Reviews4,313 Reviews

All Reviews > Hardware > Cameras > Compact cameras

January 10, 2007

Canon Ixus 850 IS

As we've come to expect from Canon's Ixus family of cameras, the 850 IS is beautifully constructed. You'll keep noticing little details long after it's been unpacked.

The only slight blemish on the otherwise sumptuous exterior is the rather flimsy battery/SD card slot cover. That minor grumble aside, the Canon feels as good as it looks, with a decent, comfortable grip.

The 7.1Mp (megapixel) sensor is capable of providing images a shade over 3,000 pixels across, or movies at a TV-friendly 640x480. As well as good resolution, the 850 benefits from a lens upgrade, with a healthy f2.8-5.8 aperture spread and an unusually wide 28-105mm 35mm equivalent range from the 3.8x optical zoom.

The 850 features integrated optical image stabilisation (hence the 'IS' in the name), permitting the use of slower shutter speeds when things turn murky. If that's not enough, the 850 can raise the ISO to a maximum of 1,600, beyond the range of most compacts and into realms inhabited by digital SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras.

Like the Fujifilm reviewed last month, the Canon incorporates a 'face detection' system, which increasingly seems like the new must-have feature. The Canon cleverly identifies a person's face in-shot, and sets the exposure and focusing accordingly.

In true Ixus style, the Canon doesn't offer much in the way of manual exposure control, instead offering only white balance, ISO, metering and exposure compensation tweaking. But for automatic use, needs are well met with a wealth of scene modes.

Image quality overall is really very good, with mostly accurate exposures and plenty of detail. As with a lot of Canons, though, the automatic white balance tends to favour slightly warmer tones if left unguided. The noise on higher ISOs becomes problematic – we hit trouble beyond about 400 – but at lower levels images are impressively clean.

VERDICT >
1 | 2 | NEXT >

Independent customer reviews from

Canon Ixus 850 IS scored:
8.8 out of 10 100% real reviews

The 2 most helpful reviews based on 18 reviews:

16 Jul 2007 Anonymous verified purchaser

8

Good Points

great pictures

Bad Points

none really, maybe you dont have full control over the settings.

18 May 2007 Anonymous verified purchaser

8

Good Points

Great build, solid metal and great design. Viewfinder is a plus. Great detail, very quick and good battery life.

Bad Points

Lack of manual options, needs tweaking with indoor/night shots. Scene settings take care of these problems.

See more Canon Ixus 850 IS reviews on Reevoo.com

null

Keep up to date by adding PC Advisor Reviews to your iGoogle home page or Google Reader

What is this?

Subscribe to PC Advisor now and claim your FREE gift

Question of the day!

Does your smartphone replace your need for a laptop when on the move?

Question of the day!

Does your smartphone replace your need for a laptop when on the move?

% of PC Advisor readers agree with you

Yes
TBC
No
TBC

What tasks can your smartphone do that would have traditionally been done on a laptop?

119 characters remaining

Follow the conversation at @SmartphoneFocus

web browsing, search facilities, voip, email, word processing everything RT @Graham_D_C

Mainly email but getting better at spreadsheets etc, RT @IDGdan

Total reviews: 4,313

See product specs

expert rating

Build quality

4/5

Features

4/5

Value for money

3.5/5

Overall

4/5

expert rating

Canon Ixus 850 IS

READER REVIEWS


Google


Recent reviews

Reviews index


Latest reader reviews

Latest reader reviews


Top news

News index


Latest blog entries

Blogs index


Sponsored Content

  • Take the internet to new places with the Nokia N800
    Communicate how you want to, where you want to with instant messaging, email and internet calling. View movies, browse the internet wirelessly and watch TV on the high-resolution screen and listen through high-quality stereo speakers with headphone jack.
    Buy now