Canon IXUS 155 Review

July 18, 2014 | Matt Grayson | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Introduction

Designed for the point and shooter, the Canon IXUS 155 offers ease of control with powerful features, such as a 20 megapixel sensor, 10x optical zoom, Digic 4 processor and Live view control. Made for the beginner who doesn't want to sacrifice looks, the Canon IXUS 155 costs around £110 and is available in black, blue, silver pink and red.

Ease of Use

There's a distinct possibility that Canon knew what they were doing when they made the recent range of IXUS cameras look the same. It takes an extra problem out of the equation when looking to buy a camera because if you're toying with upgrading for the extra features, at least you can't be put off because you don't like the look of it.

While the shape may be the same of the IXUS models below it, the 155 has a couple of tricks up it's sleeve. For example, it houses a 10x optical zoom inside the slimline casing. That's an upgrade from the 8x of the IXUS 150 – the next model down from the 155. That zoom also starts at a wider angle, but still goes out further at the top end. Other upgrades include a higher resolution CCD. At 20 megapixels, you have an additional 4 million photosites on the sensor from the 150.

IXUS have always been known for giving the end user that little bit more and it shows on the 155 even though you have to look a little closer. For example, you get a metal tripod bush which will last a lot longer than the plastic ones found on equivalent priced Powershot cameras. There's also a very small zoom switch placed on top of the camera. These can be large and chunky and using a smaller one is a sign of investment.

The back of the Canon IXUS 155 has a standard layout of four operational buttons surrounding the main navigation pad. To constrict the dimensions slightly, the buttons have been arranged in a staggered formation. Arguably, one of the buttons could be redundant as it accesses a Help menu which could be put in the Main menu. Although, the camera is extremely simple to use and possibly wouldn't be used anyway. Still, if you're a beginner or struggle with technology, then the Help button (signified by a question mark) will explain the functions of the mode you're in without using jargon.

Canon IXUS 300 HS Canon IXUS 300 HS
Front Rear

You may notice the absence of the macro and exposure compensation buttons on the back of the camera. These have been moved into the Function menu so that the Eco mode and Auto/Live toggle buttons can be used instead.

Canon have always made their menus easy to use. There are two main menu systems. The most frequently used one will arguably be the Function menu. It's accessed via the centre button on the navigation pad. It brings up various options on the left of the screen which will change dependent on the mode that you're in. For the most expansive, it's best to tap the camera out of Auto mode by pressing up on the navigation pad before going into the menu which will take you into Live mode. Then in the Function menu, select Program from the list of modes under the ISO selector. Other functions you can access in this menu include the aforementioned ISO, white-balance, resolution and continuous shooting options.

For more features of the Canon IXUS 155 that change indepth functions, you need to access the Main menu which is via the Menu button towards the bottom of the camera. There are two tabs that make up the Main menu. The left tab is dedicated to camera functions, such as focusing, image stabilising, Blink detection, i-Contrast and Red-eye correction. The tab on the right is for setting up the base components of the camera. For example, you can change the Volume of different functions, adjust the date & time, format the card, change the video system for use in America or Britain or change the language. There's plenty more and it would be exhaustive to list them all.

Canon IXUS 300 HS Canon IXUS 300 HS
Front Top

The menu systems use a grey background colour code with black fading and white lettering. The highlighter is orange which contrasts nicely with the grey and makes it both appealing and easy to see.

Starting the Canon IXUS 155 from the off position, then focusing and taking a picture can be done in 1.3sec on the IXUS 155. That's slightly faster than the new average of 1.5 – 1.8sec. The camera took eight photographs in a ten second period which is a bit of a plodding speed. We've seen much faster, but then it is continuous and not a burst mode. Essentially, if you want to capture fast moving objects, don't bother, because this isn't a camera built for speed.

You can access the pictures you've already taken by pressing the blue arrow button on the back of the camera. This can be done whether the camera is on or off and where you'd normally have to hold the button down for a few seconds when powered down, the IXUS 155 just needs a tap.

Canon IXUS 300 HS Canon IXUS 300 HS
Memory Card Slot Battery Compartment

The most recently taken photo will be displayed on the screen with no information and if you desire that, then you can press the Disp button (down on the navigation pad) to add some basic shoot info. Press it again and you get a comprehensive screen of information with the image as a thumbnail and a histogram.

One thing that goes against Canon compacts when compared to some other equivalent cameras from different manufacturers is the use of an external battery charger. Small cameras like this are great for taking away on holidays or travelling – thanks to their wide array of features. The external charger does come with a figure eight lead to plug into the mains. The battery is also included and a small wrist strap. The IXUS 155 doesn't have any internal memory but there's no memory card included in the box either.

In the top section, there's a wrapped up pack containing a Getting Started Guide, a European Warranty information leaflet and some promotional paraphernalia. Noticeably missing is the full User Guide which is normally on a CD with some kind of basic editing and tagging software. These are both available now to download from the Canon website instead. It makes it better on the environment and cuts costs which should be reflected in the price of the Canon IXUS 155.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 20 megapixel Superfine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 6Mb.

Noise

Noise results from the low ISO looks promising at ISO 100. There's isn't an iota of noise in shadows or dark areas, but there is plenty of detail and nice, sharp edges. Being hyper-critical, slight amounts of noise start to poke through at ISO 200 and that's disappointing. ISO 400 is where the big changes happen though. There's a massive drop in image quality in terms of detail showing and noise coming through. Green blotches appear in darker areas and detail is already being smudged out by noise reduction software.

ISO 800 sees a drop in colour in order to subdue colour noise, but it still persists in occupying much of the image. Salt & pepper noise is also starting to intimidate mid-tones a lot more. This must be why they've capped the ISO ratings to ISO 1600. Any higher and the images would be unrecognisable and that's not good for a brand with such a high reputation.

The examination above was done at full magnification and if you look at the pictures at normal viewing size, you shouldn't see noise come through until ISO 800 except on long exposures where heated pixels will disrupt the performance of neighbouring pixels.

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

iso100.jpg iso200.jpg
   

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

iso400.jpg iso800.jpg
   

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

 
iso1600.jpg  

Sharpening

Adding sharpening to the pictures certainly helps if the pictures are at a low ISO and there's no evident noise. If there is, the sharpening process simply exacerbates it.

Original (100% Crop)

Sharpened (100% Crop)

sharpen1.jpg sharpen1a.jpg
   
sharpen2.jpg sharpen2a.jpg

Focal Range

The Canon IXUS 155's 10x zoom lens provides a focal length of 24-240mm in 35mm terms, as demonstrated below.

24mm

240mm

focal_range1.jpg focal_range2.jpg

Chromatic Aberrations

We found traces of chromatic aberration all over the pictures. Generally on high contrast edges, but not exclusively and they don't have to be sharp edges either. We did notice that due to the limited dynamic range of the sensor, some light bleed from bright skies looked like chroma, so don't mistake that.

Chromatic Aberrations 1 (100% Crop)

Chromatic Aberrations 2 (100% Crop)

chromatic1.jpg chromatic2.jpg
   

Chromatic Aberrations 3 (100% Crop)

Chromatic Aberrations 4 (100% Crop)

chromatic3.jpg chromatic4.jpg

Macro

The IXUS 155 has a 1cm close focus system. That's so close, it invades your personal space. The sweet spot in the centre can produce incredibly sharp images, but the drop off if image quality towards the edges comes in quickly and very severely.

Macro

Macro (100% Crop)

macro1.jpg macro1a.jpg

Flash

Without flash, the pictures are balanced with no evidence of vignetting that we could detect. Adding flash adds a harsh vignette at wide-angle though, but this goes as you get to the full zoom.

Flash Off - Wide Angle (24mm)

Flash On - Wide Angle (24mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64
   

Flash Off - Telephoto (240mm)

Flash On - Telephoto (240mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64

We did get some red-eye when taking portraits. Using the red-eye correction function does reduce it, but a correction system suggests it removes it. However, it does this digitally, so will be programmed to look for certain colours and it's quite possible that this was outside of the gamut.

Flash On

Flash On (100% Crop)
flash_on.jpg flash_on1.jpg
   

Red-eye Correction

Red-eye Correction (100% Crop)

flash_redeye.jpg flash_redeye1.jpg

Night

You can take pictures in Program mode at night which allows you to control the ISO and in turn allows smoother images. However, the maximum exposure time is 1sec which, in very dark conditions, simply isn't enough. The Night mode of the IXUS 155 is much better than those found on some other compact cameras. It's in fact a Long Exposure mode that allows you to select how long you want the exposure to be. You can choose anything up to 15 seconds and the camera will blessedly also allow you to adjust the ISO and white-balance.

Night Program

Night Program (100% Crop)

night_program.jpg night_program1.jpg
   

Night Scene

Night Scene (100% Crop)

night_scene.jpg night_scene1.jpg

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Canon IXUS 155 camera, which were all taken using the 20 megapixel SuperFine 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 1280x720 pixels at 25 frames per second. Please note that this 32 second movie is 57.8Mb in size.

Product Images

Canon IXUS 155

Front of the Canon IXUS 155

 
Canon IXUS 155

Front of the Canon IXUS 155 / Turned On

 
Canon IXUS 155

Side of the Canon IXUS 155

 
Canon IXUS 155

Side of the Canon IXUS 155

 
Canon IXUS 155

Rear of the Canon IXUS 155

 
Canon IXUS 155

Rear of the Canon IXUS 155 / Image Displayed

 
Canon IXUS 155

Rear of the Canon IXUS 155 / Turned On

 
Canon IXUS 155

Rear of the Canon IXUS 155 / Function Menu

 
Canon IXUS 155

Rear of the Canon IXUS 155 / Main Menu

 

Canon IXUS 155

Rear of the Canon IXUS 155 / Main Menu

 
Canon IXUS 155

Rear of the Canon IXUS 155 / Main Menu

 
Canon IXUS 155

Rear of the Canon IXUS 155 / Main Menu

 
Canon IXUS 155

Rear of the Canon IXUS 155 / Help Menu

 
Canon IXUS 155

Top of the Canon IXUS 155

 
Canon IXUS 155

Bottom of the Canon IXUS 155

 
Canon IXUS 155

Side of the Canon IXUS 155

 
Canon IXUS 155

Side of the Canon IXUS 155

 
Canon IXUS 155

Front of the Canon IXUS 155

 
Canon IXUS 155

Memory Card Slot

 
Canon IXUS 155

Battery Compartment

Conclusion

The Canon IXUS 155 has been designed to be appealing to look at and very easy to use. However, this sexiness with the point and shoot mentality isn't necessarily enough so the camera adds a few other bits and bobs to lure you up from the IXUS 150.

It's a very easy camera to use and as such will suit most people in a family from young to old, technophobe to tech savvy. The compact design will slip easily into a pocket or bag which makes it great for days out or nights on the town. If you're going on holiday, the long zoom and fast start up mode will mean you're less likely to lose those precious moments. The part that the IXUS as a range fails at this point is the external battery charger. It's additional weight to carry and the plug is the majority of it because it's a standard plug, not a custom made one for the camera range.

IXUS have always been built to a good standard and the 155 doesn't let us down at this point. There are naturally areas for improvement and in the 155, it could do with a locking mechanism on the battery door. While the door shouldn't just drop open of its own accord, it's these little points that make a camera special. We do like how the rubber cover of the USB port has been made into a part of the design for the entire right side of the camera.

Image quality of day to day pictures is very good. We are very pleased with the pictures we got through the test and not just because we're amazing photographers. Noise does come in a bit too early, but let's keep in mind that while it's a member of a prestige range, it's still a camera priced at £110 which isn't expensive.

The Canon IXUS 155 is modestly priced for the features you get from a brand name that has an excellent reputation. It doesn't sully that reputation and our only gripes are with the amount of chromatic aberration, which is down to sub-standard lenses, and noise coming through a little too early for our liking. Have a look at the samples and if you can live with it, then take a look at this camera.

4 stars

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

Specifications

IMAGE SENSOR

Type 1/2.3 type CCD
Effective Pixels Approx. 20.0M
Colour Filter Type Primary Colour

IMAGE PROCESSOR

Type DIGIC 4+ with iSAPS technology

LENS

Focal Length 4.3 – 43.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 24 – 240 mm)
Zoom Optical 10x
ZoomPlus 20x
Digital Approx. 4x
Combined Approx. 40x¹
Maximum f/number f/3.0 – f/6.9
Construction 9 elements in 7 groups
(1 double-sided aspherical lens)
Image Stabilisation Yes (lens shift-type), approx. 2.5-stop¹. Intelligent IS plus Enhanced Dynamic IS

FOCUSING

Type TTL
AF System/ Points AiAF (Face Detection / 9-point), 1-point AF (fixed to centre)
AF Modes Single, Continuous (Auto mode only), Servo AF/AE, Tracking AF¹
AF Lock Yes
AF Assist Beam Yes
Closest Focusing Distance 1 cm (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 Yes
Exposure Compensation +/- 2 EV in 1/3 stop increments.
Enhanced i-Contrast for automatic dynamic range correction
ISO sensitivity AUTO, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600

SHUTTER

Speed 1 – 1/2000 sec. (factory default)
15 – 1/2000 sec. (total range – varies by shooting mode)

WHITE BALANCE

Type TTL
Settings Auto (including Face Detection WB), Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom

COLOUR MATRIX

Type sRGB

LCD MONITOR

Monitor 6.8 cm (2.7") LCD (TFT), Approx. 230,000 dots
Coverage Approx. 100%
Brightness Adjustable to one of five levels. Quick-bright LCD

FLASH

Modes Auto, Manual Flash On / Off, Slow Synchro
Slow Sync Speed Yes. Fastest speed 1/2000 sec.
Red-Eye Reduction Yes
Flash Exposure Compensation Face Detection FE, Smart Flash Exposure
Flash Exposure Lock Yes
Built-in Flash Range 50cm – 4.0 m (W) / 1.0 – 2.0 m (T)
External Flash Canon High Power Flash HF-DC2

SHOOTING

Modes Smart Auto (32 scenes detected), P, Portrait, Live View Control, FaceSelf-Timer, Low Light (5.0 MP), Fish-eye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, Snow, Fireworks, Long Shutter
Modes in Movie Smart Auto (21 scenes detected), P, Portrait, Miniature Effect, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, Snow, Fireworks
Drive modes Single, Continuous, Self-Timer
Continuous Shooting Approx. 0.8 shots/sec.¹ (until memory card becomes full)²

RECORDING PIXELS / COMPRESSION

Image Size 4:3 - (L) 5152 x 3864, (M1) 3648 x 2736, (M2) 2048 x 1536, (S) 640 x 480, (W) 5152 x 2896
Resize in playback (M2, S)
Compression Fine
Movies (HD) 1280 x 720, 25 fps, (L) 640 x 480, 30 fps
Miniature Effect (HD) 5fps, 2.5fps, 1.25 fps
Miniature Effect (L) 6fps, 3fps, 1.5 fps
Movie Length (HD) Up to 4 GB or 29 min. 59 sec.¹
(L) up to 4 GB or 1 hour²

FILE TYPES

Still Image Type JPEG compression, (Exif 2.3 [Exif Print] compliant) / Design rule for Camera File system, Digital Print Order Format [DPOF] Version 1.1 compliant
Movies MOV [H.264 + Linear PCM (monaural) ]

DIRECT PRINT

Canon Printers Canon SELPHY Compact Photo Printers and Canon Inkjet Printers supporting PictBridge
PictBridge Yes

OTHER FEATURES

Red-Eye Correction Yes, during shooting and playback
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, Malaysian, Hindi, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Hebrew

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, SDXC

SUPPORTED OPERATING SYSTEM

PC & Macintosh Windows 8, 8.1 / 7 SP1 / Vista SP2 / XP SP3
Mac OS X 10.7, 10.8, 10.9

SOFTWARE

Browsing & Printing ImageBrowser EX
Other Camera Window
PhotoStitch

POWER SOURCE

Batteries Rechargeable Li-ion Battery NB-11LH (battery and charger supplied)
Battery life Approx. 230 shots
Eco Mode: Approx. 310 shots
Approx. 300min. playback
A/C Power Supply Optional, AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC90

ACCESSORIES

Cases / Straps Soft Case DCC-1370
Soft Case DCC-1320
Flash Canon High Power Flash HF-DC2
Power Supply & Battery Chargers AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC90
Other Canon AV Cable AVC-DC400

PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Operating Environment 0 – 40 °C, 10 – 90% humidity
Dimensions (WxHxD) 95.3 x 56.8 x 23.7 mm
Weight Approx. 142 g (including battery/batteries and memory card)
   
Zoom ¹ Depending on the image size selected.
Image Stabilisation ¹ Values at maximum optical focal length. Cameras whose focal length exceeds 350mm (35mm equivalent) are measured at 350mm.
Continuous Shooting ¹ Under conditions where the flash does not fire.
² Depending on memory card speed / capacity / compression setting.
Movie Length ¹ The following Speed Class memory cards are required for maximum record time: (HD) 1280 x 720 Speed Class 4 or above. (Full HD) 1920 x 1080 Speed Class 6 or above. (iFrame) 1280 x 720 Speed Class 6 or above.
² Depending on memory card speed / capacity / compression setting.
AF Modes ¹ Some settings limit availability.
  • All data is based on Canon standard testing methods (according to CIPA Standards) except where indicated.
  • Subject to change without notice.

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