A high end DVD-based camcorder for quick and clean shooting.

Canon typically puts out a good digital video camera and for a while had the market fairly well sown up. However, there is now plenty of competition and Canon can no longer just rely on its reputation to keep it at the top. The MVX250i is a mid range camera designed for average users who want something more than the bare basics. Its 860,000 pixel (effective) CCD provides a good quality picture in most cases, including in night mode. However, it can be slow to find a good colour balance.

Canon are only the second manufacturer in the Australian market to provide a flash based video camera (Panasonic is the other). Daniel Long gives his first impressions.

Successor to the ubiquitous 350D, Canon's affordable yet powerful 400D D-SLR is a serious weapon whether an amateur or pro.

Canon’s SLR fails to make the enormous splash of its predecessors, but it’s still a great camera in its own right.

Rarely has a new camera received as much attention as the EOS 300D, released amid a flurry of excitement among photographers and a massive marketing campaign. Why the fuss? Because it's a true 6.3-megapixel digital SLR for under $2,000 including lens. It sounds expensive in the context of the cameras in this month's digital cameras Labs, but the previous generation of several models in that test were nudging a grand when they were released.

A sexy magnesium-alloy housing gives the IXUS 400 one of the most compact camera bodies submitted this month. The bright 118,000-pixel LCD gives an excellent preview of your images or for shot placement when not using the viewfinder.

A significant overhaul and a great camera. At this price it’s the best all-round package on the market

Canon's new 600i series of digital video cameras doesn't offer any major changes to the 500i series, just a continuing improvement in quality and a few nice extras. The cameras still look the same and are just as easy to use, but the new top of the range 650i is about as good as you are going to get in its price range.

Cheaper than the HF10, although you need to factor in the cost of storage cards

It was a very close race between the Canon MV630i and the Sony TRV 355E as to which camera should take out the overall award. While the MV630i is $170 dearer, it has a better still photo resolution (1,024 x 768 compared to a screen-only 640 x 480), but the TRV 355E has superior PC connectivity and editing software.

Good quality optics and lots of storage, but not the most portable of camcorders

The most expensive camera in this Labs by $100, it outshone the competition in almost all aspects. A real case of getting what you pay for.

The 450D’s superb sensor makes it the best choice if quality is your priority. It doesn't beat the Sony A200 for value, but for the best quality below $1500 the 450D has the edge.

The PowerShot G series has earned Canon a good reputation and, thankfully, the G5 does nothing to dent it. Not that it will win awards for styling, as the G5 remains slightly boxy for our liking and the casing has more plastic than the G3. It also feels every gram of its 487g weight; the similarly heavy Fuji S5000 is more comfortable to hold and use.

A good mini-cam that compromises on some features in return for high portability. It has similar specs to the MV630i but a $600 higher price, so the cost for the reduction in size is a noticeable one. It is comparable with the other mini cameras in the lab.

A good camera at the price, but perhaps not as great as you thought it was going to be. Its shortcomings will nag at you like an old fishwife

Once the lens shutters are opened, the Canon PowerShot S50 powers up and welcomes you with a tone. Similar to the smaller Canon IXUS 400 in terms of features, it too ships with a 32MB CF card and AV cables. With fairly easy to navigate menus, the S50 also features video capture and a thumb-sliding preview mode.

Not much to tempt you over last year's HV20 but Canon still rules the roost when it comes to raw picture quality