The Sell: A mega-zooming compact at a great price.
The Test: The 12.1-颅megapixel SX230 turned out some of the best interior low-light shots we鈥檝e taken. Outdoors, it was equally impressive. The SX230 has simple controls and produced surprisingly sharp 1080p HD video. But it鈥檚 the 56x combined zoom that sets this point-and-shoot apart: most super-zooms scale up from an 8x optical zoom, with often grainy results; the SX230 starts with a 14x optical zoom for much cleaner images.
The Verdict: One of the most versatile point-and-shoots we鈥檝e tested. Image Quality: 4. Ease of Use: 4.