For all the achingly hip advertising froth surrounding the IXUS range of stylish compacts, the Canon Digital IXUS 85 IS has a curiously old-fashioned feel to it, emphasising build and image quality and ease of use. The spec is bang up to date, though, with a 10-megapixel sensor, face detection and even image stabilisation. It's out now for around £180.
Strengths
Here's a camera you wouldn't be afraid to take home to your parents. For a start, it looks and feels like a camera, from the tips of its cosily rounded metal edges to the charmingly retro viewfinder plonked above the 64mm (2.5-inch) display.
Canon is the only maker to routinely still put optical viewfinders on its cameras and this one is a beaut: small but perfectly sharp and a real benefit if you're shooting in very dark conditions or a burst of continuous shots -- when screens are virtually useless. The screen itself, while verging on the small side, is bright and incredibly crisp in all but the dimmest indoor conditions.
The IXUS 85 feels very civilised in use. The zoom is whisper-quiet, the buttons respond almost instantly and menus are laid out logically. There are literally dozens of scene modes, some hidden away in the Func menu. The 3x lens is fine for a compact with no obvious distortion or other optical problems. Image stabilisation works well or at least as well as you need with such a modest telephoto setting.
Discuss Canon Digital IXUS 85 IS