Compact craze
Four new flavors for Canon's newest Ixus
Without a doubt, the new Ixus cameras are out to make another colorful splash on the point-and-shoot market. The Canon I7 is, as the name suggests, a 7.1 megapixel ultra-compact, and comes in four distinct colors – steel gray, hot pink, denim blue, and a gold-plated brown, which we instantly took to, reminding us of a six-shooter crossed with a Hershey chocolate bar.
The I7 is nearly as small as the i zoom, which is about the size and weight of your average cellular phone. This ensures that the I7 will be getting a lot of action, since it's easy to carry around and won't be a bother even if it's on your person 24/7. On the other hand, this “ultra-compactness” typically comes at a price, with shortcomings in its features and capabilities.
Top of the list of bummers has to be the limited 2.4x zoom range, which is easily surpassed by most any other current generation camera. Lack of manual exposure controls are expected, as is a weak flash, and though a 1.8-inch LCD is understandable due to its physical dimensions, you can't help but find it small once you've been spoiled by the 2.5-inch screens which have now become the norm.
The I7's back is nicely designed, with each button serving multiple purposes, such as the up and down selection buttons doubling as the zoom in/out buttons. A traditional viewfinder is ditched, so you'll be relying fully on the LCD, which is bright and accurate.
Image quality is average; its 7-megapixel count is wasted on rather weak image resolution (no surprise, small sensor). Noise levels are good up until ISO 400, but dips fast past that. The AiAF face detect feature helps a lot in focusing, which can be attributed to the new Digic III image processor fitted on the cam.
It's nice to see the I7 pack in other useful features, such as a video mode, spot metering, color modes, and the option to choose from a wide variety of file sizes (from postcard size to wide). If you want a small, light cam always at hand, with stylish looks and decent capabilities, this one's definitely worth checking out. Vincent Coscolluela
CANON IXUS i7 ZOOM | P19,950
www.canon.com.ph
TECH 7.1 megapixel CCD sensor. 1.8-inch LCD screen. 2.4x zoom. SD card slot. ISO up to 1600. 96.1 x 45.1 x 23.9mm. 105g.
LOVE Stylish and comes in four colors. Small and light.
HATE Sluggish start up. Easy to drop and scratch.
WE SAY Great for barkada outings and everyday stuff, but for more demanding users, you might want another cam with better optics.
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T3 Magazine Philippines - January-February 2007 Issue
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 CANON IXUS i7 ZOOM
In details
The i7 is an upgrade of last year's 5-megapixel Ixus i zoom, the smallest and lightest in the Ixus lineup. The i zoom also came out in four colors, but were available in black, gold, red and ultra-violet.
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