Hands on with the 2010 Canon IXUS and PowerShot range

Canon's new PowerShot and IXUS range for 2010 features a host of updates to popular models, from svelte cameras to superzoom monsters.

The new range consists of three new IXUS models (IXUS 210 IS, IXUS 130 IS and IXUS 105 IS) and one PowerShot (SX210 IS). Features present in all the cameras include intelligent flash exposure which alters the intensity of the flash depending on the proximity of the subject to the lens, and low-light mode.

Surprisingly, Canon has made no less than three of the new cameras a shade of pink, obviously trying to appeal to the casual female photographer. The cameras will be available from late February, though no pricing has been announced.

An update to the SX200 IS from last year, the SX210 IS boasts a slimmer chassis and a new design, with a 14x optical zoom lens. This is the purple/pink model, but it also comes in black if this is a bit too garish for you.

Fortunately, one of the gripes we had with the SX200 IS was its irritating pop-up flash that just wouldn't stay down. The SX210 IS fixes this by letting you nudge it gently down into the case when you don't want it. At the front, you can see the markings that indicate the camera has a 28mm wide-angle lens. It also has a 14.1-megapixel sensor.

Like the SX200 IS, this camera has manual controls at the back. We had a bit of a play with the menu wheel and it's incredibly stiff to turn.

This is Canon's second touchscreen camera, the IXUS 210 IS, which supersedes the 200 IS from last year. There are a couple of key differences, namely that the 210 IS has no physical buttons at the back, the screen is now 3.5 inches, and there are several new scene modes.

Those scene modes include fish-eye and miniature effect, as displayed above on the touchscreen, which has a resolution of 461,000 dots. The 210 IS can also record video in HD, and has a 5x optical zoom.

All the usual features on the IXUS range are still present, including face detection which even seems to pick up faces on posters.

The 105 IS has a 4x optical zoom and a 12.1-megapixel sensor... And nothing else of real interest. Movie recording is only VGA resolution, but it does accept SDXC cards like the rest of the range.

This is the slimmest IXUS, at 17.8mm thick. That doesn't stop it boasting a 28mm wide-angle lens like its predecessor, the IXUS 120 IS.