffed a longer lens in there. However, the 39-85mm lens is an excellent performer, one of the best I have seen on a p&s camera, and the best p&s zoom I have used. According to Canon, it is a design similar to an FD series lens. There is even an infinity button you can push for when you are shooting something that is un-defined, like a shot with mostly sky or water in the frame. This way, the autofocus doesn't keep hunting for something to lock on, because the camera will not fire if it is not in focus. Add to this, an 'Intelligent Framing Zoom Mode', that is supposed to keep your subject size the same despite changing your distance, or angle to the subject.
I used Fujifilm 200 for the shoot, but it was a 24 shot roll, so I didn't really get all the features tested like I normally would. It surprised me when the flash went off when I was pointing at a very brightly lit stone monument, so that tells me to make sure I shut the flash off when outdoors. It has a close focus range of 2' to 3.3' (0.6-1m), with frame lines in the finder indicating where the picture area is, so you can recompose after locking in the focus.
As stated before , this is one large camera, but it doesn't handle like it is too big. In fact, it feels more right in my hands than some of my other cameras. The extra heft adds to the stability, especially when shooting in "Multi-Mode", where you can bang off shots at just a little less than one per second. And the wide, flat bottom makes a good platform for taking remote shots.
So here are some of the shots from the test roll, and there are more on Flickr if you follow this link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7699588@N07/sets/72157627781880598/
Canon Sure Shot Zoom XL Open by
br1078phot, on Flickr
Zoom Range by
br1078phot, on Flickr
Untouched shots of the zoom range from 39-85mm lens. Nice results for a P&S zoom.
Brushy Mountain by
br1078phot, on Flickr
An un-cropped version to show the range of the wide end gives a lot of latitude for where you make a crop.
Down In The Creek by
br1078phot, on Flickr
The light reflected from the sky caught my attention, and the camera metered the scene very well.
You Still Here? by
br1078phot, on Flickr
Sometimes I wonder what they are thinking when someone walks up to the fence.
This was another shot where I goofed up the framing, but was able to crop it to get things back towards the center.
Couriosity Trot by
br1078phot, on Flickr
They went back to feeding, and I walked down the road a ways to get an angle shot over the top of the fence. They decided to come towards me again, and I finally got off a clear shot of them separated, and without the fence in the way. It was a nice way to end the roll.
And thus, the end of the post.
PF
