The IXUS 220 HS arrived in February 2011 as one of Canon's thinnest compacts — 19.5mm deep, stainless steel body, and an f/2.7 wide-angle lens that was unusually fast for a camera this slim. The back-illuminated CMOS sensor and DIGIC 4 processor made up Canon's HS System, claiming 60% less noise than predecessors at high ISO. In practice: sharper party shots in dim light, without needing the flash every time. Priced at £199 at launch.
NO FILTER: SHOT ON IXUS 220 HS
THE LOOKS
In silver, the IXUS 220 HS is the cleanest expression of the IXUS design — a stainless steel body with a lightly textured finish that catches the light without being shiny. The front face is almost entirely lens and flash, the 2.7-inch LCD fills the rear, and at 92 × 55.9 × 19.5mm it sits flat in a shirt pocket without argument. At 141g it feels properly solid for its size. Also available in black and red.
THE SPECS
12.1-megapixel 1/2.3-inch back-illuminated CMOS, ISO 100–3200 (6400 in Low Light scene mode). Canon 5× optical zoom, 24–120mm equivalent, f/2.7–5.9. Optical Image Stabilizer. DIGIC 4 processor. 2.7-inch LCD (230k dots). Smart Auto 32 scenes. 8fps burst at 3MP. 1080p/24fps Full HD video with stereo sound, optical zoom during recording, Dynamic IS. Super Slow Motion: 240fps (320×240) or 120fps (640×480). Movie Digest mode. SD/SDHC/SDXC. 92 × 55.9 × 19.5mm, 141g.
DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS
- f/2.7 maximum aperture on a 19.5mm-thin body: unusually fast for a camera this slim — more light in, cleaner shots in low-lit rooms without switching to flash.
- Super Slow Motion at 240fps: shoot at a quarter-second per second at 320×240, or 120fps at VGA — a creative feature in 2011 that most compacts at this price simply didn't offer.
- Back-illuminated CMOS HS System with DIGIC 4: Canon's claim of 60% noise reduction over predecessors held up — ISO 3200 was usable where it wasn't on older IXUS models.
THE VERDICT
The IXUS 220 HS is a camera that earns the slim body — the f/2.7 aperture lets more light in than most compacts at this size, the HS System keeps high-ISO shots usable rather than painted, and 1080p video with optical zoom during recording was a proper feature in 2011. The silver stainless steel body is the IXUS at its most classic: no color drama, just a well-made rectangle that fits anywhere and produces images that look noticeably better than the price suggested.