Canon Digital Ixus 95 IS camera

Available in four colours, the Canon Ixus 95 IS (‘image stabilised’) is a style-conscious upgrade of last year’s reliable Ixus 80 IS model. The resolution has been brought up to 10 megapixels, which matches the competition.

Otherwise the camera’s design and layout are virtually identical to those of its predecessor. Unusually it includes an optical viewfinder as an alternative to the 2.5in screen for composing and reviewing pictures. The viewfinder required us to squint like a pirate to use it, so we’re not sure how much it adds.

With a 3x optical zoom lens, the Ixus 95 IS feels lightweight yet substantial and has an attractively smooth surface and rounded edges. For those looking for a pocket camera to carry with them at all times, it fits the bill.

For beginners, the camera features a new Smart Auto mode that recognises scenes or subjects and adjusts the settings accordingly. It worked well and was fast too, with no perceptible extra shutter lag between pressing the button and taking the shot.

Other user-friendly features include auto-red-eye correction when using the flash, while Canon’s i-contrast mode was effective when faced with a dark foreground and bright background, maintaining detail in both.

On the downside, we still found ourselves cupping a hand around the screen to view it in bright sunlight. There’s no printed manual, (just a quick-start pamphlet and one on the supplied CD).

And you’ll have to buy your own SD or SDHC memory card for storing images.

We found photos straight out of the camera looked a little flat, although once we selected the camera’s Vivid setting this added a bit of punch. However, noise was kept well under control and results without flash proved usable at higher ISO800 and ISO1600 light sensitivity settings.

There may be nothing spectacular about the Ixus 95 IS – there’s no flashy high-definition video for example like on the Ixus 100 IS, just the standard video mode – but given the build quality and intended user, there are few problems except that you’re paying £50 more for the camera’s eye-catching finish.