Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS Review

May 25, 2009 | Gavin Stoker | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Introduction

The Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS (also know as the Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS) is a 10 megapixel entry-level compact camera. Inheriting the classic IXUS design, the Canon 95 IS' key features include a 3x zoom lens with Optical Image Stabilization, a 2.5 inch LCD screen, DIGIC 4 processor, new Smart AUTO mode, and Anti-Blur and Face Detection technologies. The Canon IXUS 95 IS is available now in silver, grey, blue and pink in the UK for £249.00, and in the US the Canon SD1200 IS is in dark gray, blue, pink, green, light gray and orange for $229.99 (in Europe it costs €299.00).

Ease of Use

On initial examination the pocket sized Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS bears a closer family resemblance to last year's IXUS 80 IS model than its numerical forebear in the IXUS 90 IS. In fact its front plate is identical to the 80 IS, with a resolution hike from 8 megapixels to ten the most obvious change.

That Canon's design team hasn't stretched itself to new heights here is no bad thing as the original look, feel and dimensions were already as stylish and attractive as you'd expect a mid priced IXUS (£249 in the UK) to be. Canon seems to be one of the last bastions of optical viewfinders on compacts, and here one is included for shot composition along with a 2.5-inch, 230k-dot resolution rear LCD screen – again the same spec as the one found on its predecessor. That said, the optical viewfinder is so small and murky most won't bother with it.

What Canon seems to have stopped doing however is including a memory card with its compacts. The IXUS 80 IS was shipped last year with a 32MB SD card in the UK. OK, that's paltry by today's 32GB SDHC standards, but at least it meant users were up and shooting after unloading the camera from the box and charging up the battery. Here there's not even an internal capacity to fall back on, so – like the vast majority of the competition – investing in a SD or SDHC card at the time of purchasing the camera is a must. Annoyingly, but not unexpectedly, the full manual is only included on CD ROM, with a heavily abbreviated quick start guide the only hard copy provided.

But back to the camera itself: the Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS feels attractively weighty in the palm at a body-only 120g without being prohibitively so, and is the size of a standard bar of household soap – its rounded corners and smooth surface and the fact that there's nothing in the way of a grip provided adding to that impression. Thankfully the standard issue 3x zoom (an equivalent 35-105mm) is optically stabilized and its dimensions do ensure that it, ahem, 'slips' readily into a jacket pocket (or summer shorts) for any spur-of-the-moment captures.

As this camera is an IXUS, and therefore aimed at the fashion conscious snapper, potential purchasers have a range of coloured faceplates to choose from. Canon states these are silver, pink, grey, blue or pink, though our not unattractive review sample appeared to fall halfway between the latter two.

Rather more interestingly, the IXUS 95 IS includes a new 'Smart Auto' mode, its own take on competitors' intelligent auto modes. Canon suggests that this analyses any given scene or subject in detail, checking subject brightness, contrast, distance from the lens plus hue, and then selects the most fitting of 18 possible modes to ensure optimum results. With the camera thus enabled, all the user truly has to do is point and shoot. That's the theory. In practice thankfully it doesn't take an age to determine what's what either, its almost instantaneous operational speediness thanks in part to an on board Digic 4 processor – the same as now found in Canon's DSLR range.

Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS
Front Rear

Also now firmly part of the user friendly package are automatic red eye correction (activated by delving into the onscreen menu settings), motion detection to automatically boost ISO as necessary and avoid blur when the subject is moving, plus i-Contrast, a feature similar to Nikon's own D-Lighting mode, in that exposures are adjusted to bring out shadow detail without blowing highlight detail in the process.

Face detection technology is also on board to pinpoint faces in the frame, though here you don't get the blink detection feature found on the IXUS 100 IS. Macro shooting down to 3cm is offered – adequate, without being class leading – while manually selectable light sensitivity – via the L-shaped on-screen toolbar familiar to regular Canon users – stretches from ISO 80 to ISO 1600. Rechargeable lithium ion battery life is good for a so-so 260 shots per charge. Nothing spectacular here then, but given its price point, build quality, and intended audience, not much to grumble about either.

The big feature of the latest raft of digital compacts for spring/summer 2009 is of course HD video shooting. Yet the Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS has instead opted for good old-fashioned 640x480 pixels footage, with a frame rate of a respectable 30fps plus an added long play option. Again, adequate, but falling short of what else is out there. In the Canon range, look to the recently Photography Blog rated IXUS 100 IS if HD movies and HDTV connectivity are a must have.

So now with that in mind let's take a tour of the IXUS 95 IS, examining its features and functionality as we go in order to determine whether it's anything other than your run-of-the-mill style-conscious snapper.

As with the IXUS 80 IS, the most eye-catching aspect of the front of the camera – in its inactive state at least – is its mirror-effect chrome lens surround, with a rectangular window for the internal flash situated top right of the lens, a porthole for the aforementioned optical viewfinder directly above, plus an AF assist/self timer indicator over to the left alongside a pin-prick sized hole for the built-in microphone. As mentioned at the start, it's a surprise to find a camera this diminutive bothering to include an optical viewfinder and in practice its usefulness is rather lacking.

Moving to the top plate of the Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS we find an on/off power button, which is practically flush with the camera's metal exterior to help prevent accidental activation when sliding it in or out of a pocket. Next to this sits a raised, larger shutter release button. A press of the power button and the IXUS is up and running in just over a second, the lens rapidly extending to maximum wideangle setting while the rear screen bursts into life to the sound of an ident-like flourish.

Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS
Front Side

As with the IXUS 80 IS, for a point and shoot camera the 95 IS' responsiveness cannot be faulted. If shooting in program mode it's lightning fast to determine focus, with the scene and setting-determining auto mode a mere fraction slower. Likewise, any shutter delay is imperceptible as you go on to take the shot. Maximum resolution JPEGS are committed to memory in a blink of an eye, the rear screen blanking out momentarily as this happens. Incidentally, if you do select auto mode, be prepared to put up with a low mechanical buzz as the camera continually adjusts its settings so you don't miss a trick.

Again, as with its predecessor, the Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS' shutter release button is surrounded by a lever for the zoom. Though this is also responsive, the transition through the focal range is sound-tracked by the whirr and buzz of its internal mechanics. In playback the zoom can be used to check focus when steered towards its telephoto setting, or display previously captured images (as a groups of nine thumbnails) if directed to maximum wideangle.

The rear of the camera echoes the front's minimalist design approach, with controls flush to the body. Unsurprisingly the 2.5-inch LCD dominates by taking up two thirds of the back plate, with optical viewfinder window directly above, alongside a pairing of function indicator lights. Moving along from these – still at the top left of the camera back – is a grouping of five tear-shaped holes for the built in speaker. The LCD provides adequate visibility when shooting indoors, although bright sunlight unsurprisingly results in the need to cup a hand around the screen and squint. Thus it fairs rather better when shooting indoors.

The main function controls are situated on the right hand side of the screen. These comprise an indented slider switch of plastic construction with a raised ridge that just catches the thumb. It displays three settings: Smart Auto stills capture – here just marked down as 'Auto' – plus Program stills capture and movie clip capture. All three are illustrated with self-explanatory icons.

Just to the left of this, the direct print button found on the IXUS 80 IS has been given over to a dedicated playback button, in order presumably to make room for the new Smart Auto setting on the aforementioned slider. Should you own one of Canon's portable Selphy printers you can still access print settings and earmark images for printing via the playback menu itself, so the lack of a one-touch control isn't really missed.

Beneath the playback button and slider switch is a familiar four-way control pad, with a function set button at its heart. At north, south, east and west points around the pad are settings for – in that order – adjusting exposure compensation (+/- 2EV) if in program mode only, selecting self timer (two seconds, ten seconds, a face self timer or a custom duration of your choice), adjusting flash settings (auto/on/slow synchro/off), or selecting infinity, normal or macro focus.

Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS
Memory Card Slot Battery Compartment

In playback, the self timer portion doubles up as an option to delete unwanted images on the fly, indicated by the equally familiar trashcan icon, while the exposure compensation portion allows the user to leapfrog through groupings of images (i.e 10 or 00 at once) to find what they want more quickly.

Press that function set button at the centre of the control pad and the familiar Canon L-shaped tool bar pops up on screen. In auto capture mode users are limited to being able to manually tweak the size and quality of images, or opt to shoot in widescreen ratio. Flick the slider switch one setting down to program mode however and the user can, starting at the top, additionally access the camera's 15 pre-optimised scene modes that include an ISO 3200 equivalent setting (with attendant resolution drop to 1600x1200 pixels) plus underwater and aquarium options alongside the familiar portrait, night snapshot settings. Whichever of these options you choose then appears illuminated top left of screen, situated on the vertical axis of the toolbar.

If you're shooting in program mode there's additionally the chance to, moving down the left hand toolbar, adjust ISO settings (ISO80 to ISO1600), white balance, select from the range of My Colors image editing/enhancement options (including a custom colour setting with slider indicator provided), plus switch between evaluative, centre weighted or spot metering, and single shot or continuous capture (here a lowly 1.4fps).

As a default, your chosen settings are displayed around the edges of the screen when it is used as an electronic viewfinder, but a single press of the round 'display' button in the Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS' back turns these off for a clearer view, while a further press deactivates the screen entirely.

The final button on the 95 IS's back is for 'menu'. Pressing this brings up a set of two folders on screen; one governing additional shooting settings, the other providing fairly generic set up options. Among the more common settings, the shooting options let you bias the AF frame toward face detection (which appears also to be its default setting), switch on the point AF function which zeroes in on a face before you press the shutter button fully, and choose from a range of image stablisation modes; from continuous to shoot only to panning to off. Such features appear identical to those previously found on the IXUS 80 IS.

As we noted when reviewing that earlier model, all of the above is pretty much what you'd expect to find on an entry-level camera toward the higher end of the price scale for its class. So to reiterate, there are very few grumbles here. Use is intuitive, the Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS proves fast to respond, and arguably that's all any of us really want from a pocket-sized point and shoot. Apart that is from razor sharp, richly coloured and finely detailed images. So can the IXUS 95 IS also prove its mettle as the perfect travel companion when it comes to that part of the equation?

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 10 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 3Mb.

Though we felt the Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS' Smart Auto functionality worked pretty well, in that it quickly and accurately identified most subjects and adjusted its settings to suit, we were a little disappointed with the rather wishy-washy colour reproduction we got from the camera when left on its standard default setting. Fortunately there is also a 'vivid' alternative to choose from to lend imagery more visual bite.

The IXUS 95 IS also displays a lack of corner sharpness at its wide-angle setting if you examine images particularly closely. And, though this is largely hidden in more busy subjects, our white wall test shots show the softness at its most apparent. Likewise there is some evidence of pixel fringing if you look hard enough. That said, it's no more – and probably a lot less – than you'd expect from a snapshot camera pitched at the entry-level end of the market. Also forgivable is the occasional loss of highlight detail under sunnier conditions. Though the images from most snapshot cameras would benefit from an application of Unsharp mask in Photoshop, and the IXUS 95 IS proves no exception, the detail it delivers does impress when it's presented with ideal conditions.

While the above is more than satisfactory, as with the IXUS 80 IS, the IXUS 95 IS' low light performance is nothing to write home about. However it does appear to have delivered better results than its predecessor. Noise creeps in from ISO 400 upwards, though only if you're really looking for it. At ISO 800 it's unsurprisingly more noticeable and readily so at ISO 1600. And yet images taken at both those higher settings proved usable. True image stabilisation in optical form is a nice solution to have, but as with other cameras of this ilk, it's far from infallible. Though all said and done a better camera for holiday photos than moody interior portraits, given its market the Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS has acquitted itself in our images tests with aplomb.

Noise

There are 6 ISO settings available on the Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting.

ISO 80 (100% Crop)

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

   

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

   

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

Sharpening

Here are two 100% Crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are just a little soft at the default sharpening setting and benefit from some further sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. You can also change the in-camera sharpening level to suit your tastes via the My Colors menu option.

Original (100% Crop)

Sharpened (100% Crop)

   

Chromatic Aberrations

The Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS handled chromatic aberrations quite well during the review, with some purple fringing present around the edges of objects in certain high-contrast situations, as shown in the examples below.

Example 1 (100% Crop)

Example 2 (100% Crop)

Macro

The Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS offers a Macro setting that allows you to focus on a subject that is 3cms away from the camera when the lens is set to wide-angle. The first image shows how close you can get to the subject (in this case a compact flash card). The second image is a 100% crop.

Macro Shot

100% Crop

Flash

The flash settings on the Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS are Auto, Flash On, Slow Synchro, and Flash Off, with Red-eye Correction and Red-Eye Lamp settings available via the Flash Settings main menu option. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.

Flash Off - Wide Angle (35mm)

Flash On - Wide Angle (35mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64
   

Flash Off - Telephoto (105mm)

Flash On - Telephoto (105mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64

And here are some portrait shots. As you can see, the Flash On caused a small amount of red-eye which the Red-eye Correction settings successfully removed.

Flash On

Flash On (100% Crop)
   

Red-eye Correction

Red-eye Correction (100% Crop)

Night

The Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS's maximum shutter speed is 15 seconds in the Long Shutter mode, which is good news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 1/3rd second at ISO 1600. I've included a 100% crop of the image to show what the quality is like. The camera takes the same amount of time again to apply noise reduction, so for example at the 5 second setting the actual exposure takes 10 seconds.

Night Shot

Night Shot (100% Crop)

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS camera, which were all taken using the 10 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample Movie & Video

This is a sample movie at the highest quality setting of 640 x 480 pixels at 30 frames per second. Please note that this 36 second movie is 68.1Mb in size.

Product Images

Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS

Front of the Camera

 
Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS

Front of the Camera / Turned On

 
Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS

Isometric View

 
Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS

Isometric View

 
Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS

Rear of the Camera

 
Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS

Rear of the Camera / Image Displayed

 
Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS

Top of the Camera

 
Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS

Bottom of the Camera

 
Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS

Side of the Camera

 

Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS

Side of the Camera

 
Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS

Side of the Camera

 
Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS

Memory Card Slot

 
Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS

Battery Compartment

Conclusion

Like its predecessor the Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS can best be summed up as an undemanding snapper for the unpretentious photographer. Again the sturdiness of its build quality is very impressive, as is speed of operation, design, and overall ease of use. There's no media card bundled with the camera this time, but since SD or SDHC cards can now be found in your local supermarket it's hardly a deal breaker.

We can't even nit pick this time about the levels of noise apparent in the mid to high ISO range. The IXUS 95 IS acquits itself in this area better than many of its competitors and indeed appears improved on its forebear. Shame its colours are slightly drab when the camera is left on its default settings, but as we've noted, by switching to Program mode and selecting the 'Vivid' colour option, such grumbles are silenced.

In many others respects the Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS seems almost a carbon copy of the earlier IXUS 80 IS, so if you can find a good deal on that earlier model, go for it. If on the other hand you're truly looking for the most portable compact around, can I recommend also the IXUS 100 IS for its inoffensive loveliness, HD movies and HDMI out connectivity at just £50 more. It's also a recent recipient of a Photography Blog Recommended award.

4 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 4
Features 4
Ease-of-use 4.5
Image quality 3.5
Value for money 4

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS from around the web.

steves-digicams.com »

As the successor to the Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS, the SD1200 IS continues the quality and ease of use of the Digital ELPH series. This new ultra-compact digicam features an upgraded 10-Megapixel imaging sensor, Digic 4 image processor, Smart Auto and Intelligent-Contrast, as well as a slight reduction in size and weight. Other features have carried over, such as the 3x optical zoom with optical image stabilization, optical viewfinder and 2.5-inch PureColor II LCD screen, giving the camera a very familiar look and feel from past models.
Read the full review »

neocamera.com »

The pocket-friendly Canon SD1200 is well built and does cover all features expected of a point-and-shoot plus a few extras such as AE-L (Auto-Exposure-Lock) and the choice of 3 metering modes. This one one of the most easy to use ultra-compacts out there, definitely easier and simpler than the Fuji Finepix F200 EXR which was reviewed here last. The F200 does have unique modes and image-quality beyond any ultra-compact, including the SD1200, but this one is trivial to use compared to the F200.
Read the full review »

Specifications

IMAGE SENSOR
Type 1/2.3" CCD
Effective Pixels Approx. 10.0M
Colour Filter Type Primary Colour
IMAGE PROCESSOR
Type DIGIC 4 with iSAPS technology
LENS
Focal Length 6.2 - 18.6 mm (35mm equivalent: 35 – 105mm)
Zoom Optical 3x. Digital approx. 4x ² (with Digital Tele-Converter approx. 1.4x or 2.3x and Safety Zoom ¹)². Combined approx. 12x
Maximum f/number f/2.8 – f/4.9
Construction 6 elements in 5 groups (1 double sided aspherical UA element and 1 single-sided aspherical UA element)
Image Stabilisation Yes (shift-type)
FOCUSING
Type TTL
AF System/ Points AiAF (Face Detection / 9-point), 1-point AF (fixed to centre)
AF Modes Single, Continuous¹
AF Point Selection Size (Normal, Small)
AF Lock On/Off Selectable
AF Assist Beam Yes
Closest Focusing Distance 3cm (W) from front of lens in macro
EXPOSURE CONTROL
Metering modes Evaluative (linked to Face Detection AF frame), Centre-weighted average, Spot (centre)
AE Lock On/Off Selectable
Exposure Compensation +/- 2 EV in 1/3 stop increments.
i-Contrast for automatic dynamic range correction
ISO sensitivity* AUTO, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
SHUTTER
Speed 1 - 1/1500 sec (factory default)
15 - 1/1500 sec (total range - varies by shooting mode)
WHITE BALANCE
Type TTL
Settings Auto (including Face Detection WB), Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom
VIEWFINDER
Viewfinder Real-image zoom, optical viewfinder
LCD MONITOR
Monitor 2.5” PureColor LCD II (TFT), approx. 230,000 dots
Coverage 100%
Brightness Adjustable to one of five levels
FLASH
Modes Auto, Manual Flash On / Off
Slow Sync Speed Yes
Red-Eye Reduction Yes
Flash Exposure Compensation Face Detection FE
Flash Exposure Lock Yes
Built-in Flash Range 30cm - 4.2m (W) / 2.4m (T)
External Flash Canon High Power Flash HF-DC1
SHOOTING
Modes Auto*, P, Digital Macro, Portrait, Night Snapshot, Movie, Special Scene (Kids & Pets, Indoor, Sunset, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Aquarium, Underwater, ISO3200¹, Long shutter)
*with Scene Detection Technology and Motion Detection Technology
Photo Effects My Colors (My Colors Off, Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Custom Color (limited))
Drive modes Single, Continuous, Self-Timer, FaceSelf-Timer
Continuous Shooting Approx. 1.4 shots/sec.¹ (until memory card becomes full)²
RECORDING PIXELS / COMPRESSION
Image Size (L) 3648 x 2736, (M1) 2816 x 2112, (M2) 2272 x 20%4, (M3) 1600 x 1200, (S) 640 x 480, (W) 3648 x 2048.
Resize in playback (M3, S, 320 x 240)
Compression Fine, Normal
Movies (L)640 x 480, 30fps/30fps(LP)
(M)320 x 240, 30fps
Movie Length Up to 4GB or 1 hour (L and M) ¹
FILE TYPES
Still Image Type JPEG compression, (Exif 2.2 [Exif Print] compliant) / Design rule for Camera File system, Digital Print Order Format [DPOF] Version 1.1 compliant
Movies AVI [Motion JPEG compression + WAVE (monaural)]
DIRECT PRINT
Canon Printers Canon SELPHY Compact Photo Printers and Canon Inkjet Printers supporting PictBridge (ID Photo Print, Fixed Size Print and Movie Print supported on SELPHY CP & ES printers only)
PictBridge Yes
OTHER FEATURES
Red-Eye Correction Yes, during shooting and playback
Intelligent Orientation Sensor Yes
Histogram Yes
Playback Zoom Approx. 2x – 10x
Self Timer Approx. 2 or 10 sec. or Custom
Menu Languages English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Chinese (traditional), Japanese, Russian, Portuguese, Korean, Greek, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Thai, Arabic, Ukrainian, Romanian, Farsi
INTERFACE
Computer Hi-Speed USB (MTP, PTP) dedicated connector (Mini-B compatible)
Other A/V output, dedicated connector (PAL/NTSC)
MEMORY CARD
Type SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCplus, HC MMCplus.
SUPPORTED OPERATING SYSTEM
PC & Macintosh Windows XP SP2-3 / Vista (including SP1)
Mac OS X v10.4 - 10.5
SOFTWARE
Browsing & Printing ZoomBrowser EX / ImageBrowser
Other PhotoStitch
POWER SOURCE
Batteries Rechargeable Li-ion Battery NB-6L (battery and charger supplied)
Battery life Approx. 260 shots ¹
Approx. 360 min. playback
A/C Power Supply Optional, AC adapter kit ACK-DC40
ACCESSORIES
Cases / Straps Soft Leather Case DCC-60, Digital IXUS Metal or Leather Strap
Waterproof / Weatherproof Case Waterproof Case (40m) WP-DC29, Waterproof Case Weight WW-DC1
Flash High Power Flash HF-DC1
Power Supply & Battery Chargers AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC40
PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Operating Environment 0 – 40 °C, 10 – 90% humidity
Dimensions (WxHxD, excl. protrusions) 88.5 x 54.8 x 21.8 mm
Weight (body only) Approx. 120g
Zoom ¹ Depending on the image size selected.
² Digital zoom available for still image and standard movie modes only. Optical zoom may not be available during movie recording.
AF Modes ¹ Some settings limit availability
Modes ¹ Recording pixels fixed at 1600 x 1200.
Continuous Shooting ¹ Under conditions where the flash does not fire.
² Depending on memory card speed / capacity / compression setting.
Movie Length ¹ Depending on memory card speed / capacity / compression setting.
Battery life ¹ Using the batteries and memory card format supplied with the camera (where included), except where indicated.
 
* Standard Output Sensitivity / Recommended Exposure Index.
According to ISO 12232:2006 (20th April 2006) which specifies the method for assigning and reporting ISO speed ratings for digital still cameras.
All data is based on Canon standard testing methods (according to CIPA Standards) except where indicated.

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