Top travel zoom cameras compared

Canon PowerShot SX150 IS – Value for Money – `9,995

The Canon SX150 IS makes for a great budget superzoom camera, featuring a 14.1 MP 1/.3-inch CCD sensor. It boasts an ISO speed range from ISO 80 to 1600 and aperture value of F3.4 – F5.6. The camera uses the old-school AA batteries which can either be a boon or a pain. But if you plan on using regular branded batteries and a slow speed SD card, we suggest you keep a couple of spare batteries at your disposal. We suggest using some high power rechargeable batteries along with a class 10 SDHC memory card. We also noticed the flash recharge to be pretty slow. It can take you at least five seconds to get the next shot in low light. 

The SX150 IS has a very rugged shell, but the camera is pretty bulky thanks to the use of AA batteries. We initially thought that the size and the weight would hinder the ergonomics, but the easy-to-use interface and the control panel (especially the jog dial) makes handling the camera a breeze. The control panel is ergonomic and it features all the buttons and shortcuts you would need conveniently placed within the reach of your fingers. But we did notice a big flaw—the video recording button is placed right under the thumb, which can accidentally be triggered when using the camera singlehandedly.

Canon SX 150

The manual mode on the mode dial gives the user complete control over the exposure, which is similar to what you get in DSLRs. This makes the SX150 IS an ideal budget choice for beginners wanting to get their hands dirty with professional photography. The camera also performs at par with the elder brother, the Canon SX260 HS in terms of RAW performance. Speaking of performance, the camera does very well in broad daylight and above average when shooting indoors. It has excellent sharpness, good contrast value with an excellently close macro range of just 1 cm. But the camera loses out completely when shooting in poorly lit areas. 

Shooting videos was also pretty disappointing as we noticed a lot of jittering especially during panning. Videos can be shot at HD resolutions with stereo audio, but sadly, we witnessed below average video results.

We tested a total of 7 cameras of which the above mentioned proved to be better options. Here's a quick look at the full list complete with specs and ratings. Please click the image for larger viewing. 

Scores out of 5, Prices are indicative and are subject to change, taxes extra