Canon's humble SX160 suits the snap happy

The Life: Canon PowerShot camera less than a showstopper but it will please those with lower budgets and is certainly portable.

Canon PowerShot SX160 IS. Photo by Canon
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Few modern cameras run on good old-fashioned AA batteries. Instead they mainly come with chunky, rechargeable batteries, which means you can never travel without your charger.

This makes the Canon PowerShot SX160 a great companion for those who either forget to take their charger or the appropriate plug away on an overseas trip. It may not provide the same amount of battery life but it makes your camera just a bit more portable.

The SX160 is a humble camera, somewhere in between a digital SLR and a smartphone. It comes with the standard specifications for a portable digital camera with a 16X optical zoom including image stabiliser built in and a modest resolution of 16 megapixels. It has a slightly retro feel to it with the pop-up flash.

At first glance, however, the camera appears cheap. The plastic feels weak and prone to scratches. There is a large 3-inch screen at the back with comfortable buttons and a dial to navigate through the menu options. There is also a direct video and ISO button to quickly adjust the sensitivity, depending on the setting of a shot.

Image quality is decent enough, but this is no DSLR. Users will have to compromise if they are after crisp, high-resolution images.

This is the sort of device for someone who carries a modest phone without a high-end camera option, but still wants good quality pictures. Essentially, the Canon PowerShot SX160 is a reasonable buy for those who want the experience of a traditional camera on a tight budget.