# Help Please



## Dead Wait (Mar 8, 2005)

A friend recently purchased a new camera. To be exsact, it's the Canon powershot sx20 IS. 

I've used it a few times only to discover that's it's extremely slow. I'm not impressed with the picture qaulity at all. 

This could be due to the settings she has on it. I'm not sure and completely unfamiliar with this camera. 

My question is to you guy's and gals, what is the best setting for this camera for a Complete Novice. She has no picture taking skills whatsoever. Other than point and click. 

This seems to be too much camera for what she wants but, she bought it, not me. 

Any help or advice would be totally appreciated. Thanks.


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## Formula4Fish (Apr 24, 2007)

Auto


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## Dead Wait (Mar 8, 2005)

Bout somes it up, huh? Auto, ok.


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## BlueWaveEd (Jan 3, 2007)

I have the SX10-IS and had a class 4 SDHC card in it and felt it was very slow. I needed to take it on a trip instead of my Niko D5000 recently and Best Buy had 16GB Class 10 SDHC on sale. Long story short I put one in my SX10-IS and was amazed at the difference in speed. Might try that and see if the speed picks up enough for you/her. Best setting is AUTO


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## Dead Wait (Mar 8, 2005)

Thanks BlueWave. I wondered if a different card might help.


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

What is slow? Is it delay between the time you press the shutter and the time it releases? The time between sequential shots? Or the time it takes to write to memory after taking a photo?


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## Dead Wait (Mar 8, 2005)

It's the time between sequential shot. I changed the setting to multiple shot's but, it's still very slow. For such a high end camera, you would think it would have a faster burst mode. My pocket camera has a burst setting that's just completely awesome. Not this camera though.


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## Formula4Fish (Apr 24, 2007)

You probably should not waste your money buying a faster card. It will not change the 7 second cycle time between shots or the 0.7 fps continuous shooting rate on that camera. Those are the best speeds you can hope for regardless what card you put in it.


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## Dead Wait (Mar 8, 2005)

Makes sense. I guess it is what it is. SLR's are much faster, correct?


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## Formula4Fish (Apr 24, 2007)

Dead Wait said:


> Makes sense. I guess it is what it is. SLR's are much faster, correct?


That's correct Dead Wait. The continuous shooting frame rate on the SX-20-IS is 0.7 frames per second. That's 2.1 frames per 3 seconds. In that same 3 seconds, a 7D SLR will shoot 21 images. Ten times faster.

...and it will save both RAW images and high resolution JPG's at that rate.

One of many reasons that MSRP on the SX20 was $400 while on the 7D it is $1700, body only without a lens.


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## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

Canon 7D = 8 frames per second.
1D MK III = 10 frames per second. Sometimes I set the FPS to 8 to keep from wasting shots during a burst rate...unless it is a game that means something to the winners, then I shoot 'em and sort later.


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## Dead Wait (Mar 8, 2005)

Thanks fellas. That answers alot.


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