Canon Ixus 900Ti

The IXUS series by Canon are some really good cameras, but it's purely hit or miss. For instance, the Ixus i7 was a true performer, although the Digital IXUS 60 was really low on performance. The 900Ti, in the current review, features excellent build quality and is easy enough to carry wherever you want to go, even for treks. The performance, however, disappointed us quite a bit. For a company like Canon, one of the major digicam manufacturers, a camera like the 900Ti that promises dynamic functionalities and good pictures, the result we got was something we didn't expect. See how.

Build
The 900Ti has a compact design, very much to my liking. And moreover, it features a brushed Titanium body. It won’t be wrong to say, that you will be smitten by the looks of this baby the moment you lock eyes on it. Well, I was! I like the overall design, perfect curves, and the fact that Canon has taken care in not going overboard with it. One of the plus points of having a titanium body is the sturdiness and also the fact that this makes it quite scratch free. You will know what I’m talking about when you hold it. At 91 x 57 x 28 mm it’s small enough, and trust me it’s as plush as it can get.

The controls are all in the right place. On top you will find the usual power, shutter release buttons and the zoom dial. The camera features a 2.5-inch LCD screen, and we had no hassles using it even in extremely sunny conditions. It also comes with a viewfinder, but the screen is more convenient to use. One thing here I would like to add is that the 900Ti at 205g is quite light for a camera. Also, speaking about ergonomics, it's easy to work with the camera single-handedly.

For users who are strictly against fiddling with the camera settings, the selection dial on the upper-right hand corner is all they need to use. It features the regular auto and manual mode, plus an easy access to scene mode settings. The same dial can also be used to view pictures taken and to shoot videos. Very convenient!

The function set button and the navigational keys, just below the selection dial, allow an easy access to most of what the camera has to offer (exposure settings, white balance control etc). On its own the keys act as a one-touch access to options like flash, continuous shots and macro mode. If you are still hungry for more, then the menu button will take you through a selection of functions like digital zoom, self-timer, face detection etc. It also has an optical view.

At the bottom you will find the battery and the memory slot. The AV out is on the right side of the camera. All good so far!