Product Listing

Canon IXUS 1100 HS - A Sturdy Snap Shooter

By Wong Casandra - 6 Jan 2012
Launch SRP: S$529

Introduction, Design & Handling

A High-end Compact Point and Shoot

The landscape of photography is an ever-changing one; in fact, smartphones are now seen as the definitive gadgets as they are well-suited for capturing casual moments without much hassle. To add on, these devices often come with ample app support for quick sharing over social networks or blogs and even offer camera effects. With the advent of camera-equipped phones, and pretty decent ones these days, basically everyone has become a shutterbug. Does that spell trouble to the average point and shoot cameras? In actual fact, that's far from the truth. With an increase in photography interest, it is still very high in demand with sales volumes ever-increasing. While it's true that the average smartphone is far more accessible for candid shots, dedicated compact cameras will prevail because they offer far better performance, controls, battery life and are almost as pocketable as smartphones.

Canon has generally fared well in its compact segment and the Canon IXUS 1100 HS is the subject of our review today. The IXUS range is well-known for its style-driven and solidly built cameras and the 1100 HS takes over the 1000 HS as the flagship model. In a nutshell, the 12.1-megapixel 1100 HS is an all-new touch-screen compact with 12x zoom capabilities, an additional Smart Auto mode (auto detects the best scene mode), a 3.2-inch 461k pixels touchscreen, a DIGIC 4 processor and high sensitivity CMOS sensor. To add on, it is pretty minute at 99 x 58.9 x 21.9mm. In short, these are the improved features on the 1100 HS compared to its predecessor. Let's take a closer look at the snap-shooter. 

The Canon IXUS 1100 HS comes in a compact body with high-end specs. The camera has a sturdy and stylish exterior that is sadly marred by a glossy  and non-dustproof surface.

Being a touchscreen compact, the 1100 HS comes with minimal physical controls, most of which are nested along the top face of the camera. Here, you will have a program/auto switch, power button, shutter button and a zoom rocker, Canon cameras are usually well-constructed and it's no surprise that all buttons were within reach and easy to toggle.

Turn the camera to its back and you will notice that it is completely devoid of controls save for a tiny matte playback button - not to worry, we found no difficulty in accessing it. As explained earlier, the main bulk of the action takes place on the camera's 3.2-inch, 461k-dot PureColor II LCD touch screen and top profile. While it isn't an AMOLED screen, the screen performs admirably, showcasing good color reproduction and viewing angles under bright sunlight.

The touchscreen is pretty receptive by touchscreen camera standards. However, do keep in mind that it is nowhere near as fluid as the capacitive touchscreens on your smartphones. At times, we found ourselves constantly tapping on icons before an action got registered.

The user interface is simple to use and straightforward. There's nothing too fanciful about it, but we aren't complaining.

The bottom is reserved for the rechargeable battery (right) and SD card slot (left).

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8.5
  • Performance 8.5
  • Design 8
  • Features 8.5
  • User-Friendliness 8
  • Value 8.5
The Good
Sturdy and well-constructed body
Fast and accurate AF system
Vivid and accurate color production
Good noise performance
The Bad
Touchscreen takes time to get used to
Slightly pricey but justifiable
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