Canon IXUS 1100 HS review

A premium, stylish shooter with touch-screen technology and some fun filters too

Canon’s IXUS range is synonymous with style and creativity, and this latest model is no different. It’s a sleek piece of technology entirely made from metal and there are only four buttons to contend with: on/off, shutter release, playback, and a switch for auto or manual shooting.

Slide the switch to manual shooting, tap the left-hand corner and an extensive menu of illustrated icons appears with every kind of shooting mode you can think of. Toy Camera effect, Miniature mode and Canon’s famous Colour Swap are all on board, as well as practical offerings such as Smart Shutter mode. This enables the shutter to be triggered by a smile, a blink, or even when a new face enters the frame, which is especially useful for group portraits. The touch screen may be an acquired taste and it inevitably slows the shooting process down, but it’s one of the most responsive we’ve used.

Fun filters aside, it’s disappointing to see there are no Shutter or Aperture Priority modes at this price point. This may hamper those who wish to enhance their skills and seize more control over their image making. The good news is that image quality is ahead of most of its competitors, as the IXUS 1100 HS produces punchy, sharp shots. It performs well in Movie mode too, recording in full HD with stereo sound.

Canon’s IXUS cameras don’t come cheap and rarely fall far below their retail price, which is a testament to the quality of the design and the feature set. The touch screen will be a deciding factor, but as a point-and-shooter and semi-manual compact, it ranks highly.