When is an SLR not an SLR? When it's a Canon S5. The S5 certainly looks like one with its large lens, chunky handgrip, hotshoe for external flash and enough switches and dials to start a science experiment.

The S5 is a little smaller than an SLR, you can't change the lens and there's no through-the-lens optical viewfinder. Instead, you get a fixed 12x zoom lens, an electronic viewfinder and no option for shooting RAW files. What you do get is one hell of a compact camera.

The S5 replaces the S3 (there wasn't an S4) and uses the same 36-432mm zoom lens. The S5 has sharper corners than the S3 and the viewfinder has been placed higher to make space for a larger 2.5-inch LCD (2-inch on the S3), which all adds to its purposeful stance.

Despite the rugged, handsome looks, there are a few annoyances. To access the SD card you have to open the cumbersome, spring-loaded battery compartment - there should be a separate slot. The grip is chunky but isn't rubberised enough to inspire confidence and the lens cap falls off at any opportunity. On top of that, there's no lens hood.

Another aggravation is there's no extensive paper manual. The CD-only manual is hardly an option should you need to consult it in the field.

Face time

Within the black, plastic body, the S5 now boasts an 8MP sensor to bring it more in line with the competition.

More significant is Face Detection technology, which Canon claims, "ensures superb people shots by automatically detecting up to nine faces in a frame and selecting the optimum focus, exposure and flash setting."

It's a claim that stands up, more or less. All you have to do is point the camera somewhere near a person and you'll see a white square, which locks on to a face, wherever it's situated in the frame - even if it's quite small.

Aim it at a group of people, such as at a wedding, and it'll lock on to one of them. It has to be said, however, it isn't totally reliable, although in half-decent light it certainly works a treat.

Whether it's using the Face Detection mode or not, the Canon produces excellent images. There's something about the smoothness of the tones and bright but not overdone colours that stand out in its class.