The Canon PowerShot Elph 520 HS is a good choice for those already happy with their smartphone's photos and movie clips, but looking for a cute little camera with a long zoom and faster performance.

The PowerShot Elph 520 HS is a very compact 12X-optical-zoom camera designed for casual shooters. It doesn't perform at the level we're used to seeing in Canon's cameras, and its MicroSD slot and lack of manual controls may give prospective buyers pause.

The Canon PowerShot Elph 520 HS packs a 12x zoom lens into a very compact body that's sure to turn heads. But this pretty camera is hampered by a tiny sensor that produces noisy images at middle to high ISO settings.

a camera looked this good, offered the same 12x optical zoom and cost £200, we’d be praising it to the rafters. Unfortunately this example costs 50 per cent more, so a premium is being charged for the fashion conscious fascia presented here.

The combination of 10.1MP CMOS sensor, Canon’s HS technology, DIGIC 5 processor and 12x optical zoom results in both excellent image quality and a versatility up there with more advanced compacts.

To sum it up, the Elph series brings a little variety to what can be a somewhat monotonous table. While there are some hang-ups here and there with the $300 Elph 520 HS, it offers a surprisingly satisfying experience.

...the Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS is the first ELPH in quite some time that didn’t make the grade. Its battery life was short-lived...the button layout was unfamiliar and the camera’s image quality was an arm’s length behind PowerShots I’ve seen in the past.