As far as compact digital cameras are concerned, the general trend among the most important manufacturers of such devices is to make them as thin and as light as possible, while packing them with a very large number of functions and features that most amateur photographers will find to be attractive. And, to some extent, that's exactly what Canon did with its Ixus 130 compact digital camera, which was officially launched back in February 2010, a device that combines a very sleek and attractive look with a quite a few advanced shooting features, which will ensure that even those people with a relatively low amount of experience in the field of digital photography get the hang of it.
As some of you might know, the Ixus range can be defined as Canon's lifestyle-oriented compact digital cameras, since the devices in this family have a more stylish design, complete with metallic bodies and ultra-thin form factors. In other words, they're just the thing to carry around in a small purse or jacket, and will surely draw other people's attention when taken out for some quick shots.
However, given the fact that they target mostly people with relatively little expertise in the field of digital photography, who are more interested in obtaining acceptable end results for web use rather than art shots, the Ixus cameras provide fewer manual controls than their PowerShot counterparts, for example.
That's also the case with the model we've tested, the Ixus 130, which is described by Canon as their thinnest Ixus to date, a title well deserved, as far as we're concerned, and that's because the device is very small and portable. Indeed, people who are used to DSLRs will find little use for the tiny Ixus, but its attractive design and flashy colors will surely draw quite a lot of amateurs.
Oh, and one last thing, before we start talking about the design features of the Canon Ixus 130. This little device was one of the two official “Softpedia CeBIT 2010 cameras,” meaning that it helped us quite a lot during our visit at the respective trade show.
