The Canon IXUS 850 IS is a stylish, seven megapixel digital camera. It has a 3.8x optical zoom lens. In terms of size the IXUS 850 IS is slightly too large to fit comfortably into a regular sized pocket. Key features include image stabilisation and a wide angle lens. Both of these are rare with smaller digital cameras. A wide angle lens is ideal for expansive landscape shots and groups of people.
It is also one of the decreasing numbers of digital cameras that have a viewfinder.
Image Quality
Just like previous cameras in this range the IXUS 850 IS produced a strong set of test photos. As I was expecting one of the standout features of the test shots is the sharpness of the photos.
Picture sharpness is highlighted by the three outdoor photos. Checking the bricks on the building in the first shot I can see a level of clarity that is some way above average. The third outdoor shot where the zoom is fully extended also shows a higher level of sharpness than I am used to seeing.
In terms of colours the IXUS 850 IS is well suited to this type of photo. Skies are strong, while foliage also carries a good depth of colour.
The test shots I am taking at this time of year are proving a real challenge for cameras when it comes to handling light reflecting from light colour objects. This is because as the sun gets low in the sky its light is reflected straight back into the lens of the camera. The IXUS 850 IS copes fairly well with this, but it is far from perfect. This can be seen with the loss of detail in the white beams under the roof of the building in the first test shot. There is also a quite a lot of reflection from the boats themselves.
I like the colours the IXUS 850 IS produces. As you will see from the test for colour, colours are strong without being blindingly so. Blues stand out and this will help produce strong skies helping to enhance landscape type shots.
The outdoor portrait is impressive. The camera has a method of face detection built in and this helps to produce a crisp portrait shot. Again colours retain a natural look to them. They are vivid enough for my liking especially when you take into account the shot was taken in the shade.
Another shot that underlines the focusing abilities of the IXUS 850 IS is the indoor portrait. The camera is able to overcome the indifferent lighting and produce a photo that is much sharper than the vast majority of similar cameras are able to produce. The only downside of the shot is the fact there is red eye showing in the picture.
One of the most noticeable features of the indoor shot of beer bottles is that the level of focus is maintained to a much higher level than normal as you move away from the centre of the shot. The shot is well lit, but the proximity of the camera to the bottles means that the flash has blasted out some of the detail on the label of the front bottle. Personally this is not something that would concern me as it is unlikely you will be taking shots of such reflective surfaces in the dark on a regular basis.
Canon digital cameras are amongst the best when it comes to close up shots. In macro mode the IXUS 850 IS is able to focus from 3cm away allowing true close up shots. The quality of the macro shot is high and you should be able to produce sharp, bright photos.
The last tests are for how the camera works at higher ISO settings. You can go as high as ISO 1600 with the IXUS 850 IS. To be honest I wouldn't recommend using that setting as picture quality falls away dramatically. Using the camera at ISO 400 produces an acceptable photo, but there is still a loss of quality.
Shutter Lag and Recycling Times
I was able to take a single shot in 0.28 seconds and five shots in 7.55 seconds. The first time is a fairly average time. The time for five photos is a bit faster than average.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Features
The 3.8x optical zoom lens has a focal length of 28 - 105mm in 35mm format. The maximum aperture of the lens is f/2.8 - f/5.8. 4x digital zoom is also available. This includes a feature called safety zoom. Safety zoom appears to work in a similar way to Smart Zoom. For close up shots the IXUS 850 IS can focus from 3cm away from the subject.
For composing photos there is a 2.5" LCD screen. This is made up of around 207,000 pixels. Despite the large size of the LCD screen Canon have still managed to fit in an optical viewfinder.
The built in flash unit has a maximum rage of 4m. This falls to nearer 2m when the zoom lens is in use. You can further boost the power of the flash by buying an external flash unit. This is
Canon's High Power Flash (HF-DC1). The flash modes available are Auto, On, Off, and red eye reduction. Slow sync speed is available too.
To help you take the best possible photos a number of scene modes are available. These are Portrait, Night Snapshot, Kids & Pets, Indoor, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Aquarium and Underwater. When you select a scene mode the camera will use what it considers to be the optimum settings for the photo. A stitch assist setting can also be used.
To add interest to your photos a number of colour options are available. These are Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red and Custom Colour. There are also settings for colour accent and colour swap.
Other useful features include a self timer (delay 2 or 10 seconds, plus a custom setting), a histogram and sound memos. With a sound memo you can add up to 60 seconds of commentary to a photo you have already taken. There is also a special setting that allows you to take panoramic type photos. These are an ideal size to display on a widescreen television set.
Among the more advanced features the IXUS 850 IS offers: metering (Evaluative, Centre-weighted average, Spot), exposure compensation (+/- 2 EV in 1/3 stop increments), ISO equivalents (AUTO, High ISO Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600) and white balance (Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom). Continuous shooting allows you to fire off shots at a rate of 1.7 frames per second until the memory card is full.
Shutter speeds range from 15 seconds to 1/1600 seconds. These are controlled automatically by the camera. You need to place the camera in long shutter mode in order to make available shutter speeds of more than one second.
Movies of up to a maximum of one hour in length or 4G in size can be recorded. Sound can be captured with the movie. Optical zoom is not available while the movie is being captured, but digital zoom is available. The maximum resolution is 640 x 480 pixels. The top recording speed of a standard movie is 30 frames per second.
There is another type of movie available. This allows you to capture up to one minute of footage at a maximum resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. These movies have a top recording speed of 60 frames per second and can be played back in slow motion. This type of movie is often used to analyse subjects such as golf swings and tennis serves.
Canon supplies all the necessary cables to attach the IXUS 850 IS to a television, computer and PictBridge compatible printer.
Useful accessories include a waterproof case (WP-DC9) and a weight for the case (WW-DC1). The case is waterproof to a depth of 40m.
Ease of Use
Although you can be up and running pretty quickly with the IXUS 850 IS it will take you a while to fully work out the camera. Controls for zoom, flash, macro etc are all found on the top or back of the camera. Other settings are found either in the functions menu area or the standard menu area. With plenty of features available it does take that bit longer to get to grips with a Canon digital camera than with other brands.
Cost
You can pick up a Canon IXUS 850 IS for around £250. This compares to around £195 for a Sony DSC W100, £195 for a Panasonic DMC FX01 and £225 for an Olympus MJU 750.
Although you still have to pay a premium for the IXUS 850 IS it is actually cheaper than previous IXUS models were when I reviewed them. It is still an expensive camera, but its overall quality makes it worth the extra money you pay.
Style
I like both the style and also the build quality of the IXUS 850 IS. It has a solid feel in the hand. I would describe the colour as grey. The silver circles around the lens and the viewfinder add interest to the way the camera looks and makes it less plain than some of its competitors.
It has dimensions of 89.5 x 58.0 x 25.1mm and weighs 150g.
Batteries and Memory Card
Power is supplied by a rechargeable lithium ion battery (NB-5L). Both a battery and charger are supplied with the camera as standard. Canon estimates you should be able to take around 270 shots before the battery needs to be recharged.
A 16mb SD card is supplied with IXUS 850 IS. The camera is also compatible with SDHC (SD High Capacity cards). I was able to take 14 shots before the card was full. This is enough to test the camera, but you will need to pick up a card with a larger capacity before you are able to do any serious picture taking.
Click here to save money on SD cards.
Points I like:
Build quality
Picture quality
Advanced movie features
Design and style
Viewfinder
Where it is not so hot:
It's not cheap!
Red eye
Small memory card supplied
Summary
The Canon IXUS 850 IS is another successful model in the Canon IXUS line. Picture quality is very good and the build quality of the camera also puts it ahead of many rivals. The camera does not come cheap, but its all round capabilities mean it is worth finding the extra money if at all possible.
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
| Canon IXUS 850 IS Summary |
| Description: | Seven megapixels and a 3.8x optical zoom lens |
| Ease of Use: | 7 |
| Features: | 8 |
| Colour: | 9 |
| Macro: | 9 |
| Indoors: | 9 |
| Value for Money: | 7 |
| Style: | 9 |
| Movie Mode: | 9 |
| Image Quality: | 9 |
| Build Quality: | 9 |
| Total: | 85 |
| Verdict: | "The Canon IXUS 850 IS is a stylish digital camera. It is top of the range in terms of build quality, picture quality and also price. Despite the fact this is not a cheap option it still offers fair value for money. It also has image stabilisation, a viewfinder and a wide angle lens. Recommended." |
| Review Date: | November 2006 |
| Click for: | Specification Sample Images Video Guide |
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