Digital Camera Reviews Just another DIGITAL CAMERA NEWS

Canon IXUS 50 digital camera review :

Beginning of this year Canon introduced a complete new range of digital cameras, amongst them the new Canon Digital IXUS 50. This extremely compact digital camera, designed on the basis of the previously introduced Canon Digital IXUS 40, is placed in a neatly finished metal housing. Despite its small appearance the Canon IXUS 50 has more to offer than you’d think at first glance. The Canon Digital IXUS 50 doesn’t yield in anything to his big brother the Canon IXUS 700.

Canon IXUS 50 – Successful

The Canon IXUS 50 digital camera is the logical next step in the flourishing IXUS digital camera range. The Digital IXUS guaranteed success from the minute the digital camera was introduced. If it wasn’t for the compact size, then it was the beautiful design the consumer went for. And some years later we have come to the latest Digital IXUS sibling; the Canon Digital IXUS 50.

Canon IXUS 50 – DIGIC II processor

There are hardly any limits encountered when cropping a captured moment, thanks to the image sensor with 5 Megapixel resolution. The appliance of the advanced DIGIC II processor, which is also found on the latest Canon digital SLR cameras, makes speed a convincing term on the small compact IXUS camera. The second generation DIGIC II processor should guarantee improvements concerning colour graduations and precise white balance and should also enable complex processing algorithms without diminishing the overall performance of the Canon IXUS 50 digital camera. Moreover; the fast startup time and the high processing speed of storing the images will make photographing a pleasant activity.

Canon IXUS 50 – Digital camera review

All in all does Canon take the compact series of Digital IXUS cameras seriously. Times of design and compactness are over, the application of true power and quality comprehension turn the Canon Digital IXUS 50 digital camera into a product that already stands out before even taking it into your hands. The specifications are highly promising and practice will decide whether the camera lives up to these expectations.

Canon Digital IXUS 50 | Digital Camera Review | Camera

Canon IXUS 50 – Control centre

Coming to the back of the Canon Digital IXUS 50 we find the control centre. The amount of buttons increases but stays well-organised. The 2 inch format LCD monitor featuring 118,000 pixels strikes your eyes immediately. Compared to earlier years, the increase in size of these monitors is a vast improvement. I can’t imagine how we ever settled for the smaller monitors! The other buttons for operating the camera we find on the back. Above the LCD monitor we find a undersized optical viewfinder. To be honest; the size of this viewfinder is so small I can’t imagine the use of such a viewfinder, especially when I look at the beautiful size LCD monitor. Next to the monitor all buttons are placed, also the key button; the multi control dial. Right on top a small switch is placed to select the record or play menu or to turn the camera into a digital video camera to record video clips. The multi control dial offers direct access to for example the flash settings and the Macro mode, and also many other settings. The button is also used for navigating through the camera’s menu. Right at the bottom a so-called Print/Share button is placed, a strong trump on this Canon digital camera when the camera is connected to a so-called PictBridge supporting printer.

Canon Digital IXUS 50 – Small jewel

The design of the Canon Digital IXUS 50 is neatly finished and its appearance is solid and of high quality. Not only thanks to the metal housing but also the ergonomics and the comfortable way of holding the camera play a main role. This camera is the result of a few generations of Digital IXUS digital cameras which shows the success of these series. The Canon Digital IXUS 50 is a small jewel from Canon’s digital camera assortment.

Canon Digital IXUS 50 | Digital Camera Review | Control

Canon IXUS 50 – Multi control dial

The multi control dial on the back of the camera contains various functions. Pressing the top ring offers access to a choice of light metering methods, to the left for macro or landscape images, to the right to make a selection from diverse flash settings, and down to activate the self-timer or to start continuous shooting. All of these functions are available in record mode, if changing to the play mode, the multi control dial contains different new functions, like delete.

Canon IXUS 50 – Accessories

Besides digital cameras Canon has a diversity of (digital) products in its assortment. Amongst them the compact postcard printers. The Canon SELPHY CP-220 printer offers the simple and effective solution of creating a print directly from the digital camera and the new compact Canon SELPHY DS700 offers the possibility to view images directly on a television screen, besides the high quality print. Connecting the Canon Digital IXUS 50 to a PictBridge supporting printer, makes printing an image ever so easy. Press the concerning button on the back of the camera once, select the desired images on the camera and have them printed out by the PictBridge supporting (Canon) printer. Simple and effective.

Canon Digital IXUS 50 – Battery and Memory card

Furthermore; inserting the battery and the memory card is a piece of cake. The compartment for the pair of them is covered by a small cover on the bottom of the camera. Sliding the cover away opens the compartment and the battery and the memory card can be inserted. It might occur that you misplace the battery, however; the small catch that keeps the battery in its place, won’t accept it. The easy operation is pleasant; the manual is just what a manual should be like. It takes you by the hand and leads you through the whole camera. Just take half an hour, get acquainted with the directness of the operation of the Canon Digital IXUS 50 and in no-time you are doing with the camera, what is meant to be done with it: taking pictures!

Canon Digital IXUS 50 | Digital Camera Review | Adjustments

Who really wants to get the highest quality from a close-up image will have to standard disable the flash and use an external flash unit. But this might be overdoing it for most of you, nor is the Canon Digital IXUS 50 the proper camera for it. All in all, a fine close-up result, especially for a super compact digital camera like the IXUS 50.

Canon IXUS 50 – Metering

Three different types of metering can be set: evaluative metering, centre weighted metering and spot metering. First I must admit, the exposure is hardly ever incorrect, here and there the minimal reach of the internal flash causes an under exposed image indoors, but in fact the actual metering did the right job. Evaluative metering is the standard exposure for the average subject. The image is divided in a number of areas at which complex factors like position of the subject, brightness, direct light, backlighting etc, are being collected and metered to find the correct exposure fully automatically. In practise, 95% of the images will be successful with this setting. If you want a more precise exposure at which the centre of a composition gets the emphasis or even more precise, the centre containing a few mm of the composition, you can select the centre weighted metering or the spot metering. It is possible that a slight compensation is necessary, especially on high contrast images. Selecting exposure compensation mode will adjust it. Colour rendition is fantastic, with beautiful nature-true colours full of contrast. The automatic white balance is outstanding. In fact, almost all images show a superb colour rendition and an excellent white balance. When making a portrait, skin tones are strikingly astonishing and contrast rich images like a bunch of flowers show excellent results.

Canon Digital IXUS 50 – Settings

The settings of the Canon Digital IXUS 50 are mainly based on using the camera in automatic mode. Besides manually selecting ISO sensitivity, white balance and slow shutter speeds, the preset scenes and the perfect automatic program decide the quality. One who purchases such a camera is not likely to state high demands on the settings of the camera and if the final images of the Canon IXUS 50 are examined one will be surprised by the quality and the ease of making these high quality images. This Digital IXUS 50 proves that Canon never stopped developing the IXUS generation, especially developments on the field of image processing and handling. The built-in DIGIC II processor holds the main part here!

Canon Digital IXUS 50 | Digital Camera Review | Storage and Energy

Canon Digital IXUS 50 – SanDisk

The Canon IXUS 50, equipped with a standard SanDisk Secure Digital memory card, is able to capture 9 images (resolution of 2592×1944 Super fine) in sequence with an ultra fast speed, approximately 2 images per second. After 9 images the camera switches over to a somewhat slower speed but keeps capturing images continuously until the memory card is full. Choosing a different compression the camera is capable of photographing a lot longer with a speed of 2 images per second. When I swap the card for the super fast SanDisk Extreme III Secure Digital memory card the Canon IXUS 50 is capable of continuous shooting with 2 images per second until the memory card is full. When recording a video clip a difference appears in terms of percentage, but the difference between one second of storing a 30 second video clip and the two seconds to store the same video clip with a standard memory card can be ignored. If you want the highest speed possible or the ease of the combination of a Canon IXUS 50 and a Secure Digital memory card and making high resolution photos, it will be to your advantage if you look for a fast memory card.

Canon Digital IXUS 50 – Battery

Opening the bottom of the camera shows the ultra flat battery. The Canon NB-4L battery is recharged through the standard delivered battery charger. The battery has to be slid onto the charger, and a small orange light will blink during charging. If the battery is fully charged the colour will change to green. It takes approximately 90 minutes to recharge an empty battery. The small battery has a capacity of 3.7V 760mAh. It won’t come as a surprise to you to conclude that such a small battery is not capable of providing energy for hours and hours. It is possible of taking pictures for 1,5 hours, which are about 150 images with the LCD monitor activated. If you turn the monitor off, you can save a lot of energy, and the amount of images increases to approximately 400 images! However; if you want to enjoy your camera without disturbances you should purchase a second battery. Nothing is more annoying than to be on a well-deserved holiday or to join a good party and to discover that the nice piece of equipment in your hand ran out of energy. In particular in situations where you don’t have the possibility to recharge the battery, a second battery will come in really handy.

Canon Digital IXUS 50 | Digital Camera Review | Conclusion

Canon IXUS 50 – Ease of use

The new Canon IXUS 50 is a beautiful digital camera. Despite its refined techniques it remains a digital camera with ease of use. Of course nothing is wrong with that. One who seeks more possibilities, more creative control and the possibility for full manual control, should look further. However; if you look for a small handy digital camera that carries enough resolution to replace the present analogue camera; you won’t be disappointed that easily by the Canon Digital IXUS 40.

Canon IXUS 50 – More freedom to experiment

The user friendliness stands out, the camera looks beautiful, a great design and a superb finishing touch. The concept of the IXUS series of digital cameras seems to have passed with flying colours. The image quality is excellent and the good thing about it is that it happens automatically. Although the exposure is automatic it is still possible to adjust ISO sensitivity and white balance to your own desires. Besides that, the Canon Digital IXUS 50 lets you set the shutter speed manually. These settings offer the beginning as well as the more creative user more freedom to experiment or to get acquainted with the basic elements of (digital) photography.

Canon IXUS 50 – Excellent camera

The strong trump of Canon, the DIGIC II processor also helps the Canon IXUS 50 to achieve its high performance. The speed at which the camera processes the images, the quality of the video clip and in particularly the high speed of the video clip, is impressive. At this moment, there is not another camera to perform the way the IXUS 50 performs, simply effective. On the whole, we are more than satisfied with this Canon digital camera. The camera lives up to its promised specifications, it proves its quality and the ease of feeling at home in a high resolution class like this compact camera does, is impressive. If you are looking for a beautifully finished digital camera, a camera from the inheritance of the famous generations of digital cameras, should put the Canon Digital IXUS 50 on her or his list. In earlier days, design didn’t always go well with speed or quality, but with the IXUS 50 Canon proves that it can go together like peas in a pot, a recommendable camera!

Sphere: Related Content

Posted under Digital Camera Reviews