Canon Presents Ixus 1000 HS: Super-Slim Compact with 10x Zoom

After its superzoom bridge and compact, it was a pretty safe bet that Canon would release an ultra-slim superzoom camera. So here it is, the Ixus 1000 HS, a new pocket point-and-shoot that packs a 10x zoom lens into a body just 22 mm thick.

The Ixus 1000 HS inherits many of the features of the Ixus 300 HS, including a 10-Megapixel backlit CMOS sensor, a continuous burst mode of 3.7 fps and, above all, an HD video mode with a resolution that's been boosted to 1080p. It's only 24 fps video, obviously, but it's still progressive scan (1080p) rather than the 1080i interlaced video found in most other 'Full HD' compacts. Nice work Canon!

The lens may be a 10x zoom but it's unfortunately not a wide angle, starting at 36 mm. To fit a zoom this powerful into a camera body just 22 mm thick, Canon has come up with an original solution. The lens is, in fact, a hybrid, which is half telescopic (part of it sticks out in front of the camera) and half periscopic (part of it is internal, housed inside the body behind a prism).

We'll be very interested to see what kind of results that gives in practice, but Canon has certainly managed to pull off a very sleek, very compact design. However, at 190 g, the Ixus 1000 HS feels surprisingly heavier than other cameras in the range.

This unusual lens structure has impacted the camera in other ways too. One such consequence is that there's no longer enough room for a flat battery like the NB-6L found in the Ixus 300 HS. Canon's designers have therefore moved the battery compartment to the other side of the lens and created a new kind of oblong battery, about the same size as an AA. The new NB-9L battery is announced at 870 mAh at 3.5 V, making it no more powerful than the average 2700 mAh AA battery. As a result, the Ixus 1000 HS has a battery life of just 150 photos per charge!

Another disappointing feature is the screen. It's certainly big and it's certainly wide, but it's resolution is still insufficient at just 230,000 dots. That's a bit difficult to swallow in a camera that'll be priced at no less than £349 when it hits the shops in September.

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