Canon Digital Ixus 970 IS compact camera

Sample shots

There were no problems with close-up shooting

One of the features that will grab many people’s attention is the 5x optical zoom

This shot gives you an idea of how good this camera is for long-range shooting

The face-detection system worked fine, but we weren’t convinced about the value of the Face Select and Track option. First, you have to go through a fiddly process of assigning the print button to the Face Select and Track mode, which means diving into the menu. Once you’ve done that, the Ixus 970 is good to go.

The FST system is supposed to detect a face and then track it if moves. Up to a point it does, but we don’t think it’s too much of a burden to move the camera yourself and follow the subject. The much-vaunted motion-detection system didn’t seem to make that big a difference to Canon’s bog-standard image-stabilisation system, either.

Verdict

The Ixus 970 performs well, but then so do many cameras at this price point. We’re not sure about the new design, and nor are we that thrilled with the features, even with a 5x optical zoom. On paper, the feature set looks pretty decent, but the lack of manual control and a wider angle setting at the smaller end of the focal range is a letdown. The Ixus 970 isn’t bad - but we were rather hoping for something a little more exciting from Canon.