CANOON IXUX 220 HS DIGITAL CAMERA

                The IXUS 220 HS isn’t very different from the IXUS 115 HS. Both the models have a 12.1 megapixel sensor and feature similar designs. However, the IXUS 220 HS offers a better lens. It’s much wider at 24 mm and the zoom extends to 5x. The controls lie next to the 2.7-inch LCD. There’s a switch that lets you instantly switch between the Auto mode and other modes. In Auto mode, the camera automatically recognizes the type of scene and adjusts the exposure parameters. The user can only set the timer, image size and quality.
               If you want to tinker with the exposure settings and get creative, switch away from the Auto mode. Besides the Program mode, Canon has provided a bunch of scene modes and effect filters such as Fish eye, Toy camera, Poster, Monochrome and Miniature that can make your photos stand out. The IXUS 220 HS can shoot 720p videos with great ease and optical zoom is functional while shooting. Full HD video recording is also possible, but at 24 fps. The list of shooting modes has a very cool feature called Super Slow Motion Movie. This mode shoots videos at very high speed for super slow motion playback – fast paced action videos look great in slow motion. Video recording can be started by simply pressing the record button on top of the D-pad. The 5-way d-pad has shortcuts for Macro, EV, Flash and Display settings. Unfortunately selftimer is missing, which compels the user to select it from the Function menu. The overall performance of the IXUS 220 HS is very good. We shot landscapes, people, still objects, close ups, videos and they all came out very nice. Outdoor performance in bright daylight with ISO set to 100 is good, but not outstanding. The reproduction of colors and details was good, but fringing was very apparent around objects against bright backgrounds such as the sky or viceversa.
                The overall contrast of the images was good, but if you’re meticulous about good results, you’ll need to spruce up the contrast and details in an image editing program. Left untouched, the results produced are quite good for printing. Indoor images, both with and without flash came out nice. Some images were shot at ISO 1600 and with shutter speed as low as 1/20 sec. Surprisingly, the noise was well controlled and there was no blur thanks to image stabilization. The video recording quality is very good. Shooting in full HD seemed a bit difficult for the camera. There was quite a bit of stuttering in fast action scenes and while panning. However, 720p videos came out flawless, except for some fringing in highcontrast scenes.
             We liked the Canon IXUS 220 HS for its compact design, ease of use, interesting feature set and good performance, both indoors and outdoors. It offers a good bang for the buck, but we find the IXUS 115 HS better when it comes to value for money.
Verdict: An affordable camera with great build quality and performance.
For: 24 mm wide angle, easy to use, super slow motion video shooting.
Against: Full HD video recording at 24 fps.

SPECIFICATION
www.canon.co.in
Dimensions (WxHxD): 92 x 56 x 20 mm; Weight: 140 g;
Resolution: 12.1 megapixels; Focal length: 24 -120 mm
(5x optical zoom); Aperture: F2.7-F5.9; Shutter speed:
15‑1/2000 sec; ISO: 100-3200; Screen: 2.7 in,
230k dots; Video recording: 1920x1080 @24 fps.