Canon IXUS 100 IS (SD780)

We picked up a Canon IXUS 100 a couple of weeks ago (typically, Canon have just announced the IXUS 120!).

Becky was after a small compact camera that was easy to use, produced decent images and was small enough to keep in her bag. We had a friend’s wedding coming up so decided to make the plunge and get one. After a bit of research we settled on this little Canon compact.

Little is the appropriate word because this camera is tiny, not much bigger than a pack of playing cards. Despite the small size, the controls on the camera are large enough to use easily and the 2.5″ screen is sufficient. The camera does have an optical viewfinder, but the LCD will be used for this 99% of the time.

The camera has an all metal body and feels very solid. The rounded off corners give the camera a good feel in the hand. It is advisable to get a small case for it because the metal finish can scuff in a bag with keys and other objects.

The 3x zoom range is a little shorter than some of the other IXUS cameras but, since it will mainly be used indoors at parties and events, this is plenty for us. The lens retracts flush to the camera body, when the camera is off, and it has a built in lens cover that slides shut.

The 12mp images are large enough for any uses and the image quality is very good for a compact. My last compact was the old Canon Powershot A40 and things have definitely moved on during the past few years with regards to image noise at higher ISO settings. Since most images from the camera will be re-sized for display on the web, we’ve had usable images at ISO 640 and above. I was impressed with the HD video mode on the camera too, 720p recording for up to 30 mins at a time on a 4GB SDHC card. The 8GB SDHC card that we got (it was on offer) will hold well over 2000 images or an hour of HD video.

The flash is surprisingly powerful for a camera of this size, working well as a fill flash during the day or to illuminate your subject of a night. The camera does suffer from red-eye on occasion, as do all cameras of this type, but the built in red-eye fixing works well to remove it in-camera. Battery life seems decent, with over 200 shots per charge which included a lot of LCD usage and image playback. The battery charges in around 90 mins.

Overall this is a nice little camera and ideal if you want a pocketable compact to carry around. It’s not going to compete with some of the high end compacts or SLRs on image quality, but it’s more than adequate for everyday use. Look out for the new IXUS 120 which adds a longer zoom range and a slightly bigger screen.