Product Reviews

You want chic? Get a load if this. At around the size of a cigarette packet, the Canon Ixus V2 is just about as small as a digital camera can go, and get away with it.

But despite its petite dimensions, the V2 is built for business. Its brushed metal casing oozes quality. Ergonomics are well handled, with a TFT preview screen and a smattering of buttons to navigate the simple menu system. The 2x optical zoom corresponds roughly to a conventional 35-70mm lens - just enough wide-angle for landscape shots, and the slight zoom that's a must for flattering portraiture. My big gripe is the fact that the zoom is 'seamless'. The 2.5x digital zoom kicks in as soon as the optical one reaches its fullest extent. Digital zooms are pointless. They simply enlarge an area at the centre of the

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photo - something you can do with cheap photo editing software.

The Canon boasts an array of 2 million light-sensitive cells - not many by modern standards, but enough to produce an image of 1600x1200 pixels - ample for 5x7in photos, and just about OK for 8x10in prints. We're a bit miffed, though, that in a camera costing over £300, we still only get an 8Mb memory card. With 64Mb cards costing just over £20, there's really no excuse.

But what are the images like? In the main, very good. Focus is accurate, though a little slow. The slight delay between pressing the button and the camera actually taking the snap means the Canon isn't best suited to action photography. Colour balance is good, even under flash conditions, though daylight shots lack a little vibrancy. Overall, images were well-exposed and crisp. One small gripe was the fact that you can't use the flash when you're in daylight - a handy tip for 'filling in' shadowy faces. Another problem is that the Canon is so small, it's easy to jog it while pressing the shutter button.

Compared to our current Top 50 favourite, the £187 Nikon CoolPix 2000, the Canon's only real asset is style. For sheer itsy-bitsy, teeny weeniness, it leaves all others trailing. Of course, this small size means you're more likely to take it out with you. Whether that's worth an extra £117 is up to the show-off in you.