Canon Digital Ixus 860IS / PowerShot SD870 IS




For roughly the same money as the FX35, you could alternatively buy Canon’s Digital Ixus 860 IS / PowerShot SD870 IS. In terms of core specifications, the Canon has 8 Megapixels, a stabilised 28-105mm lens range and a 3in screen, while the Panasonic FX35 has 10.1 Megapixels, a stabilised 25-100mm zoom and a 2.5 in screen.

In real life you won’t notice much difference between 8 and 10 Megapixels in terms of recorded detail, although in our view the Canon delivered superior results at higher sensitivities. The bigger screen of the Canon is nice to have, but then so are the HD movies, HD output and arguably cleverer auto modes of the Panasonic. The slightly different lens range of each camera is a personal choice. So it’s a case of weighing up the features, and as crucially, which model you prefer the look and feel of – the Panasonic is smaller, but both are excellent models. See our Canon Digital Ixus 860IS / PowerShot SD870 IS review for more