I highly recommend the Canon SD550 if you want a miniature, cool and capable camera with a large 2.5-inch LCD screen and impressive 7.1-megapixel resolution. The SD550 produces excellent photos with print sizes of up 13×19 inches, is fast in operation and easy to use.

I give the PowerShot SD550 two thumbs up! This is one of the best out there. It has a sleek look and feel, is very compact and portable, and takes great pictures. Canon has produced another excellent ultra-compact, high-resolution digital camera – a real achievement.

Its compact size allows it to be carried almost anywhere, taking up about the same amount of space as a deck of playing cards. If you want a durable ultra-compact camera that produces outstanding photos and is a robust performer, the SD550 is definitely for you. And, at a street price of around $500, it offers a great overall value for a 7-megapixel digicam.

The Canon PowerShot SD550 produces very good to excellent image quality - and that is the main criteria that users would (should) be mostly concerned with. Add in fast operations with no practical shutter lag, fast and precise AF that works in low-light, accurate exposure metering, and one of the most elegant and beautifully designed body on a digital camera - and you can’t go wrong if you are looking for a take-anywhere ultra compact digital camera.

Camera performance is excellent in almost all areas. One area in which the camera falls short is in terms of battery life: while it’s not terrible, the SD550 is quickly being passed by the competition. Photo quality is very good on the SD550. Overall though, the SD550 is a heck of a compact point-and-shoot, and it gets my recommendation.

Whether you’re a pro who doesn’t want to lug your pro gear around when you’re vacationing or a novice who’s not sure what an f-stop is, you’re going to enjoy shooting with this ultracompact. All in all, the camera is worthy of the Editor’s Choice designation.

There’s no doubt that the Canon Digital IXUS 750 is a great little camera. It is compact, superbly well made and simply oozes style. It also takes a damn fine picture. However the inflated price compared to other equally impressive models from other manufacturers makes it an expensive luxury.

It should be obvious that I am very satisfied with the results of the Canon Digital IXUS 750. The camera truly exceeds the expectations. This makes the Canon IXUS 750 suitable for both the trendy photographer and anyone interested in a good, decent compact camera. Recommended!

A slightly more expensive version of the PowerShot SD500, which remains in Canon’s product lineup, the Canon PowerShot SD550 comes with a larger 2.5-inch LCD and a new finish. A Digic II-powered image-processing system enables the PowerShot SD550 to snap a limitless stream of 7-megapixel photos at a respectable clip, its start-up time is tops in its class, and it delivers decent photos when compared to its competition.

The Ixus 750 is a beautiful camera that takes great looking pictures under most conditions, but it’s expensive. The Olympus SP-350 we reviewed in the February issue has an 8-megapixel sensor and 5x optical zoom for £234 – far better value.