Canon Digital IXUS 970 IS Review

By Rich Trenholm on 04/04/2008

These days the IXUS range is synonymous with style, arguably at the expense of features. Still, we can't argue with Canon performance, even if it does come wrapped in such a quirky, old-fashioned package as the Canon Digital IXUS 970 IS. We decided to check beneath its oddball surface.

Design
Our first impression of the 970 is that it's funny looking. The styling harks back to the friendly curves of earlier digital cameras, with a cheerfully toy-like feel to the round buttons and bulging frame. It's not entirely without IXUS style points, though: the curved zoom collar rocker and the liquid-sheened, flush-folding lens ring sparkle with class.

While we have nothing against the bouncy design, the silver finish looks cheaper than we'd expect from an IXUS, and on our model the battery cover made the frame creak excessively. But our biggest complaint is that the bulbous body tapers too much on the right-hand side, which we found made it hard to hold securely. Some kind of grip detail would have been useful where the Canon logo is.

The screen is the average 2.5-inch LCD, unusually joined by viewfinder. It's quite small, but you can turn off the live view screen so as not to distract yourself.

Features
It seems that Canon isn't keen on stuffing the IXUS range with features. Face detection and in-camera red eye correction are really the basics these days. It's nice to have 18 scene modes, an orientation sensor, basic editing tools and image tagging option in playback mode, but not that exciting. Tags are generic, like 'people' and 'scenery', while you can only trim and resize images to preset sizes.

What is most interesting is the 970's enormous ace in the hole: a 5x optical zoom. The 35mm equivalent focal length is a fairly average 37mm at the wide end, but the zoom is the largest in the IXUS range. Fortunately, the longer zoom is paired with optical image stabilisation, as zooming further magnifies the small vibrations of shaky hands.

Performance and Image quality
You can't go wrong with Canon. Colour is rendered accurately, with a pleasing richness to the reds in each image. Detail is crisp and not overly sharpened. As always, the big hurdle is noise performance, with the maximum ISO speed unusable.

High contrast images gave the 970 the most trouble, even when we sifted through the menus to bracket exposure metering, giving the camera a chance to judge light levels from different parts of the image. Some images saw the 970 blow out highlights and lose detail in darker areas at the same time, which is another reason why it pays to investigate and tweak the exposure controls, such as they are.

The 970's continuous perfomance took us by surprise with the sort of endurance usually seen at a marathon. Burst mode captured a reasonable -- but not outstanding -- 1.2 frames per second. The impressive part was that it kept this up for a full half hour, snapping more than 2,000 pictures in one go, and all at full 10-megapixel resolution. We only stopped when our finger started to hurt, but could have easily filled the 16GB Kingston SDHC card we were using.

We've seen a few unstoppable burst modes, but we were really dazzled by the flash-enabled burst mode. After the first picture was taken, subsequent images with a slightly reduced flash followed every two seconds. After the tenth flash this dropped to a flash every ten seconds, but still showed no sign of stopping.

In comparison to the IXUS 960 IS, Canon gives with one hand and takes away with the other. The longer zoom is a plus, and most photographers wouldn't be too bothered about losing 2 megapixels when there's 10 in place. Unless you've fallen head-over-heels for its oddball styling you could be better served by a wider-angle camera like the 4x zooming Casio Exilim EX-Z100 or Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS5. Nevertheless, this capable compact will suit the point-and-shoot crowd perfectly.

Canon IXUS 950 IS Review

The Canon IXUS 950 IS is a stylish, eight megapixel digital camera with a four times optical zoom lens. It has a smart design and although just a bit too large to fit into a pocket it is still a pretty handy size. Key features include image stabilisation and also a viewfinder for those sunny days when the LCD screen is struggling. Canon have also added a red eye correction tool to the IXUS 950 IS.

Image Quality

Outdoor 1
Focusing is as sharp as you are likely to get from any compact digital camera. The levels of sharpness are also retained as you move out towards the edge of a photo. Colours are a true reflection as to how I saw them on the day, although some of the blue lines on the boat have a purple tinge. The glare from the sun is handled well.

Outdoor 2
The most striking point about this photo is the depth of colour in the sky. Most cameras struggle with this shot and tend to lose focus. The IXUS 950 IS compares very well against other similar digital cameras and produces a photo that is a lot sharper then many of its competitors manage.

Outdoor 3
The extra length of the zoom lens does make a noticeable difference for this shot as I zoom in from distance. It helps to bring you in that bit closer. I like the lighting and focusing for this shot. There is a hint of some purple fringing around the edges of some of the lighter objects in the photo. The expanse of sky also has a small amount of noise showing. This should not be an issue unless you are planning to make extra large prints.

Outdoor Portrait
The outdoor portrait works well. Focusing is sharp and I like the lighting and colours. Skin tones look good to me and this is one of the better cameras for portrait shots. The face detection focusing does seem to make a difference in this instance.

Indoor Portrait
This is another photo that works well. Taken indoors, in lowlight, with flash this shot is some way above average. There is a high degree of sharpness and colours look natural. In my original shot there was an average degree of red eye. This was corrected using the in camera retouch tool for red eye. This is easy to use and in my opinion does a very good job.

Lowlight
In extreme lowlight the IXUS 950 IS has still managed to focus sharply. The photo is also very bright considering the conditions the photo was taken in.

Colours
The IXUS 950 IS is capable of strong colours. They are not overpowering though and give plenty of life to my test photos.

Macro
Once again this camera has produced an above average shot. The close up shot is a fair bit sharper than I am used to seeing. If you are looking for a point and shoot camera that can handle macro shots then this is one for your shortlist.

ISO 400
As with almost all digital cameras there is a noticeable drop off in picture quality once you increase the ISO rating on the IXUS 950 IS to 400.

ISO 1600
Once you reach the top level of ISO 1600 picture quality has gone horribly wrong! Although this is true of just about every camera I have tested I would recommend manufacturers leaving this setting off their cameras until they have managed to improve the technology.

Overall
Overall an impressive set of test shots. As I have seen with other Canon digital cameras the sharpness of the photos is one of the main attractions.

Shutter Lag
I was able to take a single shot in 0.31 seconds and five shots in 7.65 seconds. With the flash turned on times increased to 1.02 seconds for a single shot and 16.91 seconds for five. Without the flash these are average times. With the flash on the shutter delay is longer than I would like to see.

Style: Style is one of the main attractions of the camera. Shamphered edges help to give this part of the IXUS range a distinctive look. Different coloured metallic sections also help to make the camera look a little different as well.

Dimensions: 90.4 x 56.5 x 26.4mm

Weight: 165g

Batteries: Lithium ion. A charger and battery are supplied as standard. Canon estimates you should be able to take around 230 shots in between charges.

Memory cards: A 32mb SD card is supplied with the camera. The IXUS 950 IS is also compatible with SDHC cards. I was able to take 40 photos before the card was full. This was far more than I was expecting.

Ease of use rating: Good. The camera is easy enough to use. It has a few more features and controls than many of the more simplistic point and shoot cameras. Therefore it may take you a shade longer to master all the settings the IXUS 950 IS has.

Points I like:
Sharpness of photo - build quality and design - viewfinder - red eye correction tool

Where it could improve:
High ISO settings

Verdict:
I am happy to recommend the Canon IXUS 950 IS. It is one of the best point and shoot digital cameras you are likely to find. It looks good, takes a good photo and has a few extra features than you find on most smaller, compact digital cameras.

Canon IXUS 860 IS Review

The Canon IXUS 860 IS is an attractive 8 megapixel camera. It has a 3.8x wide angle lens. Wide angle lenses are able to add extra width to a photo. This makes them a good choice if you like taking landscape type photos, groups of people, architectural shots or interiors. The IXUS 860 IS has a stylish, metal body.

Image Quality Canon IXUS 860 IS test shots

Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
There are four factors I look for in this test. The first is sharpness, next is colour, followed by lighting and then sun glare. The IXUS 860 IS handles the first three well, but there is evidence of sun glare causing a loss of detail in some areas of the photo.

Canon cameras produce some of the sharpest photos you will find from a digital camera and the IXUS 860 IS upholds that reputation with a photo much sharper than standard. Colours are a fair reflection of how the scene looked on the day and the photo is bright.

Where the sun falls on the boats and also on the white woodwork under the roof of the building there is a loss of detail.

Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
This can be a tricky photo for cameras as there is often a loss of focus when the lens is zoomed right out. This camera does a good job and overall I am happy with the levels of sharpness. The job is even tougher for a wide angle lens and there is a fall off in focusing levels towards the very edges of the photo.

Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
In this photo the IXUS 860 IS does well. The photo is a fair bit sharper overall than I am used to seeing.

Outdoor Portrait
What I like most about this photo is the colours the camera manages to draw out. I think these give the photo a pleasing warm feel. With face detection focusing on the camera has no problem with focusing. I have used the white balance cloudy setting for this photo.

Indoor Portrait without Flash
As you can see when light is not perfect it can be hard for even the better cameras to focus sharply without flash. The photo has a pinky tinge to it as well.

Indoor Portrait with Flash
With the flash on the focusing problems are overcome. Again I like the colours in the photo and it is pleasing to see the flash has been controlled well and hasn't washed the colour away.

Colours
As I have mentioned in a number of tests above, I like the colours the IXUS 860 IS produces. In each case they are a fair reflection of how the scene looked when the photo was taken.

Macro
This macro shot is someway above average. For any close up photo focusing is all important and this camera is right on the money.

ISO 400
Pushing the ISO setting up to 400 always has an effect on the photo. It introduces noise into the shot and leads to a decrease in overall quality. The IXUS 860 IS copes very well at this level.

ISO 1600
Pushed up to the maximum setting and the photo quality really suffers. Noise levels are very obvious at this setting.

Overall
Overall I have few complaints about my test shots. Canon digital cameras perform well in most situations and this is a good quality set of test photos.

Shutter Lag
I was able to take a single photo in 0.28 seconds and 5 in 7.27 seconds. These times are slightly faster than average. Turning the flash on increased times to 1.03 seconds for a single photo and 15.2 seconds for 5. These could be quicker.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

Style: Almost a typical digital camera, but Canon somehow manage to give it a bit of extra style.

Dimensions: 92.6 x 58.8 x 25.9mm

Weight: 155g

Batteries: Lithium ion (NB-5L). Canon estimate you should be able to take around 240 shots between charges.

Memory cards: A 32mb SD card is shipped with the camera. This is enough for around 14 photos. It is also compatible with SDHC cards.


Ease of use rating: Good. There are easier to use cameras around, but you should soon get used to the IXUS 860 IS.

Points I like:
Sharpness of photo - build quality and design - red eye correction tool - clear LCD screen

Where it could improve:
Sun glare

Verdict:
Yes I would happily own the Canon IXUS 860 IS. It is a good all round camera. Build quality is very good. Picture quality is up there with the better compact digital cameras too.

Canon IXUS 90 IS Review

Reviewed by: Rich Trenholm

Reviewed on: 14 March 2008

The Canon Digital IXUS 90 IS is in the middle of the latest trio to join the ever-popular and ever-stylish IXUS range. The question is, as ever, whether these cool kids of the compact camera world are just a severe case of style over substance.

This 10-megapixel model, known as the ELPH SD790 IS in the US, has a recommended retail price of £259. Our first impressions of the classy exterior are good, but how long will they last when we take the camera out to test?

Design
As always, Canon doesn't disappoint us on the styling front. The IXUS 90 has a retro, boxy feel, but with angled elements to give it a modern twist. The inflexible metal frame and clean lines radiate understated élan. The lens is flush-folding, and the rear of the camera sports a large 76mm (3-inch) screen. If we had a quibble with the design, it's that the symbols on the controls look cluttered.

The controls themselves are unusual. Instead of buttons, areas of the frame flex when pressed. There isn't quite enough flex to give satisfying tactile feedback, but it's still interesting.

The IXUS 90 also uses a scroll wheel that also functions as a clickpad. The action, initially at least, is stiff. The similar-sized wheel on some Nikon Coolpix models has ridges that are easier for the thumb to push against, while the IXUS 90's tiny raised goosepimples afford less traction. We like scroll wheels as a quick and easy method to switch modes, as well as providing access functions like panorama stitch assist and colour filters, but Canon needs to tweak the design slightly.

Features
Again, the IXUS range is more about good design than ground-breaking photographic innovation. True to form, the specs and feature set of the IXUS 90 aren't particularly exciting. The lens has a distinctly average 35-105mm-equivalent focal length, with a 3x optical zoom. The usual compact whistles and bells are included, such as face detection, a self-timer and video recording.

We don't mind Canon leaving out an internal memory: they're usually so meagre as to be pointless. But bundling a 32MB SD card with the camera is so poor it's almost insulting.

One big plus is the inclusion of optical image stabilisation to combat image blur caused by shaky hands. It's possible to check focus before and after an image is captured, with the centre of the image enlarged in shooting mode and the option to zoom in on the resulting image in playback mode.

While in playback mode, images can be resized and cropped in 2-megapixel increments down to VGA size. Images can be tagged with the 'My Categories' function. This offers preset tags like people, events and sport, or three generic tags. Sadly, these blank tags cannot be customised by the user.

Performance
We found the autofocus on the IXUS 90 to be fast and decisive. The onscreen focus zoom, which magnifies the centre of the screen, really helps in this regard even if it does take some getting used to.

The IXUS 90's speed is adequate. Start up is close to instantaneous once you disable the Canon-branded start-up screen, but shot-to-shot time is an uninspiring 3 seconds. The burst mode ticked along at a steady if underwhelming shade over 1 frames per second, but kept that up for a worthy 15 minutes with no sign of stopping. With more than 1,200 images and counting, the IXUS 90 looked set to fill the 16GB Kingston SDHC card we were using, although the battery indicator was flashing rather urgently by that point.

Images come out generally crisp and colours are accurate. Predictably, image noise is a big problem in high ISO mode, completely negating its usefulness for low-light shooting -- best avoided. Noise at ISO 1,600 isn't much better, but at speeds of 800 and below, you'll find it's well controlled without too much smearing of detail.

Conclusion
The Canon Digital IXUS 90 IS is a worthy addition to the IXUS line-up, in that it's every bit as stylish as the brand requires. Despite a paucity of features, the IXUS 90 feels substantial, thanks to its sturdy build, quirky controls, large screen and respectable picture quality.

Still, it doesn't do much to shake our nagging feeling that the IXUS range demands a price premium for style and branding rather than outstanding qualities. There are other point-and-shoots around with extra attributes that give them the edge, like the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W130's longer lens or the Samsung L830's manual controls. Still, there's something about IXUS that's hard to resist.

Canon IXUS 85 IS Review

Review by: Ilse Jurriën

Review on: March 13th 2008 - 18:30 CET

Canon IXUS 85 IS : A new 10 Megapixel Digital IXUS model has just been released by Canon. The Canon Digital IXUS 85 IS features Canon’s lens-shift type optical Image Stabilizer (IS) for exceptional image quality. In addition to its 3x optical zoom lens with IS, the IXUS 85IS camera features enhanced auto focus performance for low-light shooting. The Canon IXUS 85 IS includes Motion Detection Technology, which works in tandem with IS to reduce all kinds of blur, and Face Detection Technology with Face Select & Track and Face Detection White Balance for accurate, natural-looking people shots in all situations. A bright, clear 2.5" PureColor LCD II screen enhances user experience thanks to their wide viewing angle, high contrast easy-view displays, and glare-resistant coatings.

Canon IXUS 85 IS Features
• Rounded square design with bold details in piano key black or silver
• 10.0 Megapixel image sensor
• 3x optical zoom lens with optical Image Stabilizer (IS)
• Face Detection Technology with White Balance and Face Select & Track
• DIGIC III with Noise Reduction Technology
• Automatic Red-Eye Correction in shooting and playback
• 2.5” PureColor LCD II
• Optical Viewfinder
• Enhanced auto focus performs at up to 1-stop darker
• 19 shooting modes including new Sunset mode and My Colors photo effects
• Extensive movie options including VGA 30fps, Long Play and Time Lapse movie modes
• Optional accessories include Waterproof Case, Soft Case and High Powered Flash
• Easy printing with PictBridge and quick print order settings in playback mode³

Canon Digital IXUS 85 IS Design
Built to facilitate individual expression, the Canon IXUS 85IS camera offers an evolution in terms of design. The Digital IXUS 85 IS softens the sharp minimalism of the Digital IXUS 70, for a more fluid feel, accentuated by bold lens ring and edging details in piano black or silver.

Canon zoom lens with Image Stabilizer
The Canon IXUS 85 IS features a 3x optical zoom lens, allowing everything from landscape shots to close-ups and medium telephoto zooms. Exceptional image clarity and compactness of form are achieved thanks to the inclusion of Canon’s UA (Ultra-high refractive index Aspherical) lens elements. The lens has a straight optical path for uncompromising image quality. Canon’s lens-shift type optical Image Stabilizer (IS) is incorporated, vastly reducing the effects of camera shake when shooting in low light conditions or at the end of the zoom. The IS system gives the Digital IXUS 85 IS a 3 stop advantage, facilitating better images in dusky conditions. Improved low-light AF performance helps users take advantage of the benefits of IS. The AF is now able to achieve focus in 1 stop less light, so the camera obtains excellent results even further into the evening.

Motion Detection technology
Activated in High ISO Auto, Canon’s intelligent Motion Detection Technology works to eliminate the blur caused by subject motion and camera shake. When these are detected, the system provides an ISO boost between ISO 80-800 - counteracting motion blur to improve action shots and night snaps, without compromising shots where no ISO boost is needed. Combining inputs from Face Detection Technology, the optical Image Stabiliser, changes in scene brightness and changes from frame to frame, Canon’s Motion Detection Technology is a comprehensive solution to motion blur.

Face Detection technology
Equally comprehensive is Canon’s approach to Face Detection Technology. The Canon IXUS 85IS includes Face Select & Track, which allows you to select a single face from a crowd of up to 35 detected faces. The optimum focus, exposure, flash and - in a new addition - white balance will then be set for that face, tracking the subject as they move around the frame.

Red-Eye Correction
Canon’s Red-Eye Correction draws on Face Detection Technology in order to eliminate red-eye from photographs. Whenever a face is detected in a shot, red-eye is checked for. It can then be either removed automatically while shooting or in playback mode. New AF Point Zoom allows the photographer to magnify the AF frame when the shutter button is pressed half way, so that facial expressions can be checked before shooting.

Canon DIGIC III image processor
As well as powering features including Face Detection Technology, Canon’s DIGIC III image processor enables quick response times and fast buffering speeds. The processor also features advanced Noise Reduction Technology for excellent image quality at high ISO settings.

Canon IXUS 85IS LCD screen
The Canon Digital IXUS 85 IS features a high resolution 2.5" PureColor LCD II screen. This LCD screen offers a number of benefits over conventional LCD screens, including improved colour contrast for enhanced visibility, a wide viewing angle for easy shooting and instant image sharing, anti-glare coatings for viewing under bright light, and anti-scratch coatings. The Canon Digital IXUS 85 IS further provides additional photo framing options thanks to its Optical Viewfinder (OVF).

Canon IXUS 85 IS Shooting modes
A host of features enable users to enhance their shooting options. Users can choose from a range of 19 shooting modes, including a number of Special Scene modes that automatically optimise camera settings for common shooting subjects. The Digital IXUS 85 IS features Sunset scene mode for optimum capture of this tricky subject. Movie options include Long Play (LP) mode, which uses only half the memory of standard movies, and Time Lapse movie for the creation of fun and atmospheric accelerated film clips.

Canon IXUS 85 IS Menu features

Several menu features also let users manipulate their images in-camera, without the need for computer software. The Trimming function offers image trimming to predetermined sizes. This function is integrated with Face Detection Technology – if several faces are detected in frame users can jump between faces to create instant trimmed portraits. The Image Resize function enables users to create smaller image files by reducing the number recording pixels in larger images. The original image can then be deleted in order to save space on the memory card, leaving the new file an ideal size for e-mailing and uploading to the web.

Canon IXUS 80 IS Review

Reviewed by: Philip Ryan

Reviewed on: 11 March 2008

One of the most popular cameras of last year wasn't a big fancy digital SLR or a pimped-out superzoom -- it was Canon's somewhat understated Digital IXUS 70. Its combination of a nice -- though not extravagant -- feature set, small size and relatively low price proved quite appealing to camera buyers.

This year, with the £170 Digital IXUS 80 IS, Canon has updated the aesthetic design, switched to a slightly different zoom range and most importantly, added optical image stabilisation. Of course, the company has also raised the resolution to 8 megapixels from last year's 7.1 megapixels and refined some of the camera's other features.

Design
Last year's model evoked the design of the original film version of the IXUS, with its black circle around the camera's lens and squared-off edges. This year, Canon brings this model back in line with more recent designs without abandoning its tiny stature and is offering it in silver, caramel, chocolate and pink. The tweaked design is just slightly thicker than last year's and sports rounded edges and a slightly curved indent on the right-hand side that provides a perfect nook for a middle finger when gripping the camera.

As with last year's model, Canon places all buttons on the right half of the body. A slider lets you switch among still image capture, video recording and playback. Other than three dedicated buttons for Menu, Display and Direct Printing, the only other control is the circular four-way rocker with a Function/Set button in the middle.

Features
Canon doesn't include manual exposure controls in its Digital IXUS line, but you will find an ample array of preset scene modes and some features that make automatic shooting simpler. As with a lot of compact cameras, the IXUS 80 IS includes face detection.

This year, Canon has extended this function to let it set not only focus and exposure, but also flash output and white balance, so the camera should be less likely to blow out the details on your friend's face with the flash and should be better able to keep skin tones neutral in varied light sources.

To help combat confusion when setting ISO, the IXUS 80 IS includes Motion Detection Technology, which raises the ISO setting if there is a moving subject when you have the camera set to High ISO Auto mode. By raising the ISO, the camera can shoot at a faster shutter speed to freeze the action.

While some cameras have been switching to wider-angle lenses, Canon includes a 38-114mm equivalent f/2.8-4.9 3x optical zoom lens in the IXUS 80 IS in contrast to last year's 35-105mm lens. The change in focal lengths doesn't make for much of an effective difference, though we did notice more distortion at the IXUS 80 IS's 38mm setting than we did at the IXUS 70's 35mm setting.

Canon did add optical image stabilisation, however, which should help if you often shoot stationary objects in low light. Since the lens isn't all that wide, you might find the optical viewfinder helpful to bring the camera further back when trying to frame a shot, or in situations where you don't want to have the bright LCD turned on.

Performance
Though it has a responsive shutter, the IXUS 80 IS took longer than its predecessor between shots and its flash took too long to recycle. The camera was quick to start up, taking 1 second from pressing the power button to until it captured its first JPEG. Thereafter, it took 2.1 seconds between JPEGs with the flash turned off, making it more than a half second slower than the IXUS 70.

Image quality
Image quality from the IXUS 80 IS is quite nice for a camera of its class. Its automatic white balance does a good -- but not perfect -- job of neutralising colours under a variety of light sources. It adds warmth to incandescent-lit shots and a touch of green to fluorescent, but does a great job in natural daylight. The camera's tungsten setting did a good job of neutralising the harsh yellow cast of our tungsten hot lights.

While noise isn't completely nonexistent at ISO 80, you'll have to look quite closely to find any at this lowest sensitivity or at ISO 100, and both settings offer pleasingly sharp images with plenty of shadow detail. By ISO 200, you'll start to notice noise, especially in shadows, though there is still plenty of sharpness to the images.

At ISO 400, noise still isn't over the top, and there is a surprising amount of sharpness, though we saw a noticeable roll-off in shadow detail. Things get precipitously worse at ISO 800, though you still might be able to get a decent 152x102mm (4x6-inch) print under ideal circumstances. By ISO 1,600, images look as if they're shot during a hailstorm. We suggest staying below ISO 800 whenever possible.

Conclusion
Given the success of the IXUS 70, we were surprised that Canon lets the camera's shot-to-shot time slide with the IXUS 80 IS. The company makes up for it by adding optical image stabilisation and keeping the impressive image quality of its predecessor.

Despite our whinging, the IXUS 80 IS is still a very nice camera, and if you're going to make a trade off anywhere, we'd rather wait longer between shots than sacrifice image quality or shutter lag. As long as you don't mind the long flash recycle time, Canon's Digital IXUS 80 IS makes a great choice for a relatively inexpensive ultracompact camera.

If optical image stabilisation doesn't mean that much to you though, you should probably see if you can find still find the Digital IXUS 70, since you can get it at a very nice discount if there are still any available.

Canon IXUS 75 Review

The Canon IXUS 75 is a slimline digital camera. It should fit easily into a pocket. The IXUS 75 has seven megapixels and a three times optical zoom lens. One of the attractions of the camera is likely to be its extra large, three inch LCD screen. A screen of this size does help when lining up shots and it also makes it easier to read the menu.

Image Quality

A number of the cameras I have reviewed recently have left me very disappointed when it comes to picture quality. Therefore it makes more than a pleasant change to take a look at a set of test photos and struggle to come up with anything bad to say. In fact there are a number of positives.

Outdoors the camera is as good as any pocket sized camera I have reviewed recently. In all three photos sharpness levels are better than I am accustomed to seeing. There is very little fall off towards the edges apart from on the right hand side of the second and third river views photos where the scenes become somewhat distant for the camera to focus sharply. I really like the way contrast is handled. Darker areas of the shots show up well, while there is very little loss of detail in the lighter areas.

The dedicated test for colours underlines the fact that this camera manages to balance its colours very well. All the primary colours are strong without being overpowering.

In line with a number of other digital cameras the IXUS 75 has built in face detection software. Although it is hard to judge just how much difference this makes I must say the focusing in the outdoor portrait shot is spot on. This is especially true of the eyes and the eyes are the most important feature in a portrait. In terms of colours there is a delicate feel to the shot. The colours contribute to this by their softness.

The IXUS 75 seems to be equally at home indoors in poorer light. The indoor portrait shot is particularly pleasing. It produces a very bright picture compared with other cameras and focusing is very good indeed. Unlike other cameras that manage to produce a bright indoor portrait this camera does not do it at the expense of colour and there is still plenty of colour showing in the face. In my test at least the camera also managed to avoid red eye.

In even lower lighting conditions the IXUS 75 still manages to focus without a problem. The light cast by the flash unit is evenly dispersed leading to a photo that has good brightness levels throughout.

With pocket sized digital cameras I never expect to see great macro shots. If I do I consider it to be a bit of a bonus. This is another area where the IXUS 75 beats the competition. My macro test shot was very sharp and again the camera managed to produce a very bright photo. There is also no colour caste showing as you find with some models.

As with many other cameras pushing the ISO settings up makes it tough for the camera. You may wish to do this in lowlight when you are outside of the range of the flash. At ISO 400 the photo starts to show signs of noise and therefore deterioration in quality. The noise levels are not excessive, but they are worth noting. At the top setting of ISO 1600 noise is a considerable problem and it is hardly worth taking a photo at this setting.

Shutter Lag and Recycling Times
One thing I feel could be improved is the shutter delay times when the flash is being used. Without the flash the camera has no real problem in this area. A single photo took 0.33 seconds and five photos took 7.72 seconds. With the flash on times increased to 1.07 for a single photo and 21.62 seconds for five photos.

Features
The length of the 3x optical zoom lens can be increased when shooting at lower resolutions by using a feature called safety zoom. This increases the capacity of the zoom by 1.9x The lens has a focal length equivalent to 35 - 105mm in 35mm format. The maximum aperture is f/2.8 wide and f/4.9 tele. For close up shots the camera can focus from 3cm away from the subject.

The 3" LCD monitor is made up of around 230,000 pixels.

Flash works up to a maximum range of 3.5m (wide) and 2m (tele). The flash modes available are on, off and automatic. You can also turn on red eye reduction and slow synchro. To boost the power of the flash you could buy the Canon High Power Flash Unit HF-DC1.

There are a range of predefined scene modes. These help the camera to select the optimum settings for each shot. These are Portrait, Night Snapshot, Kids & Pets, Indoor, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Aquarium and Underwater. There is also a stitch assist mode to help you stitch together panoramic type shots.

The camera also has a number of colour options available. These are Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red and Custom Color. You can also use Color Accent and Color Swap. Color accent picks out a single colour in a photo while changing the remainder of the shot to black and white.

Other features allow you to add 60 seconds of voice memo, fix red eye in a shot, use the self timer or continuous shooting (maximum of 1.7 frames per second until the memory card is full).

A number of more advanced options include metering (Evaluative, Centre-weighted average, Spot), exposure compensation (+/- 2 EV in 1/3 stop increments), ISO sensitivity (AUTO, High ISO Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600) and white balance (Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom). Although shutter speeds are set automatically by the camera you can select long shutter mode to increase the maximum shutter speed from 1 second to 15 seconds. The fastest shutter speed the camera is capable of is 1/1500 seconds.

This camera has a comprehensive set of movie features available. To start with there are standard TV quality movies. These can be shot at a maximum resolution of 640 x 480 pixels and at a top speed of 30 frames per second. Sound can be captured and zoom can be used during recording. The duration of each movie can be a maximum of 4GB of storage or one hour.

The second type of movie allows you to take a short clip of a maximum of one minute. This type of movie has a maximum resolution of 320 x 240 and a top speed of 60 frames per second. The advantage of this type of movie is that it can be played back in slow motion. It can then be used to analyse golf swings and tennis serves etc.

The final type of movie is a time lapse movie. This type of movie is often used to plot the path of clouds as they move across the sky or a flower opening. The camera takes single shots at predefined intervals.

All the necessary cables and software to connect the IXUS 75 to a computer, television set and compatible printer are included in the box.

If you are interested in underwater photography you may be interested to know there is a waterproof case available (WP-DC14). This is waterproof to a depth of 40m.

Ease of Use
There are easier to use cameras out there. Although this one is not that difficult to get to grips with, especially if you are using basic, automatic functions. Part of the reason this camera is that bit harder to pick up is because it has a few extra features than other similar cameras. In my view it is well worth sticking with though.

Cost
You can pick up the Canon IXUS 75 for around &pound195. Other cameras with similar specifications include Pentax Optio S7 (&pound105), Olympus FE-240 (&pound155) and the Sony DSC T10 (&pound175).

Style
This IXUS is slimmer than I remember previous models. It has dimensions of 91.6 x 56.8 x 19.6mm. It has a silver front with a black lens unit. The back of the camera is black. The front dips down towards the top and bottom taking any harshness out of the design.

Batteries
Power is supplied by a lithium ion battery. Both a battery and charger are supplied as standard. Canon estimates you should be able to take around 210 shots in between charges.

Memory Card
A 32mb SD card is supplied with the camera as standard. I was able to take 18 shots before the card was full. This is enough to give the camera a quick test run. The IXUS 75 is also compatible with SDHC cards.

Points I like:
Picture quality
Build quality
Advanced movies
Indoor (lowlight) photos

Where it is not so hot:
Slow shutter response with flash

Summary
Having reviewed a number of cameras recently that I was decidedly unimpressed with it comes as something of a relief to look at the test photos I took with the Canon IXUS 75. In almost all areas this camera is comfortably above average and in many areas it is far in advance of the competition. I know that you can buy similar cameras at a cheaper price, but this one is worth the extra money. Recommended.

Canon IXUS 70 Review

The Canon IXUS 70 is a standard, pocket sized digital camera. It has all the normal features you would expect from a typical point and shoot digital camera. The emphasis has been placed on quality with this camera, both in terms of build and picture quality. The IXUS 70 has seven megapixels and a three times optical zoom lens.

Image Quality

Canon IXUS 70 test shots
Having reviewed so many Canon digital cameras I knew roughly what to expect from my tests. Two areas where the IXUS 70 outperforms most other pocket sized digital camera is when it comes to sharpness and colours.

Starting with my three outdoor tests I can see that when it comes to focusing the IXUS 70 does a good job. Many cameras are able to focus well in the centre, but then the sharpness of the photo reduces as you move towards the edges. The IXUS 70 manages to retain most of the sharpness up to the edge. It does find focusing harder in the second shot where the lens is zoomed out and the scene becomes more distant.

Other points to note are a small amount of detail lost through sun glare in the first shot. Also in this shot some of the blue lines on the boats have a slight purple tinge.

Aside from the slight purple tinge colours are generally strong. They are not overpowering, but the IXUS 70 is capable of producing very vivid photos.

One of my favourite photos is the outdoor portrait. Face detection software is built into the camera. Just how much difference this makes is difficult to judge, but the face is certainly in sharp focus and the colours have a natural feel to them.

Another area where I think Canon have an edge is the way they are able to retain colour in a photo when the flash is being used. This point is illustrated in both the indoor portrait and extreme lowlight tests. Both shots have plenty of colour in them. Sharpness levels are also very good. The only downside is the amount of red eye that shows up in the indoor portrait. This gave me the chance to try out the built in red eye correction software and it did a fairly good job of removing the problem.

Next up is the macro shot. Again the IXUS 70 produces an above average image. I am not used to seeing this level of detail and clarity from a pocket sized digital camera.

When it comes to using higher ISO settings I see the usual deterioration in picture quality. At ISO 400 this is already noticeable, but at ISO 1600 picture quality is very poor indeed and I don't really understand why manufacturers include such high ISO levels on their cameras.

Shutter Lag
I was able to take a single photo in 0.32 seconds and five photos in 7.46 seconds. These are fairly average times. Turning the flash unit on makes a big difference. A single photo took 1.04 seconds and five photos 17.13 seconds.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

Style: The IXUS 70 is quite a plain digital camera. It is not unattractive though and has a solid feel to it. You can opt for a camera with a silver or black circle around the lens area.

Dimensions: 85.9 x 53.5 x 19.4mm

Weight: 125g

Batteries: A rechargeable lithium ion battery and charger are supplied with the camera. Canon estimates you should be able to take around 210 shots in between charges.

Memory cards: A 32mb SD card is supplied with the camera as standard (enough for around nine photos). The IXUS 70 is also compatible with SDHC cards.


Ease of use rating: Average - In my opinion there are easier pocket sized digital cameras out there. This view is based mainly on the icon based functions menu. It takes a bit of getting used to if you are relatively new to photography.

Points I like:
Colours - viewfinder - macro shot - build quality - advanced movies - indoor (lowlight) photos

Where it could improve:
Shutter delay with flash turned on

Verdict:
Although you pay a bit more for the Canon IXUS 70 then you do with many other pocket sized digital cameras you do get good value for money. This is a good all round camera that outperforms the majority of its rivals in most areas. It also has the added bonus of a viewfinder. Recommended.