Canon Digital IXUS 40 > Reviews > Excellent for intermediates.

Author's product rating:   

Picture Quality	Excellent
Range & Quality of Features	Excellent
Ease of Use	Average
Overall Look & Design	Excellent
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Excellent features and image quality
Disadvantages:	Can be difficult to use

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I have been very impressed with my Canon Ixus 40 and it's an exceptional product. Image quality is, of course, outstanding (it is a canon after all) and probably couldn't get any better for a 4 megapixel camera.

The camera starts up within seconds of hitting the button and the flash charges very quickly so I could easily snap away indoors without having to wait around. The zoom is very responsive unlike some other cameras which take a while to move from wide-angle to telephoto. The camera itself saves and deletes pictures quickly, so in general it's great if you're on the move.

The body of the camera is very clean and well made; I'm not sure if it is made of metal but it looks great nonetheless. It's very thin and will fit comfortably in small pockets. The screen is a nice 2.5" and is bright and clear even outdoors.

I think one of the best things about this camera is the fantastic auto-focus. It focuses excellently on all subjects, as long as they are more than about 3cm away from the lens. You can choose between a spot focus, which focuses solely on the centre of the image (great for macro), centre weighted, and evaluative which chooses the best focus out of 9 points of the image. Basically, it gets it right every time.

You might have noticed that I haven't mentioned one bad thing about this camera, and it has to be said there are some.

It can be difficult to find out how to access some of the functions. This could make it difficult for some beginners to get used to. I have previously had two other canon cameras, but it still took me a while to find out how to do long exposires and start 'clock mode'. Everything is done automatically but if you want to get more out of your camera you will have to delve through the manual which isn't always too helpful.

Secondly, the price is a bit steep, at about £165 for a 4 megapixel camera with a 3x optical zoom. You're paying for quality, and some might rather invest in an ok fujifilm for about £100.

Battery life might also be an issue. You can get about 120 shots out of one battery, which will fill up a 256mb card and it only takes about 2 hours to charge the battery, but if you've got a 512mb card and no access to a plug socket you might be in trouble. Also, there is no battery monitor and when it does tell you battery is low you only have about one minute till it goes completely. However, this is pretty standard for most cameras so you probably can't complain.

In conclusion, if you are new to cameras you might want to get a cheaper camera with fewer features that's easier to use. However, even if it is your first camera it is still and great investment and you will learn to use it in time.