The PowerShot SX260 HS feels sturdily built, and it looks a bit more streamlined than most high-zoom pocket cameras thanks to its minimalist handgrip. A slender, raised bar on the front of the camera works well as a handgrip when you hold it with your middle finger, and a slight groove around the top edge of the camera provides a comfortable resting spot for your index finger when you're shooting one-handed.

The top of the camera hosts the pop-up flash, the shutter button ringed by the zoom control, the power button, and the camera's built-in stereo microphones. The back of the camera hosts a mode dial, which lies relatively flat on the surface and locks into place firmly with each mode selection.

Accompanying the mode dial and the 3-inch LCD screen are five more controls that handle most of the commonly used settings: a dedicated video-record button, a playback button, a four-way directional pad/scrollwheel (for quick access to exposure compensation, flash settings, macro/manual focus, and the self timer), a display-settings button, and a menu button. As for ports, the SX260 HS has a rubberized cover for a Mini-USB connector and a Mini HDMI connector on the side, as well as a metal-backed plastic door that covers the battery and SD/SDHC/SDXC slot on the bottom, next to the tripod mount.