Canon Digital IXUS 85 IS: 10-megapixel compact has us at hello

Say what you like about Canon: it does make exceedingly pretty cameras. The Canon Digital IXUS 85 IS strolled into Crave this week, turning heads and leaving a string of dropped jaws and wide eyes in its wake. This 10- megapixel point-and-shoot is draped in sleek straight lines, the subtlest curves, and two-tone silver finery. A slightly unfinished feel to the frame lends it some edge, while a lustrous silver or seductive black lens ring adds that all-important touch of glamour.

But we're not superficial here at Crave. In our quest to bring you the coolest, cleverest gadgets in the gizmosphere, we know to look past the surface. A well-turned ankle or a flush-folding lens aren't enough to turn our heads. We're more interested in image stabilisation, dual red-eye reduction and automatic correction. We look for minimum shutter speeds of up to 15 seconds, and 9-point auto focus with face detection. The IXUS 85 IS doesn't disappoint on any of these scores.

We're less enamoured of the 3x zoom and 35mm focal length, equivalent to a 35mm camera. The piffling 32MB SD card bundled in the box isn't much to look at either, and nor is the 64mm (2.5-inch) LCD screen. Still, you do get an optical viewfinder, and you don't see many of those round these parts.

Oh heck, we can't stay mad at you, IXUS 85. We're seduced by this little charmer, available in the shops now for £179. -Rich Trenholm

Update: Read our full Canon Digital IXUS 85 IS review. 

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