Product Reviews

The latest IXUS offering from Canon is an update to its stylish, metal-bodied compact digital camera. However, the IXUS II has its work cut out if it is to live up to its predecessor's high standards.

The latest IXUS has a 3.2 megapixel CCD that produces images at up to 2048 x 1536 pixels, which is enough to obtain good-quality inkjet prints at up to A4 size. There's a 2x optical zoom and a digital zoom option that extends this to 6.4x. However, the quality depreciates at such an alarming rate that use of the digital function is all but pointless. Images are stored on either Secure Digital (SD) or MultiMediaCard (MMC) memory cards and a 16Mb card is included in the box. The camera uses a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery that, according to Canon, gives around 180 images on one charge. Using the LCD display to preview shots, we found the battery a little less productive than that, but it still gives enough power for a day out.

Rear view

The rear of the camera is well proportioned and nicely laid out, and good design makes it very difficult to cover any of the essential elements such as the lens and flash with a stray finger. The menus and functions are easily

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accessed, making the whole user experience that bit more pleasing. This is an area where the IXUS II scores highly, and it's good to see that in the war for ever-increasing pixel counts at lower price points, user-friendliness hasn't been forgotten.

The onscreen menus are simple to get your head around. Manual controls give the user exposure compensation, white balance, ISO selection, and a range of effects, image quality and size options. Auto mode removes most of these functions but still allows you to change the image quality and size.

In addition to the still images, the IXUS II can record 320 x 240 pixel video with sound, and up to three minutes can be stored on an optional 128Mb memory card.

Image quality is excellent, producing sharp and colourful results. The automatic exposure system works impeccably, even in difficult situations.

Our only disappointment with the IXUS II is that Canon just doesn't seem to have changed the design from previous models. This may be because Canon doesn't want to meddle with a tried-and-tested formula but the rest of the pack have caught up and are ready to claim top spot for their own.

Past glories

In comparison to other super-minis in the digital camera market - specifically the Pentax Optio S - the IXUS II looks bulky and a bit dated. Canon will have to change the IXUS on a more fundamental level if it is to once again stake a claim for most appealing digital compact camera.

While the IXUS may not be the head-turner it once was, it's still an amazingly well designed piece of technology that can more than come up with the goods. And while the IXUS II is perhaps relying on past glories to sell itself, it performs so well that it's a welcome addition to the Canon range.