Canon Ixus 950 IS compact digital camera
If anyone can...
Review The new Ixus 950 IS from Canon is an example of a quality, eight-megapixel compact digital camera comfortably sitting at the top end of the mid-range. Known as the SD850 IS across the Pond, it features a 4x zoom lens, with 2.5in LCD display, red-eye correction and a sensitivity of 1600 ISO with auto ISO shift.
Despite being just a little bit chunkier - and heavier - than most other compacts in the same class, it still measures a pocket-sized 9.0 x 5.7 x 2.6cm and weighs in at 165g. The Ixus 950 IS feels solid, sturdy and well-made, despite giving the fragile first impression typical of many shiny, semi-expensive gadgets like compact digital cameras.
Every element of Ixus' casing is kitted out with stylish curved lines and the whole thing is constructed from an aluminium composite with an attractive three-tone metal finish. Filthy fingerprints don't really stick to this shiny surface, except on the LCD, of course, so it's quite easy to keep clean. Only the AV output/USB port has a clip-close plastic cover. Like almost every compact digital camera of this class, it features a textured thumb grip on the back that helps the device to be firmly held.
The LCD monitor comes with a 2.5in, 30,000-pixel resolution display - twice the resolution of the Pentax Optio M30, reviewd here - and is big and bright, adjustable to one of 15 different brightness levels. Most importantly, it has a non-reflective coating that makes shooting in bright sunlight considerably less painful than with other compact cameras currently available.
Honestly, this simple feature can make such a difference if you're remotely serious about photography. If the sun's high and bright in the sky or simply reflecting off snow-covered slopes, the ability to actually see the LCD monitor can be critical in framing a shot.
COMMENTS
Not being picky but
'This simple feature can make such a difference if you're remotely serious about photography. If the sun's high and bright in the sky or simply reflecting off snow-covered slopes, the ability to actually see the LCD monitor can be critical in framing a shot.'
Now maybe you understand why an optical viewfinder is so important ! I rarely rely on the lcd monitor to frame the shot, I regard it as something that is useful to review the pic and only use it for framing when the viewfinder is impractical.
Small optics and 8.5 MPix
The ixus series has, at least since the 6MPix the problem that the sharpness limitation does not come from the lack of pixels, but from the small optics.
I have a 6MPix model, and even in the best shooting conditions the sharpes edges have at least 3-4 pixels width.
There's no point buying 8MPix if you finally get more pixels but not more information...
$ to £ conversion again
Well nearly amazon.com has it at $386.38. Would the UK consumers in the room please bend over.
What about shutter lag?
Hmmm? Is it slow as a slow thing to AF and take a picture? Thats a big minus on the older models.
