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Canon PowerShot SX230 HS and SX220 HS show GPS is where it's at

You can tell a quirky camera feature is getting hot when Canon gets involved -- and the Canon PowerShot SX230 HS and PowerShot SX220 HS tell us GPS is here to stay.

Richard Trenholm
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
Richard Trenholm
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You can tell a quirky camera feature is hot when Canon gets involved -- and the Canon PowerShot SX230 HS and PowerShot SX220 HS prove it's a good year for cameras that know where you've been.

The SX230 HS is the first Canon compact to include built-in GPS. It collects location data from satellites and geotags your snaps with information on where they were taken. Pictures can then be displayed on maps in software such as Google Maps, Flickr and Picasa.

The SX220 is the same camera, but without the tell-tale bulge of the GPS unit on the top. The new models are the follow-up to the PowerShot SX210 IS.

Judging by the new initials in the names, high sensitivity is the new image stabilisation. Canon's HS system aims to increase dynamic range and reduce gritty image noise, up to speeds of ISO 3,200. Canon claims noise is cut by 60 per cent. No doubt we'll be testing that in a full review very soon.

Both these 12-megapixel, long-zooming compacts offer a 14x optical zoom lens and a 3-inch screen. They shoot full high-definition 1080p video at 24 frames per second, with stereo sound. The cameras can zoom during filming.

The Canon PowerShot SX230 HS and PowerShot SX220 HS will be available in March. Prices are yet to be confirmed. Canon also announced the gaudy IXUS 310 HS, 220 HS and 115 HS compacts and entry-level EOS 600D and EOS 1100D dSLRs today.

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The SX230 in tasteful pink.
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The SX230 features GPS for tagging snaps with location data.
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The back of the SX230 in blue.
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The pop-up flash was controversial in previous models, as it popped up automatically.
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The SX220 comes in purple.
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The SX220 in grey.

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