Canon IXUS 1000 HS review

A quality compact with fun and functional features

M arking ten years since Canon created its first IXUS, its latest release is now one of the most advanced compacts in the range. Canon describes the IXUS 1000 as the world’s smallest and slimmest superzoom camera, and with all of its impressive features fitting into one compact body, the Canon IXUS 1000 HS is fairly weighty in hand and in price. But what exactly can you expect for all that money?

The Canon IXUS 1000 HS is an impressive-looking compact available in three different colours – silver, pink and brown. With an

unusual angular design and robust feel it is a lot more eye-catching than its predecessor, the Canon IXUS 300 HS.

In hand, the camera fits comfortably and features an easy-to-use button layout and large three-inch LCD screen. The menu interface is easy to locate and scroll through using the designated scroll wheel. You also benefit from a great hints and tips feature that guides you through all of the creative camera options, avoiding having to thumb through the manual.

This camera is brimming with impressive features and functional shooting modes. The ever-popular Smart Auto mode with face and scene recognition is easy to switch to and allows you to point and shoot quickly, leaving all the technical decisions to the camera. The intuitive wink and smile shutter is back, fantastic for group shots and allowing you to get more involved in the scenes you shoot.

With 21 shooting modes available, it is easy to make more creative decisions involving the shot type, custom colours and tonal options of an image. Specialist effects such as the colour accent and colour swap features help you to create more dynamic images in camera without the need for heavy computer processing. The fun and popular fisheye lens and miniature effects are still available, allowing users to carry the creativity into Movie mode with the miniature effect available as a movie shooting option.

With optional movie quality making it easier for you to shoot and share online, the Canon IXUS 1000 HS covers all the basics. The camera also features stereo sound for quality audio and full HD, allowing you to shoot at an impressive 1920 x 1080p resolution. Additionally you can select Slow Motion mode, great for sports or wildlife video capture.

Out on a test run the IXUS 1000 didn’t fail to impress, demonstrating ease of use and creative flexibility. It starts up relatively quickly and doesn’t take long to process each shot, however with a low 150 shots per battery charge, don’t get carried away too quickly.

The image quality proves exceptional. The camera’s adjustable and auto white balance works well under a range of lighting conditions, with impressive colour rendition, saturation and contrast. You’ll find fantastic detail in shots taken with good lighting, particularly when shooting macro images, allowing you to get as close as 1cm from the subject with almost pin-sharp precision and focus. The 10x optical zoom lens performs well, zooming in without any image distortion or noticeable chromatic aberration after capture.

High-sensitivity capabilities are proven with ease, shooting at ISO 3200 at full resolution and without a considerable amount of noise. It’s particularly impressive when shooting in low-light conditions, with image stabilisation that works well when shooting handheld.

The Canon IXUS 1000HS is a great-looking camera that’s packed full of high-quality features. Those who are budget conscious may be put off by the steep price tag, yet it’s a great choice for users looking for more creative freedom in-camera.

Hayley Paterek