Sample Photos below.
Review of the Ixy 910 IS (aka Ixus 860 IS, aka SD870 IS).
It's great at being what it was designed to be: a compact carry-around camera. I'm pretty sure that most people use compacts for candids and other snapshots and in that respect, this camera really delivers. If you want corner to corner sharply detailed 8R prints, go buy a DSLR.
I love the 28mm lens; it's a feature that's sorely missing from most compacts. For indoor group photos and other close quarter shots, it's an absolute must. Also important is the Image Stabilization because it allows the camera to shoot at lower ISO settings, thus avoiding the image noise that plagues most DCs.
It's nice to know that Canon does pay attention to past opinions. The Auto ISO shift is great to have (much better than the camera automatically jacking every shot up to ISO400 or more) and FINALLY...an Ixy that shows the shutter speed and aperture info BEFORE the shot is taken!
Some sample photos:
W I D E !!!
EXIF: 4.6mm, f/2.8, 0.050 s (1/20), iso100
fotop.net/teruphoto/Canon_Ixy_910_IS/IMG_0233
Handheld 1/8s
EXIF: 4.6mm, f/2.8, 0.125 s (1/8), iso200
fotop.net/teruphoto/Canon_Ixy_910_IS/IMG_0030
Problems:
The flash is on the weak side, which is a common problem with compacts (although my even more compact Casio EX-Z850 could generate more power).
Not really problems, more of a wishlist:
1) The AVI encoding for the movies takes up way too much memory. MPEG-4 would have been nice.
2) I wish that the Scene modes allowed more freedom of settings (ISO, WB and metering are not adjustable).
3) I know Canon intends the Ixy line to be a point-and-shoot camera, but I really wish it had PASM modes (again, something my Casio EX-Z850 had). Especially the S (shutter priority) mode. There's a Slow Shutter speed feature, but it starts at 1s. I'd love the ability to choose any range between the allowed 15s and 1/1600s. Even limiting to 15s to 1/30s would be good enough for my needs.
4) The images are pretty clean for a compact, but I would have preferred Canon stuck with 6MP, or better yet used a 1/1.8" CCD.
5) The accuracy of the touch wheel controller is pretty terrible, but luckily it's a feature you never have to use.
Review of the Ixy 910 IS (aka Ixus 860 IS, aka SD870 IS).
It's great at being what it was designed to be: a compact carry-around camera. I'm pretty sure that most people use compacts for candids and other snapshots and in that respect, this camera really delivers. If you want corner to corner sharply detailed 8R prints, go buy a DSLR.
I love the 28mm lens; it's a feature that's sorely missing from most compacts. For indoor group photos and other close quarter shots, it's an absolute must. Also important is the Image Stabilization because it allows the camera to shoot at lower ISO settings, thus avoiding the image noise that plagues most DCs.
It's nice to know that Canon does pay attention to past opinions. The Auto ISO shift is great to have (much better than the camera automatically jacking every shot up to ISO400 or more) and FINALLY...an Ixy that shows the shutter speed and aperture info BEFORE the shot is taken!
Some sample photos:
W I D E !!!
EXIF: 4.6mm, f/2.8, 0.050 s (1/20), iso100
fotop.net/teruphoto/Canon_Ixy_910_IS/IMG_0233
Handheld 1/8s
EXIF: 4.6mm, f/2.8, 0.125 s (1/8), iso200
fotop.net/teruphoto/Canon_Ixy_910_IS/IMG_0030
Problems:
The flash is on the weak side, which is a common problem with compacts (although my even more compact Casio EX-Z850 could generate more power).
Not really problems, more of a wishlist:
1) The AVI encoding for the movies takes up way too much memory. MPEG-4 would have been nice.
2) I wish that the Scene modes allowed more freedom of settings (ISO, WB and metering are not adjustable).
3) I know Canon intends the Ixy line to be a point-and-shoot camera, but I really wish it had PASM modes (again, something my Casio EX-Z850 had). Especially the S (shutter priority) mode. There's a Slow Shutter speed feature, but it starts at 1s. I'd love the ability to choose any range between the allowed 15s and 1/1600s. Even limiting to 15s to 1/30s would be good enough for my needs.
4) The images are pretty clean for a compact, but I would have preferred Canon stuck with 6MP, or better yet used a 1/1.8" CCD.
5) The accuracy of the touch wheel controller is pretty terrible, but luckily it's a feature you never have to use.