Canon announced two new PowerShot compact cameras today, each with long zoom lenses.

The PowerShot SX520 HS replaces the SX510 HS ($369.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) in the lineup, but expands upon its predecessor’s 30x zoom range. The SX520 HS manages to squeeze a 42x lens (24-1,008mm equivalent) into a similar form factor. With a lens this long it’s easy to lose a moving subject, so Canon has included a Zoom Framing Assist function that will zoom out a bit with a touch of a button and zoom back in to the previous position when you’ve reacquired your target. It also adds Creative Shot, which captures several filtered and cropped versions of a photo along with an unaltered version, but it omits built-in Wi-Fi.

The SX520 HS uses a 16-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CMOS image sensor and a Digic 4+ image processor to capture photos. It doesn’t include an EVF, but does have a handgrip that’s deeper than you’ll find in most compacts. The rear LCD is 3 inches in size with a 460k-dot resolution, which is par for the course in this class. Its lens is optically stabilized, which is useful when recording stills and 1080p30 HD video.

The PowerShot SX400 IS isn’t quite as feature laden. It also boasts a 16-megapixel resolution, but its 1/2.3-inch image sensor is a CCD. That limits video capability to 720p, and while we haven’t had a chance to perform lab tests, CCD sensors generally don’t do as well in low light as CMOS chips. Its lens is a 30x (24-720mm) design that covers just as wide of an angle as the SX520, but doesn’t quite zoom in to the same level. 

The SX400 IS also uses a Digic 4+ image processor, but it doesn’t support Creative Shot. It also omits Wi-Fi, which has been a common feature on most recent PowerShot cameras.

The SX520 HS is priced at $399.99 and is set to go on sale in September. The SX400 IS is less expensive at $249.99, and will be available in August.

If you’re in the market for a digital camera, take some time to peruse our product guide, or our list of the 10 Best Digital Cameras.