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If it is size you are worried about then Canon's Digital Ixus II should be on your radar. Lay the camera on top of a credit card and you'll find that it has exactly the same footprint and it's only a couple of centimetres thick.
This doesn't mean that you lose out on any features, as the Ixus II is a capable 3.2 megapixel camera. At this resolution, you can take pictures suitable for printing out on A4 prints. It also has a 2x optical zoom.
For this model, Canon has decided to opt for SD cards to store photographs on. SD might be a little more expensive than its competition but it's physically small and you can still get a 256Mb card for around £80.
Buying a memory card isn't just for storing images on, as the Ixus II can also record video up to three minutes long and record voicetags for images.
Canon has learned that hiding functions beneath multiple key presses is not very user friendly, so the Ixus II is peppered with buttons. Four sit under the small screen next to a direction pad. - the latter provides fast access to modes including timer, flash and light-meter, which lets you change how the camera takes a shot depending on how the subject is lit.
The other functions of the camera are similarly accessed through a range of dials and we found it very easy to get the camera working in the way we wanted.
We were also impressed with the software bundle, as Canon provides all you need to get started with imaging editing. The most interesting application is PhotoStitch; when used in combination with the Stitch Assist mode on the camera it lets you create panoramic shots from multiple images.
This isn't a cheap camera but it has lots of functions and is small and light enough to sit in a pocket without drawing attention to itself.
Contact: Canon 0870 514 3723
www.canon.co.uk
See also:
Another three megapixel digital camera, but does it offer anything to make it stand out from the rest? 07 Nov 2003
All Digital Cameras
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