By Leonard Goh
13/04/2009
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/digitalcameras/0,39005881,44567295p,00.htm

Stylish cameras have always been a staple in most major camera manufacturers' lineup. In the past, these shooters looked good on the outside but not all performed up to par. With the rapid advancement of digital imaging technology today, we are seeing more stunning point-and-shoots that deliver quality pictures. The Canon Digital Ixus 100 IS is one such example. Not only is it a headturner with its good looks, it has decent performance, too. While some users may find the lack of a wide-angle lens a dealbreaker, the inclusion of an HD video-recording feature should somewhat make up for it.

Design

The first thing that hit us when we first laid eyes on the Ixus 100 IS is its size. The slim profile and small footprint are definitely its major selling points. Canon told CNET Asia that this point-and-shoot is the smallest Ixus ever produced. The company is marketing this shooter to women and the fashionable crowd, and we think its target audience will take to it.

The metal chassis is angular but the rounded corners make it look more svelte than techie. The buttons are flush against the surface, and while that complements its style, we had occasional difficulties pressing them. The zoom collar around the shutter button has a tiny lip which can be difficult to operate, too. Overall, the controls took some getting used to.

Users with bigger hands may find the Ixus 100 IS too small to grip, and stubby fingers can also be a problem when pressing the buttons. Some users commented that they occasionally pressed two buttons at once. But considering the shooter is targeted at the women, these shouldn't be much of an issue.

The battery/memory card cover was a little flimsy, so we'd advise users to exercise caution when opening it.

That said, we found the Ixus 100 IS to be a sleek-looking camera that oozes plenty of style. For those who want a small, fashionable shooter, this Ixus rank tops aside from the Sony Cyber-shot T-series.

Features

A feature of the Ixus 100 IS worth shouting about is the HD video-recording feature. We must admit that Canon has pulled off quite a feat incorporating such a function within a small body. We shot several clips in different lighting environments, and found that as with other point-and-shoots with similar HD movie capture capabilities, the Canon camera delivered quality video when lighting was ample. In dimly lit areas, we detected slight hints of noise dotting the clip. Audio is recorded in mono and tends to include ambient noise as well. The camera has a mini-HDMI port so you can connect the shooter to an HDTV for viewing the clips.

Other aspects of the Ixus 100 IS are pretty standard, including a 3x optical zoom lens which is widest at 35mm. For those who want a wide-angle shooter, the Ixus 110 IS is a better choice.

In terms of control, the Canon camera offers only Program and Auto modes. In the latter option, you can adjust exposure compensation, flash and focusing. The Auto option will recognize scenes and the shooter will optimize the exposure for that shot but leave you with lesser control over the camera.

The Ixus 100 IS has an optical viewfinder located on top of the 2.5-inch LCD, but we found it too small for comfort. We had to squint hard to look through the tiny hole which resulted in a slight headache after prolonged use. Nevertheless, it still came in handy when framing pictures in dark environments where the LCD couldn't give a proper representation of the scene.

Performance

The Ixus 100 IS's performance was decent in our tests. Startup took slightly lesser than 2 seconds, which is typical of point-and-shoots in this class. Shutter lag measured around 0.1 second, which is acceptable.

For focusing, we switched the camera to AI Servo mode where it would constantly adjust its focus when framing a shot. We found this to be quite accurate, though there were a few occasions when it lagged a bit. However, once it locked onto the subject, the AI Servo feature kept its focus even when the subject moved within the frame.

Battery life was respectable. On a full charge, we managed to snap over 200 pictures and a couple of HD video clips.

Image Quality

Canon did not disappoint in the image quality department, delivering decent pictures for its class. The ISO sensitivity ranges from ISO 80 to 1,600, though we wouldn't advise you to venture beyond ISO 400. This is because as with most compact cameras, the Ixus 100 IS performs best at lower ISO settings. At ISO 80 and 100, the photograph was almost void of digital artifacts. It was only at ISO 200 that we detected slightly jagged edges on the subjects, but these were not severe enough to affect the overall image quality and you probably won't see any noise unless you scrutinize the image at 100-percent view on the computer monitor. At ISO 400, we saw light spots dotting the picture and the edges of our subjects were slightly blurred. However, color noise was not evident. Beyond this setting, at ISO 800 and ISO 1,600, the shots were too soft for our liking.

Canon cameras have always gotten praised for their image quality, and we think the Ixus 100 IS earns it, too, considering how small the lens and sensor are. Colors are punchy and accurate, and white balance is spot-on as well. The tiny flash has an accurate flash output and we didn't have to worry about the flash white-washing the subjects in front of the lens.

Conclusion

The S$469 Ixus 100 IS may be small, but it performs well for a stylish camera. The performance and image quality were decent, although the specifications of the optics are somewhat of a slight letdown. However, that probably won't stop fashionistas who want a sleek-looking shooter. There are other alternatives available, such as the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T77 which has a 3-inch touchscreen but lacks an HD video-recording feature. It's tough to compare these two point-and-shoots, so our advice is to buy the one that best suits your needs.