Canon Ixus V3 Review

Overall Rating

Good Feature set. Improved image functions for playback. Consistant functions carried from previous model Ixus v2. Improved Movie mode capture.

Lens sometimes produces an orange artifact when taking shots directly into a strong light source.

First impressions :
The camera retains all the qualities in both features and build that people have come to expect from the Canon Ixus range. In an ever changing world it is also reasuring to see that the functions and design of the camera remain largely unmodified.

Picture quality remains exceptionally high for the size of lens. Movie mode has been lengthened to a maximum of 3 minutes per clip. Multiple clips can be taken until the card is full of the battery gives out.

Menus remain largely unchanged and again this helps new and old users navigate a simple system that does not need embelishing.

As with all the other things about this model, the accessories are fully compatible and will work with no problem, including all bateries, underwater case, printers etc....

Useability :
As with the Ixus V2 all functions are very similar so getting to grips with this model was very easy. Things were where you expected them to be and had not been moved to satiate some marketing organisations desire to look like they needed to earn their keep. All the normal functions are present, including Various flash settings, Movie mode, various resolutions for still shots, White Balance adjustments, timed exposure, a timer for delayed shots, 6 special effects including sepia and Black and White, a preview zoom mode that allows you to zoom in on still shots upto 10 times, macro mode, and many more features that all aid in helping the photographer achieve good shots.

The Camera uses the same underwater case as the Ixus V2, the WDC300, underwater shots give a whole new dimension to photography and provide an additional bonus. Whether you use it on the beach, snorkel, or Scuba dive you can expect to get some very good images. As with the Ixus V2 the results are of exceptionally high quality and the improved movie recording time is the main reason I upgraded from the Ixus V2. Again when using the underwater case the camera functions are all available. The Camera case is also very reasonably priced at about £150 so this will not break the bank.

On a side note, when using the underwater case it is important to grease it up properly to stop possible leaks. This is a precaution to be taken with enything that needs to remain watertight and is not exclusive to the WDC300 case. Additionally you may notice the photos have a slight yellow and green cast to the out edges of the photos, this is caused by the additional properties of a piece of glass placed in front of the lens that exaggerates the normal refraction between air and water. You really have to look for this though.

Colour balance has remained good and the camera also feels faster than the Ixus V2 in use. I have not done timings to verify this and it is just my perception. Battery life has been improved by about 10% to 20% above the Ixus V2, these figures again are estimates, but are based on my use underwater filming scenes and taking still shots. With the LCD on all the time I have managed to get upto 1 hour of continous use with additional battery life for shots on the surface, where as the Ixus V2 gave about 45minutes to 50 minutes.

With a 512Mb Compact flash card you can expect to get between 20 minutes and 24 minutes of video or about 600 photos at top res with mid range compression.

Minor issues:
I have come across only 2 minor issues when using the camera and these can generally be forgiven when you consider the other features and size of this camera. Firstly the movie mode fixes the aperture at a level when it first starts recording the movie and even though it does an admarable job of handling the lighting it can catch you out, unlike a camcorder which will adjust when the lighting changes dramatically ie. moving from inside to outside and vice versa. Secondly the Lens can produce a lens flare artifact which covers upto 2% of the image when taking a shot with a strong light source in it. An example of this would be taking a picture of a sunset. Limitations of the lens size and the properties of glass make this almost impossible to overcome.
Both these issues are easily overcome anyway either with photo-editing software or thinking about the video footage you intend to take and planning ahead to prevent the problem occuring.

Conclusion:
As with all the other Canon Cameras I have used you get the feel that the cameras are made by people passionate about photography and making it accessible to real people, not just photo perfectionists. The camera has a quality that seems to permeate the entire product all the way through to the images it produces. With a good movie editing package it is possible to construct some very passable results of what ever you take a movie of, which is similar to the standard of the old VHS video camcorders. I have done some instructional Scuba movies that people are constantly amazed at, and find it hard to believe the results come from a small stills camera. I have a hard time finding anything wrong with it and if I was to recommend anything it would be either the Ixus V2 for the price conscious or the Ixus V3 for the extra movie mode record time. Before buying any product, try it out see if it works with you and not against you. Once again Canon have made a product that lives upto my expectations and build quality.