Canon PowerShot S5 IS

The Canon PowerShot S5 IS is a 12x, 8-megapixel digital camera with image stabilization and the ability to shoot movies. The Canon PowerShot S5 IS no longer rules the roost in reviews -- the 18x, 10-megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 (*Est. $275) is the consensus choice as the top ultra-zoom digital camera. Unlike the Panasonic, the Canon PowerShot S5 IS does not support the RAW format, but it does have a hot shoe. Most reviewers say it's fast enough for their needs (it starts up in 0.9 seconds). Another advantage is that it uses four AA batteries instead of proprietary batteries. However, professional and user reviews say the lens cap pops off inadvertently and that the memory-card slot is badly placed.

CNET offers the most accessible coverage for a general readership, though more detail is available from specialty websites such as Imaging-Resource.com, DCResource.com and DPReview.com. ConsumerReports.org used to rate the S5 but does not include it in its most recent rankings chart. We found more than 400 user reviews at Amazon.com. Most are very complimentary, but there are some design complaints, as noted above.