no zoom in/out option but good up to 100 yards
580983
hand size, no zoom in/out option but good up to 100 yards. Works for me though.
3241435
Bought this to be able to zero in rifle scopes and check my accuracy at the target range. Have only had it out to my 100 yard indoor range so far, but quite impressed. Easily see .223 holes in paper @ 100 yards at 36X (about 1/2 way on magnification of 18X55). I am 53 years old and wear reading glasses. The picture is very clear to me even with no glasses. Seems like it will easily work for me up to 200-250 yards. It does require very good lighting as you turn up the magnification. If you want something for dusk or dark conditions, you will want to get a lens bigger than the 65mm. Paired this with the RetiCam tabletop tripod and am good to go.
75836
I just bought it for several days from Costco. It happened twice for me. When I was trying to zoom and focus on a  remote object, the len automatically zoomed by itself to maximum lenght without me touching the zooming control. Then the zooming control didn't respond at all. I have to power off the camera and re-power it on to make it work. This is probably a software glitch. I'm going to try it for a few more days and see how it goes.
2410212
Great camera, zoom is incredible. I can take detailed shots of the moon. It also has manual control, uncommon for a point-and-shoot. The main problem is that the manual control is not absolute. The range of aperture is limited.
408558
smaller scope, good for tactical apps. nice crisp view through lenses, no complaints. EXCEPT directions that came with it were worthless for using the rangefinder part of scope. They were for "Mil-dot" type rangefinder scopes, which this is not. All the studying in the world on the web left me with no answers as to how to use the rangefinder. Good scope though.
2237199
The night vision on this camera is impressive and so is the field of view.  However the focus is finicky and so is the zoom and you will be adjusting both most likely.  Had to stand there with the IPad in hand waiting to see if that tweak worked and it took several minutes before I was happy.  I did use silicone to seal up the two adjustment knobs, there is little warning the box about leaks there.  It will just peal off if an adjustment is needed.  Have them connected to my 8 channel defender system and they work well with it.  No I realize how much distance my older cameras have faded at night.  This is under the eve of the house so exposure to the elements is restricted and they have yet to see the heat of summer.

This is big camera by the way compared to my older 700 line ones.
816555
i wanted a scope so i could see my targets down range at 100 Yards and it works as long as you use bright targets. If not, take that darn walk to see what you did...
4168985
I finally got to take it to the range, on a rainy day. It was quite dark outside but this spotting scope did very well. Very clear and sharp at 100 yards. Of course the FOV will get smaller with zoom, but clarity and sharpness was tight. However, i am going to buy a bigger scope as i think bigger scope is easier to use.
2798649
Has anyone found a way to turn off the digital zoom? It's automatic 10x zoom makes it hard to see anything.
4119291
I used it for the first time this past weekend.  I liked everything about it except the zoom.  If you zoom in to close the images become blurry.  If you want close ups..get closer.  It is very easy to use, the picture is great. The instructions for setting things like EIS and the like could be a little clearer.
1864357
This is a "point-and-shoot" or a fixed-lens digital camera. In some ways, it is almost better than a digital "single-lens-reflex" or the kind of camera where you can change lenses. This is because the 50x optical zoom lens on the Powershot goes from a the 35mm equivalent of wide-angle 24mm to telephoto of 1200mm which is a huge range of focal lengths. ( 4.3mm to 215.0mm.) You are going from wide for landscape and group shots to zooming in great distances (wildlife, moon, sports closeups from the stands.)

If you want a camera to do everything, and not have to lug equipment, this is light and versatile. A few not-great things--the LCD screen is a lower resolution than I'd like. However the lens is so wide-ranging that if you can only take one, lightweight camera, this is quite the choice. You can get more Megapixels from other models of Powershot like the SX170 and you can get WiFi which this DOESN'T have in other models like the PowerShot SX510 HS. But this is a good choice for quick shots at any distance. Used, these run about two-fifty or three hundred. New, unrefurbished around four-twenty-nine.

This is my choice for a grab-and-go and do-all camera, where 12MP of resolution are a good trade-off for lugging a DSLR and all the gear. Plus you're more likely to be able to handhold shots that would require a tripod with heavier cameras--however, I'd add at least a full tripod (like the Ravelli ) for situations where handholding won't work.
2991778
If you are using this for shooting, know that you cannot see bullet holes on regular paper at 25 or 50 yards.  I doubt that this is a 12x zoom, seems more of a 5x.  I would trade this for a Celestron, any day of the week.
1251987
I bought this camera to take photos of items to be auctioned on that big auction site.  For this purpose it works pretty well with a few issues.

Pros:  very clear photos when it focuses properly, good color rendition, nice compact easy to use format.  The price!  I secured mine new in unopened box at GoodWill for $75.

Cons:  Zoom is controlled by a small motor, so getting correct amount of zoom is a very frustrating process, a mechanical vernier is sorely missed.  Focus is a frequent big problem, taking many attempts to get simple views in focus, again a vernier for mechanical focusing is sorely missed.  The access to the memory card is under the body so it is necessary to remove the whole camera from the tripod to transfer pics to the computer.  The only view option is the lcd panel on back; slr style view finder would have been nice.
4429658
Good up close bad for pictures with backgrounds and environment pictures. I like taking pictures  of large areas, this camera does not allow for that. The menu does not have many options.
2747108
Its a bit of a pain to focus, but holy cow this is a good camera at this price. I am using it to replace a single camera in my 8 camera home system because I wanted to zoom in a little higher on the camera view.  It was a simple plug and play operation. An added bonus is the long range of this camera at night. I puts the other cameras in my system to shame.

Have no fear about getting this camera.
2666478
Don't buy if you shoot more than 200 yards won't focus close up on a body size target
1992275
For the price it's fine.  The optics are pretty decent, but the zoom "peg" seems backwards, so it goes under the scope between the rifle.  The marks in the reticle aren't really moa/mil or something.  they are there... but not sure what they are... :)  but on top of a .22, it lets me see fine.  I know where on the random lines 100 yards is, 150, 250 and 300.  oddly 200 is in a no mans land with no marks.  :)  But it's really hard to compare it to even 150-200$ scopes, much less "quality" optics.  It will zoom in and let you see the target and if you're shooting at known distances, you can come up with your own dope for what the lines are.