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Customer Reviews for PowerShot SX160 IS

PowerShot SX160 IS

You'll want to carry this compact, versatile camera everywhere, because it gives every shooting opportunity the potential to become a beautiful image. The spectacular 16x Optical Zoom with 28mm Wide-Angle Lens and Optical Image Stabilizer captures clear, vivid images whether your subject is up close or far away.
Average Customer Rating:
3.588 out of 5
3.6
 out of 
5
(17 Reviews) 17
Open Ratings Snapshot
Rating Snapshot (17 reviews)
5 stars
6
4 stars
5
3 stars
1
2 stars
3
1 star
2
11 out of 17(65%)reviewers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for PowerShot SX160 IS
Review 1 for PowerShot SX160 IS
Nickname: karen r
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: Less than 1 year
Product replacement: No

Huge disappointment

Overall Rating
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Features
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Performance
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Price/Value
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Quality
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Satisfaction
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Date:June 4, 2013
Cons: doesn't take pictures.
Imagine my disappointment when I presented this camera to my daughter as a graduation gift this afternoon and all we see on the screen is "snow". It's broken. I am beyond angry.
I actually purchased the camera in December as a Christmas gift, but decided to get her a laptop for Christmas and save the camera for graduation. It's been in its original packaging, never touched. We put the batteries in, turned it on, set the date (that part works) but there is nothing but "snow" on the
on the screen. Hope I can get a replacement or my money back (since I'm not sure I want another.).
7 of 13 people found this review helpful.
Review 2 for PowerShot SX160 IS
Nickname: Diatis
Location: QC, Canada
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: Less than 1 year
Product replacement: No

Good for the price

Overall Rating
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Features
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Performance
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Price/Value
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Quality
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Satisfaction
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Date:May 17, 2013
Pros: Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Cons: Poor Low-Light Performance, Short battery life
Good quality for the price but not perfect. Poor low light performance for videos (good for photos) and battery eater.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.
Review 3 for PowerShot SX160 IS
Nickname: Gus
Location: Bethlehem, PA
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Travel
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: Yes

Great value

Overall Rating
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Features
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Performance
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Price/Value
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Quality
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Satisfaction
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Date:May 12, 2013
Pros: excellent image quality, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Cons: Short battery life, lcd display is not high resolution
The compact package makes it easy to handle anywhere. The zoom gets in nice and close to get the details. The HD video adds versatility and eliminates the need to carry two cameras. The pixel quality is at the top. Unfortunately, the battery life only gets you around 20 pictures, and you need to have spare sets on hand. The software is a little difficult to navigate and save pictures to disc.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Review 4 for PowerShot SX160 IS
Nickname: makeyesup
Location: IL
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: Yes

Worst Canon Product purchased

Overall Rating
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
Features
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
Performance
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Price/Value
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Quality
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
Satisfaction
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Date:May 11, 2013
Cons: Missing features/settings
Purchased this camera 10/2012. For 2 months, it worked fine. Now, every time I turn it on, I have to reset the date as it goes back to 00/00/2012, time is 00:00 and zone does not show . I have missed many photo opportunities because of this. All of my photos are kept in date folders and it is important for the date I set to hold. This is my 5th Canon camera and very disappointed with this one.
Review 5 for PowerShot SX160 IS
Nickname: me
Location: burlington,vermont
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: Yes

incompatible with windows 7

Overall Rating
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Features
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Performance
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Price/Value
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Quality
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Satisfaction
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Date:May 2, 2013
Cons: windows 7 incompatible
Are you serious? No patch available for Windows seven compatibility? So my images are non transferable. Great...I may as well throw it away.
9 of 11 people found this review helpful.
Review 6 for PowerShot SX160 IS
Nickname: wasacanonfan
Location: Spokane, WA
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Travel
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: Yes

Previous Review Update

Overall Rating
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Features
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Performance
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Price/Value
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Quality
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Satisfaction
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Date:March 8, 2013
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Cons: i'm still concerned about lens error problems
A few weeks back I wrote a negative review of my SX160 due to a lens error problem. Today I'm updating that review because of the kind empathy shown to by a Canon Rep. I was ready to junk our SX160. Then I called Canon. That kindly Canon Rep literally talked me into sending our SX160 to Canon so they could take a look at it. Long story short, Canon sent us a new SX160. So, lesson learned, if you have a problem, CALL CANON and give them an opportunity to help you. Aside from the SX160 lens error problem, my wife and I think that the SX160 is an ideal travel zoom point and shoot camera. And we have gone from "wasacanonfan" to "lifelongcanonfans." To be specific, today, just this morning, we ordered a SX40. We are sticking with our SX160 as our travel zoom point and shoot, along with our A3100 point and shoot, but we are buying the SX40 to be our "tripod" camera for those shots that need more zoom than we can get with our A3100 or SX160. And, yes, we know we can also hand hold the SX40. We also own excellent SLR cameras, two bodies and three lenses in 55, 200 and 400 mm. But changing lenses in wind blown dust or sand has always been a concern. Now, with our A3100, SX160 and soon to arrive SX40 having to change lenses is no longer a concern. Especially when we are in Africa or on a beach in Hawaii where repair shops, in the places we like to go, are few and far between. Why not buy a SX50 you might ask? Well, for us, the SX50 looks great but the SX40 has such an impressive track record that we want to, at the current price differential, give it a try. Who knows, maybe a SX50 will also be in our future. One thing we do know, when using a tripod, use one that is sturdy, especially in windy conditions, so you don't put your camera at risk. Also, sturdy camera cases are a must when traveling. Carrying extra batteries and memory cards is also, we have learned, a good idea.
27 of 30 people found this review helpful.
Review 7 for PowerShot SX160 IS
Nickname: wasacanonfan
Location: Washington and Hawaii
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Travel
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: No

SX160 lasted less than 90 days

Overall Rating
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Features
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Performance
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Price/Value
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Quality
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Satisfaction
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Date:February 11, 2013
Cons: Flimsy Construction
My SX160 ceased to function after less than 90 days. I took it to a Canon dealer and he was unable to repair it. He said he was surprised to see that some of the parts in the SX160 were held together with two sided tape. This is not a real expensive camera but I thought it would last longer than 90 days.
16 of 17 people found this review helpful.
Review 8 for PowerShot SX160 IS
Nickname: MsYo
Location: New Orleans
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Business
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: Yes

Disappointed with cheapness of newest model

Overall Rating
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
Features
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Performance
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
Price/Value
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
Quality
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
Satisfaction
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Date:January 30, 2013
Cons: Missing features/settings, Poor image quality, Poor Low-Light Performance, Flimsy Construction, instant buyers remorse
I guess you get what you pay for. Cheap Garbage >;0(
5 of 11 people found this review helpful.
Review 9 for PowerShot SX160 IS
Nickname: gatta
Location: new york, NY
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Casual User
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 11 to 20 years
Product replacement: Yes

not as good as previous canons

Overall Rating
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
Features
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Performance
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
Price/Value
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Quality
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Satisfaction
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
Date:January 21, 2013
Pros: good battery life, Simple controls/menu
Cons: Poor image quality
I own an EOS350 rebel xt(love it), an A520, and had a A1000IS(loved it) until it was stolen. Replaced the A1000IS w/ this model. The auto mode shooting is poor. Even the slightest motion in the subject comes out blurry, never happened former model. Have tried using Tv mode raising the shutter speed, which works well in bright room with close up subject, but otherwise (at distance) it comes out too dark. I am not a pro, know something about camera features, but I am disappointed with this camera compared to the perfection and ease of former A1000IS. SX160 does not come with detailed user manual as did previous models(the manuals truly helped understand all the functions and take good pics. They were small and fit in my purse too). so I am having a hard time overcoming the blurry thing.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.
Review 10 for PowerShot SX160 IS
Nickname: Anonymous

So much fun

Overall Rating
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Features
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Performance
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Price/Value
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Quality
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Satisfaction
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Date:January 1, 2013
Pros: good battery life, excellent image quality, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
A gift for Christmas... so much fun. I love all the possibilities. It makes me feel like a professional. I like the battery life of the video feature. The pdf lists the battery life of different batteries for different features. I like the option of the eye-fi sd card to make the camera wi-fi capable.
8 of 9 people found this review helpful.
Review 11 for PowerShot SX160 IS
Nickname: Oldskool
Location: East Coast
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: Yes

A camera to grow with..

Overall Rating
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Features
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Performance
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Price/Value
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Quality
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Satisfaction
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Date:December 30, 2012
Pros: durable, Bright LCD, easy to use
Cons: some image artifacts at times
I purchased this camera to replace my former PowerShot camera. This one has 16MP max resolution, and a whole wealth of features that I will need some time to get used to. So far, am impressed with the picture quality, some artifacts on higher ISO settings, but that is to be expected. Shot a quick video with it, and quality is good as well. I like the ability to pop up the flash unit on this camera manually. The viewfinder is a good size as well. The build quality seems like it shall endure much use.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Review 12 for PowerShot SX160 IS
Nickname: KASPhoto
Location: Chicago
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Professional or Expert
Mostly used for: Business
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: Yes

Excellent photo quality

Overall Rating
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Features
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Performance
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Price/Value
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Quality
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Satisfaction
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Date:December 25, 2012
Pros: Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Cons: Short battery life, frame rate is slower then previous models, don't care for flash release button, not full hd still 720
The increase in the mega pixel and zoom range make this camera a worthy addition to any shooter. The manual setting (AV,TV, and M) plus the manual focus setting all help make the camera worth the purchase. There are major improvements in the LCD display, and the auto focusing. The camera has a good feel when holding and shooting with it.
15 of 16 people found this review helpful.
Review 13 for PowerShot SX160 IS
Nickname: yogiboy
Location: tracy ca
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: Yes

great

Overall Rating
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Features
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Performance
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Price/Value
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Quality
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Satisfaction
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Date:December 20, 2012
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
this take great picture love my new sx 160 my is red great
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.
Review 14 for PowerShot SX160 IS
Nickname: warrensalem
Location: Phoenix
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: No

get it

Overall Rating
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Features
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Performance
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Price/Value
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Quality
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Satisfaction
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Date:December 16, 2012
Pros: Good Low-Light Performance, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Cons: Short battery life
Awesome little camera that takes some great pics. Incredible zoom lens that brings items far away right up close. Is some image noise when zoomed in. Chromatic aberration seems minimal. Does tend to drain batteries pretty quick, but if you have rechargeable batteries you'll be fine.
All in all, I'm quite happy with the SX160IS.
16 of 16 people found this review helpful.
Review 15 for PowerShot SX160 IS
Nickname: dusgalan
Location: Provo UT
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: Yes

Best Camera for the Money

Overall Rating
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Features
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Performance
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Price/Value
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Quality
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Satisfaction
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Date:December 5, 2012
Pros: Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu
Cons: Short battery life
My 5-Star rating is due because of the high quality of photos and long list of features available for the price. I have not found a competitor's camera with the capabilities of the Canon PowerShot SX160 IS for the same price. Therefore, to me that equals value because this camera does what I need it to do. I need a camera that is lightweight and allows me to control the exposure I desire. The color balance is excellent. It captures what I see quite effectively. I enjoy capturing sunsets in my photos--where the light changes every second. The PowerShot SX160 IS records this most effectively. I have been a Canon customer since 1983 when I bought my first A-1 SLR who enjoys the technological advances in their products over the years.Once again a GREAT camera for the money.
39 of 39 people found this review helpful.
Review 16 for PowerShot SX160 IS
Nickname: Happy One
Location: Chicago, IL
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: Yes

Nice camera

Overall Rating
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Features
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Performance
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Price/Value
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Quality
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Satisfaction
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Date:November 29, 2012
Pros: good battery life, Nice features/settings, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Cons: on/off button too sensitive
I've owned a Canon Sure Shot 610A digital camera for a number of years and have used it to the point that the shutter button stopped working all together. After getting quotes on repairing it, it made financial sense to simply replace it. I naturally gravitated to the Canon brand and found this one. It has many of the same features as my 610A, however, there are two things I am not crazy about on the new unit. One, you have to manually press a button to activate the flash and two, the on/off button is very sensitive to touch as I've found the camera turned on without knowing it. Other than that I really enjoy the larger screen and the fact that it only uses 2 "AA" batteries - not as hungry as my 610A.
22 of 22 people found this review helpful.
Review 17 for PowerShot SX160 IS
Nickname: NormG1
Location: Bay Area, San Francisco
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: Yes

Great little camera

Overall Rating
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Features
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Performance
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Price/Value
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Quality
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Satisfaction
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Date:November 14, 2012
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Nice little camera for everyday shooting, simple to use right out of the box, use good batteries and make sure you read the directions carefully. I took an old SD card and put it in the slot, and it showed all the pictures that were on there plus some new ones I took. Downloaded to PC, no problems at all.
keep it clean and protect it, it should provide years of service!
157 of 160 people found this review helpful.
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