Overview
The Canon IXUS 1000 HS is a good quality, snapshot digital camera. With 10x zoom on offer you have plenty of zoom power in a compact body. It is also able to shoot high resolution, High Definition movies.
In the hand the IXUS 1000 HS gives the impression of being well made and it has a quality feel about it. Many people are likely to find the design attractive too.
Why Buy The Canon IXUS 1000 HS
The big attraction is the amount of zoom you get in a camera that is more or less pocket sized.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
10
10x
3 inches
101.3 x 58.5 x 22.3 mm
190g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
1cm
Yes
No
Lithium ion
SD/SDHC/SDXC
Features
The features Canon have added to the IXUS 1000 HD elevate it above a typical smaller compact digital camera.
Basic features include 10 megapixels and a 10 optical zoom lens. Image stabilisation has been built into the lens. This can help to reduce picture blur, especially when lighting levels start to dip.
One area where the IXUS 1000 HS stands out against direct competitors is with the movie mode. To start with it is capable of shooting High Definition movies at a maximum resolution of 1080p. This matches the maximum resolution currently on offer from other digital cameras.
In addition you have the option of shooting low resolution, high speed movies. The advantage of this type of movie is that it can be played back in slow motion.
Canon has used a different type of sensor in the IXUS 1000 HS compared to the majority of its other digital cameras. This CMOS sensor is responsible for the camera being able to record at high speed. Another speed advantage comes with the ability to capture still images as a rate of 3.7 frames per second.
The LCD screen is 3 inches in size. That compares well against other similar cameras. I found the screen to be bright and clear.
In macro mode the IXUS 1000 HS is able to focus from 1cm away from the subject. This sounds very good, but be aware that in some circumstances this may cause brightness to be lost from the shot. Even so you will still be able to get in as close as you can with any digital camera.
There are also a few more gimmicky features. These include a wink self timer. After the camera detects someone winking there is a two second delay and then a picture is taken.
Handling
The IXUS 1000 HS has very few buttons or controls on the camera body. This helps to give the camera a sleek look, but can mean having to dip into the menu system to change settings a little more often.
Let's look through the controls starting with the top of the camera. The first control is a slider to select the shooting mode. This can be set to automatic, automatic with extra options or movie mode. In automatic mode the menu options and functions are cut down to a minimum to help with ease of use. Along from the slider is the on / off button, zoom ring and shutter button.
The back of the camera is dominated by the large LCD screen. Next to the screen is a place to rest your thumb when taking a photo. Room is quite tight and it is possible to inadvertently press the nearby movie button and start shooting a movie.
Moving down is a selection wheel. Canon have opted not to add text or icons to the wheel, but by pressing different parts of the wheel you gain access to the self timer, changing the LCD display, flash options and focusing options including macro mode. The wheel itself can be rotated to speed up the selection of settings. In the centre of the wheel sits a button for accessing functions and confirming settings.
There are two further buttons on the back of the IXUS 1000 HS. The first gives you access to the menu system. The next takes you into review mode.
The menu runs to 15 options, there is also a setup section giving you access to a further 16 settings. Pressing the function button takes you to 10 main functions. These include ISO level, white balance and metering.
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shot 1
The sharpness of the shot is impressive, especially when looking at the brickwork on the building in the centre of the shot. Colours are strong too. The angle of the sun at the time of year the shot was taken provides a challenge and this contributes to the IXUS 100 HS finding it difficult to show full detail in the lightest areas of the photo.
Outdoor Scenic Shot 2
Smaller compacts can find it difficult to focus when the lens is zoomed out completely. Although it would be going too far to say this shot is pin sharp the overall quality is good by comparison with a lot of cameras in this category.
Outdoor Scenic Shot 3
I like the colours in this shot. With the lens zoomed in to its maximum picture quality remains good without quite matching the best digital cameras around in terms of clarity and definition.
Outdoor Building
This shots confirms the impression given by my first three outdoors tests. Sharpness levels are good and colours are strong once again. The shot does look a bit grainy if you blow up the print size, so keeping print size to 8 x 11 inches and below is likely to produce the best results .
Outdoor Portrait
I'm impressed with the way the IXUS 1000 HS has handled all three of my portrait tests. Starting with my outdoor test shot there is plenty of sharpness showing in the shot. Colours look natural. You should be able to produce good looking outdoor portrait shots without a problem.
Indoor Portrait With Flash
The amount of light emitted by the flash unit is just enough to light the shot while retaining plenty of colour. When using flash many digital cameras produce a harsher light that creates a brighter photo, but washes colour from the shot. This is not the case here.
Indoor Portrait Without Flash
There is a slight loss of definition, but on the whole the IXUS 1000 HS has coped well with lower lighting levels. This suggests that you will have the option of taking indoor shots by window light on brighter days. This can help you to achieve more natural looking portraits than you may get when using flash.
Macro
If you are looking for a pocket camera that can produce the occasional good quality close up shot then you can't go too far wrong with the IXUS 1000 HS. It can get in close to the subject and the level of sharpness it is able to produce should be just what you need.
Colours
As with other Canon digital cameras the IXUS 1000 HS gives you brightly lit photos with vivid colours. Blues in particular pack a punch, so if you like your pictures to have deep blue skies this camera is a good option.
Noise
Noise levels are controlled as well as most smaller compacts manage. You are always likely to see noise creeping into a shot in darker areas and when the light is dim in general, but this camera does a decent job in minimising noise. You can see some grain in skies with extra large prints.
Picture Quality Summary
The IXUS 1000 HS produces a fairly solid effort when it comes to picture quality. On the whole the photos are sharp and colourful.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
Turn on Time
0.57 seconds
13.85 seconds
1.17 seconds
23.95 seconds
4.43 seconds
Ease of Use
The IXUS 1000 HS is a relatively straightforward pocket camera when it comes to features, but I feel it is not quite as easy to use as it could be. It would be improved by the usual icons around the control dial. As with other Canon digital cameras you also need to remember which features appear under the function button and which ones reside in the menu system.
Points I Like
Zoom in smaller sized body - general features - style
Where it Could Improve
Detail in lighter areas of a photo
Verdict
A lot of people find some extra zoom power comes in handy so it is good to see this level of zoom in a small compact camera. The Canon IXUS 1000 HS is a good choice if the features are a good match for your own personal requirements. Having said that I must admit I felt the camera to be a touch expensive for what it offers compared to others on the market.
Where to Buy - Canon IXUS 1000 HS
Test Shots
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Canon IXUS 1000 HS Review Canon IXUS 1000 HS Specification Canon IXUS 1000 HS Sample Images
Review Date
November 2010
