Labs

The PowerShot A550 costs £23 more than Canon's entry-level A460, but it justifies this with a few useful features. It has a higher-resolution sensor, captures video at 30fps and has a more sophisticated nine-point auto-focus system rather than the A460's four-point system. It also has a more conventional button layout with a dedicated zoom lever. A button adjusts the ISO speed, which includes a Hi option for low-light photography, and various scene' presets are available from the mode dial. The screen

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is a basic 2in, 86,000-pixel affair but there's also an optical viewfinder. The design lacks glamour, but the handgrip makes this the most comfortable camera here to hold. Its performance is impressive, taking 1.6 seconds between shots, while the continuous mode runs at 1.7fps.

Image tests revealed consistently excellent colours in pictures taken in a range of lighting conditions. Shots taken in low light were the only exception, where the Hi ISO mode was needed to avoid under-exposure. Skin tones were particularly flattering, with a warm, natural tone even when using the flash. The level of detail captured was average compared with that of other cameras here, but the 4x zoom helped to produce detailed telephoto shots. While high ISO settings resulted in more image noise than the best cameras produced, we appreciate Canon's cautious use of noise-reduction processing. Some manufacturers use too much, obliterating image detail.

The A550 is a good camera that's reasonable value. It doesn't have a trump card to match the five-star rated cameras, but its 4x zoom is extremely useful.