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Product Summary
Very good
The good: Nice picture quality with accurate colors; 24mm ultra-wide-angle lens; sleek aesthetics; snappy performance; onboard accelerometer makes user experience more interesting. 7.4
out of 10View score
The bad: Touchscreen operation not intuitive; design of buttons can be frustrating to operate; not as slim as competing models.
The bottom line: The Ixus 200 IS is a camera that delivers good picture quality, but we think its touchscreen implementation could be better.
Read full review of the Canon Digital Ixus 200 IS »
Average User Rating
from 2 users
Good
5.5
out of 10CNET Asia Review
The touchscreen camera industry have primarily been dominated by Sony with its Cyber-shot T series, but other manufacturers such as Panasonic and Nikon have caught up with their own touch-operated shooters in the past two years. For Canon, its foray into touchscreen snappers appears to be late, having just announced the Digital Ixus 200 IS in August. Besides employing a touch-sensitive display for basic operations, the point-and-shoot also has a 24mm lens so you can fit more of the scene into the frame. However, when compared with Sony's equivalents, the Canon camera's touch operations seem somewhat lackluster, though the Ixus make up by delivering good picture quality.
The Ixus 200 IS looks sleek on its own, but when compared with its closest competitor, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1, the difference between the two snappers is immediate. In terms of footprint, the 16.5mm slim TX1 trumped the Canon camera which measures 22.9mm. This is a tradeoff for the 5x optical zoom with 24mm ultra-wide-angle lens on the Ixus 200 IS.
We showed the Ixus to some people and their responses varied with regard to its design. Some liked the sturdy build and wide breadth of the Canon which provided a good grip on the camera, while others preferred the TX1's slim profile. We guess it's better to give both snappers a hands-on at the stores to see which one you'll prefer if you're shopping for a touchscreen camera.
That aside, we weren't too satisfied with the Ixus 200 IS' design. Our first gripe of the shooter was with its power button. We found it to be too recessed into the body and had difficulty operating it. A switch on the left toggles between video, still image capture and Smart Auto, but we found these options to be situated too close to each other. There were times when we couldn't distinguish which mode we were in. The rear of the camera houses a 3-inch, 16:9 aspect ratio touchscreen, two large buttons for playback and menu, as well as a scroll wheel/four-way navigation pad. Interestingly, one of the feedbacks we got was about how the back of the camera looked like a mobile phone.
The Ixus has the widest lens--24mm--compared with its rivals, and this is good if you want to take pictures of sceneries or group shots. Its other specifications are almost on par with the Sony and Nikon, though there are slight differences such as screen size and video-recording resolution.
Talking about the LCD, the Ixus has a 16:9 widescreen display which is great if you are taking HD videos or reduced resolution panoramic shots. However, most users will probably want to shoot at full 12 megapixels resolution in 4:3 ratio, and this leaves two black bars at the sides of the screen. The frame also gets reduced to 2.3-inch which we find a tad small.
With regard to the touchscreen operation, we found it to be less intuitive compared with the TX1. While we could tap the display on the Ixus to focus on our subjects, select scene modes, activate flash or adjust exposure compensation, we couldn't use the touchscreen to navigate menus like on the TX1. Instead, we had to rely on the scroll wheel or the navigation pad and this seemingly defeated the purpose of having a touchscreen. In playback mode, the display was more useful as we could swipe the screen (a la iPhone) to scroll between images/videos or tap on an area to enlarge that particular section.
The Ixus 200 IS also has an onboard accelerometer which detects how you are holding the camera. If the shooter senses you are propping it upright in portrait mode, a virtual shutter button appears at the bottom of the screen which you can tap on to take shots instead of pressing the one on top of the camera. The accelerometer also allows you to shake or tilt the shooter to toggle between images in playback setting.
Tags: Apple iPhone, Ixus 200 IS, Sony Corp., Camera, touch screen
Design
The Ixus 200 IS looks similar to other Canon Ixus models, featuring smooth curves around the edges and rounded corners which exude a stylish, modern look. The shooter is available in silver, bronze, purple and light blue, but color options are dependant on the country you are in. So you may want to check with your local Canon office regarding this.)
The Ixus 200 IS looks sleek on its own, but when compared with its closest competitor, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1, the difference between the two snappers is immediate. In terms of footprint, the 16.5mm slim TX1 trumped the Canon camera which measures 22.9mm. This is a tradeoff for the 5x optical zoom with 24mm ultra-wide-angle lens on the Ixus 200 IS.
We showed the Ixus to some people and their responses varied with regard to its design. Some liked the sturdy build and wide breadth of the Canon which provided a good grip on the camera, while others preferred the TX1's slim profile. We guess it's better to give both snappers a hands-on at the stores to see which one you'll prefer if you're shopping for a touchscreen camera.
That aside, we weren't too satisfied with the Ixus 200 IS' design. Our first gripe of the shooter was with its power button. We found it to be too recessed into the body and had difficulty operating it. A switch on the left toggles between video, still image capture and Smart Auto, but we found these options to be situated too close to each other. There were times when we couldn't distinguish which mode we were in. The rear of the camera houses a 3-inch, 16:9 aspect ratio touchscreen, two large buttons for playback and menu, as well as a scroll wheel/four-way navigation pad. Interestingly, one of the feedbacks we got was about how the back of the camera looked like a mobile phone.
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Features
The Ixus 200 IS has all the bells and whistles you would expect from a Canon camera. Before we delve in-depth into what the touchscreen is and isn't capable of, here's a table to pit the Ixus against its current competitors.| Specifications/model | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 | Canon Digital Ixus 200 IS | Nikon Coolpix S70 |
| Sensor resolution | 10.2 megapixels | 12 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Dimension/weight | 93.8 x 58.2 x 16.5mm/119g | 99.9 x 53.4 x 22.9mm/130g | 96.5 x 60.5 x 20mm/140g |
| LCD size | 3.5-inch | 3-inch | 3.5-inch |
| Zoom/focal length | 4x/35-140mm | 5x/24-120mm | 5x/28-140mm |
| Max. video resolution | 1,280 x 720 pixels | 1,280 x 720 pixels | 640 x 480 pixels |
| Image stabilizer | Optical (via lens) | Optical (via lens) | Optical (via lens) |
| Memory media | Memory Stick Pro Duo | SD/SDHC | SD/SDHC |
| Related links | Review | Overview |
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Talking about the LCD, the Ixus has a 16:9 widescreen display which is great if you are taking HD videos or reduced resolution panoramic shots. However, most users will probably want to shoot at full 12 megapixels resolution in 4:3 ratio, and this leaves two black bars at the sides of the screen. The frame also gets reduced to 2.3-inch which we find a tad small.
With regard to the touchscreen operation, we found it to be less intuitive compared with the TX1. While we could tap the display on the Ixus to focus on our subjects, select scene modes, activate flash or adjust exposure compensation, we couldn't use the touchscreen to navigate menus like on the TX1. Instead, we had to rely on the scroll wheel or the navigation pad and this seemingly defeated the purpose of having a touchscreen. In playback mode, the display was more useful as we could swipe the screen (a la iPhone) to scroll between images/videos or tap on an area to enlarge that particular section.
)
The Ixus 200 IS also has an onboard accelerometer which detects how you are holding the camera. If the shooter senses you are propping it upright in portrait mode, a virtual shutter button appears at the bottom of the screen which you can tap on to take shots instead of pressing the one on top of the camera. The accelerometer also allows you to shake or tilt the shooter to toggle between images in playback setting.
Tags: Apple iPhone, Ixus 200 IS, Sony Corp., Camera, touch screen
Rate It Now
User Reviews
Poor battery life, Poor picture composition in Auto mode
Oct 20, 2009Rating: 2 out of 10 (Terrible)
Pros: Service FAst in terms of coming back after complain
Cons: battery life lasted 1 n 1/2 hr when review.
Opinion:
Not for those who wants a fully automatic self composed camera. that will give you quality pictures.
Indoor photography results poor composition by the camera that results in grainy and blurry picture.
flash too small so not powerful as being told by technician.
Never had so much fun looking at my photos before!
Oct 2, 2009Rating: 9 out of 10 (Spectacular)
Pros: Great picture quality. Beautiful 3 inch touch screen. Wide Angle. HD Video.
Cons: Still Looking!
Opinion:
All I really want to do is pull my camera out of my bag, point, shoot, and get a good shot without having to muck around with too many settings. On that point the 200 IS really delivers. I got consistently good shots in most all conditions.
However, the real joy comes when you it's time to review those wide angle gems that you just took on that beautiful 3 inch wide screen. There are just so many different ways to have fun looking at or sharing your snaps with others. Swipe your finger across the screen, tap the screen to zoom in, a little flick of the finger to delete, a little shake if you like, zoom through all the photos with the fly wheel or simply do it the old fashioned way with a little press. I've never had so much fun reviewing my photos or showing them to others ... Read more
