The Canon PowerShot SX260 HS camera is a new travel-zoom camera that replaces the SX230 HS model. There’s a longer 20x, 25-500mm optical zoom lens with a built-in 4-stop image stabilizer and Intelligent IS technology, 12.1 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor, 3 inch LCD screen with 460k-dot resolution, DIGIC 5 image processing engine, full 1080p HD Movie Mode with stereo sound and an HDMI output, and a Smart Auto mode with Scene Detection Technology and an Easy mode for beginners. The Canon SX260 HS also offers built-in GPS with included Map Utility software and GPS logger function (the only difference between the SX260 and cheaper SX240 model), a full range of manual exposure modes for more experienced photographers, fast 10.3fps burst shooting at full 12 megapixel resolution, Face Identification, a range of Creative Filters and a 240fps Super Slow Motion Movie mode. The Canon PowerShot SX260 is priced at £329 / $349.99 / €379.00 and is available in silver, black, red or green.
Perhaps most usefully, the full extent of the 20x optical zoom can also be deployed when shooting movies, its ultra quiet transition meaning that the built-in microphone doesn't pick up operational buzzes, the usual reason for manufacturers disabling the zoom. Focus is automatically adjusted as the user zooms in or out, which, with no alternative manual adjustment ring, means the footage can go soft for a moment or two before the camera locks on target. Canon states that Dynamic Image Stabilisation also kicks in when shooting video to ensure smooth tracking shots, of use when filming whilst walking for example. The SX260 HS records 1920x1080p Full HD movies at 24fps with stereo sound, making it one of the few compact cameras currently on the market to offer such good quality, while the new Intelligent IS system helps to keep footage steady.
