Digital Trends

Canon Powershot TX1 April 10th, 2007 | by Jason Tomczak

Still Images

The Powershot TX1 doubles as a 7.1 megapixel camera. 7.1 megapixels is impressive in its own right, but I found something more impressive than that. The TX1 will take gorgeous images in 4:3 mode AND mind-tripping 16:9 mode. As an avid photographer, I was not prepared for the intrigue of seeing native 16:9 stills right out of the camera. I'm used to cropping images in Photoshop in order to get a 16:9 ratio. I am impressed by this feature and I'm sure that other TX1 users will be, as well.

Whether in 4:3 or 16:9 still mode, the TX1 offers three quality settings: Standard, Fine, Super Fine. Standard mode is good for day-to-day photos that'll likely remain on a computer. It's also great for eBay pics and blogging. Fine mode saves images in less-compressed JPG format, ideal for photo printing (at home, at camera shops and via online services like Shutterfly.com). Super Fine mode is best reserved for folks who want the absolute best quality JPG images from the TX1. The TX1 also offers five images sizes in 4:3 mode: Large (3072x2304 pixels), Medium 1 (2592x1944 pixels), Medium 2 (2048x1536 pixels), Medium 3 (1600x1200 pixels), and Small (60x480 pixels). With the increase in image quality and size comes a dramatic increase in file size and a resultant decrease in the number of photos that can fit on an SD card.

Roughly speaking, the TX1 will provide the following:

Large 4:3, Super Fine 1,248 images on a 4GB SD HC card
Medium 1 4:3, Super Fine 1,520 images on a 4GB SD HC card
Medium 2 4:3, Super Fine 2,360 images on a 4GB SD HC card
Medium 3 4:3, Super Fine 3,768 images on a 4GB SD HC card
Small 4:3, Super Fine 14,216 images on a 4GB SD HC card
16:9 mode, Super Fine 1,656 images on a 4GB SD HC card

Moving Content to Computer

After recording video clips and taking still images, it's necessary to transfer them from the TX1 to your computer. The fastest and easiest way to do this is to remove the SD card from the TX1 and insert it into an SD card slot or a USB SD card reader attached to your computer. Once connected, the SD card will show up as a portable drive. Whether you use Mac OSX or Windows, the basic action of copying the files from the SD card to a destination folder is pretty universal - copy the Folder "100CANON" to your desktop or Photos folder or just use a photo importing program like iPhoto or Picasa to transfer files.

Battery Life

The TX1 documentation doesn't really specify how long the NB-4L battery is expected to last per charge. Certainly, taking still images will use much less battery than recording 640x480 video, and recording HD video at 1280x720 will really drain the battery. To give some sense of expectation, Canon suggests that the battery will last for 160 still images and 4 hours of playback time. Based on my tests, I would estimate my battery life at about 2 hours in mixed modes of video recording. This is only a rough estimate and will probably vary from user to user.

Battery Life

The TX1 documentation doesn't really specify how long the NB-4L battery is expected to last per charge. Certainly, taking still images will use much less battery than recording 640x480 video, and recording HD video at 1280x720 will really drain the battery. To give some sense of expectation, Canon suggests that the battery will last for 160 still images and 4 hours of playback time. Based on my tests, I would estimate my battery life at about 2 hours in mixed modes of video recording. This is only a rough estimate and will probably vary from user to user.

Drawbacks and Flaws

After pages and pages of glowing commentary, I am now obligated to focus some attention on the things that I found irksome or faulty with the TX1. Honesty is important, you know.

First and foremost, the shape of the TX1 is somewhat like a thick deck of cards. While I don't mind the shape aesthetically, I think the unusual shape and vertical orientation result in a slightly unfamiliar grip. After holding the TX1 for a while, my hand and wrist started to grow tired.

A related problem - perhaps the most significant issue at hand - is the very awkward placement of the "record" button and menu controls. While gripping the TX1, my thumb naturally curves around the middle of the body (as opposable thumbs are prone to do). The "record" button is dead center on the back of the camcorder. To reach the button, I have to either use my other hand to hit record, or I have to shift my grip to a very unpleasant and unstable angle so my thumb can reach the record button. In future revs of the TX1, I would hope that the record button could be placed differently (like on the front of the camera, under one's index finger). This is an issue that will likely cause some people to pass on the TX1.

The next thing that caught my attention was the flap/door that covers the SD card slot. It felt a little loose; as if a wee bit of pressure in the wrong direction might damage it. Same for the battery bay door. The rest of the TX1 feels very sturdy and tough.

Finally, for the obsessive, Monk-ish folks out there, the TX1 has a tendency to show fingerprints on its sexy stainless steel finish. It's not distracting or garish, but it's plain to see when fingers have been all over the TX1's body.

That's it, a couple minor issues and one ergonomic mess. Each user will undoubtedly find their own brand of pleasures and disappointments with any gadget. Decide for yourself if my critiques are valid or not.