Canon Digital Ixus i

I f the Ixus i were any smaller it would be plain inconvenient to use. Weighing just over 100g, it's certainly a camera you can keep with you all the time. As you'd expect at this size and price, there are limitations, the most obvious being the fixed focal length lens, but there's plenty else to be thankful for.

Half-pressing the shutter button engages the pleasingly speedy autofocus, with a focus-assist beam kicking in for low-light conditions. An autofocus area box shows which area of the five-point Artificial Intelligence Automatic Focus system the camera has chosen to focus on. The 1.5in LCD monitor is evenly lit and defined, even in bright conditions, and amply compensates for the lack of an optical viewfinder. Centre-weighted and spot, as well as standard evaluative metering options, are available, and sensitivity is adjustable from ISO 50-400.

An advantage of the lack of optical zoom is reduced lens extension time on startup, the camera being ready to shoot about two seconds after switch on. No complaints over the shutter lag either, with the Quick Shot option taking a shot immediately on pressing the shutter without rechecking focus. More versatility comes in the form of Canon's Stitch Assist feature for creating panoramas. Movies of up to three minutes, including audio, can be taken, with the supplied SD card yielding 85 seconds at 320 x 240 resolution.

However, we were disappointed with the image quality. At maximum resolution and minimum compression, files averaged a largish 1.2MB and detail was lacking. In its place were digital artefacts reminiscent of higher compression levels. Low-light conditions were handled well, though, despite the small flash.

Given the price and its fantastically chic styling, it's hard to criticise the Ixus too harshly, but nonetheless we expected better image quality. We also found that the battery doesn't quite last for a day's snapping, so you may want to invest in a spare - but it's forgivable from such a tiny camera.

If you don't need four megapixels, also consider the Casio Exilim EX-Z3, which includes a 3x optical zoom, weighs 144g and costs the same.

Author: Ross Burridge