Canon PowerShot SX620 HS Review

The Canon PowerShot SX620 HS is small, versatile, and simple to use, perfect for snapping pics on vacation or capturing everyday moments to share on social media.

We purchased the Canon PowerShot SX620 HS so our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and assess it. Keep reading for our full product review.

For those who don’t have the latest and greatest smartphones with ultra-advanced camera technology, compact digital cameras like the PowerShot SX620 are a good alternative to your phone camera when you’re on the go. This little Canon point-and-shoot is pocket-sized and packs powerful features at an affordable price. We tested one out to see how this (still-popular) camera has aged a few years after its initial release. 

 Lifewire / Jeff Dojillo

Design: Smaller than a smartphone

The Canon PowerShot SX620 HS measures 3.81 x 2.24 x 1.10 inches in size. It’s well-built with solid control dials and small buttons, and the all-black body has a plastic grip area that helps with the ergonomics of the camera. All of the dials are on the right side, while the top of the camera hosts the power button, flash, small microphone, and shutter button with zoom wheel. 

The Canon PowerShot SX620 HS can fit in a back pocket, small purse, jacket pocket and even around your neck without the weight affecting you. Considering the Canon PowerShot SX620 HS is smaller than a cellphone, it might get lost if you do not keep an eye on it. 

Display: Bright and visible

The Canon PowerShot SX620 HS is a camera that people of all ages will have fun learning to use. The three-inch LCD is bright, making it easy to frame photos and videos (the camera does not have an optical viewfinder).

The Canon PowerShot SX620 HS is a camera that people of all ages will have fun learning to use.

One downside to this camera is the lack of a touch screen, which would really make the menus easier to navigate and the experience much more user-friendly. Fortunately, there aren’t too many features to adjust, so the lack of touch screen is inconvenient but not a dealbreaker. 

Lifewire / Jeff Dojillo 

Setup: Ready out of the box

The Canon PowerShot SX620 HS is pretty much ready to go out of the box. After setting up the time and date, all we had to do was insert a memory card and start shooting. The camera is set on Auto by default, which makes sure the exposure in your photos is correct by automatically adjusting shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.

Pressing the Func. Set button on the Canon PowerShot SX620 HS opens up a set of menus that give you more control over the camera. For better user experience, settings can be fine-tuned for higher-quality photos and video. The easy-to-navigate menus and automatic functions are perfect for this small point-and-shoot. 

Sensor: Small but capable

The Canon PowerShot SX620 HS utilizes a 20.2 megapixel, 1/ 2.3-inch CMOS sensor. This sensor is adequate for a small point-and-shoot camera, and the powerful DIGIC 4 image processor helps enhance the camera’s photo quality, resulting in vibrant color, smooth gradation, and crisp detail even when lighting situations are not the best. 

The sensor and processor work together to capture images quickly with reduced noise. The processing power of the DIGIC 4 allows the camera to shoot continuously with quick autofocus, ensuring the images and video are sharp and crisp. 

While the Canon PowerShot SX620 HS utilizes the DIGIC 4 Image Processor, newer cameras from Canon, such as the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS, are using an updated DIGIC 8 image processor, which provides better image quality, stabilization, and video recording capabilities. This is one downside to buying an older camera like the SX620 HS, even if it is a good deal. 

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Lens: Great for everyday shooting

The lens on the SX620 HS has a 35mm-equivalent focal range of about 25-625mm. This makes this camera useful for a wide variety of shooting styles, from landscapes to food photography to candid moments with friends and family. 

The 25x zoom lens is impressive, but the additional 4x digital zoom degrades the image severely, making footage and video grainy. 

Based on the photos we took with this camera, we felt that it would be perfect for small photo prints or sharing on social media.

The Canon PowerShot SX620 HS has a maximum aperture of F/3.2 and F/6.6 through the zoom range. Although the aperture range is not fast, the camera adjusts ISO values and shutter speed in order to achieve proper exposure without camera shake. The image stabilization features also help create sharp images.

When testing this camera we discovered that the built-in flash is pretty effective when shooting in poor lighting conditions. It can be adjusted to bounce off a wall or be directed toward your subject. This is handy for night shooting and indoor events where natural light is less than abundant. 

Video Quality: Perfect for capturing memories

The Canon PowerShot SX620 HS is perfect for short video clips and capturing moments on the fly. The Canon PowerShot SX620 HS can record 1080p at 30fps, delivering high-definition colors and tones. But because it’s locked in at 30fps, the camera does not have the ability to shoot slow motion. 

As you can probably guess, the PowerShot SX620 isn’t really meant to shoot films—it’s just there to record simple video at a decent quality. If you want more than that, we’d recommend checking out compact action cameras like the GoPro HERO7 Black, which is still tiny but can record 4K and amazing optional frame rates for slow motion. 

Lifewire / Jeff Dojillo

Photo Quality: Good for small prints and online sharing

Based on the photos we took with this camera, we felt that it would be perfect for small photo prints or sharing on social media. The Canon PowerShot SX620 HS images look great on a phone or computer screen, which emphasize the sharpness and color rendition that the camera offers. 

The photo quality of the Canon PowerShot SX630 HS is not crisp enough for oversized printing due to the small sensor and file output. 

The photo quality of the Canon PowerShot SX630 HS is not crisp enough for oversized printing due to the small sensor and file output. The inability to shoot RAW images also leaves little room for adjustment before the images start to break apart—this camera only produces JPEG photos, which are compressed files that are inherently lower-quality. 

Sound Quality: Small and adequate 

The Canon PowerShot SX620 HS has an on-camera microphone that records average audio at best—it’s very sensitive to ambient noise and was noticeable when reviewing our video footage. Users who want to record video with amazing audio quality will have to step up to a DSLR that has input ports for an external mic, something this device lacks. 

Lifewire / Jeff Dojillo 

Wi-Fi: Easy to connect and share

Connecting the Canon PowerShot SX620HS is simple and easy. The camera can create a custom Wi-Fi network that connects to your smartphone through Canon’s Camera Connect app. The app gives you the ability to review images, remotely control the camera, and download images directly to your phone for easy sharing via text or social media. The app’s “Live View” function in particular is an added benefit for group shots. 

Battery Life: A spare battery is wise to have

Rated at 295 shots, the Canon PowerShot SX620 HS’s battery life is decent and can be extended to 405 shots in ECO mode. When shooting on a full battery, we noticed that it lasted about one hour and 45 minutes. 

It would be wise to always carry a backup battery, especially if a long day of shooting is planned. Camera batteries usually do not last for long periods of time, especially cameras with a large LCD screen like the Canon PowerShot SX620 HS. Since the primary way to review images is through the LCD, the power will drain quicker with extended use. 

Price: Competitive for a pocket-sized camera

At the time of this writing, the Canon PowerShot SX620 HS typically sells for between $250 and $275, which is a decent value for a point-and-shoot. 

This camera does not have fancy features such as a flip-out touch screen display or 4K recording capabilities—that, along with its slightly-outdated image processor, helps to keep the price low. But for about $150 more, you can get Canon’s higher-end model, the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS, which provides many of the features that the SX620 HS is missing. 

Canon PowerShot SX620 HS vs. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS

Selling for around $400 at the time of this writing, the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS contains an upgraded DIGIC 8 image processor that is more advanced than the SX620’s. This newer hardware is responsible for 4K video recording capabilities, and higher quality image rendering on the same-size sensor. As a result, the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS has better image stabilization, autofocusing, and overall image quality. The PowerShot SX740 HS also has a 180-degree adjustable LCD screen, making this camera an even more powerful tool for vloggers, who can compose their shots while self-recording. With 4K output, creators can be sure that they are getting the highest quality possible in this price range. 

For about $150 more, the SX740 HS is a good way to future-proof your investment since 4K is slowly becoming the new normal for video quality. For those that are sure they do not need 4K capabilities, going with the Canon PowerShot SX620 HS will definitely save you some money.

Final Verdict

A no-frills camera at a decent price.

The Canon PowerShot SX620 HS is a great compact camera for travel and everyday shooting. It is a simple device that’s easy to learn and operate, allowing you to capture shareable photos and video with a touch of a button.

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