Canon PowerShot SX540 HS

The PowerShot SX540 HS is a bridge camera that Canon released in 2016. The lens is fixed to the body, so the camera works as a single self-contained unit with nothing to swap mid-shoot. It suits anyone who prefers that simplicity over an interchangeable-lens system.

It weighs 442 g and measures 120 x 82 x 92 mm, so it lives in a camera bag rather than a pocket.

WiFi and Bluetooth are built in for connecting the camera to other devices.

The 20 megapixel CMOS sensor uses the small 1/2.3-inch format. That resolution leaves room for cropping and reasonable print sizes from a compact body. The ISO range runs from 80 to 3200.

Stabilisation is built into the body, which helps when light drops and shutter speeds slow, because it counteracts the shake that softens handheld shots. It steadies the camera, not the subject, so moving subjects still need fast shutter speeds.

The maximum shutter speed of 1/2000 second is enough to freeze most everyday motion. In burst mode the camera reaches up to 5.9 frames per second, though that is the peak rate rather than a promise for long sequences.

There is no viewfinder, so every shot is framed at arm's length on the screen using live view. Photographers who are used to an eyepiece will want to try that style before committing to it.

Recording tops out at Full HD resolution, which contributes to a modest Video score of 56 and places the camera around the middle of cameras in our database for Video. Full HD suits casual films and web sharing, though not high-resolution work.

Frame rates reach up to 60 fps, which keeps motion smooth when subjects move quickly across the frame.

Clips record as MPEG-4 or MOV files, so footage lands on the card in one of two formats.

No timelapse mode is built in, and that absence is one of the reasons the video score stays modest alongside the Full HD ceiling. If timelapse matters to you, this camera will not handle it on its own.

Framing and menu work happen on the 3-inch TFT LCD, with live view showing the scene before you shoot. There is no touch input, so every setting changes through physical buttons.

A built-in flash covers dim rooms and casual portraits. There is no mount for an external flash, though, so any lighting beyond that small unit has to come from elsewhere.

WiFi and Bluetooth give the camera two ways to connect wirelessly to other devices.

There is no weather sealing, so rain, spray and dust call for protection, and the screen does not flip out, which makes high or low angles harder to judge. Missing weather sealing and touch input, along with the 461000-dot screen, leave the Features score at a modest 51.

The camera takes SD, SDHC and SDXC cards, so you can scale up to large capacities as your library grows. There is only one slot, though, so there is no backup copy or overflow card in the body; a spare card in the bag covers long days.

The NB-6LH battery is rated at 205 shots per charge. That is a modest figure, so a charged spare is sensible for anything beyond a short outing, though the rating is not a promise of real-world endurance.

The camera does not support charging over USB, so a laptop or power bank cannot top it up. Combined with the single card slot and the 205-shot battery rating, this keeps the Storage & Battery score at a limited 13.