A review of the Canon Ixus 850 IS digital camera
|
There are digital cameras that have mega high specifications and others that are winners in the looks department, but this silver speciality from Canon has both. It is slender and sexy and top of the class, sort of like the prom queen of digicams. It’s not very often that we see this combination so we were waiting at the door for the postman to deliver this one. Design |
| The Canon Ixus 850 IS is one of those cameras that you get out of your pocket to show off to your mates down the pub. Not only does it look stunning, it does everything you need it to (apart from your washing, that is). With dimensions of 89.5mm (w) x 58mm (h) x 25.1mm (d) so small you might get it out at the bar instead of your wallet. It will fit in your jeans pocket very neat and snug and with a weight of 150g, you’ll hardly know it’s there. The front of the camera is very minimal with the lens dominating the front and the viewfinder just above it. The lens is shiny chrome and the rest of the ultra compact body is brushed matte silver, there is also a scratch resistant finish to it so it will stay looking new. There is a 2.5” LCD screen on the rear along with the right hand side buttons and dials comprising of the d-panel, shooting modes dial and display and menu buttons. On top, there is a power button and the shutter release button. The memory card and battery compartment is situated on the underside of the camera. This Ixus has a lovely smooth rounded finish to its edges and is very elegant indeed, just right, in fact, to slip into someone special’s Christmas stocking. |
| Features |
| The 7.1 megapixel digital Ixus 850 IS has a mega 3.8x wide angle lens which is a big bonus especially when it comes to taking wedding photos or the whole family at Christmas as it will promise to capture them all, even old Uncle Ernie on the end. The ever-popular Image Stabilisation is part of the uniform with the Ixus 850 and it is so necessary when we looked our shots taken with and without using it. It ensures your images have real clarity and it seems to take it in its stride and produces sharp, effortless images. It also has the Digic III processor installed, which in addition to the Image Stabilisation will again ensure the most superb image quality with amazingly quick responses and also advanced noise reduction so you really will achieve those crystal clear shots you’ve always wanted. The Face Detection function is a great feature, as the camera will automatically decide the optimum focus and exposure of the faces in the image, again giving you the perfect shot. There are 17 shooting modes to choose from including the Special Scene mode, which is best to use in low lighting situations. |
| Performance |
| With only a 1 second start and warm up, we were really impressed with the Canon Ixus 850IS. Focus speeds were really good as well, taking only around 0.3-0.4secs to lock focus and only about 1sec between shots. The menus were really easy to use and very self-explanatory, all detailed on screen to assist you navigating through the options. You can have some fun with the Movie Mode on this digicam as there are quite a few options to play around with and you can change ‘My Colours’ during or after filming. The file size limit has been raised to 4GB compared to 1GB of some of its predecessors, which is a massive difference in the movie world! The Canon Ixus 850 IS is a very simple, straightforward and easy to use camera. |
| What's In The Box? |
|
16MB MultiMedia card, lithium-ion battery, Battery charger, Wrist strap, USB cable, A/V cable, CD-ROM, 2x manuals |
| Overall Opinion |
| Perfect for the casual snapper, and with lots of really great features, the Canon Ixus 850 IS has got be one of the easiest cameras we have used. It maybe a little on the expensive side, but with the high spec and good looks it could be worth splashing out for. |
| By Hayley Malyon |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 7.1 Mega pixels 2.5” LCD screen Ultra-compact and stylish design Face Detection Feature User-friendly | Not enough manual controls Redeye |
| Factor | Rating |
|---|---|
| Ease of Use | 3/5 |
| Durability | 3/5 |
| Style | 3/5 |
| Service & Support | 3/5 |
| Value for Money | 3/5 |
| Recommend | 1/5 |
| Overall | 3/5 |