Customer Reviews

Canon Digital IXUS 100 IS Digital Camera - Silver (12.1 MP, 3.0x Optical Zoom) 2.5 inch LCD

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

First of all, this camera is VERY small - it's an ultra compact compact - and you really can take it anywhere at no inconvenience and when you unpack it from the box you'll probably think 'this is even smaller than I thought' I think this is because the corners are so smoothly rounded it feels tiny!

Secondly, it has an excellent auto mode and a good face recognition AF system. The menu's are nicely laid out and it's intuitive. The auto white balance is generally very good, and it takes great snapshots. I particularly like the way that with one button press in auto mode you can bring up exposure compensation and that the EV scale then stays there until you put it away again - this is superb especially when shooting into the light (a notorious way to confuse the metering with any camera!)

Please don't be fooled by the 'megapixel' wars though - all these latest compacts have a tiny sensor and the result is that although the photo's are physically 'large' in terms of their overall size they are not comparable to a professional or SLR camera in terms of detail and file quality. (This is not a Canon-only issue, of course - you can't get full frame performance in something so small you lose it in your pocket!)

The lens is OK, although it's a shame it does not have an F2.8 setting (having said that the low light performance with no flash is still quite good, because the higher ISO performance is good -at ISO400 and 800 you get good compensation for the lens' lack of a really wide aperture!)

I was particularly drawn to the fact that this camera has a proper optical viewfinder, since I am able to hold steady and frame shots better using the camera up to my eye than with an LCD, but the sheer tiny size of it makes it less of an advantage than I had expected - it's kind of recessed into the curved top and you have to press the camera into your face quite a bit to see!

The real strength of this camera is its video mode. It is quite simply astonishing. I mean - basically this is a HD video camcorder in a tiny camera body! We got the camera as a take anywhere alternative to my professional camera and with a young son the video side of things is very important to us -the movie mode on this does not disappoint - I was blown away!

Overall I'm really impressed and the camera does exactly what I wanted of it, but if your list of requirements is stills first movies second I would not recommend it, instead pointing you at the non HD video versions from Canon which have better photo taking abilities. As an alternative if you wanted a non Canon product you could also look at the Sony DSC-W300 which loses HD video but gains a Zeiss F2.8 lens which is very likely to give it the edge as a camera.

This is really compact and it 'does do what it says on the tin' Have found it really easy to use and it takes great pictures on auto mode,this is the easy to use mode, just point and shoot. I print many of the pictures taken and the quality of the pictures this camera produces is second to none. It has too many functions to mention here but I have tried many of them with great success. The camera is light and slim great for taking about with you either on holiday or just a day out, fits more than comfortably into a pocket, so no bulk to carry. Highly reccomended.

Canon Digital IXUS 100 IS Digital Camera - Silver (12.1 MP, 3.0x Optical Zoom) 2.5" LCD

This is a superb camera for a non-professional user like myself who is seeking to produce top quality pictures. It is extremely small and light, sliding into the pocket when a larger camera would be an encumbrance. The quality of video recording is amazingly good, giving crisp, clear, full screen footage and sound when transferred to a PC. The software is easy to install and use and is very intuitive so there is little need to consult the manual if you have used a digital camera before.

I needed a small, well built and easy to use compact for myself and other family members to use when our dSLR is not appropriate or convenient.

First impressions of a well designed and easy to use compact are sustained with continued use. By necessity the controls are small but are not difficult to use even with my largish hands and fingers.

The LCD review screen is bright and clear and there is a small but usable viewfinder when required. A nice to have feature not found on many compacts.

Changing from auto to program to movie mode couldn't be more obvious with a simple three position slide. Review of pictures or movie playback is also easy with clearly indicated control buttons and the four direction controller gives quick access to useful functions such as disabling the flash, deleting unwanted photos, setting the timer and so on. Menus are also clear and easy to navigate.

Picture quality is quite good but not as I have come to expect from my dSLR (a Nikon D60), however the movie quality is superb. I recommend getting a large capacity memory card as you are going to need it with this sort of quality.

Flash isn't bad but of course is straight on with compacts but it can be turned off very easily which is handy as even when shooting indoors with normal room lighting the photos look more natural without the flash. The image stabilisation looks to be of some use here and not just a gimmick.

Negatives are very few. There is no memory card or HDMI mini connector cable provided, both of which have to be purchased separately. Nor is there a case but these are quite minor quibbles. We will use the leather case from an earlier film IXUS. In those days they came with the camera! The black version will show finger marks more easily than the other colours I would think.

All in all a very good camera indeed with terrific movie quality in a very compact package. At a current price of £199 on line or in the high street and even a little less with a VAT refund if applicable, it represents very good value for money.

I am not a camera buff but I take a lot of photos, I wanted something to replace my absolutly brilliant SONY DSC120 which after 6 years of faithful service died from moisture getting into it. The sony was the only camera I have ever had and therefore the only thing I can compare the Canon to.

The Canon is really compact, it seems pretty sturdy (I am not shy about keeping my cameras in a "sock" type carry bag to minimise bulk, it has been up a few mountains, taken out in the rain and dropped several times and is still working.

Battery life is fantastic, it doesnt even seem to lose any juice when it has been dormant for a month or so. I took it on a week long trip to Scotland and it lasted the whole week and more.

I got the black one and it looks exceedingly slick and stylish.

Video quality is awesome.

I didnt realise that the lense was so small compared to my old 35ml and if you are used to a 35 ml then it is worth checking out the difference before dropping down a size. I was a little dissapointed when I took my first scenery shots as it is difficult to get everything in (this is not a critisism of the camera, I should have checked this out first).

Low light operation - I guess this is due to the relativly small aperture size but, when the light is low the camera struggles to get a good shot. This could be down to my inexpert operation, however I have tried lots of different settings to no avail. If it is cloudy and bright then the camera is pretty lame. I spent ages trying to get a shot of a castle next to a lake at around 13.00 on a cloudy, bright, day and they all came out so dark it looked like it was early evening. Changing the ISO didnt make much difference.

Good light operation - In general the images are pretty good. They are sharp and clear but no better than my old camera (5.1mp)and I am not sure how the quality ranks against other modern cameras. I wasnt blown away by the colours either, regular size photo print didnt look much different to my camera phone (3mp sony). In comparison to my 6 year old Sony they are no where near as good.

Settings - in comparison to my old sony there are scant settings, you could just about make any light/scenery compbination work whereas the Canon is pretty limited. It may be down to my inexperience but I am doubtful this. There are quite a few presets which work to varying degrees but the "pro" settings are a bit weak (see above low light) also trying to take photos of fireworks/light dsiplays at night was v.difficult.

I seem to have talked my self out of the camera the more I think about it but, in general the camera is pretty good at point and shoot shots in good light.

I have a Canon EOS400 Digital SLR, but I was finding increasingly I was in positions where I could not either carry a bulky SLR around with me or want to risk £500+ of camera equipment. So I hunted out one of the smallest cameras I could get that had good reviews. Because I have an SLR, I was not too bothered about having full control over the photos (Aperture, shutter speed, etc) - I wanted a good point and shoot that will fit in my pocket. I have another camera if I want to go all David Bailey!! As soon as I got the Ixus 100 I knew I had made the right decision. It's first outing was to a theme park with my 3 and 6 year olds. Because of it's size I was able to use it safely on all the rides and get pictures I would never have take with the SLR. Also, the quality of the video is great (although limited to fairly close up as you can't zoom once you are videoing).

I have since taken both my cameras on a number of trips (including Las Vegas) and found that the Ixus is a perfect supplement for my more professional camera. It takes good quality pictures, is very trustworthy in point-and-shoot mode and is so small that it has allowed me to get pictures that I would never have taken otherwise.

I couldn't recommend it more highly.

Canon Digital IXUS 100 IS Digital Camera - Silver (12.1 MP, 3.0x Optical Zoom) 2.5" LCD
This is a superb camers - its will fit in the top pocket of my shirt alongside my phone and so is very easy to carry wherever I go. The quality of the pictures is really great and the video facility is very easy to use. I have used it indoors and out with no problems. The zoom facility is so easy and so effective - on a recent visit to some gardens, I got a wonderful shot of a bee on a lavender flower in absolute close up. I keep asking myself how I managed without this camera and would reccommend it to anyone who wants a camera that is easy to carry, simple to use, represents great value and gives fantastic results.

The camera small but it makes excellent pictures so far. It's surprising how Canon manage to fit many functions in such a tiny device. The video has perfect quality indeed.

Having owned 3 Canons before, I knew that this wouldn't disappoint and it doesn't. The clarity of photos is superb- what is amazing is the tiny size of the camera. One slight draw back of the size is that the fantastic HD video shots can easily be shakey- a very steady hand is required.
I'd definitely recommend.

Crystal clear pics and the introduction of HD video footage is an added bonus. The camera is ergonomically sound, looks stylish, is easy to use and the Automatic shooting mode takes perfect pictures in all environments.