Canon IXUS 85 IS Review

The Canon IXUS 85 IS is one of the more stylish pocket cameras. It has 10 megapixels and a 3x optical zoom lens.

If you are looking for a pocket camera and picture quality is your prime consideration then the IXUS 85 IS should be very high up on your list. It is also well made and a very stylish camera.

Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
We are off to a very promising start. Sharpness is noticeably better than most other pocket cameras manage. The photo is bright and there is plenty of colour in the shot. Where the sunlight catches the boats some of the blue lines take on a purple tinge.

Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
This photo is noticeably sharper than most other brands manage. Many cameras produce a softer focus than this when the lens is zoomed out, but the definition in this shot is impressive.

Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
In does not matter if the lens is zoomed all the way out or all the way in, the IXUS 85 IS is able to deliver a crisp, clear photo.

Outdoor 4 (Building)
Checking this photo highlights just how good the lens is. This is one of the sharpest results I have seen for this test. The focusing stays sharp right the way across the picture with this Canon digital camera.

Outdoor Portrait
I have used settings of cloudy white balance and face detection focusing. The focusing selection helps to produce a sharp photo, while the white balance setting adds a little more colour and warmth to the shot.

Indoor Portrait with Flash
The IXUS 85 IS does a good job when it comes to controlling the power of the flash. By doing this the camera is able to retain plenty of colour in the photo.

Indoor Portrait without Flash
The test for natural light completes an impressive set of portrait photos. Definition, brightness and clarity are all above average.

Colours
Apart from one or two blue lines taking on a purple tinge in bright sunlight the colours produced by this Canon digital camera are excellent. This camera can create vivid colours without losing a natural feel.

Macro
If I was serious about close up photography I wouldn't buy a small, pocket camera. Having said that, this camera is capable of taking very good close up shots. It manages to reach a standard that very few other small cameras can get anywhere near.

ISO 400 and ISO 1600
These are fairly standard results for higher ISO. Noise levels are not too intrusive at ISO 400, but at higher levels picture quality slides away even in good light.

Overall
Having reviewed so many Canon digital cameras I could almost have written this review without taking any photos at all. My test shots show a succession of lively colours and sharp photos. This is about as good as it gets with pocket sized cameras.

A single photo without flash took 0.39 seconds. Five photos took 9.85 seconds. These are more or less average times, although some cameras can shave a fair amount from these times. With flash times increased to 1.03 seconds for a single photo and 17.23 seconds for five. These are on the slow side without being anywhere near extreme.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

To me, the pocket IXUS cameras have a simple, but effective design. The camera comes in silver, but you have a choice between a silver or black area around the lens.

86 x 54 x 20.4mm

130g

A rechargeable lithium ion battery is used to power the camera. Canon supplies both a battery and charger as standard. They estimate you should be able to take up to 300 photos in between charges.

Canon supply a 32mb SD memory card with the IXUS 85 IS. This is enough for around 10 photos. The camera is also compatible with SDHC memory cards.

Click here to save money on SD memory cards..

I have always found Canon digital cameras a little more difficult to find my way around that other brands. I feel the way the function section of the camera is set out could be clearer and I cannot see the benefit of separate function and menu sections. Still, the camera is easy enough if you are using it as a point and shoot model with the standard factory settings.

Style - build quality - picture quality - viewfinder - excellent LCD screen

Shutter delay with flash could be faster

A slightly cheaper version in the same range is the Canon IXUS 80 IS.

The Canon IXUS 85 IS is simply one of the best pocket cameras on the market. You do have to pay a bit more for this camera than for some other models, but the picture quality, style and build quality make it worth the extra money.

Front View

Back View

Top View

Sample Menu

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, please make sure you double check the feature set and specification at the point of purchase.

Canon IXUS 85 IS