The SX240 HS is the latest travel 20 X zoom, yet pocket able camera from Canon. Equipped with a 12.1megapixel sensor combined with a huge 20x optical zoom lens and DIGIC 5 imaging processor, this camera has everything you require in a travel companion snapper. All except GPS, which is available in the new SX260 HS, big brother of SX240 HS.
As with all high-end cameras these days, it allows you to shoot videos in full HD. The optical zoom is usable in video capturing too. 4 stop optical image stabilizer do a decent job to make your capture smooth.
The mode dial has everything from auto to manual. With the LIVE mode you can change the basic settings on the fly. Whole range of presets, creative fitters and Canon’s Movie Digest mode ease your shooting to a great extant. The Smart Auto mode can choose between 58 different scenes, and there's a Face detection feature that lets you register 12 faces along with their names and date of births. This feature allows the camera to adjust settings once it detects a registered face, taking into consideration of the age factor too! For example, when it detects a baby, it can disable sound and flash on its own. Controls are intuitive, but the automatically retracting flash is badly placed.
Leaving aside the technical details, the SX240 HS is of course an accomplished and capable camera. Overall, the image quality is very pleasing in all light conditions, with true and accurate colors and good handling of noise even in high ISOs. Below 20K it is a good buy as a travel companion.
