A HK$1,000 will buy you only one more megapixel in resolution and an increase of 1x optical zoom capability. If Canon's two latest offerings in the ultra-compact digital camera range are anything to go by. That's exactly the difference between Canon's newly released Digital IXUS II and its slightly older sibling, the Digital IXUS 400. The Digital IXUS 400 sports a 3x optical/3.6x digital zoom with four-megapixel capability, while the IXUS II has a 2x optical/3.2x digital zoom at 3.2 megapixels. The cameras are similar in design and dimensions, with the slightly bulkier IXUS 400 measuring 8.7x5.7x2.8cm - marginally qualifying it in the ultra-compact category. The user interfaces on both cameras are intelligently ar ranged. The large shutter button is located atop the zoom switch on both, and both use a dial switch to change between the recording modes (manual, auto and movie), although the IXUS 400 has a redundant extra slider to switch to playback modes. IXUS II's replay circular scroll button - which also doubles as a switch between different flash and shooting modes - is easier on the hands than the 400's four buttons, which are arranged into a circle. The two cameras give comparable results in picture quality. Pictures turned out sharp and clear, even without a flash in low light conditions. The colours in pictures shot outdoors are vivid. All the expected features are there - just do not expect a huge bag of them. The white balance can be tuned to settings such as fluorescent, tungsten and shade. Other features include picture stitching assist, and a few select filters. Both cameras also record about three minutes of video. The last notable difference between the two cameras is the IXUS II sports SD (secure digital) cards rather than the compact flash used by the 400, making it faster in picture retrieval. But one has to wonder where all the space saved by the tiny SD card has gone to, since the IXUS II has lower capabilities. Canon Digital IXUS 400 Specifications Price: HK$3,980 Pros: Consistently good picture quality, 4x optical zoom, four-megapixel capability Cons: Bulky for an ultra-compact camera Canon Digital IXUS II Specifications Price: HK$2,980 Pros: Consistently good picture quality, uses SD cards instead of compact flash Cons: Bulky for an ultra-compact camera