I've got one of these on order. Being able to take HD videos (albeit in lame motion JPEG) seems pretty damn cool.

I've seen a sample video with it and it looked amazing.

Can't wait till its delivered :)

I had to google but looks like a nice unit.

And now I'm in the first 25 to post to the new Travel Photography (aka TP) forum.

:D :D

I don't want to throw a damper on the party, but I think it's important to have realistic expectations. From camcorderinfo.net (which, as I've indicated, tends to be a cheerleader for new machines):

Canon, wisely, is not marketing the TX1 as a comparable model to the high definition camcorders from their video division, though there is still some lurking danger for consumers. The buzz-term of "HD" is enough to capture the imagination of many an unwary buyer. The problem is that the technical specifications of "high definition" allow for a wide swath of interpretations, from the very high quality to the abysmal. One shoud not expect that a still camera using a dated compression such as Motion JPEG should compete with camcorders using HDV and AVCHD. Though Motion JPEG is intraframe and may potentially display better motion than interframe MPEG compressions, big promises from tiny HD camcorders have been made before, as in the Sanyo VPC-HD1, and failed to stand up to comparisons with larger, more expensive models.

Please let us know how it does. Is there a sample video posted somewhere? I'd like to see it.

I've read the reviews, I don't agree with them on motion jpeg being "dated" as it is pretty simple to convert from that to any other format. All I wanted was a simple PAS camera that can take decent video clips on the road. I've got several other cameras but they all do nothing higher than VGA movies at 30fps.

A sample video clip is here: http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_tx1-review/MVI_0013.AVI

Of course, the other nice thing about motion jpeg is that you can extract fairly decent jpeg photos from the clip.

FWIW; I got it for under $400 thanks to some crafty coupon combining at Dell.com :D

does do 720p
not to shabby

I've read the reviews, I don't agree with them on motion jpeg being "dated" as it is pretty simple to convert from that to any other format.I think what the article meant was that M-JPEG is less efficient than newer compression codecs. Transcoding from one to the other doesn't matter, since M-JPEG (and mpeg2 and mpeg4) are lossy -- once the data's gone, it's gone.

All I wanted was a simple PAS camera that can take decent video clips on the road. I've got several other cameras but they all do nothing higher than VGA movies at 30fps.I hope it meets your needs. I'd be interested to hear how you like it.

A sample video clip is here: http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_tx1-review/MVI_0013.AVIThanks. I'll take a look at it tonight.

I think what the article meant was that M-JPEG is less efficient than newer compression codecs. Transcoding from one to the other doesn't matter, since M-JPEG (and mpeg2 and mpeg4) are lossy -- once the data's gone, it's gone.


True, but it at least doesn't mean that the mjpeg format it totally useless, like some sites claim.

In essence the quality should be the same as mpeg2 or 4 but without any frame to frame compression.

Very nice. I'll have to see what manual control it has (can't do without aperture priority these days).

Definitely interested in hearing about your experiences with the TX1. I recently replaced a broken Powershot G6 with a Sanyo CG6 which is just not working out - poor low light performance and no manual settings. Finding a camera with a flip LCD and other features of this TX1 is becoming increasingly difficult. Hoping the still images from the TX1 compare with the other Powershot models. Let us know what you think!

Please post your experiences with this camera as I'm debating about getting one myself.

But wouldn't limited data storage on this unit prevent you from using it as a video camera?

But wouldn't limited data storage on this unit prevent you from using it as a video camera?

It takes SDHC cards so I can slip an 8Gb card in it (soon 16Gb cards will be out as well) so storage is only limited by the size of the card you give it.

But wouldn't limited data storage on this unit prevent you from using it as a video camera?

At an estimate of 4.5MB/sec at the highest quality setting, you'd manage to squeeze around 30 minutes of video onto an 8GB SDHC card. Perhaps an hour on the upcoming 16GB. The cards are small enough and will eventually be cheap enough to make carrying a few spares plenty convenient.

I would be interested in hearing more feedback as well.

I'm primarily a still photogtrapher looking for a small, but competent video device to add to my kit. There are a couple of attractive devices in the $1K range, but I'm finding it hard to justify dropping that much money at this time.

I have a Sony T-10 P&S that does MPEG4 video at 30fps, but VGA doesn't really cut it either.

The Canon TX1 looks like a good compromise.

The sample video you linked to doesn't look very stable. I wonder if IS was really on, or if the videographer was too caffinated to hold the camera steady.

Got it! I was surprised to see a TX1 on display at the AK duty free in Seoul/ICN and at only $445US including 1GB card and case. I still have a couple flights before I'll be able to spend much time with it - but so far I'm equally impressed by a few unexpected new features and solely disappointed by the expected, though missing, manual time/apperature settings. More later!

I'm convinced and ms. birdstrike is convinced. Just waiting until sometime after JavaOne to pull the trigger.

The TX1 is getting more web attention:

http://powershot-tx1.blogspot.com/ looks like an interesting blog with links to other sites.

http://blip.tv/users/view/tx1 has some nice clips.

Got one! Now to play and report. . .

First impressions:

Note: I'm a still photographer with almost zip video experience.

Very lightweight which makes it difficult to handfold (for me). I end up introducing more jitter into the shot than I would like. This is with IS enabled. I note this is not the camera fault. With the camera steadied against a wall, performance was as-expected.

No complaints with control placement as some have noted in reviews.

Contrast and saturation change in the shot as the scene changes. i.e. one test shot I made was of a local commuter train passing under a bridge I was standing on. As the stainless (silver) cars passed underneath, the contrast on the trees on either side changed. Note that I would expect this with still photography, but I never noticed the phenomonon in commercial videography. The same problem was compounded when panning upward towards the sky in a grove of redwoods.

This is a result of not being able to fix aperature?

When displaying the .avi files using RealPlayer on my laptop, there seems to be a fair amount of noise in the image.

When connecting the camera to the component input on my TV, the image is amazing.

How do people compose a scene without a viewfinder? Tyring to shoot birds in flight with the zoom all the way out was a challenge I failed at.

Autofocus was quite slow compared to my still camera.

So, though I'm an idiot with this media, overall I'm delighted with the camera. It is light, tiny, HD and, as far as I can tell so far, fits my needs perfectly.

Contrast and saturation change in the shot as the scene changes. i.e. one test shot I made was of a local commuter train passing under a bridge I was standing on. As the stainless (silver) cars passed underneath, the contrast on the trees on either side changed. Note that I would expect this with still photography, but I never noticed the phenomonon in commercial videography. The same problem was compounded when panning upward towards the sky in a grove of redwoods.

This is a result of not being able to fix aperature?This is an exposure problem. If the aperture were fixed, the blooming wouldn't be as apparent but a good camcorder will track the exposure better. It also suggests a somewhat limited dynamic range. All camcorders will adjust exposure when, for example, you zoom in and out (can't be helped as the f-stop changes when zooming). There should not, however, be a dramatic change in either saturation or contrast.

When displaying the .avi files using RealPlayer on my laptop, there seems to be a fair amount of noise in the image.

When connecting the camera to the component input on my TV, the image is amazing.Hmmm. That's strange. RealPlayer isn't a particularly good media player -- perhaps its the codec. Still, I wouldn't expect noise to show up -- digital artifacts, yes, but noise, no. What does the noise look like?

How do people compose a scene without a viewfinder? Tyring to shoot birds in flight with the zoom all the way out was a challenge I failed at.It takes a wide angle lens, practice, and shooting a lot of video that you're willing to throw away. If you look at the Harbin video on my website, most of that was shot without benefit of viewfinder because it was so cold that the LCD froze and all I could do was point the camera in what I hoped was the right direction. The wider the lens, the more likely the shot will frame up well, but once you get used to the camera you'll find it surprisingly easy to frame even relatively tight shots without the viewfinder.

Autofocus was quite slow compared to my still camera.Not a good thing in a camcorder since, by definition, subjects are moving. Can you lock off the focus? For most casual video, locking focus at infinity should handle most anything in bright light that's more than 12-15 from camera.

So, though I'm an idiot with this media, overall I'm delighted with the camera. It is light, tiny, HD and, as far as I can tell so far, fits my needs perfectly.Good! Now that I'm semi-sort-of-more-or-less settled in LA, I want to start a FT video contest (inspired by your still contest, of course). I'll expect an entry from you and your TX1. ;)

There should not, however, be a dramatic change in either saturation or contrast.

I'll see if I can edit down the clip. Motion-JPEG is huge :)

Hmmm. That's strange. RealPlayer isn't a particularly good media player -- perhaps its the codec. Still, I wouldn't expect noise to show up -- digital artifacts, yes, but noise, no. What does the noise look like?

Kind of all all-over shimmery effect. I'm used to digital artifacts as breaking up diagonal lines or pixelation. Again, I'll see if I can make a reasonable sized clip.

It takes a wide angle lens, practice, and shooting a lot of video that you're willing to throw away. If you look at the Harbin video on my website, most of that was shot without benefit of viewfinder because it was so cold that the LCD froze and all I could do was point the camera in what I hoped was the right direction. The wider the lens, the more likely the shot will frame up well, but once you get used to the camera you'll find it surprisingly easy to frame even relatively tight shots without the viewfinder.

I shall practice diligently. :)

Not a good thing in a camcorder since, by definition, subjects are moving. Can you lock off the focus? For most casual video, locking focus at infinity should handle most anything in bright light that's more than 12-15 from camera.

It kept focus on moving objects very well. The initial focus lock seemed slow.


Good! Now that I'm semi-sort-of-more-or-less settled in LA, I want to start a FT video contest (inspired by your still contest, of course). I'll expect an entry from you and your TX1. ;)

Done! Now I need to find some basic video editing software.

Kind of all all-over shimmery effect. I'm used to digital artifacts as breaking up diagonal lines or pixelation. Again, I'll see if I can make a reasonable sized clip.Ah, that sounds like a bad codec. Try downloading VirtualDub (it's free). You'll probably need a codec pack -- I think it's called K-Lite, but if you do a google search on "free codecs" you should be able to find it. Install the codec pack and then try viewing your clip in VDub. It will probably look a lot better (though, of course, never as good as on your high-def TV).

It kept focus on moving objects very well. The initial focus lock seemed slow.Interesting. How about objects that move towards or away from the camera?

Done! Now I need to find some basic video editing software.That's going to be a bit difficult. I don't know of any packages that hand MJPEG. You might try transcoding to mpeg2, but you're going to lose some quality in the process. For webposting/Youtube/FT contest purposes, it wouldn't matter, but you'll almost certainly see the difference on your TV. Tmpgenc will get you the best transcode, and it's cheap, but I'm not sure if it handles HDV (high def mpeg2). High-def editing of any kind is the new frontier for personal computers -- it's about where standard def editing was 5 to 7 years ago, i.e. it can be done, but it ain't easy and it takes one heck of a powerful computer to do it. It's one of the reasons I haven't upgraded to the high-def yet (that and, of course, money ;)).

I'm fully convinced that great stills are possible with this TX1, though constantly calming myself over the lack of manual exposure control...

Here's a nice sunny day still from Novgorod, Russia:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/200/501430777_f8595dc92a_b.jpg

Are people still happy with the TX1? Thinking of getting one from newegg through the paypal offer today. Or are there now better alternatives?

Are people still happy with the TX1? Thinking of getting one from newegg through the paypal offer today. Or are there now better alternatives?

I'm not using mine anymore. The video format it records in is just too much of a hassle to use for anything decent. I'd spend a bit more and get a decent HD camcorder.

The concept is great, but I'm sure we'll see more cameras support HD this year with normal codecs instead of what the TX1 uses.

I was also not impressed with the form factor. There is such a thing as TOO small :(

Thanks Scott.

Thanks Scott.

If you do want one, one of the vendors on Amazon has it for $389 (and with the Amazon A-Z guarantee you are protected 100% against problems).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000NK6DZI/ref=pd_bbs_sr_olp_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1196114063&sr=8-1

Dell also has it, at $449 and I think they are included in the Paypal 20% promo.