Canon IXUS 160: a review, features and reviews.

Presented along with models 165 and 170, the Canon IXUS 160 is located in the middle of super-thin and stylish cameras of the IXUS line. It boasts a 20-megapixel 1 / 2.3 "CCD-sensor and an 8x optical zoom lens at the equivalent of focal lengths of 28 to 224 mm, albeit without proper image stabilization. The camera is capable of recording HD video of 720p format and has 6 creative filters that will help to revive a nondescript snapshot. Other useful features, such as blink detection and an automatic timer, will provide quality photos of friends and family members. The camera is available in silver, black, white and red and costs $ 120.

Ease of use

Canon IXUS 160 is identical to the 165th model, except for the image stabilization system, which saves about 35 dollars. At the same time, the situation seems strange when the IXUS 155 costs less, but it has stabilization, and the 10-fold optical zoom is even more than 8-fold for the IXUS 160.

The company's size IXUS 95.2 x 54.3 x 22.1 mm makes the camera small enough to fit in the pocket of the jeans, and 127 grams of weight means that it will never become a burden. Part of this can be attributed to the plastic case, but it is well assembled and does not bend. There is a metallic fixing of the tripod, which is nice, even if such a camera is unlikely to spend much time in a fixed state. It is a pity that the gloss is short-lived, as it easily scratches, which is especially noticeable in the red version. The smooth surface makes the camera quite slippery, and this is exacerbated by the lack of grip areas on the front or back of the camera, except for the projection around the LCD screen.

Display

The screen itself is bright enough, even under direct sunlight, and the color rendition is also not bad, but only if you look at the display at a right angle. The slope is limited, since the color and contrast vary significantly. The problem is not that big, but it spoils the overall impression, especially if the user expects improvement in comparison with the camera of his smartphone. The average resolution of the phone also gives oddity to the pathetic 230 thousand pixels of the Canon IXUS 160 screen, although this is a typical phenomenon for cheap compact cameras.

Control Panel

Near the screen there are several buttons, the size of which does not require sharpening nails for their use. These are standard playback buttons, video recording and menu call, and a button with a question mark that brings up the help menu, where during shooting a description of the type of scene detected in automatic mode will be given. The user will probably want to take a picture quickly, rather than worry about what the camera is busy with, but the help system is more useful when playing back. Here you can get help with navigation, zoom and rotate images and many more useful tips that will make learning more intuitive.

Canon IXUS 160: Overview of Operation Modes

In the center of the control panel is located the navigation wheel, inside which is the Func / Set button. It provides access to basic shooting parameters that have been separated from the rest of the less used settings contained in the main menu. In automatic mode, pressing the Set button saves the self-timer settings (including user mode, which allows you to preset your own delay time, as well as the number of pictures), single or continuous shooting (at 0.8 fps), image size and video resolution (HD Or VGA).

When you start on the top of the navigation wheel Canon IXUS 160 Black switches from automatic to the last used alternative mode. In this case, Func / Set includes additional options for metering (estimated, weighted average or spot), white balance (including custom setting), ISO sensitivity, exposure compensation, and depth of field. The Func / Set menu also sets shooting modes other than automatic, including screen-based control that allows you to change the tone of the image and the timer automatically triggered when a face is detected. Low illumination limits the frame capture mode to 5 Mp, reducing noise in photos taken with high sensitivity. And, finally, you can change the shutter release settings if you want to take night shots at low ISO sensitivity and the presence of a tripod.

It's a pity that Canon decided to hide most of the modes and art effects in the Func / Set menu, when other producers have a separate button for this. However, it's great that you can customize the shooting settings to get the most out of the camera and develop your skills.

Other parameters controlled by the navigation wheel include flash settings, playback and display of screen information, such as an image histogram. Finally, the Canon IXUS 160 is equipped with the Eco system, which allows you to extend the battery life thanks to energy-saving measures such as faster screen shutdown. It increases battery life from 220 to 300 shots.

Focusing

Canon IXUS 160 allows you to take pictures every 1.7 seconds. This is partly due to the fast focusing speed of the camera, which is almost instantaneous in good lighting and not too slow in low light. In dim lighting AF can get confused in the search for a target.

But the most inconvenient in the Canon IXUS 160 user reviews are called autofocusing when shooting close-ups. The camera's minimum focusing distance is 5 cm, but only when the lens is at the widest angle. If you increase it even slightly, you will have to retreat by half a meter, so that the camera will focus again, and a small zoom will require a much larger distance. This is a typical feature of compact devices, but it seems that the ability of the IXUS 160 to focus on nearby objects is inferior to its competitors. AF is particularly annoying when the photographer, trying to avoid getting a shadow on the subject, too close the camera, and also when trying to use a larger focal length to create an attractive blurry background with a shallow depth of field.

Conclusion

Budget compact cameras rarely feature high performance and innovative features, but the Canon IXUS 160 user reviews are called even duller than the gray majority. Besides a lot of manual settings and a few really useful functions, the camera is not noticeable.

The image quality is at best average, satisfactory only with good lighting, but disappointing in the room and with a lack of light. The lack of normal stabilization only aggravates the problem, and AF can become painful when shooting close-ups. The buttons are large enough, and the menu structure is logical, but it will be necessary to reconcile with a slippery surface and a mediocre LCD screen.

But the biggest problem with the camera is its price. Of course, $ 120 is inexpensive, but even the outdated IXUS 155 can be purchased for the same amount and get a 10x zoom with image stabilization. The Nikon Coolpix S3700 competitor also has a stabilized lens plus Wi-Fi and photo sharing with NFC technology.

Overall, the Canon IXUS 160 does its work quite well and is easy to use, but it is not enough to become more attractive than its direct competitors and the older model with better characteristics.