Canon Powershot TX1 Review

The screen display in the Automatic record mode using the 4:3 aspect ratio. Icons across indicate that we are using Auto exposure mode, the ISO is set to Auto, Auto flash, single frame drive, movie quality is set to 640x480 30fps, and still image quality is set to Large Superfine. Bottom right show that IS is on, and there's enough room on our SD card for 221 more images or 5 minutes and 22 seconds of video at these resolution settings.

With the TX1 you can take still images and video without having to switch modes or enter the menu system. Movies can be recorded at either 4:3 or 16:9 (shown below) aspect ratios. Standard 4:3 mode allows you to create video with stereo audio at either 640x480 or 320x240 with frame rates of 30 or 60 fps (320x240 only.) Unlike most digicams that record audio with movies, the 10x optical zoom may be used while you are recording.

Both the video and audio portion of movies can be replayed on the camera thanks to the built-in speaker. Full audio-video playback is also possible when connected to a TV monitor or a compatible PC after downloading.

When you half-press the shutter you will see which of the nine AF points (green rectangles) were used for the focus lock. The selected ISO, shutter speed, and aperture values are also shown.

Manual exposure mode is like Auto in that the camera selects both the shutter speed and aperture for a correct exposure but you now have access to a multitude of Function and Menu options.

Here you can see the 16:9 mode, which is great for capturing images and movies that will fill the screen on your HDTV. Images are recorded in Widescreen mode (3072x1728), while movies are recorded at 1280x720 (30fps).

Manual mode Function options:

Camera Mode - Choose the desired exposure mode: Manual, Super macro, Color Accent, Color Swap, Stitch assist
Exposure Compensation - Override the metering +/- 2.0EV in 1/3 steps, press the Menu button to activate Long shutter mode
White Balance - Auto, day Light, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom one-push WB set
My Colors - Off, Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, B&W, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, or Custom Color
Aspect Ratio - 4:3 or 16:9
Movie quality - 640x480 30fps, 640s480 30fps LP, 320x240 60fps, 320x240 30fps (4:3 mode), 1280x720 30fps, 1280x720 30fps LP.
Image quality - 3072 x 2304 (Large), 2592 x 1944 (Medium 1), 2048 x 1536 (Medium 2), 1600x1200 (Medium 3), 640x480 (Small) in 4:3, 3072x1728 (Widescreen) in 16:9

Manual mode MENU options:

Face Detect AF - On or Off
Digital Zoom - Standard, 1.5x, 1.9x or Off
Slow Synchro - On/Off
Red-Eye - On/Off
Self-timer - Custom set
Light Metering - Evaluative, Center-weighted average, or Spot
Auto ISO Shift - On or Off
AF Mode - Single or Continuous
AF Assist Beam - On or Off
Review Time - Off, Hold or 2 - 10 secs
Reverse Disp. - Allows the display to
Auto Category - On/Off
Display Overlay - Enable or disable Grid lines, 3:2 Guide, Off or Both
IS Mode - Continuous, Shoot only, Panning, or off
Set print share button - Set a desired value for use during record mode (Exposure compensation, White Balance, Display overlay, etc.)

To set long shutter speeds, you must enter the Function menu, highlight exposure compensation then press the Menu button. The shutter speed is displayed at the bottom of the LCD; select a value from 1 to 15 seconds using the left and right buttons of the 4-way controller. Depress the FUNC./SET button to return to shooting mode. The LCD viewfinder's live image provides a preview of the exposure; adjust the shutter speed for the exposure you want. Noise Reduction is applied for exposures of 1.3 seconds or longer.

The camera has a very respectable macro focusing capabilities. Macro mode covers from 3.9 in. - 1.6 ft./10 - 50cm (WIDE), while Super Macro mode covers 0 - 3.9 in./10cm (WIDE).

Scene modes are selected via the Function Menu when the mode dial is set to the SCN position. You can choose from 7 different modes like Portrait shown above. These are pre- programmed to give you the best possible pictures for a wide variety of different shooting situations. In all Scene modes, Exposure compensation, Image compression and Image size settings are available via the Function menu.

The Stitch Assist Panorama mode is available from the Function menu with the Mode dial in Manual. It aids you via on-screen prompts to achieve the proper overlap of sequential photos for later "stitching" with the PhotoStitch program. You can capture up to 26 images in either left-to-right or right-to-left orientation. After the first picture is taken the white balance and exposure is locked until you exit the StitchAssist mode.   The use of a tripod and a bubble level is recommended. Since the TX1 digital camera will not output video in this mode, this screen capture was taken from the PowerShot S400 review.