Overview
The Canon IXUS 970 IS is a 10 megapixel digital camera with a 5x optical zoom lens. It has a metal body and is a step up in overall quality compared to most point and shoot digital cameras.
Why Buy The Canon IXUS 970 IS
The Canon IXUS digital camera range has always been impressive when it comes to picture quality. Extra features such as image stabilisation have also become the norm. The IXUS 970 IS upholds the tradition of good picture quality, stylish design and impressive build quality. This model also has a slight increase in the length of the zoom lens over its predecessors. It also has a top quality LCD screen.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
10
5x
2.5 inches
95.4 x 57.2 x 27.4mm
155g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
2cm
No
No
Lithium-ion Rechargeable
SD/SDHC
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
The most striking feature of this shot is the amount of detail you can see in the lighter areas of the photo. The resolution is outstanding. This helps to make the shots appear sharply focused. Some of that sharp focusing is lost at the edges of the shot and if I was being picky I would also say that in where the sun cannot quite reach the IXUS 970 IS is unable to match the definition managed by the Panasonic DMC FS5 I reviewed recently. These are minor points though and this is a good start.
With the lens zoomed right out my test shot is about average in terms of focusing. There is also a small amount of purple fringing showing on the boat towards the left hand side of the picture.
This is the best outdoor shot. Again the definition in the shot is highly impressive. The IXUS 970 IS is certainly able to bring out more detail than I am used to seeing. I also like the brightness of the shot. It helps add more life to the picture.
This is another sharp shot and highlights the fact you should be able to take good quality snapshots in most situations with this Canon digital cameras.
Portraits
This is quite a natural looking portrait shot. You will find other brands such as Panasonic digital cameras produce more colour in this test shot on a regular basis than Canon digital cameras manage.
This photo is near to perfection for an indoor shot with flash. The camera handles the amount of light output by the flash unit expertly. This leads to a photo where the lighting is just right, leaving the colours to stand out.
I like this photo. Here the IXUS 970 IS has used the natural light available very well. Again there is an impressive level of detail in the shot.
Macro, Colours and Noise
I have mentioned in other reviews that a really good macro shot suggests a high quality lens. The macro shot produced by the IXUS 970 IS shows great clarity and plenty of details.
This camera produces more colour on a regular basis than Canon digital cameras tend to. They are usually somewhere in the middle rank when it comes to colour strength. In most cases I think the combination of the brightness of the photos and the colours they use creates great photos.
Increasing the ISO setting on any compact digital camera will lead to noise appearing in the picture. At ISO 400 noise is controlled quite well and is inline with levels produced by most digital cameras. By the time ISO 1600 is reached picture quality really has broken down.
Summary
Based on picture quality I would be happy to own this camera. The way the lighting and colours combine works really well.
Style
The camera slopes away at one end making it look a little different to earlier IXUS models. It is a good looking camera and will appeal to anyone who considers themselves to be style conscious.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
0.36 seconds
9.93 seconds
1.12 seconds
17.63 seconds
Ease of Use
Canon pack more options into their cameras than most other brands do. Not surprisingly this does make their cameras a bit harder to really get to grips with. If you are looking for absolute simplicity you can ignore the extra features and use the factory defaults.
Points I Like
Style - build quality - picture quality - viewfinder - excellent LCD screen
Where it Could Improve
Shutter delay with flash
Verdict
The Canon IXUS 970 IS is more expensive than most digital cameras. In this instance it is a case of you get what you pay for. If you are looking for a classy, compact digital camera then you can't go far wrong with this camera.
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.
Read Review: Pentax Optio i-10 Review
Related Pages
Canon IXUS 970 IS Review Canon IXUS 970 IS Specification Canon IXUS 970 IS Sample Images Canon IXUS 970 IS Features
Review Date
April 2008
