Subscores
At the beginning of 2009, Canon launched a new series of Ixus cameras with the 100 IS, which was smaller, slimmer, simpler and more stylish than the brand's previous models. Two years down the line, Canon is rolling out the fourth generation of this camera range, including the Ixus 220 HS. It has the same super-small design and reasonable price as its predecessors, but now has a more attractive set of tech specs, including a 5x zoom, a backlit sensor and a Full HD video mode with stereo sound.
Handling
The Canon Ixus 220 HS is a very good-looking camera that also happens to be very well made. The controls, for example, feel neither lose nor stiff, the lens is stable and sturdy, and the camera's general build is of exemplary quality (even the joints). Plus, the black model we tested had a slightly textured finish, making the camera very pleasant to touch as well as improving grip. The only slight blip is the battery compartment door, which although perfectly fine when closed, does wobble a few millimetres when open. It's no surprise to see that the zoom controls have been moved back around the shutter release button either, replacing the fiddly mini-levers seen in the Ixus 130 and SX210, for example.
This camera has exactly the same screen as the Ixus 130, with 230,000 all-too-visible dots and a low gamma, meaning light greys are barely distinguishable from white. Although colours aren't reproduced particularly accurately on the LCD, for a camera in this price range it's a nice surprise to see wide viewing angles, since low-grade TN screens abound in models under £200.
The controls are typical Ixus stuff. They're simple and pleasant, with a quick menu (Func), a handful of buttons for direct access to key settings and a clear internal menu system. One new feature is a video record button, which means you can start filming without having to fiddle around in the menu to find the video mode.
Responsiveness
The latest Ixus cameras had particularly fast start-up times and were ready for action in not much more than a second. We were therefore a little disappointed to see the Ixus 220 HS take over two seconds to switch on and take its first photo. The Ixus 210 was similarly sluggish and so it seems that the 5x lens used in these two models simply takes longer to deploy than the 4x zoom used in Canon's previous entry-level Ixus cameras. Photo-to-photo turnaround takes around two seconds, which is within average for current compacts.
The autofocus is pretty good, focusing in approximately six tenths of a second at all focal lengths. As with most cameras, this slows down a bit in low light but it's still fairly responsive.
Picture Quality
The Ixus 220 HS is the first Canon we've tested to use a 12-Megapixel BSI CMOS sensor. This sensor is really quite good, and is comparable to the first 10-Megapixel BSI CMOS used in the Ixus 300 and 1000. Specks of noise and smoothing are visible in full-screen shots at 800 ISO, but 8" x 10" prints remain excellent quality up to 1600 ISO, when only a slight smoothing is visible in prints and picture quality suffers no major degradations. However, you'll probably want to avoid using the 3200 ISO setting!
One thing worth noting is that under Kaiser ProVision light, which is supposed to recreate natural daylight, we noticed a slight variation in colour reproduction: some photos looked very neutral while others looked slightly too warm. However, that's not something we noticed when using the Ixus 220 HS out and about in real-life situations, as it consistently took shots that were a little on the warm side, as is usually the case with Canon cameras.
We were keen to see what the Ixus 220 HS lens was made of, as packing a 5x zoom, 24 mm wide-angle lens into a camera that's less than 2 cm thick is no mean feat. In wide angle, the lens ensures excellent picture quality across the whole frame, with details that are well rendered even in the corners of the shot.
In telephoto, the image has a slight haze over the whole shot. It's not that the shots are particularly blurred, it's just that they could be sharper—something you'll notice when viewing pictures at 100% size on a computer screen or if you look closely at an 8" x 10" print.
Video
We have mixed feelings about the video mode in this camera, as although it's obvious that Canon has pulled out all the stops, the compact body of the Ixus 220 HS actually lets it down.
Everything that relies on the camera's internal electronics is excellent. The camera films 1080p HD video at 24 frames per second, with a slight speckle of noise but nice, sharp pictures. The optical zoom can be used while filming and the autofocus works well too. In this field, Canon is clearly heading for five-star quality.
However, one purely mechanical feature lets the camera down, since capturing good sound requires big, bulky (or expensive) microphones, which simply can't fit into this camera. And the slightly disappointing sound (see sidebar) is why the Ixus 220 HS only gets four stars in this category rather than five.
Handling
The Canon Ixus 220 HS is a very good-looking camera that also happens to be very well made. The controls, for example, feel neither lose nor stiff, the lens is stable and sturdy, and the camera's general build is of exemplary quality (even the joints). Plus, the black model we tested had a slightly textured finish, making the camera very pleasant to touch as well as improving grip. The only slight blip is the battery compartment door, which although perfectly fine when closed, does wobble a few millimetres when open. It's no surprise to see that the zoom controls have been moved back around the shutter release button either, replacing the fiddly mini-levers seen in the Ixus 130 and SX210, for example. This camera has exactly the same screen as the Ixus 130, with 230,000 all-too-visible dots and a low gamma, meaning light greys are barely distinguishable from white. Although colours aren't reproduced particularly accurately on the LCD, for a camera in this price range it's a nice surprise to see wide viewing angles, since low-grade TN screens abound in models under £200.
The controls are typical Ixus stuff. They're simple and pleasant, with a quick menu (Func), a handful of buttons for direct access to key settings and a clear internal menu system. One new feature is a video record button, which means you can start filming without having to fiddle around in the menu to find the video mode.
Responsiveness
The latest Ixus cameras had particularly fast start-up times and were ready for action in not much more than a second. We were therefore a little disappointed to see the Ixus 220 HS take over two seconds to switch on and take its first photo. The Ixus 210 was similarly sluggish and so it seems that the 5x lens used in these two models simply takes longer to deploy than the 4x zoom used in Canon's previous entry-level Ixus cameras. Photo-to-photo turnaround takes around two seconds, which is within average for current compacts.The autofocus is pretty good, focusing in approximately six tenths of a second at all focal lengths. As with most cameras, this slows down a bit in low light but it's still fairly responsive.
Picture Quality
The Ixus 220 HS is the first Canon we've tested to use a 12-Megapixel BSI CMOS sensor. This sensor is really quite good, and is comparable to the first 10-Megapixel BSI CMOS used in the Ixus 300 and 1000. Specks of noise and smoothing are visible in full-screen shots at 800 ISO, but 8" x 10" prints remain excellent quality up to 1600 ISO, when only a slight smoothing is visible in prints and picture quality suffers no major degradations. However, you'll probably want to avoid using the 3200 ISO setting!One thing worth noting is that under Kaiser ProVision light, which is supposed to recreate natural daylight, we noticed a slight variation in colour reproduction: some photos looked very neutral while others looked slightly too warm. However, that's not something we noticed when using the Ixus 220 HS out and about in real-life situations, as it consistently took shots that were a little on the warm side, as is usually the case with Canon cameras.
We were keen to see what the Ixus 220 HS lens was made of, as packing a 5x zoom, 24 mm wide-angle lens into a camera that's less than 2 cm thick is no mean feat. In wide angle, the lens ensures excellent picture quality across the whole frame, with details that are well rendered even in the corners of the shot.
In telephoto, the image has a slight haze over the whole shot. It's not that the shots are particularly blurred, it's just that they could be sharper—something you'll notice when viewing pictures at 100% size on a computer screen or if you look closely at an 8" x 10" print.
Video
We have mixed feelings about the video mode in this camera, as although it's obvious that Canon has pulled out all the stops, the compact body of the Ixus 220 HS actually lets it down.Everything that relies on the camera's internal electronics is excellent. The camera films 1080p HD video at 24 frames per second, with a slight speckle of noise but nice, sharp pictures. The optical zoom can be used while filming and the autofocus works well too. In this field, Canon is clearly heading for five-star quality.
However, one purely mechanical feature lets the camera down, since capturing good sound requires big, bulky (or expensive) microphones, which simply can't fit into this camera. And the slightly disappointing sound (see sidebar) is why the Ixus 220 HS only gets four stars in this category rather than five.
Pros
- Excellent build, nice slim design
- Picture quality in wide angle up to 800 ISO
- 1080p HD video mode with optical zoom and stereo sound
- Pleasant to use, clear controls and menus
Cons
- Picture quality not quite as good in telephoto
- Slower to switch on than previous models
- Low-definition screen
- Sound isn't particularly accurate
Conclusion
The Canon Ixus 220 HS is a nice surprise. It takes good-quality pictures, it's very well made and it's user-friendly. You'd be hard pushed to find anything better in the same price range.
OUR SCORE
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