Canon PowerShot G11

Canon's PowerShot G11 is the latest model in the company's flagship G-series, targeting enthusiasts and those who want a pocketable backup to a DSLR. The successor to the popular G10, it shares the same 5x stabilised zoom, flash hotshoe, manual control, RAW recording and battleship build quality. New to the G11 are a fully-articulated screen, HDMI port and a 10 Megapixel sensor designed to deliver lower noise than its predecessor. It works too, but if you want really decent quality in low light you’ll still need a DSLR-sized sensor like that in the Olympus E-P1 or Panasonic GF1. The PowerShot G11 is also lacking HD video, but still fulfils the brief of delivering decent controls and good quality in a compact form factor.

Pros: 5x zoom, hotshoe, RAW, articulated screen, good low-light.
Cons: No HD movies or zooming when filming, slow burst mode.
Overall: A good premium compact, but compare with E-P1 and GF1.