Two of the best small compacts on the market. Quality differences are on a knife edge, but the Canon wins for superior features and handling.

Great image quality and plenty of enthusiast features for a very reasonable price

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

Forget gold plated and diamond encrusted – if you've got three grand to spare and don't mind weighty snappers, this is the camera to blow it on

Superb, stylish, solid... but sabotaged by poor controls

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

Fast, great quality prints at a decent price – the only real competition for the other Canon

We've found a digital compact under $150 that's not junk. Canon’s efforts to swamp the planet under five feet of compact cameras continues with its latest batch of PowerShot models.

Canon’s splashed into shallow end of the DSLR pool again with an entry-level model based on the 450D. Will it win gold or need water wings?

Canon continues the good work and delivers another winner with the MP610.

A decent enough addition to the legendary EOS range, but there are too many competitors at this price.

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.

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

Lacking a few features but for simplicity and decent quality, this has to be one of the best value camcorders around

A stylish and capable camera, further enhanced by wireless tech

Small but solid. The Ixus 75 is perfect for holiday snappers – just watch out when the sun goes down

Impressive optical quality and storage space, though a touch expensive

A pint-sized camera that packs a punch, with consistently good performance in all conditions

If you can afford one and can find one, don’t think twice about it. If not, rent one from a specialist outlet for phenomenal results

Well-equipped and quite quick, but the quality is patchy