Canon's first compact economy superzoom — 8MP CCD, stabilised 10x 36-360mm f/2.8-4.3 zoom, AA power.
The PowerShot SX100 IS, announced in August 2007, was the first of Canon's compact economy superzooms, a smaller and cheaper spin-off from the bulky S/SX bridge line. It founded the SX100 series that ran through the SX160 IS, offering long zoom reach in a handbag-sized AA-powered body.
It combined an 8.0-megapixel 1/2.5-inch CCD with a stabilised 10x zoom covering 36-360mm equivalent at f/2.8-4.3, driven by the DIGIC III processor. Video recorded at 640x480 and 30fps, the fixed 2.5-inch LCD carried 172,000 pixels with no viewfinder fitted, storage spanned SD, SDHC and MMC variants, and the 265g body took AA batteries.
It suits users who want serious telephoto reach without bridge-camera bulk, with optical stabilisation making the 360mm end workable handheld in good light. The lens starts usefully bright at f/2.8, but the small CCD gets noisy quickly and the LCD-only composition can be awkward in sunshine.
AA power is the big used-market advantage since there is no proprietary battery to fail, and SDHC support means ordinary cards work. Run the zoom through its full 10x travel listening for motor strain, verify stabilisation visibly steadies the long end, and check the battery-door hinge, a common casualty on AA compacts.