Labs

The stylish Ixus 950 IS has all you'd expect from a modern compact, including stabilisation and face detection, though it lacks manual exposure and focus. The 4x zoom is a good improvement over the usual 3x, but macro (close-up) is disappointing. The camera is very quick to start, capturing a shot within 1.5 seconds of power-up. Continuous shooting is at a respectable 1.3fps. Our pictures were a little noisy in low light, but rarely disappointing and often excellent.

Other cameras excel in specific areas, but for all-round dependable quality, the 950 IS is worth the relatively high price.