gdgt

If a long lens, AA batteries, and some creative control over your photos are what you're after, the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS is a good choice. That is, as long as you don't mind it being painfully slow.

Canon's PowerShot SX150 IS is capable of capturing some very sharp images across its 12x zoom range, but is hindered by high noise levels at almost every ISO setting.

Overall the Canon SX150 IS impresses. It combines great picture and video quality with advanced controls in an attractive body. It's a shame the LCD won't let your pictures show you how good they are when you're still out and about shooting, but it shouldn't be a sticking point for most people.

...the...PowerShot SX150 IS is keenly priced, yet packed with the kind of filters and scene modes we would expect to find on a more expensive shooter. It's let down by the choice of battery format. Otherwise it's a great choice for digital photography beginners and anyone on a budget.

Canon's entry-level long-zoom digicam offers a lot of capability at a great price. If you can afford about $40 more, you can get better image quality and performance with other models, but for the price, the Canon SX150 IS is a winner.

Its size, versatile zoom and reliance on AA battery power makes the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS a serious contender as one of the best travel compact cameras available today.

The Canon SX150 is a decent, solid camera and it won't cost you the Earth... with top-notch compact cameras, packing the ability to experiment with settings, now available for not that much more money, the SX150's bulk makes it seem less of a wise investment.