Canon Digital Ixus 970 IS compact camera

Not so long ago, we reviewed Canon’s Ixus 960, a 12-megapixel beast with a 3x optical zoom. Well, this time, Canon has turned the specification on its head, giving the Ixus 970 a ten-megapixel CCD and a 5x optical zoom. We have to say that we think Canon has got its priorities right, because most of us would be hard pushed to tell the difference between a ten- and 12-megapixel image, even on a large print, but there is a big difference between a 3x and 5x optical zoom.

That’s the good news. Sadly, however, the Ixus 970’s zoom lens is a bit of a disappointment if you’re looking to do some wide-angle shooting, because the specifications are 6.6-33.0mm, which is equivalent to 37-185mm on a 35mm camera.

At the back is a bright 2.7in LCD screen with a 230,000-pixel resolution

Other features include a shutter speed range from 1/60-1/600 second; ISO rating from 80 to 1600, with a 3200 ISO mode; face-detection technology, including an extra enhancement Face Select and Track; motion-detection coupled with image stabilisation to reduce the effects of camera shake; red-eye correction, which works in both shooting and post-shooting modes; 18 shooting modes, including portrait, foliage, snow, kids and pets; and a bunch of colour effects.

Oh, and it also shoots movies at 30f/s in both 640 x 480 and 320 x 240 resolutions, and 15f/s at 160 x 120 resolution. You also get the usual bunch of Canon accessories - battery, charger, connecting cables - and a miserly 32MB memory card.

Switch on the Ixus 970 and the zoom lens sticks its long nose out of the front. It’s quite a comfortable camera to hold and operating the large shutter button in tandem with the zoom rocker is a cinch. In auto mode, the camera does everything but make the tea, but there’s also what Canon laughingly describes as manual mode.