Hands-On Preview of the Canon Powershot SX280 HS

Announced today, Canon's processor to the SX260 HS has a couple of significant upgrades. We tested out a snazzy red version of this camera on a recent trip to NYC.

The Canon SX280 HS will replace the SX260 HS in the Powershot lineup. The camera has a 12.1-megapixel HS CMOS sensor that is powered by a Digic 6 image processor. This upgraded processor allows for better noise reduction over the previous Digic 5 processor. In addition, Canon claims the camera is faster than the previous version, too. It is capable of shooting 7 frames per second when set at the highest resolution and 14 frames per second on burst mode. The camera boasts a 20x zoom lens (25-500mm equivalent) with an aperture range of 3.5-6.8. The SX280 HS has an ISO range up to 6400.

The greatest addition to the camera was a built-in Wi-Fi capability. Images can be transferred wirelessly to tablets and smartphones via Canon's free CameraWindow app. Also, the camera allows users the ability to connect directly to social media site. Finally, images can be transferred to a computer. Like the SX260 HS, a GPS receiver is built into this camera allowing users to tag the exact location of a photograph.

Video functionality has been improved over the 260 HS. The camera offers users the ability to shoot in Full HD 1080p and gives them the opportunity to select frame rates of 30 or 60 fps.

As mentioned, we spent some hands-on time with the SX280 HS. The camera is very pocketable even though it has the super zoom of 25-500mm. It is lightweight and easy to hold even at long telephoto lengths. It comes in a choice of red or black. I saw both versions and, much to my surprise, I preferred the red over the black.

The 3-inch LCD screen is pretty crisp with 461k dots. The SX280 HS comes equipped with ECO mode which allows for better battery life.

The camera features a mode dial similar to what is found on DSLR cameras. This is located on the back of the camera. The dial can be easily turned to make choosing a shooting mode much easier than filtering through the menu to change options. For a point and shoot camera, I really appreciate having the mode dial on the back of the camera. It allows this camera to be used by both novices and those with more photographic experience. The familiar point and shoot zoom toggle is locate on the top right side of the camera and functions as expected.

Look for the PowerShot SX280 HS to be available in April 2013 for $330.