The Ixus 9xx series is being released at an unhindered speed.  The previous model barely hits the market and we start to see the lens of its successor on the horizon.  Thus, the Ixus 970 IS arrives with its 5x zoom and innovative design.  However, it doesn’t replace its older siblings and more comes to complete the line which is really starting to fill out.

Handling

While the Ixus 9xx follow each other, they do not look alike.  The 970 IS actually has a new shape which is tapered on the right hand side.  Most likely conceived to be more comfortable than the square edges from others in the same family, the new design has trouble catching our eye.  While the shape is rather elegant, a proper hold is a casualty of the new look of this Ixus.  The grip is no longer as good and the camera tends to leave the nest of our hand all by itself.  On the back, there are also some surprises.  The startup button, which is barely flush with the rest of the body, is very hard to use while the much appreciated dial is now placed too close to the edge.  Moreover, this control is much too sensitive to be used with ease.  However, all is not lost here and actually the contrary.  The Ixus 970 IS still has an optical viewfinder (not too precise but very practical in full sun), a fine quality and fluid LCD screen (large viewing angles, not too glossy, etc.), clear menus and an easily understandable interface. 

Reactivity is still one of the strong points of Canon compacts.  The Ixus 970 IS doesn’t falter here and starts up in less than 1.3 s with a fast autofocus in well lit conditions.  The burst mode wearily attains 1.4 i/s which is decent, no more no less.  Of course, the avid photographer will appreciate the 5x zoom but we wonder why there is such a big wide angle (35 mm).

Quality of images

There were little if no surprises concerning the quality of images produced by the Ixus 970 IS.  The 10 Mpix sensor and 5x lens gave us nice photos with both good accentuation and precision.  The lens does not have any major defects and while chromatic aberrations are indeed visible, it doesn’t present any problems for 10x15 or even A4 prints.  Vignetting and distortion is well controlled and only the edges of images show a slight weakness.  Automated functions were efficient in our test studio; the color card appeared particularly neutral with colors that were both warm and saturated (notably in orange reds).  Exposure was often correct; however, the flash could have been a little stronger. 

As for noise, Canon’s strategy hasn't changed with this new Ixus.  In the lower sensitivities (80 - 100 ISO), images are particularly clean while noise control is very well mastered up until 400 ISO.  As is usually the case, billowing is much more visible at 800 ISO but images are still very precise.  Otherwise, at 1600 ISO chromatic noise is very critical.  Overall, this represents good work on the part of the Digic III processor.  Unsurprisingly, the video mode is of excellent quality in 640x480 pixels (no HD on the 970 IS) and the optical zoom is still not usable during recording.  Also, sound remains quite metallic with the usual ‘’cracking’’ sounds.