Canon PowerShot SX30 IS review

Now that some compact-shaped cameras come with up to 18x zoom lenses; bulkier, pricier ultra-zoom cameras need to do something special to justify their existence. A 35x zoom lens ought to do it, though – with it the PowerShot SX30 IS comfortably outstretches the 30x zoom on the previous record holder, the Fujifilm HS10.

The SX30 IS is quite a departure from its predecessor, the 20x zoom SX20 IS. Bulbous curves are gone in favour of a more angular design that looks smarter but isn’t as comfortable to hold. The switch from four AA batteries to a Li-ion rechargeable cell is welcome, reducing the weight and making recharging less fiddly. It also removes the cost of buying batteries separately, but the new model is around £50 more expensive than the old one.

The articulated screen is bigger at 2.7in across, although that’s still smaller than the 3in screens of almost all other ultra-zoom cameras. The hotshoe for an external flashgun is concealed underneath a rubber cover – easy to miss.

The controls and options are the usual fare for an ultra-zoom camera, with manual exposure and focus and a wheel encircling the navigation pad for quick adjustments. ISO speed and focus area are within easy reach, and a customisable button can be assigned to various roles including white balance. There’s also a button that momentarily pulls back the zoom. It proved highly useful when we’d zoomed in so much that it was hard to find the intended subject on the LCD screen. There’s still no RAW capture, though – a serious omission for this type of camera.