Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

At first glance, the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS appears nearly identical to the well-reviewed Canon PowerShot SX10 IS. But upon closer inspection, the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS offers some impressive upgrades: a higher-end CMOS sensor, HD video and RAW format support. For ultra-zoom aficionados, the SX1 IS offers more versatility and, according to CNET's Lori Grunin, "slightly better performance and image quality." Like the SX10, the SX1 has a 10-megapixel resolution, 20x optical zoom and a 28 mm wide angle lens that's equipped with image stabilization. It's equally as bulky and bears a slightly larger 2.8-inch variable LCD display, which can be rotated to accommodate different shooting and lighting conditions. The upgraded CMOS sensor, according to DigitalCameraReview.com, provides increased immunity to noisy images and uses less power.

Reviewers say the Canon PowerShot SX1 has faster performance with more accurate auto focus. The camera turns on and shoots in 1.4 seconds, and has better continuous-shot rates and faster shot-to-shot times. Grunin considers photo quality to be the best of its class, with less noise and artifacts than the Canon PowerShot SX10 IS. However, performance is not problem-free. Don Wan of DPReview.com and users at Amazon.com note loss of detail due to noise reduction, and in testing Wan found the lens prone to color fringing -- that is, visible bands of colors between light and dark areas of a photo. (This is a common occurrence in images of trees against a bright sky.) High-contrast metering is also fickle, and battery life limited. Still, the upgrades in HD video and RAW support format alone may be worth the extra hundred dollars in cost for some users. Grunin says that the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS is "probably the best megazoom we've tested so far."

CNET, DigitalCameraReview.com and DPReview.com provide testing and in-depth evaluation of the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS, comparing it to its highly rated sibling, the Canon PowerShot SX10 IS. A few user reviews for this relatively new camera appear at Amazon.com, where owner experiences help to reveal potential problems with extended use.