THE SECOND CANON in our comparison, the IXUS 950 IS was not as impressive as the second-placed Canon IXUS 80 IS, despite of its 8MP sensor, and a 4x optical zoom with image stabilization. This camera uses the new Digic III image processing engine that includes face detection. Speaking of which, like with other cameras with face detection, the performance of this features is not consistent. Often, the camera detects a random object as a face. The build quality of the IXUS 950 IS is solid and confidence inspiring. The directional D-pad and the mode dial controls are well placed for easy access. Combined with the easy to use navigation, using this camera is a breeze.



The 2.5 inch LCD is bright (but still poses a problem in sunlight, but that's common to many LCDs) and there is an optical viewfinder as well. This should help in composing images in bright sunlight when the LCD is not visible or even in saving batteries by turning the display off while shooting. In our image quality tests, this Canon scored below the Nikon S51, Sony W210 and the Canon IXUS 80 in the resolution chart test. In low light shooting, so long as you use the flash for nearby objects, the results are fine. But for farther objects and / or shooting without flash, the IXUS 950 IS produced sub par results. In outdoor shooting the results were acceptable and the histogram revealed that the image tends to be on the darker side. The camera can shoot videos at VGA resolution at 30fps. There is no LP mode however, (which the IXUS 80 sports) so, keep a extra memory cards handy if you plan to shoot videos.