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Canon PowerShot SX160 IS appears at Photokina, we go hands-on (video)

In amongst the deluge of new cameras at Canon's press event here in Cologne, Germany was this looker. It's the PowerShot SX160 IS, a nice-looking, if somewhat beefy mid-range superzoom point-and-shoot. The company was showing off three different colors -- the black, silver and red, and we spent the most time with the latter, the most eye-popping of the bunch. In spite of its large size -- the majority of the front taken up by the lens, plus a bit of a bump up top for the flash -- the camera's pretty light. It also doesn't feel particularly solid in the hand.

On top, to the left of the pop-up flash, you'll find a settings wheel, power button and the knob for that 16x optical zoom, all positioned atop a textured black backing. On the back of the SX160 is that three-inch LCD, with buttons for recording, playback, menu, display and settings like macro and flash, to pop up the big bulb on top. The camera's not particularly quick on the snaps -- roughly what we'd expect from a mid-range point-and-shoot. It'll be hitting stores this month for $230, so for more of our impressions, check the video after the break.

Steve Dent contributed to this report.