SINGAPORE, Oct 13 — With the introduction of Canon’s new PowerShot SX60 HS compact camera and its focus on quality zoom, one may rejoice at finally being able to capture distant objects clearly without having to lug around a bulky DSLR.

The PowerShot SX60 HS measures 127.6mm by 92.6mm by 114.3mm — slightly bigger than the PowerShot SX50 HS, its predecessor that was released in 2012. Both cameras have a look termed the Canon EOS style, which is similar to that of the brand’s DSLRs.

Like its predecessor, the PowerShot SX60 HS is equipped with a variety of shooting modes — the standard few found on cameras (Portrait, Sports and Video) as well as some not usually found on other models, such as two additional custom modes that allow you to input your desired settings and a slow-motion video mode.

For a casual user who wants to just point and shoot right away, the auto mode seems more than enough. The aperture and shutter calculations produce great images in virtually any setting.

It also does not take long to start — almost immediately once you power it up — and has an improved grip compared with its predecessor.

The camera feels comfortable as it is bigger and fits nicely in the hands. Plus, the rubber material makes it hard for it to slip should you get overly excited trying to get a shot.

For a compact camera, however, it is a lot heavier than it should be. At 650g, its weight is closer to that of a DSLR. Still, while it may not have the conventional lightweight properties of other compact cameras, its zoom feature more than makes up for it.

The SX60 HS has the highest zoom in Canon’s current range of compact cameras. Canon prides its 65X optical zoom as the “world’s highest-class 65X zoom length”.

When testing out its zoom capabilities, we stood about 200m from the train tracks and upon zooming in to take a shot, it was almost as if we were next to the tracks — the image was clear and big.

The autofocus, however, was often slow and did not always focus where we wanted it to.

The camera also uses fixed lenses and does not facilitate the use of Canon’s interchangeable EF (Electro-Focus) or any other third-party lenses.

If you are looking for a camera with a super zoom, but without the price of a DSLR, the PowerShot SX60 HS is definitely an option to consider.

It retails at S$679 (RM1,741) at Courts, Harvey Norman and other authorised retailers in Singapore. — Today