For starters, it adds handy features
such as a USB 2 interface and compatibility with
external flash units. Plus, it now has a 5-megapixel
rather than 4-megapixel CCD. But it’s the quality
of the lens that makes or breaks a camera’s images.

Fortunately, Canon has decades of experience
at making lenses, and the 3x optical zoom is
impressive. It produces consistently great-quality
results – our only complaint is a slight softness at
the edges. This is one area where the IXUS 50’s
rival, Sony’s DSC-W5, is slightly better for general
indoor and outdoor shooting. However, the IXUS
50 certainly doesn’t do a bad job: it produced
perfectly exposed and nicely saturated images both
indoors and out.

The great macro mode captures
an area of just 28 x 21mm, while the
excellent 30fps VGA movie mode
may tempt you away from a DV
camcorder. It’s incredibly compact,
slipping easily into a trouser pocket,
and it weighs only 100g. It also uses
cheaper, widely available SD cards.

Then there’s the range of features.
Manual white balance, panorama assist,
ISO and EV adjustment are all useful,
and you can set focus and metering
modes too. We also love the nine-point
AiAF system, which shows the focus
points that have been chosen. An orientation
sensor automatically rotates portrait images, while
you can review images at up to 10x magnification.

There’s no manual control over shutter speed
or aperture, but the My Colours mode allows
creativity: you can replicate colour accents in stills
and movies. Also, the burst mode is the best we’ve
seen from a camera this size.

The Lithium-Ion battery lasts for scores of shots
and we also like the 2in LCD, which is bigger
than previous IXUS models. With a quick readyto-
shoot time, just 1.7 seconds, and a shot-to-shot
time of about three seconds, you’ll never miss a
photo opportunity again.