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January 14, 2010
[REVIEW—CANON IXUS 120 IS]
Price: $500
Competent compact
The low-down: This 12.1 megapixel compact camera is fitted with an image stabilised 28–112mm (film equivalent) lens. It is very small with a face area about the same as a credit card and a mere 20mm deep with the lens retracted. It will fit in any pocket. Construction quality is good. The Function control set is a small variation on the classic Canon layout, giving reasonable user control in P mode. There is face recognition and Blink detection that warns when the subject’s eyes are closed. (This gets Imaging’s Most Useless Doodad Award). High definition movies (720 lines) are promised, but it depends on your definition of definition. The 6.75cm LCD is the camera’s weak point.
Like: The images from the camera are generally good, although there is a tendency to over-expose low contrast subjects and the under-expose those in brighter light. Resolution and focus sharpness are excellent with very fine detail preserved and no worrying noise reduction effects, at least a ISO speeds up to 200. Macro performance is very good.
Dislike: The LCD is a poor affair, giving only an approximate review of the captured image. Fortunately the image that appears on the computer monitor or in print is much better than the LCD would lead us to expect. Flash performance is poor with weak illumination and weird colour casts. Dynamic range (the ability to keep detail in shadows and highlights) is not great, no doubt due to the excessive number of pixels.
Verdict: The little Canon can take good pictures, but the poor flash performance means it is no party camera. The lens and the image processing are good, but the user experience leaves something to be desired because of the LCD. The 28mm wide angle end of the zoom is a boon for tourists.
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Posted by terry at January 14, 2010 07:29 AM
