Sure, I wish the Canon Powershot G9 were just a bit smaller to fit in a shirt pocket without strangling me. But at least the Canon G9’s large body contains a lot of good stuff. With above-average performance, a 6x optical zoom, image stabilization, and that gorgeous 3.0-inch LCD, the Canon G9 is the G-series reborn. Though it’s still lacking the swivel screen, I found the Canon G9’s big LCD useful enough that I didn’t miss it much. Though I’m one reviewer who will take the noise at ISO 1,600 and work with it later, I do wish ISO weren’t stranded out on that dial, retro-cool as it is.

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Featuring a 12.1 megapixel CCD, 3.7x optical zoom lens, and well-designed user interface, the Powershot SD950 IS Digital ELPH has a compact body style that is well suited for travel. Exposure remains under automatic control, and its 11 pre-programmed Scene modes help with more tricky subjects.

The Canon SD950 IS is a very responsive camera, with low shutter lag in daylight conditions, and excellent shot-to-shot speeds. It also sports very good battery life, a capable Movie mode, and excellent download speed. Finally, Canon makes a line of accessories including a slave flash, and even an underwater case for it as well, expanding your options beyond what you’d normally expect from a compact digital camera. The bright 2.5-inch color LCD monitor is excellent for framing and reviewing shots, and the overall design and layout of the SD950 is user-friendly and hassle-free. Printed output is astonishingly good, producing impressive 16×20-inch prints, and even ISO 400 shots are good at 11×14.

If you’re looking for a good, take-anywhere camera with great versatility and good color and tonality, the Canon SD950 deserves a close look.

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From the optical viewfinder to the manual modes to the variable power flash, whenever I looked for a feature a photographer would appreciate, I found it on the Canon Powershot A720 IS.

There isn’t a gaudy LCD (with no room for a viewfinder) or extravagant zoom range (with big compromises in optical quality) or any of the frills (frames, in-camera presentations) of many less capable digicams. But if you want a mid-size digicam with a fairly long zoom that can take pictures like a real camera, this is it.

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The Canon PowerShot SX100 IS makes a solid impression. As the first in Canon’s new line, the SX100 IS performs well with its optical image stabilization and updated face detection. Even more, Canon earns major innovation points for the Face Select Tool, which utilizes a unique rotary dial that puts a spin (literally) on an old function.

While most manufacturers have by now included face detection on their newer cameras, Canon took the face-finding technology a step further by allowing users to select which face to focus and expose. If the sensitive rotary control dial were improved in the next SX camera, it could easily one of the leaders in the niche 10x point-and-shoot category.

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The Canon Powershot SD870 IS continues with the features that made the PowerShot SD800 IS a great camera: an excellent 28mm wide-angle lens, Face-detection autofocus, optical image stabilization, plenty of scene modes, and a few important tweaks to the overall operation of the camera. Even movie mode benefits from the wide-angle view, making personal up-close family videos quite easy and fun.

The SD870’s 8-megapixel sensor delivers resolution capable of delivering good quality 11×14-inch prints up to ISO 400, an impressive feat indeed. Canon has increased the size of the LCD but removed the optical viewfinder; optical viewfinders being something of a joke on most digital cameras with extraordinary optics, most users won’t miss it. The 3-inch LCD more than makes up for the lack of a viewfinder, and works well in bright sunlight. At 195 grams (6.9 oz), the Canon SD870 IS can fit in almost any pocket, and uses a battery that can take a pretty decent number of photos.

It’s a lot of camera fit into a small package, and I think it’s a great fit for the experienced digital camera user who needs a reliable, take-anywhere shooter that shows off its photos well. And I can’t emphasize enough how great it is to have a 28mm wide angle lens in such a small package.

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