Canon Digital IXUS 120 IS

The basics

The Canon Digital IXUS 120 IS is a 12MP ultra-compact camera with 1/2.3-inch CCD. It has a 4x optical zoom with wideangle setting (28mm equivalent) and a 2.7-inch, 230,000 dot LCD screen. It captures HD-ready (720p) movies, and has a mini-HDMI output. It has a 220-shot battery life and measures 90x55x20mm. It weighs 120g.

The good

Until they perfect a genetically-engineered mouse that can speak Portuguese, this is the smartest thing you can slip into a jacket pocket. Every time you half-press the shutter a dozen systems begin analysing the scene in front of you, spotting faces and potential red-eyes, and even accounting for the relative motion of camera and subject. The 120 IS then selects the perfect focus, exposure, scene mode and sensitivity settings to give bright, blur-free images. Best feature ever? A Face Self-Timer mode that waits until it detects a new face in the frame before tripping the shutter. Genius.

The bad

Performing eleven million calculations for each picture means that the Ixus isn’t exactly quick off its feet. Burst mode maxes out at well under a frame a second, and you can have to wait five seconds or more between shots if you’re using the flash. Image quality is mostly well up to Canon’s impeccable standards, except for some unsightly purple fringing in wideangle shots. Oh, and you can’t zoom while shooting movies.

The bottom line

If you simply want great photos, superb ease of use and a camera with a higher IQ than your typical Oxford student, the 120 IS is a sure thing. Just don’t expect blistering speed along with it.