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Consumers today are spoilt for choice when it comes down to picking out a compact digital camera in the RM1000 - RM1500 price range. It’s not a bad thing though - don’t get the wrong idea - but sometimes the abundance of choice does get a little confusing.

Today we look at the Canon IXUS 120IS, a 12MP digital compact camera that retails at RM1198. Carrying the recognizable IXUS label, the 120IS follows close suite to it’s predecessors and comes in the trademark brushed metal finish. Speaking of labels, the 120IS also carries the tag of being Canon’s slimmest (at 20mm thick) IXUS with a 28mm wide-angle lens.

Review continues after the jump.

Overview

Besides the snazzy exterior and svelte body, the 120IS also packs some serious processing power thanks to the DIGIC 4 image processing chip - the same image processor that’s being used in Canon’s latest range of compact and DSLR cameras - that not only offers faster still image processing, but also the ability to shoot videos in H.264 (HD 720p) encoding.

On the back of the camera sit’s a 2.7-inch PureColor II LCD display that supposedly reproduces a better color range for your viewing pleasure. It’s also supposed to resist smudging and scratching, but that part of the claim is a myth (more on that later). It does however remain clear under direct sunlight, so snapping pictures outdoors on a sunny afternoon isn’t going to be a problem.

Not knowing how to use the various modes on the camera isn’t going to be a problem either, because the IXUS 120IS also comes with an improved Smart Auto Mode that automatically selects the most appropriate mode out of the 22 preset modes to shoot in. Utilizing both scene detection and face detection technologies, the 120IS will take things like brightness, contrast, distance and overall hue of the subject (human/item) and automatically switch to the shooting mode that will produce the best results.

Real life use
We took the Canon IXUS 120IS out for a 2-week spin over the Christmas and New Year period to see just how well it would perform in “real life situations”, and came back with a mixed bag of results. For a camera that slick, it definitely does go down as something that feels very solid in the hand. It wasn’t noticeably heavy, and it fit easily into a jean pocket. Rightly so too since it only measures 20mm in thickness and weighs a paltry 120grams.

Snapping photos was a breeze, and the Smart Auto mode did live up to it’s reputation - so much so that it was left in Auto mode for most of the time we tested it! The camera easily differentiated between human and object, and handled macro shots splendidly. We also noticed the little on-screen icon (that signifies the mode it’s currently in) switching around quite often, which showed that the 120IS was actively scanning the surroundings to adjust to the optimal scene mode automatically.

Smart Auto mode - with flash on - shot from moving car

Shooting video in on the camera was pretty effortless too. The sound quality could have been better, since there isn’t any jack for you to plug in an external microphone, but then again, the 120IS is a compact camera so we shouldn’t be asking for too much.

We did however encounter issues with picture clarity when the flash was forced off as the image stabilization didn’t help much. Without steady hands that a surgeon could vouch for, shooting in low light conditions with your flash off is a very hit and miss process.

Don’t think too much of the PureColor II LCD display’s claim to be smudge and scratch resistant either, even though it’s stated to be just that on the Canon website, since 2 weeks of usage was all it took for noticeable scratches to start appearing. You’ll definitely need some form of screen protector if you don’t plan to use a camera pouch, but then again, going commando will leave the brush metal body scratched up too.

Conclusion
Taking points like usability, functionality, and price into consideration, we think that the Canon IXUS 120IS is a splendid compact camera. It’s a perfect first camera since all the photography knowledge you need to get snapping your masterpiece is knowing how to press down the shutter button - the Smart Auto mode will do the rest. It shoots decent videos too, so that’s a very nice bonus to it. It even comes in a couple of snazzy colors if the trademark IXUS brushed metal look isn’t your cup of tea.

The Canon IXUS 120IS is available now for RM1198. Full product specifications can be found on the Canon website at http://www.canon.com.my