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 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.
Image Quality Canon IXUS 970 IS test shots
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
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.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
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.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
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.
Outdoor 4 (Building)
This is another sharp shot and highlights the fact you should be able to take good quality snapshots in most situations with the IXUS 970 IS.
Outdoor Portrait
This is quite a natural looking portrait shot. You will find other brands such as Panasonic produce more colour in this test shot on a regular basis than Canon Digital Cameras manage.
Indoor Portrait with Flash
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.
Indoor Portrait without Flash
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.
Colours
Canon tend to be 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.
Macro
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.
ISO 400 and ISO 1600
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.
Overall
Based on picture quality I would be happy to own this camera. The way the lighting and colours combine works really well.
Shutter Lag
Shutter lag test times without flash are about average. A single shot took 0.36 seconds and five shots 9.93 seconds. Times with flash are on the slow side. A single shot with flash took 1.12 seconds and five shots with flash 17.63 seconds. The added time for taking photos with flash is typical for Canon digital cameras.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
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.
Dimensions: 95.4 x 57.2 x 27.4mm
Weight: 155g
Batteries: Rechargeable Lithium Ion (NB-5L). Both a battery and charger are supplied as standard. Canon suggests you should be able to take around 320 shots in between charges.
Memory cards: Canon supply a 32mb card with the IXUS 970 IS. This is big enough for around 14 photos. The camera is also compatible with SD and SDHC cards.
Click here to save money on SD cards..
Ease of use rating:Good. 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
Alternatives
Another smaller camera I rate highly is the Panasonic DMC FS5. This camera has a wide angle lens.
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.
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
| Canon IXUS 970 IS Summary |
| Description: | 10 megapixels and a 5x optical zoom lens |
| Ease of Use: | 8 |
| Features: | 8 |
| Colour: | 9 |
| Macro: | 9 |
| Indoors: | 9 |
| Value for Money: | 8 |
| Style: | 9 |
| Movie Mode: | 8 |
| Image Quality: | 9 |
| Build Quality: | 9 |
| Total: | 86 |
| Verdict: | If you are looking for a stylish digital camera that takes a good snapshot this camera is as good as any. It has a bit more quality than most similar digital cameras. Build quality and picture quality really stand out. |
| Review Date: | April 2008 |
| Click for: | Specification Sample Images Features |
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