Canon IXUS 185 is a compact and easy-to-use digital camera perfect for day-to-day use to vlogging adventures.
Priced surprisingly low for a Canon’s camera, IXUS 185 has all the features to fulfill the needs of beginners and the casual hobbyist.
Table of Contents
Canon IXUS 185 Review
The aspects of IXUS 185 are as catchy as its value of money to grab attention, i.e., 20MP resolution, DIGIC 4+ processor, electronic image stabilization, multiple built-in modes, and 8x optical zoom.
Design and Built
IXUS 185 is nothing very revolutionary compared to the design of an entry-level budgeted digital camera.
Weighing 126 grams only (including memory card and battery) has a physical dimension of 95.2 x 54.3 x 22.1 mm (W x H x D), making it a dandy camera to fit inside your pocket.
It is available in two color options of Red and Black.
The front of the camera features a lens with a focal length of 5.0 – 40.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28 – 224 mm).
This lens enlarges smoothly around 3cm upon zooming. This 28mm lens is capable of producing great results, especially in well-illuminated situations.
The backside of IXUS 185 features a bunch of buttons and an LCD screen with 100% frame coverage.
If being a beginner, you don’t know anything about buttons or settings, IXUS 185 is a perfect digital camera for you.
Easy Auto Mode on by default, automatically selects perfect settings depending upon the scene and locks the buttons.
The LCD of the camera is 6.8 cm (2.7″) with approx. 230,000 dots (100% coverage). Footages and settings are displayed on this LCD.
It shows vibrant and bright colors, but it lacks the feature of touch.
For the camera’s price, it is not a very big deal but considering that IXUS 185 was released in 2017 when touch is one of the most common features available in the digital camera, this lack is a little underwhelming.
Overall, IXUS 187 is quite easy to operate the digital camera with a compact design.
Easy Auto Mode
This intelligent mode is built to ensure the ease of use of users.
When Easy Auto Mode is enabled, Canon IXUS 185 automatically evaluates the scene and chooses the best combination of settings from exposure to auto-zoom.
Once enabled, this mode locks all the buttons except the start shooting/capture button.
Easy Auto Mode is turned on by default and performs quite well. To use the camera manually, turn it off via settings.
Zooming Capabilities
Canon IXUS 185 offers 8x Optical zoom, 16x zoom with ZoomPlus, and 4x Digital approximately (Combined approx. 32x 2).
There is a common perception that the more you zoom, the more you lose the footage quality. IXUS 185 is a tiny camera, but it has compelling zooming capabilities.
In fact, it offers the best zoom in this price category of digital cameras. Powerful DIGIC 4+ processor and 28mm optical zoom lens effectively reduces the noise and graininess in zoomed footages.
Date Stamp Feature
There is a dedicated button to stamp the date on footages. Just press the button, and it stamps the date and time so that you can relive your memories.
Video Shooting
In movie mode, the highest resolution offered by IXUS 185 is 720p (aspect ratio 4:3).
There is a Movie Shooting Button; press the button, and the camera starts shooting the video.
For an entry-level digital camera with only 720p resolution, the video quality is outstanding, especially in bright light and outdoors.
Some people criticized this digital camera that these resolutions are offered by smartphones too. Still, again this camera is designed for a particular target market ad it fulfills their needs perfectly.
Besides, no smartphone under 100£ has a video quality of IXUS 185 to offer.
From 5 selectable ISO ranges, shooting in higher two, you may face the issue of background noise.
Still images
Compared to the videos, the still images turn out relatively better. IXUS 185 is capable of capturing Ultra HD 20Mp images.
All images are captured in JPEG (No RAW). The sensor is relatively small to support the resolution as high as 20 megapixels, but the powerful lens and DIGIC 4+ sensor making possible high-quality sharp and vibrant output every time you shoot.
Footage output is the same as the manufacturer’s description, but when it comes to the low-light shooting, one shouldn’t expect a lot. Results are not terrible, but not good either.
Manual exposure control could have aid in less illuminated situations, but unfortunately, that feature is also absent. Also, just like video mode, avoid using higher ISO settings.
Image Stabilization
For shooting videos, Canon IXUS 185 has built-in image stabilization to reduce the blurs and shakes.
Battery Life
Standard NB-11L battery powers the Canon IXUS 185 digital camera. This rechargeable battery provides up to 210 shots, approximately or 240 minutes of playback time in a standard situation.
This time can be extended using eco mode, which offers 285 shots on average.
The battery life is not marvelous, but it is suitable for its target market. This camera is not capable of shooting in high resolutions such as 1080p or 4K; lower the resolutions, lower the battery consumption.
Carry around IXUS 185 for outdoor endeavors without any worries about the battery.
To avoid any unprecedented circumstances, we recommend carrying an extra battery, easily available in the market.
Creative Modes
Canon IXUS 185 lets you add an artistic and fun touch to your videos and images using its around 32 creative modes.
Some of these modes are portrait mode, self-face timer, Fish-eye effect, miniature effects, low light effect, monochrome effect, toy camera effect, fireworks effect, long shutter modes, and auto mode 32 modes detected.
Canon IXUS 185 Specs:
- Image Sensor Type: 1/2.3 type CCD
- Effective Pixels: Approx. 20.0M
- Effective / Total Pixels: Approx. 20.5M
- Image Processor Type: DIGIC 4+
- Lens Focal Length: 5.0 – 40.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28 – 224 mm)
- Zoom: Optical 8x, ZoomPlus 16x, Digital approx. 4x (Combined approx. 32x 2)
- Maximum f/number: f/3.2 – f/6.9
- Image Stabilization: Electronic type (Digital IS Mode)
- AF System/ Points: AiAF (Face Detection / 9-point), 1-point AF (fixed to center)
- AF Modes: Single, Continuous, Servo AF/AE, Tracking AF 3
- Exposure Compensation: +/- 2 EV in 1/3 stop increments
- ISO Sensitivity: AUTO, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600; AUTO ISO: 100 – 800
- Shutter Speed: 1 – 1/2000 s (Auto Mode), 15 – 1/2000 s (total range – varies by shooting mode)
- White Balance Settings: Auto (including Face Detection WB), Daylight, Cloudy, Light bulb, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom
- LCD: 6.8 cm (2.7″) LCD (TFT), approx. 230,000 dots (Approx. 100% coverage)
- Flash Modes: Auto, Manual Flash On / Off, Slow Synchro
- Red-Eye Reduction: Yes
- Shooting Modes: Smart Auto (32 scenes detected), P, Portrait, Face Self-Timer, Low Light (5.0 MP), Digital IS, Fish-eye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, Fireworks, Long Shutter, Easy Auto activated by default
- Drive modes: Single, Continuous, Self-Timer
- Continuous Shooting: Approx. 0.8 shots/s
- Low Light Mode (5.0 MP): Approx. 2.2 shots/s
- Movies modes: (HD) 1280 x 720, 25 fps, (L) 640 x 480, 29.97 fps (Up to 4 GB or 29 min 59 6s)
- Intelligent Orientation Sensor: Yes, with Auto Rotate
- Playback zoom: Approx. 2x – 10x
- Self-Timer: Approx. 2, 10 s or Custom
- Batteries: Rechargeable Li-ion Battery NB-11L / NB-11LH (NB-11L battery and charger supplied)
- Battery life: Approx. 210 shots, Eco Mode: Approx. 285 shots, Playback Mode: Approx. 240 min
Pros:
- Value of money
- 8x optical zoom
- Built-in image stabilization
- Auto-mode with 32 scenes detection
- Macro mode at 1cm supporting long-distance telephoto shoots
- Beginners friendly
Cons:
- Bad low-light results
- The resolution offered is even lower than modern-day smartphones.
- Lack of manual exposure control
Conclusion
If you are looking for a reliable digital camera for your adventures without breaking your banking, Canon IXUS 185 has almost everything to fulfill your desired requirements.
This compact feature-packed body has stand-out features of 20.0 Megapixels, HD 720p movies, 8x optical zoom with 28mm wide-angle, DIGIC 4+ processor to ensure smooth performance, auto-mode with 32 scenes detection, zoom up to 16x, fun modes, and beginner-friendly controls.
Comparing the value of money <-Affiliate link 🙂 and features of Canon’s IXUS 185, this digital camera is neither an excellent deal nor a nasty one.
Reasonable price is one feature, but it isn’t everything. What good saving money while buying a digital camera can bring if results aren’t good?!
8x optical zoom lens, 20.0 Megapixels, and 720p resolution produce good results oftentimes, but sometimes results are really disappointing, especially for low-light shooting.
If you are a beginner, not expecting very high-quality footages every time, want a digital camera under £100, that too by a reliable brand-name of Canon; IXUS 185 digital camera is recommended for you.<-Affiliate link 🙂
THANKS FOR DETAIL PROCESS………
Cheers, thanks
Can you charge the battery without using the supplied charger? In other words do you have to physically remove the battery each time? Bit awkward having to carry the charger round that’s all and find a power point. Otherwise very good camera.
Hi David, thanks for your comment.
Indeed, it can be frustrating… There are solutions, though – carry extra batteries, backup ones.
If you’re using it just for vlogging at your desk, it should not be a trouble, as the power socket would be convenient.
In case you’re traveling, just have 2-3 fully charged batteries with you as a backup at all times 😉
Hi,
A couple days ago I took self portraits of myself with a Cannon ixus 185 point and shoot digital camera on a tripod set to a 10 second timer, I wasn’t very far away,but very close either but I ended up with a distorted somewhat fat face and a double chin which I don’t have in person,in the mirror or even in inexpensive camera phones even though I have gotten the wide angle lens distortion if the camera was too close to my face but you can’t really tell how close it is and sometimes you get lucky and get really good results. Do you have any suggestions on how to avoid this problem?
And I can’ttell if I’m far away enough. And back in November 2019 when I first got this camera, my father just using the auto feature took a picture of me from a medium distance and my face was somewhat stretched from side to side like a wide angle lens camera phone, and I had the double chin, and I thought that’s really strange why is this new camera doing this? I had never used it myself until now, and I hadn’t looked at that picture for several years and I remembered that it wasn’t good but I forgot it was that bad.
I just tried to do test shots on zoom and portrait mode from a good distance and I still got the same distorted fat face with a double chin. I only got one good serious expression headshot portrait a few days ago but it had a yellowish bright tone over exposed look to it so it looks better in black and white but I was able to somewhat correct this on the color picture with a site that I can’t remember the name of right now.
The camera took a nice clear un distorted picture of my bedroom lamp, but people’s face portraits it’s poor.
Thank You
Hi,
I am sorry this happened to you.
I so hope you still have a warranty. In my opinion this camera was damaged when delivered. I am pretty sure they test cameras before sending out into the world, so it was in a good condition when going out the factory.
But, unfortunately, things happen on the way to customers.
Shortly, you have a damaged camera.
I was thinking you were shooting in a fish eye mode or very wide.
But if you said you traid the portrait mode and other modes, then the only answers is… Camera is broken somehow.
Sorry for the bad news.
Please feel free to reply with anything that you think may be useful, as it is always a chance I misunderstood the situation and we can find a solution afterwards. Please, in case you reply, give me as many details as possible.
Cheers