Point-and-shoot compacts are the camera of choice for casual shooters looking to just take snapshots. But the problem many consumers face is they have too many choices. With the compact camera market reaching saturation, manufacturers are pushing the megapixel envelope as well as throwing in full HD video recording to push sales of their newest compact shooters.

Canon takes another route with their latest entry-level compact, the IXUS 220 HS. The 220 HS has a very intuitive user-interface wrapped in a slim package. It weighs just 141g with a memory card inserted; this is one camera you won’t feel much when slipped into your pocket. Though the 220 HS is as generic as they come on the outside, there’s more to this entry-level compact that makes it a delight to shoot with.

Opting to stick with physical buttons instead of the fashionable touch-screen controls, the real estate on the back of the 220 HS is taken up largely by its 2.7-inch LCD screen. The physical buttons are large enough for us to use our thumbs, but those of you with larger hands might occasionally block the flash by accident as you use both hands to steady the camera while taking a shot.

There’s a slider switch at the rear of the camera that allows users to switch between Smart Auto mode and Program Auto. Smart Auto basically lets the camera determine the best settings for the scene while Program Auto offers more options with a press of the func set button located on the back plate.

Contemporary compacts come with many filters and effects and Canon has ensured it does not fall behind the competition in this aspect. The 220 HS includes many preset shooting modes, throwing in everything but the kitchen sink, including modes for shooting foliage as well as fish-eye effect mode. There’s even a burst mode for those of you looking to capture a series of shots in rapid succession. Do note that this mode results in images shot at just 3-megapixels, though the camera is able to fire off eight frames per second. And let’s not forget the full HD video recording capabilities of the 220 HS.

For those really clueless about photography but wish to maximize the use of the 220 HS, Canon has very helpfully included brief descriptions that appear when various options in the menus are selected. Examples include a brief explanation on what focusing to infinity does, or what the miniature effect filter does to your picture.

Resolution-wise, the 220 HS does fairly well by scoring 1,700 LPH horizontally and 1.800LPH vertically. ISO performance was where the 220 HS really shone, as there were only hints of noise at ISO 800 and even images at ISO 1600 were of bearable quality.

We also particularly liked that the 220 HS had very quick autofocus. It may not be love at first for the 220 HS; after all it won’t win any awards for groundbreaking design. But beneath that lies a capable camera that has an easy-to-navigate interface. Best of all, this compact is extremely budget-friendly.

Canon’s follow-up to the popular S95, the PowerShot S100 is priced slightly higher but improves on the S95 in many ways. Its zoom lens starts at a wider focal length and delivers a longer zoom range, recycle time has been cut drastically, and a GPS has been added. That’s enough for it to replace the S95 as our favorite high-end pocket camera.

The 12-megapixel S100 is almost identical in size and design to its predecessor. At 2.3 by 3.9 by 1.1 inches (HWD) and 7 ounces, it is a bit larger and heavier than competing compact cameras.

The lens covers a 24-105mm (35mm equivalent) field of view, which is a 5x zoom range. At the wide end it opens up to f/2, which lets quite a bit of light in, but the aperture narrows to f/5.9 at the telephoto end of its zoom.

The 3-inch LCD is packed with 460k dots, and even though it is as crisp and bright as the screen found on the S95, it is no longer the best you’ll find on a point-and-shoot camera. Other pocket models, including the Samsung TL500, now employ twice-as-sharp 920k-dot screens.

The S100 performed admirably in our speed tests, taking 2.3 seconds to start up and grab a shot, and it can capture another photo every half second in continuous shooting mode. Shutter lag measured at only 0.3 second, which is an excellent score for a camera that you can slide into your pocket.

I used the Imatest software suite to measure the camera’s sharpness and image noise performance. The S100 scored exceptionally well in the sharpness test, recording 1,989 lines per picture height. A score of 1,800 is considered to be acceptably sharp, making the SIOO’s score especially impressive when you consider its small form factor.

The Canon PowerShot S100 takes everything the S95 did right and improves on it. Even though the S95 is still available through retail channels, the longer zoom range, faster recycle time, and GPS make the S100 well worth the extra $30.

Aside from turning heads as a fashion statement of sorts, this handsome snapper boasts a large high-resolution LCD screen, 12.1 megapixels grab, an 8X zoom and Full HD movie capture. The camera’s high quality optics ensure that the image output is top notch for a shooter of its class, it has the ability to capture a good amount of detail in natural colour without a whit of oversaturation. Its low-light photography is surprisingly good, using the inbuilt flash. Bottom line: A pretty piece that makes pretty pictures and costs a pretty packet!

When you consider the price of Canon’s new Powershot SX40 HS, you wonder why you should be paying almost a DSLR’s price for a digital camera. Then you take the camera around and you realize that the SX40 is indeed worth every paisa you pay for it.

Canon’s SX cameras used the CCD image sensor. The new one in the series replaces it with a CMOS sensor and this ushers in an awful lot in terms of performance. Experts will tell you that the difference between CCD and CMOS image processing is akin to picture creation on a CRT and LCD monitors. This fact is perhaps crucial, for the SX40 is no compact digital. Its megapixel rating may just be 12.1, but it comes with an optical zoom of 35X. In 35 mm camera equivalent, this translates into an awesome 24-840 mm zoom. A lens of that capability would be virtual cannon on a DSLR, but on the SX40, it neatly fits into a body that is small and light, if a tad plastic.

The zoom works superbly and is able to capture distinct images from a great distance away. We had to sometimes use the manual focus to ensure the sharpest image at full 35X zoom, but the results were satisfying. The color and the sharpness are not compromised by the distance of the subject from the camera. At the opposite end, the macro shots amazed us as well. When we clicked an ant, for a fleeting second G&G turned into National Geographic with the result; the hairy, toffee translucent ant of gigantic proportions on our computer screen was unlike any we had captured with an ordinary camera.

In between, we found the camera capturing a wide swathe of scenes with color integrity and remarkable sharpness across depths—and all with minimum fuss. From low-light conditions (Diwali afforded a great night-photography ambience) to bright landscapes, this Canon took everything in stride. As we said, the Canon SX40 HS is money well spent.

The PowerShot A1200 sits at the opposite end of the scale, proud in its position as Canon’s most entry-level model. The A I 200 is highly reminiscent of an inexpensive film camera from the 1990s: from its basic plastic frame, to a hard-to-turn mode wheel that feels just like an old manual film-advance. The camera also features an optical viewfinder, which has become exceptionally rare on all but the highest-end digital compacts.

Unlike its film-based ancestors however, the A1200 sports a 2.7-inch, 320×240 pixel display. That’s not particularly large or high resolution, but it gets you through the simple menu system (familiar to any Canon camera user), and shows you what you’re pointing the camera at.

The viewfinder zooms in synch with the lens, but it doesn’t provide 100% frame coverage — that means it’s not the best tool for framing your shots. Add the fact that the optical design makes it akin to looking at a postage stamp through a telescope, and the view tmder’s only real use is clear. It’s a crutch for those switching from film to digital late in the game, and unsure that they’ll want to frame shots on-screen. With this viewfinder, on-screen is the way to go.

The 4x zoom is limited, but the camera performs well across the entire range. 28mm at the wide end is great for capturing group shots close up, or sweeping landscapes from afar; 112mm is rather short at the telephoto end, but this is not a high-zoom camera by any means.

Image quality from the 12.1-megapixel sensor is surprisingly good for the price. There’s some fine-grained image noise in all shots, most visible in darker areas. I’ve seen equal or greater noise from cameras well above the $500 mark.

The A1200 records video at 720p HD, 24 frames per second. Video quality is good although like most compact cameras, soilnd quality leaves something to be desired.

The greatest downside I found was the lack of fine manual control – you have a broad enough range of scene modes and a reasonably capable ‘Aero mode, but no direct control over shutter speed, aperture or rocus.

If you’re after a lightweight travel camera, that won’t incur huge costs or insurance claims of lost, stolen or dropped from a rollercoaster, buy an A1200. For a carry-everywhere digital camera, spend a little more if you can.

Other features, which you will get with Canon SX220 HS, include 12.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, HD video recording, 3-inch LCD display as well as smart auto mode, which come with easy mode for amateur photographers and scene detection technology. You also get an optional waterproof case with this amazing little camera.

There are lots of other features of this camera, which can take other cameras for a ride. Canon ELPH 510 HS has an ultra compact body which is made of metal. This camera is quiet easy to carry around, and they get fit easily in your pocket, making this a camera to click snaps on the go.

Canon ELPH 310 HS has wide angle lens so you will get precise pictures. The device gives an opportunity to take photos and HD videos with the speed of 24 fps. It can be connected with the computer and HD ready TV set so the users will watch their videos and photos on a big screen.

The design of Canon PowerShot SX150 IS is stylish, besides an elegant black color of the device makes it the product of the highest grade.

Technical Characteristics

From the technical point of view, the camera has everything to make the clients content. It has 3-inched LCD display, powerful battery and memory slot SD/SDHC/SDXC. The camera has a wonderful price that is really affordable especially if we speak about the product of such kind.

For those who prefer video, the speed of 3.0 FPS will be also a good surprise. 9-dot system of autofocus will work precisely. If you want to watch your photos and videos on TV screen, the camera can be connected with it.

Stylish design of Canon EOS Rebel T3 will satisfy esthetes. Besides there are 2 more colors – red, silver and brown.