If you’re using the flash, the camera is quite slow to react. Although it’s nice to see Canon giving users the option of using a viewfinder, the one provided with the Ixus 70 is small and so not that useful. The LCD screen includes an anti-glare coating and we were impressed with the results – there were few problems when shooting in bright sunlight.
If you’re looking for manual control, then give this model as a miss as manual control here essentially means selecting pre-set values, such as the ISO speed. The Function button takes you straight to the most commonly used camera features, such as white balance, image compression ratio and shooting mode.
The dedicated mode switch means there’s no fiddling around with clumsy menu systems when you want to go from, say, still shooting to movie mode. It’s also very easy to check your last shot by moving the switch to playback mode. We reckon few users would have problems coming to grips with the camera after just a short period of operation.
Sample shots
Taken at the 5.8mm setting
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The same view using the 3x optical zoom at its full 17.4mm focal length
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The same image without the red-eye correction (left) and with (right)
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COMMENTS
Simulated
"That sounds very interesting - I'll have to give it a go."
In fact I did, I stuck the firmware onto a card and although it's a bit fiddly (the raw files are in a peculiar Canon-specific format), it's very interesting. Flash sync at 1/1600th of a second, minute-long exposures, and focus bracketing (thus allowing for huge depth of field, if you stack the photos) in a camera costing pennies!
28mm
The lack of Wide-angle isn't a Canon compact thing- I have an IXUS 850 and that has a 28mm-equivalent lens.
Rotunda
Thanks for the photos - it's good to be able to look into the refurbished Rotunda and see what they've done to it!
review policy
It's our policy here at The Register Hardware, that if a product is available to purchase, then it is eligible for review it. Regardless of whether it's the very latest in that particular range or not.
Five by five
"With open-source firmware loaded via SD-card this camera can do things like 65-second exposures down to 1/10,000 second as well as generate RAW images"
That sounds very interesting - I'll have to give it a go. My main concern with the Ixus is that it feels as if the software has been deliberately crippled so that the camera doesn't overshadow the rest of Canon's range. Physically it feels pretty solid and it's an excellent pocket size, but the almost total lack of manual controls bothers me - that, and the .jpg processing, which is smeary at higher ISOs. Hopefully with .raw this can be turned off.
