Canon PowerShot SX700 Review

For

Point and shoot ease or full manual control, close-up macro mode, good image stabilisation, decent image quality

Against

Limited autofocus options, no raw capture, 30x zoom limitations at longer extension, no touchscreen, more basic than Panasonic TZ60

As the compact camera market continues to shrink, the outlay of new product seems to be surfing a common theme: zoom is increasing in a war waged with fixed-lens smartphone cameras. The Canon PowerShot SX700 HS - the update to the earlier SX280 HS model - and its jump from a 20x to 30x optical zoom epitomises this trend; the significant bump in spec warranting the jump in model number.

Despite packing more in the lens department, the SX700 avoids considerable waist-line expansion - it's only a little chunkier than its predecessor - and is competitive against the likes of the Panasonic Lumix TZ60 and Sony Cyber-shot HX60.

But is the more considerable zoom lens the right area to focus on? Indeed, does this update make for a less adept camera rather than a more advanced one than before, and does Canon's straightforward approach lack the polish of its nearest competitors? We've been shooting with the Canon SX700 in both sunny Portugal and the rainy UK to see whether it's the king of the travel zoom compacts.

Design

The SX700 HS features a 25-750mm equivalent optical zoom lens, which means a 50 per cent greater reach than the earlier SX280 model. That doesn't come at the expense of a giant body size, as the 34.8mm thickness attests. Only when extending the lens fully does the camera take on a more considerable form on account of the protruding lens, but when switched off it's a pocketable purchase.

In terms of layout and design the SX700 treads a similar path to the SX280 HS, albeit with the inclusion of a protruding front grip to aid a comfortable hold. It sits neatly in the hand, so no complaints on that front.

To the back there's a mode dial positioned towards the edge of the body, while the d-pad offers a rotational control to thumb between settings. Both of these dials are plastic which makes them stick out against the more premium metal body design, not that it affects use. Using the mode dial to switch between shooting modes - whether you want point-and-shoot simplicity or manual controls to make the most of things - is fairly stiff to rotate, but this works to the benefit of not knocking it out of place by accident.

On the rear of the camera is a 3-inch 921k-dot LCD screen for preview and playback which, thanks to its ample resolution, is a step above its predecessor. It seemed bright to view when testing in the UK, but it did struggle with presenting a visible preview in the Portuguese sun.

Unlike the Panasonic Lumix TZ60 there's no viewfinder in Canon's 30x zoom offering, and even though we weren't huge fans of the Panasonic finder, that would have made all the difference in such a sun-lit situation. It's not unusable in such conditions, just difficult to define a precise exposure and accurate framing.

More can mean less

The key reason to bag the SX700 HS is its significant zoom lens. It means wide-angle group shots or far-and-away subjects can be snapped to fill the frame. The toggle around the shutter button on top of the camera glides the lens through its zoom range at a reasonable pace and everything feels sturdy with nothing rattling around.

Despite a move to a 30x zoom across all the major manufacturers, it's a specification not without its limitations. Increase that zoom to maximum and it can be tricky for autofocus to latch on to a subject due to a slowing down of performance. It still has its uses, just don't expect super-fast infallible capture.

Part of the reason for this is the amount of light able to enter the camera in such a situation. The maximum available aperture at 750mm is just f/6.9, which means considerably less light is able to enter the camera than at the wide-angle setting and, as a result, the camera needs to boost settings to achieve a live image preview. In dim conditions this will likely mean a slowed frame rate on the screen and an increased shutter speed increasing the likelihood of a blurry shot. Even if you don't know the nuts and bolts of this background stuff, you'll feel it in use and it can frustrate.

The often excellent image stabilisation also finds its ceiling at this new significant focal length. Holding shots steady at the 750mm equivalent can be a little tricky, although we did find stabilisation to do a sterling job even when shooting at maximum zoom with less-than-desirable shutter speeds.

Performance

In general the SX700 is a capable performer, but the SX-line hasn't drastically evolved over numerous iterations and essentially leaves us wanting some more in certain areas.

Autofocus, for example, works really well throughout the wide-mid zoom range, but lacks the versatility of some of the competition. There's the choice for a single area focus point to be placed in the centre only, or automated Face AiAF will detect faces and subjects anywhere throughout the scene. That's it though: just the two options. Other competitors have touchscreens for placing the focus point, or pinpoint modes for heightened focus accuracy.

So while the Canon is as much a success as its SX280 HS predecessor, the world has kept on turning and Canon hasn't really evolved its offering as much as the jump from "280" to "700" might suggest.

Instead it has focused more on the increment in focal length rather than boosting the core performance to outpace the competition. Take that as you will: it means it's good overall, but helps highlight how much of a success the older model already was and still is.

Verdict

With a launch price of £329 the Canon PowerShot SX700 HS might not be a budget buy, but it cleverly undercuts the main competition from Panasonic and Sony by enough to make us stand up and pay attention. It not-so-cleverly also sits behind them by offering fewer features and a more simplistic operation, despite generally strong performance.

If you must have a massive zoom in a pocketable format then there’s a lot going for the SX700 HS. Thing is, we can’t help but think its SX280 HS predecessor, with its less significant zoom lens, was a more sensible all-round prospect. The SX700’s “30x zoom” badge may appeal, but the maximum zoom has its limitations andCanon has negated to boost its general features.

What the Canon achieves once again is quality images. They’re not quite perfect in every way, but the SX-line has always been top of its class in this regard. The SX700 HS is no different and it’s this that will make it one of the top travel zooms… even if the older SX280 HS might be twice as tempting based on its lower price point.

Nikon CoolPix S6900 Review

Nikon has unveiled the Nikon Coolpix S6900, a compact point-and-shoot camera for selfie-fans.

Many manufacturers have been capitalising on the craze for smartphone selfies of late, attempting to lift those dark, blurry self-shots to another level with dedicated camera hardware.

Nikon is the latest to have a crack with the Coolpix S6900. Its most notable feature is a 3-inch 460k dot display that can be flipped around 180 degrees to the side of the camera, making it perfect for lining up those selfies.

Of course, cameras have had flippable screens for years, but the Nikon Coolpix S6900 goes further in service of the selfie.

It's got a built-in stand that lets you support it on a table or flat surface while you position yourself in a group or scenery shot, for example.

When you are taking one of those more ambitious selfies, you can  initiate the shot through gestural commands.

Meanwhile sharing is a cinch with the unusual inclusion of NFC. Tap the Coolpix S6900 to your NFC-equipped smartphone (well timed with the iPhone 6 launch, Nikon) and you'll be able to quickly pair up and share your snaps over Wi-Fi.

There are also a bunch of beauty filters that can make your ugly mug look a little more presentable for those self-absorbed social network posts. You'll want to look your best when you're telling everyone what a wonderful time you're having, after all.

Elsewhere, the Nikon Coolpix S6900 has a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor, an Expeed C2 processor, and a fixed 12x optical zoom (25-300mm equivalent) lens.

Pricing and availability is yet to be confirmed, but we'll let you know as soon as we do.

Leica C review: Small sensor struggles in low light

Picture the scene. You’ve made it in life. You’ve got the Rolex on your wrist, the Montblanc in your pocket and the Bentley parked in the villa’s garage. But you’ll need something to capture this elite lifestyle, and it better look the part too.

This is where Leica has made a name for itself in the camera world. See, Leica cameras aren’t just cameras; they’re finely-crafted works of art that last generations and cost as much as an average car. So what’s with the Leica C then? Its body is plastic for heaven’s sake, and the price tag is almost affordable. Whatever next?

Well, ever since Leica joined forces with Panasonic to supply the glassy bits for its cameras, the deal has worked both ways and Leica has been allowed to dress up several of Panasonic’s cameras in a more sophisticated style. So although the C certainly looks like a new, smart and sexy snapper; it’s actually just a Panasonic LF1 under a veil of exclusivity.

But that’s no bad thing, as the LF1 is a terrific camera and means the Leica C inherits some impressive tech. Its 12.1 megapixel MOS sensor may not be the most pixel-packed in the business, but it’s physically larger than the average sensor size in the most compact cameras and therefore promises better image quality and has a high maximum sensitivity of ISO12800.

Should the 920k-dot, 3-inch LCD ever prove difficult to see, there’s also an electronic viewfinder to help compose shots. This is also Leica’s first camera to incorporate Wi-Fi connectivity for remote camera control and image sharing, plus you get NFC pairing to instantly link the camera with your NFC-enabled smart device. Up front is a 7.1x, optically stabilised lens with a 35mm-equivalent focal range of 28-200mm. Add in plenty of creative image effects as well as manual control, a nifty multifunction control ring around the lens and RAW image capture and the Leica C certainly has the substance to match its style.

You’ll still have to part with around £550 / $699 / €699 to join the Leica club though, but Leica does sweeten the deal by throwing in a free copy of Adobe Lightroom 5 image editing software.

Ease of Use

The Panasonic LF1 on which the Leica C is based is a well thought out camera and thankfully this DNA is still clear to see on the C. Both cameras share pretty much the same dimensions and identical button layouts. Leica has changed the button shape from round to square, and the overall shape is more slab-sided and crisper in style than Panasonic's design. The C's 103 x 63 x 28mm body is still predominantly plastic though, hence it just can't match the premium feel of a camera wrapped in metal. That said, we accidently dropped the C onto an unforgiving concrete path (lens side up, fortunately) and apart from a few minor scuffs, it kept right on shooting, so it's far from fragile. This incident may have been prevented had Leica not done away with Panasonics rubber rear thumb grip and instead replaced it with some subtle – and slippery – Indentations.

Beneath your thumb sits the usual range of buttons to record, play and delete images and video, and these surround a conventional 4-way dial to adjust the flash, exposure compensation, macro and continuous shooting options. The dial can also be rotated for quick menu scrolling, but that's nothing particularly special.

What's more interesting is the C gets an electronic viewfinder to supplement its conventional LCD display. The inclusion of an EVF isn't all that surprising as you'll find one on the Panasonic LF1, but it's still a rare treat for a compact camera and gives you a similar shooting experience to a DSLR. Unfortunately this particular EVF is on the small side with a low resolution and there's no automatic eye detection either, so you'll have to press the ‘LVF' button to switch between the screen and viewfinder. Despite all this though, the EVF is still a welcome addition for times when sun glare overpowers the LCD monitor.

This doesn't happen often though, as the 3.0” 920k-dot screen is both pixel-packed and bright enough to be useful under all but extreme sunlight. It's also got decent viewing angles which help produce accurate colour and contrast reproduction. Once possible gripe is that it lacks touch sensitivity, but since the original Panasonic part never had this feature, the C inherits the same limitation.

The final point of interest on the rear panel is a button labelled Wi-Fi, as this is Leica's first camera to feature Wi-Fi with NFC pairing. In essence this offers the same tricks as most other cameras with wireless connectivity. You can transfer images taken to your smart device, use the link to automatically send across photos as you snap them, or control the camera remotely from your smartphone or tablet. But it's the smoothness and immediacy of Leica's implementation that sets the C apart from many rival Wi-Fi systems which can often be sluggish. Then there's NFC pairing. This eliminates the usual hassle of trying to connect to the camera's Wi-Fi signal via your phone's settings and entering annoying passwords. Instead all you need to do is tap camera against phone and voilà, the two are connected. The only snag is you'll need an NFC-enabled smart device to get in on the action, and that's something Apple has yet to implement in its devices.

Moving to the top of the camera and we find a proper mode dial with plenty of settings. There's a smart auto mode that'll automatically detect the conditions your shooting in and set the camera up for optimal results, as well as a Program auto mode if you fancy setting this like ISO sensitivity and white balance yourself. The C also has aperture and shutter priority modes so you can capture long exposures or control depth of field, plus there's a full manual setting. Once you've set up an ideal settings combination for a certain shooting scenario, you can save it to one of two custom shooting modes for quick recall. There's also a Creative Control preset containing 15 digital colour and contrast filters to spice up your shots, each of which can be sample on the image quality page of this review. Leica's Panorama Shot gets its own position on the mode dial and allows you to capture a panorama simply by holding down the shutter release and panning the camera. We'll dissect the results in the image quality section, but as far as ease of use goes, Leica's implementation actually lets you stop panning at will, rather than forcing you to shoot a minimum 120 or 180-degree pan as is the case with many cameras. This is great when you want to capture a scenic view without also having to include half the car park you're standing in.

Alongside the mode dial is a familiar zoom ring, though this example does offer two speed settings allowing for swift zooming and fine focal length tweaks. Next to this is a large and easily accessible power button, though its flush-fitting position does leave it vulnerable to being unintentionally pressed.

But the most interesting control on the Leica C is its front lens ring. This can be rotated to give quick and easy adjustment to key settings, though these do change depending on which mode is active. In automatic mode you can rotate the ring to zoom straight to preset focal length increments, or if you switch to aperture or shutter priority modes, the ring will control the aperture or shutter speed. It'll take on the role of switching ISO sensitivity when in program auto mode and in manual mode you can use it to adjust the aperture, and set the shutter speed using the rear control wheel. If all that sounds rather confusing, then you can always set the lens ring to your choice of function and make that the default across various shooting modes. However what's not possible is to stop the rear control wheel from mimicking whatever function you assign to the lens ring (apart from there split personalities in manual mode), which rather negates the benefit of having two separate controls.

At least setting up any personalised controls is a breeze using Leica's monochrome menu system with red highlights. It's not particularly pretty, but it's easy to read and quick to navigate. Likewise the on-screen shooting display is very clear and you can add virtual horizon levels or even compositional grids.

Press the Q Menu button in the lower right of the rear panel and this displays a quick-reference bar for adjusting common settings like the focussing mode and ISO sensitivity. Fiddle with either of the control wheels and additional virtual dials pop up to give you a graphical indication of aperture, shutter speed, sensitivity and focal length scales. It's all very intuitive once you've got the control wheels set up in a way that works for you.

Once you're ready to shoot, the C starts up in just over a second and in good light its autofocus system locks on to your subject almost instantly. It's also reliably accurate, so you'll rarely snap a shot that's out of focus. Slightly disappointingly it's not the fastest system in lower light, though after 1-2 seconds the camera does find its mark. With decent light the camera will also snap away at a respectable 10fps continuous shooting rate, and when that's not fast enough there's always Full HD video capture with stereo sound.

Finally the camera's battery is worth a mention. Despite this not being an ultra-compact camera, its Li-ion rechargeable power pack is a tiny 950mAh cell that's only good for around 250 shots. That's not pathetically bad and isn't the worst in class, but we'd expect more from a camera marketed at enthusiastic photographers.