Canon IXUS 960 IS Review

The Canon IXUS 960 IS is a 12 megapixel camera with a 3.7x optical zoom lens. The body of the camera is made from titanium. Among the main attractions of the IXUS 960 IS are the style of the camera and its overall build quality. It is on the large side to slip into a pocket, but it is still a relatively compact digital camera. Other headline features include a viewfinder, image stabilisation and face detection software.

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Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
Looking at the building in the centre of the photo focusing photo is some way above average. Focusing is a very important factor in a photo for me, so this is a major plus point.

There is a noticeable downside though and that is the way the IXUS 960 IS handles the glare from the sun. In fairness a lot of cameras are struggling with this test shot at this time of the year, but the level of detail lost where the sun falls is higher than I would like to have seen.

Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
With sun reflection out of the way the IXUS 960 IS has no real problems when the lens is not zoomed in. With focusing levels above average once again and plenty of colour in the shot I am very happy with this effort.

Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
Again focusing is above average, especially when you consider the camera has a lens only slightly longer than standard, making many objects somewhat distant in the shot.

Outdoor Portrait
With face detection focusing turned on the IXUS 960 IS is able to produce a photo that accentuates the face and produces a crisp photo. I like the colour in the shot as well.

Indoor Portrait without Flash
This is a relatively new test and I think I am asking too much of the cameras with it. There is not enough light for the camera to produce a sharp focus and this only goes to illustrate the importance of plenty of light when you are taking a photo without flash.

Indoor Portrait with Flash
With the flash turned on the ICUS 960 IS is once again able to produce a top quality indoor portrait. I like the fact that the flash has not swamped the colours and focusing is back on track. There was red eye in my original photo. This gave me a chance to test out the built in red eye repair software. It has done a good job and eradicated more or less all red eye.

Colours
Strong colours are prevalent throughout all the tests. Despite this strength the colours manage to retain a natural feel to them.

Macro
Once again the camera manages to produce a shot that is some way above average in quality. The ability of the camera to focus sharply in a variety of different situations is demonstrated here.

ISO 400
Although noise does begin to creep in at this level the quality of the photo is still someway above average.

ISO 1600
Once the ISO levels are pushed up further any quality soon disappears and I would suggest keeping ISO to 400 and below.

Overall
Apart from the problems with sun glare the IXUS 960 IS is on par with or above almost all its competitors when it comes to picture quality. Focusing, colour and lighting are key components of good photos and this camera scores strongly on all counts.

I was able to take a single photo in 0.43 seconds and 5 in 10.29 seconds. These times are slower than average. Turning the flash on increased times to 2.20 seconds for a single photo and 17.67 seconds for 5. These times are disappointing, especially the time take to take a single photo and there is a danger of missed photos. The times recorded are surprisingly longer than those I achieved with the very similar IXUS 860 IS recently.

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

A rounded end and titanium body colour help to stop the IXUS 960 IS from looking like an identikit digital camera. As with other digital cameras in the IXUS range I like the plain design around the lens.

95.9 x 59.9 x 27.6mm

165g

Lithium ion (NB-5L). Canon estimate you should be able to take around 240 shots between charges.

A 32mb SD card is supplied as standard. With a 12 megapixel camera this will soon become full and I was only able to take 8 shots with the supplied card. It is also compatible with SDHC cards.

Click here to save money on SD cards.

Good. I have never found Canon digital cameras the easiest brand to use. So be prepared to spend a little extra time getting to know the camera and the features it offers. If you are planning to use only the most basic features then you should not have any untoward problems.

Sharpness of photo - build quality and design - red eye correction tool - clear LCD screen

Sun glare - shutter lag

The Canon IXUS 960 IS is another excellent camera in the IXUS range. Picture quality is up there with the best, while the camera is also a winner based on design and build quality. The downside is found in the shutter delay times and I would say these could be a worry, especially if you are planning to take photos of moving subjects.

Front View

Back View

Top View

Sample Menus

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 960 IS