Overview
The Canon IXUS 870 IS is a 10 megapixel digital camera with a 4x wide angle lens. It is available in silver and gold. At 23.6mm wide it should fit into most pockets.
Why Buy The Canon IXUS 870 IS
The IXUS 870 IS is a high class compact digital camera. In terms of design, build quality and picture quality there are not many better smaller digital cameras available.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
10
4x
3 inches
93.8 x 56.8 x 23.6mm
155g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
2cm
No
No
Lithium ion
SD/SDHC
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
Sharpness is above average with the brickwork on the building showing up well. Focusing levels are also retained as you move out towards the edges. The colours are vivid and help to create an impressive scene. This bodes well for other landscape shots. Sun glare does give the IXUS 870 IS a problem and some detail is lost from the boats where there are caught by the sun.
The number of compact digital cameras with a wide angle lens is increasing. In all the time I have been testing cameras I have felt that the sharpness of a picture taken with a wide angle lens when the zoom is not being used struggles to match pictures taken with a more standard lens. This test shot confirms that view. Although it is inline with many other cameras with a wide angle lens the sharpness does not match a picture taken at the same time with the Canon IXUS 980 IS. There is not a great deal you can do. If you want a camera with a wide angle lens you have to compromise a little in terms of sharpness when the lens is zoomed out.
This is a much better effort. Even though this camera only offers 4x zoom there is still plenty of detail to be seen in the trees and bushes. The roof tiles also stand out well showing that the lens is more at home when zoomed in.
With the lens zoom in to about two thirds of its capacity sharpness is well above average. Not only can the individual bricks be seen clearly the shot stays sharp right up to the edges.
Portraits
The colours produced for my outdoor portrait have a very natural look to them. Skin colours are just about exactly the correct shade. Focusing is sharp too. You should be able to take plenty of snapshot portraits and be very happy with the results.
I am impressed by the way this camera is able to determine the amount of flash light to use. With some digital compacts the power of the flash can over power the picture. With portraits that can lead to areas of the face where the light is clearly visible as in bounces back into the lens. There are no such problems for the IXUS 870 IS.
Although this shot is not in perfect focus it is about as good as I can get indoors without flash, in late autumn. It goes to show the amount of light required for a compact digital camera to take a noise free, sharply focused shot.
Macro, Colours and Noise
If taking close up shots is something you plan to do on a regular basis then you will not go far wrong with Canon digital cameras. In my opinion they outperform all other brands in this area. The IXUS 870 IS is able to produce a sharp close up shot with plenty of detail.
I like the colours this camera produces. The scenic shots are vivid, while the outdoor portrait shot shows that more subtle colours can be used when required.
To be honest there is not a lot to choose between all the digital cameras I review when it comes to noise levels as you push the ISO setting up to 400 and above. The amount of noise produced by the IXUS 870 IS is inline with expectations. There is a limited amount showing in brighter areas at ISO 400. In darker areas noise really affects picture quality. At ISO 1600 noise reduces quality across the entire picture.
Summary
I have no complaints about the picture quality from the IXUS 870 IS. This is one of the better smaller compacts.
Style
This camera looks good. It has one rounded end and I like the reflective area around the lens. It is available in silver and gold.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
0.3 seconds
8.29 seconds
1.06 seconds
16.81 seconds
Ease of Use
Despite using Canon cameras for a number for years I still do not find them as easy to use as other brands. In this instance it took me a while to track down how to change the number of seconds the self timer would delay for.
Points I Like
Design - picture quality - build quality - start up time
Where it Could Improve
Nothing really springs to mind
Verdict
If you believe you get what you pay for and you don't mind spending a bit more on a digital camera then the IXUS 870 IS is a good option. It does most things very well and has very few weaknesses.
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
Top Rated Cameras in this Category
Panasonic DMC FS30 Rating 85/100
I really like this camera. It offers some extra zoom and takes excellent snaps. I found it easy to use and struggled to find anything I did not like about it. If you are looking for a smaller compact camera with some extra zoom then this one is a good choice.
Read Review: Panasonic DMC FS30 Review
Pentax Optio i-10 Rating 79/100
The Optio i-10 looks radically different to other digital cameras. It has a design based on vintage SLRs. In my tests I found more distant shots lacked sharpness. Aside from the design the features included in this camera are fairly standard.
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Related Pages
Canon IXUS 870 IS Review Canon IXUS 870 IS Specification Canon IXUS 870 IS Sample Images Canon IXUS 870 IS Features
Review Date
November 2008
