June 9, 2007: I have to admit, I was intrigued by the new Canon Powershot TX1, a vertically-oriented shooter that supposedly combines the best in a digital camera and an HDTV digital camcorder. If it handled both tasks with alcarity, it would be quite a product. Unfortunately, it sounds like the design is just a little too odd to make it truly usable.

It managed to eke out a “Recommended” rating on DPReview,  but just barely.

As a walk around camera with better-than-average movie capabilities and a big zoom the TX1 has a lot to recommend it, and it’s important to stress that handling is to a fairly large extent a personal thing, so I wouldn’t write it off completely. Just don’t buy it thinking it’s a replacement for a ‘proper’ HD camcorder and be aware that the ergonomics are, well, unusual.

I’d really, really recommend going to a store and trying it for yourself before committing; this is a cool, fun gadget with surprisingly good image quality, but for me it’s not a camera I found easy to live with - especially not at the best part of $500. I’d personally forget the movie stuff, save my self $150 and go for a Panasonic TZ3, which might not be as cute but has a more useful zoom range and handles like a proper camera. There is undoubtedly a market for this kind of product, but I think Canon needs to go back to the drawing board before it launches the TX2.

Other reviewers also stuggled with the TX1’s unusual ergonomics. CNET gave it a six out of ten, noting the TX1’s “extremely awkward design; so-so still image quality,” and ”sluggish performance” while PC Magazine more generously found it to be a 7.2:

The TX1 has an atypical design; you swing out a camcorder-style 1.8-inch LCD and hold the unit vertically to shoot. It’s difficult to grip, and your index finger naturally rests over the lens when you touch the top-mounted shutter button. And the TX1 suffers from a frequent problem that plagues ultracompacts: The flash is so close to the lens that the red-eye reduction feature is largely ineffective.

We also noted a few glitches with image and video quality. At ISO speeds of 400 or higher, photo graininess becomes very noticeable. We also saw occasional artifacts around bright lights when shooting video.

However, in the end, the PC Mag reviewer did recommend it “overall, though, the camera is a solid choice. You can find models that shoot better stills, and dedicated HD camcorders will beat the TX1’s video quality. But the TX1’s pocketable design and under-$500 price put it in a class by itself.”

I love cool new gadgets, and the TX1 is sexy and cutting-edge enough that I could see it being used in the next James Bond movie. But for me, the killer would be that the LCD is only 1.8 inches. That’s not big enough to shoot with, especially if you’re holding the camera at arm’s length to take a video. 

So, I love you Canon, but next time, go for a bigger design with better ergonomics and a screen you can actually see. Don’t worry about making it pocketable - who’s gonna carry one of these around in their slacks, anyway? “Is that TX1 in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?”

I’m excited about the convergence of digital cameras and camcorders. Especially HDTV ones.  Bring on the TX2, baby!

Scott

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 9th, 2007 at 9:28 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.