Nice camera for casual photography

Category: Review on Canon IXUS 60 Digital Camera

Posted by: 15-Oct-2006

Strengths: Quick startup, fast shutter response, lots of in-camera effects

Weaknesses: Limited manual controls, drains batteries quickly

The Canon IXUS line gets a lot of praise for its design, and this little powerhouse is a delight to look at and to hold. The IXUS 60 is virtually identical to the pricier IXUS 65, differing only in its slightly smaller LCD screen (2.5 inches vs. 3 inches), making it a great deal for the money. The 6 megapixel resolution is industry standard, with ISO equivalent speed settings from 80 to 800, a retractable 3x optical zoom, and a real-image optical viewfinder. The IXUS 60's DIGIC II imaging processor speeds up all the basic functions, making for quick startup, shutter response, playback, and image processing speed. As with other IXUS cameras, you can shoot using the optional widescreen 16:9 ratio resolution and create panoramic prints. A wide range of photo effects can be achieved using the “My Colors” mode without any special software applications, which is where the IXUS 60 really wins over other point-and-shoot cameras in the same price category.

Manual control doesn’t give you much to work with – you can adjust a few things like white balance, photo effects and exposure compensation, but you can’t control aperture or shutter speed. The PowerShot IXUS 60 has an optical viewfinder, but it's not very accurate – the viewfinder on the back of the camera will give you a more accurate preview of your shot. Unfortunately, that superior LCD screen’s a power hog, draining your battery considerably – with the LCD monitor turned off you can take about 600 pictures, but with it turned on, you only get about 160.

Canon’s the top name in point-and-shoot digital cameras for a reason – for the money, they give you a lot of camera. This is a great unit for the family photographer or for anyone who wants something light and small to carry for casual photos.