$649
Available at all authorised Canon dealers

Canon is not sitting still. Having just released a bevy of Ixus models in February, the Ixus 950 IS (IS stands for image stabiliser) is out just eight months after the Ixus 850 IS.

What the 950 IS has is an 8-megapixel sensor versus the 7.1-megapixel sensor in the older model, and a 4x optical zoom - up from 3.8x. But you lose the wide-angle lens of the 850 IS, starting wide at 35mm instead.

As with the latest Ixus cameras, this one has a nine-point face detection system which worked well. Picture quality was excellent. Auto-focusing was fast except when subjects were in low-contrast areas,but this is true of most cameras. However, its manual controls are limited, even in manual mode.

Using the 950 IS is a joy, not least because the user interface is top-notch. Navigating pictures is made simpler with a Jump function that allows you to go to the 10th or 100th picture just as easily.

But slow sync is now in the menu. In older models, this was part of the flash settings on the main interface. And Canon, it's 2007! Show us the battery metre already, as most cameras do! Don't warn us only when the battery's near-drained.

- Alvin Lai is a freelance writer.

FINAL SAY

If you already own an Ixus, upgrading depends on your budget. But if you don't, consider this one seriously. You'll love it.