by Canon Articles
IXUS 870 IS will be highly sought after by those who want it all, given the combination of advanced technology and premium aesthetic design. Equipped with a suite of new features including Canon’s new DiG!C 4 Image Processor, the IXUS 870 IS delivers flawless images.

The IXUS 870 IS is a 10 megapixel compact digital camera with a 3 inch screen and 4x zoom lens featuring Canon Optical Image Stabilizer. IXUS 870is weighs just 180gms with its rechargeable battery and measures a tiny 94 x 57 x 24mm.
Users of the IXUS 870 IS will appreciate the flexibility of the model’s 28mm wide angle lens. Whether trying to fit your entire group of friends into one photograph or capturing a stunning landscape, the IXUS 870 IS will give fantastic results. A 4.0x Optical Zoom Lens, Optical Image Stabilizer and a 10 megapixels image sensor ensures your images are crystal clear and closer to the action. Featuring a 3.0 inch PureColor II LCD screen, images are easier to capture, view and share. 10 megapixels mean better quality pictures, allowing better photo prints up to A2 size

The camera can be changed to movie mode, scene presets and normal recordings using a three way switch on the top of the body. The DIGIC 4 processor compresses the video with the aid of the H.264 format and encodes the audio as Linear PCM at 16 bit/44.1 KHZ. This allows longer movie recordings using less memory.

Certain features make the IXUS 870 IS a good buy for beginners and amateurs alike. Traditionally a shutter speed of 1/112 is recommended to eliminate camera shakes, which may be a bit difficult to handle by beginners. The IXUS 870is achieves complete sharpness at 1/10 due to its optical image stabilization. The IS in the name stands for Image Stabilization, which helps in checking camera shake. It has three modes in this optical system: ‘Continuous’, ‘Shoot Only’ and ‘Panning’. In Continuous mode the system operates all the time while ‘Shoot Only’ combats camera shaking only when you take the photo. Panning stabilizes the vertical axis when you are moving the camera horizontally. Appropriate choice of these modes gives sharp shots even at high zoom and poor light conditions.

The 75mm LCD screen allows a better view of what you are shooting than trying to fix the centre through an optical viewfinder. Another advantage for beginners is the automatic red eye correction that gives perfect portraits. The redesigned buttons of the control panel are also more tactile, responsive and consistent than the touch-sensitive circle of the previous model.

The DISP button is another handy feature for beginners and amateurs. While shooting and/or during playback the button alternates between a clear image and basic or detailed shooting information. Another page shows a thumbnail of the image and the active area of focus. If Face Detection mode was activated while taking a photo then the enlargement will show the face of the primary subject’s face. This allows you to check the expression and confirm the focus by selecting the primary or other focus points by zooming-in.

Although the IXUS 870 IS incorporates some similar features as some of the earlier and cheaper models, it is the cutting edge technology, mainly the DIGIC 4 processor that makes the difference to the 10 megapixel CCD sensor and image and audio processing.

This article is brought to you by Canon Australia - Compact Digital Camera

About Canon
Canon Australia is a leading provider of advanced, simple-to-use imaging solutions for businesses and consumers. Canon’s Australian R&D company, CiSRA, develops customised solutions for local customers, and exports digital imaging technologies for use in Canon products worldwide. Canon has ranked among the top-three US patent recipients for the past 16 years, and had global revenues of around $US39 billion in 2007. Canon Australia also operates Canon Finance Australia, which offers one-stop shopping for customers wanting leasing or finance services. For more information, visit canon.com.au.

Find more information at Canon Australia or visit the IXUS digital camera range for specific models.

Article Source: IXUS 870 IS Digital Camera Overview