Other Cameras

With its compact metal body and retracting Canon lens, Casio’s Exilim EX-P600 is an excellent travellers’ camera. Six resolution sizes are supported, with three JPEG compression levels plus an uncompressed TIFF format at all resolutions. The menu system is outstanding and the large 2-inch LCD screen is easy to view, even in bright conditions. The mode dial accesses full auto, Best Shot, aperture (A) and shutter (S) priority auto and manual (M) modes, along with movie and voice recording. In the A, S and M modes, pressing the OK button calls up a Manual Assist On-screen Guidance display that shows samples of the extremes of the selected control. Movies are recorded at QVGA resolution and you can add up to 30 seconds of audio to snapshots in the WAVE/ADPCM recording format.

A slimline advanced digicam with a retracting 14x optical zoom lens and 720p HD video capability.A year after releasing the PowerShot SX200 IS, Canon has upped the ante with the SX210 IS. Resolution is boosted to 14 megapixels and the zoom lens range is extended from 12x to 14x, but kept its 28mm equivalent wide angle of view. The new camera is offered in black or purple. Aside a few minor cosmetic changes and relocation of some controls, not much else has changed.

The first Canon digicam with a CMOS sensor and a 20x optical zoom lens, it also supports full HD movie recording.Although CMOS image sensors are common throughout Canon’s DSLR range, the PowerShot SX1 IS is the first compact camera from Canon to be fitted with a CMOS sensor. Offering 10-megapixel (effective) resolution, the SX1 IS’s sensor is significantly smaller than the DSLR sensors. It’s partnered by a stabilised 20x optical zoom lens that covers the equivalent of 28-560mm in 35mm format.Although the front of the lens is threaded, it can’t accept screw-in filters.

A low-priced, long-zoom digicam with features to appeal to travellers.Canon’s PowerShot SX100 IS has many of the features of the popular S5 IS model but boasts a smaller, lighter body and significantly lower price tag. Boasting an 8-megapixel CCD imager and 10x optical zoom lens with optical image stabilisation, the SX100 IS sports the latest DiG!C III image processor, which includes Face Detection technology plus support for ISO 1600 sensitivity. The 2.5-inch LCD monitor is fixed and has 172,000-pixel resolution and the camera has obviously been designed to provide performance and functionality at an economy price.

The update to Canon’s PowerShot S1-IS has been a while coming but the new S2-IS model offers some significant improvements over its predecessor; the most obvious being the 5-megapixel CCD sensor and longer 12x optical zoom lens. The zoom lens is slightly faster and covers a wider angle of view than its predecessor. The built-in stabilisation system has been extended with a new ‘Shoot Only’ IS mode that works only during exposures, thereby reducing battery drain.

Essentially a higher-resolution version of the PowerShot S60, the S70 has been upgraded to support AF area selection in the P, Tv, Av and M shooting modes, although the AF frame is fixed to centre-point when you shoot with the viewfinder or use digital zoom. Focus and AE bracketing are also provided, along with flash output adjustment of +/- 2 stops in 1/3 stop increments.