The IXUS 1000 HS, the first successor to Canon’s first high-speed IXUS 300 HS, breaks the mold of tech devices. The developers were able to increase the functionality of the device, equipping it with a lens with 10x optical zoom, while reducing the thickness of the camera a couple of millimeters! How they did it is silent, but the camera itself turned out to be quite an interesting ultra-zoom-compact.
10MP 36-360mm 10 x 3″ $500
The main thing is that the reduction in price or simplification of the body compared to the 300 HS did not happen: IXUS 1000 HS also dressed in a solid metal shell, and its 3-inch screen is covered by tempered glass. Dimensions of the camera 101×54×22 mm one of the smallest ultrazooms in this class at 190 g.
“Stabilized” lens compared to the optics of its predecessor was less wide-angle and, unfortunately, not so fast F3.4 vs. F2 at a wide angle on the IXUS 300 HS , but much more long-range: 10x optical zoom from 36 to 360 mm.
The model also has a backlit CMOS sensor that offers sensitivity up to 3200 ISO, and speed up to 3.7 full-size frames per second without limiting the series length, and a number of standard “speed” features like night mode, which combines a series of several frames into one sharp, silent photo.
The second important change after the lens, which appeared in the hardware and software of the IXUS 1000 HS – improved video recording capabilities. This camera has learned how to record “real” HD with 1920×1080 pixels at 24 frames per second. Intelligent automatics at the same time does not leave the user alone: the unit, as in photo mode, selects the most suitable scene for the video and even allows you to apply cool digital effects. The result can be enjoyed on a digital TV connected via the built-in mini-HDMI port.
The manual exposure control feature of the IXUS 300 HS was removed. In general, pros looking for a compact camera “for all occasions” really would rather prefer wide-angle optics to an ultra-zoom, and yet it’s a shame. But the clever automatic IXUS 1000 HS, with its built-in flash, face detection and tonal range optimisation, will hardly ever make you regret the lack of manual control.
What are some of the key features and benefits of the rugged metal shell and tempered glass covering on the Canon IXUS 1000 HS? How does it contribute to the durability and overall performance of the camera?