CES 2012: Hands-On with Canon's New PowerShots

The G1 X, of course, is the scene-stealer. There it is, tethered to a table, a giant amongst other less-assuming compact point-and-shoots. Just try to resist picking it up and playing with it.

Physically, the G1 X is a lot like the G12, only more so. It's noticeably heavier, the lens is physically larger to accommodate a massive 1.5-inch sensor. Some of the controls have been shifted around since the G12. Resting under the mode dial on the top deck is an exposure compensation dial rather than an ISO dial as seen on the G12.

It has a familiar flip-out LCD, a nearly identical control layout on the back panel and an optical viewfinder. The shape is more angular than the slightly rounded edges of the earlier G cameras, a little more modern. The shutter button is a bit larger and there is one less control dial on the top - the aforementioned ISO dial has been removed. At the base of the lens, there's still a removable ring to make way for accessories such and converters.

New Digital ELPH Compacts
The PowerShot ELPH 520 HS got a makeover - lines are clean and sharp, the surfaces of the camera are completely flat. The control array on the back panel has been given a minimalist, sparse look and I'm not sure it will translate to better usability. The directional buttons are smaller lack any control ring around the perimeter.

This is likely to bother very few people, but what may be a greater issue is the fact that the ELPH 520 only accepts MicroSD cards. Maybe the move to MicroSD was necessitated by the new design. With nearly every other point-and-shoot on the market compatible with standard SD cards, it's hard to imagine customers shelling out extra bucks for a different memory card rather than buying a point-and-shoot that's compatible with his or her existing card.

Aside from that issue, there's a lot to entice potential customers including a 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, burst shooting up to 6.8 fps and a nice 28mm wide angle zoom lens. The PowerShot 110 didn't get the ultra-mod makeover of the 520 HS but it has a sleek, familiar design and a 24mm wide angle lens.

We're on the ground and running at this year's CES 2012 so stay tuned for more news updates, tweets and hands-on photos.

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