The IXUS 200 IS arrived in late 2009 carrying two firsts for the IXUS lineup: Canon's first touchscreen compact, and the first IXUS to open at 24mm. Both arrived in the same elongated letterbox body, with a brushed metal finish, minimal physical controls, and a 3-inch widescreen panel doing most of the interface work. It was a deliberate statement about where the line was heading.
NO FILTER: SHOT ON IXUS 200 IS
THE LOOKS
In silver, the IXUS 200 IS has a brushed metallic finish with gunmetal grey trim — cool-toned and deliberately understated. The body is 99.9 × 53.4 × 22.9mm, noticeably longer and more letterbox-shaped than its IXUS siblings, with the rear almost entirely given over to the widescreen touchscreen and only a handful of physical controls surviving the edit. Also available in blue, gold, and purple.
THE SPECS
12.1-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD, ISO 80–1600 (3200 in reduced-resolution mode). Canon 5× optical zoom, 24–120mm equivalent, f/2.8–5.9. Optical IS. DIGIC 4 processor. 3-inch 16:9 touchscreen LCD (230k dots). Touch focus with face tracking. Smart Auto scene detection. 720p HD video at 30fps (H.264/MOV). Mini HDMI output. SD/SDHC. 99.9 × 53.4 × 22.9mm, ~180g with battery.
DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS
- Canon's first touchscreen IXUS and first at 24mm: two firsts in one body — wider, more interface-forward, and pointing clearly at where the lineup was heading.
- Touch focus with face tracking: tap a face on screen and the camera locks on and follows it across the frame — a genuine capability in 2009.
- Letterbox body shaped around the display: 10mm longer than sibling IXUS models, sized specifically to give the 3-inch 16:9 panel the room to work.
THE VERDICT
The IXUS 200 IS took two risks at once — a new interface and Canon's widest compact lens — and made both feel natural. The 24mm wide-angle was a genuine premium in 2009, the touchscreen was novel in the lineup, and the brushed letterbox body gave both features room to make sense. Silver is exactly the right finish: cool, precise, and quietly confident without overstating the case.