Great Ixus (Canon Digital Ixus 870 IS)

Member Name: geek_squad

Product:	Canon Digital Ixus 870 IS
Date:	24/07/09 (29 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good battery stamina, fast processing cuts delays, compact size

Disadvantages: Lacks a viewfinder, video capture only average quality

The Canon 870 IS, is what defines, a Slim, compact, stylish and powerful camera in one package. The slightly retro styling with a modern touch, means that the camera can also make a fashion statement.

Being a 10 megapixel camera, it is good because it gives you the option to take photos in a higher megapixel if you decide to print out photos in a large format, even if you don't want to do so, it is always possible to take photos in lower megapixel. Equipped with a wide angle lens at 28mm, you can be sure you will be taking fantastic panoramic photos in high resolution. An image stabiliser function makes it easy to take photos on the move without having to stop still, which is close to impossible when in busy areas or tourist attractions.

Considering all its functions and features, the camera only weights 181 grams. Which is light enough to be used all day without feeling discomfort in your hands, which might occur if you use a heavier camera. In addition to the standard features, there are also a wide range of extra functions that are useful for taking even better photos. There are 13 scene modes which are suited to various types of shots and lighting conditions, this means you'll have the best of both worlds, since you won't need to adjust the settings like you would on an Digital SLR, to take one photo, instead you would just have to choose one that matches the photo you want to take. There is also face detection that helps the camera to focus and emphasize on the faces of individuals.

However, there are not particular settings optimized for shuttle speed or aperture. There is a total of 5 settings with various preset white balance settings. The camera can handle ISO up to 3200, which makes it possible to take photos in dark conditions, however there would need to be a compromise which involves lowering the quality to 2 megapixel in order to do so.

Despite these functions, the camera is more suited to taking photographs in bright lights/ strong sunlight. Because the use of ISO does have an effect on noise which is literally unavoidable. When taking photos in normal conditions, the camera produces sharp images, good colour accuracy, and exposure accuracy. When using the macro setting, the amount of detail captured is amazing, with good contrasts and decent dynamic range.

Sadly the video capture is less impressive, it's not bad or disappointing but yet it has nothing special. The quality of the video is acceptable with clear recording and a decent frame rate. The display monitor is sharp and detailed which really justifies how good the photos and videos are before even viewing it on a large screen.

The camera has a short start up delay, taking a mere 1.6 seconds to start up. When taking a photo there is only a 2 seconds delay before it can take another picture again. It also focuses on objects quite quickly to allow you to take photos with waiting for the photo to be focused. The battery stamina is quite good, giving a rather long operating period from a single charge.

Summary: A good camera, but not ideal to be used as a primarily device to capture video

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