The Canon S5 is an ultrazoom camera from Canon’s long-running S-series. It has a far-reaching image-stabilized 36-432mm (12x) zoom lens, more than enough to cover the traditional 50-200mm portrait range, although it only offers an ordinary 36mm wide-angle end, somewhat limiting the creative capabilities.

The S5’s shutter lag is above average, a little faster than the Sony H50’s, making it easier to react quickly and time your shots. The Canon S5’s high ISO performance is average - using a lighter approach to noise reduction, the S5’s images are extremely grainy but also retain more detail than most cameras. This leaves them less usable straight out of the camera for average users, but easier to work with for advanced users who want to use software to reduce noise.

Part of its series of compact ultrazoom cameras, Sony’s H10 is a full-featured camera that packs a versatile 10x (38-380mm) image-stabilized zoom into a compact 1.9” thick package. The large zoom range allows the H10 to cover your pets and children in the classical 50-200mm portrait range, as well as the longer-distance telephoto range and the close-up wide-angle range, although the H10’s 38mm wide-angle isn’t as wide as some other cameras.

The H10’s shutter lag is about average for this class, so you may have a little trouble reacting quickly or precisely timing your photos. In terms of high-ISO ability, the H10 is above average, allowing you to take reasonably noise-free photos while avoiding blur from your fast-moving children and pets.

The SX100IS is the little brother of Canon’s full-featured S5 IS - the SX100 packs a slightly smaller 36-360mm (10x) zoom range and comes in a much smaller 1.8” thick size. Beyond that it’s a similar camera - the 36-360mm zoom range still covers most traditional portrait perspectives, though it lacks a real wide-angle for more creative close-up shots.

Shutter lag is about average - a little slower than the S5, making it slightly difficult to snap photos at an instant. Like the other Canon cameras, the SX100IS uses a more conservative noise reduction method, retaining more detail but also making the images very grainy, although they can be cleaned up with noise reduction software.

The Canon A650IS is a versatile, compact (2.2” thick) camera that features a monster 12MP sensors. While you’re unlikely to ever use that much resolution (unless you were to make poster size prints of your children and pets), the A650IS’s 35-210mm (6x) will cover the traditional range for portraits just fine, although it lacks a wide-angle lens for more creative opportunities.

The A650IS has about average shutter lag, which may make reacting quickly or precisely timing shots of your children and pets difficult at times. The A650IS’s high ISO images are slightly better than the Canon S5, but still takes a “hands-off” approach to noise reduction that leaves images extremely grainy but detailed.

Panasonic’s long-running TZ series offers an enticingly featured package, bundling an image-stabilized lens, versatile 10x zoom, and 28mm wide-angle, all in one of the most compact bodies in this range (just 1.4” thick). The 28-280mm lens provides great versatility for portraits, covering the traditional 50-200mm range while also offering creative close-up opportunities with its 28mm wide-angle.

The TZ4 also has an above-average shutter lag, making it easier to snap those catch-it-or-miss it shots. The one weak point of the TZ4, however, is its below-average high-ISO - images from the TZ4 tend to be blotchy and lack detail, making it difficult to take photos of fast-moving children or pets in low-light situations.