Following hard on the heels of its little sister, the SX10 IS, Canon's SX1 IS is the second PowerShot to feature a 20x super zoom, using a 35mm equivalent lens of 28-560mm in 4:3 aspect ratio and 29-580mm in widescreen 16:9 ratio.

The body of this 10-megapixel black beauty weighs a reassuringly hefty 585g and fits snugly in your hand. Using Canon's new DIGIC 4 image processor and a CMOS sensor for faster performance (which manages full resolution continuous 4fps shooting), the SX1 IS also makes use of Ultrasonic Motor (USM) together with Voice Coil Motor (VCM) technology for near-silent operation of the zoom, especially at the telephoto end of the spectrum. Or so it says in the documentation, and it's certainly quiet.

In addition, the optical Image Stabilizer now offers a 4-stop equivalent advantage to combat camera shake blur in those long shots, while a freshly introduced i-Contrast feature emphasises detail in dark areas of the frame.

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The DIGIC 4 incorporates improved Motion Detection Technology which adjusts the ISO according to subject movement and there's a new Servo AF which constantly refocuses on objects moving towards or away from the camera.

Serious snappers will also benefit from beefed up Face Detection Technology which incorporates the ability to spot faces at an angle or in profile, plus more accurate tracking of faces and an innovative FaceSelf-timer function which fires the shutter automatically when a new face enters the frame.

As well as an electronic viewfinder, you can make use of the 2.8-inch widescreen vari-angle LCD which can either be folded away from the main body or reversed and sunk back into it. As you'd expect, the casing around the LCD is positively bristling with controls, which might seem a little daunting for the newcomer to this style of digital camera, but it becomes easy enough to find your way around once you've mastered the manual.

In low light conditions, the LCD screen can be set to Night Display mode to enhance visibility and there's a hatful of shooting modes to choose from, ranging from full Manual and the regular Portrait, Landscape and Sports through to the more specialist Stitch Assist, Long Shutter, Aquarium and Super Macro.

The one control button you may well make much use of is the dedicated video on/off control as you can shoot stereo movies in 1080p (30fps) full High Definition and then see the results via the built-in HDMI connection (which is not available on the SX10 IS). You can also shoot movies while using effects like Colour Accent, Colour Swap and My Colours and if you want to do it all by remote (especially for long exposure stills), you're supplied with a wireless controller.

The quality throughout is excellent for both stills (at the lower ISO settings; noise creeps in further up the scale) and movies, and may make you think twice about buying a separate camcorder when you can record half an hour of HD video like this.

We found this camera available online for considerably less than its £589 SRP, and although it is still expensive for a non-DSLR camera, the range of new technologies, solid design, far reaching zoom and Full HD movie capability should ensure the SX1 IS has a legion of fans.