Best digital camera brands Canon digital cameras

The Canon Ixus 1000 HS was launched to celebrate ten years of Canon Digital Ixus cameras.

Canon is one of the largest and best-known camera manufacturers in the world – a brand you’re likely to come across time and again when looking for a new digital camera.

The company has a strong reputation for producing some of the finest digital cameras and digital SLRs on the market, and not without good reason.

Canon has achieved a huge number of Which? Best Buys following our rigorous testing, and we awarded the manufacturer with the Best Audiovisual Brand accolade in the 2009 Which? Awards.

See all of our expert Which? reviews of Canon digital cameras

Best cheap Canon digital cameras

Canon hasn't traditionally been one of the cheaper names to turn to when you're looking to buy a digital camera.

However, these days there are a few Canon models to be found for under £100, and they still offer a respectable performance.

One model we'd recommend is the Canon PowerShot A1200, a tiny point-and-shoot which makes space for a small optical viewfinder

The Canon PowerShot S95 boasts a unique control dial around the lens.

Best compact Canon digital cameras

If you’re looking for a quality compact digital camera, Canon has many models to choose. 

You may find that Canon’s compacts have higher price tags than those from some alternative brands, but many of these models have achieved Which? Best Buy status.

Ultra-slim and waterproof cameras

One of the slimmest models we've tested to date has been the Canon Digital Ixus 130 IS - it's just 1.8cm thick, and takes great shots.

Canon also has the waterproof 12Mp Canon Powershot D10, a great model to consider for family holidays by the beach.

New HS photography system

Canon has developed the HS, or High Sensitivity, photography system, intended to achieve superior shots in challenging low light conditions.

Interestingly, Canon has scaled back the megapixel count on the first HS cameras to be released, using a relatively sober resolution of 10Mp to achieve clearer shots in low light.

We have reviews of the Canon Ixus 300 HS, the Canon Ixus 310 HS and the Canon Ixus 1000 HS, the first models from the HS camera system.

Compact cameras with advanced controls

If you're looking for a pocketable model that has a few extra tricks up its sleeve, then Canon has a few to choose from.

The Canon PowerShot SX210 HS features a 14x zoom lens, and it offers a full range of manual controls to try out.

Canon took a particularly interesting approach with the Canon PowerShot S90 IS and Canon PowerShot S95 IS. These two slim models feature a unique control ring around the lens - you twist this ring to change the manual settings.

If you're looking for a model with plenty of manual controls but you're shopping to a budget, then it's worth considering the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS. This affordable model offers aperture and shutter speed control, as well as full manual control.

Canon's G-series compact bridge cameras have proven popular.

Best Canon bridge cameras

Canon also has a strong reputation for making high-quality advanced cameras, and it has both compact and superzoom bridge models to consider.

Canon compact bridge cameras

The compact bridge camera market is a small, tightly-contested clique populated by just a few brands. 

Canon has been the most active name in this field by far thanks to its successful PowerShot G-series.

The Canon Powershot G10 was one of the strongest performing advanced compact models we'd tested, but Canon took an interesting approach in updating it.

The newer Canon Powershot G11 added a rotatable LCD screen to its predecessor's features, as well as reducing the resolution to 10Mp to help it achieve better low light photography results.

The latest G-series model is the Canon PowerShot G12, which adds 720p HD video-recording to its roster of features.

Canon superzoom bridge cameras

Canon has a line of superzoom advanced cameras to consider as well. 

The Canon Powershot SX1 IS and has a 20x zoom lens as well as advanced manual controls.

The latest in Canon's series of superzoom models with the new Canon PowerShot SX30 IS. This model boasts the largest zoom lens we've yet seen on a bridge camera, with a huge 35x optical zoom.

The Canon EOS 60D is the first Canon DSLR to boast a rotatable Live View screen

Best Canon digital SLRs

If you’re buying a digital SLR, Canon has a range to cater for all budgets.

See all of our expert reviews of Canon Digital SLRs

Canon has been ramping up the specifications across its mid and high-end models, and the only drawback has been that some of these models now sit unnaturally close together in terms of features, though not necessarily in terms of price.

It's worth fully considering the features you'll be paying for, though the good news is that in recent years Canon DSLRs have put in almost uniformly excellent performances in our tests.

Entry-level

Canon EOS 1100D - 12Mp, 3 shots per second, 720p HD video mode, Live View screen

Mid/entry-level

Canon EOS 600D - 18Mp, 3 shots per second, 1080p HD video, rotatable Live View screen

Mid-level

Canon EOS 550D - 18Mp, 3.7 shots per second, 1080p HD video, Live View screen

Canon EOS 60D - 18Mp, 5.3 shots per second, 1080p HD video, rotatable Live View screen

High-end

Canon EOS 7D - 18Mp, 8 shots per second, 1080p HD video, Live View screen, 100% optical viewfinder

See our expert Which? reviews of the best digital SLRs, featuring several strong performing models from Canon and other major brands.