The point and shoot compact camera has been the device of choice when it comes to taking those spontaneous moments quick and fast, but times have changed and the compact camera has been left behind in recent years by the success of the Smartphone and its ability to share those images taken socially. We had assumed that camera makers admitted defeat, so imagine our surprise to see the new Canon PowerShot N make an appearance during CES 2013.

One of the first things that you will notice is how the form factor of the Canon PowerShot N differs from that of other point and shoot cameras, but that is a good thing because tastes and needs have changed over the years. Canon need to be clever and market this new device like they have never done before because it won’t be long before their rivals catch on and will want a piece of the pie.

So what makes the PowerShot N so different? Well firstly there is the new form factor that you can see above and second is the Wi-Fi connectivity, which allows you to share your photos to your smartphone or tablet. For this you will need an app called CameraWindow, which is pre-installed and offers iOS and Android support. From there you will then be able to share your images on the many social networking services such as Facebook, Flickr, Instagram and Twitter.

A recent hands-on points out that this is an extra process when compared to sharing images on your smartphone but Canon believes consumers will much prefer having a simplified camera compared to other point and shoot models with the ability to share socially. While we do see a great market for the Canon PowerShot N, once other cameras like the Samsung GALAXY hit the market then where will this leave Canon’s new device?

The 12.1-megapixel PowerShot N price should be about $300 when released in April and will sport a l28-224mm optical zoom lens

No longer will you have to use a separate geotag device, now the SX230 does it all for you; allowing you to tag your photos and upload them to Flickr and Picasa and Google Maps. HS means high sensitivity, so you know that Canon has made a number of improvements to its flagship compact.

Rival cameras like this offer 14x optical, so we were surprised when Crave reported that the SX230 only comes with 12x – maybe they thought that using too much zoom affects the quality of an image with a compact? Having said that, the 3-inch screen and Full HD 1080p video recording more than makes up for it.

Some of the key features include: 12.1-megapixel, 32 Smart Auto settings, High-speed burst, Manual Control, Waterproof Case and much more. Like the Rebel T3 and T3i, the PowerShot SX220 HS and SX230 will be released in March; although we have no idea of their price.

What Digital Camera has got up close and personal with the SX230, so is able to offer more insight into some of this latest technology that canon has packed in.

Does it matter that the Canon PowerShot SX230 only has a 12x optical zoom?

An article written by Ben Sillis over at electricpig.co.uk tells us of his hands-on with the SX30 IS, which is said to have an impressive optical zoom of 35x, and it will magnify up to a maximum 144x digital whilst offering a study feel to the barrel.

The SX30 IS packs a 14-megapixel sensor, which captures enough detail for large prints, and is capable of high-definition 720p video with the dedicated record button above the 2.7-inch swivelling LCD screen. This model also offers image Stabilisation plus much more.

Have you had a play with the new Canon PowerShot SX30 IS, if so what are your thoughts?