Canon PowerShot SX100 IS

The PowerShot SX100 IS is the first model in Canon's new SX series of budget super zoom compact cameras, and in the Powershot line-up slots in somewhere between the tried and tested A-Series and the more upmarket S5 IS. Canon's engineers combined the materials and build quality of the former with the long lens, some features and design of the latter to merge them into a brand new camera that goes head to head with Panasonic's popular TZ series (and the new Sony H3). The SX100 IS comes with a 8.0MP sensor, a 10x zoom, optical image stabilization and a comprehensive range of manual photographic controls, all nicely wrapped up in a compact silver or black plastic body. Canon says the SX series offers exceptional performance in the hands of any member of the family, so let's find out how it performed in our capable hands, starting, as ever, with the headline features.

• 8.0 Megapixels
• 10x optical zoom with optical Image Stabilizer (36-360mm equiv.)
• Comprehensive range of photographic controls with P, Av, Tv and M modes
• DIGIC III imaging processor
• Face Detection
• Digital Tele-Converter and Safety Zoom
• 2.5” LCD with 100% coverage
• 19 shooting modes