Product review

Canon Digital Ixus 100 Is

Extremely Satisfying

I've always liked Canon's smart and stylish IXUS compact cameras, so much so that in a burst of early adopter enthusiasm I paid an absolute fortune for the very first digital model back in 2000.

I later upgraded to a 7.1 megapixel version and have been delighted with its ease of use, portability and excellent results ever since. There's something extremely satisfying about the IXUS line's combination of sleek design, robust build quality and high-end technical specs.

So I was pleased to have a chance to try out one of the latest IXUS models, the 100 IS – and I wasn't disappointed.

When the IXUS originally appeared – the early models used a now-forgotten film format called APS – it was the first designer camera, a style icon that was popular with the supermodels of the day. The latest versions, with their elegantly rounded edges and corners, still look good though they no longer stand out in quite the same way in a market awash with cool-looking cameras.

But the IXUS has always been more than just a pretty case. Over the years, Canon has relentlessly upgraded the technology through frequent launches of new models, on some occasions squeezing in systems developed for their SLRs.

With the 100 IS the manufacturer has excelled itself. You get a 3x optical zoom with image stabiliser, high definition video with stereo sound and an HDMI mini socket so you can link the camera to an HD TV (the cable costs extra), and a wide range of shooting modes – the camera can even choose the right one for you. A system alerts you if someone blinks when you take their picture so you can photograph them again, and there are many other features – all packed into a case measuring just 87mmx54.5mmx18.4mm. With all that technology you're virtually guaranteed to take stunning pictures.

My first chunky, square-cornered stainless steel IXUS had a two-megapixel sensor, but this new one has a mammoth 12.1MP. I used to feel the megapixel war had gone far enough as the ever-larger JPEG files produced by high-end cameras clogged up our computer hard drives. There were signs that the manufacturers were calling a halt to the relentless increase in megapixels, but the numbers are rising again. Perhaps makers feel they have to offer something extra now that mobile phones such as the Samsung Omnia 2 have 8.1MP cameras.

But these days, lot of us view our pictures on large-screen TVs and it is then that those extra megapixels come into their own, producing sharp, clear images whatever the size.

So there you have it. Loads of advanced features, great looks, compact size and excellent results. And all for a fraction of what that first digital IXUS set me back.

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